The 2013-2014 Football Thread

[daneoni]

*shrug* I'm not even mad. The OT one back in 2011 already made me immune.

Somewhat glad i had an excuse to not watch the game today (work). Even though i knew what was coming, the scoreline is still a little bit...eyebrow raising. But there we are. Credit to the fans who stayed right till the end though. *thumbs up*

I've had my suspicions since the Anfield match, and they were subsequently confirmed in the Stoke game. Everything else has been/will be par for course.

2013/2014 EPL starting to play out. Top 4 decided. City/Chelsea will win the title (Liverpool concede too much). Everton/Spurs/United for Europa. Fulham and Cardiff are virtually nailed for the drop. Sunderland/West Brom to join soon.

Only thing i'm still interested in this season, is if Bayern will manage to retain the CL title or if Real (or someone else) will pry it from them. That, and i'm curious to see how the Allam saga will play out.

A good weekend to you all.

 

[Cox Orange]

So, Bayern is League winner (with 8 plays left). Edit: so they thought (them already celebrating), but Dortmund and Schalke won their matches and that delays it for one match.

Mainz broke a record, though. Longest 0 against Bayern a team has achieved.

In Minute 82 and 85 Bayern scored. Pep was already pissed at that point. The goals were achieved after bringing on new players.

It had found an online stream and watched it from minute 75 on. While Mainz's plan worked out well, there was a point were the whole row of 5 defense players had moved up to the center line and in just that moment, I was thinking "does Bayern still want to play nice with many passes? Why don't they do a long shot right now?" and there it came. Though Mainz was already on its way back, but came to late.

After the match Bayern players congratulated the keeper of Mainz.

The first half Mainz created quiet some nice chances and in the second they then had to save energy.

In the second half the plan by Tuchel (Mainz' coach) was to have 5 players in the defense and the rest is somewhat free floating (it seems to me). When Bayern lost the Ball, Mainz would quickly pass the ball to the next positions. But the last pass was always not pointed enough and ran in the empty field, where the striker could not get it.

 

[Happybunny]

What a game Cardiff 3 Liverpool 6

It was an advertisement for everything that football should be.

Well done to Hull City it's looking like they will be safe.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Hmm... remember the Arsenal-Sheffield United Cup tie back in the day when Marc Overmars scored a controversial goal to give the Gunners the win? Wenger admitted the goal shouldn't have stood, and Arsenal offered United the opportunity to replay the tie. The authorities agreed, and the match was indeed restaged with the original declared void.

Well, it seems that the original tie is included amongst Wenger's 1,000 games - but if the game is void surely it shouldn't be? Goals scored in such matches are usually expunged from the scorer's tally, after all.

Well done to Hull City it's looking like they will be safe.

It's certainly a big step in the right direction.

Dare we say one more win should do it?

 

[Kariya]

Cheeky goal by Rooney. Surprised United won to be honest but gd on them.

 

[Cox Orange]

I would not bother telling you about women's U17, but...

Something crazy happening right now at the U17 women's WC.

Germany lead 3:0 and North Korea had gone 2:3 in the 34th minute and 3:3 in minute 39...

This is U17 world list rank 3 (Germany) against world list rank 1 and (North Korea).

Germany and North Korea will be out, if none of them wins and Ghana can not get a draw or defeat Canada. Ghana is through anyway!
At the moment (playing at the same time) Canada leads 2:0 and Ghana refuses to play. If one were mean, one could say Ghana is doing this with intent. (Ghana had problems with German teams in U-xx world cups before and last year had them in the group round and in the half final).

Edit: Canada got a red card in minute 50 and Ghana a free kick. Ghana does shoot over the box. Now this is getting... hm.
Edit: minute 60 Korea free kick 4:3
Edit: GER-N.Korea 3:4 (both out), CAN-Ghana 2:1.

On a side note I have to say, I find, one can see in these U-17 tournaments that the gap between men and women is by far bigger in this age.

 

[Cox Orange]

PS: it's tweetie's boys to delay the Bayern league win next Tuesday. (Last match was Bayern 3:2 Hertha).

Go get them, tweetie!

 

[twietee]

PS: it's tweetie's boys to delay the Bayern league win next Tuesday. (Last match was Bayern 3:2 Hertha).

Go get them, tweetie!

Given our latest results I'm afraid that we're about to receive a two digit beating by Bayern.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

A quintessential Liverpool win over Cardiff. Unfortunately, when we play Chelsea I suspect we'll be well beaten unless we can score 6 or 7 against them as well. The defense is just too porous.

Arsenal. What a nightmare for poor Wenger. But there does seem to be a pattern with these occasional blowout losses to big rivals. Still don't understand it though.

Columbus 2-1 Philadelphia

I managed to make the trip down to Columbus yesterday for this home opener and was not disappointed as the Crew ran out 2-1 winners after a brace by Bernardo Anor. Berhalter's revamped team looks pretty good, though they need to shake off some early season rust in a few areas. The highlight was of course the winning goal - a 35-yard screamer from Anor late in the first half.

It was great to see our new scoreboard up and running after the old one caught fire last year. Not so great to see a few bulbs were already burnt out.

