Everything Soccer

[ACamp1900]

I knew this was coming for a few years, he was not getting first team minutes anymore... but I always really liked him.

 

[NorthDakota]

Reports that Leipzig have accepted an increased bid from Liverpool for Naby Keita AND...

Liverpool have bid for Virgil Van Dijk.

Liverpool Twitterland may go nuclear today.

If true.... that's an earthquake in the football world.

 

[ACamp1900]

If true.... that's an earthquake in the football world.

Funny it took a week for you to feel it...

 

[ACamp1900]

Just saw Jamaica beat Mexico...

 

[calvegas04]

Just saw Jamaica beat Mexico...

<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/l3q2HWkLF9sy9Jg1q" width="480" height="480" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/cbc-funny-comedy-l3q2HWkLF9sy9Jg1q">via GIPHY</a></p>

 

[Old Man Mike]

Mexico without Chicharito, Herrera, and Guardado is a mediocre soccer team. Unfortunately, WITH those three they are pretty darn good. Add in some dirty play and lots of cry-babying, and they're are a colossal pain in the butt.

 

[NorthDakota]

Funny it took a week for you to feel it...

No tectonic fault lines over here.

 

[nlroma1o]

Roma vs Tottenham has been a fantastic first half so far. Both teams are taking the match very seriously. Roma has possessed very well, and Tottenham have done well in quick burst of transition. Both teams defending well and causing the other to play very smart with the ball. Best half of football I've watched of the US and China based ICC games.

 

[dublinirish]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shane Kluivert, the nine-year-old son of Patrick, signs a sponsorship contract with Nike - youngest European athlete with an apparel deal <a href="https://t.co/cn0w3CpOZk">pic.twitter.com/cn0w3CpOZk</a></p>— Mohamed Moallim (@iammoallim) <a href="https://twitter.com/iammoallim/status/890191273872719873">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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[nlroma1o]

Check out this goal from the kid. Very natural to him. Beautiful goal.

If he was playing here in the USA the goal would have been disallowed due to the ridiculous header ban.

Patrick Kluivert's son Shane scores insane diving header for Paris Saint Germain youth side - Mirror Online

 

[ACamp1900]

Not a disaster today for Celtic but pretty close... how do you only have two strikers on the whole team?? Of course both are hurt for a key Euro aggregate.

 

[ACamp1900]

Omar absolutely saved a goal there....

 

[ACamp1900]

Freakin Mexico fans who thought they'd be here chanting puto at Jamaica... to hell with that mess... I want nothing to do with that shameless crap being on, "our side'...

 

[calvegas04]

beautiful goal there

 

[ACamp1900]

Yeah Jozy nailed that one...

 

[ACamp1900]

Why da hell do you have Jordan Morris marking in the box to begin with??

 

[calvegas04]

USA!!!

 

[ACamp1900]

BA has been such an upgrade on JK... I can't even keep straight all the players who have either just been playing better or returned to pre JK form after falling flat under JK.

 

[calvegas04]

USA > mexico

 

[ACamp1900]

2019 is gonna be super lit. We have one in hand for the second straight cycle... it's C-Cup or bust for real. No more excuses.

 

[ACamp1900]

LAFC just hired Bob Bradley as their first ever head coach.... welcome home Bob... I wonder if they make a push for Jr....

 

[NDohio]

BA has been such an upgrade on JK... I can't even keep straight all the players who have either just been playing better or returned to pre JK form after falling flat under JK.

I knew that the players were not performing well for JK, but I had no idea how bad it was and I was one that was calling for a change a while back. I am stunned at how much better this team looks already.

 

[Emcee77]

Liverpool end pursuit to sign Naby Keita from RB Leipzig | Football News | Sky Sports

Liverpool have accepted defeat in the Keita chase, apparently.

I'd like to see them buy the Ox for depth this year and then spring Keita next year when his release clause kicks in.

Get Ox and VVD, if possible, and call it a summer.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I thought that Liverpool had plenty of attack last season when all were healthy. They REALLY lacked physicality though IMO. They needed set-piece physical defense, and set-piece physical offense.

Klopp was a physical player himself --- he has to see that.

