All things Football (soccer) related

[loki100]

nice article on the least successful side in the Highland League:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... club-alive

Meanwhile at the top, should be Brora next season as the evil Cove bunch are going to be the Scottish third division ...

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: jwarrenw13

Mexico 1, USA 0, CONCACAF Gold Cup. Congratulations, Mexico.

CONCACAF?

[JWW]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: jwarrenw13

Mexico 1, USA 0, CONCACAF Gold Cup. Congratulations, Mexico.

CONCACAF?

Hah! Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football. Everything in the Western Hemisphere that is not South America. Not exactly the highest level of football/soccer. But entertaining, and Mexico and the USA dominate it. Mexico has won the Gold Cup 8 times since it was started in 1991, USA 6, and Canada 1. USA and Mexico have alternated winning the last 4 Gold Cups. Played every other year.

[DD696]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: Lobster

ORIGINAL: DD696

I also apologize for a team who doesn't represent the values of the United States of America.

Aye. Arrogance abounds.

Excuse me, but who are you to say what 'the values of the United States of America' are? Please keep politics off this forum. Thank you.

I didn't say what the values are, and it does appear that I did not introduce any politics into it, although you tried to taint it as such. Perhaps the USA should have no values?

[DD696]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: DD696

And I salute the best teams, who lost. I also apologize for a team who doesn't represent the values of the United States of America. If this so called "TEAM USA" did, well, I cannot speak of that.....

What a sour and dour outlook. I suppose that all other teams' communiques both on and off the field were paragons of virtue? That the 'best' performers out there were the losers? That the opponents' celebrations of their victories or goals were just right but ours were so vile and hideous as to be beneath contempt? Ridiculous piffle.

So, if I support teams that lost I am not allowed to have an opinion. Such narrow mindedness abounds in your world. To quote others, "Get off my lawn, $**&". I have as much right to an opinion as do you, but you don't see it that way, do you? I served in the United States Marine Corps in the service of my country and I appreciate the values that it had. What did you do? Get the hell off my lawn, *(&*.

[Garfieldthecat]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: Lobster

ORIGINAL: DD696

I also apologize for a team who doesn't represent the values of the United States of America.

Aye. Arrogance abounds.

Excuse me, but who are you to say what 'the values of the United States of America' are? Please keep politics off this forum. Thank you.

+1 . I think the Women's US Team did an outstanding job, winning back to back World Cups. And I see nothing where they "didn't represent the values of the US". They played clean and won, and they had fun.

Not sure what is wrong with that. [8|]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: DD696

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: DD696

And I salute the best teams, who lost. I also apologize for a team who doesn't represent the values of the United States of America. If this so called "TEAM USA" did, well, I cannot speak of that.....

What a sour and dour outlook. I suppose that all other teams' communiques both on and off the field were paragons of virtue? That the 'best' performers out there were the losers? That the opponents' celebrations of their victories or goals were just right but ours were so vile and hideous as to be beneath contempt? Ridiculous piffle.

So, if I support teams that lost I am not allowed to have an opinion. Such narrow mindedness abounds in your world. To quote others, "Get off my lawn, $**&". I have as much right to an opinion as do you, but you don't see it that way, do you? I served in the United States Marine Corps in the service of my country and I appreciate the values that it had. What did you do? Get the hell off my lawn, *(&*.

??? What does "I also apologize for a team who doesn't represent the values of the United States of America" have to do with supporting a team that lost?

Nope. You're certainly entitled to your opinion about who to root for. But when you leaven your comments with some over the top BS about TEAM USA not representing the values of the USA because they're outspoken you lose credibility.

Thank you for your service. But when you talk **** about our national team for no reason whatever you lose credibility when you don't have any real reason to do so.

So what exactly did they do beyond the pale that was so nauseating, so intensely offending to your sensibilities? That silly little drinking from a teacup thing? Jumping into each other's arms? The 'superhero' pose? None of these things strikes me as the sort of polemic nonsense that would make me dump on my national team and negate their outstanding achievements. Your mileage may vary.

