2016-17 Euro Soccer Thread

[IslandRed]

I was reminded of the approaching season when a friend of mine posted pics from Anfield (Liverpool) and Goodison Park (Everton) while on vacation.

A few things on my mind:

1. With the influx of new coaches and transfers, the EPL looks ridiculously top-heavy. Who finishes up top? Who's going to disappoint?

2. Whither Leicester City?

3. Barca, Real, Atletico -- the usual three-way tussle for La Liga and Champions League?

4. Any surprise teams lurking out there? Any chance of a title race in Germany or France where one superclub has ruled the roost recently?

5. With the news of Manchester United bidding ungodly sums for Paul Pogba, I have to admit: I've only seen all or part of maybe a dozen matches where he was involved, either with France or in the Champions League with Juve, but I've never seen whatever it is that is supposedly about to make him the most expensive transfer ever. Small and possibly unrepresentative sample size, I know.

[Chip R]

Enlighten me on this: I heard that the EPL was beginning their season soon. Didn't they just finish their last season a month or two ago?

[bucksfan2]

I was reminded of the approaching season when a friend of mine posted pics from Anfield (Liverpool) and Goodison Park (Everton) while on vacation.

A few things on my mind:

1. With the influx of new coaches and transfers, the EPL looks ridiculously top-heavy. Who finishes up top? Who's going to disappoint?

2. Whither Leicester City?

3. Barca, Real, Atletico -- the usual three-way tussle for La Liga and Champions League?

4. Any surprise teams lurking out there? Any chance of a title race in Germany or France where one superclub has ruled the roost recently?

5. With the news of Manchester United bidding ungodly sums for Paul Pogba, I have to admit: I've only seen all or part of maybe a dozen matches where he was involved, either with France or in the Champions League with Juve, but I've never seen whatever it is that is supposedly about to make him the most expensive transfer ever. Small and possibly unrepresentative sample size, I know.

Leicster will be an interesting study this season. It looks like they have been able to keep their team somewhat together after last seasons run. They will be flush with cash this year with the Champions league berth as well as the proceeds from winning the title last season. LC lost 3 games last season, which is insane when you think about a team what was in relegation territory the prior year. I think a more demanding schedule will hurt them this season.

I really want to see what Morino does at Man U, guy is going to throw around a ton of money, and cast off some of LVG's signings, that either haven't panned out yet, or just have stunk.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Enlighten me on this: I heard that the EPL was beginning their season soon. Didn't they just finish their last season a month or two ago?

Soccer never sleeps! EPL season runs August to May, so the break is pretty short and seems every shorter when the WC or Euros are played in the summer.

[thatcoolguy_22]

5. With the news of Manchester United bidding ungodly sums for Paul Pogba, I have to admit: I've only seen all or part of maybe a dozen matches where he was involved, either with France or in the Champions League with Juve, but I've never seen whatever it is that is supposedly about to make him the most expensive transfer ever. Small and possibly unrepresentative sample size, I know.


Here is a good primer for Pogba (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjmvcousUPg) CB frame, Striker speed, and top class ball control. Add in that he is 23 and MU will have him for all of his prime, and the price tag will be high.

[M2]

I was reminded of the approaching season when a friend of mine posted pics from Anfield (Liverpool) and Goodison Park (Everton) while on vacation.

A few things on my mind:

1. With the influx of new coaches and transfers, the EPL looks ridiculously top-heavy. Who finishes up top? Who's going to disappoint?

2. Whither Leicester City?

3. Barca, Real, Atletico -- the usual three-way tussle for La Liga and Champions League?

4. Any surprise teams lurking out there? Any chance of a title race in Germany or France where one superclub has ruled the roost recently?

5. With the news of Manchester United bidding ungodly sums for Paul Pogba, I have to admit: I've only seen all or part of maybe a dozen matches where he was involved, either with France or in the Champions League with Juve, but I've never seen whatever it is that is supposedly about to make him the most expensive transfer ever. Small and possibly unrepresentative sample size, I know.

