World Cup and European leagues

Joe Wally · April 15, 2011, 03:41:36 PM

Questioning your priorities, Sac.

I have enjoyed watching the various replays of the Chelsea loss to Man United in the CL.

Few things give me as much pleasure as watching Drogba and Terry lose.

ScotsFan · April 16, 2011, 09:23:32 AM

Quote from: Joe Wally on April 15, 2011, 03:41:36 PM
Questioning your priorities, Sac.

I have enjoyed watching the various replays of the Chelsea loss to Man United in the CL.

Few things give me as much pleasure as watching Drogba and Terry lose.

Carrol looked really good, although City played equally bad in that match.

If they don't bring a better effort for the FA Cup Semis today, United will thrash them. Also, Tevez is questionable for today's match as well. Doesn't bode well for City's hopes.

I've got he DVR set to record!

Hoosier Titan · April 16, 2011, 10:23:17 AM

I think sac's priorities are right on!

Suarez has been a delight from the very first game, and while it took Andy Carroll a few matches to get into the flow after injury, he, Kuyt, and Suarez are starting to link up nicely. Things are looking good for Liverpool. The summer transfer window will hopefully bring more top-quality additions.

I do agree that Man City were shockingly poor. If you'd told me they were, say, West Ham I'd have believed you.

One thing makes me even happier than seeing Terry lose: seeing Fernando Torres whiff in front of goal. Should this continue, at some point I'll start feeling sorry for him, but I'm not there yet. Someone has posted this: http://hastorresscoredforchelsea.com/

And then there are new words to the ABBA song, "Fernando:"

We've got Carroll in the air tonight, he shows more fight, Fernando;
And Luis displays more skill, he always will, Fernando;
Though we always hoped that we'd never lose you, there's no regrets;
If we had to do the same again, we would, old friend, Fernando.

Ralph Turner · April 17, 2011, 02:58:27 PM

No European league, more like second division Colombian...

Goalkeeper Quinonez Wilson's 83-meter goal.

Mr. Ypsi · April 17, 2011, 04:00:24 PM

That's an amazing goal!!

I wonder if he actually intended it as a shot?

ScotsFan · April 18, 2011, 11:53:53 AM

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on April 17, 2011, 04:00:24 PM
That's an amazing goal!! I wonder if he actually intended it as a shot?

I'm sure in the stories he'll tell, he intended it as a shot.

Mr. Ypsi · April 18, 2011, 12:45:00 PM

No doubt.

The very first goal I ever scored in a game (about age 44

), I admitted was intended as a set-up pass for a teammate coming up the left flank - it sailed right under the crossbar. Everyone was quite amazed I would be naive enough to admit it!

(Fortunately, I scored an intended goal later the same game.)

ScotsFan · April 19, 2011, 10:24:52 AM

Hoosier, I forgot to ask how you liked that finish of that Arsenal/Liverpool match at the Emirates on Sunday?

Talk about a whacky end to a match?!

I can't stand Arsene Wenger so to see his whiny reaction after the final whistle was priceless. And when Dalglish came over to shake hands after the match, Wenger had some comments and I could read Kenny's lips as he told Wenger to piss off and turned and walked away! Classic stuff!

sac · April 19, 2011, 08:30:58 PM

My DVR stopped recording just as Lucas was awarded the penalty.

Stoke City makes the FA Cup Final, I've enjoyed watching a lot of their home games, great fans. The beauty of the match up with Man City is that between now and then Stoke fans will be big Man City fans, because if Man City qualify for the Champions league, it means Stoke will get the Europa league spot by being in the FA Cup final.

If Man City fail to make top 4, Stoke would have to win the Cup to make the Europa League. BUT, in a strange oddity, Stoke and Man City are (re)schedule to play each other 3 days after the FA Cup......which could put Stoke in the position of being able to lose the cup, then lose to Man City to help them secure Champions League and thus themselves Europa League,....... stay tuned for that, apparently its a bit of a controversy, esp. for those on the north side of London.

I'm sorry to see Blackpool in the bottom 3, I was really pulling for them, but they've been just terrible since Christmas. I think the writing might be on the wall for them.

Newcastle, Stoke, @ Tottenham, Bolton, @ Man U

Pretty hard to envision them getting enough points to survive with that remaining.

On the otherside of the promotion/demotion game. Queen's Park Rangers are within 3 points of clinching automatic promotion to the EPL. After that it looks like it might come right down to the wire between Cardiff, Norwich, Reading and I'll even through Swansea in that mix being just 5 back. No less than I'll say 6 or even more teams can still make the playoffs after the above group.

Hoosier Titan · April 19, 2011, 08:41:52 PM

Quote from: ScotsFan on April 19, 2011, 10:24:52 AM
Hoosier, I forgot to ask how you liked that finish of that Arsenal/Liverpool match at the Emirates on Sunday?

