Football (Soccer) Thread

[Syt]

I'm shocked to see that Alexi Lalas has transformed from this:



into this:



Grunge and Generation X are truly dead now.

[Norgy]

Forest have signed three new players! 

[clandestino]

Forest have signed three new players! 

They will be playing Sporting this pre-season in Algarve. I expect nothing more than a trashing, but it will be fun playing against an historical team.

[Liep]

Denmark - Chile friendly match. By god those little Chileans are fast.

2x Poulsen and Kjær are playing acceptable atm. What the hell is Michael Jacobsen doing on that left back? AaB was two years ago, it's time to purge the national team of those north Jutlanders.

[stjaba]

US plays Mexico in about an hour. Coincidentally, I am scheduled to go into at work at 4:00 PM. 

[Zanza]

Yay. Germany won against Azerbaidjan (or however they are spelled). The only game that really matters is of course the game against Russia.

[Valmy]

[Liep]

Chile won 2-1, they're gonna be fun to watch in South Africa.

Also, I continue to think that Rommedahl is some elaborate April's fool by Olsen. When he retires he'll just send out a press release with a picture of Rommedahl with the words, ha ha. But besides that, Jacob Poulsen was great and it was nice to see Grønkjær back in the troop. And what a debut by Schøne.

[stjaba]

Score is 1-1 US vs. Mexico. Free live stream at http://envivo.terra.com/deportes/live/259-eu/

[jech]

1-1 still at half. We look terrible, typical game at Azteca. Mexico is controlling possession, it seems like every pass we make is intercepted by someone in green. Whatever it's still all even with 45 mins left, if we hold on I'll consider it a victory. A draw is great for us, Mexico cannot afford just one point being 4th in the table.

[HVC]

I don't think your curse works unless you actually want them to win :p

[stjaba]

US down 2-1 to Mexico with a few minutes left, Rays have blown their lead vs. the Angels and are rapidly falling out of the Wild Card race, and I'm stuck at work.

[Zanza]

Chelsea hit by new signings ban


Chelsea have been banned from signing any new players until January 2011 by football's governing body Fifa.

The Premier League club was found guilty of inducing French winger Gael Kakuta, 18, to breach his contract with Lens when he joined in 2007.

"Chelsea is banned from registering any new players for the two next registration periods," a statement on Fifa's website read.

Chelsea can appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fifa's dispute resolution chamber (DRC) ruled Kakuta must pay compensation of 780,000 euros (£682,000), for which Chelsea are "jointly and severally liable".

A spokesman for the London club told BBC Sport they were looking into the matter and hoped to issue a statement shortly.

Lens lodged a complaint with world football's governing body after Chelsea had signed the winger two years ago.

Now the DRC has ruled Kakuta breached his contract with Lens and that Chelsea induced him to do so.


Fifa's statement continued: "The French club had lodged a claim with Fifa seeking compensation for breach of contract from the player and requesting also sporting sanctions to be imposed on the player and the English club for breach of contract and inducement to breach of contract.

"The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach."

Chelsea must pay additional "training compensation" of 130,000 euros (£114,000) to Lens, while the player has been banned from playing in official matches for four months.

Kakuta ended 2007/8, his first season with Chelsea, as the youth team's top scorer and was voted the academy's player of the year.

He played five times for the youth team and twice for the reserves in his second season before it was brought to an abrupt end in February when he suffered a double fracture of his ankle.

The Lille-born youngster has never played for Chelsea's first team although he is back to full fitness and has been featuring in the reserves this season.

The next transfer window is open between 1-31 January 2010 and the opportunity to register new players after that is from the end of the season until 31 August (Europe) and 1 September, (Britain) 2010.

Fifa punished Switzerland's FC Sion for a similar offence in April and the club was told it could not sign players until the 2010 offseason.

This was punishment for their actions in luring Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary in 2008 before his deal with Al-Ahly had expired.

Like Kakuta, El Hadary received a four-month ban from playing.

Sion have appealed to CAS, which has frozen the sanctions while it considers the case, allowing the club to trade before the current season began. A ruling is expected later this year.

Meanwhile Uefa, European football's governing body, is keen to introduce a rule preventing the international transfer of players under the age of 18 after member associations, clubs, leagues and players agreed to the principle.

Uefa president Michel Platini said in March: "The question of minors is above all a moral and ethical issue. We have a duty to take concrete steps to protect young players and training clubs."

Hey Tamas, your club sucks. 

[Tamas]

Funniest part: we will still win the Premiership this season. Unless a string of injuries occur, we don't need signings.

[Valmy]

Funniest part: we will still win the Premiership this season. Unless a string of injuries occur, we don't need signings.

Famous last words.

Anyway are you a fan of any Hungarian teams?