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The Real Football Thread

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The whole competition narrative is false imo. The best years for Juventus in the champions league were 2017 and 2015. In 2015, they had absolutely no competition. In 2017, it was probably one of the best years for serie a recently, but juventus were still comfortable winners (more comfortable than the final league table suggests). Last year, when they were under intense pressure, they went out at the quarters, the same spot that they did this year under none at all. The problem lies elsewhere in that club. Bayern is a good example as well: they were run away league winners in 2013 (although dortmund were strong that year), 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018, with the league slightly closer in 2016 and close in 2019. They've gone winners in 2013, semis in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018; quarters in 2017 and ro16 this year. There is no clear correlation between stronger competition for the win and better european performances imo. I agree that overall league quality helps every team in that league, but the issue isn't not being challenged, but just being low on quality. The prem was competitive between 2013 and 2017, but low on quality which showed in europe.
 
Atalanta is flying to a Champions League spot considering that they should be able to take easily three points next week from vacation Juve in which only Ronaldo seems still willing to go deep.
I would like very much to see them against top teams, I think they could do damage, especially if some teams come away thinking of an easy match or pulling a Barça.
This year in their days they literally looked unbeatable for everyone (ask Juventus for reference) and they even found continuity of performances this year (they lost only two matches in 2019).
 
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...i-arrested-awarding-2022-Qatar-World-Cup.html
Former UEFA president Michel Platini has been arrested over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup.

French legend Platini was elected in 2007 and served as president until 2015 when he was then banned by the FIFA Ethics Committee.

Platini, 63, was taken into custody on Tuesday morning as part of the investigation into the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar, and held at premises of the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police (OCLCIFF).

At the core of concerns is understood to be a meeting which took place nine days before the ballot of FIFA for the World Cup decision in 2010, where former France president Nicolas Sarkozy invited Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Crown Prince of Qatar and Platini, then UEFA President and Vice President of FIFA, to a meeting at the Elysee hotel.

Football France reported that the meeting centred around the acquisition of Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain by the Qataris - which became effective in June 2011 - a rise in Qatari shareholding in the Lagardere group and the creation of 'a sports channel (BeIN Sports) to compete with Canal +' in France.

It was then alleged that all would have been agreed 'in exchange for a promise: that Platini does not give his voice to the United States (for the 2022 World Cup bid), as he had envisioned, but in Qatar.'
 
Nothing at all about the women's World Cup? Many think the U.S. team may be the best ever, and they went through their first three games outscoring opponents I think it was 18-0. Then yesterday, in the first KO game, they barely survived Spain, needing a questionable foul late in the second period. In fact, both of their two scores came on penalty kicks, though they did appear to outplay Spain most of the way.

Next up is France, the host team, and the pre-tournament favorite to be America's toughest challenge.
 
Re:

Merckx index said:
Nothing at all about the women's World Cup? Many think the U.S. team may be the best ever, and they went through their first three games outscoring opponents I think it was 18-0. Then yesterday, in the first KO game, they barely survived Spain, needing a questionable foul late in the second period. In fact, both of their two scores came on penalty kicks, though they did appear to outplay Spain most of the way.

Next up is France, the host team, and the pre-tournament favorite to be America's toughest challenge.

Just cannot get into it, fair play for the way the women’s game has grown, and will continue to grow over the coming years, but I just find it too slow and boring.

Cant quite put my finger on it, but I’d say it lacks the ‘egde’ that you often find in the men’s game.
 
I maybe watched 60 minutes in total so far and already saw 3 disgraceful, game-deciding calls from the ref. The second penalty for the USA vs Spain being the icing on the cake. That was just fishy as ****. Bye bye excitement.

I'll probably tune in a bit more now that the 'weak' teams are out.
 
Atlético signed Joao Felix, IMHO he's the signing of the year despite the headlines being all for De Ligt and his quest for the bigger salary possible. I watched him in some Europa League games of Benfica and is unbelievable, he plays for two, a midfielder and a striker, and he's good in every position you put him between midfield and attack, i really agree with the ones that compare him to Kaka but i think he could be even better.
And Atlético will likely fund him entirely selling Griezmann that is 10 years older, has a monster salary of over 20M and this year has been a lot under his par, considering also Lucas Hernandez sold for 80M at Bayern after an year plagued by knee problems i think they are the geniuses of market.
 
Re:

del1962 said:
I think the game is better off without VAR after watching Women's world cup

VAR was supposed to e for clear and obvious errors but it is used for very marginal decisions

VAR-s problems in Women's World cup are largely down to a poor level of referees - both on the pitch and in the VAR room - rather than the fault of the VAR system itself.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
dungan123 said:
Real football? Dont they hold the ball with their hands for most of the game?

No, you are talking about the sport better known as "handeggwrestle". Where guys wrestle while holding a large egg with their hands. Football is the sport where you kick a ball with your foot.
Uuh, you do realise you're replying to a post of 8 years ago?

:lol: and someone who hasn’t posted in the 8 years since. I stupidly scrolled the last 2 pages as I didn’t recognise the poster and couldn’t remember reading that recently.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
dungan123 said:
Real football? Dont they hold the ball with their hands for most of the game?

No, you are talking about the sport better known as "handeggwrestle". Where guys wrestle while holding a large egg with their hands. Football is the sport where you kick a ball with your foot.
Uuh, you do realise you're replying to a post of 8 years ago?
I did. But it was a statement that had to be made regardless of who and when triggered it.
 
Re: Re:

Logic-is-your-friend said:
Red Rick said:
Logic-is-your-friend said:
dungan123 said:
Real football? Dont they hold the ball with their hands for most of the game?

No, you are talking about the sport better known as "handeggwrestle". Where guys wrestle while holding a large egg with their hands. Football is the sport where you kick a ball with your foot.
Uuh, you do realise you're replying to a post of 8 years ago?
I did. But it was a statement that had to be made regardless of who and when triggered it.
No, it wasn't.
 
City looked good today but drew, Liverpool looked less good but won. Brighton look much improved while Norwich look more than good enough to stay up (unlike Newcastle). Pukki is a real goalscorer.

I've watched the last couple of Everton matches because I'm interested in Moise Kean, and have to say they are one of the dullest sides out there. Can't create anything, partly because Sigurdsson is mostly invisible.
 

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