The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

Sorry, captain soccer knowledge. Didn't mean to insult your favorite.

 

Please. Your routine is telling anyone who comments on the USMNT or IU basketball how wrong they are because you're so much more knowledgeable. It's not a good look.

 

Nice pic, bro. Good work with "indeed" as its own graf too.

 

Ernie Pyle shakes his head at you, champ.

 

Good article in the NYT today on Robbie Rogers though I would disagree with this statement:

"But even as the United States’ sensibilities toward gay rights have evolved, a gay male athlete has yet to come out while still going to work in the charged locker-room environment of major professional team sport"

 

What openly gay athlete plays in a major professional team sport?

Also, too, troll about soccer elsewhere.

 

When did soccer become a "major professional sport in the USA?

 

Reading is fundamental.

 

Given the NYT interview, The Guardian's claim that its is an exclusive interview may be a stretch, but here it is nevertheless:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/29/robbie-rogers-coming-out-gay

I know in my personal experience of attending games over here, what you would have to call homophobic banter is still widespread. I don't know how much malice there is in it but whether there's malice behind it or not, it wouldn't be acceptable if you replaced it with the n-word or a monkey chant.

And when you see England subjected to an investigation for alleged racist chanting about the Ferdinands, but it's considered perfectly acceptable to chant "Does your boyfriend know you're here" at Brighton supporters or call the opposing goalkeeper a poof, it says something.

 

Caught the Man United - Chelski match on DVR last night. United looked more spent and there forwards are giving them nothing right now. It is amazing that none of their wings (Nani, Valencia and Young) have had even decent seasons. But basically without Vidic, they just aren't the same team.

Wouldn't shock me if there was a big sell off this summer, where Nani, Rooney, Rio, Evra and maybe Valencia and Young all go.

 

Stoke loses 3-1 to Aston Villa at home. Tony Pulis will be sacked when they get relegated. They can't score against air, yet the same guys keep playing and vets like Adam and Owen who might actually contribute continue to sit.

What the heck, since seeing them last summer I've become a Villa fan anyways. They've been smart to stay with Lambert and now it's starting to show some results, 3 wins in their last 4.

QPR, Reading and either Stoke or Sunderland are going down.

 

I don't hate Villa as much as I did last year because they're a bit more exciting to watch with Benteke, etc. They still have work to do, but the race to the bottom is fascinating.

Now that Sunderland hired fascist Paolo Di Canio, I'm rooting for their demise.