Soccer Thread

[Censored by Laurie]

big weekend in the premier league.

Chelsea go to my beloved Arsenal on Sunday...should Arsenal be able to take all 3 points, we may still have a title race on our hands (7 point gap with 5 to play), but even the most fervent of fans are pretty much resigned to a Chelsea title...second place and retaining the FA Cup will be a hugely successful season, especially given the club's poor start to the season.

also Sunday, United travel to Goodison to play Everton...I'll certainly be pulling hard for the Toffees, would love to pad that gap between 2nd and 3rd.

ahead of those two marquee clashes are a number of intriguing matches that will go a long way towards sorting out some of the tighter races...namely for Europa League and to avoid relegation.

first match of the weekend is Southampton hosting Spurs...with Aston Villa securing a spot in the FA Cup final, they also sealed the third Europa League spot for English clubs, leaving two spots for the two afore mentioned clubs and Liverpool, who travel to relegation-threatened West Brom...a very tough trip to make this time of year. only a point separate 5th, 6th and 7th right now...both of these matches scream draws, and none of the three have a favorable run-in, Liverpool with perhaps the worst of it despite the luxury of an extra game...I think Southampton and Spurs pip Liverpool to the Europa places.

at the bottom of the table, 8 clubs are still in danger of relegation, though 5...Sunderland, Hull, Leicester, Burnley and QPR...will be desperately scraping for any and all points in their run-ins. a resurgent Leicester City travel to Burnley...Leicester had been rock-bottom since the new year, but 3 straight wins have made their survival look far more feasible, but points at Burnley are hard to come by (wins over Man City and Southampton, draws with United and Spurs). Hull go to Crystal Palace...a club hoping for a top-half finish...QPR host an out-of-form West Ham...and the absolutely abhorrent Sunderland travel to Stoke. give me Sunderland, Hull and Burnley to go down at the end of the year.

and for those truly soccer obsessed...the race for promotion to the premier league from the English Championship is probably the best in the world right now. top 2 spots earn automatic promotion, while the next 4 clubs enter a playoff for the final promotion spot. 4 clubs, Watford, Bournemouth, Middlesboro and Norwich have a legit shot at the automatic spots, with another 4 clubs, Derby County, Ipswich Town, Wolves and Brentford fighting it out for the last 2 playoff spots...all with only two matches of the regular season left to play.

[Coffee and TV]

it's where the Beatles are from so...I guess Sunderland and Aston Villa would have also fit the criteria.

Sunderland is in the Northeast, Aston Villa are based in Birmingham. If you wanted a Beatles team you would have gone with either Everton or Liverpool. There's debate about which is sort of the "team" of the Beatles, but you could probably say both.

[Mean Green Matt]

Sunderland is in the Northeast, Aston Villa are based in Birmingham. If you wanted a Beatles team you would have gone with either Everton or Liverpool. There's debate about which is sort of the "team" of the Beatles, but you could probably say both.

Right...that's why I did go with Liverpool. Villa and Sunderland are the other two non-London, US owned clubs not named Man U. The Beatles, who undoubtedly supported the reds, being from there is just a plus.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Right...that's why I did go with Liverpool. Villa and Sunderland are the other two non-London, US owned clubs not named Man U. The Beatles, who undoubtedly supported the reds, being from there is just a plus.

_{*tiptoes in*}

My HSO: The Beatles are over-rated.

_{*backs out slowly*}

[THOR]

_{*tiptoes in*}

My HSO: The Beatles are over-rated.

_{*backs out slowly*}

ya....never liked them either...

[THOR]

While Liverpool is definitely a big name team they have struggled in recent years a little bit. Ultimately I wanted a non-London team with American ownership not named Manchester United. Also, it's where the Beatles are from so...I guess Sunderland and Aston Villa would have also fit the criteria. Liverpools song though is You'll Never Walk Alone which the Green Brigade plays after every home game. That was the clincher.

struggling in terms of their history...a bit...but liverpool isn't struggling when it comes to position or cash. even when they barely finished in the top 10 a few years ago, they still won one of the cups...liverpool isn't struggling...but you have sound reasons for picking your squad.

port adelaide power of the australian football league also use the same song after every game. the entire crowd sings it...pretty damn cool

Edited April 24, 2015 by THOR

[MeanGreenTexan]

Are there any fans of other Euro leagues besides the EPL? Serie A? Bundesliga? La Liga?

