Essential The Official Football (Soccer) Thread - RIP Diogo Jota

[Liu Kang]

Barca's style worked better with mobile strikers like Eto and Villa pre-injury, Suarez does not strike me as a striker who will hang around the 9 spot and find it hard to drift to the wings. The problem for them would be that he is a dribbler and Barca seems to allow only Messi and Iniesta time on the ball to take on players. Neymar and Sanchez look a lot free for their NT outside the shackles that Barca has become because of their rigid style.

The problem is also that Barça is prisoner of Tiki Taka. Tata Martino tried to bring some fresh air and a style free of the obsession of possession with possibilities to counter-attack, wit moments of low pressing, less intensity. But when he "lost" the battle possession against Vallecano (while trashing the opp 4-0 mind you), some Barça heads came gunning at him because he was diluting Barça's essence. Dude was low-key forced to go back to the previous possession football that was trashed by Bayern and that's when Barça became predictable, though they still were successful somehow.

I think it's Barça's fault that their season was garbage. Had they put away their obsession (as if the Bayern reality check wasn't enough), they would have won at least a title this season. And Xavi (as much as I like the player) is a burden (for both Barça and Spain) these days. Dude doesn't care if they lose as long as they have the possession. Counter-productive as hell, above all when you're an icon like him.

 

[Liu Kang]

Always disagreeing my man, always
Should have said "you right" to trash my point but you couldn't because you can't

 

[TTT]

The problem is also that Barça is prisoner of Tiki Taka. Tata Martino tried to bring some fresh air and a style free of the obsession of possession with possibilities to counter-attack, wit moments of low pressing, less intensity. But when he "lost" the battle possession against Vallecano (while trashing the opp 4-0 mind you), some Barça heads came gunning at him because he was diluting Barça's essence. Dude was low-key forced to go back to the previous possession football that was trashed by Bayern and that's when Barça became predictable, though they still were successful somehow.

I think it's Barça's fault that their season was garbage. Had they put away their obsession (as if the Bayern reality check wasn't enough), they would have won at least a title this season. And Xavi (as much as I like the player) is a burden (for both Barça and Spain) these days. Dude doesn't care if they lose as long as they have the possession. Counter-productive as hell, above all when you're an icon like him.

I read about Xavi having a sit down with Tata after that Vallecano game and also coming out in public about how they should not abandon possession. If he does not leave he will become Barca's Raul just hanging around and throwing his weight about. Dude is true believer and even after the 7-0 to Bayern was still talking about possession, Pique briefly praised the new approach but had to fall back . I think the disease has spread to Bayern as well even after defeats they will be talking about how they kept the ball well and had possession and they are a team that is built for direct football prior to their new signings from last season.

 

[Montez]

Think it's official, football is the greatest sport in the world. Few people are threatened

This run means nothing, we will never like football...

Think this World Cup exemplified the generational shift of America. This reminds of 2004 & 2008 when older politicos were caught off guard by technology (emergence of blogs and alternative forms of media) and the mood of the country during the election, making a few of them look old and ultimately defensive about the world they thought they knew. Really you're seeing the first generation of people who had 24/7 football access on tv and the internet.

2010 we had the Algeria moment, this time we had Ghana, Portugal, and yesterday. The country really developed an emotional connection with the team.

 

[NSSVO]

Barca, Real, Bayern, Man United, and MAYBE Chelsea are the most spoiled rotten fans in the world. FFS

 

[Liu Kang]

I read about Xavi having a sit down with Tata after that Vallecano game and also coming out in public about how they should not abandon possession. If he does not leave he will become Barca's Raul just hanging around and throwing his weight about. Dude is true believer and even after the 7-0 to Bayern was still talking about possession, Pique briefly praised the new approach but had to fall back . I think the disease has spread to Bayern as well even after defeats they will be talking about how they kept the ball well and had possession and they are a team that is built for direct football prior to their new signings from last season.