1. Klopp's had the time to familiarize himself with his players and turn over his roster a bit. I'm thinking Liverpool has a good year, but Tottenham is loaded and Pep Guaridola is probably going to make Man City play some champagne football. Mou has a Man U roster which he supposedly wants to tear asunder but hasn't yet. Meanwhile, stylistically he'll probably be as defense-minded as Van Gaal. That could be a disaster. I doubt any smaller club will match what Leicsester City achieved last season, but Stoke has a bunch of talent on its roster and could challenge for a top six finish.

2. Probably a rough year. Kante's gone to Chelsea and Mahrez may be gone before the season starts.

3. Yep, no one else is breaking into the top rung of La Liga.

4. Germany is a tough league. So it's always possible that Bayern will have a tough year in the league. PSG probably has an easier, but Lyon has a mostly homegrown squad that could surge.

5. Funny that Man U would have to pay that much to get back a player it had in the first place. That's a lot to pay for a left wing who's hasn't dominated top level competition.

[Yachtzee]

We're getting ready to head down to Columbus to see Real Madrid and PSG in the International Champions Cup competition. Should be interesting to see if any of the big names get some minutes. Not expecting much, but it will be fun just the same. Also, after all these years living in Ohio, I will be making my first visit to the 'Shoe.

[bucksfan2]

We're getting ready to head down to Columbus to see Real Madrid and PSG in the International Champions Cup competition. Should be interesting to see if any of the big names get some minutes. Not expecting much, but it will be fun just the same. Also, after all these years living in Ohio, I will be making my first visit to the 'Shoe.

I went and saw Crystal Palace play at Nippert. One thing that really struck me was every single player was built like a NFL Safety. They are bigger, faster, stronger than I ever could have imagined.

[Yachtzee]

I went and saw Crystal Palace play at Nippert. One thing that really struck me was every single player was built like a NFL Safety. They are bigger, faster, stronger than I ever could have imagined.

From what I've heard, the FC Cincinnati game was great. I would say that Real Madrid and PSG was impressive in that they packed in 80,000+, but the crowd itself was somewhat blah. My middle son and I agree that we've been to games with smaller attendance but had much better atmosphere, namely at Columbus Crew, Akron, and Brighton and Hove Albion matches. Those games all had solid supporters' sections singing and chanting throughout the match. For this match, the crowd didn't really get into things until people started doing The Wave and "O-H-I-O".

[bucksfan2]

From what I've heard, the FC Cincinnati game was great. I would say that Real Madrid and PSG was impressive in that they packed in 80,000+, but the crowd itself was somewhat blah. My middle son and I agree that we've been to games with smaller attendance but had much better atmosphere, namely at Columbus Crew, Akron, and Brighton and Hove Albion matches. Those games all had solid supporters' sections singing and chanting throughout the match. For this match, the crowd didn't really get into things until people started doing The Wave and "O-H-I-O".

Nippert is a great place to watch a game, especially a game in which you are only going to get 40k-50k in attendance. It is a more intimate setting with very few poor seats. It also helped that it was the home town team playing, not two international teams. I have been to many a games at OSU, and while the environment can be absolutely great, it can also be pretty dead at times. 80k in the Shoe can feel empty, as odd as that sounds.

[Yachtzee]

Nippert is a great place to watch a game, especially a game in which you are only going to get 40k-50k in attendance. It is a more intimate setting with very few poor seats. It also helped that it was the home town team playing, not two international teams. I have been to many a games at OSU, and while the environment can be absolutely great, it can also be pretty dead at times. 80k in the Shoe can feel empty, as odd as that sounds.

I wouldn't say the Shoe felt empty. On the contrary, I've never seen so many people come to a soccer game in person. I'd say the atmosphere was lacking compared to smaller games because there weren't any strong supporters sections. People would get fired up when something good or bad happened, but other than 5 PSG supporters at the front of our section, there weren't that many people singing or chanting. Despite having a huge contingent of people of Hispanic heritage wearing Real Madrid jerseys, the crowd seemed more like an NFL crowd than a traditional soccer crowd.

[Caveat Emperor]

I'm upset that I couldn't get to Ann Arbor to see Chelesea play. I'm very ready for the EPL to start -- FC Cincinnati has been amazing, but I'm excited to see my blues back in action.

