Soccer Soccer Talk Thread

[Blue Heaven]

Mile High: Maybe. Not sure though if FIFA would like it at such a high elevation.

 

Why not? Mexico hosted a World Cup

[I am Scags]

Why not? Mexico hosted a World Cup

 

Yes you're right.

[H-Dreamer]

Seems like protests in Brazil are rising. People being pissed about what is being done for the WC next year. sounds like South Africa all over again, maybe FIFA should stick to countries that already have the stadiums for a while.

 

[Ba Ba Bluey]

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18sfx1uv7kt4ogif/k-medium.gif

 

:rofl:

[Keirik]

Neymar Jr is a great talent but he was a diving little bitch all tournament.

[H-Dreamer]

UEFAs newest idea for a money grab: A Champions League like tournament for youth squads (U-19).

This year will mark the first time it's played, qualified are those clubs which are qualified for the adult version.

 

Stupid idea, not only doesn't a good team always have a good youth squad, also those kids already spent too much time on the pitch. They need time for school too, they can't be touring through Europe 2 days a week.

[Bluephoria]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/south-american-football-referee-beheaded-fans-killing-player-084120459.html

 

A referee in Brazil was beheaded by spectators after stabbing a player. What. The. Fuck.

[Jules]

Hey, but everybody there has convinced the world that Brazil is such a great place to have the World Cup and the Olympics. /cough

[torontonyr]

Hey, but everybody there has convinced the world that Brazil is such a great place to have the World Cup and the Olympics. /cough

 

Its kind of difficult to say how true the "facts" she presents truly are.

 

The houses that are marked? Condemned and non habitable.

The Natives? - given a choice to relocate - refuted and held their ground (which is very much so their right).

 

As for spending, and return on investment.

 

If you have ever traveled brasil - you would know there is a thick line between rich and poor - same goes with tourism.

Hotels don't vary in quality ,its night and day.

 

 

To bring in a massive overhaul to the countries most important economic sector (tourism) - with the speed of improvement they would need to sustain the industry requires a huge catalyst.

 

It wont just be "the ice cream vendor" who benefits.

 

Hotels will need cleaners, cooks, laundry ,etc

Restaurants will be flushed with tourists.

Construction workers will have endless amounts of projects.

 

The list goes on.

 

She has a point however about it being a temporary stimulation.

There is a chance (especially based on South Africa / Koreas failed tourism stimulation post world cup) this may not sustain itself.

 

I would argue however that Brasil by nature is a much different beast.

 

South Africa & Korea were never hotbeds for international tourism to begin with.

Brasil in and of itself is a economy based largely on tourism and football.

 

Two things that needed a overhaul anyways, better to put the money in today, yield a return (if not temporary) and hope for the best, than to let it fade and decay.

[Jules]

Brazil deserves the opportunity, but the timeframe given was too short and the problems (safety, poverty, drug war, infrastructure) are extremely difficult to tackle. I have a friend who works as a sports and news journalist in Rio de Janeiro and his stories really are a back and forth between sadness and hope. I am not necessarily against having these events in Brazil, but I believe the time chosen to do it was ill-informed.

 

There are soccer teams who travel the country with armed guards out of fear of being kidnapped for ransom by cartels. I don't feel any excitement thinking about the fact that western sports teams will suffer same nervous travel arrangements for WC and Olympics.

[H-Dreamer]

...wtf did I just read.

 

Reality, harsher than fiction since ever.

[Jules]

This is great.

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/X9Pc1vf_tlg

[NYRangers92]

for Jules, from a PSV Eindhoven friendly the other day

[cousin]

I think Chris Berman is washed up. I liked him 10 years ago.

[Blue Heaven]

I think Chris Berman is washed up. I liked him 10 years ago.

 

Chris Berman was washed up 10 years ago!

[cousin]

Chris Berman was washed up 10 years ago!

:rofl:

[H-Dreamer]

FIFA wants to play the 2022 World Cup during winter....

...brilliant idea, why not, except for Russia and a few other all leagues have to take a huge break mid-season, but who cares? :rolleyes:

[Blue Heaven]

9 days till the Cosmos return to the NASL.

[NYRangers92]

FIFA wants to play the 2022 World Cup during winter....

...brilliant idea, why not, except for Russia and a few other all leagues have to take a huge break mid-season, but who cares? :rolleyes:

 

i hope it happens and all countries boycott and force fifa to move it to a country that deserves it haha

[H-Dreamer]

There is an EURO for Women too, this time in Sweden and for the sixth time in a row Germany won the tournament. (8 of 11 possible titles won by Germany)

Not much of a competition, World Cup is better.

[Jules]

FIFA wants to play the 2022 World Cup during winter....

...brilliant idea, why not, except for Russia and a few other all leagues have to take a huge break mid-season, but who cares? :rolleyes:

 

Yeah, Russia and some of the Scandinavian leagues are only exceptions. Qatar was a terrible idea in the first place and this is just rubbing in the stain.

[Jules]

Really exciting start to the season for Fortuna Sittard, as they beat a legitimate championship contender with 2-0 at home. It was a really hot night (over 90F degrees) and the coach has specifically trained on endurance in pre-season, so they consolidated the tie in the first half (0-0 at HT) and then when the opponent became more tired as the game progressed they started pushing up more and scored two goals in the last twenty minutes.