I'm a USMNT fan, very casual FCD fan. And barely follow European soccer outside of Champions League teams.

[THOR]

big weekend in the premier league.

Chelsea go to my beloved Arsenal on Sunday...should Arsenal be able to take all 3 points, we may still have a title race on our hands (7 point gap with 5 to play), but even the most fervent of fans are pretty much resigned to a Chelsea title...second place and retaining the FA Cup will be a hugely successful season, especially given the club's poor start to the season.

also Sunday, United travel to Goodison to play Everton...I'll certainly be pulling hard for the Toffees, would love to pad that gap between 2nd and 3rd.

ahead of those two marquee clashes are a number of intriguing matches that will go a long way towards sorting out some of the tighter races...namely for Europa League and to avoid relegation.

first match of the weekend is Southampton hosting Spurs...with Aston Villa securing a spot in the FA Cup final, they also sealed the third Europa League spot for English clubs, leaving two spots for the two afore mentioned clubs and Liverpool, who travel to relegation-threatened West Brom...a very tough trip to make this time of year. only a point separate 5th, 6th and 7th right now...both of these matches scream draws, and none of the three have a favorable run-in, Liverpool with perhaps the worst of it despite the luxury of an extra game...I think Southampton and Spurs pip Liverpool to the Europa places.

at the bottom of the table, 8 clubs are still in danger of relegation, though 5...Sunderland, Hull, Leicester, Burnley and QPR...will be desperately scraping for any and all points in their run-ins. a resurgent Leicester City travel to Burnley...Leicester had been rock-bottom since the new year, but 3 straight wins have made their survival look far more feasible, but points at Burnley are hard to come by (wins over Man City and Southampton, draws with United and Spurs). Hull go to Crystal Palace...a club hoping for a top-half finish...QPR host an out-of-form West Ham...and the absolutely abhorrent Sunderland travel to Stoke. give me Sunderland, Hull and Burnley to go down at the end of the year.

and for those truly soccer obsessed...the race for promotion to the premier league from the English Championship is probably the best in the world right now. top 2 spots earn automatic promotion, while the next 4 clubs enter a playoff for the final promotion spot. 4 clubs, Watford, Bournemouth, Middlesboro and Norwich have a legit shot at the automatic spots, with another 4 clubs, Derby County, Ipswich Town, Wolves and Brentford fighting it out for the last 2 playoff spots...all with only two matches of the regular season left to play.

and swansea v newcastle...swansea probably won't catch southampton, but need the points to stay above stoke and company...if newcastle drop these points it will make things a bit more interesting for them, if the surrounding teams win...they are almost at the magical 40 point line

[Censored by Laurie]

and swansea v newcastle...swansea probably won't catch southampton, but need the points to stay above stoke and company...if newcastle drop these points it will make things a bit more interesting for them, if the surrounding teams win...they are almost at the magical 40 point line

Swansea are still a cut below that Southampton-Spurs-Liverpool group ahead of them...in large part due to squad depth, but they're certainly a well-established top-half club now...considering as recently as '04-'05 they were playing 4th tier football, it's a rather remarkable rise. I think Gary Monk is proving to be a really good manager, they play appealing football and have bought very, very shrewdly...tripled their money on the Bony sale, Gomis on a free, Shelvey, Sigurdsson and Cork on the very cheap.

A productive summer and they should well be in the hunt for places in Europe again...re-invest some of that Bony money into another striker (maybe Charlie Austin...though his price is going to be rising all summer since every club below fifth will be after him...Loic Remy will likely be cast out of Chelsea and could be had at a discount...or hell, you still own Michu) and either keeping hold of Neil Taylor or at least holding out for stupid money and shopping for a new left back.

[Coffee and TV]

Right...that's why I did go with Liverpool. Villa and Sunderland are the other two non-London, US owned clubs not named Man U

Oh I see what you meant now.

