Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[Suburbia]

Man City are World Champs.

Congratulations to the fans of Man City.

PSG is better than Man City in almost every single position.

Icardi > Jesus
Mbappe > Sterling
Messi > Foden/Mahrez
Neymar > De Bruyne
Verratti > Gundogan
Wijnaldum/Paredes < Bernardo
Gana = Fernandinho
Hakimi > Cancelo
Marquinhos/Ramos/Kimpembe > Dias/Stones/Laporte
Bernat = Walker
Donnarumma > Ederson
PSG Bench < Man City Bench

Do you think PSG and Chelsea can match up with them in terms of UEFA championship final?

[Suburbia]

Ronaldo may come back home---to Man U...

https://www.espn.com/soccer/manchester-city-engman_city/story/4462735/cristiano-ronaldo-to-manchester-city-off-manchester-united-now-frontrunners-sources

Either way, one of these teams will win the Premier League: Man U/Man City/Liverpool/Chelsea

[Suburbia]

It's a shame that a good man like Ben Mee is stuck at Burnley when he could be at a team who is a perennial title contender....


https://www.espn.co.uk/football/english-premier-league/story/4086711/mee-on-premier-league-captains-creating-playerstogether-to-help-nhs-during-coronavirus-crisis-we-want-to-do-our-bit

[Suburbia]

RONALDO COMES HOME

Manchester United

Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are lucky men....they get to play with the greatest.

He'll push them to the limit---achieve greatness.

Man U is a title contender. Title or bust. Period.

https://clutchpoints.com/cristiano-ronaldo-set-to-return-to-manchester-united/

[Suburbia]

Man Utd are a legit good team. Full-backs are questionable, but Ronaldo should be getting excellent service from Sancho, Pogba and Fernandes. Now the world will see what a hopeless coach Solksjaer is, because they still won't win anything beyond maybe an FA Cup or Europa League.

Ronaldo won't accept anything less than titles....a treble

[Suburbia]

Man Utd are a legit good team. Full-backs are questionable, but Ronaldo should be getting excellent service from Sancho, Pogba and Fernandes. Now the world will see what a hopeless coach Solksjaer is, because they still won't win anything beyond maybe an FA Cup or Europa League.

Ronaldo won't accept anything less than titles....a treble

Yeah, I agree. But the only place where was really successful, and happy, was in United. Real was a fiasco as was Juve.

Well, yes. But I am sure he was happy at Real, he won a lot of titles there 

[Suburbia]

Liverpool vs Chelsea was one of the best games I've watched in a while

Love the intensity, the edge, the rage...

It was broadcast on NBC this morning, so I saw it....

Should be a high rated episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70YBRjBSjIE

[Suburbia]

The Premier League table after 3 matchweeks: Sp*rs leading the table, while Arsenal are in last.  Depressing for Gunners fans.

https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1432052219499712512

Tottenham is still good with Kane.....can it last?

That's the question...

[Suburbia]

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson signs a 5-yr deal

He will be a Liverpool for Life....

He is a Icon for the Team

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/442265-jordan-henderson-signs-new-contract-with-liverpool-fc

[Suburbia]

For the first time since July 11, England's men's national football team is trying to exorcise those demons.....

[Suburbia]

England players were racially harassed despite their WC qualifying win today

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58428699

[Suburbia]

USMT should not waste Pulisic's prime.....if they can't make serious inroads by now and 2026, it would be a waste....

Maybe they should hire Alexi Lalas as their manager....

And Lalas, now a commentator for Fox Sports, made his feelings clear -- player by player -- on a live, televised tirade during Sunday night's broadcast of the Seattle Sounders-LA Galaxy game.

"It's dark days, indeed, but this is a time for leaders to step up," he began. "And so to the supposed leaders, I will say this....

"Tim Howard. Tim, the Belgium game ended three years ago. We need you to save the ball now. Geoff Cameron. Clean it up, or let's get someone who will.

"Clint Dempsey. Yeah, you're a national team legend; now we need you to be a national team leader.

"Michael Bradley. The U.S. does not need you to be zen, the U.S. needs you to play better. Jozy Altidore. Is this really as good as it gets? Because it's still not good enough."

Lalas also targeted U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who before the loss to Costa Rica enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak this year upon replacing Jurgen Klinsmann.

"Bruce Arena. Jurgen Klinsmann lost at home to Mexico. You lost at home to Costa Rica. This is now all on you, not Jurgen," he continued.

