Soccer Thread 2018-2019
 

Fulham have signed Jean-Michael Seri from Nice.

Oh and this.

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Real Madrid to join Juventus

Although blown out of proportion, reportedly, I had a good laugh about the headline: Fiat workers strike over Ronaldo signing - BBC News.

For anybody nostalgic for the good old days of daytime soccer on the tv, BeinSports has live African Confederation Cup games on all day. It's kind of like the African Europa League, a level below the African Champions Cup.

Aduana Stars (Ghana) v AS Vita Club (DR Congo) now, followed by ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) v Raja Casablanca (Morocco), then Al-Hilal (Sudan) v UD Songo (Mozambique).

Managers in England subject to yellow, red cards for misconduct in technical area

Too bad the EPL won't give out the cards. Who didn't want to see Mike Dean give Mou the second yellow, then the red and send him to the locker room?

BeINSports could go off the air (at least temporarily) on FIOS and comcast tomorrow if new deals aren't struck by midnight.

I know the ICC is really not much more than glorified friendlies, but still always fun seeing Chelsea lose :)

If Chelsea plays Manchester United and City in a three way match, who do you root for?

(answer: A Meteor, since they're all in one spot... ;))

Palace is selling out 170k a week for Max Meyer. He got the PL wages he wanted, let's hope he can deliver now. Hopefully wecan hold onto Zaha

Yeah, BeINSports is gone from FIOS, although the announcement makes it sound temporary.

Big changes with the Europa League and Champions League coverage this season too, with Turner winning the rights and bumping most of it to the B/R Live app ar $2.99 per game. Only one Europa League game on regular tv all year (the final), everything else streaming.

IIRC, BeIn is currently suing Comcast as well (for being on the sports tier).

Tangentially related, Serie A still doesn't an American broadcaster and neither does the English FA Cup (the rights were bundled by the marketing company that has those broadcast rights, but they may decouple them now that Ronaldo is playing in Serie A). FWIW, Turner is also considered to be interested in Serie A and may decide to jump on it to add 'value' to B/R Live.

And tangentially related to that, the MLS All Star Game vs. Juventus (no Ronaldo or Dybala though) last night was super fun!

Tangentially related to your tangential reply, BeIn Sports is also having issues in other markets as they bought a lot of their rights from a Chinese "rights-broker" who have gone out of business. So with seasons starting in the next few weeks, they're still scrambling to have anything to show. Not sure if that affects their US networks.

There's a lot of soccer available on the various services now, but it's getting pricy:

ESPN+ (English Championship, MLS, this weekend's Charity Shield) $5 per month
Fox Match Pass (German BL and BL2, Copa Libertadores) $99 per year
B/R Live (Champions League, Europa League, Scottish PL, Belgian League) $79 per year
NBC Sports Premier League pass (English PL) $49 per year

:lol: :lol: :lol:

The Tabloids (i think the DailyMail launched this particular number ?) in England aren't any less 'clickbaity' than the ones in the US ;)

According to much more reputable and traditionally more well connected sources Fifield from the Guardian among others the wage is actually 80k, which is still a bit lower than Benteke/Zaha. The DailyMail either pulled it out of their ass or added up the signing fee and all potential bonusses (including the "will never happen" variety) and calculated it like it was the actual wage. Which is kinda like taking the unguaranteed money for an NFL player and using this as proof he is way overpaid compared to his peers (for which you then use the guaranteed money)

Dominic Fifield on Twitter: "Max Meyer to sign a four-year deal worth around £80k-a-week at #CPFC today having completed his medical yesterday. Jordan Ayew deal proving complicated to complete with Jairo Riedewald reluctant to move to Swansea City in part exchange."

Dortmund meanwhile are apparently empbroiled in heavy legal manouvering over a release clause in Axel Witsel's contract in China. Which may or may not be restricted to an active transfer window, which for China has close 2 weeks ago.

Would be a really good signing i think, has developed into a very good mix of reliable defense, passing and smart anticipation over his career after starting out as a more offensive minded B2B midfielder. Really liked what he did with Belgium in the WC. Think he would fit very well next to/behind the other remaining or newly bought options in both the 4231 or a 4123 lineup.

Other than that the team still has not bought a striker. They might either wait until the BPL teams can't push up prices anymore after the 9th of August or not get one. Favre (new coach) has a knack for using False 9 type players and might actually use Reus and Phillip there, clearing up the log jam on the wings giving the young players time there.

Defensively still no new Fullbacks, maybe finally a healthy Guerreiro on the left though ... Sokratis gone to Arsenal and replaced by a young frenchman from Mainz, Diallo. Not convinced yet ...

