Soccer Thread 2017-2018
 

New thread time!.

Ligue 1, home of the world's expensive player, opened their season.

as did the Championship, England's second division (games are now on ESPN 3)

Monaco might be able to hold on to Mbappe one more year, although that is a slight risk financially with his contract only running till 2019. Still, they made so much money (60 mio € spend, 170 coming in) that it is not really an issue i would say.

If anyone is interested, German Supercup is today between Dortmund and Bayern. Pulisic very likely to start. Should be plenty of streams showing it. Both teams struggling mightily in preseason (Bayern a 0-4 against Milan and a 0-3 at home to Liverpool, Dortmund struggling to win with new coach and system) and plenty of starters injured on both sides, but still ... Plus the game is in Dortmund, always a sight to see/hear :)

The German Super Cup is on Fox in the US. The main channel, not one of the sports channels, at 2pm Eastern.

so that means: no excuses ! ;)

but yeah, don't expect fireworks given the injury situation and lack of form on both sides.

I intentionally left off the second divisions! However, now that you mentioned it...:D

I would love for Fulham to make the jumo back up to the top flight! As I type this, they have been gifted an own goal against Norwich City.

As for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, yeah as long we don't get relegated it will be a good season.

Close but no cigar ... Dortmund looses to Bayern after Penalty Kicks (straight to Pens after 90 mins, no ET). Pulisic scored the 1:0 after a bad Bayern mistake (but a great tackle and score by him, still) and had a pretty good game overall. Looks to be a clear, every-game-starter (unless rotation due to fatigue is needed), at the very least until Reus comes back in Winter.

Dortmund's approach is more assinine than ever, basically pressing the oponent for 90 minutes everywhere on the pitch (like right into their own box) which then leaves the defense exposed if a good ball is played. Will get better with repetitions, especially since most oponents are worse at coping with this than Bayern and in a few weeks there might be an actual left back available (Schmelzer, Guerreiro and Durm all injured leaving the job to 18 year old and like 6´5/6´6 CB Zagadou for now). Still, don't expect many 1:0 wins ;)

The 5th best league in Europe kicks it off with the Community Shield this morning. At halftime, nothing has happened.

Meanwhile Portland vs LAG has been exciting for the first 10 minutes with a video replay taking away a goal and a yellow card with it.

Carlos Vela is LAFC's first Designated Player and the salt coming from Mexican fans (esp on reddit) is just so much fun!

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news...oup/546471001/

The Wilf's lost out on getting the Minnesota team, so now they're joining the Nashville bid.

Here's my crazy idea for MLS. Forget the stopping at 28 nonsense. After Miami you'll have 24 with 12 bids. Order the bids by quality, accept every one of them, and phase in 2 teams every 3 years until you're done. So, LAFC comes in next year. Miami hopefully by 2019. Then get the first two of the 12 in for 2020. Follow that in 2023, 2026, 2029, 2032, and 2035.

Uhhh... it'd probably be good to sit and settle for a few years after adding 28. Just to allow for taking a breath for a second and breath and see how to deepen the talent pool. Constant expansions tend to not allow as much for looking internally.

I mean they've added, what, 10 teams in 10 years? With 5 more to come in the next 5 years? It makes sense to wait for 4-5 years before thinking of future expansion.

The USL is coming back to Austin, where they are going to build a 5,000 seat stadium on the grounds of the Circuit of the Americas. The Austin location of the FC Barcelona academy is going to be based there as well.

Why I'm just shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. The captain of such a historically classy side, I can't even imagine such.

Mexico's Rafael Marquez among 22 sanctioned for drug trafficking ties - ESPN FC

DCUnited went nuts at the transfer deadline, finalizing 4 transfers in the final hour.

Paul Arriola -- M USMNT, Tijuana
Bruno Miranda - F 19 y/o Bolivian international (3 caps), Club Universidad in Chile
Zoltan Stieber - M Hungarian international (21 caps), Kaiserslautern
Russell Canouse - M Hoffenheim

This is what happens when you are dead last in the league and are opening up a brand new stadium next year ;).

Oh, we're all well aware of that. I fully expect Ben Olson to be gone next year on top of it all. New stadium, new coach, new stars.

IIRC, Steven Goff has indicated that Ben Olson's job is not in jeopardy.

Looks like NBC's EPL streaming is no longer free this season, you have to buy a pass to stream games that arent on tv (I think). $49.99 for a season.

