Football (Soccer) Thread

[crazy canuck]

I understand why people are bothered by their arrogance. I'm just saying their arrogance doesn't bother me.  They're still the best team in the world, until they lose to the Netherlands on penalties in the final.

The gold standard of confidence without arrogance was the 92 US Olympic basketball team.  Everyone knew they would win and they conducted themselves with class throughout.

[FunkMonk]

I understand why people are bothered by their arrogance. I'm just saying their arrogance doesn't bother me.  They're still the best team in the world, until they lose to the Netherlands on penalties in the final.

The gold standard of confidence without arrogance was the 92 US Olympic basketball team.  Everyone knew they would win and they conducted themselves with class throughout.

Indeed.

Just as a point, I was rooting for the English to win (I'd like to see football come home in my lifetime), but I'm happy our Ladies won the day just the same.

[Admiral Yi]

That offside was a little hinky, wasn't it?

[merithyn]

Replay showed it pretty clearly, I thought.

[Admiral Yi]

Maybe you're right.  But that red line looks quite a bit further than the foot.

[crazy canuck]

That offside was a little hinky, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was a very close call and one where the ref could easily have said replay was not appropriate.

[mongers]

Ironic that the US coach was born in my home county, a Pompey girl. 

[Duque de Bragança]

Copa América finale avant la lettre

Brazil 2 Argentina 0

Gabriel Jesus beat the Messi(ah).  With a little help from Firmino.
Argentina improved again compared to the beginning of the tournament, but not enough. Even while leading 1-0 Brazil had to wait the end of the game to score the 2-0. Argentina hit the post and bar (once by Messi) while trailing 1-0. Argentine squad stopped playing for claiming there was a penalty for them and suffered a second goal as a result. This lead Messi to complain about refereeing, mentioning also too many yellow cards.

Messi did not announce he would quit the national squad this time.

Maybe Brazil plays better without Neymar. Maybe Argentina will play better without Messi. Like Côte d'Ivoire finally winning a title after Drogba stopped playing for the national squad. Yes, wandering into apples and oranges territory there. 
There is another Copa América next year after all, to align it with the EURO.

[Grey Fox]

I understand why people are bothered by their arrogance. I'm just saying their arrogance doesn't bother me.  They're still the best team in the world, until they lose to the Netherlands on penalties in the final.

The gold standard of confidence without arrogance was the 92 US Olympic basketball team.  Everyone knew they would win and they conducted themselves with class throughout.

Here it is spelled out for you the problem with arrogance. The Dream team was so good at everything that even now, 25 years later & in different sports, teams get compared to it.

Be Arrogant, USWNT.

[crazy canuck]

Defensive battle between Sweden and the Netherlands.

[Duque de Bragança]

Copa América

No third title in a row for Chile!

Chile 0 Peru 3

Both countries have a long history of disputed borders, so this could be dubbed as Derby del Pacífico. 
This is the end for Chile's Golden Generation. Chile did not qualify for the previous World Cup too.
Third goal in the extra time by veteran Paolo Guerrero.
I guess that's why the Chilean I spoke to before the tournament was not optimistic.

Road is wide open for a Brazilian final victory. After all, they managed to beat Argentina in the cursed Mineirão (remember that 7-1?). No Mineiraço of traumatic proportions compared to the Maracanaço of 1950.

[Tamas]

Lampard is Chelsea's new head coach. As much as I like him I think this is much more likely to turn out as a mistake than a good move.

I assume that no big profile name wanted the job with the year-long transfer ban.

[FunkMonk]

The best team in the world just completely clowned the European champions. Could have been 4 or 5 if not for some goalkeeping heroics.

[Threviel]

A shame seeing as they seemed to be so arrogant and unpleasant. But all right, they had reason for their arrogance.

[Maladict]

Another lost WC final. That's just what we need