lol kloppo

i pity liverpool too

but good fit

he'll overthrow everything

see you in 7 years

if not at least the americans will make a mint selling tshirts and shit like that

"being liverpool 2, on pay per view"

well i must go have coffee-- i think im tripping

--

@ nazi - jordan! lololol. guess a guaranteed conmebol spot.

I really have no idea how Klopp will do. Although not a Liverpool fan I would like to see him do well but there's a lot wrong with Liverpool right now and a lot of it's at board level, beyond his control. We shall see.

But yeah, they'll sell a helluva lot of T Shirts.

Looks like they've already started

Klinsmann got to go.. USA no longer a world class team.. too much experimenting, not enough consistency.. major decline in defense particularly because of all the constant roster experiments and also going with less experienced players in too many big games..

Bradley was boring as fuck, but he was fired for less. Meh World Cup? Embarrassing Gold Cup?? Now no Confederation Cup??? See if US is supposed to improve they need more opportunities to play against elite talent no?

Losing here in LA makes this even worse than losing to Mexico on 2011 Gold Cup here in LA cuz quite frankly more was on the line here.

Australia did eliminate Uruguay on the way to Germany 2006, but with those cats being part of the Asian confederation now, yeah, South America's ½ spot is pretty much a full 1 in advance.

That's close to the colors of a budweiser can

I see a lot of opportunities for cross-promotion

Article that might be of interest to our Amerikkkan friends

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...rgen-klinsmann

i see the guy is sad he lost 3 players but i don't know how right he is. interesting discussion in the comment section though.

That's generally the case with The Guardian: usually more interesting than the actual article.

Seems there are countless obstacles (cultural, institutional) to 'soccer' ever really finding long term acceptance there.

i agree with one of the commenters there-- as long as the street game is lacking, we'll never have superstars



part of the problem is in the subtext of the article-- the guy talking about how nice is the highschool experience, bla bla bla.

but "nice" is a middle class choice. it's not like "i need to make it to escape poverty" the same way that you'd see chronicled in "hoop dreams".

almost any great fútbol player comes from humble beginnings for a reason-- they gotta make it "or else."

now it sounds like i'm advocating poverty. i'm sure the germans were all well-fed though. still, i don't know-- it's something cultural. i suppose a professional footballer is a more realistic option in germany, where you don't need to be megarich or you can coach kids, etc.

There is a developing "street soccer" culture in US, here in LA all our baseball diamonds have been converted into futbol pitches..i don't think that superstar or even just average world class talent develops necessarily from street experience so much as when a region has extensive street sports culture it reflects how advanced and developed the amateur and professional leagues are.. the kids are playing on the street because the overall sport is the main culture. In US American football dominates all development leagues.. there are thousands of college programs and amateur leagues.. when futbol is even a fraction of that US will be world class..

However it should be noted that US has ranked in the world top20 more years than not over past two decades if anything that US can more or less compete with world class teams without having a world class futbol culture is impressive if you ask me

that's nice to know. i don't see that kind of stuff around here in neomex. if you go to latin america there's kids playing in every street corner. in american "inner cities" (whatever that means) and parks etc i've seen plenty of basketball. in denver i've seen béisbol. futbol is usually some middle class kids and their mommy in a van in a suburban field with no public transportation. just so wrong. anyway...


well true the pros have to be there to take it to the next level. academies, etc. but street provides the darwinian wilderness for it. street feeds the lower leagues also.

miroslav klose who is the greatest world cup goalscorer ever i think was somehow recruited out of some 5th-level german league or something like that--a village team-- while he was working as a carpenter. carlos salcido (not salcedo) who was one of mexico's greatest defenders and made it to europe (he's back in mexico but is now ancient) was an orphan kid working in the market when he was discovered by a chivas scout and put on the payroll. etc. x 10,000.


i look forward to that day. some scrawny appalachian kid with crooked legs becoming the next messi or something.


it's like once i was making this cocktails with cheap ingredients and jico said it was "alchemy with turds."

being part of CONCACAF is a huge help in qualifying for any world cup final though. "yay, top 16!" hmmm...

another day i look forward to is the merging of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. make it a massive league. same fucking time zones! easier to coordinate than UEFA that stretches from portugal to siberia.

That's true, but it's not like you embarrass yourself whenever you play against teams from better divisions. Although I don't think the challenge is really about the national team (which generally does OK); it's about the far more difficult issue of how to make the MLS more credible, especially as it has no real way of testing itself against other leagues.

This reminds me of a quote I once read: "In the United States, fútbol is the sport of the future... and it always will be".

haaa haaa haaa

that's hilarious, and a little sad because it's likely true.

but... never say never. just like gay marriage!

