Football (Soccer) Thread

[The Larch]

Take heart US Women's Team; you are still better at penalties than Brazil's Men's Team. 

http://youtu.be/nspV77DpD-I

Awesome Copa América, both Brazil and Argentina down in 1/4s. The semis are Uruguay - Peru and Venezuela - Paraguay.

Nice. Will the final by an all guay affair?

And a -guay final it is, Uruguay will meet Paraguay on sunday.

Funnily enough, Paraguay hasn't won a single match in the whole tournament, having drawn all 3 matches in the group stage and qualified as last of the 8 quarter finalists, and won bot the 1/4s and semis on penalties. Also funnily enough, they have only played against 3 other teams despite playing 5 matches (they played Brazil and Venezuela twice, once in the group stage and another in the knockout rounds).

[Pat]

http://img37.picoodle.com/i57j/alyyx/1i77_32c_u93ul.jpg

"Stay classy, America"

[Valmy]

http://img37.picoodle.com/i57j/alyyx/1i77_32c_u93ul.jpg

"Stay classy, America"

There is really nothing the internet cannot turn into a racial or nationalist slur of some kind.

[Gaijin de Moscu]

http://img37.picoodle.com/i57j/alyyx/1i77_32c_u93ul.jpg

"Stay classy, America"

Good one.

[CountDeMoney]

http://img37.picoodle.com/i57j/alyyx/1i77_32c_u93ul.jpg

"Stay classy, America"

Awesomeness.

"Congrachurations Japan"

[CountDeMoney]

http://img37.picoodle.com/i57j/alyyx/1i77_32c_u93ul.jpg

"Stay classy, America"

There is really nothing the internet cannot turn into a racial or nationalist slur of some kind.

No joke.  And the Japanese are one of the most xenophobic and racist cultures out there.

I'd love to see the Facebooks of all the rittle Japs that take a big dump on China every September 16th.

[The Larch]

Haha River Plate.  I guess this means no more superclasico? (although Boca may be joining them before to long the way they have been playing)

Guess what, just after River got relegated, the Argentine FA is announcing that for the 2012/13 season divisions 1 and 2 of the Argentine footie piramid will merge, creating a top division with 38 teams on it. It'll be divided in two 19 team groups, being Boca in one group and River in the other. Teams will play against the other teams in their groups and "clásicos" will be played between one team from each group ocasionally. After 19 games teams will be divided again into two groups, a "Championship" group that will play for the title and the rest that will battle against relegation. And it seems to have been approved almost unanimously by all the teams. Talk about a broken country...

[The Larch]

In other news:

- Uruguay won the Copa América after defeating Paraguay 3 - 0 in the final.
- The coach of the Argentine national team got fired.
- Balotelli displayed once more his asshattishness. At least it was on a friendly, but Mancini was not amused.

[FunkMonk]

Haha River Plate.  I guess this means no more superclasico? (although Boca may be joining them before to long the way they have been playing)

Guess what, just after River got relegated, the Argentine FA is announcing that for the 2012/13 season divisions 1 and 2 of the Argentine footie piramid will merge, creating a top division with 38 teams on it. It'll be divided in two 19 team groups, being Boca in one group and River in the other. Teams will play against the other teams in their groups and "clásicos" will be played between one team from each group ocasionally. After 19 games teams will be divided again into two groups, a "Championship" group that will play for the title and the rest that will battle against relegation. And it seems to have been approved almost unanimously by all the teams. Talk about a broken country...

So they changed their entire league structure to "save" River from relegation? 

[The Larch]

Haha River Plate.  I guess this means no more superclasico? (although Boca may be joining them before to long the way they have been playing)

Guess what, just after River got relegated, the Argentine FA is announcing that for the 2012/13 season divisions 1 and 2 of the Argentine footie piramid will merge, creating a top division with 38 teams on it. It'll be divided in two 19 team groups, being Boca in one group and River in the other. Teams will play against the other teams in their groups and "clásicos" will be played between one team from each group ocasionally. After 19 games teams will be divided again into two groups, a "Championship" group that will play for the title and the rest that will battle against relegation. And it seems to have been approved almost unanimously by all the teams. Talk about a broken country...

So they changed their entire league structure to "save" River from relegation? 

They'll have to spend at least one season in the 2nd division anyway, as this change won't come into effect into a couple of seasons from now, but this way they can be sure that River will be in the top flight no matter what...unless they get relegated again, I guess. 

And apparently the order for this restructuring came from above... 

[FunkMonk]

Here's hoping for more 'crazy old Argentinean River fan' videos.

[Josephus]

In other news:

- Uruguay won the Copa América after defeating Paraguay 3 - 0 in the final.
- The coach of the Argentine national team got fired.
- Balotelli displayed once more his asshattishness. At least it was on a friendly, but Mancini was not amused.

The balotelli thing was amazing.

[Josquius]

Haha River Plate.  I guess this means no more superclasico? (although Boca may be joining them before to long the way they have been playing)

Guess what, just after River got relegated, the Argentine FA is announcing that for the 2012/13 season divisions 1 and 2 of the Argentine footie piramid will merge, creating a top division with 38 teams on it. It'll be divided in two 19 team groups, being Boca in one group and River in the other. Teams will play against the other teams in their groups and "clásicos" will be played between one team from each group ocasionally. After 19 games teams will be divided again into two groups, a "Championship" group that will play for the title and the rest that will battle against relegation. And it seems to have been approved almost unanimously by all the teams. Talk about a broken country...

That...hurts my head.

[alfred russel]

Haha River Plate.  I guess this means no more superclasico? (although Boca may be joining them before to long the way they have been playing)

Guess what, just after River got relegated, the Argentine FA is announcing that for the 2012/13 season divisions 1 and 2 of the Argentine footie piramid will merge, creating a top division with 38 teams on it. It'll be divided in two 19 team groups, being Boca in one group and River in the other. Teams will play against the other teams in their groups and "clásicos" will be played between one team from each group ocasionally. After 19 games teams will be divided again into two groups, a "Championship" group that will play for the title and the rest that will battle against relegation. And it seems to have been approved almost unanimously by all the teams. Talk about a broken country...

Derspeiss would know better than me, but I've watched some local sports coverage from Argentina and even though neither Boca nor River has been good recently, they get by far the most coverage. From a fan interest perspective, I think the Argentine league is basically Boca and River and a bunch of foils for Boca and River. So I can see why they are doing this, even if it looks ridiculous. And I can see why the other teams wouldn't stand in the way--if you are the Washington Generals, you won't sell many tickets if you can't match up with the Globetrotters.

What is crazy is that teams as popular as Boca and River still aren't good, and are getting relegated. I've been told that is because the top levels of Argentine football are incredibly corrupt, and make decisions like turning over the national team to Maradona, but I don't know.

[Neil]

It's like the Maple Leafs in hockey.