930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: hutch on August 09, 2011, 02:57:42 pm
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given we only have a premier league thread I thought I'd start one that would cover the entire soccer world.. that thread is pretty much a Manchester United love fest thread anyways; hardly even talks about anything else in the Premier League. You get very insightful analysis there, of the "they were pretty brilliant" when they were down 2-0 variety, so I don't aim to compete with that..
I'll fulfill pretty much the same role Gallagher does on that thread- pretty much talk to myself- on this one. It just won't be limited to the Premier league.
Anyways, the big transfer news is PSG has gone on a spending spree and picked up Javier Pastore from Palermo for a transfer fee of 42 million euros... Chelsea was supposedly trying to get him but its unclear just how much they were willing to offer.
Pastore is a very elegant lanky midfielder that can score goals; most Argentines see him as the natural complement to Messi on the Argentina national squad but for whatever reason the national team coaches don't give him but a few minutes.
The other big news is that Man City picked up Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid.. If City holds on to Tevez that would be some combo.
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the big news today is that Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez, Colombia's manager, who made his name by taking Ecuador to the 2002 World Cup has resigned as Colombia manager after basically physically abusing a woman at a bar; he has admitted to it.
Colombia's national side has been on the decline since that fateful day in 1993 when they beat Argentina 5-0 in Argentina in a historic victory. It is hard to believe but the team that was many people's favorite to win the 94 world cup (Pele, etc.) is now one of the weakest sides in South America.
The 5-0 defeat forced Argentina to have to play Australia for the final place in the 1994 world cup and the manager to chage his plans and recall Diego Maradona.. Maradona subsequently tested positive for god knows what (ephedrine?) at the 94 WC and Argentina crashed out in the best game of that cup, 3-2, against Romania..
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I'd rather you start a thread specifically for American Women's soccer. Reasons:
1.) Their World Cup run was more complex, dramatic and shaded than any I can remember.
2.) They smell better.
3.) I'm not sure of the rules interpretation, but I think sometimes the losers have to wash the winners in the showers.
Brian
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the big news today is that Hernan "Bolillo" Gomez, Colombia's manager, who made his name by taking Ecuador to the 2002 World Cup has resigned as Colombia manager after basically physically abusing a woman at a bar; he has admitted to it.
Colombia's national side has been on the decline since that fateful day in 1993 when they beat Argentina 5-0 in Argentina in a historic victory. It is hard to believe but the team that was many people's favorite to win the 94 world cup (Pele, etc.) is now one of the weakest sides in South America.
The 5-0 defeat forced Argentina to have to play Australia for the final place in the 1994 world cup and the manager to chage his plans and recall Diego Maradona.. Maradona subsequently tested positive for god knows what (ephedrine?) at the 94 WC and Argentina crashed out in the best game of that cup, 3-2, against Romania..
Did you watch the ESPN 30 for 30 "Two Escobars?" Gripping shit.
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Oh, I almost forgot.
Soccer sucks.
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Women's soccer is great.. I was very skeptical when I first heard women played soccer (1999?) but I enjoyed this World Cup immensely... This goal in particular:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytB17mKgrww&playnext=1&list=PLA1D82342DB94DE66
Half the team plays for a club called Magicjack out of Boca Raton.. I might go check them out sometime
I did not see the two escobars.. .. sad what happened...maybe I'll try to watch it..
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In latest news Real Madrid has signed a 7 year old... from the clips I saw I'm not sure why... 7 is just too young to have any idea
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Real-Madrid-signs-7-year-old-Argentine-named-Leo?urn=highschool-wp4381
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pretty sick goal.. not sure what they call this type of goal in english but in spanish its known as a "rabona"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiPBN4D_5JY&feature=share
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Mexico's players should have been tossed yesterday for fighting, for fouling.. you name it.
I always wonder why are their players so aggressive? They seem to just plain hate the US.. then again they also hate Argentina... there is no such thing as a friendly for these guys..
At the end of the game you could see Landon DOnovan talking to the ref and saying something of the "Really, you really think the Torrado taking down Rogers on the breakaway was only a yellow?"
I like the fact Kinsmann is going to try some new players like Beckerman... need some new blood on this team.
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The two Escobars was really good!
Hoping the people of London don't burn down the Spurs stadium.
Go Tottenham!
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Mexico's players should have been tossed yesterday for fighting, for fouling.. you name it.
I always wonder why are their players so aggressive? They seem to just plain hate the US.. then again they also hate Argentina... there is no such thing as a friendly for these guys..
At the end of the game you could see Landon DOnovan talking to the ref and saying something of the "Really, you really think the Torrado taking down Rogers on the breakaway was only a yellow?"
I like the fact Kinsmann is going to try some new players like Beckerman... need some new blood on this team.