 

[NorthDakota]

I thought that Liverpool had plenty of attack last season when all were healthy. They REALLY lacked physicality though IMO. They needed set-piece physical defense, and set-piece physical offense.

Klopp was a physical player himself --- he has to see that.

They can get both of those physical presences accounted for with a certain Virgil Van Dijk.

In my dreams they get Leon Goretzka too but that won't happen.

 

[Emcee77]

I thought that Liverpool had plenty of attack last season when all were healthy. They REALLY lacked physicality though IMO. They needed set-piece physical defense, and set-piece physical offense.

Klopp was a physical player himself --- he has to see that.

Maybe, OMM, I don't know. I see what you are saying, but ...

I don't know if you follow hockey, but when I first moved to Chicago I felt about the Blackhawks the same way you feel about Liverpool. I don't know much about hockey, but I would watch them occasionally and I was always saying, "Not physical enough to reach the next level. Constantly outhit." Then they went out and won three Stanley Cups in six years, and I realized that it's just Coach Quenneville's style to substitute energy, skill, and positional awareness for physicality, and it works. Some of those great Blackhawks/Blues series proved it. Klopp reminds me a lot of Quenneville in this regard. Liverpool undoubtedly need to be better at set pieces, but I just don't know if I would reduce it to a lack of physicality.

In any case, Ox and VVD would be just what the doctor ordered. Both are supreme athletes.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I just watch them play when Lallana Coutinho and the tricky small black player (name obviously forgotten) are all out there healthy, and they outplay everyone in all areas of the field UNTIL a set piece comes along, and, if they're going to lose, that's where it happens.

I used to watch hockey a lot, but I think that it's a different situation --- a Crosby or a Hull or a Gretsky etc can often win with "just" well-organized effort-high teammates. It's tough to score in Hockey, but I believe that it's even tougher to score (in the run of play) in Soccer. And since Hockey doesn't have regular set-pieces moments where the thugness of the team would matter most, it's probably easier to survive without superior thugness in a lot of cases. All the major Soccer teams that I've watched several times, have serious "presence" around the box. Liverpool does not.

Defensively, it's certainly physicality when it comes to a "normal" service into the box --- heavy amounts of semi-subtle pushing/ blocking/ impeding/ holding there, plus the ability to get up and head it out of there. Offensively, you need a real jock --- someone who is quick and clever AND STRONG ENOUGH to swim move past the impeders and then go vertical with authority --- I marvel at how Ronaldo and Vidal can soar over some of those guys.

Anyway, my opinion. I instinctively like Klopp and so have grown to root for Liverpool when they play --- he seems to be a Man'sMan and a really good coach players-wise.

I also looked up Van Dijk back when he began to be mentioned on this thread, and said --- YES.

 

[aubeirish]

Maybe, OMM, I don't know. I see what you are saying, but ...

I don't know if you follow hockey, but when I first moved to Chicago I felt about the Blackhawks the same way you feel about Liverpool. I don't know much about hockey, but I would watch them occasionally and I was always saying, "Not physical enough to reach the next level. Constantly outhit." Then they went out and won three Stanley Cups in six years, and I realized that it's just Coach Quenneville's style to substitute energy, skill, and positional awareness for physicality, and it works. Some of those great Blackhawks/Blues series proved it. Klopp reminds me a lot of Quenneville in this regard. Liverpool undoubtedly need to be better at set pieces, but I just don't know if I would reduce it to a lack of physicality.

In any case, Ox and VVD would be just what the doctor ordered. Both are supreme athletes.

In all fairness to you, hockey has changed a lot in the past 10 years. It used to be way more physical, and you would need it more to win championships. Also, the hawks hit the jackpot in back to back drafts with Kane and Toews. That helps too.

 

[dublinirish]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Being compared to an "old vacuum cleaner" is not the best of starts for Adu <a href="https://t.co/Qn1mxlPf2q">https://t.co/Qn1mxlPf2q</a></p>— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) <a href="https://twitter.com/ballsdotie/status/892377638584582144">August 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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[Emcee77]

Ha. The manager also called him "Frank" Adu. omg.

Freddy Adu's career is just the saddest. At what point do you just hang up the boots? Is he just trying to hang around long enough, or stay in the game till he is old enough, to be a credible coach? I'm not sure I get it.