You're right. There is a lot of narrow-mindedness out there. Lots and lots of it, DD696.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Garfieldthecat

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: Lobster



Aye. Arrogance abounds.

Excuse me, but who are you to say what 'the values of the United States of America' are? Please keep politics off this forum. Thank you.

+1 . I think the Women's US Team did an outstanding job, winning back to back World Cups. And I see nothing where they "didn't represent the values of the US". They played clean and won, and they had fun.

Not sure what is wrong with that. [8|]

Nothing is wrong with that. I'm not ready to overlook their impressive achievements. Back-to-back World Cup wins. Convincing victories over very different and skilled opponents. Playing through injuries. Very solid coaching. Most scoring and shutouts by any team ever in the World Cup. It was really well done.

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: Zorch

ORIGINAL: Lobster

ORIGINAL: DD696

I also apologize for a team who doesn't represent the values of the United States of America.

Aye. Arrogance abounds.

Excuse me, but who are you to say what 'the values of the United States of America' are? Please keep politics off this forum. Thank you.

No politics at all. Just how I feel about a sport team. Nothing about U.S. Nothing about politics. All about a sport team. Please keep politics out of this.

[RangerJoe]

The football/futball/soccer games are about the best athletes of their countries for that sport as selected by their countries organizations. It does not matter about anything else. While I do enjoy watching athletic women of any country sweating, breathing hard, and enjoying themselves while competing against others, with no television this year I have been unable to do so. [:@] They are not there to represent anything other than their respective countries in this competition. So enjoy it or not - that is your choice. Just like it is the choice to root for any specific team.

[JWW]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The football/futball/soccer games are about the best athletes of their countries for that sport as selected by their countries organizations. It does not matter about anything else.

Without getting political, I would have to disagree with your statement. Off field behavior and comments by players can and do matter and can affect the way fans view the team. There are numerous examples in football of players suspended for on and off field comments or gestures regarding other teams and players and various other issues. I don't think it is possible to discuss the current events without the issue becoming political, but here is an example from 2016, USA keeper Hope Solo suspended by the USA national team for calling the Swedish team "cowards" after Sweden defeated the USA in the 2016 Olympics.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/articl ... -us-soccer

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: jwarrenw13

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The football/futball/soccer games are about the best athletes of their countries for that sport as selected by their countries organizations. It does not matter about anything else.

Without getting political, I would have to disagree with your statement. Off field behavior and comments by players can and do matter and can affect the way fans view the team. There are numerous examples in football of players suspended for on and off field comments or gestures regarding other teams and players and various other issues. I don't think it is possible to discuss the current events without the issue becoming political, but here is an example from 2016, USA keeper Hope Solo suspended by the USA national team for calling the Swedish team "cowards" after Sweden defeated the USA in the 2016 Olympics.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/articl ... -us-soccer

You are getting political - very much so. So maybe best to drop your line of argument and this thread can get back to what it should be about?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: jwarrenw13

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The football/futball/soccer games are about the best athletes of their countries for that sport as selected by their countries organizations. It does not matter about anything else.

Without getting political, I would have to disagree with your statement. Off field behavior and comments by players can and do matter and can affect the way fans view the team. There are numerous examples in football of players suspended for on and off field comments or gestures regarding other teams and players and various other issues. I don't think it is possible to discuss the current events without the issue becoming political, but here is an example from 2016, USA keeper Hope Solo suspended by the USA national team for calling the Swedish team "cowards" after Sweden defeated the USA in the 2016 Olympics.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/articl ... -us-soccer

You are getting political - very much so. So maybe best to drop your line of argument and this thread can get back to what it should be about?

warspite1

Well Spurs bought a couple of players..... although promptly loaned one back out again.

With the average age of our squad nearing 47, with us not having enough home grown players, and with the ahem... quality of our football since Christmas being what it was, it would be nice to get a few new faces in perhaps?

[JWW]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: jwarrenw13

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The football/futball/soccer games are about the best athletes of their countries for that sport as selected by their countries organizations. It does not matter about anything else.

