Football (Soccer) Thread

[celedhring]

It really won't be that hard to turn ManU into an object of disdain, really. 

[Liep]

It really won't be that hard to turn ManU into an object of disdain, really. 

Sure, they've given him a head start in the recent years, but still, ridicule to disdain is still quite a way to go.

[Josephus]

Everybody hates Man U. Except for Man U. fans, none of whom live in Manchester.

[Liep]

We all lost tonight. To quote Lineker: "Pepe is an enormous dick."

[The Larch]

Birthplaces of all Euro 2016 players:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1l79awIRRPrzgdyWsLrNj8_hJJTg

[Liep]

Birthplaces of all Euro 2016 players:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1l79awIRRPrzgdyWsLrNj8_hJJTg

Interesting, quick look shows the country with most foreign born players is Turkey.

They also have the only Danish born player at the tournament.

[The Larch]

Birthplaces of all Euro 2016 players:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1l79awIRRPrzgdyWsLrNj8_hJJTg

Interesting, quick look shows the country with most foreign born players is Turkey.

They also have the only Danish born player at the tournament.

Switzerland and Albania don't lag behind Turkey. Portugal also has quite a few.

[Grey Fox]

So we got a USL franchise this year, and they are breaking records for attendance.  There is already talk of them moving up to MLS, which I guess would be cool.  They just announced today that they'll host a friendly vs. Crystal Palace in mid-July.

I really underestimated the draw of soccer in this town.  They did it right by having the games at Nippert Stadium (the U of Cincinnati football field) so it's conveniently located for the college students, and they smartly marketed it towards millennials, whom I guess are really into soccer.

Another team in MLS?

Given their allergy to promotion and relegation I wonder what the future is for MLS. A central conference?

What do you mean?!

[Duque de Bragança]

We all lost tonight. To quote Lineker: "Pepe is an enormous dick."

He took lessons from Müller it seems.

[Duque de Bragança]

Birthplaces of all Euro 2016 players:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1l79awIRRPrzgdyWsLrNj8_hJJTg

Interesting, quick look shows the country with most foreign born players is Turkey.

They also have the only Danish born player at the tournament.

Switzerland and Albania don't lag behind Turkey. Portugal also has quite a few.

Bit misleading for Portugal though, the current trend is second-generation Portuguese players born in France playing in the Portuguese squad, courtesy of the French detection and traning system (cue French polemic)?  Three, the highest in years, possibly the highest ever. Only missing Gameiro, not chosen for the French squad besides. I mean, now Italy has more Brazilian-born players than Portugal,  Poland has one (Polish immigration to Brazil while not as massive as Italian is notable) and even Russia has one (naturalised).

[Duque de Bragança]

In the streets of Rio Los Angeles, only the elite survives

Or are they trying to outgun the EURO 2016? 

Brazil changes Copa training venue after UCLA shooting

The university campus was rocked by a suspected murder-suicide, which obliged the Selecao to move back to the StubHub Center, as they prepare for Saturday's opener.

A deadly shooting in Los Angeles forced Brazil to change its training venue on Wednesday, just days before the start of the Copa America Centenario.

The Selecao (sic) will kick off their campaign in Pasadena with a clash against Ecuador at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

But the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which Dunga's team had planned to use for training purposes, was rocked by a shooting that claimed the lives of two people.


With the campus closed off by police, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed that the team's evening training session would take place at the StubHub Center, which had also hosted the nation on Tuesday.

CBF spokesman Douglas Lunardi added Brazil's players were in their hotel at the time of the shootin. Police sources reported that the shooter killed one person on the campus before taking his own life near the scene of the crime.

[Duque de Bragança]

More Copa America news, of the sporting king at last. Nobody following it, at least till the Euro?

Colombia 2 USA 0

Bad opener for the US, they should have got a tailored draw à la Platini for France 
No own goal and mafia hit for Colombia this time. I suppose the Yanks could blame Obama or Trump though. 

[celedhring]

I adopted the US as my second footballing nation when I lived there and it was a terrible mistake. I guess it balances my karma, being Spanish.

[Josquius]

I was thinking today. Why doesn't the English league seed when deciding fixtures?
It would be so much more fair (albeit still random due to form, injuries, etc...) if e.g. teams were split into 3 groups and then fixtures arranged so you wouldn't have 4 good teams or 4 easy teams in a row.

[Duque de Bragança]

More Copa América fun

Copa America 2016: Wrong anthem played at Uruguay-Mexico match

Uruguay's players were left looking at each other in bemusement prior to their Copa America clash with Mexico when the wrong national anthem was played.

Instead of "Orientales, la Patria o la Tumba", organisers played the national anthem of Chile.

Tournament officials apologised to the "people of Uruguay" and blamed human error for the mistake.

To compound matters, Uruguay, missing the injured Luis Suarez, conceded two late goals to lose the match 3-1.

The Copa America is being held in United States for the first time.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36457918

Earlier on, Venezuela won 1-0 vs Jamaica Same score por Peru vs Haiti.