Ultimate Football (Soccer) Thread (2012-2013)

[Cromarty]

Seeing as the Premier League and SPL fixture lists were published today, seemed like a good enough reason to post the new thread.

Premier League fixtures: Man City begin against Southampton

Manchester City will begin the defence of their Premier League title at home to newly promoted Southampton.

Runners-up Manchester United start their campaign at Everton when the top flight kicks off on 18 August.

Reading return to the Premier League by hosting Stoke, while promoted West Ham entertain Aston Villa.

The Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium takes place on 8 December with the return fixture at Old Trafford scheduled for 6 April.
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SPL fixtures: 'Club 12' travel to Kilmarnock for opener

The Scottish Premier League has scheduled "Club 12" to play Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on the opening day of season 2012-13 on Saturday 4 August.

The league has a space available as Rangers are being liquidated and the member clubs have yet to vote on whether the "newco" can take its place.
Champions Celtic will begin their campaign when they host Aberdeen.

Hearts host St Johnstone, newly promoted Ross County welcome Motherwell and Inverness CT travel to St Mirren.
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Barclay's Premier League fixtures
nPower Championship Fixtures
nPower League One Fixtures
nPower League 2 Fixtures
Clydesdale Bank Premier League Fixtures

[Souseiseki]

SPLITTER

[Samuraikoku]

Go United!

[Souseiseki]

rangers ahahahahahahahaha

[Cromarty]

rangers ahahahahahahahaha

Don't you mean the Rangers?

[Souseiseki]

rangers ahahahahahahahaha

Don't you mean the Rangers?

no

[Your Ex-Girlfriend]

Go Parrots!

[Central Lothian]

Go Club 12. Apart from when you place us.

[Serrland]

You sly dog, beat me to it! I was just going to rename the old one


Rumor floating around the States now is that soon Lampard will be with us. Probably pairing with Becks out in LA. Any British sports tabloids picking that up?

[The Blaatschapen]

You sly dog, beat me to it! I was just going to rename the old one


Rumor floating around the States now is that soon Lampard will be with us. Probably pairing with Becks out in LA. Any British sports tabloids picking that up?

No idea, but I also heard that Seedorf was seen at LA Galaxy. Any news about that?

Edit: Oh, he went to Botafogo already.

[Serrland]

You sly dog, beat me to it! I was just going to rename the old one


Rumor floating around the States now is that soon Lampard will be with us. Probably pairing with Becks out in LA. Any British sports tabloids picking that up?

No idea, but I also heard that Seedorf was seen at LA Galaxy. Any news about that?

Edit: Oh, he went to Botafogo already.

Hadn't heard about that, but LA is keen (Keane lololol) to sign another big name foreigner. Not that Seedorf is that much of a big name over here, mind. I'm still closely following my Fire's effort to bring Shevchenko aboard. He wants to come play in the MLS, and Chicago wants him, but it remains to be seen whether or not the pen will hit the paper. Seems close now, though, should find out one way or another by this time next week.

[Risottia]

So, any guesses about Juventus-Napoli at Beijing for the Supercoppa Italiana?

[Laerod]

Meh. Hertha's in the second league again =I

[The Blaatschapen]

No idea, but I also heard that Seedorf was seen at LA Galaxy. Any news about that?

Edit: Oh, he went to Botafogo already.

Hadn't heard about that, but LA is keen (Keane lololol) to sign another big name foreigner. Not that Seedorf is that much of a big name over here, mind. I'm still closely following my Fire's effort to bring Shevchenko aboard. He wants to come play in the MLS, and Chicago wants him, but it remains to be seen whether or not the pen will hit the paper. Seems close now, though, should find out one way or another by this time next week.

Seedorf at LA Galaxy ( http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... tm&act=url )

But now I wonder, how big is professional soccer in the USA already. I hear a lot about LA Galaxy and ofcourse Beckham, but at what level do they play? Would LA Galaxy trounce the Dutch teams in the Eredivisie, or be in the middle of them, or would the Eredivisie teams slaughter them (I'll assume that the average MLS team will not be capable of playing in the Premier League or the Spanish or Italian top league).

[Serrland]

Hadn't heard about that, but LA is keen (Keane lololol) to sign another big name foreigner. Not that Seedorf is that much of a big name over here, mind. I'm still closely following my Fire's effort to bring Shevchenko aboard. He wants to come play in the MLS, and Chicago wants him, but it remains to be seen whether or not the pen will hit the paper. Seems close now, though, should find out one way or another by this time next week.