Yeah, that game was really chippy and littered with quite a few cheap shots.. from everyone. Prior to the game one of the US players said there are no "friendlies" with Mexico.. it showed.
Bot teams looked disorganized at times, both were missing stars.. not sure we really learned much. I wish Torres would've played better, I've been a fan of his and he vanished a few times. Nevertheless, I agree.. all the new blood was nice, would've been cool to see Bill Hamid get a few minutes (just because he's a DC guy) but really no reason for that at all.
I had the exact same thought watching Donovan talking to the ref after the game, especially when the ref responded with whatever he said and Donovan made the "you're the only person in the world who thought that was just a yellow" face.
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International soccer is almost as corrupt as professional boxing. Why US fans continue to act surprised over shit like the obvious red card is beyond me.
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Regarding Carlos Tevez according Manchester City's coach "I don't know if he will stay but, at the moment, there isn't a team who want to take him."
It would be most interesting to have both Tevez and Aguero on City...that would be an abundance of riches..
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International soccer is almost as corrupt as professional boxing. Why US fans continue to act surprised over shit like the obvious red card is beyond me.
Who is surprised? It happens most every game.... I actually think refs have a bias against the US men's team for some reason..maybe it will change with Klinsmann as coach...maybe he'll command some respect
Its sort of like the UN except the US doesn't have a vote at the Security Council (FIFA)
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Messi just unbelievable earlier today!
http://www.sportsgrid.com/soccer/video-a-goal-that-would-wake-up-a-catatonic-ray-hudson-goes-berserk-over-messi-goal/
http://www.sportsgrid.com/soccer/video-its-messi-and-its-beautiful/
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I've tried to watch kickball (OK soccer) but DAMN it is the most boring sport next to golf. I'm not saying that it doesn't take some physical skill to do some of the stuff these guys do, I know I couldn't do it. The few minutes each game there is some real action is OK but that but waiting for that to come along is like watching paint dry. Then to end a tied game by those stupid penalty kicks would be akin to playing baseball one extra inning then going to home run derby. Seriously they actually think THAT is better than a tie game?
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Don't they do the same thing in hockey?
Then to end a tied game by those stupid penalty kicks would be akin to playing baseball one extra inning then going to home run derby. Seriously they actually think THAT is better than a tie game?
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Messi just unbelievable earlier today!
http://www.sportsgrid.com/soccer/video-a-goal-that-would-wake-up-a-catatonic-ray-hudson-goes-berserk-over-messi-goal/
I love Ray Hudson, best announcer in sports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS6Np-g_h5w
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Don't they do the same thing in hockey?
Then to end a tied game by those stupid penalty kicks would be akin to playing baseball one extra inning then going to home run derby. Seriously they actually think THAT is better than a tie game?
Yes and I despise that as well.
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well there's a few Americans who are too stupid to understand or enjoy soccer and that is fine...nothing wrong with that...
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Its amazing how much more money one has to pay in this country to be able to watch some decent soccer..
I don't have Fox Soccer on my FIOS and I'd have to pay $610 more to get it over the course of the next year ($130 termination fee plus $40/month more to get to the next tier)
I just need that one darn channel
Verizon Fios can blow me.
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well there's a few Americans who are too stupid to understand or enjoy soccer and that is fine...nothing wrong with that...
LOL always that last debate when there is nothing of merit to say. No matter how you slice it, the game is one that has a substantial amount of down/idle/slow/nothing time. There are flashes here and there of excitement but you have to sit through over an hour of watching a ball being kicked back and forth to finally see some real action. It has nothing to do with the level of intelligence of anyone, it is just the nature of the game and to me, such games are boring. I don't find it particularly enjoyable to watch a game that has well over 90% of the play merely running up and down the field and a typical shots on goal combined for both teams at ten or less (in a game that is a minimum of 90 minutes). I have nothing against a low scoring game at all, in fact (for example) some of the best hockey games I have seen were 0-0 ties. But don't make me sit though endless minutes of guys playing kickball to finally see someone get close to some real action and excitement. As I said in an earlier post, some of the stuff those guys do does take some skill. But simply the fact that a given action/event takes skill does not alone mean it would be enjoyable to watch.
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well there's a few Americans who are too stupid to understand or enjoy soccer and that is fine...nothing wrong with that...
LOL always that last debate when there is nothing of merit to say. No matter how you slice it, the game is one that has a substantial amount of down/idle/slow/nothing time. There are flashes here and there of excitement but you have to sit through over an hour of watching a ball being kicked back and forth to finally see some real action. It has nothing to do with the level of intelligence of anyone, it is just the nature of the game and to me, such games are boring. I don't find it particularly enjoyable to watch a game that has well over 90% of the play merely running up and down the field and a typical shots on goal combined for both teams at ten or less (in a game that is a minimum of 90 minutes). I have nothing against a low scoring game at all, in fact (for example) some of the best hockey games I have seen were 0-0 ties. But don't make me sit though endless minutes of guys playing kickball to finally see someone get close to some real action and excitement. As I said in an earlier post, some of the stuff those guys do does take some skill. But simply the fact that a given action/event takes skill does not alone mean it would be enjoyable to watch.
substantial downtime?
