World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

[Malts18]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

I'm sad to see the FA Cup turned into a 2nd level cup. I still think it's higher than the League Cup, but the Big 4 could care less about it. They think it's another set of fixtures to worry about. Teams like a Spurs or a Stoke are the ones that will be winning the Cup from here on out unless United and the others decide to play like they mean it.

Seems like this is becoming more and more of a trend...

 

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

I don't agree with Mountie at all. I think the FA Cup is still huge. It's almost always still a Big 4 team that wins the title. Just because this year is an aberration means nothing.

 

[Malts18]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Oh and in ACON Egypt shocks Cameroon 3-1 in extra time, including a goal that never crossed the line but the linesman blew the call.

Cameroon outplayed Egypt for almost the entire match.

And to the delight of just about everyone its Algeria versus Egypt in the semis. Hello footie violence.

Call me biased or downright greedy, but I am glad Cameroon lost... I want Alex Song back in the Arsenal midfield posthaste. Exxcccceeeelllllleeennnnttt!!!

 

[Malts18]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

I don't agree with Mountie at all. I think the FA Cup is still huge. It's almost always still a Big 4 team that wins the title. Just because this year is an aberration means nothing.

TBA... Scroll down and check Colby's post... that is the one that is more on the mark, IMO.

 

[pirate]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

TBA... Scroll down and check Colby's post... that is the one that is more on the mark, IMO.

Yeah, that does sum it up pretty well. Once in a while a top team might get upset after playing some reserves...a calculated risk based on where they stand in the table and other tourneys.

For Villa, they need to get some hardware so they will hopefully continue to go full out in both Carling and FA.

 

[Malts18]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Wolves drew with Liverpool today, 0-0?? Wow... how Rafa still has a job is anyone's guess. What a disaster....

 

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

For a long time Liverpool relied on Gerrard for everything. He's been entirely invisible this season and by his standards this is easily the worst season of his career.

As Gerrard goes, so does the season.

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Rafa may be going to Juve anyways. I think the time is right for him to get out of Dodge.

Terrier, I do think the teams take the FA Cup lightly because they have Europe to worry about. True, the stats have shown the Big 4 winning, but the trend may be starting to show. Look at Pompey a couple years ago. I think the FA Cup is a great tourney, but I wish Arsene woud have played it straight because Stoke is a pain the rear. It wasn't like they were playing Plymouth Argyle or Ipswich Town.

 

[Malts18]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Rafa may be going to Juve anyways. I think the time is right for him to get out of Dodge.

Terrier, I do think the teams take the FA Cup lightly because they have Europe to worry about. True, the stats have shown the Big 4 winning, but the trend may be starting to show. Look at Pompey a couple years ago. I think the FA Cup is a great tourney, but I wish Arsene woud have played it straight because Stoke is a pain the rear. It wasn't like they were playing Plymouth Argyle or Ipswich Town.

Mountie... I know Arsenal. Wenger was happy to stay in the competition on HIS terms -- and that meant doing so with a lesser side so he could give his "A" team a much needed rest with the biggest part of the season coming up starting tomorrow at Villa and then back home on Sunday vs Man Utd. Then, one week from Sunday Arsenal has Chelski at Stamford Bridge and the following Wednesday will have Liverpool back at Emirates. This stretch WILL determine whether or not Arsenal hangs at the top for the rest of the season.

Arsenal's last league crown came in 03-04 and this is their first sniff since. There is no way Wenger was going to allow the FA Cup to derail the best shot this club has had since then. Also, consider how banged up the Gunners have been this year (9 regulars have been out of the line-up at some point this season) and you have a manager doing anything he can to keep his team in the mix for the most improbable of league crown titles. It is a three-horse race to the wire... and if the FA Cup had to be a casualty this year, so be it.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

I generally agree. Though I'd note Arsenal had a serious sniff at the title two seasons ago, when they finished just 4 points off the pace.

 

[blockski]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

"The Chiefs play Hyannisport tonight at 8 at the War Memorial. Good seats are still available."