Seedorf at LA Galaxy ( http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... tm&act=url )

But now I wonder, how big is professional soccer in the USA already. I hear a lot about LA Galaxy and ofcourse Beckham, but at what level do they play? Would LA Galaxy trounce the Dutch teams in the Eredivisie, or be in the middle of them, or would the Eredivisie teams slaughter them (I'll assume that the average MLS team will not be capable of playing in the Premier League or the Spanish or Italian top league).

I'd put most MLS teams at about the middle/bottom of the Championship when it comes to the English leagues. Maybe lower few spots of the Eredivisie. I see no reason why NYRB or DC United or RSL couldn't win against the likes of Breda or Venlo or a team of that stature.

Plenty of European teams play preseason matches against MLS teams. Last summer it took penalties for Man City to beat LA. Look at Man City's lineup that game, too. They brought their first team along to play.

Manchester City FC: Joe Hart; Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany (Stefan Savic, 61), Joleon Lescott, Gaël Clichy (Aleksandar Kolavov, 46); Adam Johnson (John Giudetti, 82), Nigel de Jong, David Silva (Shaun Wright-Phillips, 46), Gareth Barry (Vladimir Weiss, 76); Edin Dzeko (Denis Suarez, 88), Mario Balotelli (James Milner, 32). Unused subs: Dedryck Boyata, Erik Johnson, Ryan McGivern, Stuart Taylor, Frederic Veseli.

[The Blaatschapen]

Seedorf at LA Galaxy ( http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... tm&act=url )

But now I wonder, how big is professional soccer in the USA already. I hear a lot about LA Galaxy and ofcourse Beckham, but at what level do they play? Would LA Galaxy trounce the Dutch teams in the Eredivisie, or be in the middle of them, or would the Eredivisie teams slaughter them (I'll assume that the average MLS team will not be capable of playing in the Premier League or the Spanish or Italian top league).

I'd put most MLS teams at about the middle/bottom of the Championship when it comes to the English leagues. Maybe lower few spots of the Eredivisie. I see no reason why NYRB or DC United or RSL couldn't win against the likes of Breda or Venlo or a team of that stature.

Plenty of European teams play preseason matches against MLS teams. Last summer it took penalties for Man City to beat LA. Look at Man City's lineup that game, too. They brought their first team along to play.

Manchester City FC: Joe Hart; Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany (Stefan Savic, 61), Joleon Lescott, Gaël Clichy (Aleksandar Kolavov, 46); Adam Johnson (John Giudetti, 82), Nigel de Jong, David Silva (Shaun Wright-Phillips, 46), Gareth Barry (Vladimir Weiss, 76); Edin Dzeko (Denis Suarez, 88), Mario Balotelli (James Milner, 32). Unused subs: Dedryck Boyata, Erik Johnson, Ryan McGivern, Stuart Taylor, Frederic Veseli.

Ah, so middle of the Eredivisie, considering that NAC Breda can go anywhere between ~8 and 15th spot depending on the season. Next season will be shit though, we just lost 2 of our better players (to AZ and to Twente), and we're not getting great quality back. Though we have some youngsters which I hope will grow and become better

[Fartsniffage]

Plenty of European teams play preseason matches against MLS teams. Last summer it took penalties for Man City to beat LA. Look at Man City's lineup that game, too. They brought their first team along to play.

They brought their first team along to play a pre-season friendly against a non-team. There is a reason big teams come to play in the US, money and confidence when they half-arsed players beat the US team.

[Serrland]

Plenty of European teams play preseason matches against MLS teams. Last summer it took penalties for Man City to beat LA. Look at Man City's lineup that game, too. They brought their first team along to play.

They brought their first team along to play a pre-season friendly against a non-team. There is a reason big teams come to play in the US, money and confidence when they half-arsed players beat the US team.

I'm not claiming the MLS teams are Premier League quality. More saying that it wouldn't be impossible that MLS teams beat Premier League teams, much the way that Championship teams can beat Premier League teams in cup matches. As I said before, I see the MLS as being about on par with the 3rd quarter of the Championship table, where it to be divided into fourths.

[Serrland]

I'd put most MLS teams at about the middle/bottom of the Championship when it comes to the English leagues. Maybe lower few spots of the Eredivisie. I see no reason why NYRB or DC United or RSL couldn't win against the likes of Breda or Venlo or a team of that stature.

Plenty of European teams play preseason matches against MLS teams. Last summer it took penalties for Man City to beat LA. Look at Man City's lineup that game, too. They brought their first team along to play.