They play non stop with a 15 minute break..
If you want downtime watch "American Football" where a game with 1 hour of action takes four hours to play!
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But don't make me sit though endless minutes of guys playing kickball to finally see someone get close to some real action and excitement.
No one is making you do anything and it really is okay to just say you don't get it and move along. I have done the same with Nascar. Your ignorant rants are quite amusing though so feel free to carry on.
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If you want downtime watch "American Football" where a game with 1 hour of action takes four hours to play!
The average NFL game contains 11 minutes of action
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406.html
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i like soccer, but there is no denying it is a slow-paced game. faster than american football, slower than hockey.
and of course argentinian soccer is the slowest. fucking diving divas.
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Re slow soccer, how about MLS?, last night I saw DC United's game, the whole league's pace is awful, what a waste of time...they really should try to increase their talent level, because after seeing the Barca-Madrid games last Wed, it was a reminder of how good leagues are elsewhere (and the Argentinean one is really good, BTW)
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i like soccer, but there is no denying it is a slow-paced game. faster than american football, slower than hockey.
and of course argentinian soccer is the slowest. fucking diving divas.
I'm not taking the bait about the Argentine league!
;D
But to say soccer is slow.. if you measured how much each player runs you would not believe it.. or how many passes there are per minute.. its arguably TOO FAST as the physical development of players makes the game so fast that its hard for anyone to actually break through..
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Re slow soccer, how about MLS?, last night I saw DC United's game, the whole league's pace is awful, what a waste of time...they really should try to increase their talent level, because after seeing the Barca-Madrid games last Wed, it was a reminder of how good leagues are elsewhere (and the Argentinean one is really good, BTW)
A couple of years ago I realized I could no longer justify watching MLS.. why would one want to do that with all the great soccer thats out there? You have to be a masochist
Sad thing is that in the late 90s DC United was not half bad to watch
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I'm not taking the bait about the Argentine league!
;D
lol. good on ya :)
But to say soccer is slow.. if you measured how much each player runs you would not believe it.. or how many passes there are per minute.. its arguably TOO FAST as the physical development of players makes the game so fast that its hard for anyone to actually break through..
the problem here is that you're looking at the end-of-game, 90-minute stats: X total number of passes, Y total miles/kilometers run, etc. i'm taking about what is happening on the field at any given moment. dribble up the middle, pass forward, broken up, cleared back to defense, defense kicks back to goalie, goalie pokes around with the ball, eventually kicks it, opposing midfielders cut off the long pass and clear it back to other teams' defense, which kicks it around trying to get something going, but nothing is so they kick it further back to the goalie again... repeat.
soccer has very high peaks, but there are also valleys. luckily not as bad as baseball of NFL ;D
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well there's a few Americans who are too stupid to understand or enjoy soccer and that is fine...nothing wrong with that...
LOL always that last debate when there is nothing of merit to say. No matter how you slice it, the game is one that has a substantial amount of down/idle/slow/nothing time. There are flashes here and there of excitement but you have to sit through over an hour of watching a ball being kicked back and forth to finally see some real action. It has nothing to do with the level of intelligence of anyone, it is just the nature of the game and to me, such games are boring. I don't find it particularly enjoyable to watch a game that has well over 90% of the play merely running up and down the field and a typical shots on goal combined for both teams at ten or less (in a game that is a minimum of 90 minutes). I have nothing against a low scoring game at all, in fact (for example) some of the best hockey games I have seen were 0-0 ties. But don't make me sit though endless minutes of guys playing kickball to finally see someone get close to some real action and excitement. As I said in an earlier post, some of the stuff those guys do does take some skill. But simply the fact that a given action/event takes skill does not alone mean it would be enjoyable to watch.
substantial downtime?
They play non stop with a 15 minute break..
If you want downtime watch "American Football" where a game with 1 hour of action takes four hours to play!
They move the ball nonstop. Downtime as in nothing worth watching going on. Downtime as in the ball being kicked down the field one direction then back up the field the other. Nothing of substance going on at all 90% of a kickball game. Just because the ball is moving does not mean there is any real action going on. Kickball you watch a 90 minute game to see maybe 5 minus of real action. I am not a huge football fan but the ration of action to time played is higher there than in soccer. Again, just because the pay is ongoing does not mean there is any action happening.
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i like soccer, but there is no denying it is a slow-paced game. faster than american football, slower than hockey.
and of course argentinian soccer is the slowest. fucking diving divas.
I'm not taking the bait about the Argentine league!
