Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

How is Canada still on top of the Octagonal?... Weather obviously plays a big role at home (how is it even allowed to play games in Edmonton in winter LOL), but they've been undefeated away, too.

They aren't going to be on top when we beat them on Sunday.

[NewYorkExpress]

One more notable transfer today:

Ilax Moriba heads on loan from RB Leipzig to Valencia.

[NewYorkExpress]

How is Canada still on top of the Octagonal?... Weather obviously plays a big role at home (how is it even allowed to play games in Edmonton in winter LOL), but they've been undefeated away, too.

They aren't going to be on top when we beat them on Sunday.

Hello. Wrong as usual.

I have no idea how we lost, let alone lost 2-0. Canada shouldn't be this good.

[NewYorkExpress]

Several high-profile transfers in the past couple of days.

Dusan Vlahovic is heading from Fiorentia to Juventus in a 70 million Euro deal.

Bruno Guimaraes is headed from Lyon to Newcastle United in a 42.1 million Euro deal.

[NewYorkExpress]

With the Transfer Deadline almost here (11:00 tonight) several major moves have taken place.

Luis Diaz is heading from Porto to Liverpool in a 45 million Euro deal.

Donny Van De Beek heads on loan from Manchester United to Everton.

Tanguy Ndombele heads on loan from Tottenham Hotspur to Olympique Lyonnais with a 65 million Euro option to buy.,

Dejan Kulusevski heads on loan from Juventus to Tottenham Hotspur with a 35 million mandatory purchase clause in summer 2023.

Denis Zakaria is heading from Borussia Monchengladbach to Juventus in a 5 million Euro deal.

Julian Alvarez is heading from River Plate to Manchester City in a 17 million Euro deal, however he will remain on loan at River Plate for another six months.

Rodrigo Betancur is heading from Juventus to Tottenham Hotspur in a 19 million Euro deal.

[NewYorkExpress]

Dele Alli went from Tottenham Hotspur to Everton at the deadline for practically nothing.

[NewYorkExpress]

My goodness, we flattened Honduras, 3-0.

All we probably need to do is get six points (and maybe even only four depending on how Mexico and Canada do), in the next window against Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica.

Of course, we have to go to Estadio Azteca and Estadio Nacional, two venues we usually lose at...

[NewYorkExpress]

A couple of notes related to the war in Ukraine. Poland and Sweden are refusing to play Russia in World Cup Qualifying playoff matches, and the UEFA Champions League Finals have been moved from Krestovsky Stadium to the Stade de France.

[NewYorkExpress]

Also related to the war in Ukraine, Roman Abromovich has given up day-to-day control of Chelsea, and likely will be forced to sell the club to avoid sanctions.

[NewYorkExpress]

Newcastle United on fire, beat Brentford 2-0 for their fifth win in their past eight games (the only dropped points being draws against West Ham, Watford and Manchester United). They now sit 15th with 25 points, four points away from the drop.

[NewYorkExpress]

Marcelo Bielsa sacked by Leeds United. Former RB Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch the leading candidate to replace him.

[NewYorkExpress]

I wonder if an American or British billionaire will buy it? Jerry Jones? Robert Kraft? Mark Cuban?

Jeff Bezos buying Chelsea wouldn't be a bad thing, right?

[NewYorkExpress]

I wonder if an American or British billionaire will buy it? Jerry Jones? Robert Kraft? Mark Cuban?

Jeff Bezos buying Chelsea wouldn't be a bad thing, right?

It would make him more unpopular.

That depends on whether Bezos throws hundreds of millions of dollars into Chelsea a season.

Hell, any new owner who doesn't do that is going to be unpopular with the fans after the amounts of money Abromovich spent.

[NewYorkExpress]

Manchester Derby tomorrow.

How many goals will Manchester City win by?

[NewYorkExpress]

A Liga MX match between Atlas and Queretaro was suspended in the 63rd minute with Atlas leading 1-0, with after a massive brawl between rival groups of fans broke out.

Saturday's Liga MX match between Queretaro and Atlas was suspended following scenes of violence in the stands that spilled onto the pitch of the Estadio Corregidora.