And he also took a shot at young star Christian Pulisic, adding: "And, oh, by the way, to all the guys that I didn't mention, it's because you don't even warrant a mention. That includes you too, Wonder Boy."

Lalas, who played for the United States at the 1994 World Cup, concluded by targeting the mindset of the current team and saying that they owed their supporters better performances.

"So, what are you guys going to do?" Lalas went on. "Are you going to continue to be a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires? You are a soccer generation that has been given everything; you are a soccer generation who's on the verge of squandering everything.

"So now it's time to pay it back. Make us believe again. You don't owe it to yourselves, you owe it to us."

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3201429/alexi-lalas-blasts-us-national-teams-soft-underperforming-tattooed-millionaires-in-tirade

[Suburbia]

USMT should not waste Pulisic's prime.....if they can't make serious inroads by now and 2026, it would be a waste....

Maybe they should hire Alexi Lalas as their manager....

And Lalas, now a commentator for Fox Sports, made his feelings clear -- player by player -- on a live, televised tirade during Sunday night's broadcast of the Seattle Sounders-LA Galaxy game.

"It's dark days, indeed, but this is a time for leaders to step up," he began. "And so to the supposed leaders, I will say this....

"Tim Howard. Tim, the Belgium game ended three years ago. We need you to save the ball now. Geoff Cameron. Clean it up, or let's get someone who will.

"Clint Dempsey. Yeah, you're a national team legend; now we need you to be a national team leader.

"Michael Bradley. The U.S. does not need you to be zen, the U.S. needs you to play better. Jozy Altidore. Is this really as good as it gets? Because it's still not good enough."

Lalas also targeted U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who before the loss to Costa Rica enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak this year upon replacing Jurgen Klinsmann.

"Bruce Arena. Jurgen Klinsmann lost at home to Mexico. You lost at home to Costa Rica. This is now all on you, not Jurgen," he continued.

And he also took a shot at young star Christian Pulisic, adding: "And, oh, by the way, to all the guys that I didn't mention, it's because you don't even warrant a mention. That includes you too, Wonder Boy."

Lalas, who played for the United States at the 1994 World Cup, concluded by targeting the mindset of the current team and saying that they owed their supporters better performances.

"So, what are you guys going to do?" Lalas went on. "Are you going to continue to be a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires? You are a soccer generation that has been given everything; you are a soccer generation who's on the verge of squandering everything.

"So now it's time to pay it back. Make us believe again. You don't owe it to yourselves, you owe it to us."

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3201429/alexi-lalas-blasts-us-national-teams-soft-underperforming-tattooed-millionaires-in-tirade

Pep Guardiola's apparently going to leave Manchester City to coach a National team, after his contract runs out in 2023. If the U.S moves quickly they could snap Guardiola up to coach the National Team.

Hmm......would Lalas be a good fit for the team?

Would Guardiola want to coach the US? They may not be developed for him yet. He likes teams who wins now, he is a win now coach, a team like England or something I can see him managing, especially if Southgate does not get England to the World Cup title in 2022 or something....

We will see....

[Suburbia]

Three good games to watch this weekend.

Leicester City/Manchester City and RB Leipzig/Bayern Munich on Saturday, and then AC Milan/Lazio on Sunday.

Plus Ronaldo makes his debut Saturday as a Manchester United player for the first time since 2009....I am surprised that games are being played on Sept 11, since it changed the world forever

[Suburbia]

Wilifred Zaha is a tough player, he always gets into scuffles with other players.....yesterday during a Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur game....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wtqaB48Lnc

[Suburbia]

Ronaldo did what he does best: win...in his return at Old Trafford Saturday with two goals...

https://www.espn.com/soccer/report?gameId=606004

[Suburbia]

Poor Ben Mee.

Burnley blew a 1-0 lead today against Everton.

Some Redditers are glad Burnley is 0-4 so far because of the town's "racism" and the blue-collar Tory lurch after Labor MP Julie Cooper lost in 2019....

[Suburbia]

Poor Ben Mee.

Burnley blew a 1-0 lead today against Everton.

Some Redditers are glad Burnley is 0-4 so far because of the town's "racism" and the blue-collar Tory lurch after Labor MP Julie Cooper lost in 2019....

lol

It's the truth.

Mee is the captain, he signed a deal to stay at Burnley, England's version of the Pittsburgh Pirates....small-town team....

Mee should have went to Arsenal or some other well known team.

[Suburbia]

Liverpool won a good game today, Mo Salah was good as usual.

