The Beautiful Game Thread

[hazey]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm sure nobody is watching the U-20 World Cup, but Ghana has some incredible young players. Along with their National team that has seen a serious rise in soccer power since 2006.

Ghana could move up to the upper echelon of powers in the next couple making a serious push in rising to soccer power. They have an incredible wealth of talent younger than 25.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

Incredible goal from a friendly between Red Bull Salzburg and FC Schalke 04

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pFBqW9bT8j0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Leon]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DcX3nCWmWLo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

****ing brilliant. Felt a little sad when the game over note played.

[Leon]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

Arsene's newest signing - 15 year old "Running Man" from Vietnam.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7xK_5CpPLhw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[gopher_guy]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/C058wv48oms" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[UK0wnag3]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm assuming most of you guys haven't seen Sky Sports' advert for the new football league season celebrating 125 years of the football league, so I'll drop it here.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cpZSEnOwyLA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


I love this advert, and not just because Bristol City are featured a few times, notably at the very start with our man Spike (AKA Rod Stewart).

[Murph]

I'll assume the Guinness International Champions Cup doesn't warrant it's own thread. Is this basically a summer exhibition tournament with no more relevance than say Man U on it's own summer tour?

It's odd to see LA Galaxy in there amongst a group of European clubs, since LA is in-season right now, but since the majority of the tournament is in the USA, i guess there should be at least one MLS team.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Anners]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm assuming most of you guys haven't seen Sky Sports' advert for the new football league season celebrating 125 years of the football league, so I'll drop it here.

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cpZSEnOwyLA" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>


I love this advert, and not just because Bristol City are featured a few times, notably at the very start with our man Spike (AKA Rod Stewart).

When I first saw that I was hugely impressed. Who needs anything fancy when you've got people as passionate as that talking about their team? Superb advert.

As a bit of a side note, I live a fair way from Leeds United's ground, although about a minute walk from the local RL, RU and Cricket sides in Leeds.

[UK0wnag3]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

When I first saw that I was hugely impressed. Who needs anything fancy when you've got people as passionate as that talking about their team? Superb advert.

As a bit of a side note, I live a fair way from Leeds United's ground, although about a minute walk from the local RL, RU and Cricket sides in Leeds.

Tell me about it, I live about 40 minutes away from Ashton Gate, and about 30 from Gloucestershire's cricket ground, where I was last night incidentally.

[HKPound]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm a bit curious with how the majority of English football fans are considering the fact there are so many teams. Do many supporters have both a lower tier team and a BPL team they support or no?

[Anners]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm a bit curious with how the majority of English football fans are considering the fact there are so many teams. Do many supporters have both a lower tier team and a BPL team they support or no?

I would say no I think, to the majority anyway.

I've spent about 20 minutes trying to find a way to answer this in more detail and I'm struggling. I think it's more just because I follow a team who did used to be one of the biggest sides in England and it's my hometown.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful!

[UK0wnag3]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm a bit curious with how the majority of English football fans are considering the fact there are so many teams. Do many supporters have both a lower tier team and a BPL team they support or no?

Although you are bound to meet the odd person who has a soft spot for a premier league team, it is on the whole uncommon. Obviously, there's always kids who are "glory supporters" or "bandwagoners", if you like.

But on the whole, the idea is to support your local team. If they are in the Premier League, then great. Good for you.

But for the majority of people who support a team in the lower leagues, the Premier League is the ultimate goal. The idea that, if my team gets to the top, it will all be worth it. All the cold Tuesday nights where we were battered 3-0. All the Saturdays spent driving hours up the motorway to see them playing away, only to return unsuccessful. All the lowest ebbs, when the club was at it's worst.

All worth it, because now we are amongst the elite. Because now the Manchester Uniteds, the Liverpools, the Arsenals of the world are coming to our ground.

Because we've earned this success.

[Gonira]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

Spoiler

atlético mineiro is a brazilian team famous for having one of the most passionate fan bases of all. but despite always being considered one of the top 10 elite teams on the country, they unfortunately have a rather unsuccessful history when it comes to winning championships.

despite being runner-ups of the brazilian league last year, the one and only league title of atlético happened in 1971. 42 years ago.

they also never won the copa libertadores (south american "ucl"). never even reached the finals.

the last decade was terrible, arguably the worst in atletico's history, including a league relegation in 2006 (promoted back in 2007 though).

all in all, a very sad record for a very passionate team. fans are hungry for an important title, very hungry.

i happen to be one of them. proudly.

