***Official Soccer Thread***

[POND_OF_RED]

Creating a new thread for soccer discussion since the Euro’s are done.

Most leagues are in preseason and Sporting KC are currently in a battle for the best record in the league to win the shield. We just sent Busio who’s a young Sporting youth academy player and possible future American star to Venezia to compete in the top division in Italy for a 6.5 million dollar transfer fee with up to $11 million with incentives and a 20% future sell-on rate if they sell him to another team. Not to mention another past youth academy player from Lee’s Summit and another possible World Cup starter Erik Palmer-Brown looks to be joining him at Venezia soon as well. If you’re looking for an Italian team to start rooting for with your new Paramount+ subscription they would be a good candidate with some local flavor.

The U.S has built a little power shift in the CONCACAF region with their wins over Mexico lately in Nations and Gold Cup finals and look to be in really good shape heading into the World Cup qualifiers next month.

Messi looks to be on the move as well. Let’s hope it’s not a worthless one to PSG for everyone’s sake.

Ok, CP feel free to remind me how gay soccer is now. Don’t care. Sporting is kicking ass and so is the USA. It’s a good time to be following along. Discuss…

Spoiler!

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by bdj23

It's never coming home

Originally Posted by JPH83

Hate to say it but yeah.

The games adapted too much from its original form to ever go back thankfully.

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED

The games adapted too much from its original form to ever go back thankfully.

Not really sure what that means. Of course it has adapted, but some of the original formations were very attacking. If it's meant as a pop at a team that won the Euros and got to a WC final for their perceived poor style then you've just not been paying attention.

[POND_OF_RED]

Originally Posted by JPH83

Not really sure what that means. Of course it has adapted, but some of the original formations were very attacking. If it's meant as a pop at a team that won the Euros and got to a WC final for their perceived poor style then you've just not been paying attention.

It was more just about the evolution of the game like I said. When the Brazilians added their flair to it and Happel and the Dutch began perfecting Totaalvoetbal in the 70’s football changed forever. Coincidentally it’s never “been home” since. The game requires too much athleticism now. As much as I’m sure big goofy Brits like Harry Maguire wish it was still 1950 it’s just not.

Definitely not a “pop” to the England women’s team. They’ve had a very good showing and are a very good squad. I was very happy to see the level of talent so widespread at this women’s World Cup. They made the right choice expanding to 32 teams. It was fun seeing some of the smaller teams have such great showings.

[POND_OF_RED]

Fun day for Union Berlin! They looked really good today. Hope they can build off some of the magic from last season.

West Ham gave Chelsea a hard lesson of what that Dodger ownership group is going to give them today too. Maybe they can break up the whole team again and try throwing another billion dollar dart at the board again.

Overall a great day of soccer

[Hark Clunt]

it's just insanity to spend the money chelsea has and that's the team they have to show for it. look at what a team like brighton has done on a fraction of the budget.

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by POND_OF_RED

It was more just about the evolution of the game like I said. When the Brazilians added their flair to it and Happel and the Dutch began perfecting Totaalvoetbal in the 70’s football changed forever. Coincidentally it’s never “been home” since. The game requires too much athleticism now. As much as I’m sure big goofy Brits like Harry Maguire wish it was still 1950 it’s just not.

Definitely not a “pop” to the England women’s team. They’ve had a very good showing and are a very good squad. I was very happy to see the level of talent so widespread at this women’s World Cup. They made the right choice expanding to 32 teams. It was fun seeing some of the smaller teams have such great showings.

Brazilians initial advancent was physical not flair focused. Again, not sure the athletic profile of the current England team is solely represented by Maguire, you could just as easily pick a Sterling or Sancho or Bellingham, Walker. Maguire is a carthorse and a throwback. He's also an anomaly.

Agreed re the WWC. Definitely good to expand, and good to have the Euro champs as one of the "big" teams that turned up.

[Ocotillo]

Sports Reference unveils Immaculate Footy!

https://www.immaculatefooty.com

[POND_OF_RED]

PULISIC ITALIAN BANGER ���������� WHAT A START TO HIS MILAN CAREER. Goal heard from Northern Italy to West London.pic.twitter.com/94ZCuYvTPi

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) August 21, 2023

Cleansing himself from the Chelsea stench right away. So happy they freed Pulisic from that nightmare. I think he’s in a really good position for his future now. It makes Serie A even more exciting to watch for Americans now too.