Salah is one of the best players in the world, it's no surprise that Salah's presence at Liverpool has reduced hate crimes and Islamophobia in Liverpool, England....

https://www.yahoo.com/now/mohamed-salah-liverpool-islamophobia-hate-crimes-100136927.html

[Suburbia]

USMT should not waste Pulisic's prime.....if they can't make serious inroads by now and 2026, it would be a waste....

Maybe they should hire Alexi Lalas as their manager....

And Lalas, now a commentator for Fox Sports, made his feelings clear -- player by player -- on a live, televised tirade during Sunday night's broadcast of the Seattle Sounders-LA Galaxy game.

"It's dark days, indeed, but this is a time for leaders to step up," he began. "And so to the supposed leaders, I will say this....

"Tim Howard. Tim, the Belgium game ended three years ago. We need you to save the ball now. Geoff Cameron. Clean it up, or let's get someone who will.

"Clint Dempsey. Yeah, you're a national team legend; now we need you to be a national team leader.

"Michael Bradley. The U.S. does not need you to be zen, the U.S. needs you to play better. Jozy Altidore. Is this really as good as it gets? Because it's still not good enough."

Lalas also targeted U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who before the loss to Costa Rica enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak this year upon replacing Jurgen Klinsmann.

"Bruce Arena. Jurgen Klinsmann lost at home to Mexico. You lost at home to Costa Rica. This is now all on you, not Jurgen," he continued.

And he also took a shot at young star Christian Pulisic, adding: "And, oh, by the way, to all the guys that I didn't mention, it's because you don't even warrant a mention. That includes you too, Wonder Boy."

Lalas, who played for the United States at the 1994 World Cup, concluded by targeting the mindset of the current team and saying that they owed their supporters better performances.

"So, what are you guys going to do?" Lalas went on. "Are you going to continue to be a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires? You are a soccer generation that has been given everything; you are a soccer generation who's on the verge of squandering everything.

"So now it's time to pay it back. Make us believe again. You don't owe it to yourselves, you owe it to us."

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3201429/alexi-lalas-blasts-us-national-teams-soft-underperforming-tattooed-millionaires-in-tirade

Pep Guardiola's apparently going to leave Manchester City to coach a National team, after his contract runs out in 2023. If the U.S moves quickly they could snap Guardiola up to coach the National Team.

I don't know if Guardiola can connect with white middle America, the people needed if US Men Soccer is going to soar if he is going to say things like this:

“White people should apologise for the way we treated black people in the last 400 years,” Guardiola told a news conference after his team’s 3-0 win over Arsenal.

“I feel ashamed for what we have done for black people around the world, not just America, the problem is everywhere.”

Guardiola had addressed the issue in his pitchside interview with Sky Sports.

“We should send a thousand million messages for the black people. I’m embarrassed and ashamed of what the white people have done for the black people,” he said.

“Just because you are born a different colour of skin, how do people think they are different to the other one?,” added the Spaniard.

All the players’ names on the back of their shirts were replaced with the words “Black Lives Matter” as the league formally joined the international protest campaign sparked by the death last month of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

“All the messages are positive and we have to fight,” Guardiola said. “Everything we can do to make it conscious, it is not acceptable. We have to do a lot of things for the black people which we have not done so far.

“We have to do a lot of things for the black people which we have not done so far,” the Spaniard added.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-mci-ars-guardiola/white-people-should-apologise-for-racism-says-guardiola-idUKKBN23O3NF

[Suburbia]

Arsenal just beat the crap out of Tottenham Hotspur 3-1.

I guess all the "Arsenal is going to be relegated" talk is bunk.

Indeed, if you look at the table, Arsenal's climbed to 14th with two wins in a row, and gets a relatively easy matchup with Brighton&Hove Albion next, While Tottenham Hotspur has dropped points in their last three league games, getting blown out by Crystal Palace and Chelsea, and drawing with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

I have to speculate that Tottenham pulls the trigger on a Harry Kane sale in the winter transfer window if someone like Manchester City makes a bid. They're not going anywhere fast, and Kane clearly doesn't want to stay.

Agreed. I'd rather be Arsenal than Tottenham right now.

I agree that Harry Kane will probably leave pretty soon and Tottenham will slide into irrelevance.

Tottenham's glory days are clearly over (tbf, so are Arsenal's, but at least Arsenal have prestige and a history to attract players and stuff to a degree Tottenham do not if they're not getting results).

Kane goes to Man City and they win the whole thing---including Champs of Europe 2022

[Suburbia]

USMT should not waste Pulisic's prime.....if they can't make serious inroads by now and 2026, it would be a waste....