I was looking forward to watching every Brighton game this season, but from the schedule I'll need the pass to see them 2 out of the first 3 games of the season.

Nice to see NBCSN showing a throwback game in anticipation of the new season. Man,Arsenal's defense was horrendous back in the day.

Wait, this game is live? And Arsenal's defense is still horrendous?

Oh...

To be fair, all their regular CBs are out injured or suspended (Koscielny from a red card from last season)

I wasn't trying to be fair;)

Injuries notwithstanding, the goals Arsenal conceded today are the same goals they have been conceding for the last five plus years.

That was probably one of the craziest initial games to a season ever...

You mean the horrible turnovers leading to quick goals and/or the fabulous zonal marking scheme they continue to get burned on week after week? :banghead::banghead::banghead:

2 matches, 13 goals. Interesting start to the EPL season.

Liverpool seemed to have the same defensive problems from last year as well.

15 minutes and Chelsea already has a red and two yellows. I can live with that happening more this season.

Based on me not throwing up a little after he scored, Wayne Rooney is a bit more likeable in a Everton kit.

EDIT: It could also be that he is not scoring for José Mourinho

Chelsea off to a flying start.

Stephen Ward scored a great goal for the 2nd, worth checking out.

If you go to the ground grabbing your ankle, look right at the ref as you're comically rolling over, and then immediately pop up and charge at the ref complaining it should be at least a yellow on you. Get the constant whining and crying out of soccer and start by making an example of the herd of jackoffs at Chelsea.

Woohoo! 9 men. Of you go Fabregas! Great job crying about a 2nd yellow on what could have been a straight red.

They're in mid-season form already. Sell Cuthinio if he wants to go, putting in a transfer request in the 2nd week of April to a club that gave you a 5 year deal 7 months ago is BS. Bring in Van Dijk and Pulisic if you can grab him too.

That was a fantastic strike and a clever run-up to it off of the free kick.

Always good to see Newcastle in the top tier where they belong.

Man U decided to wait until I had to take a shit to score.

The Spanish Super Cup has been ridiculous for about 20 minutes now. Messi with the tying goal on a PK after a clear dive by Suarez isn't called. I think two yellows given to Madrid players going after Suarez for the dive. A few handbags at the opposite goal a minute later. Ronaldo off the bench with a yellow and then the go ahead goal. A few minutes later Ronaldo gets a second yellow for a dive in the box and then pushes the ref. Madrid trying to see out the final 5+ minutes of leg 1 with 10 men.

Madrid golazo on the counter to win 3-1. I can only assume a poor showing on Wednesday will send Barca over the edge on spending to fill that Neymar sized hole they have.

Absolutely ridiculous refereeing from someone who hates Real and Ronaldo. For once they have a legitimate beef.

That being said, I don't know why players still take their shirt off after scoring. It's a dumb rule but you know it results in a yellow 100% of the time. Cardiff started fining Robert Earnshaw a weeks wages when he did his somersault after scoring because of fears he'd blow his knee out - if I was a manager I'd start at that for anyone who got a yellow for removing the shirt. It's just stupid.

At what point can we say Pulisic is that good without having to qualify it waith a but...

Mane just scored a goal in real life that puts my computer's functionality at real risk whenever it happens in FM.

He is that good, no but required.

Absolutely. He is perfect for the modern game and it is insane how great his decision-making and ability to read situations is at his age. The fact that he's not above making the simple and direct play rather than stalling with needless trickery falls in the same category. He is also much more athletic than people projected (especially those ignoring that 17 year olds are actually still a few ways of their peak in that regard) and has amazing footwork/"direction-ability", little Steve Nash-ish in that regard ;)

Man City might want to re-think their pyrotechnic strategy...5 minutes into the match and still a haze over most of the pitch.

Brutal call

It was harsh, but he was dumb to do that when he was already on a yellow card

The last sentence here is spot on. As a youth coach, it drives me nuts to watch kids try and make a low percentage play, when they could make the safe high percentage play, but do not because it doesn't look cool.

I was watching a JV high school game on Saturday and saw the same thing happen time and again.

Nice to see David Silva paying homage to City legend Stephen Ireland the day before his birthday :D

Agreed. Walker gave the ref the opportunity to make a call. No question.

I am just getting a headstart on my frustration with officiating consistency when next week a match official is credited for "properly managing the game" by keeps his cards in his pocket when a player on a yellow commits a bookable offense.

10 mins of Fergie time in the Bournemouth/City game.

FdB is not good