World Soccer XXXI: Golden Generation?

[First Time, Long Time]

If that's all you have...fine.
Just keep showing you're a snob.
Eventually you'll just be talking to yourself.

[Jimjamesak]

If that's all you have...fine.
Just keep showing you're a snob.
Eventually you'll just be talking to yourself.

[Jimjamesak]

Those names look familiar. Nancy is the favorite at 6-1. Cherundolo was tied with others at 7-1. ESPN uses the odds makers from ESPNbets, so they could be based anywhere.

Looked at the odds and yeah there are some head scratchers.

Javier Aguirre? The Mexican manager who got smoked by Bruce Arena in 2002 and then didn’t play Chicharito in 2010 and predictably lost? No thanks. Let Mexico recycle him after they inevitably lose at the Nations League and/or Gold Cup.

Matias Almeyda? Did pretty good at Chivas but was meh at San Jose. Outside of being foreign he’s not particularly different from any other candidate (unless we suddenly value Liga MX success far more than MLS success).

Didier Deschamps? Lol, no chance. He’s off to whatever big club wants him.

Frank Lampard? Because he’s done so well at Chelsea…

Vincent Kompany? Yeah, because he’s gonna leave Bayern Munich…

[Jimjamesak]

The social media focus right now seems to be on Herve Renard. He’s the current manager of France’s women’s team. He’s one of those managers whose record looks impressive on first glance but starts to crack when you start dig into it.

Won the AFCON with Zambia (2012) and Ivory Coast (2015).

Has managed Morocco and Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, including beating Argentina in Qatar.

But when you start to dig past the accomplishments his recent history is… not great. France probably should’ve done better at the World Cup. Aside from beating Argentina, the Saudis were awful. Lost to Poland and Mexico in Qatar, went 0-3 and out at the Gulf Cup, and lost a friendly to Bolivia (one of only two wins for Bolivia lately). Morocco did qualify in 2018, no small feat, but he went 0-2-1 and out with a team that would make the semifinals four years later (granted that group had Portugal and Spain but they did also lose to Iran).

The guy seems like a mercenary, give him a load of money and two years before he moves to wherever will hire him. Maybe he’d work but I’m skeptical.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

England ties it up!

[MichVandal]

Heck of a game! Viva Espana!!!

[ticapnews]

Spain become the first to win the tournament four times.

Spain's men's team are European champions and the women are the World Cup champions. Not a bad 12 months for Spain.

[MichVandal]

If that's all you have...fine.
Just keep showing you're a snob.
Eventually you'll just be talking to yourself.

I learned a long time ago that I'm not worthy to be a fan, because I also wanted to make the MLS more serious. Don't worry, the MLS won't miss you, apparently.

[Jimjamesak]

Spain become the first to win the tournament four times.

Spain's men's team are European champions and the women are the World Cup champions. Not a bad 12 months for Spain.

Not over yet. Spain have to be pretty good favorites for both Olympic tournaments.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Big day for Spain with alcaraz and then euros

[MichVandal]

Big day for Spain with alcaraz and then euros

Just saw Spain win SailGP in SF, taking the season championship with it. And they mentioned Garcia won a golf tournament today. Very good day to be from Spain.

[RaceBoarder]

Seems like a bunch of Colombia fans stormed the gates at the Copa America final and have had the place on lockdown since. So your $3000 ticket won't get you to your seat until kickoff, lol.

[MichVandal]

Seems like a bunch of Colombia fans stormed the gates at the Copa America final and have had the place on lockdown since. So your $3000 ticket won't get you to your seat until kickoff, lol.

Switched over to see if there are pics, and saw a different controversy- the pitch. It looks like carpet, but it’s really tight cut grass that was recently put in. Saw that there have been a few complaints of surface conditions during this tournament. Atlanta, Dallas, and Miami have had issues with the pitch.

Hope that all gets worked out in two years.

[Jimjamesak]

Seems like a bunch of Colombia fans stormed the gates at the Copa America final and have had the place on lockdown since. So your $3000 ticket won't get you to your seat until kickoff, lol.

Kick off is being pushed back by at least a half hour, probably an hour at this rate.

This whole tournament feels like a concerted effort by CONMEBOL (the ones actually organizing everything) to make everything soccer in the US look bad (not just US Soccer, but the stadiums and cities as well).

[Jimjamesak]

Switched over to see if there are pics, and saw a different controversy- the pitch. It looks like carpet, but it’s really tight cut grass that was recently put in. Saw that there have been a few complaints of surface conditions during this tournament. Atlanta, Dallas, and Miami have had issues with the pitch.

Hope that all gets worked out in two years.

Again, any issues are on CONMEBOL and them wanting to do everything themselves, including field installations, despite others having plenty of (and better) knowledge of installing the fields in these stadiums.

US Soccer and FIFA have already planned out to install the grass fields months before the World Cup (like February/March) and are requiring stadiums to make modifications to allow wider fields.