All things soccer 2012-13

Don Draper

Cufflinks & Cognac
Nov 24, 2009
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I am a fan of club football and frankly could care less about the nationality of players. IMHO international football is grossly overated. The CL is an enjoyable competition but it is still a CUP competition so anything can happen in a particular tie, I would only draw limited conclusions from the outcome. For example, Chelsea won the CL last year while finishing 6th in the EPL and is currently competing in the Europa League (God I love that). The continuing increase in global TV rights will ensure there is lots of money to buy imports.
Most fans in the EPL are so devoted to their team that they're not particularly concerned with the culture of the squad. The combination of social identity/pride along with team devotion is not evident there. England also did not sign on to the E.U. trade agreement that constitutes that a certain percentage of players HAVE to be from the country they play in to make employment and trade fair. It simply wouldn't be supportive of their needs if they did that. They would never be able to compete with Germany, Spain and Italy for UEFA supremacy. The whole world knows it, except for the EPL fans who understandably prefer to turn a blind eye to the fact.

I suppose it rings stronger for me since FCB is not only devoted to bringing in players from Spain but focuses even stronger on Catalan identity. The fact that 80% of the players on Barca come from their own Academy is a source of immeasurable pride to the cul'es and impossible to ignore. When I was younger, I thought all teams everywhere did it this way. Athletic Bilbao follows the same ideology by dedicating themselves to players from Basque origins. There is not one single team in the EPL that I can say that about.

Instead, they have the most expensive TV rights in the world in an attempt to keep buying themselves into the top tiers. This process is progressively decaying he league from within as the economic pitfall that Von already mentioned is painfully evident.
 

rld

New member
Oct 12, 2010
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Really enjoying the soccer news these days. If Bayern gets half the players they are rumoured to be after we are in for a great era.

Ozil would be the perfect addition.
 

Phil C. McNasty

Go Jays Go
Dec 27, 2010
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Ozil would be the perfect addition
Ozil has been terribly inconsistent for Madrid ever since he signed with them. Strong rumors of him enjoying the nightclub scene a little too much (READ: strippers, booze and drugs)
 

scouser1

Well-known member
Dec 7, 2001
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Pickering
Ozil has been terribly inconsistent for Madrid ever since he signed with them. Strong rumors of him enjoying the nightclub scene a little too much (READ: strippers, booze and drugs)
lots of players when the move to Spain all the sudden fall apart, the late night parties, clubs and general wackiness kick in, see Ronaldinho as the perfect example, I didnt realize this but the man is only 32 and already gone from Europe. On another note looks like Beckham is going to PSG, between him and Ibrahimovic is there enough for both of their huge egos?
 

rld

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Oct 12, 2010
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Ozil has been terribly inconsistent for Madrid ever since he signed with them. Strong rumors of him enjoying the nightclub scene a little too much (READ: strippers, booze and drugs)
I'll take him anyways. If he was feeding our strikers the sky would be the limit.
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
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Madrid is passe, Milan are the club of the future. Ozil should move to San Siro, he'd have three game breakers to direct: Balotelli (22), El Shaaraway (20) and Niang (18).

Now they must fix their defense.
 

the_big_E

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Feb 28, 2003
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The Hammer
Beckham, love him or hate him, is the consummate professional. He knows his role on the team, he isn't looking to play 90min every game.
 

scouser1

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Dec 7, 2001
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Beckham adds nothing to this team on the field. Off the field is another matter. The Qatar owners are looking to increase profile not just of PSG but of Qatar nation. And they picked most visible football player in the world.
I wouldn't say he adds nothing, he can still give a team a solid 60 to 70 minutes per match and I can totally see the classic Beckham moment where he scores on a free kick, or slots through a beautiful pass to Ibrahimovic for a goal.
 

Jun

Retired
Dec 4, 2010
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Beckham adds nothing to this team on the field. Off the field is another matter. The Qatar owners are looking to increase profile not just of PSG but of Qatar nation. And they picked most visible football player in the world.
this is what Becks brings to a team.
http://youtu.be/Jy04Xwx3C2w

And also don't forget about the 30-yard free kick against Greece, three minutes into injury-time, the much needed goal for England to Qualify for 2002 World Cup finals.. He brings Class on and off the pitch.. He is a living legend, MY RESPECT TO HIM!

http://youtu.be/t0GESlaVNdE
 

Jun

Retired
Dec 4, 2010
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As a ManU supporter, I am well aware of what Beckham used to bring to a team. And it was immense. But that was then and this is now. Occassional brilliance will not compensate for his diminished pace on a team like PSG looking to join the European elite.
I'm a true Man Utd fan, been a fan just right before Becks joined the ranks. Not sure if you followed him with LA Galaxy, he always gave it his all and Ligue 1 is quite comparable to the MLS, hence I'm assuming Ligue 1 instead of any other top European league and about 1.5hrs from his family in London..."Occasional brilliance" is an understatement in my eyes, even though PSG signed him for making jersey sale money of him, and for him its a way to bring his brand to France.