During the 63rd minute of the match, fans sprinted onto the field to avoid fights that had broken out between supporters of the rival teams. With the score at 1-0 in favor of visitors Atlas, referee Fernando Guerrero stopped the game as more fans began to seek safety on the field.

Guerrero suspended the match initially in hopes order would be restored. However, the violence continued to spread across the upper bowl of the stadium, which hosted World Cup games in 1986. After hundreds of fans continued to flood the field of play, Guerrero halted the game for good.

Pictures and videos shared on social media showed people being beaten, kicked and dragged while others had been left lying on the ground, covered in blood, in what appeared to be the seating area of the stadium in the central city of Queretaro.

.....

Following the suspension of the game, the state of Queretaro's Civil Protection Coordination confirmed that 22 people had been injured, and nine people taken to the hospital --- two of which are in critical condition.

[NewYorkExpress]

Chelsea should face heavy point deductions and possibly automatic relegation for this, as the UK sanctions Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.


Joe Prince-Wright at NBC Sports:

The potential sale of Chelsea has been thrown into uncertainty, as owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government and his assets, including Chelsea Football Club, have been frozen.


Chelsea have been given a special license (which runs out on May 31, 2022) to continue to operate as a club but they will not be able to buy and sell players, hand out new contracts to current players and benefit financially through merchandise, new ticket sales and many other avenues.

The UK government may ‘vary, revoke or suspend’ this license at any time, so there is the potential for the license to change in order for Chelsea to be sold but it appears the UK government will take over that process.

As of right now, the sale of the club is on hold as Abramovich was said to be close to selling Chelsea in the coming days for a reported fee of over $3 billion, as he previously said net profits would be donated to victims of the war in Ukraine.

Forget automatic relegation, why should the government allow Chelsea F.C to operate at all?

[NewYorkExpress]

Pretty sizable Champions League upset (at least in my opinion) as Villarreal wins 3-0 today in Turin, to finish off a 4-1 aggregate knockout of Juventus.

[NewYorkExpress]

Barcelona is back! Barcelona crushes Real Madrid, wins El Clasico 4-0.

With the El Clasico demolition job, Barcelona is now third, at 54 points, level with Atletico Madrid (and ahead of them on goal differential), three points behind Sevilla for second, and twelve points behind Real Madrid for the lead.

[NewYorkExpress]

Friday Night:

USA/Mexico at Estadio Azteca for all the marbles.

This is going to be a tough one, as we're going to Estadio Azteca, where we don't historically do well, and we'll be without several of our best players in Barcelona Full Back Sergino Dest, Wolfsburg Defender John Brooks and Juventus Defensive Midfielder Weston McKennie, all of whom are out with injuries.

If we win or draw and against Mexico, and follow it up with at least one win against against Panama and Costa Rica, we should lock up an automatic qualification spot and avoid the playoff against the OFC Champion (which I presume will be New Zealand).

[NewYorkExpress]

I think we've found our 2022 World Cup Champion.

[NewYorkExpress]

I think we've found our 2022 World Cup Champion.

Who?

North Macedonia, who apparently beat Italy today and I didn't notice.

[NewYorkExpress]

Halfway through in USA/Mexico, and we are scoreless.

While the time of possession favors Mexico, 57%-43%, the USA is clearly outplaying El Tri when they do have the ball.

I still would be surprised if we actually win this one, but getting a draw, and thus one very important point wouldn't shock me at all right now.

[NewYorkExpress]

Well, we got a draw against Mexico, but more importantly, we outplayed Mexico at Estadio Azteca. We were very unlucky not to win this one.

All we need now is just one win against either Costa Rica or Panama and we'll be heading to Qatar this winter.

[NewYorkExpress]

USA just 45 minutes from locking up a spot in Qatar, as they are dominating Panama 4-0, halfway through.

[NewYorkExpress]

USMNT won 5-1 over Panama, with Christian Pulisic having a hat trick (including 2 from the spot). They clinch themselves at least an intercontinental playoffs place by placing Top 4 in the Octogonal and a good chance at clinching a ticket to Qatar outright on Wednesday.

It's pretty much over. For us to go to the playoff, rather than straight to Qatar, we'd need to lose to Costa Rica on Wednesday by six goals.