Football (Soccer) Thread

[Grey Fox]

No, nothing is guaranteed at this point.  It's nice that Canada is master of their own fate at this point, not having to hope for other teams to lose, but still lots of games to play.

I do want to see that January game vs USA to be played outside though.  Doesn't have to be in Edmonton - I'm sure BMO Field would be fine.  I just loved the atmosphere of last night's game, including the players diving into the snowbank at the end.

Does Vancouver have a outdoor field that is adequate?

[Barrister]

No, nothing is guaranteed at this point.  It's nice that Canada is master of their own fate at this point, not having to hope for other teams to lose, but still lots of games to play.

I do want to see that January game vs USA to be played outside though.  Doesn't have to be in Edmonton - I'm sure BMO Field would be fine.  I just loved the atmosphere of last night's game, including the players diving into the snowbank at the end.

Does Vancouver have a outdoor field that is adequate?

Whitecaps play at BC Place, which has a retractable roof.  Which really isn't the same as being outdoors.

[Jacob]

I gotta say, I really enjoyed what I've seen of the Canadian team and the fans recently. That feels like proper soccer to me, which is just fantastic.

Proper soccer being doing your best, striving to latch on to every faint glimmer of hope, taking pride in the moments where you beat teams as an underdog and the moments where you came so close against superior opponents if not for a few unlucky breaks.

Playing in inclement conditions only adds to the whole thing too

[Barrister]

I gotta say, I really enjoyed what I've seen of the Canadian team and the fans recently. That feels like proper soccer to me, which is just fantastic.

Proper soccer being doing your best, striving to latch on to every faint glimmer of hope, taking pride in the moments where you beat teams as an underdog and the moments where you came so close against superior opponents if not for a few unlucky breaks.

Playing in inclement conditions only adds to the whole thing too

There was a lot of diving too, which I guess counts as "proper soccer".

I've been enjoying these games.  I'm clearly a fair-weather fan, but if you go back in this thread I was talking about the WC qualifiers months ago.  But that being said I'm still a hockey guy, not soccer.

[Jacob]

There was a lot of diving too, which I guess counts as "proper soccer".

The Canadians or their various opposing teams? I prefer it if my teams play sturdy a sturdy non-diving style for sure. What other teams do I don't care about.

I've been enjoying these games.  I'm clearly a fair-weather fan, but if you go back in this thread I was talking about the WC qualifiers months ago.  But that being said I'm still a hockey guy, not soccer.

Like most Canadians, I expect. But still nice to see.

[Barrister]

There was a lot of diving too, which I guess counts as "proper soccer".

The Canadians or their various opposing teams? I prefer it if my teams play sturdy a sturdy non-diving style for sure. What other teams do I don't care about.

Canadians, last game, I thought.

[Josephus]

No, nothing is guaranteed at this point.  It's nice that Canada is master of their own fate at this point, not having to hope for other teams to lose, but still lots of games to play.

I do want to see that January game vs USA to be played outside though.  Doesn't have to be in Edmonton - I'm sure BMO Field would be fine.  I just loved the atmosphere of last night's game, including the players diving into the snowbank at the end.

Some of my "in the know" press buddies are whispering Hamilton, Ont. as a potential site.

The players jumping into the snowbank was priceless.

It will almost certainly be in Ontario or east of that. The trouble with Edmonton or B.C. is for a lot of the Euro-based players, it's a long haul. Toronto is very easy to get to.

[Jacob]

Canadians, last game, I thought.

Me too, from what I saw

... but perhaps I'm slightly biased.

... and of course, generally not diving makes the rare perfectly timed strategic dive even more effective 

[FunkMonk]

The best part of the Canada-Mexico game was all the shithousery in the second half. The Canadians gave the Mexicans as good as they got and that alone proves that they should qualify for the World Cup.

[Sheilbh]

Any of you guys following the drama/ruckus taking place in the female PSG team?