True.
Alcantara's injury also crippled Bayern because he was supposed to be the 6 (though he's a liability defense-wise). But I like how Pep reacted after the Madrid loss when they beat Dortmund is the cup final. Dude switched his plan and throw away his 4-1-4-1 then set a 3-man defense to avoid the gap between Boateng and Dante which was an obvious weakness. I want to see how he will do this year because Pep is an extremist and will die with his ideas (possession) but I'm still curious about how he can mix Bayern's style with his. First year is always hard, but the second will give us all the answers I hope.

 

[NSSVO]

Bradley sucked. Point blank breh. If Killa Klins got to the point where he rather send Jermaine forward says everything. Couldn't do anything in the final third. There were times the nikkas on the USA squad looked him off as if he were Chalmers asking for the ball. At one point in the OT against Belgium, he tried a fukking spin move when he had two US players to his left. Had a terrible tournament, we all should accept it and move on. We made it out of group which is a blessing. Let's focus on grooming some young stars for the Copa.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

@yoyoyo1 ESPN posted this hypothetical US 2018, thoughts?

Spoiler

 

[Jutt]

@yoyoyo1 ESPN posted this hypothetical US 2018, thoughts?

Spoiler

I feel like they just kinda threw names on the sheet to make it stick.


Bradley as a 6?


Yedlin could do damage as a midfielder though.

 

[Roaden Polynice]

Think it's official, football is the greatest sport in the world. Few people are threatened

This run means nothing, we will never like football...

Think this World Cup exemplified the generational shift of America. This reminds of 2004 & 2008 when older politicos were caught off guard by technology (emergence of blogs and alternative forms of media) and the mood of the country during the election, making a few of them look old and ultimately defensive about the world they thought they knew. Really you're seeing the first generation of people who had 24/7 football access on tv and the internet.

2010 we had the Algeria moment, this time we had Ghana, Portugal, and yesterday. The country really developed an emotional connection with the team.

Barney Ronay had a good article about this in the Blizzard two years ago in regard to Euro 2012, how it was the first genuine twitter tournament and I think the 2014 World Cup has ramped that up considerably.

The way football is being consumed has changed so much. That's a cliche now, but undoubtedly true. This entire world cup I've rarely watched a match uninterrupted if at all. Between twitter, texting friends, talking to people I'm watching with at the time, and writing incendiary comments in the World Cup thread which is like a part-time job in itself, in between that, I caught interstitial glimmers of what looked like football. Though, I couldn't really tell you, someone just made a funny joke on twitter.

It wasn't like that in 2010

We truly are the opinion generation.

 

[iMajor]

@yoyoyo1 ESPN posted this hypothetical US 2018, thoughts?

Spoiler

they didn't do any research that's evident

I feel like they just kinda threw names on the sheet to make it stick.


Bradley as a 6?


Yedlin could do damage as a midfielder though.

I figure as much Yeldin would get pushed up how I sent this to you without looking at the next post to see you

 

[Liu Kang]

@yoyoyo1 ESPN posted this hypothetical US 2018, thoughts?

Spoiler

Yedlin in the midfield is not a good looks IMO. He should stay as a right back (or a right winger) because he has speed and have good crosses but ball handling wise I was not convinced. Seems like the push-run type like one of his first touches yesterday showed which doesn't work in midfield.

 

[SubZeroDegrees]

Should we do one more trolling thread before or right after the world cup finals.

Claiming this World Cup better than last 3 Super Bowls and NBA Finals.

 

[OneManGang]

There is a Arsenal America 5 on 5 tourny in NYC at the Chelsea Pier fields on July 27th. Brehs, lets make a team. @yoyoyo1 @mastermind @Montez whoever else.

 

[Jutt]

There is a Arsenal America 5 on 5 tourny in NYC at the Chelsea Pier fields on July 27th. Brehs, lets make a team. @yoyoyo1 @mastermind @Montez whoever else.

let me know...ill see if i can come down. My injury should be healed by then