The Soccer Thread (Version 8)

England are all panicky because they might get drawn in a group that plays far away from their Rio base.

If only there were hotels in cities other than Rio!!

 

These are in 1-4 order. Match order is 1-2, 3-4; 1-3, 2-4; 1-4, 2-3.

A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
B: Spain, Holland, Chile, Australia (Spain v. Holland in opening game; Group A v. Group B in second round, so either Spain-Brazil or Holland-Brazil)
C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy (from Pot 2). England v. Italy in opening game. At 2 a.m. UK time. In 99% humidity. For a 3,300-mile round trip.
E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA (Ghana v. USA in opening game)
H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

 

USMNT is looking at a 1-1-1 group. Hopefully not 1-2.

 

At what point does David Moyes' seat start getting warm?

 

As soon as Fergie deems it so.

 

The Special One would like to get in on some of that hot seat action too.

 

Just finished watching MLS Cup on DVR. Wow, what an atmosphere! Can't believe my home city now has a model MLS franchise. I still remember interning for the Wizards and seeing "crowds" of 4,000 at Arrowhead. Simply an incredible story continues to be written in Kansas City.

CONCACAF Champions League next??

 

I remember the Arrowhead days. There was a Concacaf Champions League game against W Connection FC -- I got there about 15 minutes before kickoff but was able to drive up, park, buy a ticket and sit before the game started. There was only one side of the stadium open, too, but no one lacked for elbow room.

They've come a long way from Danger Bob's Country Bunker. Hopefully the KC and RSL/Portland fans turn out in force for the CCL as the other two US participants will be DC and New York.

 

Match fixing accusations are starting to move higher and higher up the pyramid in England. And because it wouldn't be a season without Portsmouth attracting negative attention of some kind, it's now emerged that a defender who played for them last season is an apparent conduit for fixes, including arranging for players to take money to be booked or sent off and himself accepting £70,000 to be sent off in a Portsmouth game last season, which he duly was in a defeat to Oldham. Was sent off for punching an opposition player in the, um, groin. Because if you're gonna be a cheat, you might as well be a classless cheat.

 

I used to have fun going to Wiz/Wizards games. Preki, Mo Johnston, Tony Meola, Miklos Molnar, etc., were all good players. But Arrowhead was not the place for them. It almost felt awkward going to MLS games there.

Sporting is actually in the current Champions League quarters too (Open Cup winner in 2012), but doesn't have a good seed. Sporting will likely have to beat three Mexican sides to win the title.

 

Brilliant bit of analysis from Reuters -- and I say that only half-jokingly: Match-fixing will be less likely if clubs actually pay players what they're owed and on time.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-paying-players-reduce-match-fixing-threat-151318839--finance.html

 

I noticed that MLS had its championship game this weekend. So preseason starts in what, 10 days?