;D
But to say soccer is slow.. if you measured how much each player runs you would not believe it.. or how many passes there are per minute.. its arguably TOO FAST as the physical development of players makes the game so fast that its hard for anyone to actually break through..
You are mixing the meaning of slow. Yes the game is continually played. I have not said it isn't. Just that a huge majority of the time there is no real action going on. You sit thorough some mildly entertaining ball movement for well over 90% of a soccer game to see a flash or two of real action. Those guys do have to be in shape to play the game and some of what they do takes skill, but a player running up and down the field however much does not mean action to me. You boil it down and you get the fact that guys run and kick a round ball. Not exactly exciting.
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i like soccer, but there is no denying it is a slow-paced game. faster than american football, slower than hockey.
and of course argentinian soccer is the slowest. fucking diving divas.
I'm not taking the bait about the Argentine league!
;D
But to say soccer is slow.. if you measured how much each player runs you would not believe it.. or how many passes there are per minute.. its arguably TOO FAST as the physical development of players makes the game so fast that its hard for anyone to actually break through..
You are mixing the meaning of slow. Yes the game is continually played. I have not said it isn't. Just that a huge majority of the time there is no real action going on. You sit thorough some mildly entertaining ball movement for well over 90% of a soccer game to see a flash or two of real action. Those guys do have to be in shape to play the game and some of what they do takes skill, but a player running up and down the field however much does not mean action to me. " You boil it down and you get the fact that guys run and kick a round ball. Not exactly exciting.
no "real action"??
but that is a purely subjecive determination... obviously billions of people around the world disagree!
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i like soccer, but there is no denying it is a slow-paced game. faster than american football, slower than hockey.
and of course argentinian soccer is the slowest. fucking diving divas.
I'm not taking the bait about the Argentine league!
;D
But to say soccer is slow.. if you measured how much each player runs you would not believe it.. or how many passes there are per minute.. its arguably TOO FAST as the physical development of players makes the game so fast that its hard for anyone to actually break through..
You are mixing the meaning of slow. Yes the game is continually played. I have not said it isn't. Just that a huge majority of the time there is no real action going on. You sit thorough some mildly entertaining ball movement for well over 90% of a soccer game to see a flash or two of real action. Those guys do have to be in shape to play the game and some of what they do takes skill, but a player running up and down the field however much does not mean action to me. " You boil it down and you get the fact that guys run and kick a round ball. Not exactly exciting.
no "real action"??
but that is a purely subjecive determination... obviously billions of people around the world disagree!
Some people think watching a ball kicked endlessly from one end of a big field to the other is action packed. I don't.
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Rat,
If you don't like watching a ball being kicked obviously soccer is not the game for you!
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Soccer can be hit or miss with people. I love the sport to death, but there can be boring matches. However, that's the silver lining in it, because the game can change in an instant. You may watch a 90 minute game that ends in only a 1-1 draw, but that 90 mins has the potential to be absolutely thrilling - not knowing when the score will happen, and the fact that it can change in a heartbeat creates a nice suspense. You watch the game for these moments; and while they aren't guaranteed to happen at a certain time, its not knowing what can happen or when that makes it captivating.
I'll take soccer over any American sport. I find baseball to be boring, slow-paced, and predictable. American football has way way too many pauses and "timeouts" allowed. It ends up taking 3 hours to play a 1 hour game. I can appreciate the strategy involved in football, but it just frustrates me that they have all of these reasons to stop the game. Basketball is a great sport, but I've but just never been a huge fan of it for whatever reason.
Also, it helps to watch soccer with the right people. I went out to bars to watch the WC 2010 games and took friends of mine who normally don't care for the sport, but they were just as into it as everyone due to the environment.
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really hope klinsmann works out for the US but there are some red flags:
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/87/germany/2011/08/23/2632478/bayern-munichs-philipp-lahm-we-had-to-come-up-with-our-own?synpar=yahoo
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I've read that Joachim Low was the real brains behind Germany's run to the 2006 WC semis.
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anyone know the reasoning behind this? seems to make the champions league poorer to lose a player of forlan's stature
http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-inter-forlan
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would love to see Barcelona turn down the sponsorship deal from the Qatar Foundation whatever that is... and remain "unsponsored" as far as their jerseys go.. but I guess its hard to turn down $230 million..still I hope they do.
http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-barcelona-shirtvote
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Guardiola takes over at Bayern Munich at end of season...
I just can't imagine Bayern playing like Barcelona..going to be interesting to see what happens..
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i like soccer, but there is no denying it is a slow-paced game. faster than american football, slower than hockey.
and of course argentinian soccer is the slowest. fucking diving divas.
I'm not taking the bait about the Argentine league!
;D
But to say soccer is slow.. if you measured how much each player runs you would not believe it.. or how many passes there are per minute.. its arguably TOO FAST as the physical development of players makes the game so fast that its hard for anyone to actually break through..