Talk about a whacky end to a match?!

I can't stand Arsene Wenger so to see his whiny reaction after the final whistle was priceless. And when Dalglish came over to shake hands after the match, Wenger had some comments and I could read Kenny's lips as he told Wenger to piss off and turned and walked away! Classic stuff!

Can't tell you when I've been so chuffed at a 1-1 draw, Scots! The "wee man" (Spearing) had played so well, along with the two teenaged fullbacks, Jamie Carragher went off under oxygen, and then to give up the penalty. It was feeling really harsh. Arsenal have no one to blame--they wasted time celebrating and Eboue was clumsy at best when he had no reason to be. I enjoyed the Kenny-Whinger confrontation too. And Kenny had a smile on his face the whole time!

I love many things about Arsenal, but they simply haven't been good enough this season, and Wenger has to face up to that. That said, I'm cheering for them to beat Spurs tomorrow. Fifth isn't out of the question for Liverpool! Some of my hardest-core LFC friends are saying that they should pass on the Europa Cup, but I think some Europe is better than none. Next year, back in the CL for sure!

Hoosier Titan · April 19, 2011, 08:46:29 PM

Quote from: sac on April 19, 2011, 08:30:58 PM
My DVR stopped recording just as Lucas was awarded the penalty.

Stoke City makes the FA Cup Final, I've enjoyed watching a lot of their home games, great fans. The beauty of the match up with Man City is that between now and then Stoke fans will be big Man City fans, because if Man City qualify for the Champions league, it means Stoke will get the Europa league spot by being in the FA Cup final.

If Man City fail to make top 4, Stoke would have to win the Cup to make the Europa League. BUT, in a strange oddity, Stoke and Man City are (re)schedule to play each other 3 days after the FA Cup......which could put Stoke in the position of being able to lose the cup, then lose to Man City to help them secure Champions League and thus themselves Europa League,....... stay tuned for that, apparently its a bit of a controversy, esp. for those on the north side of London.

I'm sorry to see Blackpool in the bottom 3, I was really pulling for them, but they've been just terrible since Christmas. I think the writing might be on the wall for them.

Newcastle, Stoke, @ Tottenham, Bolton, @ Man U

Pretty hard to envision them getting enough points to survive with that remaining.

On the otherside of the promotion/demotion game. Queen's Park Rangers are within 3 points of clinching automatic promotion to the EPL. After that it looks like it might come right down to the wire between Cardiff, Norwich, Reading and I'll even through Swansea in that mix being just 5 back. No less than I'll say 6 or even more teams can still make the playoffs after the above group.

It's been an interesting year in the Championship as well as the Premiership (although I wish Liverpool's had been a little less "interesting" with the Hodgson experiment.) Would be nice to see QPR in the top flight.

Lucas was my Man of the Match. It was a tossup between him and Spearing, but Lucas won the penalty while Jay gave one away. It's shocking how much stick Lucas has taken until very recently--Robbie Savage (remember him?) is now a commentator and a couple of months ago labeled Lucas the "worse Brazilian ever." Seems the national side don't agree, as Lucas is a regular starter for Brazil.

Joe Wally · April 20, 2011, 12:02:49 PM

I love the Gooners, but more than once as I listened to his post-match moaning have had the desire to tell Arsene to "piss off!"

ScotsFan · April 21, 2011, 10:07:34 AM

Joe, being the Arsenal supporter you are, are you ready to see the Gunners go in a new direction and part ways with Wenger?

I mean, on one hand, he's always got Arsenal placed in the top 4 of the EPL and qualifying for the Champs League. But, on the other hand, it's been quite a drought since the Gunners landed any hardware. Things were looking up this year as it seemed the Gunners would at least bring home the Carling Cup, but Wenger managed to choke that one away too. And what once was a possibility of bringing home a treble, is now just a fleeting hope of catching United for the EPL crown.

Just wondering how your overall feelings on Wenger were and if you feel it might just be time for Arsenal to part ways with Wenger after yet another season ending in disappointment and without any hardware?

sac · April 21, 2011, 03:01:15 PM

Another interesting handshake yesterday with Harry Redknapp, only I think Harry kept the ''piss off" to himself.

So Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey for the first time since 1993, then drop it under the celebration bus.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Sergio-Ramos-dropped-Copa-del-Rey-trophy-under-m?urn=sow-wp1029

Joe Wally · April 21, 2011, 06:40:28 PM

Quote from: ScotsFan on April 21, 2011, 10:07:34 AM
Joe, being the Arsenal supporter you are, are you ready to see the Gunners go in a new direction and part ways with Wenger?

He either needs to make the decision to bring in some players with some steel in their games to compliment the offensive wunderkind that he has brought together, or it is going to be time to part ways. Is Sam Allardyce available?