All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

As if the NHL needed anymore bad news! This report says Gold Cup final demolished Stanley Cup finals in ratings. Discuss ...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/soccer/06/26/bc.soc.goldcupratings.ap/index.html

 

Shouldn't be a surprise considering the Hispanic population within the U.S.. I would say the ratings on Univision are more a product of Mexico being in the final.

If the U.S. is playing Panama or Canada, the ratings don't come in as high.

 

No, it never does, Pastor. Especially here in SoCal.

BTW, what's with the large Hispanic, Mexican flag-waving crowd in Chicago? As someone who was at a US-Mexico game in Azteca the Coliseum, I can see it here. But how does this happen in Chicago?

And Inks, after three years as an assistant, I'm taking over as the head coach for my son's last year of youth soccer. Thanks for the tip on long-range shooting drills. That's now on the practice agenda because I know it will work in this league.

 

Interesting start to the Copa America today. Peru's pimp hand got a thorough workout in a 3-0 win over Uruguay.

Venezuela and Bolivia are 1-1 right now in the 44th minute. The Vinotintos are, to say the least, underwhelming. If they're going to win the group, like some predicted, they'll need it served to them on a silver platter (assuming Chavez doesn't confiscate it in the name of the proletariat first).

 

How good is Venezuela? I know they've steadily improved, but are they close to becoming a World Cup team?

 

Not even close. They're not better than the top tier (Brazil, Argentina) or even the second tier (Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia). It's even debatable whether they're on the level of Chile, Peru or Uruguay, though we'll have a better idea after the group stage.

They put up a decent fight in the first half of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying last time around, but faded pretty quickly. Given what I've seen of them in two games vs. the US and the 2-2* draw with Bolivia today, I'd put them a solid ninth in the region.


* = Should've been 3-2 Bolivia. Some numbnuts must've let all the oxygen go to his head, trying to beat the Venezuela keeper from 20 yards out and an impossible angle when he had a teammate running unmarked in the area.

 

Whatever happened to Uruguay? For a while they had a pretty nice resurgence, but now they're completely in the toilet.

Getting beat 3-0 by Peru is an indicator of how far things have fallen. They used to be a certainty for the World Cup every four years.

 

No more Enzo Francescoli!

Seriously, it's weird how some of these former powers fell off so fast. Hungary used to be a dominant Eastern European team, but they suck now. Algeria used to be a top African nation but is now awful. I don't know if Uruguay will recover, but the good thing about South America is it has enough great teams to get plenty of World Cup bids, and being a small region, they should always have a chance.

 

That was insane, he had a player wide open from 12 yards out dead center.

 

Beasley!!!!





The signing is now complete. A work permit just needs to be put through.

 

I hope he shows Man City (not to mention PSV) that they never should have let him go.

 

What did Pastor post there? My new anti-Gers software is blocking his post. ;D

(In all seriousness, I might get a Rangers DMB jersey just to support a YA.)