2013 was seeming to be a turning point in the team's history. incredible football shown in the libertadores, undisputably the best team in this year's competition, perhaps the best team in atlético's history. a top squad for brazilian standards, led by ronaldinho (yes, him) playing his top football, possibly the best player of atlético's history already, a true maestro, joga bonito.

the best record between all the 32 teams on the cup's first round (5 wins, 1 loss). two wins on the round of 16 against the almighty são paulo, including a 4-1 in the home game.

and then the quarter finals came.

2-2 in the away game against mexico's tijuana, after being two goals behind. a tie that was strongly celebrated. because now we only had to draw in the home game, with our VERY LOUD fans pushing the team to the victory.



atlético's record on its new stadium that was reopened in 2012 was so far 26W-8D-0L

i mean: they never lost a game there. 34 times, never lost. if you count home games in different stadiums, the record in the last 48 games is even more impressive: 40W-8D-0L. and they only had to draw against a random mexican team. ez game ya


but no. they didn't play their best. tijuana has shown to be a strong challenge. we managed to keep the game tied anyway.





1-1 until the 91st minute.




and then this happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFxIYRshmPs

i had to make this lenghty post so you could understand what all of this that has happened yesterday on these 2 shocking minutes means to us as fans.

but actually, words can't describe.


i cried like a baby.
really... i'm crying now.


anyone that doesn't LOVE football has to be a deeply sad person.

what a game this is.

champions of america

[jesmith29]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I'm a bit curious with how the majority of English football fans are considering the fact there are so many teams. Do many supporters have both a lower tier team and a BPL team they support or no?

I'm not English, but I support Liverpool, and I also keep tabs on Barnsley. as they were the first team I picked in FIFA 7.

After buying FM12 (first time playing) I watch what Millwall do, as they were the first team I managed.

Football Manager really opened up my interest in Football, with the rich history of a lot of the clubs, I find it really interesting

In FM I've also picked a lower level club to see how far I can take them.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: The Beautiful Game Thread

I always thought it was weird that FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. It's obvious now that lots of oil money changed hands there and some palms got some major greasing.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1506462/fifa-host-2022-world-cup-november?cc=5901

FIFA is now planning to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November rather than January, a source at the governing body told kicker.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed that he intends to ask for the tournament to be held in the winter as temperatures in the Gulf state can reach 50°C during the summer.

It was initially expected that the tournament would be brought forward to January 2012, but kicker reports the intention is now to move it to November that year, with the final set to take place on December 18.

A winter World Cup would have a significant effect on domestic football across Europe. The major leagues in the continent all kick off in the summer, with the Russian Premier League changing its schedule to follow the same pattern a year ago, and will face severe disruption as a result of the Qatar tournament.

The planned change had been backed by Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and the German Football League’s executive Andreas Rettig.

However, former German Football Association president Theo Zwanziger has warned that a winter World Cup would have a serious effect on European leagues and could also put the “unity of German football” in danger. Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League, also spoke out again Thursday against the season change. Scudamore has long been a critic of such a switch, contending it would disrupt Europe's domestic soccer leagues. Now, he said he is more troubled than ever after Blatter's recent reversal.

"Of course one is worried. We're not silly. We can see that that's the way the momentum is shifting," he said from Hong Kong Thursday.



Zwanziger, a member of the FIFA executive committee, told Sport Bild: “If you change the match calendar, it not only affects Bundesliga but also goes all the way down to the minor leagues. The structure of German football is in danger and therefore the unity of German football.”

The 68-year old added: “If the decision [to award the World Cup to Qatar] was wrong back then you have to reverse it and should not load extra burdens on non-participants.”

Zwanziger said he had little hope that FIFA would change its plans.

“Looking at the executive committee and the interests there, the proposition will get the vote. I am curious to find out what U.S. association president Sunil Gunati, who is new in the committee, will vote for,” he said.

The United States had also made a bid for the 2022 World Cup but lost out to Qatar.

A vote among the 27 FIFA executive committee members is set for October at the next conference.