Futbol Anyone?

[purvis9876]

So the Champions League and inter-league games are going on, and I was just curious if there were any fans of the game. DB, Mark, I know you're Englishmen.... Jaimoe, K, Canadians like soccer, right?
(sorry if I'm wrong about your homeland)

And if you don't like soccer, here's a little something to draw and help keep your attention:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZV-q-nxBkk[/media]

[Jaimoe]

So the Champions League and inter-league games are going on, and I was just curious if there were any fans of the game. DB, Mark, I know you're Englishmen.... Jaimoe, K, Canadians like soccer, right?
(sorry if I'm wrong about your homeland)

And if you don't like soccer, here's a little something to draw and help keep your attention:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZV-q-nxBkk[/media]

I've caught some of the Champions League games this week. I hate Chelsea and Man U though.

Soccer is a huge recreational sport in Canada, but our National Men's senior team has been a disgrace, even though two of the bettter younger Canadian born players in the world refused to play for Team Canada: that fucker Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan de Guzman elected to play for other countries internationally (England and The Netherlands respectively).  Toronto FC is a major success story in the MLS.

Soccer is massively popular in Toronto (and in Montreal, Vancouver and parts of Alberta) since Toronto has huge ethnic populations. I live in Greektown, so you can imagine the insanity when the Greeks play. The neighbourhood was shut-down when the Greeks won the European Championship four years ago. Soccer is on every weekend in bars and restaurants in Little Italy, Greektown, three Chinatowns, Little Korea, Little Portugal, Little India etc...

[purvis9876]

So the Champions League and inter-league games are going on, and I was just curious if there were any fans of the game. DB, Mark, I know you're Englishmen.... Jaimoe, K, Canadians like soccer, right?
(sorry if I'm wrong about your homeland)

And if you don't like soccer, here's a little something to draw and help keep your attention:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZV-q-nxBkk[/media]

I've caught some of the Champions League games this week. I hate Chelsea and Man U though.

Soccer is a huge recreational sport in Canada, but our National Men's senior team has been a disgrace, even though two of the bettter younger Canadian born players in the world refused to play for Team Canada: that fucker Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan de Guzman elected to play for other countries internationally (England and The Netherlands respectively).  Toronto FC is a major success story in the MLS.

Soccer is massively popular in Toronto (and in Montreal, Vancouver and parts of Alberta) since Toronto has huge ethnic populations. I live in Greektown, so you can imagine the insanity when the Greeks play. The neighbourhood was shut-down when the Greeks won the European Championship four years ago. Soccer is on every weekend in bars and restaurants in Little Italy, Greektown, three Chinatowns, Little Korea, Little Portugal, Little India etc...

That second part is great to hear. I wish it's popularity would rise in the U.S like it has there. Yes, Chelsea and Man. U, blah(and though I don't like him, I can't deny Ronaldo his sickness).

Inter and Barcelona losing were both disappointing, but I was glad to see Liverpool get another win. Is there a Premier, Liga, Bundesliga, etc.. team that you call your own?

I just don't feel like this sport gets much respect.

[MarkW]

I saw Zidane play live in a French international game.  He was almost hypnotic.

I'm a huge football fan, but only follow England and my own team, the mighty Ipswich Town FC.  I'll also watch local non-league football (either Bury Town or Cambridge City) whenever possible.

My company has a corporate box at Man U.  I don't go, as it's just too far removed from anything that makes the game enjoyable for me (other than the free booze!).

[Jaimoe]

So the Champions League and inter-league games are going on, and I was just curious if there were any fans of the game. DB, Mark, I know you're Englishmen.... Jaimoe, K, Canadians like soccer, right?
(sorry if I'm wrong about your homeland)

And if you don't like soccer, here's a little something to draw and help keep your attention:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZV-q-nxBkk[/media]

I've caught some of the Champions League games this week. I hate Chelsea and Man U though.

Soccer is a huge recreational sport in Canada, but our National Men's senior team has been a disgrace, even though two of the bettter younger Canadian born players in the world refused to play for Team Canada: that fucker Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan de Guzman elected to play for other countries internationally (England and The Netherlands respectively).  Toronto FC is a major success story in the MLS.

Soccer is massively popular in Toronto (and in Montreal, Vancouver and parts of Alberta) since Toronto has huge ethnic populations. I live in Greektown, so you can imagine the insanity when the Greeks play. The neighbourhood was shut-down when the Greeks won the European Championship four years ago. Soccer is on every weekend in bars and restaurants in Little Italy, Greektown, three Chinatowns, Little Korea, Little Portugal, Little India etc...

That second part is great to hear. I wish it's popularity would rise in the U.S like it has there. Yes, Chelsea and Man. U, blah(and though I don't like him, I can't deny Ronaldo his sickness).