"Unless it was Machester United, I didn't want to play for any other Premier League team. I've always said that."~~David Beckham

On a side note the PSG jersey doesn't suit him at all. feels weird seeing him in FIFA 13 in that jersey lol..
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
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When he moved to Milan I thought he would conflict with Andrea Pirlo, quite the opposite occurred. However it was a mixed bag, for every magical pass he made he got burned on counter-attacks. Eventually opposing clubs started to target him and he blew out his knee. Hopefully Ligue 1 will be less physically demanding for him.

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

Phil C. McNasty

Go Jays Go
Dec 27, 2010
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"Unless it was Machester United, I didn't want to play for any other Premier League team. I've always said that."~~David Beckham
Well, he did say "any other Premier League team".

And since PSG is not a Premier League team, he's kept his word :wink:
 

Carling

Banned
Apr 14, 2011
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For me, Beckham at PSG is same as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at ManU. Can these guys play? Of course - but at say Cardiff or Leeds. Not at any team with (or seeking) world class credentials.

So let's agree to disagree.

Speaking of world class credentials, the kind of player ManU should have gone after is Moussa Sissoko. At 6' 2" with box to box skills, this latter day version of Patrick Viera and the equivalent to Yaya Toure slipped instead to Newcastle. The gaping hole in the ManU midfield remains as glaring as ever. Instead, we welcome Wilfried Zaha, another winger :confused:
lol...yeah the toon army are glad not even Ligue 1 baby stealer Arsene Wenger would take Sissoko considering his low value!...Must be tough on Gunner fans to see so many french men land at St.James Park...
 

Insidious Von

My head is my home
Sep 12, 2007
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Lovely lady, I'm still a fan of Ilary Blasi (Totti's wife)

http://www.tvshark.com/photo/?n=Ilary+Blasi+Legs+Le+Iene&c=11&m=12&d=1&l=1

What a snoozefest Italy - Holland was, the Azzurri looked like they didn't want to be in Amsterdam.

Spain is still the team to beat. They won convincingly against a very balanced national team in Uruguay, these may be the teams that contest the final of Brazil14. Germany is still a paper tiger but that may change if Mario Goetze plays regularly.

I didn't watch the England-Brazil match, the outcome isn't surprising. Btw did Brazil have their play-maker Ganso in the match?
 

rld

New member
Oct 12, 2010
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What about that pass Ozil threaded to Khedira against France today? He fooled the French defenders into thinking he was taking a shot at goal and then delivered an exquisite pass converted into a goal. Priceless.

On another subject, it's great to be Sami Khedira. Look at his super model girlfriend Lena Gercke.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...cke-given-yellow-card-SEXY.html#axzz2KBTtnkQj
I have chosen the wrong profession.

It was nice to see the long German drought against France come to an end, even if it was only a friendly.
 

rld

New member
Oct 12, 2010
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Lovely lady, I'm still a fan of Ilary Blasi (Totti's wife)

http://www.tvshark.com/photo/?n=Ilary+Blasi+Legs+Le+Iene&c=11&m=12&d=1&l=1

What a snoozefest Italy - Holland was, the Azzurri looked like they didn't want to be in Amsterdam.

Spain is still the team to beat. They won convincingly against a very balanced national team in Uruguay, these may be the teams that contest the final of Brazil14. Germany is still a paper tiger but that may change if Mario Goetze plays regularly.

I didn't watch the England-Brazil match, the outcome isn't surprising. Btw did Brazil have their play-maker Ganso in the match?
Your comment about the German paper tiger is noted.
 

rld

New member
Oct 12, 2010
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rld, you have to defeat us when it matters, then I will never use that moniker again.

The Dutch fans did their best to get under Balotelli's skin, Prandelli wisely substituted him. Dutch fans beware if we should meet in Brazil, Balo has a long memory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZnBVuvMeI
If by "us" you mean Spain, I think Spain's current squad is brilliant. At this point I would be happy to concede that Spain remains the team to beat and probably the best national team in the world.

However, being, to my mind, the second best national squad in the world, does not mean that one is a "paper tiger."

But time will tell.
 
Ashley Madison
Toronto Escorts