 

It makes Fortuna the first table leader of the season. Always a good start. :)

[ThirtyONE]

My boys QPR got off on the right foot today with a 2-1 victory over Shef. Wed. Promotion or bust. They can't survive more than one season in the Championship without going broke.

[Respecttheblue]

My boys QPR got off on the right foot today with a 2-1 victory over Shef. Wed. Promotion or bust. They can't survive more than one season in the Championship without going broke.

 

Good for QPR (I lived not too far from them once, and a few other London sides), but there's planty of company when it comes to financial issues these days. Who knows maybe one day more teams will follow the new Portsmouth FC model? Hey Islanders ...

 

My Pompey boys recently became a fan-owned team after years of turmoil and revolving door ownership, with fans unexpectedly winning with a bid approved by creditors.

 

But it was not without pain.

 

The Football League has confirmed that Portsmouth Football Club’s 10-point deduction will take immediate effect.

 

A statement on the Football League’s website said:

 

The Board of The Football League has agreed to transfer Portsmouth's share in The Football League to a consortium brought together by the Pompey Supporters' Trust, bringing an end to the club's period in Administration.

 

Due to the Club's Company Voluntary Arrangement not being fully compliant with The Football League's Insolvency Policy, the Board has applied the following conditions of membership – as originally outlined in July 2012.

 

1. A deduction of 10 points to apply in the 2012/13 season (in addition to the 10 points applied for entering Administration in the 2011/12 season).

 

2. Restrictions on playing budgets, future borrowing and loan repayments for the next five seasons.

 

Football League Chairman, Greg Clarke, said: "I would like to welcome the Pompey Supporters' Trust to The Football League and pay tribute to their efforts to save their club. They have galvanised the Club's fans and the City of Portsmouth behind their cause and ensured that it continues to have a professional football club.

 

"However, the hard work is only just beginning and we will continue working with the new owners to help them establish a sustainable future for Portsmouth Football Club, so that it can put its long running financial troubles behind it for good.

 

Here's a heart-warming anecdote of the fans' latest activity

 

After one of the most turbulent seasons in their history, fans of Portsmouth have provided the club with a much-needed boost - winning ?30,000 for the club via the Fanpower Stadium competition, which was run by The Football League title sponsors npower.

 

Following consultation with the club and The Football League, it can now be confirmed that the fans' dedication will be rewarded directly, with the prize fund being used to lower season ticket prices for next season.

 

Hosted on Facebook, the competition rewarded the set of fans that "made the most noise" with ?20,000 for their club. This was determined by measuring the amount of mentions supporters had generated for their football club on Facebook and Twitter.

 

The noise could only be measured when an individual had "taken a seat" in the virtual Fanpower Stadium meaning ?10,000 was also awarded to the club whose fans participated the most as a percentage of their average attendance.

 

The south-coast side ran away with the full ?30,000, with their loyal fans signing up in droves

 

And another 30,000 quid comes in from new partner OneCom:

 

 

Pompey have rung the changes in a deal with a mobile phone provider that will see tens of thousands of pounds poured into the club.

 

Whiteley-based telecommunications firm OneCom has signed up for partner status which will see ?30,000 invested in Pompey.

 

Read more at http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/article/pompey-partner-with-onecom-965081.aspx#isb1sxggho1JZzYI.99

 

http://www.h2omen.com/other_sports/PompeyFans-Ours.jpg

[Ba Ba Bluey]

Actual life in the minor leagues means moving back in with your parents or living in a house with more than a few teammates, working another job, taking on some coaching responsibilities, and not spending your money. Most pro athletes engage in a high-intensity, two- to three-hour workout and have the rest of the day to recover. Then they wake up and do it again. I did the three-hour workout?and then went to my desk job at noon, attempted to switch gears to normal work, then headed out at 6 p.m. to coach youth soccer. It?s asking a lot to reach optimal performance when you do this every day. For many players at that level, this is life. And if you get married and have to support a family, it?s basically time to retire.

 

Then there?s the off-season, when your contract doesn?t pay. Most guys coach. At the same time, if you want to move up to the next level, you need to put in the off-season work (hashtag ?grind?). In the lower leagues, your season starts in April and is over in September or October. In MLS however, the season begins in January and continues until the end November. Players in the minor leagues are perpetually three months behind in development just based on this wrinkle. (Plus, everything else I?ve already mentioned.) If you aren?t doing something in that time, you?re falling behind. But, the options are limited. Playing with teenagers isn?t really helping you. You likely don?t live in a city with a healthy population of other pro soccer players (remember, you?ve moved back in with your parents). Instead, I played on my college roommate?s co-ed adult league team as a field player (I?m a goalkeeper) and played 6 a.m. pre-work pick up with my CEO?s middle-aged buddies. You can?t find MLS-level quality, so you do what you can. That was development for me.

 

Whole thing can be found here:

http://www.psmag.com/business-economics/my-economics-of-being-a-regular-professional-athlete-63770/

 

Interesting read.