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organi...tickets+sold+2010+fifa+world+cup+south+africa

After three of five ticketing sales phases for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa, two-thirds of the available tickets have been sold.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/0127/worldcup.html

FIFA have named England and Germany as two of the many culprits that continue to portray South Africa in a negative light ahead of the World Cup.

The world governing body today released figures from their latest ticket-sales phase and initial numbers suggest that two out of three million tickets have been sold with less than five months to go before kick-off.

The third window period for sales ended last week with a total of 1,206,865 applications received from 192 countries - apart from the hosts, the highest demand has come from the USA (50,217), the UK (41,529) and Australia (15,523).

But the organisation's general secretary Jerome Valcke said: 'It's sad that every morning you wake up and every morning there are articles from the world's football family saying that people should not fly to South Africa, that this is a dangerous country, that this is not good, that there is no way this person should fly to South Africa because it is a crazy country, that FIFA and (Sepp) Blatter made the wrong decision to host the World Cup in South Africa.

'What we are asking is for fair treatment for South Africa, the same treatment that all the other World Cup countries got.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

FIFA have named England and Germany as two of the many culprits that continue to portray South Africa in a negative light ahead of the World Cup.

Far be it for anyone to point out that the emperor has no clothes.

 

[AMC]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Landon Donovan just scored his first EPL goal.

 

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Landon Donovan just scored his first EPL goal.

Excellent, excellent. Finally some good news about a national team player.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Excellent, excellent. Finally some good news about a national team player.

And about a guy I picked up for my fantasy team.

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Loved seeing Rooney send United to the Carling Cup Final. What a wonderful day. The U.S. needs to worry about this man. It's always nice to beat City. I guess that Busta Rhymes song "Arab Money" ain't helping

Terrier, I do understand your point. If you think your B team can beat Stoke, then I think it's a compliment to the depth of your side. It's understandable why Arsene wants to rotate people with the impending fixtures. I guess I am still a romantic for the old days of the FA Cup.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Terrier, I do understand your point. If you think your B team can beat Stoke, then I think it's a compliment to the depth of your side. It's understandable why Arsene wants to rotate people with the impending fixtures. I guess I am still a romantic for the old days of the FA Cup.

In "the old days" lots of different teams won it, now it's almost always the same four teams year after year. The old days sound better to me but I'm not sure what you're complaining about.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Loved seeing Rooney send United to the Carling Cup Final. What a wonderful day. The U.S. needs to worry about this man.

No, I'm sure Bradley is sitting back in his office going... "Rooney? Pfft."

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

What I meant about old days is that teams would go all out in every competition. Nowadays, some of the bigger clubs could care less about the cup competitions. I do also see the point where it's more money to get to Europe than to win the League Cup.

I do miss the fact that it's the same 4 teams. I'm not a Spurs fan, but I love seeing them in the top 4. I watched the BBC series "Match of the 70s" and I know Liverpool won a lot, but you had Arsenal, Leeds, Derby and Forrest win. Also, Ipswich, United, City and others contend. I love how pundits say there is more parity, but the same four teams are on top every year.

 

[pirate]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

What I meant about old days is that teams would go all out in every competition. Nowadays, some of the bigger clubs could care less about the cup competitions. I do also see the point where it's more money to get to Europe than to win the League Cup.

I do miss the fact that it's the same 4 teams. I'm not a Spurs fan, but I love seeing them in the top 4. I watched the BBC series "Match of the 70s" and I know Liverpool won a lot, but you had Arsenal, Leeds, Derby and Forrest win. Also, Ipswich, United, City and others contend. I love how pundits say there is more parity, but the same four teams are on top every year.

I dont' know if the top 4 couldn't care less or if their lineups indicate exactly how much they care...they care enough to put 5-6 of their top line players out there against lower level teams but not their top 11. In my mind they care, they care enough to try to win without losing top players or at least win while resting some knicked players.

The players do wear down with too much training and playing...the top 4 could care less, they could play the entire reserve team.