Indeed. Broadcasters are realizing that they can start to charge for the un-aired soccer leagues/competitions, and at least some people will pay them (even if they purposely take away games from being aired so it's on the pay service).

Anyway, this is part of a wider trend, IMO, of broadcasters trying to figure out how to monetize rights in a world that is quickly going to become "post-cable".

Reading all this i am so glad that i get to see basically 80% of all games (and the missing aren't the big matches) and the missing aren't the big matches in the top divisions of England, Spain, Italy and France as well as Champions League and Europa League for 10 bucks a month on a streamplatform (running app on XBoxOne on TV) here. Heck, even shows the majority of international matches from Europe and South America.

Pay per View has been crashing pretty hard in recent years and the 'state' broadcasting stations have different priorities. Still no idea how in the world they manage to keep the price that low, but i'll take it :popcorn:

When the window in China closes won't matter here. only the buying team must be in an active transfer window, the selling team doesn't have to be. Hence the desire to have all European leagues get in sync to have the same transfer deadline. I understand that's why Witsel's club thought they could make that clause in the contract.

Not my first rodeo ;) It's not the issue wether he can be bought/sold, but wether or not the club is required to transfer him for that specific sum or if they can negotiate for more. There are reports that the 20 mio release clause is only active during the chinese transfer window and that this is causing the holdup.
Such a clause wouldn't really be unusual per se, i know that many Bundesliga players have release clauses with a one-time/yearly "before then" date after which they are not active anymore. Since a min fee release clause isn't legally required here or in China (it is in spain), they can be structured quite flexibly with due-dates as well as changes in value from year to year or only being valid from a specific date (Pavard is one example: As his minimum fee release clause only activates next year, Bayern are waiting to buy him then rather than buy him for more now.)

Slowly backing away like nothing happened, I should have read more about the Witsel transfer then.

Transfers in the soccer world are so crazy, every summer there are newer stories that make me think: I thought I've heard of the craziest stuff last summer. The Neymar and Mbappe absurdities are still sky high above the rest, but at this pace, at some point some club will find another country (yes, I really mean "country") to pay a 10-figure amount (in dollars or euro) to make a player switch clubs.

This is how you unveil a new signing:

Did they have a hole on the right hand side where the smoke is missing? It's pretty impressive either way

Last season I mentioned my boycott of the UEFA Champions League.
Without any response to my letters to UEFA, I sent a new letter telling them I'm going to stop watching all UEFA competitions, which also includes my own national team. I've also sent a letter to the Netherlands' FA (KNVB) today about it.

Will it help anything? Probably not. But it's about as much as I can do as an individual that feels disenchanted from an interest/hobby after 24 years.
:shrug: and :sigh:

If I had to guess, the area below the platform could be one way glass and he comes up through the bottom during the smoke and lights show.

Nae so bad, Liverpool.

Nae so bad.

Good start for Tim Weah in Ligue 1. Hopefully Tuchel will continue to give him a run throughout the season.

On a different note and based on the discussion we had in the World Cup thread, AlexB: Thoughts?

Leicester City consider Roberto Martinez and Thierry Henry to replace Claude Puel - sources

Good start for Crystal Palace after the debacle that as last year. I went to a game there last November and was easily one of the best sporting events I have been to. So much fun.

I’m far from 100% convinced on Puel, but this is worrying.

I thought our summer business was decent: Jonny Evans a good buy at £3m, Maddison looked really good in the first half on Friday, Ricardo looks a good attacking full back (but didn’t do much playing wide mid against Utd), I don’t know the others tbh but we needed young centre halves which we got.

More importantly we looked OK against Utd on Friday - played with a bit more purpose than most of last year, and if we hadn’t given them a goal start who knows. No shame in losing 2-1 at Old Trafford and being a very live opponent, albeit we need to improve the final ball.

Even more importantly, we can keep sacking managers every autumn, if it happens, it will be three years in a row, and Ranieri was only a couple of months more than a year. We will get (already have?) a reputation and won’t get any decent managers put themselves forward in the end. So it will become self defeating ultimately.

And even more importantly that that, Henry? That would be a complete gamble - he might be the next Sir Alex, but he might also be the next Alan Shearer. It would be a crazy appointment.

Martinez is an interesting one, plays good football, but defensively his teams have generally been poor. I think international management might see the best of him, as his transfers, especailly again defensively, have always been questionable. He literally can’t make those mistakes at international level.

But give Puel until at least the end of November, unless we have a start like Palace did last year, not 4 matches, two of which are Utd and Liverpool away.

It’s a strange story, genuinely surprised me, especially after what I thought was a decent and improved performance compared to last year.