[Big Red Smokey]

Watching Arsenal on FS1 now in LA.

Not sure how I feel about these 3rd kits tbh

[M2]

Liverpool is having its way with Arsenal at the moment. Aaron Ramsey already has his first injury of the season. I'm a firm believer the first month of the season, and in particular the opening weekend, tells you very little. Yet Klopp's got a pile of attacking options.

[hebroncougar]

Liverpool is having its way with Arsenal at the moment. Aaron Ramsey already has his first injury of the season. I'm a firm believer the first month of the season, and in particular the opening weekend, tells you very little. Yet Klopp's got a pile of attacking options.

Liverpool has had problems holding leads late. Here's hoping the can break that bad habit today.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Yachtzee]

Pretty crazy game, but Liverpool held on for the win.

[hebroncougar]

Pretty crazy game, but Liverpool held on for the win.

Played great for about a 30 minute stretch. The first 40 minutes made me want to puke.

[Yachtzee]

Warching the German Supercup match and Fox Sports just ran a promo for the upcoming Bundesliga season, promising to air "every Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Freiburg game." Thought tomnuetten would enjoy the fact that Americans can see every Freiburg game this season.

[IslandRed]

Agree with M2, Liverpool has plenty of firepower, with or without Sturridge.

They have one huge weakness, though, as evidenced by Moreno picking up where he left off in the Europa League final. Don't mind Milner as a fill-in but they need a proper left back desperately. And a defensive mid for the rotation wouldn't hurt, but those are hard to find.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Champions League Group Draw:

GROUP A
Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal
FC Basel
Ludogorets Razgrad

GROUP B
Benfica
Napoli
Dynamo Kiev
Besiktas

GROUP C
Barcelona
Manchester City
Borussia Monchengladbach
Celtic

GROUP D
Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven
Rostov

GROUP E
CSKA Moscow
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
Monaco

GROUP F
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Sporting
Legia Warsaw

GROUP G
Leicester City
Porto
Club Brugge
FC Copenhagen

GROUP H
Juventus
Sevilla
Lyon
Dinamo Zagreb

[Caveat Emperor]

What's the Champion's League?

- Chelsea Fans

[Tony Cloninger]

The luck that some of these big spending clubs have when it comes to winning late (ManU today) or just whoever wishes to kick a ball and it curls in (Reus for RM again today) just makes it difficult to even care
when you know what the outcome is usually going to be. I am just really annoyed because I cannot stand those 2 teams.

[Yachtzee]

The luck that some of these big spending clubs have when it comes to winning late (ManU today) or just whoever wishes to kick a ball and it curls in (Reus for RM again today) just makes it difficult to even care
when you know what the outcome is usually going to be. I am just really annoyed because I cannot stand those 2 teams.

I think you meant Toni Kroos for RM, but I get your point, it was more fun last season when some of the big money teams struggled out of the gate.

[thatcoolguy_22]

I don't know much about Club Brugge or FC Copenhagen, but I'm liking Leicester City's chances of making it out of the group. Good draw for them.

[M2]

The luck that some of these big spending clubs have when it comes to winning late (ManU today) or just whoever wishes to kick a ball and it curls in (Reus for RM again today) just makes it difficult to even care
when you know what the outcome is usually going to be. I am just really annoyed because I cannot stand those 2 teams.

Saw both of those games. Can't call it luck when one team has another under siege for most of the game. Madrid battered the posts. Kroos' shot just happened to be the one that went it. Celta put up a good fight. So did Hull in their contest (less possession than Celta, but didn't yield quite so many chances).

ManU will run into trouble soon enough when Mourinho tells them to bunker against quality opposition. That's when he starts planting the seeds that he doesn't trust his team's talent (because he never does). Meanwhile Madrid still has Ronaldo, Benzema and Navas coming back into the fold. They may be stoking your annoyance to new heights as the season wears on.

[IslandRed]

Four games in, and after the craziness of Leicester City's run last year, the top six in the Premier League table are exactly who most would expect, if not necessarily in that order.

Count me as one who was surprised at City outplaying United to the degree they did. De Bruyne bossed that game. Bet Mourinho has a counter-move on the rematch.

