The Soccer Thread (Version 8)

If Ronaldo and/or Bale leave, would they get Neymar?

 

Don't think PSG is interested in him leaving, and they can compete in any bidding war for any player.

 

They would certainly try. Whether Neymar would be willing to pull a Figo and take on the ocean of shit that comes with it is quite another matter.

 

Loved this Sam Borden story on Russian hooligans in advance of the World Cup. Sure sticks the landing. Great finish.

Russia's new soccer hooligans take to the woods to fight each other

 

Kompany gets hurt in a warm up match and may miss the tourney. Guy has been cursed.

 

BTE will be along shortly to tell you Russian hooliganism is not nearly as bad as drunks fighting in NFL parking lots.

 

Sane was in the top 5 offensive players in the Prem this year. Can't believe he doesn't get a spot with Germany.

 

This is true, and it's a shock, but he has been shit for the national team, which is showing a few cracks.

I sat down with my footy kid and his Panini sticker book last night and worked our way through the groups and the matches. Tough groups to predict are D (Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria) and E (Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia). I came out with France winning, which surprised me a little, but I like them over Germany right now.

 

Backline issues will at some point do France in, if Pogba doesn't do it first. But they ought to make the quarters at a minimum. BTW, there is a street in his hometown of Bayonne named after Didier Deschamps. I wonder what happens to it if Les Bleus bomb out.

 

This might come out wrong, but I basically look at a World Cup as Euro, plus Brazil. I know they were playing in France in 2016, but France looked super solid, beat Germany, and could have easily won that final against Portugal. Part of me wonders whether Brazil come out roaring this summer, but I feel like Neymar is tenuous, and Germany seem to have a bit of a speed wobble going on. Not sure about Spain, which could surprise me, and de Gea might change games all on his own. But I still like France.

 

Painful, if interesting, read:

Own Goal: The Inside Story of How the USMNT Missed the 2018 World Cup.

I've always seen Klinsi has somewhat of a flim-flam guy. Super high energy and positive, but not one to get into the weeds and at the end of the day, a poor people manager.

 

The Guardian is taking a dive into soccer in the US.

'It’s only working for the white kids': American soccer's diversity problem
'White soccer teams don't pay upfront': how race unlevelled US playing fields
Soccer in America: why aren't more black kids playing the world's game?