The Beatles, who undoubtedly supported the reds,

Don't be silly.

[Mean Green Matt]

Oh I see what you meant now.

Don't be silly.

It was really a poorly placed ellipsis on my part.... I see how you could read it the other way too.

[Mean Green Matt]

_{*tiptoes in*}

My HSO: The Beatles are over-rated.

_{*backs out slowly*}

The Beatles were well before my time, but I certainly appreciate their music. Particularly the early stuff before they got weird.

[KRAM1]

I'll be sure to lay some sky blue lilies on your grave.

It might take that long for Coventry City. Check out the book "staying Up" sometime. A bit dated now and most likely out of print (but can probably be found using Amazon's book find link if interested), but it is a great read on Coventry's history of escapes from relegation for many years...at one time one of the longest members of the top league in England.

Oh well, I had the Scottish a League Rangers...the Protestant team to the Celtic Catholic in the SPL...until, of course, they had that little money situation...still a Ranger fan, but with Coventry of the Rangers...well....got to just spread the love to several different PL teams.

[Mean Green Matt]

I know people say you want to win at home and draw on the road, but if FCD had stayed at full strength tonight I bet we leave with all 3 points. Never did see a replay of what Perez did, but I'm sure he did it.

[Mean Green Matt]

Well, it actually may have been his reputation that hurt him on the straight red.

[KRAM1]

Well, it actually may have been his reputation that hurt him on the straight red.

Could very well have been Matt. When I refereed, I knew the players as I had refereed their teams on numerous occasions. I knew who to watch a bit closer, who might get a bit longer leash and who might not get that many "benefits of the doubt" based on prior performances. Actions do have consequences. The MLS refs know these guys. I have talked with many an MLS ref and other professional league refs during Dallas Cup seminars for refs. Player reputations play a pretty big role. Not in that they are treated unfairly, that's not the point, but rather that they are watched much closer and given a bit less rope based on their prior consistent style of play. Happens...may have been Perez's problem in his straight red. Harsh, but happens. Perez might want to look in the mirror, but I would hate to see him tamper down that aggressive play...just smarten up a bit.

[CaribbeanGreen]

Speaking of Liverpool and that town's true home team (wink), what a glorious, sweet, clean morning it was for all Evertonians worldwide!!!

Any time you beat the Great Satan is glorious, but going 3-0 over ManU at Goodison and vaulting back into the top half of the table? After the way this year started? Yes please. I'm pouring a pre-AM cocktail.

Amazing stuff earlier in the thread, CBL - my only differences with you (and admittedly I'm on a Toffee high right now) involve the fact that I'm still a pretty staunch Roberto defender; I know his bang to hype ratio was a bit out of whack, but so were the jackals at his heels when this thing was struggling. I'm not an expert by any means, but I saw a team today whose manager completely outclassed Van Gaal. Also, it would take a king's ransom for me to break up McCarthy/Stones/Barkley. It may happen, and I don't disagree with you that Barkley (at this stage) may be rather overhyped, but having that core together moving into next year with this momentum is something that excites me greatly.

Then again, what do I know? I'm on record as an unapologetic Darrell Dickey fan!

[Coffee and TV]

LOL @ Dynamo

[Mean Green Matt]

LOL @ Dynamo

Surprised this result wasn't brought up in the silly Dallas/Houston rangers/Astros thread.

[CaribbeanGreen]

Big FCD match tonight vs. Galaxy. Should be a great crowd, just a little concerned about the weather. Hoping this takes my mind off whatever the eff Everton threw out this morning....

[THOR]

1-1 fcd game

Burnley relegated...somehow Leicester are going to stay up..impressive

[KRAM1]

FC Dallas 2 - LA Galaxy 1.....FT!

[North Texas Shep]

FC Dallas fan and since I live in the US, I refuse to call myself a fan of a team that is over not in my backyard. Respect their play and enjoy to watch, but I do not T-Shirt fan for any sport.

[Coffee and TV]

Huge win against a really good Galaxy team with or without Robbie Keane. It shows we're true contenders.

[meanrob]

Newcastle fan. Doubt we go down today but only due to the schedule. Miserable time at St James right now and no light in sight.