I'm starting to wonder if Liverpool has a Philippe Coutinho problem. He can definitely win a game out of thin air, but Liverpool's main problem is consistency, and no one runs more hot and cold than Coutinho. I'm not against the idea of him coming off the bench like he did on Saturday, although he might be.

[hebroncougar]

Four games in, and after the craziness of Leicester City's run last year, the top six in the Premier League table are exactly who most would expect, if not necessarily in that order.

Count me as one who was surprised at City outplaying United to the degree they did. De Bruyne bossed that game. Bet Mourinho has a counter-move on the rematch.

I'm starting to wonder if Liverpool has a Philippe Coutinho problem. He can definitely win a game out of thin air, but Liverpool's main problem is consistency, and no one runs more hot and cold than Coutinho. I'm not against the idea of him coming off the bench like he did on Saturday, although he might be.

Coutinho was late coming back from international break, I wouldn't read much into that. I think you run him, Firmino, Lallana, and Sturridge for 3 positions, giving the 4th a break if needed. Hopefully that can keep them intact all year.

[IslandRed]

Didn't mean to say they benched him on purpose due to inconsistency, although I see I wasn't clear on that point... just wondering out loud if their best eleven includes him. But yeah, if they can stay healthy that's a nice rotation to have, especially if Klopp sticks with the 4-3-3 he's favored so far this season.

[M2]

Man U with two consecutive losses. First to Man City on the weekend (at home no less). That's painful, though perhaps forgivable when you look at the rosters and realize City has the superior squad. Yet losing 1-0 to Feyenord in the Europe League is the sort of thing that isn't supposed to happen to elite clubs managed by Jose Mourinho.

Way too early to call this a crisis, but no one loses a locker room faster than Mou. Do not underestimate how quickly this manager-club relation can go belly up. No one involved is going to settle for less than immediate results.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Man U with two consecutive losses. First to Man City on the weekend (at home no less). That's painful, though perhaps forgivable when you look at the rosters and realize City has the superior squad. Yet losing 1-0 to Feyenord in the Europe League is the sort of thing that isn't supposed to happen to elite clubs managed by Jose Mourinho.

Way too early to call this a crisis, but no one loses a locker room faster than Mou. Do not underestimate how quickly this manager-club relation can go belly up. No one involved is going to settle for less than immediate results.

I read some quotes from Jose before the Europa game where he basically said he thought it would hurt their chances of winning the EPL and that he didn't like the tournament, so I wasn't totally shocked they lost.

[M2]

I read some quotes from Jose before the Europa game where he basically said he thought it would hurt their chances of winning the EPL and that he didn't like the tournament, so I wasn't totally shocked they lost.

Classic Mou. Never understands that as he erodes confidence in his team it erodes confidence in him as a manager.

[M2]

Right on cue, ManU loses again.

City continues to roll. Everton's off to a hot start. That's been a team that looks capable on paper for a while now. No reason it can't be a contender. Leicester seems to be finding some form.

Palace is waxing Stoke at the moment. Horrible start for Stoke, which many thought might be this season's Cinderella team. Mark Hughes could be out of a job very soon.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Arsenal 3 Chelsea 0

It's been a good morning!

[Big Red Smokey]

I'll be in Sunderland next Saturday for Arsenal-Sunderland. Before Bengals-Redskins at Wembley Sunday

[IslandRed]

After Chelsea's win over Manchester United, the top of the EPL table a quarter of the way through:

Manchester City 20, Arsenal 20, Liverpool 20, Tottenham 19, Chelsea 19

And you'd figure United will get a run going sooner or later, so this is going to get pretty wild.

[M2]

Apparently you can knock over half of the Barcelona team with a single water bottle.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jydmTZWtDk

Their commitment to diving is extraordinary.

[M2]

I know Christmas congestion and the Champions League schedule could be back-breakers, but right now Arsenal is looking like the most complete team in the EPL. This just might be the Gunners' year to win the league. If the team can keep winning through November (Tottenham, ManU, PSG and Southampton on the schedule), the Arsenal watch will be in full effect. Biggest addition to the side has been Shkodran Mustafi, who is a hard man in central defense.

