Football (Soccer) Thread

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Which is kinda funny, considering where they both ended up in the EPL.

[Zoupa]

We don't talk about that 

[Norgy]

No love for unfancied Norwegian side Bodø-Glimt?
A side that first came to light in the 1970s in Norway when teams north of Trøndelag were finally allowed to compete in the normal Norwegian league as travel became more affordable.

What that club has done is more than just sensational. When I grew up, they were a stable tier three team along with my hometown club. Now they have fought, and lost, a semi-final in Europe. It is unbelievable. When they demolished AS Roma under Mourinho, I thought, okay that was a one-off, but they have just continued impressing. Exporting their best talent, Bodø has still managed to stay on top of the Norwegian league and perform miracles in Europe.

They are not my team, but this was quite the adventure. 

[Josquius]

I listened to this about them the other week. 

I do like the "Force Real Madrid et al to play in the the arctic" factor.

[Josquius]

Play offs second leg tonight.

First leg went well. Seems Sunderland can indeed turn performing on and off and the kick up the bum of a game that mattered got them playing well.
Sunderland really sat back and let Coventry attack and ran out 2-1 winners. That 1 coming in a moment where concentration dropped directly  after scoring our first.
We do play better when in this position I've found. When asked to be the dominant team our strikers can often struggle but when hitting teams on the break... That's where we shine.
And really counting unhatched poultry here... But I do think this would put us in good stead when it comes to the Premier league.

[Norgy]

Sunderland is one of those teams I have a lot of sympathy for.
Not only for beating Liverpool in the FA Cup final the year I was born, but for falling from high heaven to deep depths.

I think former Forest striker Peter Davenport went to Sunderland after his move and career in Man Utd was in absolute shambles, and managed something like 11 goals well over a 100 starts.

Forest have gotten a serious case of mental backlash, it seems. van Nistelrooy's Leicester should've been easy to pick apart, instead Forest once again fail at the one thing that the team has been very good at: Defending.

In any case, Forest will play in Europe next season no matter what.

I can hear Cloughie up there on that green grass pitch where he and Peter Taylor sit waiting for John Robertson to join them saying "I am not talking to cheating bastards". He had good reasons. Derby County were cheated out of a final when they played Juventus, and Forest were definitely cheated out of a UEFA Cup final when they played Anderlecht in 1984.

Nuno will give Arne Slot a run for his money as Manager of the year, I think. Getting that band of rabble and rejects into a proper force is, in my opinion, more impressive than inheriting one of the best squads in English football (apart from Man City) and playing slightly more entertaining than Klopp's side. But Liverpool have been really, really good. Except against Forest, Newcastle and Everton.

I think Everton should nail down David Moyes on the bench there, as it seems he has a knack with that particular club.

In Norway, things are going to shit for my hometown team, and for my number two, Vålerenga. So...

[Jacob]

Vancouver's Whitecaps FC is doing quite well in the MLS recently, under the new Danish head coach.

[Josephus]

Vancouver's Whitecaps FC is doing quite well in the MLS recently, under the new Danish head coach.

Not just MLS. they won CONCACAF champions league.

[Jacob]

Vancouver's Whitecaps FC is doing quite well in the MLS recently, under the new Danish head coach.

Not just MLS. they won CONCACAF champions league.

I believe the final is in Mexico on June 1st.

[Josephus]

Vancouver's Whitecaps FC is doing quite well in the MLS recently, under the new Danish head coach.

Not just MLS. they won CONCACAF champions league.

I believe the final is in Mexico on June 1st.

My bad. I thought the game against Miami was the final.

[crazy canuck]

That's ok, it kind of felt like it here. 

[Norgy]

Messi's getting older, but I see he's still making mincemeat out of his opponents in the MLS.

So, an open question. When will China get a decent football side? We had some second rate players going there for big money a decade or so ago, but it seems the Chinese are now all about homegrown players.

[Jacob]

Messi's getting older, but I see he's still making mincemeat out of his opponents in the MLS.

Not in Vancouver he isn't 

[Threviel]

Last year we started watching football, went to a few games and fell for a Gothenburg team, GAIS (Gothenburg Athletic and Sports Association), that's something of a Swedish Sunderland. Was great until the 60's and after that been yo-yoing.

The big team in Gothenburg is IFK Göteborg that has a glorious history, mostly in the 80's and 90's. Won two UEFA cups and had some great runs in the European cup and Champions League. The only Scandinavian team to actually win a European cup.

They've been on a downward slope for a few decades now, have only won one championship in the 2000's (2007) and have been fighting to not get relegated for the last few seasons.

Last year GAIS ended up best in town (there are two other serious clubs in Gothenburg) and IFK successfully staved off relegation.

This season (Sweden does spring/autumn seasons) GAIS has started a bit worse than last year and IFK a bit better. Last game was a GAIS away game where they met the local team from our area, Halmstad BK. We of course won and Diabate did a hat-trick. Great game, good fun.

IFK on the other hand met the second to last team, a team that's only won one game and is on a fast track for relegation. Of course an IFK player did an own-goal whereby a drunk fan ran into the field and attacked the other team. IFK lost the game and are now the laughing stock of the league and there's a lot of internal problems. Hopefully they'll implode and get relegated.

This football thing is great fun, we should have started earlier.

[Josquius]

Sunderland won.
On the day they were awful. Offered little till the last minutes and Coventry scored an aggregate equaliser. It went into extra time and Sunderland  scored with the last touch of the game, avoiding dreaded penalties.

Next is Sheffield Utd at Wembley...
If Sunderland actually show up they should be able to win.
Sheffield are better on paper but this season we beat them 2-1 and then after a dodgy red card lost 1-0.

Sunderland is one of those teams I have a lot of sympathy for.
Not only for beating Liverpool in the FA Cup final the year I was born, but for falling from high heaven to deep depths.

I will sadly be harming sympathies to Sunderland here but... I'm not sure what you're referring to here.
We lost to Liverpool in the 92 FA Cup and beat Leeds in 73.
The only other time we won the cup was in the 30s where we beat Preston.

I think we broadly have forest sympathies with the Clough connection.



It's mad Forest are doing so well this year. Shame they seem to have missed out on the CL. And not just for NUFC getting in.

Though my usual sympathy for the team is a bit low lately with their recent financial dodginess.