[alpha_omega]

This probably really isn't a soccer story, but it caught my attention.

Pretty spendy if real.

Soccer star Alisha Lehmann: ‘Very well-known’ celebrity offered me $110K for one night together https://t.co/9cLzhLvpgf pic.twitter.com/2ZtCDswkV8

— New York Post (@nypost) October 11, 2023

[Gary Cooper]

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

This probably really isn't a soccer story, but it caught my attention.

Pretty spendy if real.

Soccer star Alisha Lehmann: ‘Very well-known’ celebrity offered me $110K for one night together https://t.co/9cLzhLvpgf pic.twitter.com/2ZtCDswkV8

— New York Post (@nypost) October 11, 2023

She's worth it physically. She's no Ana Maria Markovic, but she's not far off.

[Ocotillo]

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

This probably really isn't a soccer story, but it caught my attention.

Pretty spendy if real.

Good bump.

This is the only acceptable bump of this lame thread on an NFL Sunday.

[alpha_omega]

U.S. MNT to play Uruguay in Kansas City, Missouri on July 1 in Copa América

MIAMI — Defending champion Argentina opens next year’s Copa América on June 20 in Atlanta against the winner of a Canada-Trinidad and Tobago playoff, and the U.S. starts vs. Bolivia three days later at Arlington, Texas.

Argentina also faces Chile at East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 25 in a repeat of the 2016 final at MetLife Stadium and closes Group A four days later against Peru at Miami Gardens, Florida, also site of the final on July 14.

The 12th-ranked U.S. opens against the lowest-ranked South American nation in No. 85 Bolivia. then plays No. 41 Panama at Atlanta on June 27 and finishes Group C against 11th-ranked Uruguay at Kansas City, Missouri, on July 1, according to the draw Thursday night. Uruguay was the highest-ranked non-seeded team the U.S. could face in the first round.

“If there's not pressure, you don't get diamonds,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said.

The top two teams in each group move on to the quarterfinals. If the U.S. advances, it would meet Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica or Honduras. By winning its group, the U.S. might avoid a quarterfinal against the Brazilians.

“You know what's lurking around the corner in Group D, most likely, so you want to try to finish first,” Berhalter said. “Brazil is one of the favorites to win the tournament, so it's going to be a real challenge in that next round, so you'd like to play them in the semifinals.”

As for Argentina, Lionel Scaloni said he remained undecided on whether to continue as its coach.

“After all that we achieved, such a year we had, I believe is important to analyze what’s coming and then we’ll see what to do,” he said.

Brazil heads Group D of the 16-nation tournament and faces the Costa Rica-Honduras playoff winner at Inglewood, California, on June 24, Paraguay at Las Vegas four days later and Colombia at Santa Clara, California, on July 2.

Both playoff games will be on March 23.

Ecuador was in line to host the Copa América as part of the rotation by South American soccer’s governing body but declined. The event was moved to the U.S. and expanded to include six countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Mexico is seeded in Group B and plays Jamaica at Houston on June 22, Venezuela at Inglewood four days later and Ecuador at Glendale, Arizona, on June 30.

Argentina and Uruguay have each won the tournament 15 times and Brazil has nine championships. Led by captain Lionel Messi, Argentina won the 2021 Copa América in Brazil for its first continental title since 1993, then last year captured its third World Cup and first since 1986.

Matches also will be played at Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Kansas City, Kansas; and Orlando, Florida.

Semifinals will be in New Jersey on July 9 and North Carolina the following day. Quarterfinals are at Houston on July 4, Arlington the next day and Glendale and Las Vegas on July 6.

The U.S. hosted the Copa América Centenario in 2016, when Chile beat Argentina on penalty kicks in the final following a 0-0 draw. The Americans defeated Ecuador 2-1 in a quarterfinal, then were eliminated with a 4-0 defeat to Argentina.

Seven of the Copa América stadiums are among the 11 U.S. sites to be used for the 2026 World Cup: Arlington; Atlanta; East Rutherford; Houston; Inglewood; Kansas City, Missouri; and Santa Clara.

The Copa América will use Puma balls following deals with Nike dating to 2004. A Capitán mascot also debuted at the draw.

https://www.kshb.com/sports/u-s-mnt-...n-copa-america

[GloryDayz]

Cool! That might be fun to attend if I'm not OOtC diving..

[alpha_omega]

Nobody watching the MLS Championship?

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

Nobody watching the MLS Championship?

Great match. Deserving champions.