I am not sure why they would bring in someone like Henry or even Martinez at this point. I feel like both of those guys especially Henry would need a preseason to get their ideas across.

I am beginning to wonder if being a club that has a reputation for sacking managers quickly is as much of a concern today as it was in the past in the EPL. Who is not that sort of club now? Burnley? Bournemouth?

Yeah, i saw nothing in that Leicester-ManU game that had me think "boy, Leicester is in trouble". Maybe some people let that shocking League Title go to their heads ... They went behind on a brainfart that has nothing to do with the coach and then conceded a 2nd on another one (can't remember who, but a Leicester player basically forgot about Shaw). There also won't be many games with Wes Morgan as CB (who is not sufficient anymore, club legend or not) They looked pretty solid going forward with quite a few really nice stretches of buildup and combination play.


Likely depends on if the star players can accept being subbed/rested. Tuchel definitely seems determined to make a point here by resting the french WC players (whereas those in the EPL already played on the weekend), keeping Meunier on the bench and even subbing off Neymar (which never happens).

But you have to consider that Mbappe and Cavani weren't in the squad and if he isn't transfered you also have to account for Guedes.

I received an e-mail from the KNVB today with an actual reply. It was actually encouraging to sense a shared sentiment here.
I'm not holding any hopes for an UEFA reply though.

Wayne Rooney with an amazing sequence deep into 2nd half injury time.

Why is Acosta wearing a sports bra?

It's a step counter/heart rate monitor. Just about all soccer players where them.

That was incredible.

Thanks.

I was there as I'm a DC United season ticket holder. It was insane. It was also completely unnecessary as Ousted did his best to single handedly lose the game. Hamid needs to start immediately. I also wouldn't mind Olsen getting fired.

Apparently Hamid will be in goal this Wednesday. Wasting absolutely no time :D. And yes, Olsen needs getting fired.

Sounds like the Columbus Crew is relocating to Austin. The Austin City Council just approved the stadium deal for a new one to be built in North Austin.

https://www.statesman.com/news/local...kXvQxmDfaPfcM/

Inter Miami goes in right after Real Salt Lake in the list of dumb MLS team names for teams unnecessarily thinking they had to be named after a European powerhouse.

I love that i just typed in "Real Salt Lake name" and google suggested to add a "stupid" in bettween Lake/name :D

Inter(nazionale) might be strange, but is way less stupid than Real given the historical context of the name literally been given due to royal patronage. Not that i am bothered to fact-check this for all the spanish teams, mind you ;)

Meanwhile, Atletico beat Real 4:2 in the UEFA Supercup after ET. Couple really good stretches of play for both, both OT goals by Atletico were stunning in their own right. Game was played in Estonia btw. Likely not as noble as it seems, but i like that UEFA is scheduling this game all over the continent in recent years.

I'm hoping for Austin City Limits FC

Inter Miami is a FANTASTIC name and the logo is straight fire.

In other (more shocking) news:

https://releventsports.com/relevent-laliga/

Levante-Girona please ;)

Inter Miami sounds like a Yorkshireman telling his wife where he’s going from his SoBe hotel

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“Inter Miami. Don’t wait up luv.”

Strange story is that EPL referee Bobby Madley has resigned as he's decided to 'relocate due to a change in his circumstances'.

The change in his circumstances is allegedly that a video of him having sex with a Jack Russell Terrier has been leaked on Twitter.

{Old Man Rant Alert}

Can we stop with the cute run ups and the limp foot penalties and just put our foot through the fucking ball? Thanks

You shut your mouth :D

Karma in one way for him kicking a guy and still being on the field - 3 game suspension coming assuming the ref didn't see it.

That first half of Arsenal - Chelsea might be the best half of football I've seen... well I guess since the world cup. But still what a half. Could easily be 5-3 Arsenal.

LOL. Karma indeed. He just looked that was the first time he ever tried a penalty in that way and he only did it that way because he saw Pogba do it the week before.

I had a love hate relationship with the result. Love seeing a club owned by Mike Ashley. Hate seeing a club managed by Neil Warnock get a point.

Sorry bhlloy:D

I can certainly respect that opinion. I'd have held it as well a couple of years ago.

I do think for whatever his flaws you can't argue he's not an incredible manager up to a certain level. I'm not sure there are many other managers that could have taken a team that in terms of talent was bottom 6-8 in the Championship and had been heading for relegation before he took over up. If he has us anywhere near staying up with 5-6 games left it will be another incredible job. The talent gap between our squad and the vast majority of the rest of the division has got to be the largest of all time.

There's been a few days of rumors about Zinedine Zidane becoming new Man Utd manager. Brighton 3-2 Man Utd this afternoon should kick them up a notch.