RE: Rooney's goal. I know I'll come across as being churlish, but it really was a big goalkeeping error first and foremost. Both of Suarez's long-range goals against Norwich required more careful placement to succeed. With that being said, I can only tip my hat to any player who scores from that far out and he did put the ball on target. Fair play to him!

EDIT: Stoke really took Aston Villa apart today, I watched the game at lunch during the trip home from Columbus. Villa looked awful, and Stoke occasionally passed the ball around un a very un-Stoke-like manner....though they still relied pretty heavily on long balls.

 

[mojolicious]

when we play Chelsea I suspect we'll be well beaten unless we can score 6 or 7 against them as well. The defense is just too porous.

Agreed. It's a (superior) version of the old Newcastle 'we're gonna score one more than you' tactic, and it's not the stuff of champions.

Arsenal. What a nightmare for poor Wenger. But there does seem to be a pattern with these occasional blowout losses to big rivals. Still don't understand it though.

Arsenal away results versus the three other top four finishers over the last five years:
P15 W1 D1 L13 F13 A44

Absolutely shocking.

 

[takao]

well that was the austrian season ... with a 5:0 today Red Bull managed to secure the title with 8 games still to go
28 games, 70 points (27 ahead of the 2nd in the table) and 98 goals already and a goal difference of +75

 

[mojolicious]

Is that a freak season in Austria, or are Red Bull (the company) pouring so much money into the club that Red Bull (the soccer franchise ) is going to dominate for the foreseeable future? Doesn't make for an interesting league, if so.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Red Bull has been a bit of joke in MLS...they've picked up some good players, built a beautiful stadium and generally spent a lot of money - only to win nothing in what is probably the "fairest" league in the world.

It's just too corporate. Their average attendance is better than that of Columbus - but they they should be filling a 40k-seater every week given their resources. The team is named after a sports drink company and the stadium isn't even in New York.

 

[Kariya]

Di Maria having an absolute barnstormer in today's El Classico.

Ramos gets his 19th career red card.

Real 3 Barca 4

Title race blown open.

European refereeing continues not to disappoint at being comical

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Unbelievable.

A Messi hat trick at the Bernebeau, Barca come from behind. Two key penalties to Barca, arguably soft penalty calls...controversy in Spain! I'm pretty sure Neymar dived for that first one.

Atletico are tied at the top with Real on 70 points. Barca are a point behind but have (I think) a superior goal difference and head-to-head record.

Apparently Fabregas and Pepe put their heads together while arguing after Messi's first goal and both flopped to the ground in unison feigning injury. I hope someone makes an animated GIF of that.

EDIT: As far as reffing goes, MLS ended its referee lockout this week after agreeing to a collective bargaining agreement with the refs association, so we had our top refs on the pitch this weekend - but that didn't prevent a Philly player form getting away with a tackle from behind on one of the Crew's midfielders last night. .

 

[takao]

Is that a freak season in Austria, or are Red Bull (the company) pouring so much money into the club that Red Bull (the soccer franchise ) is going to dominate for the foreseeable future? Doesn't make for an interesting league, if so.

this year it's both: freak season and red bull money

last year it was Austria Vienna having a record season which prevented a salzburg championship (in most other season it would have been the title)
This season Austria fell into a slump after some transfers and loosing their (winning)coach. Rapid is rebuilding the squad and without any sense of tactic. Sturm Graz is absolute rubbish currently. Which means no rival for the Championship this season.

since red bull bought salzburg in 2005 they won the championship 5 times and the other 4 season they were always 2nd.

At least we had 4 different champions in that time frame

 

[Fizzoid]

Hmm... remember the Arsenal-Sheffield United Cup tie back in the day when Marc Overmars scored a controversial goal to give the Gunners the win? Wenger admitted the goal shouldn't have stood, and Arsenal offered United the opportunity to replay the tie. The authorities agreed, and the match was indeed restaged with the original declared void.

Well, it seems that the original tie is included amongst Wenger's 1,000 games - but if the game is void surely it shouldn't be? Goals scored in such matches are usually expunged from the scorer's tally, after all.

So does that mean the highlight of Wenger's 1000th game wasn't finding next season's reserve keeper?

 

[Happybunny]

Di Maria having an absolute barnstormer in today's El Classico.

Ramos gets his 19th career red card.

Real 3 Barca 4

Title race blown open.

European refereeing continues not to disappoint at being comical

Hey at least they send the right player off.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Hey at least they send the right player off.

When Real Madrid is involved, you have a 50/50 chance of sending off the right player even if you guess - it's always going to be Sergio Ramos or Pepe.

EDIT: Massimo Cellino has failed the 'owners and directors test' and is thus barred from buying Leeds United.

Congrats to the Football League for doing its job - though this one was blindingly obvious... :roll eyes:

EDIT2: I didn't hear it at the match (I was probably too focused on keeping warm and watching the play), but a young lady got hold of a microphone somehow and made some rather naughty sounds with it during the second half of the Columbus - Philadelphia match...they are clearly audible in the TV feed.

