The Soccer Thread (Version 13) — Winter World Cup Edition

RIP that dude’s future kids after that Roldan rocket to the nards.

 

U.S. won 6-0 - granted, not an elite opponent - but the only highlight that will get picked up is the shot that hit the, um, mark.

 

In the 86th minute, down 6-0! Just roll out of the way!

 

Why did they expand this stupid tournament to 16 teams when it was already terrible with 12? What value is there in sending a team from an island with fewer people than Harrisonburg, Virginia, to get its ass kicked? They need to raise the level of competition by not including these teams.

Reduce it to four teams since only three countries will ever win the stupid thing. All it does is reinforce the perception that CONCACAF is a joke.

 

Growing up watching Aussie Rules on ESPN, I was intrigued by the State of Origin matches. Maybe something like that for the U.S.? You could have preliminaries and group smaller states together so you don’t get California racking up a 20-0 shutout of South Dakota.

 

The FA Cup is structured that way. The minnows all have to play preliminary stages to advance and the bigger clubs jump in in the later stages.

 

Puilisic to AC Milan - if Chelsea will accept the transfer fee.

 

FIFY

 

Wonder how some of the Carolina Panthers feel about today's matches in Charlotte.

David Tepper, who owns the Panthers and Charlotte FC, tore out the grass and put in a rug in the stadium. CONCACAF put grass on top of the turf for the United States-T&T and Haiti-Honduras Gold Cup matches.

Americans trying not to replicate the mess that caused them to not qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Jesus Ferreira with a pair of goals in the first 40 minutes.

 

$$$$$$$$$$ And you knew that.

Same reason FIFA continues to expand the men's and women's World Cup. There are enough quality men's sides to keep up appearances, but unfortunately not for the women. It's why we get a 13-0 result for the U.S. over Thailand in 2019. It's why the Americans will open with Vietnam in its opening match in a few weeks.

And to our female fans ... not trying to be chauvinistic – I'm all for growth – but this expansion is only exposing the gaps between the haves and have-nots. The women's game is improving. But FIFA just throwing more chum into the water at the World Cup isn't the way to exhibit it.

 

... and make that a second straight hat trick. 3-0.

 

Winning football in Charlotte. Imagine that ...