[M2]

And now Chelsea's on fire since it switched to a 3-4-3 formation (which is the Lamborghini of attacking football formations).

[IslandRed]

And now Chelsea's on fire since it switched to a 3-4-3 formation (which is the Lamborghini of attacking football formations).

They've looked great for the last few weeks, no doubt.

Although I'm a casual fan of Liverpool, I'm probably not being too team-colored-glasses to predict there's a good chance they're in first at the halfway point. They have a pretty soft slate until the New Year, and of the five other major contenders, they have only Man City left to play in the first cycle. They've already played Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs away. Still, until they actually put up a clean sheet or three, I'm not sure I'd put money on the trophy yet.

[IslandRed]

I'm starting to wonder if Liverpool has a Philippe Coutinho problem. He can definitely win a game out of thin air, but Liverpool's main problem is consistency, and no one runs more hot and cold than Coutinho. I'm not against the idea of him coming off the bench like he did on Saturday, although he might be.

On further review, Liverpool's only Coutinho problem at the moment is that there's only one of him. Shows what I know.

[IslandRed]

Saw a bit of Liverpool's League Cup game today. Ben Woodburn scored the second goal. He just turned 17 and looks like he doesn't even shave yet. Lord, I feel old.

I'm starting to favor Bournemouth in the "scrappy underdog that's enjoyable to watch" category. They pass the ball well and seem relatively unafraid to play the big boys straight up. Being a small city with what amounts to a fourth-tier stadium just adds onto the David vs. Goliath vibe.

Not a lot of drama left in the upcoming final group matches of Champions League, but if some of the teams currently second in their group stay there (Real, Bayern, Man City) there might be some excellent Round of 16 matchups.

[M2]

I'm starting to favor Bournemouth in the "scrappy underdog that's enjoyable to watch" category. They pass the ball well and seem relatively unafraid to play the big boys straight up. Being a small city with what amounts to a fourth-tier stadium just adds onto the David vs. Goliath vibe.

How long will it be before Eddie Howe gets offered the England manager's job? He seems to be the obvious choice.

[IslandRed]

How long will it be before Eddie Howe gets offered the England manager's job? He seems to be the obvious choice.

Good question. I could see his lack of big-club experience working both for him or against him. Managing egos and getting the best out of a bunch of guys who are mostly in reduced roles relative to their clubs is a tough job. It's a very different experience from managing a club like Bournemouth where names have yet to be made. At the same time, a bit of that hungriness to prove something -- in the form of Howe itself -- could be very good for England, which has a lot of good young players.

[M2]

Good question. I could see his lack of big-club experience working both for him or against him. Managing egos and getting the best out of a bunch of guys who are mostly in reduced roles relative to their clubs is a tough job. It's a very different experience from managing a club like Bournemouth where names have yet to be made. At the same time, a bit of that hungriness to prove something -- in the form of Howe itself -- could be very good for England, which has a lot of good young players.

England's sticking with Southgate, which I'm guessing means few others want the job.

[M2]

Classic case of Gunners luck. Arsenal finally wins its Champions League group stage section for the first time in a long time and it's awarded with a date against Bayern Munich.

Other matchups include:

Barcelona vs. PSG
Napoli vs. Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Juventus vs. Porto
Dortmund vs. Benfica
Monaco vs. Man City
Leicester vs. Sevilla

Predictions - four Spanish teams in the round of 8 along with Arsenal, Porto, Dortmund and Man City.

[bucksfan2]

Classic case of Gunners luck. Arsenal finally wins its Champions League group stage section for the first time in a long time and it's awarded with a date against Bayern Munich.

Other matchups include:

Barcelona vs. PSG
Napoli vs. Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Juventus vs. Porto
Dortmund vs. Benfica
Monaco vs. Man City
Leicester vs. Sevilla

Predictions - four Spanish teams in the round of 8 along with Arsenal, Porto, Dortmund and Man City.

I haven't really followed it much this season, but could Leicester beat Sevilla?

[M2]

I haven't really followed it much this season, but could Leicester beat Sevilla?