Inter and Barcelona losing were both disappointing, but I was glad to see Liverpool get another win. Is there a Premier, Liga, Bundesliga, etc.. team that you call your own?

I just don't feel like this sport gets much respect.

I forgot to mention that Montreal and Vancouver are huge USL teams and will be in the MLS sooner than later. BTW, the Montreal Impact are into the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League (best of the MLS, Canada, Latin American and the Caribbean). Not bad for the only team from the US or Canada. All the MLS teams (a superior league) are out. Montreal beat the Toronto FC and USL's Vancouver Whitecaps in a mini round-robin to qualify and haven't lost since.

I don't cheer for the big teams. I normally will pull for any teams that have a Canadian on them (Tottenham, Everton) or an underdog, like Celtic or the Rangers.

[purvis9876]

My roommate is a big Tottenham fan. Besides being a fan of and traveling to see the Chicago Fire, I enjoy watching Bayern play a good bit.

Yeah, I had heard about those teams joining by 2010 at the latest. I also heard that Barcelona is trying to set up an MLS team in Florida.  

Who do they play next in the CONCACAF?

[dragonboy]

My home team of Reading got relegated last season, they're currently 3rd in the Championship League (one down from the Premiership)
My brother-in-law is a Nottingham Forrest fan so we'll be seeing them play Norwich City when I'm home in a couple of weeks.

[purvis9876]

My home team of Reading got relegated last season, they're currently 3rd in the Championship League (one down from the Premiership)
My brother-in-law is a Nottingham Forrest fan so we'll be seeing them play Norwich City when I'm home in a couple of weeks.

That's not bad, I saw where they beat Blackpool yesterday. Can't remember who's up next for them.

That's great. Darnet can be fun to watch when he's on. Oh how I wish I could travel over there and see a REAL game of soccer played.

[Jaimoe]

My roommate is a big Tottenham fan. Besides being a fan of and traveling to see the Chicago Fire, I enjoy watching Bayern play a good bit.

Yeah, I had heard about those teams joining by 2010 at the latest. I also heard that Barcelona is trying to set up an MLS team in Florida.  

Who do they play next in the CONCACAF?

I got it wrong: the Impact are in the quarters and play Mexico's Club Santos Laguna. It looks like Houston Dynamo are in the quarters too and play Atlante FC of Mexico. I like the Dynamo because their goalie Pat Onstad and their best player, Dwayne De Rosario are Canadian National Team members.

[purvis9876]

My roommate is a big Tottenham fan. Besides being a fan of and traveling to see the Chicago Fire, I enjoy watching Bayern play a good bit.

Yeah, I had heard about those teams joining by 2010 at the latest. I also heard that Barcelona is trying to set up an MLS team in Florida.  

Who do they play next in the CONCACAF?

I got it wrong: the Impact are in the quarters and play Mexico's Club Santos Laguna. It looks like Houston Dynamo are in the quarters too and play Atlante FC of Mexico. I like the Dynamo because their goalie Pat Onstad and their best player, Dwayne De Rosario are Canadian National Team members.

Mulrooney and De Rosario are two veterans, I've always enjoyed their play. I had heard talks about De Rosario going on loan a few months ago. Not sure as to where, but I think it was somewhere in La Liga.

[mjkoehler]

Wow, this is better then the thread I started ages ago to ask about futball since I'm an ignorant American when it comes to these things and really want to be a fan

I saw Zidane play live in a French international game.  He was almost hypnotic.

I'm a huge football fan, but only follow England and my own team, the mighty Ipswich Town FC.  I'll also watch local non-league football (either Bury Town or Cambridge City) whenever possible.

My company has a corporate box at Man U.  I don't go, as it's just too far removed from anything that makes the game enjoyable for me (other than the free booze!).

Hey Mark, this gives us another topic to talk about. Maybe you can help me out with my soccer ignorance.

[purvis9876]

JESUS F-ING CHRIST!!![media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lP0CmEA6PA[/media]
The guy throwing it didn't even notice that he smashed this guy's face.

Probably worse than this:

[Ruckus]

Thanks for starting this thread.  I am a junkie of all things sports but have only been getting into international soccer aside from the World Cup over the past 4 years.

As for Inter...I feel like they've been going somewhat downhill over the past couple of years as I feel that Juve has...in general just the quality of Serie A.

I didn't see the Barca match so I have to look up how that went down.

It's hard to find a team as a foreign outsider in the EPL.  My roomie from my sophomore year in college was a dirty Scouser and  an Everton fan and rocked a Duncan Ferguson jersey every fuckin' day.  