You are mixing the meaning of slow. Yes the game is continually played. I have not said it isn't. Just that a huge majority of the time there is no real action going on. You sit thorough some mildly entertaining ball movement for well over 90% of a soccer game to see a flash or two of real action. Those guys do have to be in shape to play the game and some of what they do takes skill, but a player running up and down the field however much does not mean action to me. " You boil it down and you get the fact that guys run and kick a round ball. Not exactly exciting.
no "real action"??
but that is a purely subjecive determination... obviously billions of people around the world disagree!
So coldplay, u2, and mumford and sons are great bands?
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I was going to be in Madrid when the Real Madrid/Barcelona match; I thought about getting tickets. But it seems like the cheapest tickets for sale are around 600 dollars. Which is insane. The other Madrid team is playing as well and their tickets are like 45 dollars. And they are a better team. I guess that is the team to see.
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I was going to be in Madrid when the Real Madrid/Barcelona match; I thought about getting tickets. But it seems like the cheapest tickets for sale are around 600 dollars. Which is insane. The other Madrid team is playing as well and their tickets are like 45 dollars. And they are a better team. I guess that is the team to see.
The team to see is Barcelona IMO.
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I was going to be in Madrid when the Real Madrid/Barcelona match; I thought about getting tickets. But it seems like the cheapest tickets for sale are around 600 dollars. Which is insane. The other Madrid team is playing as well and their tickets are like 45 dollars. And they are a better team. I guess that is the team to see.
The team to see is Barcelona IMO.
no team is worth paying 600 dollars to see. even if the players cook me dinner and hang out with me after the game.
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I was going to be in Madrid when the Real Madrid/Barcelona match; I thought about getting tickets. But it seems like the cheapest tickets for sale are around 600 dollars. Which is insane. The other Madrid team is playing as well and their tickets are like 45 dollars. And they are a better team. I guess that is the team to see.
The team to see is Barcelona IMO.
no team is worth paying 600 dollars to see. even if the players cook me dinner and hang out with me after the game.
yes we know..just like no band is worth $600... ;D
but if you had infinite wealth- lets just suppose- and you had to spend it on a soccer game or lose it... Barcelona would be the team to see..
would you like to take issue with that??!?!
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you don't pay $600 to see Barca, you pay that much to be inside the stadium for this specific game. i can only imagine what the atmosphere is like for this match.
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you don't pay $600 to see Barca, you pay that much to be inside the stadium for this specific game. i can only imagine what the atmosphere is like for this match.
That is very true and needed mentioning...
Of course Atomicfront will be across town watching Getafe...
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you don't pay $600 to see Barca, you pay that much to be inside the stadium for this specific game. i can only imagine what the atmosphere is like for this match.
That is very true and needed mentioning...
Of course Atomicfront will be across town watching Getafe...
Yeah like you would pay 1200 dollars on a pair of tickets to a soccer game.
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you don't pay $600 to see Barca, you pay that much to be inside the stadium for this specific game. i can only imagine what the atmosphere is like for this match.
That is very true and needed mentioning...
Of course Atomicfront will be across town watching Getafe...
Yeah like you would pay 1200 dollars on a pair of tickets to a soccer game.
I wouldn't pay $1.20 to watch professional kickball.
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i like it when people's responses are all in the white part.
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i like it when people's responses are all in the white part.
Drat i hate when I do that... BRB.
All better now?
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you don't pay $600 to see Barca, you pay that much to be inside the stadium for this specific game. i can only imagine what the atmosphere is like for this match.
That is very true and needed mentioning...
Of course Atomicfront will be across town watching Getafe...
Yeah like you would pay 1200 dollars on a pair of tickets to a soccer game.
I never am able to understand this type of reasoning...
What one pays depends on what one is able to pay and what one feels like paying... It has nothing to do with the amount of money in question.
If I had some real money.. ..sure.. I'd pay to see Barca-Real Madrid...I'd also be at the World Cup regularly.. much like Mick Jagger...
Why wouldn't I pay $1200 if I could? If it wasn't an issue to be without that $1200 I'd much rather have the experience than $1200 that means nothing.... its just pieces of paper or numbers...
I try not to tell people they are crazy to spend this money on this or that... its all personal in the end...
Top shelf soccer is something I really enjoy...
I'm not embarassed to say I'd pay to see it, I'm embarassed to say I can't afford to..
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nevermind
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Klinsmann leaves Donovan out..
as if Eddie Johnson wasn't enough
He's nuts.
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as if Eddie Johnson wasn't enough
I would have taken Goodson and Parkhurst ahead of Johnson. I don't think that was a crazy move.
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as if Eddie Johnson wasn't enough
I would have taken Goodson and Parkhurst ahead of Johnson. I don't think that was a crazy move.
