Football (Soccer) Thread

[Warspite]

You should merge with the other Scandis into one league. You could get up to a pretty good standard then IMO.

The idea has been out there for a while. The attempt to create a Nordic league in winter in the form of Royal League (the name is an ABERRATION!!) crashed.

Problems: Should each country have quotas? 3-4 teams from each country? Distances. Scandinavia is huge. From Tromsø to Malmö, that's really far, and with only a handful of clubs managing above 15.000 on average attendance, I see the financial problems becoming huge. You could of course just start with franchises like in North America.

The other problem is that FIFA and UEFA have also killed the idea of multinational leagues. There was some talk of a "Habsburg" league with the best teams from Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, in order to make an actually competitive and financially viable central European football system.

[Norgy]

That's a pity, since those countries already had competitions running back in the 1930s and had some of the best players in pre-war Europe.

I think FIFA is useless.

[FunkMonk]

Rumour has it that Klinsmann is being touted.

Yup, it's him.

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2011/07/Klinsmann-Named-Head-Coach-of-US-MNT.aspx

[Warspite]

That's a pity, since those countries already had competitions running back in the 1930s and had some of the best players in pre-war Europe.

I think FIFA is useless.

It is a massive pity since right now these countries have jokes of leagues (I can't speak for the others, but Croatia could do fine with a top league of four teams), whereas a more competitive system for the top clubs - tougher fixtures, bigger attendances, more viewers, more revenue - would mean better wages, better training systems.

Football would be the winner, but not FIFA and UEFA who would lose their stranglehold over the running of the game (and the latter over lucrative European competition).

[dps]

Rumour has it that Klinsmann is being touted.

Yup, it's him.

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2011/07/Klinsmann-Named-Head-Coach-of-US-MNT.aspx

Not a surprise, in a way, since apparantly Gulati had wanted him before giving the job to Bradley (which was part of the reason Bradley had an "interim" tag on his title for so long). 

[Admiral Yi]

He was smooth in the announcer's box during the WC.  No clue if he's a good choice or not.

[Ed Anger]

I also enjoyed the nazi references he and his booth buddies did during the World Cup on ESPN. 

[Norgy]

He was smooth in the announcer's box during the WC.  No clue if he's a good choice or not.

He was a top player. Really good. And when he was coaching Germany, it seemed like the players loved him, which I think might be a good start. Since he's a bit of a charismatic type too, he's a good choice for spreading the gospel of soccer. I think the US has made a good choice.

[Admiral Yi]

He was a top player. Really good. And when he was coaching Germany, it seemed like the players loved him, which I think might be a good start. Since he's a bit of a charismatic type too, he's a good choice for spreading the gospel of soccer. I think the US has made a good choice.

Good to know.

[Josephus]

World Cup qualifiers made.

In Europe, some poor, easy groups and one noticeble group of death that features Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland.

England get Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldovia and San Marino.

Here are the UEFA groups:

A: Croatia; Serbia; Belgium; Scotland; Macedonia; Wales
B: Italy; Denmark; Czech; Bulgaria; Armenia; Malta
C: Germany; Sweden; Irelan; Austria; Faroe Is.; Kazekstan
D: Holland; Turkey; Hungary; Romania: Estonia; Andora
E: Norway: Slovenia: Switzerland; Albania; Cyprus; Iceland
F: Portugal; Russia; Israel; N. Ireland; Arzebajan; Luxembourg
G: Greece; Slovakia; Bosnia/Herz; Lithuania; Latvia; Liechtenstein
H: England; Montenegro; Ukraine; Poland; Moldovia; San Marino
I: Spain; France; Belarus; Georgia; Finland.

[Liep]

How did Norway and Greece end up as 1st seeds? Anyhow, with Italy and the Czechs in our group we're not going to Brazil.

[Josephus]

How did Norway and Greece end up as 1st seeds? Anyhow, with Italy and the Czechs in our group we're not going to Brazil.

You should be able to beat the Czechs...it's Malta you ought to worry about. 

[Warspite]

Well this is a disaster, the last thing we needed was the grudge match against Serbia in Belgrade.

Either UEFA will insist on closed door games, or the asshat hooligans on both sides are going to cause trouble and get both of us deducted points.

[Norgy]

How did Norway and Greece end up as 1st seeds? Anyhow, with Italy and the Czechs in our group we're not going to Brazil.

The FIFA ranking. Which is bonkers.

[Maladict]

Group A is kind of interesting though. Pretty much everyone has a decent shot at second place.
Same thing with Groups E and G, except for the token minnows.