Without getting political, I would have to disagree with your statement. Off field behavior and comments by players can and do matter and can affect the way fans view the team. There are numerous examples in football of players suspended for on and off field comments or gestures regarding other teams and players and various other issues. I don't think it is possible to discuss the current events without the issue becoming political, but here is an example from 2016, USA keeper Hope Solo suspended by the USA national team for calling the Swedish team "cowards" after Sweden defeated the USA in the 2016 Olympics.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/articl ... -us-soccer

You are getting political - very much so. So maybe best to drop your line of argument and this thread can get back to what it should be about?

The off field actions and words of players can have an impact on the team. That is part of the sport. It happens routinely. That is not a political statement about any specific event. It is a general statement of fact.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

With the average age of our squad nearing 47, with us not having enough home grown players, and with the ahem... quality of our football since Christmas being what it was, it would be nice to get a few new faces in perhaps?

I'm not hugely knowledgeable about European soccer league play or typical roster age ranges, but an average age of 47 strikes me as quite old. Like maybe a decade older than I'm used to thinking of 'elder' soccer players. Is this typical?

[Lobster]

I would point out that any Olypmic/World Cup/International competition by it's very nature is political in some way but I would hope that is obvious to most. So in pointing out the arrogance or poor sportsmanship of one or more national teams or individuals on those teams without seeming to be stepping on someone's political toes is near impossible as evidenced in many of the above comments.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: warspite1

With the average age of our squad nearing 47, with us not having enough home grown players, and with the ahem... quality of our football since Christmas being what it was, it would be nice to get a few new faces in perhaps?

I'm not hugely knowledgeable about European soccer league play or typical roster age ranges, but an average age of 47 strikes me as quite old. Like maybe a decade older than I'm used to thinking of 'elder' soccer players. Is this typical?

warspite1

47... I may have been exaggerating a tad for effect there [;)]. But yes, Spurs have an ageing squad and that needs to be addressed tout de suite.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

I would point out that any Olypmic/World Cup/International competition by it's very nature is political in some way but I would hope that is obvious to most. So in pointing out the arrogance or poor sportsmanship of one or more national teams or individuals on those teams without seeming to be stepping on someone's political toes is near impossible as evidenced in many of the above comments.

I didn't know what all the fuss here was about until I did some googling just now. But yeah, it certainly doesn't help when your own athletes, who are supposed to be representing your country on the world stage, use their celebrity status to diss it. Kind of sours some of my joy over our victory now. [:(]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

I would point out that any Olypmic/World Cup/International competition by it's very nature is political in some way but I would hope that is obvious to most. So in pointing out the arrogance or poor sportsmanship of one or more national teams or individuals on those teams without seeming to be stepping on someone's political toes is near impossible as evidenced in many of the above comments.

Yes. Repeatedly commenting on the non-existent arrogance and non-existent poor sportsmanship of specific international teams to repeatedly grind your political axe is bound to step on someone's political toes. That's why it shouldn't be repeatedly done. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: GaryChildress

ORIGINAL: Lobster

I would point out that any Olypmic/World Cup/International competition by it's very nature is political in some way but I would hope that is obvious to most. So in pointing out the arrogance or poor sportsmanship of one or more national teams or individuals on those teams without seeming to be stepping on someone's political toes is near impossible as evidenced in many of the above comments.

I didn't know what all the fuss here was about until I did some googling. But yeah, it certainly doesn't help when your own athletes, who are supposed to be representing your country, use their celebrity status to diss it. Kind of sours some of my joy over our victory now. [:(]

Why did you go looking for it then?

I'm vaguely aware that some Team USA soccer athlete may have done something to cause a fit of pique politically. But I can honestly say that I really don't know what it is, who said it, why it caused consternation and so forth. Nor do I care to find out.

I approach sports in general as deciding apriori that the athletes are meatheads. And I couldn't possibly care less about their typically uneducated, underdeveloped, myopic, self-absorbed world view or political leanings. I've developed a skill in avoiding their Twitter feeds, Instagram or Facebook posts, vulgar demonstrations off the field and deliberate and vacuous derision for anything not conforming to their world view. As a class of people, they are the *least* influential group for anything I care about.

This view has served me well over time.

ETA: Don't bother posting a link. I won't go there.