From PopBitch:

>> O.M.PSG <<
French football goes wild

Pardon our French, but what the fuck is going on at Paris Saint-Germain? News coming out at the moment reads like the plot of some sort of souped-up soap opera.

* Earlier this year, PSG started paying for round-the-clock security at their players' homes after Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos both fell prey to violent burglaries.

* Last month, Ander Herrara claims to have been robbed in his car by a prostitute who got in at a red light, nicked his phone and wallet – then demanded a lift.

* Power couple Mauro Icardi and Wanda Nara are on/off/on/off. Their relationship has been tabloid fodder from day one as Wanda was initially married to Mauro's teammate, Maxi López. Mauro's decision to get Maxi's kids' names tattooed on his arms caused friction; Maxi's refusal to shake hands with Mauro caused more. Wanda took over Mauro's career Spinal Tap-style as girlfriend-manager, posting lots of John-and-Yoko pictures of them near-naked in bed. Now she claims that he slept with an Argentinian model, which he is brushing off as just "slutty chat".

* Things are even crazier with the women's team. Midfielder Kheira Hamraoui was also carjacked recently, but by masked men who beat her legs with metal poles. Teammate Aminata Diallo (who'd been driving) was first accused of orchestrating it, as a sort of Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan inspired plot, but police have a new lead. Reports emerged that one of the attackers shouted "So you like to sleep with married men?" Hamraoui's mobile phone is registered in the name of Eric Abidal, Barcelona's (married) ex-Sporting Director, with whom she is rumoured to have had an affair. Which would help explain reports that four of her teammates received calls from a man in Barcelona saying she'd "broken his life" and he "wanted revenge"...

[celedhring]

Abidal has an alarming knack for being involved with lots of shady shit. Let's not forget the allegations that he bought a liver in the black market to get a transplant.

[Duque de Bragança]

Any of you guys following the drama/ruckus taking place in the female PSG team?

From PopBitch:

>> O.M.PSG <<
French football goes wild

Pardon our French, but what the fuck is going on at Paris Saint-Germain? News coming out at the moment reads like the plot of some sort of souped-up soap opera.

* Earlier this year, PSG started paying for round-the-clock security at their players' homes after Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos both fell prey to violent burglaries.

* Last month, Ander Herrara claims to have been robbed in his car by a prostitute who got in at a red light, nicked his phone and wallet – then demanded a lift.

* Power couple Mauro Icardi and Wanda Nara are on/off/on/off. Their relationship has been tabloid fodder from day one as Wanda was initially married to Mauro's teammate, Maxi López. Mauro's decision to get Maxi's kids' names tattooed on his arms caused friction; Maxi's refusal to shake hands with Mauro caused more. Wanda took over Mauro's career Spinal Tap-style as girlfriend-manager, posting lots of John-and-Yoko pictures of them near-naked in bed. Now she claims that he slept with an Argentinian model, which he is brushing off as just "slutty chat".

* Things are even crazier with the women's team. Midfielder Kheira Hamraoui was also carjacked recently, but by masked men who beat her legs with metal poles. Teammate Aminata Diallo (who'd been driving) was first accused of orchestrating it, as a sort of Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan inspired plot, but police have a new lead. Reports emerged that one of the attackers shouted "So you like to sleep with married men?" Hamraoui's mobile phone is registered in the name of Eric Abidal, Barcelona's (married) ex-Sporting Director, with whom she is rumoured to have had an affair. Which would help explain reports that four of her teammates received calls from a man in Barcelona saying she'd "broken his life" and he "wanted revenge"...

I would have thought the misadventure of Ander Herrera would have attracted more attention in Spain. 
Given the place where it happened, it's more than likely it was a trans prostitute.

[FunkMonk]

Bye bye Ole.

[FunkMonk]

Just lolling here at United losing 4-1 to relegation favorites Watford 

[Duque de Bragança]

Stop the presses! Messi scored a goal in the Ligue des Tas Lents. 
PSG 3 Nantes 1