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FIFA World Cup 2014

#2,422
Kaa said:
OK, Jr., you want to help here?
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Titus is a born and bred supporter of Everton F.C.. He is a true blue Evertonian if there ever was one.

Their arch rival, their Merseyside cousins, the evil empire that plays less than a mile away from their stadium is Liverpool FC. A team both dangnewt and I consider ourselves to be supporters of. The rivaly is long and runs deep - it makes the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry look pale in comparison. Titus doesn't necessarily see us as true supporters though - but he is from the town and born into it, so honestly I 100% understand and respect his position on that matter.
 
#2,423
skwee said:
What do I think it would take to get the U.S. National team up to snuff?

Less focus on individual performance, and more focus on teamwork and passing. I think this Cup was a step in the right direction, and Klinsmann did a good coaching job overall. Especially if you consider the "kickball", individualistic style that has permeated American play forever. Keep Yedlin, Green, Beasley playing together, and working together as a team. They have been showing solid technique, speed, and creativity (should Yedlin be a winger?) The current attacking players for the U.S.--not so much.

One of my coaches taught me: "a shot is simply a pass into the goal". I'd like to see that kind of philosophy in practice by the U.S. I think it would go a long way.

I'd encourage men's teams (and our team in particular) to watch film of women's major teams to see this in action. For one thing, most women's teams don't do all the flopping and whiny **** that the mens' squads do. But they also pass like nothing else. The game doesn't rely on strength, but rather smoothness and good flow to get the job done. The Japanese national team in the last women's tournament really showed off this style all the way to the cup.

In a nutshell: change the way that the "organism" that is the team functions--become the best passing team on the planet and pass that ball into the net.
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Kind of like how the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Finals this year?
 
#2,425
jrthebassguy said:
Titus is a born and bred supporter of Everton F.C.. He is a true blue Evertonian if there ever was one.

Their arch rival, their Merseyside cousins, the evil empire that plays less than a mile away from their stadium is Liverpool FC. A team both dangnewt and I consider ourselves to be supporters of. The rivaly is long and runs deep - it makes the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry look pale in comparison. Titus doesn't necessarily see us as true supporters though - but he is from the town and born into it, so honestly I 100% understand and respect his position on that matter.
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So, as a no good latecomer (i.e. not born into a team loyalty), should I pick an EPL team to root for, or just watch the EPL for the matches and the play? I have a good friend who grew up in London who is a Sunderland fan, should I ally with him, even knowing absolutely nothing about Sunderland?
 
#2,430
Kaa said:
So, as a no good latecomer (i.e. not born into a team loyalty), should I pick an EPL team to root for, or just watch the EPL for the matches and the play? I have a good friend who grew up in London who is a Sunderland fan, should I ally with him, even knowing absolutely nothing about Sunderland?
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I watched the EPL as a general fan for three years before I "picked" a team. What I suggest: Start watching any EPL match you can - learn the teams, learn the tiered structure of English football, learn the players, but just as important is to learn the history! You know how die hard baseball fans seems to be amateur historians? Same case here.


For me, the 2005 Champions League final was when I decided I would be a Liverpool supporter. Glory hunting perhaps, but I've stuck with the decision. Don't feel rushed to support any team. And join us once the regular football thread gets opened after the World Cup is over.
 
#2,433
Kawai, Titus is referring to the team whose name starts with Liver- and ends in -pool, fairly heftily disliked amongst the majority of the other team's supporter's for reasons that are too legion, complicated and historical to go into, they just are.

We do have some Liverpool supporters in the EPL thread who like everyone else, take the slagging in good part and give as good as they get, which is what it's all about.

You're welcome to join in of course.
Just don't expect any mercy if you decide to choose one of "those teams" to follow....in addition to the above there are another couple of fairly universally disliked contributors...give you a clue, they both play in shades of blue!
Apart from that we are pussycats....some of us are more like Bagpuss but its all good craic.


Edit: bleedin' app...took me so long to type that by the time it went up there were another 90 posts expalining it....sheesh old age doesn't come itself!
 
#2,434
Hmmmm. National teams vs. Club teams? No contest. On the 1 to 10 "joy meter", my results would be as follows.

1. Arsenal win the EPL =Joy 10+

2. Italy win the World Cup ( even though being first generation American, I'm not "allowed" to root for them) Joy =5

US Winning World Cup =3 on the joy meter, mostly because it would surge the sport's popularity here.
 
#2,436
cheezewiz said:
Hmmmm. National teams vs. Club teams? No contest. On the 1 to 10 "joy meter", my results would be as follows.

1. Arsenal win the EPL =Joy 10+

2. Italy win the World Cup ( even though being first generation American, I'm not "allowed" to root for them) Joy =5

US Winning World Cup =3 on the joy meter, mostly because it would surge the sport's popularity here.
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Not sure where you're at in Ohio, but have you ever been to a Columbus Crew match? They seem to have a nice stadium.
 
#2,437
OK in order of importance:

1. Celtic winning the Champion's League (Domestic league is too easy)
2. Arsenal winning the EPL
3. Ireland v Scotland in the world cup final ends in a draw, the lads all say "feck it lets share" and refuse to take the penalties, walk off to get peed together and Sepp Blatter takes a coniption fit and ends up in hospital which burns down with him and the rest of the useless suits in it visiting him at the time.
4. Anybody beats England
5. See 4 and repeat ad infinitum
 
#2,440
Kaa said:
Well, just doing some cursory surfing, and there is an MLS club in Columbus, about 2 hrs away. Is the MLS considered more of a "minor league" when compared to the EPL?
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Yes. While the MLS is getting better by the year, in many cases the MLS is home to the American talent that isn't good enough for England/Germany/Italy/Spain and the European stars of yesteryear playing out their final days. For example, a decade ago Thierry Henry was arguably the best player alive. Now, he's a bumbling old man playing out his final days in New York. Brazilian legend Kaka, another former great, just announced he will be playing for Orlando next year.



As far as skill goes - I reckon the best 2 or 3 MLS teams would perform very well in the English Football League Championship, the 2nd division in England. A proper EPL/Bundesliga/Serie A/La Liga team would destroy the best MLS teams.
 

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