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World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

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Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

ColbyWMHB said:
From the BBC:

Group A: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa
Group B: MANCHESTER UNITED, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, Wolfsburg
Group C: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zurich
Group D: CHELSEA, FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, APOEL
Group E: LIVERPOOL, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debrecen
Group F: FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dinamo Kiev, FC Rubin Kazan
Group G: Sevilla, RANGERS, Stuttgart, Unirea
Group H: ARSENAL, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard
Click to expand...

Group of Death... I always have a hard time defining this. Is it the group with the best top-to-bottom talent, even when you can predict easily who will advance (C)? Is it the group with an easy winner, but a clusterfrak after that (B)? Is it the group with only one team that you know won't make it for sure (A, F, G)?

The very obvious non-groups of death are always the ones with an easy winner, two evenly matched teams and one cupcake (D, E, H). You know who the winner will be, and the only drama is which of the two mid-level teams won't make it.

Group C probably has the best teams, top to bottom. Marseille and Zurich might not necessarily be cakewalks, but is there really any debate over which two teams are in the knockout stages from that group?

The only other group without a cupcake is probably group B. ManU will have little problem being the best team among CSKA, Besiktas and Wolfsburg- but those three are going to have a tooth-and-nail battle for the second spot. Good luck predicting the 2-4 places in that group.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Am I reading the BBC text commentary right? Did Villa get two penalties like six minutes apart?
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Villa out on away goals. Big wins for Villarreal (6-1, 9-2 agg.) and Roma (7-1, 10-4 agg.) today. If you ask me, those two, Valencia, Werder Bremen and PSV are the best teams heading into the group stage.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
Group C probably has the best teams, top to bottom. Marseille and Zurich might not necessarily be cakewalks, but is there really any debate over which two teams are in the knockout stages from that group?
Click to expand...

I don't know about real debate, but AC Milan looked very shaky in preseason. I would not consider it a complete shock if they were to finish third in that group with Marseille going through.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

My guess at top 2.

Group A: Bayern Munich, Bordeaux
Group B: Manchester United, Besiktas
Group C: AC Milan, Real Madrid
Group D: Chelsea, Atletico Madrid
Group E: Liverpool, Lyon
Group F: FC Barcelona, Inter Milan
Group G: Sevilla, Stuttgart
Group H: Arsenal, Olympiakos

I like Marseille, but they just have too tough of a group. I was not impressed with APOEL and Fiorentina in their qualifiers. I don't really like Liverpool either, but I don't see anyone keeping them out.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Group A: Bayern Munich, Juventus,
Group B: MANCHESTER UNITED, Besiktas
Group C: Real Madrid, AC Milan
Group D: CHELSEA, FC Porto
Group E: LIVERPOOL, Lyon
Group F: FC Barcelona, Inter Milan
Group G: Sevilla, RANGERS
Group H: ARSENAL, AZ Alkmaar
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
Group of Death... I always have a hard time defining this. Is it the group with the best top-to-bottom talent, even when you can predict easily who will advance (C)? Is it the group with an easy winner, but a clusterfrak after that (B)? Is it the group with only one team that you know won't make it for sure (A, F, G)?

The very obvious non-groups of death are always the ones with an easy winner, two evenly matched teams and one cupcake (D, E, H). You know who the winner will be, and the only drama is which of the two mid-level teams won't make it.

Group C probably has the best teams, top to bottom. Marseille and Zurich might not necessarily be cakewalks, but is there really any debate over which two teams are in the knockout stages from that group?

The only other group without a cupcake is probably group B. ManU will have little problem being the best team among CSKA, Besiktas and Wolfsburg- but those three are going to have a tooth-and-nail battle for the second spot. Good luck predicting the 2-4 places in that group.
Click to expand...

I really don't think United is going to have as easy a ride as some people on here think. If Hargo is healthy, not a problem at all, but without him I think they struggle a bit.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Looks like the Villa are back to the rubbish end of the scale again, though with Fulham coming up on the weekend, there's a decent chance they can pick up some more points, considering that Clint Dempsey may just be getting off his yak from Russia in time for the kick-off.
 
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Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

3W said:
Looks like the Villa are back to the rubbish end of the scale again, though with Fulham coming up on the weekend, there's a decent chance they can pick up some more points, considering that Clint Dempsey may just be getting off his yak from Russia in time for the kick-off.
Click to expand...
Dempsey didn't play today, for what it's worth. Bruised his ankle in training on Wednesday.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Fulham have been drawn with Roma, Basel and CSKA Sofia in Group E of the Europa League. I'm not crazy about this, that's one of the strongest teams from each of the three other pots. Not all that hopeful of advancing at this point, but I guess we'll see. I'd feel a lot better if we got a result at Sofia in the first match.

