Soccer fans...

[Sharpieman]

AS Roma vs. Real Madrid on UEFA Champions League Group play on ESPN2
RIGHT NOW!

[MIJB#19]

People having to watch that game are so unlucky.
If there are two teams in the CL really sucking right now, it's these two stars-loaded coach-less teams.

Bayern vs Ajax, now there's a real classic.

[3ric]

I'm watching Juventus-Maccabi Tel Aviv right now...

[fantastic flying froggies]

I'm watching Monaco-La Corona, hoping for a repeat of last year's 8-3 amazing performance!

[fantastic flying froggies]

It's haltime everywhere and a lot of goals scored tonight on the european soccer fields.

Without giving anything away or spoiling the results, there is at least 1 goal in every game so far (and it's only halftime so far...)

[DaddyTorgo]

GRRRRRRRRRR. I hate living in the one non-soccer-crazy country in the world!!!

[Sharpieman]

This match isn't bad, 2-2 and Real coming back from 2 goals down. A questionable call in the penalty area gave Real the chance to tie, and Raul delivered. Good match, even though both squads have been struggling lately.

[Sharpieman]

Goal Real, Raul does it again...3-2 Real

[fantastic flying froggies]

there are some really wild games tonight, Kiev vs Leverkusen is also a real roller-coaster just like Real vs Roma...

[Sharpieman]

Oh what a goal from Roberto Carlos! From outside the penalty area in the top corner. 4-2 Real.

[Chief Rum]

Wow, that was a grwat goal by Carlos. Is this Real's "coming out" party (where they finally put it together) or is Roma really this bad now (and how sad is that)?

I think Figo might be out for a bit.

CR

[Icy]

As Spanish and R.Madrid fan i watched the game. I really whish they will put the same energy and effort on all the following games, we have a great team, but they care more about clothes brand names and expensive cars than about football.

[Mac Howard]

Just been watching the Man Utd/Fenerbahce match. See what happens when our players come off the injury list

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Just been watching the Man Utd/Fenerbahce match. See what happens when our players come off the injury list

Me thinks 6 goals is not likely to be the usual result..

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Must...TUrn to ESPN...NOW.....

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by Aadik

Me thinks 6 goals is not likely to be the usual result..

Oh, ye of little faith

And with Ronaldo, Keane and Scholes to replace Bellion, DjembaDjemba and Kleberson ..........

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Oh, ye of little faith

And with Ronaldo, Keane and Scholes to replace Bellion, DjembaDjemba and Kleberson ..........

I am curious... why hasn't Spector gotten a shot over Silvestre? Spector was nothing short of great in his VERY limited competitive action (he was MotM from LEFT FULLBACK in his last game out), and Silvestre is shite.

[Mac Howard]

I'm puzzled by that myself but I think it's Heinze that is keeping Spector out of the team at left back. I think Alex hopes that Silvestre will strike up the understanding he had with Ferdinand for the first half of last season when they had the best defensive record in the Premiership before Ferdinand's ban. But the two goals that Utd conceded here came from some sloppy defending so there may be changes if that continues.

[Katon]

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Oh, ye of little faith

And with Ronaldo, Keane and Scholes to replace Bellion, DjembaDjemba and Kleberson ..........

And with a team which can actually defend to replace Fenerbahce . . .

You're scarier than you were last week, but don't get carried away.

[andy m]

yes, united look like they have a good chance of finishing third in the premiership now that their unfit players are returning.

[Northwood_DK]

Originally Posted by Icy

As Spanish and R.Madrid fan i watched the game. I really whish they will put the same energy and effort on all the following games, we have a great team, but they care more about clothes brand names and expensive cars than about football.

Any chance Real will take back Vicente Del Bosque when he get kicked from Besiktas? He looked like a coach that could get all the stars to work for each other and I still think it was a great mistake that they sacked him in the first place.

[samifan24]

Since we're all fans here, does anyone know a good, reliable website where US consumers can buy kits at a decent price? I checked out Kitbag.com, but a kit and int'l shipping brought it to over 50 pounds, or over $100 US. That's incredibly steep. I've never bought a kit before, though, so I don't know if that's the going rate, but I doubt it. Anyone?

[Critch]

Haven't tried them, but The Soccer Post advertizes during the FSW games. Looking at their website looks like about $50-60 is the range for a soccer shirt, although they don't have a great range.

Other than that, the special offers section at www.subside.co.uk normally has some good deals if you're lucky. It's UK though, so you'll be stuck with the shipping again.

[Icy]

In Spain, a Real Madrid soccer shirt (the official licensed one) from a player like Ronaldo costs around 100€ that is around $123. That is why R.Madrid signs that high stars even if they don't perform on the field, all them are great for sales and bussines.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Icy

In Spain, a Real Madrid soccer shirt (the official licensed one) from a player like Ronaldo costs around 100€ that is around $123. That is why R.Madrid signs that high stars even if they don't perform on the field, all them are great for sales and bussines.

I hope the Owen shirts are selling well then. Granted it's early, but he's played like a total of 10 minutes so far this season hasn't he?

Doesn't bode well for Owen, especially with his England 1st team spot on the line.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by moriarty

I hope the Owen shirts are selling well then. Granted it's early, but he's played like a total of 10 minutes so far this season hasn't he?