I believe in taking the people who get you there...I believe Eddie was the second highest goal scorer with like 5.
and Donovan off the team is crazy..
Klinsmann is nuts ...never liked the hiring in the first place.
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Klinsmann leaves Donovan out..
He's nuts.
It's only nuts if he plays a defensive style and tries to score on the counter, like America has done for every World Cup.
If he's playing for the future, with a game of possession driven through the best player on the US team (Bradley) then I am fine with it.
Which is a bigger distraction - cutting him now or having to hear about LandyCakes not getting playing time? Jurgen was screwed on this choice from the beginning...
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Klinsmann leaves Donovan out..
He's nuts.
It's only nuts if he plays a defensive style and tries to score on the counter, like America has done for every World Cup.
If he's playing for the future, with a game of possession driven through the best player on the US team (Bradley) then I am fine with it.
Which is a bigger distraction - cutting him now or having to hear about LandyCakes not getting playing time? Jurgen was screwed on this choice from the beginning...
Donovan is just a very clutch player and can still play.... even if he were to be unhappy with a bench role he'd be a great option coming off the bench.. I'd take him.. he's not a Tevez situation as far as i know...
Altidore makes the cut but not Donovan..come on now.
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Altidore makes the cut but not Donovan..come on now.
Altidore plays and trains every week against the pace the US is more likely to see in Brazil.
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17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience...I think I read
nuts.
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17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience...I think I read
Good. If he's playing for the future....
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Altidore makes the cut but not Donovan..come on now.
Altidore plays and trains every week against the pace the US is more likely to see in Brazil.
not buying it... the great players don't need that pace.. their experience and skill compensates as they age..
Riquelme at Boca Juniors is a great example... He's slow and old sure...but he can still make that key pass etc... (much as I hope Boca doesn't renew his contract...)
Look I'm not saying I would build my team around Donovan today...but not in the 23?.... I just don't see it...
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17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience...I think I read
Good. If he's playing for the future....
Huh? The World Cup starts in a few weeks.. that is the future... you have to field the best team to do as well as possible NOW.... not in four years...
You obviously want a mix of experience and fresh blood.... this ain't it.....
I don't know I guess a majority of the starters will count with experience....still team seems thin on experience....
Playing in the World Cup is not the same as playing the Gold Cup...
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You know I've just never seen Donovan play badly when it matters.. he's always stood out or made something happen... he's a rare player...and the only such player the United States has ever produced....
I will admit Bradley may be my favorite current US player....
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Luis Suarez may be out of World Cup for Uruguay...some knee operation yesterday...he may still make it..
I hate to see a WC without people like Falcao and Suarez...
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i enjoy threads, where two people talk sports. brent musberger, is enthralled.
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I know, get a f'n room already boys
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i thought i was talking to myself
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vansmack knows his sports....
i'm the first to admit that but i guess i just have trouble with these decisions....donovan may be on his last legs but he still can make magic happen....and magic is in short supply on the US team.. some players are like that: they might be in poor form and suck for the club teams and then in the big stage they come alive... not every player can be measured in terms of "fitness" or a bunch of statistics....with some players good things just tend to happen...
my guess is klinsmann never intended to have him in the final 23.....from the minute donovan went on his sabbathical i think he has no chance of making the team
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Robbie Keane:
"If I were in Landon Donovan's shoes, I'd be pissed off. But I'll be totally honest, I don't care if you had Lionel Messi, that team is going to struggle with that group."
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Soccer is terrible and I hope the US loses quickly so I have to hear as little about this as possible in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully we will de-fund the USMNT and trade the MLS to France for some nice matched luggage or something.
These constitute my Futbol/soccer Thoughts.
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You know I've just never seen Donovan play badly when it matters.. he's always stood out or made something happen... he's a rare player...and the only such player the United States has ever produced....
I will admit Bradley may be my favorite current US player....
I don't think it matters who the US national team has on its team. Portugal and Germany seem like sure loses.
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as if Eddie Johnson wasn't enough
I would have taken Goodson and Parkhurst ahead of Johnson. I don't think that was a crazy move.
I believe in taking the people who get you there...I believe Eddie was the second highest goal scorer with like 5.
and Donovan off the team is crazy..
Klinsmann is nuts ...never liked the hiring in the first place.
wait, you want to take the people that got you there and the guy that took a sabbatical during qualifying?
zusi starts right, fabian johnson or bedoya starts left. plus you have green. may not even have a sub role for a 32 year old guy that doesn't get along with the manager
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You know I've just never seen Donovan play badly when it matters.. he's always stood out or made something happen... he's a rare player...and the only such player the United States has ever produced....
I will admit Bradley may be my favorite current US player....
I don't think it matters who the US national team has on its team. Portugal and Germany seem like sure loses.
us beat a superior Portugal side in 2002 and the last match might not matter to germany.