Here's the full draw:
Group A: Ajax, Anderlecht, Dinamo Zagreb, Timişoara
Group B: Valencia, Lille, Slavia Prague, Genoa
Group C: Hamburg, Celtic, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Rapid Wien
Group D: Sporting, Heerenveen, Hertha BSC, Ventspils
Group E: Roma, Basel, Fulham, CSKA Sofia
Group F: Panathinaikos, Galatasaray, Dinamo Bucureşti, Sturm Graz
Group G: Villarreal, Lazio, Levski Sofia, Red Bull Salzburg
Group H: Steaua Bucureşti, Fenerbahçe, Twente, Sheriff Tiraspol
Group I: Benfica, Everton, AEK Athens, BATE
Group J: Shakhtar Donetsk, Club Brugge, Partizan, Toulouse
Group K: PSV Eindhoven, Copenhagen, Sparta Prague, CFR Cluj
Group L: Werder Bremen, Austria Wien, Athletic Bilbao, Nacional
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

3W said:
Looks like the Villa are back to the rubbish end of the scale again, though with Fulham coming up on the weekend, there's a decent chance they can pick up some more points, considering that Clint Dempsey may just be getting off his yak from Russia in time for the kick-off.
Click to expand...

Getting knocked out at this point will cost them a lot of revenue too. Revenue they probably penciled into the plan.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

FSC is useless. If you've got a match that you know is 90 minutes long plus extra time, and you're airing it on tape delay, and your time slot is 2 hours and 30 minutes, how can you be incapable of finding a way to fit it all in? Or make the time slot longer if you need. But don't list a 2:30 broadcast and then have the match run for like 2:50 of air time. :mad:
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

jmh said:
FSC is useless. If you've got a match that you know is 90 minutes long plus extra time, and you're airing it on tape delay, and your time slot is 2 hours and 30 minutes, how can you be incapable of finding a way to fit it all in? Or make the time slot longer if you need. But don't list a 2:30 broadcast and then have the match run for like 2:50 of air time. :mad:
Click to expand...

I blame Bretos.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Here we go, boys..... (for entertainment purposes only)... my EPL picks for Gameweek 4:

Chelski 2, Burnley 0---- Finally someone to show Burnley what's what. Also, Burnley's first visit to Stamford Bridge in a while, I would think. Drogba & Anelka too much to handle.

West Ham 2, Blackburn 1-- A slight upset, but Blackburn just seems a bit snakebit to me to start the year. The Hammers find a way to nick the win.

Liverpool 2, Bolton 1--- Rafa has to sweat it out after jumping to a quick 2-0 lead. The Reds finally hold on and can breathe again.

Stoke City 1, Sunderland 1-- Another close game that is played much that way. Not a lot of good chances as Stoke looks to shut down Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent at Britannia Stadium.

Tottenham 2, Birmingham 1-- The dream start for the new season continues for Spurs. Birmingham is just not good enough to win at White Hart Lane.

Hull City 1, Wolves 0-- Another slight upset perhaps, but I think that last yr's newbies take down this year's newbies.

Arsenal 2, Manchester United 1--- Really not sure about this .... especially with Fabregas ruled out for today. Still, this is as good a time for Arsenal to be playing/beating Man Utd at Old Trafford as any. The pitch will be in great shape and the Gunners are in very good form. Man Utd comes in off a 5-goal second half at Wigan last week and did not have to play Champions League in mid-week (like Arsenal). This scoreline could well be reversed.

Manchester City 2, Pompey 0-- Pompey is a wreck. I feel bad for Paul Hart.. dude is up to his eyeballs in garbage.

Wigan 1, Everton 0-- Show me, Everton. I am not picking you until you do. Phooey on you until then. Joleon Lescott is gone now finally to Man City. Will that give you the closure you need to actually play better football?

Aston Villa 2, Fuham 1-- Villa with a massive jolt of confidence on Monday with their huge win at Anfield. Hard to see Fulham getting even a share of the points.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Chelski up 1-0 at half time from a sweet Essien through-ball to Drogba down the right channel and then into the box. Drogba finds Anelka in the middle on a late run and Anelka slides and meets the ball just a few feet from goal. Not much Burnley could do about that one.

Burnley played very well in the first half and were unfortunate not to make it to the break at 0-0. Should be an interesting second half for them.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Tottenham got lucky, but it counts.

Peter Crouch is such a weapon.
 
Re: World Soccer X: Duh, duh, duh, duh...The Champions!

Were 5 minutes of stoppage time so **** necessary for Tottenham to pot that goal?

Thankfully Liverpool fought back against Bolton after a dubious second yellow for Bolton's Steven Davies.

Though they got away with two handballs so maybe that evens things out.
 
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