Sure, though Sevilla's playing really well. Leicester dismantled Man City 4-2 over the weekend and it won its UCL group. It's not a bad team, though letting Sevilla have a lot of the ball could spell trouble.

In general these are 8 really good matchups. You can't point to any single one and declare it would be beyond human comprehension if it went against the betting odds.

[Simon Rhymon]

Bumper Graham hits the nail on the head. If you have ever visited any of the Premier League forums, you may be aware of how delusional the Brits are when it comes to their league. Madrid and Barca fans can be obnoxious but they aren't delusional.

http://www.espnfc.us/spanish-primera-division/15/blog/post/3040734/spanish-liga-still-beats-the-premier-league-and-here-is-why

Most fans of Euro football are familiar with Phil Ball, but if not, check out some of his columns. He is terrific.

[Chip R]

There may be sin bins for players who get yellow cards in the near future.
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/38824937

[Simon Rhymon]

Gabriel Jesus ... wow!

[BuckeyeRed27]

So I haven't been on the Wenger out bandwagon. I am now on the bandwagon.

[bucksfan2]

So I haven't been on the Wenger out bandwagon. I am now on the bandwagon.

When was the last time Arsenal was a relevant power? I was talking about this with someone the other day, in the EPL from a list of Man U, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham you can pretty pick four of the top six finishers. Arsenal does a good job of always staying in the top four, but when they get to international competition they tend to get spanked when they play the better teams. There is nothing wrong with losing to Bayern, one of the top teams over the last 5 years, but it was an embarrassing loss. For a team that has worldwide name recognition, they sure fail on the big stage.

[BuckeyeRed27]

When was the last time Arsenal was a relevant power? I was talking about this with someone the other day, in the EPL from a list of Man U, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham you can pretty pick four of the top six finishers. Arsenal does a good job of always staying in the top four, but when they get to international competition they tend to get spanked when they play the better teams. There is nothing wrong with losing to Bayern, one of the top teams over the last 5 years, but it was an embarrassing loss. For a team that has worldwide name recognition, they sure fail on the big stage.

Yeah they are always in it, but they haven't been competitive in getting close to a decade. This is going to make 6 consecutive Round of 16 exits in the UCL and they are falling apart again in the league when they looked good for the first part of the season.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Holy Barcelona!

[IslandRed]

Well, at least the Atlanta Falcons are already off the hook for biggest collapse of 2017.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Well, at least the Atlanta Falcons are already off the hook for biggest collapse of 2017.

I dunno, that happened in the Super Bowl. As crazy as this was it was still the Round of 16. I think the Falcons still are on the hook.

[dougdirt]

I'm a very casual soccer watcher. Pretty much unless it's Team USA or a World Cup match, I'm not watching it.

However, I saw the highlights from the Barcelona match. I need someone to explain offsides to me. Is it only offsides if the pass is to the player behind the defenders? I didn't think that was the rule, but as I said - I don't watch a ton of soccer. On that final goal a guy is clearly behind the last defender, but the pass is to the middle of the box, while he was further out on the left of the box. Or are there different rules if the pass is within the box?

Signed,
Soccer idiot.

[M2]

I'm a very casual soccer watcher. Pretty much unless it's Team USA or a World Cup match, I'm not watching it.

However, I saw the highlights from the Barcelona match. I need someone to explain offsides to me. Is it only offsides if the pass is to the player behind the defenders? I didn't think that was the rule, but as I said - I don't watch a ton of soccer. On that final goal a guy is clearly behind the last defender, but the pass is to the middle of the box, while he was further out on the left of the box. Or are there different rules if the pass is within the box?

Signed,
Soccer idiot.

It's where the player was in relation to the last defender when the pass was made. Sergi Roberto was level with the defenders when Neymar chipped the ball into the box, so he was onside. Once the ball is on the way, he's allowed to run behind the defenders to get the ball.

Two other factors that affect on/offsides:

1) As long as you're behind the ball, you're onsides.

2) The rule technically is you can't be past the last two defenders when the ball is struck, but one of them is the keeper. On rare occasions a keeper will come off his line and you'll get a situation where there's only one defender between the attacker and the goal, usually during a scramble after a corner kick. When they call offsides in that situation, everyone freaks out, because players are even vague on that part of the rule.