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interesting documentary on ESPN about the US team....
I definitely hoping for the best even with the bad luck on the draw.....
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I didn't realize Kyle Beckerman was a local product....just saw him wearing "Bowie" and "Laurel" shirts when he was a youth level player..
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Thoughts on soccer huh? Well lets see... You have to 1) run and 2) kick a round ball. While some of what these guy do is (shall I say) entertaining, it is a boring game with a very low level of action and except for a few fleeting plays each game it is just a ball being kicked from one end of the field to the other. Aside form that if you have nothing better to do I guess it is an OK way to kill time.
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I don't understand leaving Landon off either. Seems like the perfect player to bring in in the 70th minutes needing a goal.
Anyway, Portugal is not the same as years past. The key is getting the 3 points vs. Ghana. Obviously, they are thinking the same thing, but the loser of that game has no shot. Win vs. Ghana, tie vs. Portugal and hope the goal differential carries you through...
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so its Bruce Arena....
look it is not the worst choice but it is really not an inspired one either..
at least Klinsmann is gone... he is all talk.. he knows how to give a good spiel, press conference, BS but his strengths are motivation, organization and physical fitness.... (oh and finding Germans that can play for the US).... but as far as tactics/strategy/adjustments he is terrible... Loew did that for Germany in 2006 not Jurgen...
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17 out of 23 called up have no World Cup experience...I think I read
Good. If he's playing for the future....
the future is here...
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Seattle Sounders in MLS Cup Final!!!!!!!
Bigger than the Super Bowl, the MLS Cup will be played on Wed. at 7 pm and you can catch it on FS1!
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Bigger than the Super Bowl,
::)
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Soccer - lamest non-sport ever invented.
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Soccer - lamest non-sport ever invented.
you're trying to quote yourself or you have alzheimers.. cause you said the same thing earlier in this thread...
soccer rules.. the world's sport.. NUMERO 1 BABY!
can't wait for wednesday night! its going to be hot..
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what a sad story.. I hate these types of plane crash kills entire soccer team stories
https://www.yahoo.com/news/deadly-plane-crash-colombia-kills-slideshow-wp-132447943.html
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Soccer - lamest non-sport ever invented.
you're trying to quote yourself or you have alzheimers.. cause you said the same thing earlier in this thread...
soccer rules.. the world's sport.. NUMERO 1 BABY!
can't wait for wednesday night! its going to be hot..
Rules the world of boring ass sports. 89 minutes of watching guys kick a ball half way down a field and then someone kicking it back the other direction. Then maybe 2 minutes of actual play when you try to kick a round ball into a 24' x 8' net with one guy standing in front of it. YAWN. A few of teh payers have some skill but it is basically glorified kickball.
Skills required:
running
kicking a round ball
running the other direction
Wow that is so exciting
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what a sad story.. I hate these types of plane crash kills entire soccer team stories
https://www.yahoo.com/news/deadly-plane-crash-colombia-kills-slideshow-wp-132447943.html
At least it did not involve athletes.
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what a sad story.. I hate these types of plane crash kills entire soccer team stories
https://www.yahoo.com/news/deadly-plane-crash-colombia-kills-slideshow-wp-132447943.html
At least it did not involve athletes.
really bringing it with the peace and harmony
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what a sad story.. I hate these types of plane crash kills entire soccer team stories
https://www.yahoo.com/news/deadly-plane-crash-colombia-kills-slideshow-wp-132447943.html
At least it did not involve athletes.
really bringing it with the peace and harmony
I guess the humor went far over your head!
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Soccer - lamest non-sport ever invented.
you're trying to quote yourself or you have alzheimers.. cause you said the same thing earlier in this thread...
soccer rules.. the world's sport.. NUMERO 1 BABY!
can't wait for wednesday night! its going to be hot..
Rules the world of boring ass sports. 89 minutes of watching guys kick a ball half way down a field and then someone kicking it back the other direction. Then maybe 2 minutes of actual play when you try to kick a round ball into a 24' x 8' net with one guy standing in front of it. YAWN. A few of teh payers have some skill but it is basically glorified kickball.
Skills required:
running
kicking a round ball
running the other direction
Wow that is so exciting
Still infinitely more exciting than football, baseball, and (usually) basketball.
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update. final is actually december 10!!!!!! today is the semifinal...
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Seattle Sounders are the CHAMPIONS of the only tournament that matters!!!!!!!! Manchester Untied has never been able to win it.. Barcelona has never.. neither has Bayern or Real or Juventus... Seattle did it tonight in styling form in an action packed final full of scoring and riveting play.. I have never experienced a better three hours of fast paced skills to pay the bills soccer...
My father in law can now live the rest of his life a happy man.. I just hope he wakes up tomorrow and is able to remember his beloved Sounders won...