Maybe they should hire Alexi Lalas as their manager....

And Lalas, now a commentator for Fox Sports, made his feelings clear -- player by player -- on a live, televised tirade during Sunday night's broadcast of the Seattle Sounders-LA Galaxy game.

"It's dark days, indeed, but this is a time for leaders to step up," he began. "And so to the supposed leaders, I will say this....

"Tim Howard. Tim, the Belgium game ended three years ago. We need you to save the ball now. Geoff Cameron. Clean it up, or let's get someone who will.

"Clint Dempsey. Yeah, you're a national team legend; now we need you to be a national team leader.

"Michael Bradley. The U.S. does not need you to be zen, the U.S. needs you to play better. Jozy Altidore. Is this really as good as it gets? Because it's still not good enough."

Lalas also targeted U.S. coach Bruce Arena, who before the loss to Costa Rica enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak this year upon replacing Jurgen Klinsmann.

"Bruce Arena. Jurgen Klinsmann lost at home to Mexico. You lost at home to Costa Rica. This is now all on you, not Jurgen," he continued.

And he also took a shot at young star Christian Pulisic, adding: "And, oh, by the way, to all the guys that I didn't mention, it's because you don't even warrant a mention. That includes you too, Wonder Boy."

Lalas, who played for the United States at the 1994 World Cup, concluded by targeting the mindset of the current team and saying that they owed their supporters better performances.

"So, what are you guys going to do?" Lalas went on. "Are you going to continue to be a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires? You are a soccer generation that has been given everything; you are a soccer generation who's on the verge of squandering everything.

"So now it's time to pay it back. Make us believe again. You don't owe it to yourselves, you owe it to us."

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3201429/alexi-lalas-blasts-us-national-teams-soft-underperforming-tattooed-millionaires-in-tirade

Pep Guardiola's apparently going to leave Manchester City to coach a National team, after his contract runs out in 2023. If the U.S moves quickly they could snap Guardiola up to coach the National Team.

I don't know if Guardiola can connect with white middle America, the people needed if US Men Soccer is going to soar if he is going to say things like this:

“White people should apologise for the way we treated black people in the last 400 years,” Guardiola told a news conference after his team’s 3-0 win over Arsenal.

“I feel ashamed for what we have done for black people around the world, not just America, the problem is everywhere.”

Guardiola had addressed the issue in his pitchside interview with Sky Sports.

“We should send a thousand million messages for the black people. I’m embarrassed and ashamed of what the white people have done for the black people,” he said.

“Just because you are born a different colour of skin, how do people think they are different to the other one?,” added the Spaniard.

All the players’ names on the back of their shirts were replaced with the words “Black Lives Matter” as the league formally joined the international protest campaign sparked by the death last month of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

“All the messages are positive and we have to fight,” Guardiola said. “Everything we can do to make it conscious, it is not acceptable. We have to do a lot of things for the black people which we have not done so far.

“We have to do a lot of things for the black people which we have not done so far,” the Spaniard added.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-mci-ars-guardiola/white-people-should-apologise-for-racism-says-guardiola-idUKKBN23O3NF

Bronz, White Middle America would be never be caught dead at an Association Football match in the first place, so Guardiola's hire wouldn't affect them at all.

They'd prefer American Football or Baseball.

You're wrong about that. Alexi Lalas came from Middle America. Taylor Twellman came from Middle America. White middle America is in love with Christian Pulisic, he is the star, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey don't get much coverage Christian gets every morning on The Today Show, GMA, etc.

Guardiola will be seen as another Popovich and Kerr, they like coaches like Tortorella and Belichick

[Suburbia]

Mohamed Salah is the best soccer player in the world right now....and it has to send chills up Messi/Ronaldo/KDB's spines....

It has to send chills down white people's spines as well....

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-man-city-salah-contract-goal-b1931532.html

[Suburbia]

Really bad loss for the United States today against Panama in Panama City, as Anibal Godoy of Nashville SC scores the lone goal of the game for Panama.

I have to wonder, despite the United States now being tied with Mexico at the top of the table, if this loss will mean the end of the road for Gregg Berhalter as manager.

It's sad.

[Suburbia]

New York FC Club won the MLS Cup.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/nycfc-s-leadership-core-delivers-first-mls-cup-and-the-promise-of-a-bright-blue-

Unfortunately, most New Yorkers don't even know they exist. Major League Soccer is way behind the Premier League and other leagues globally.