Having said that, we get so many of the Big 4 matches on FSC...if I had to choose.. I'll take the Gunners everytime just for their style of play.

I expected Man City to be much more competitive this year but I hear they will be more than active in the transfer window upcoming.

Besides...we all know that the best player in the world is Clint Dempsey

Will truly be getting into the Champions league once the knockout stages begin.

[purvis9876]

Thanks for starting this thread.  I am a junkie of all things sports but have only been getting into international soccer aside from the World Cup over the past 4 years.

As for Inter...I feel like they've been going somewhat downhill over the past couple of years as I feel that Juve has...in general just the quality of Serie A.

I didn't see the Barca match so I have to look up how that went down.

It's hard to find a team as a foreign outsider in the EPL.  My roomie from my sophomore year in college was a dirty Scouser and  an Everton fan and rocked a Duncan Ferguson jersey every fuckin' day.  

Having said that, we get so many of the Big 4 matches on FSC...if I had to choose.. I'll take the Gunners everytime just for their style of play.

I expected Man City to be much more competitive this year but I hear they will be more than active in the transfer window upcoming.

Besides...we all know that the best player in the world is Clint Dempsey

Inter have their days, and Ibrahimovic is always fun to watch(one of the best strikers in the game). But yeah in Serie A, even AC Milan isn't doing as well. Juve just looks terrible sometimes.

Adebayor is sooo sick! Aside from that, eh.  ;)

For Man. City, have you heard anything with Robinho and transer? He's on my fantasy team and I need him to stay good team to produce for me.  ;D

And finally, Dempsey huh? I actually chuckled a little when I read that. They're pretty far behind, but of course I like him; best in the world though? We both know that's KAKA!!!!

[Ruckus]

What happened to the great Fenerbahce?  

Does anyone else believe that the Champions' League group draws are rigged.  Perhaps I'm wrong because I'm relatively new to this but Bayern Munich seems to always be placed in a weaker group.

Now I know they have had a history of success in the Champions' League but they have not necessarily been juggernauts of late.  Knowing how much revenue they pull in, is that why they manage to avoid groupings with some of the top clubs.

Merely hypothesizing. Must look it up

[Jaimoe]

My roommate is a big Tottenham fan. Besides being a fan of and traveling to see the Chicago Fire, I enjoy watching Bayern play a good bit.

Yeah, I had heard about those teams joining by 2010 at the latest. I also heard that Barcelona is trying to set up an MLS team in Florida.  

Who do they play next in the CONCACAF?

I got it wrong: the Impact are in the quarters and play Mexico's Club Santos Laguna. It looks like Houston Dynamo are in the quarters too and play Atlante FC of Mexico. I like the Dynamo because their goalie Pat Onstad and their best player, Dwayne De Rosario are Canadian National Team members.

Mulrooney and De Rosario are two veterans, I've always enjoyed their play. I had heard talks about De Rosario going on loan a few months ago. Not sure as to where, but I think it was somewhere in La Liga.

There's always talk of De Rosario playing for Toronto FC since he's from Scarborough (massive suburb in Toronto's east end). If and when Toronto gets rid of BMO Field's field-turf, look for Dwayne to make a move.

[Penny Lane]

not that we're talking about MLS here--but i'm a Columbus Crew fan
:-) we won it all this year, i used to have season tix back when Brian McBride played for them-before he went to everton

[Jaimoe]

not that we're talking about MLS here--but i'm a Columbus Crew fan
:-) we won it all this year, i used to have season tix back when Brian McBride played for them-before he went to everton

Did you ever make a road-trip to crazy BMO Field to see the Crew vs TFC? I saw Columbus play last year. It was nuts. I hate McBride.

[Ruckus]

not that we're talking about MLS here--but i'm a Columbus Crew fan
:-) we won it all this year, i used to have season tix back when Brian McBride played for them-before he went to everton

Man I get jealous of the teams that have soccer specific stadiums.  That Columbus stadium is gorgeous.  Even though I'm not a huge f an of MLS, when I go to games, its for DC United matches at RFK which is a shithole.:-[

I hope they get a new, soccer only stadium in the near future.

[Jaimoe]

not that we're talking about MLS here--but i'm a Columbus Crew fan
:-) we won it all this year, i used to have season tix back when Brian McBride played for them-before he went to everton

Man I get jealous of the teams that have soccer specific stadiums.  That Columbus stadium is gorgeous.  Even though I'm not a huge f an of MLS, when I go to games, its for DC United matches at RFK which is a shithole.:-[

I hope they get a new, soccer only stadium in the near future.

I think the MLS also should encourage all new stadiums to be built in the downtown. Most are in the 'burbs. Toronto's is in a perfect location right on the waterfront.