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(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--o3WCWzM_--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/qqn5axxizaxmx41sggwn.jpg)
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Has Real Madrid ever had a worse week? I am enjoying this...
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Not sure if this is the proper thread, but I was spinning next to my pal Wayne Rooney two weeks ago... and his lovely wife.
I guess the tabloids are wrong and they're still in a very loving and committed relationship.
Also, this is the second time I've ever opened this thread.
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Geez what a win by Manchester United
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Also, this is the second time I've ever opened this thread.
Well, this is the wrong soccer thread. As you can see, this one had much more conversation...
On the Eve of the New Season.... (https://forum.930.com/index.php?topic=2922.0)
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Messi has really upped his game when it comes to free kicks...scored another great one yesterday
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International Champions Cup: Real Madrid v Arsenal playing fedex on 6/23...may be old news, but new to me
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/03/26/real-madrid-play-arsenal-international-champions-cup-match-fedex-field/?
so this isn't an expedition/friendly right? this is a real game and all the starters will play
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Smells like friendly spirit
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Messi leaving Barcelona
I guess the favorite to nab him is PSG but I hope it’s a Premier League team or MLS (at some point I think he is coming but probably not yet)
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Ronaldo CR7 going to Manchester City
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Ronaldo going to Manchester United
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Ronaldo going to Manchester United
Isn’t he old and washed like Foo Fighters and Dave Chapelle?
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Ronaldo going to Manchester United
Isn’t he old and washed like Foo Fighters and Dave Chapelle?
when they are making millions a year (all three of these)...they are obviously doing something right, even if it's riding laurels
i'm the last person to discuss soccer with any credibility, but he seems to still be delivering on the pitch
if Own goal wasn't a thing, he would have been one of the top scorers in the last big torny
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Huge win for Team USA last night
USA 3 Honduras 0
Big step towards qualifying for World Cup
Last three games are tough but we are in a good position
https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup-qualifying-concacaf/story/4584839/2022-world-cup-how-united-statesmexico-and-canada-can-qualify
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A big win would have been beating Canada. Beating the worst team in your group in subfreezing temperatures? Not as much....
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big win in terms of qualifying for the World Cup…opponent doesn’t matter, three points do
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canada ranked #1 and having won its last 6 matches in a row (7 wins, 4 draws, no losses) is causing my mind to short-circuit. pure cognitive dissonance. they're on the verge of their first appearance at the WC since Reagan era.
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nice thing about soccer is that it is usually over in 2 hours
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canada ranked #1 and having won its last 6 matches in a row (7 wins, 4 draws, no losses) is causing my mind to short-circuit. pure cognitive dissonance. they're on the verge of their first appearance at the WC since Reagan era.
Until the convoy gets in the way...I mean, come on convoy, GET IN THE WAY!!!!
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This is cray.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1505805602152456196
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Yup
I didn’t know that went down in the Netherlands though!
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world cup draw at noon (EDT).
(https://phantom-marca.unidadeditorial.es/434bd6f1a9b22c7988daa92a59a2f139/resize/1320/f/jpg/assets/multimedia/imagenes/2022/03/31/16487291768032.jpg)
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Not sure about this mascot
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FPRU7i8XwAQG1ZV?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)
Ghost of the all the workers that died building the stadiums
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CANADA!!!
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Jez how'd the US get in with all the world class teams in Pot 1 and 2
is it me or do the 'pots' seem very skewed and not evenly spread
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Great draw for the US! Very doable group
Decent to good draw for Argentina
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Obviously misunderstood the Pot thing, kinda thought I was the board SME on that
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US faces England, Iran and the winner of Scotland vs Wales and Ukraine in group stage
Argentina faces Mexico, Poland and Saudi Arabia in group stage
If US gets by group phase it would probably face Netherlands or Ecuador or Senegal in round of 16
Argentina in round of 16 likely faces France or Denmark
The top half of draw (A-D) where Argentina and US are is noticeably weaker than bottom (groups E-H)
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Great draw for the US! Very doable group
Depressing to hear. Quadrennial US soccer "fans" are the second worst people in the world, behind only US people who cosplay being European and pretend to like soccer all the time.
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Iran-US always fun
US-England will see some US fans who watch Premier League have loyalties tested.
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I don't think smakie likes these veiled attacks
I could care less
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FPRnTfJXoAg0gxM?format=jpg&name=large)
netherlands and brazil can sleep-walk into the elimination round, france has it pretty easy too. spain/germany and belgium/croatia are going to make for interesting groups.
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Disagree
Groups G and H are the most even
Not sure there is a clear Group of Death this time around
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(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/289954535_10159935570278620_1052531175588355937_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=mC6ZwlSDNPAAX_9y_2N&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AT_DjBtYoAYLpUCAY5D3Ew6KTRUPO-2QyboeX9y93NwyPA&oe=62BAF886)
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Hate soccer but that's a quality burn.