On the Eve of the new Season...

[Frank Gallagher]

Ooooh look - A competition for club teams that the winner can be truly crowned "WORLD CHAMPIONS" because there's teams from all over the world involved...

Superbowl world champions my arse!!!! Not even champions of north america.

[vansmack]

Yeah, great. At what cost?  Vidic for both legs against Inter in the real tournament that matters that doean't have world in its name.

To me that was like winning the Carling at the expense of the FA, only like X5.

[godsshoeshine]

congrats to man u. i like the idea of an english team being champions of the world

anyway i didnt watch a second of the competition, just an awkward time of the year and a terrible time of the day to watch it in the states

good win for the toon this weekend. nice to see the younger players coming along and contributing to wins

[vansmack]

Somehow in my schedule I also missed today's Everton vs Chelsea match today at 3:00.

Good win for the Toon - well deserved.  Although Owen did you know favor by committing himself to the Toon through the end of the year.  I'm sure you'd rather get soemthing for him in January than watch him walk for free in the summer.   That's a "thanks, but no thanks" moment if I've ever seen one.  Then again, you're only 4 points clear of relegation...

The more I think about the tourney this weekend, the more pissed I get about it.  Johnny Evans or John O'Shea in the middle with Rio against Inter at Inter.  eesshh.

[godsshoeshine]

actually i think he's trying to save face because there isnt much interest. he's only worth spending (say) £5m if your team is in the cl or need a striker to break into the top 4. man u and arsenal cant be interested, chelski have already said they arent buying. that leaves villa and pool and i really cant see villa paying owen £110k or whatever he wants a week. liverpool maybe, but they have a whole credit crunch thing going on too

maybe shitty would pay him, but i think they have bigger fish to fry. if owen's real goal is to impress capello and make money i dont know that he's going to have a better chance than at newcastle. i imagine he just wants out, but is so slimy he wont say it

oh and yeah getting some money would be nice, but just his wages coming off is like spending £10m plus £40k on a replacement. better than going down

[Frank Gallagher]

Yeah, great. At what cost?  Vidic for both legs against Inter in the real tournament that matters that doean't have world in its name.

To me that was like winning the Carling at the expense of the FA, only like X5.

O'Shea usually comes through in the big games for some reason...not up to much against the Fulhams, Wigans, Newcastles    and the like, but the big guns he holds his own.

As Fergie said, "I hope we have to compete in this competition again next year"!!!  In other words, if you don't want to go then don't become champions of Europe.

[godsshoeshine]

even vidic/rio couldnt save you from drawing with newcastle at home this year 

[hutch]

Yeah, great. At what cost?  Vidic for both legs against Inter in the real tournament that matters that doean't have world in its name.

To me that was like winning the Carling at the expense of the FA, only like X5.

Typical English footballing arrogance... We've seen how helpful this attitude is with the World Cup.. oh wait why play that one when you got the Eurocup (if only England could qualify..maybe they are saving their players for.......)!

It is so insulting to fans who root for teams in other parts of the world..we do exist you know??? There are good teams outside of Europe you know??? Teams that manage to play well without spending hundreds of millions of dollars..

I happen to be a huge Boca Juniors fan.. with 1/500th the payroll and all our players being constantly taken from us (some literally stolen when they are young teenagers) we still manage to beat the Champions league  winner and yet the many European fans treat it like its a second rate competition..Well guess what? Its not because the the winner of the Libertadores Cup plays the winner of the Champions League.

Only people with a loser mentality would think that winning the World Club Cup or the Intercontinental Cup is not worth putting in your starters for.......

[vansmack]

Clearly you missed the compliment I paid to Boca and the Brazilian squads when discussing my lack of enthusiasm for the Club World Cup. 

But seriously, I'm supposed to be excited about winning a tournament that only included Quito, Pachuca, Gamba Osaka, Al-Ahly, Waitakere United, Adelaide United?

After winning a Tournament that fielded Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juve, a couple of pussy French teams, some nasty Turkish teams, nobody likes travelling to Greece for a match, the Dutch used to be able to surprise you, the Protuguese are always good for recruiting, and some "have you ever been to Russia in the Winter?" teams, forgive me if I'm a little less than excited about it.

Had Boca been there, I would have been more excited, but instead United are out one of their stellar center backs for a 2 leg draw with Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan squad.  And yes, I would rather win the Champions League again this year than the Club World Cup from last year.

[vansmack]

many European fans treat it like its a second rate competition..Well guess what? Its not because the the winner of the Libertadores Cup plays the winner of the Champions League.

This is a good point.  Make a Tournament of the Top 4 from the Libertadores Cup and the Top 4 from the Champions League, and you've got yourself one helluva tournament that I'll get excited about. 

[godsshoeshine]

i really like boca actually. i was going to follow south american club footie this summer (nonwc/euro) and had kinda picked them as my team

i think my issue is its only 2 games and even at 2 games it really disrupts the fixtures for the european team

[Barcelona]

Talking about Boca Juniors. Today they play the final game of the Apertura tournament against Tigre. Obviously I am with Tigre, a really small team.

Actually I really like Argentinean football, my second team has always been Independiente de Avellaneda. Rey de Copas.

As for these world cup type tournaments played in Japan, I am sorry but European teams do not play with the same motivation as the south american ones. December is a key month for european teams, an injury and you may be out for the key games in your tournament and in the champions league. On the other side, for the south american players playing in Boca, Liga de Quito, Sao Paulo, Olimpia, Once Caldas... it is the opportunity to make an impact amongst coaches in Europe. All my admiration for South American teams, though.

[hutch]

How fitting to have this thread again: Boca Juniors champions once again..

Since about 1997 I don't think there is any soccer team more succesfull

I'm glad to see there's some respect for Boca..

I still wish people who root for european teams took the intercontinental cup more seirously.. they say the players don't but thats cause the fans don't care!

[Barcelona]

Let's see when Independiente wins a tournament again, i hope in the clausura. I need to see them in the Libertadores, difficult next year, but want to see them where they belong!

[vansmack]

FA Cup - 3RD Round

Friday, Jan 2

3:00pm Tottenham vs Wigan (SET)


Saturday, Jan 3

10:00am Forest Green Rovers vs Derby County (FSC)
10:00am Macclesfield Town vs Everton (SET)
12:00pm Preston North End  vs Liverpool (FSC)
12:15pm Hull vs Newcastle (SET)

Sunday, Jan 4

8:00am Southampton vs Man Utd (SET)
8:30am Gillingham vs Aston Villa (FSC)


CARLING CUP SEMI - First Leg

Tuesday, Jan 6

3:00pm Tottenham vs Burnley (SET)

Wednesday, Jan 7

3:00pm Derby County vs Man Utd (SET)