The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

I didn't hear my favorite overused phrase today -- "this is a real FA Cup tie", but the announcers in the last match came close a few times.

 

The Leeds United-Birmingham City replay will redefine the sport of soccer.

 

All true, but it always felt like they were going to at least tie it.

 

Agreed to some extent, but West Ham did a nice job stopping everything in the middle. United attacked almost exclusively on the right and were really forced into long crosses.

And I love Paul Scholes -- in my top 5 players . I showed my 7 year old daughter You Tube clips of him to explain how she can stand behind the offense and shoot or pass to a teammate when a ball near the goal is cleared. As good as his passing still is, he's too slow to be effective when pressed and is a liability as a deep lying midfielder.

 

Wigan starts their JV squad...doesn't lose.

Idiots.

 

I show my daughter clips of Paul Scholes and we throw shit at our monitor.

 

Is the Mansfield Town CEO available in the transfer window?

 

Nice piece on Barca on 60 Minutes tonight. Even if it didn't mention Iniesta or much of the club's history.

 

Messi wins another Ballon d'Or and the world top XI are all from Barca, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Pia and Wambach win coach/player of the year.

 

League Cup semi, first leg: Bradford 3-1 Aston Villa.

This is getting entertaining.

 

BTW, away goals count, but confusingly, only after extra time. So if Villa win the second leg 2-0, it would go to extra time, but if it stayed that way, they'd win on away goals.

 

It was, especially since it DID get Cesc in.

Don't know how you can talk about Barca and not mention Xavi or Iniesta -- who just happened to score the game-winner in OT of the World Cup final three years ago -- but they did. Still, not a bad piece.