Netherlands won't be part of Euro 2016.
The team lost in Amsterdam to the Cechs. 2-3. No play-offs for them at all.
Sadly for him van Persie scored an own goal. A header. Another memorable one (not that it was a brilliant one like the one against Spain last year).
I hope it won't be brought back to him too often.
Zidane's headbutt on what's-his-name is not regarded as the most memorable thing in his career (his 2 goals in final against Brasil, or his goal in final with Real), but other players haven't had that luck:
Arconada's remembered for a blunder on a Platini free kick during the 1984 Euro final (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXIUaSOgS5g)... which is unfair; I got to watch the semi-final, and Spain that year qualified against a much much better team (Denmark) thanks to their keeper...
And to a lesser extent, Roberto Baggio being reminded his misfortunes when Italy lost to Brasil (who were not even good) in the penalty shoot out.

The good point, to Holland's crumbling, is that the team will have to be rebuilt (30-something and early 20 blokes). Hopefully, they won't be fit when facing France for the World Cup qualification rounds.

waaaaat da fuuuuuuuuuucccck!?!?!?!

Don't know much about what's happening at Holland but it has to mean the end of Danny Blind. Whoever takes over it will be the start of something new. As well as RVP, I imagine this'll be the last we see of Sneijder.

i was hoping for a bas dost fest

he was killing it at wolfsburg when debruyne was there

dammit

I know i saw some of the match on my lunch break.. they looked like shit. Even made the US losses not look as bad in the scheme of things..

I hope this isnt necessarily the end of thisparticular squad of dudes with names like the villians a peek era Van Damme movie..

Well, l always have that #ByeByeSpain moment and this one too

gotta be a coaching problem cuz they have good players. shame...

Meanwhile, the Lone Star keeps on as a lean mean motherfuckin' machine: 4-3 vs Perú last night in Lima. Alexis is on FIRE!

hm... peru with 10 men over some silly red card

wtf

Fuck 'em!

One of my absolute favourite players at the moment.

Oooh to be a Gooner!

and watch your hopes of finally realising your potential slowly fizzle out, season after season after season. I tipped them to win this season. They might still do it. They're certainly good enough. But something tells me, come may, it'll be business as usual. Top 4 finish but no title.

I hope I'm wrong. Besides west ham (no chance) arsenal would be the team I'd most like to see do it.

after that, anyone but Chelsea.

This pic from at work today ought to please !@#$!

He'll hate that formation

Fucking Hell!

West Ham 2-1 Chelsea

Livin' the dream!

But how long can Mourinho hold onto his job. Sent to the stands in the first half. Total Chelsea meltdown.

Watching the loss of Real Madrid to Sevilla 2-3 yesterday was ultimately satisfying.

The Ukrainian Yevhen Konoplyanka from Sevilla is one of the most skillful players I've ever seen. This dude is going to be a big star soon.

So, what's your thoughts about the EURO2016 draw?

Group B: England, Slovakia, Russia, Wales

For us, it's one of the more playable groups. Of course we're going to be a huge outsider against England and a slight outsider against the Russians, with the best chance to win against the Welsh, but all in all, it was a fortunate draw - much better than to face Spain, Croatia and Turkey (like our brothers from Czech Republic do, unfortunately)

No idea regarding group B. Slovakia's main assets are two board members and a friend's whole family. Apart from that, I have no idea. The last Russian player I liked was inconsistent; I can't remember his name, all I do remember is that his personality was not the best for team spirit.
I'd say the Welsh will be tough.
And there's another team, but, well, do they count?

The Czech are in a tough group, I don't see them going through.

The group with Italy and Belgium looks promising too, as there'll be a game between those two quite early on.

France will draw its two first games and beat Switzerland.

France will be okay. They don't have a tough group.
I don't know how the issues around Benzema and Valbuena will affect the mood in the team, though. French team has been likely to have interpersonal issues for a long time.

BTW, Valbuena is one of my favourite current players. Skilled dude. He'd deserve a better team.

You should be familiar at least with two of our current, ehm, stars - Marek Hamsik of SSC Napoli and Martin Skrtel of Liverpool. But yes, this is a team not about individualities, but about teamplay and great coaching.

Yes, that's right, Hamsik and Skrtel - how could I have forgotten...

I think France will have to forget about Benzema. That leaves room for another sulker.

Chelsea's sacked Mourinho.

They're trailing 20 points behind leaders Leicester City, and are floating just one point above the relegation zone.
France: PSG is 17 points above second placed Angers (who hadn't had a bite at the French championship since 1993-1994)... this is ludicrous...

PSG are destroying it this year. Top notch form.

Well this is beyond a blooper - this is just fucked up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46-qI80-7j0

How do you even DO that? Guy had like a 1º angle...

Copa Centenario opens up today.. USA likely to get creamed and hopefully will lead to Klinsmann's resignation

0-2 already (at half time) vs. Colombia. I don't think you're getting Joachim Löw after Klinsmann gets the axe, though...