Doesn't bode well for Owen, especially with his England 1st team spot on the line.

It wasn't a smart move for him neither for R.Madrid. He will sit at the bench the whole season, Ronaldo and Raul won't ever be replaced unless injuried. Why? not because he is not good enought, as i think he is a really great player, but because Ronaldo is one of the top tshirt sellers (and that matters a lot for current R.Madrid president)and because Raul begun to play in R.Madrid at 17 years old and he is the captain.
R.Madrid signed up Owen just to keep with the one great start per season politics, but not because he was needed at all. Not any R.Madrid fan thought it was a good move. This could ruin his career, i hope he is getting good money in exchange.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by Northwood_DK

Any chance Real will take back Vicente Del Bosque when he get kicked from Besiktas? He looked like a coach that could get all the stars to work for each other and I still think it was a great mistake that they sacked him in the first place.

Well you never know, but i doubt it as he was not so happy about R.Madrid kicking him out. He wasn't a great coach (as inovative, revolutionary etc), but he did his work really well. He managed to run a squad made of full of ego top stars and keep all them happy and motivated. And all us who play the CM series know how hard is that

[DaddyTorgo]

Icy - Ronaldo and Raul will start because the two of them together make the best pair of strikers, with Raul laying back slightly and feeding Ronaldo for the most part. Michael Owen, good as he is, is not a better player than either Raul or Ronaldo, and that is why he won't start, not because Ronaldo sells more tshirts and Raul is the captain. Ronaldo (as much as I dislike him) is unarguably one of the greatest strikers in history. Youngest ever to win 2 FIFA World Player of the Year awards, 2 World Cups, etc. And people forget that he still hasn't hit the traditional peak of his abilities. And Raul...how can you knock Raul? He has been at Real for YEARS and he earned the captain's armband. He is the face of that squad, and a damn good player to boot. One option might be to shift him back to an attacking midfield role, except for the fact that with Figo, Zidane and Beckham the midfield is already overloaded. If they got rid of Figo though I could see Raul sliding to left mid, but I don't think he'd be as effective here as he is up front.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Icy - Ronaldo and Raul will start because the two of them together make the best pair of strikers, with Raul laying back slightly and feeding Ronaldo for the most part. Michael Owen, good as he is, is not a better player than either Raul or Ronaldo, and that is why he won't start, not because Ronaldo sells more tshirts and Raul is the captain. Ronaldo (as much as I dislike him) is unarguably one of the greatest strikers in history. Youngest ever to win 2 FIFA World Player of the Year awards, 2 World Cups, etc. And people forget that he still hasn't hit the traditional peak of his abilities. And Raul...how can you knock Raul? He has been at Real for YEARS and he earned the captain's armband. He is the face of that squad, and a damn good player to boot. One option might be to shift him back to an attacking midfield role, except for the fact that with Figo, Zidane and Beckham the midfield is already overloaded. If they got rid of Figo though I could see Raul sliding to left mid, but I don't think he'd be as effective here as he is up front.

I agree with you about both are two of the best strikers around... when they want to play as they can. Raul's perfomance is going down and down season by season, if he could play always as he did yesterday, putting it all on the field, he would be the great player he has always been but it's not that way lately. I hope things will change and he will be motivated again after his great perfomance yesterday. About Ronaldo, he WAS the best striker around, specially when he played at Barcelona, i haven't ever seen a guy with his size as fast running and fooling the goalkeepers. Right now he is a great striker... once or twice per game when the ball reaches him, because he won't ever run to try to get the ball. I admit that Owen is not as good as them, but mybe if he plays one or two games, the other two will see that they are not secure there and they can't relax.

[DaddyTorgo]

Well you definately have the advantage in assessing their performance, as it's difficult to see them over here in the States and I admit I've slacked up on keeping up with European news (I lost all the bookmarks to my good soccer news sites and never redid them). Yes, Raul has always been plauged by inconsistency, but I think you'll agree that the prospect of him putting it together in any single game and dominating is what keeps him a fixture in the lineup. You can never tell when he's going to put it all together and play to his potential. As for Ronaldo...has he really gotten that lazy?? Wow, I didn't know. Touche. Someone needs to light a fire under his ass then, get him to play to his ability. Because we all know he's still a kid, he still has all that ability, he just has to choose to use it. I don't object to what you suggest, mixing Owen in every few games to keep the two of them trying. But like you I think this is a criminal waste of Owen, Real have enough good young strikers (whose names escape me at the moment but in CM4 I got rid of Raul and Ronaldo to play them) that Owen really shouldn't be there if he's not going to start. For the sake of his own career at least. Silly silly.

[Mac Howard]

I think you also have to take into account that Raul is the darling of the Spanish crowd and any manager that drops him without the greatest justification will not last long particularly in the revolving door situation that exists at Madrid.

The whole Owen deal was peculiar. The price he went for was astonishing - had it been known Liverpool would accept less than 10 million then I find it difficult to believe that other clubs wouldn't have been interested. It was a bad move for Owen - I suspect it was Owen himself who decided that was where he wanted to go - and I think he'll regret it as he spends too much time warming the bench and watching others play. With Defoe and Rooney turning in performances in the Premiership then the England spot may not be his for long.