 

[Cox Orange]

Today the 1st and 2nd league clubs decided to not introduce goal line technology. Reasons were: it would cost the 2nd league clubs more than they would gain from 1 match per season, where it might not be clear, if a ball is in or not and they would get the goal recognized and they said they want to keep it emotional, so that people in bars still have a reason to discuss with each other.

--------
Bayern is league winner... but Hertha got a goal! (Hertha 1:3 Bayern). I hope you don't mind that I "announce" it, tweetie.

Mainz had lost 1:3 against the worst club Braunschweig. The Bayern match must have stressed them more, than expected. (I did not see a summary, yet. I'll have to wait for the weekend, then).

-------
There was a report on "ZDF heute journal" (newsmagazine) about the money the clubs get in the league and how the extra cash they get during champions league cements the status of smaller clubs in the league. The DFL said they will speak for a support payment for the lower clubs.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Pundits are claiming that Moyes's tactical adjustments were blown apart with the early goal, but that is slightly unfair on Moyes: Man Utd looked ropey and I don't think it would have mattered how they lined up. City were just too strong. Silva and Toure were very much in form. Man City might not be top of the table yet but Chelsea are certainly looking over their shoulder.

Arsenal. Oh dear. I watched the second half, and while they didn't look great they looked like they would see out the win. Swansea's equalizer was largely the result of bad defending but even so it was a piece of rotten luck that Szczesny's save went in off Flamini. Swansea played a very good match and deserved the point, even if it was slightly lucky in the end.

Good win for Everton too, they are a point ahead of Spurs with a game in hand.

Today the 1st and 2nd league clubs decided to not introduce goal line technology. Reasons were: it would cost the 2nd league clubs more than they would gain from 1 match per season, where it might not be clear, if a ball is in or not and they would get the goal recognized and they said they want to keep it emotional, so that people in bars still have a reason to discuss with each other.

That last reason is interesting, although we've heard it from Platini before.

 

[Kariya]

Bayern won the Bundesliga...Zzzzzz

City and Everton as expected.

- As someone said, Newcastle stop playing once they hit 40pts. Which is why Cabaye became disillusioned.
- United were never really gonna get past City. Rooney can't do everything alone. Wellbeck is a squad player, and Mata is played out of position. That's the front 3 out of the equation. Carrick/Fellaini simply not mobile enough compared to Fernandinho/Toure. Ferdinand is only slightly better than Demichelis at this point and Jones is still raw. Anything else from the bench? nope not really. Credit to United though they played better than they did against Liverpool in spells.

Arsenal...well...

To be fair they've once again been decimated by injuries. Almost half of the 1st team is gone (Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, Ozil, Koscielny). All thats left are squad players who aren't good enough. They need to sack their medical team. Maybe Wenger should step down too at the end of the season. His tactical inflexibility is starting to damage them. Go and bring in Van Gaal or Klopp.

They were 7pts clear at the top at one point. Now struggling to maintain 4th. Terrible. They didn't fade in Feb this year but they're fading in March. Don't see then getting anything against City and they have to face an Everton side that will now be gunning for them. Then its the FA Semis probably low on moral at that point. It could yet get really ugly for Wenger and his boys.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

- As someone said, Newcastle stop playing once they hit 40pts. Which is why Cabaye became disillusioned.

I genuinely believe that Mike Ashley's goal is to keep Newcastle profitably mediocre in the Premier league. He has no desire to play in Europe, no desire to pay over the odds for any big players, and no desire to win anything - except promotion in the instance they got relegated to the Championship. I'm hardly to the most savvy analyst out there, so if I can see this it must be obvious to all.

Mata is played out of position.

That was the saddest thing to watch. Mata spent half the game in front of his own box trying to help out the fullbacks. A total waste of his abilities.

Maybe Wenger should step down too at the end of the season. His tactical inflexibility is starting to damage them. Go and bring in Van Gaal or Klopp.

Ferg and Mourinho have both time and again demonstrated a greater ability to switch up their approach to suit the circumstances.

When Rogers showed up at Liverpool people said he was a good choice because he had a philosophy, some sort of tiki-taka style that he'd bring to Liverpool. That sounded great at the time but I now realize that, had he really been a dogmatic manager with a single philosophy, we'd still be in 6th or 7th and probably without Suarez to boot. Rogers has shown an ability to extemporize that Wenger, for all his obvious abilities, does seem to lack.

But I really don't want to hammer him too hard, since he's everyone's punching bag these days. Mourinho has been downright cruel towards him in the media and I'm praying that, if Liverpool's title challenge falters (and it will), we at least beat Mou and Man City take the title.

 

[Happybunny]

KNVB Beker Semi Finals 20:45 local Time.
PEC Zwolle vs NEC Nijmegen.

To night is a big night for PEC Zwolle they play in the KNVB Beker Semi Finals.

They play NEC a team out of Nijmegen, they have home advantage. This is a great chance to play European football next season. Because if they win this match, there is a very good chance that in the other semi final Ajax will beat AZ 67.
Ajax are dead certs to win the Eredivisie Title, that means win or lose PEC would be eligable for European Football.

So Jaffa could have two teams in Europe next year.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

So Jaffa could have two teams in Europe next year.

If City and Zwolle were to meet in Europe, we'd have completed football.