Ah, so middle of the Eredivisie, considering that NAC Breda can go anywhere between ~8 and 15th spot depending on the season. Next season will be shit though, we just lost 2 of our better players (to AZ and to Twente), and we're not getting great quality back. Though we have some youngsters which I hope will grow and become better

You made a mistake by passing up Jozy Altidore, I tell you. He'll be a top-5 scorer with AZ next year. Also the only American striker abroad that we can be proud of since Brian McBride with Fulham.

[The Blaatschapen]

Ah, so middle of the Eredivisie, considering that NAC Breda can go anywhere between ~8 and 15th spot depending on the season. Next season will be shit though, we just lost 2 of our better players (to AZ and to Twente), and we're not getting great quality back. Though we have some youngsters which I hope will grow and become better

You made a mistake by passing up Jozy Altidore, I tell you. He'll be a top-5 scorer with AZ next year. Also the only American striker abroad that we can be proud of since Brian McBride with Fulham.

When did we pass him up?

[Serrland]

You made a mistake by passing up Jozy Altidore, I tell you. He'll be a top-5 scorer with AZ next year. Also the only American striker abroad that we can be proud of since Brian McBride with Fulham.

When did we pass him up?

Towards the end of his tenure as USMNT boss, Bob Bradley kept trying to get him to leave Villarreal (because he was just riding the bench when he was there, and out on loan lots of times - not good for development to be moving around constantly). The Netherlands was one of the targeted places, and AZ snapped him up right away. I don't know if there was interest from other clubs in the Eredivisie or not, though.

[Lithatrius]

Nuts to all this, Conference South fixtures come out tomorrow. Come on the Sutton United, going up this season!

[The Blaatschapen]

When did we pass him up?

Towards the end of his tenure as USMNT boss, Bob Bradley kept trying to get him to leave Villarreal (because he was just riding the bench when he was there, and out on loan lots of times - not good for development to be moving around constantly). The Netherlands was one of the targeted places, and AZ snapped him up right away. I don't know if there was interest from other clubs in the Eredivisie or not, though.

I don't know. I only know that at the moment he's staying in Alkmaar, while 1 of the other 2 strikers from AZ is allowed to leave(at least, this was the case in May, perhaps one already did, i'm not following AZ that much). So AZ is not letting him go, that's why I was wondering: When did we pass him up

[Forsher]

Bunch of posts from the old thread. That is to say these would have gone in the old thread.

Its still stupid, 2 goals is not a lot for a team to score. Its presumptuous and stupid, to call a game before its over, it always is. I never said it was likely that Italy will win, especially now that its down to 10 men, but such assumptions look incredibly arrogant. Don't watch the rest of the game if you want, your choice, also source on the statistic please.

statistic source: Watching a lot of football in my 35 years on earth. I've seen about 5 or 6 teams comeback from being down 2-nil to win a match. Given that I've seen well over 2500 football matches of UEFA, Premiership, La Liga, Brundesliga, International and Olympic caliber matches; and i've seen just a 5 or 6 comebacks of that size gives me: a 0.0024% chance of seeing a team come back from being down 2-0. If anything I gave Italy more credit that they should have.

So is Spain the 2014 Favorites in Brazil??

I believe Brazil is always the favourite in Brazil.

Only 4 goals? BORING

I know. Funnily enough, when we played that game what did the Spain team score? That's right! Four goals. Sure, we did let three in...

This Spain squad has to be in the discussion for best side in history, right? I mean, they at least belong in the conversation, wouldn't you say?

Its kind of unfair because Brazil doesn't play in Euros...

Which is why they got knocked out in the World Cup by a team who lost all their group matches.

That was beautiful, viva España!

...beautiful? Really, it wasn't even a real match. Spain outclassed Italy so much and under so many aspects that it was as if Italy never entered the pitch.

What can one say after such a thorough, utter show of tactical and athletic superiority? Bravo España... see you next year in Brazil.

Do you know nothing? Your team just lost! This is where you blame the ref and say, "Four more years."

I consider such statements to be trolling or at least in very bad taste.

Yup. Extremely bad taste.
I mean, what the fuck, I'm Italian and I'm not angry at Spain for beating my side (and deserving to do so).

Ah, this explains it. You're a sensible person.

And where qualification for the World Cup is very difficult this link originates. As you can probably tell by the date my interest in soccer is really all about what's happening now.

[Qazox]

Bunch of posts from the old thread. That is to say these would have gone in the old thread.

[spoiler]

...
So is Spain the 2014 Favorites in Brazil??

I believe Brazil is always the favourite in Brazil.

1950 World Cup

Yeah that's what they thought 62 years ago as well.