[dougdirt]

So it's only the player that touches the ball after the pass that can be called for offsides? I guess that's where my confusion lies.

Here's a screengrab showing the play and where I was left confused.

12020

I always assumed that guy was offsides on the play (or ones similar to it) and play was stopped.

[BuckeyeRed27]

So it's only the player that touches the ball after the pass that can be called for offsides? I guess that's where my confusion lies.

Here's a screengrab showing the play and where I was left confused.

12020

I always assumed that guy was offsides on the play (or ones similar to it) and play was stopped.

Right, you have to be involved in the play to be offside. The assistant refs will wait until the play happens before raising the flag to see if the player engages.

[IslandRed]

I dunno, that happened in the Super Bowl. As crazy as this was it was still the Round of 16. I think the Falcons still are on the hook.

Well, obviously the stakes were higher where the Super Bowl is concerned, but I'm talking about the sheer scale of the degree of team-wide failure required. But yeah, it's an arguable point. I'd forgotten that the Falcons had a > 99% win probability at one point in the game.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I have been a soccer fan for most of my life, but I have never attended a EPL game. Well a week from Wednesday I will have gone to 4! Me and a buddy are flying out end of this week and are going to:

Liverpool vs. Everton
Swansea vs. Boro
Watford vs. West Brom
Arsenal vs. West Ham

Been waiting to do this for a long time and really can't wait!

[Yachtzee]

I have been a soccer fan for most of my life, but I have never attended a EPL game. Well a week from Wednesday I will have gone to 4! Me and a buddy are flying out end of this week and are going to:

Liverpool vs. Everton
Swansea vs. Boro
Watford vs. West Brom
Arsenal vs. West Ham

Been waiting to do this for a long time and really can't wait!

That's awesome! The Merseyside Derby should be particularly exciting. Let us know how goes.

[M2]

Everton seems to have finally made the jump from talented on paper to kind of good.

[BuckeyeRed27]

That's awesome! The Merseyside Derby should be particularly exciting. Let us know how goes.

Trip was amazing! The Merseyside Derby was certainly the highlight of those 4 games. The atmosphere inside Anfield was incredible and it was a really great game as well. "You'll Never Walk Alone" is just...I don't even know how to put it into words, it's incredible when you're there.

Swansea was fun. It's a nice little seaside town that is very pretty. The stadium only holds 20k and we actually sat in the visitors section, but Swansea and Boro could give 2 craps about each other, and after seeing the venom from Liverpool/Everton the day before was almost funny. The game was honestly pretty awful until the last 15 minutes or so when they really pushed for the winner. Boro missed an open header with about a minute to go and it ended 0-0.

Watford is only about a 40 minute tube ride from central London and is basically a suburb with a mall and not much else. They have made some upgrades to the stadium, but is still only a 20k stadium. We had great seats in the first row by the corner flag, right by the West Brom section. Watford was up 2-0 and got a silly red card with about 30 minutes to go, but played hard and kept the 2-0 for the win.

Arsenal was the last game and my first time watching my team play live. It's honestly a bit emotional, when you have followed a team for so long, but never seen them live and then boom there they are playing in front of you. We had great seats about 15 rows off the field, opposite the clock end and Arsenal really put on a show. West Ham put up a fight for about 5 minutes and then Arsenal dominated the game and won 3-0 and each goal was really well worked (and also right in front of us, which was awesome).

I hope to make it back at some point to do a similar trip, really one of the best vacations I've ever had.

[bucksfan2]

Trip was amazing! The Merseyside Derby was certainly the highlight of those 4 games. The atmosphere inside Anfield was incredible and it was a really great game as well. "You'll Never Walk Alone" is just...I don't even know how to put it into words, it's incredible when you're there.

Swansea was fun. It's a nice little seaside town that is very pretty. The stadium only holds 20k and we actually sat in the visitors section, but Swansea and Boro could give 2 craps about each other, and after seeing the venom from Liverpool/Everton the day before was almost funny. The game was honestly pretty awful until the last 15 minutes or so when they really pushed for the winner. Boro missed an open header with about a minute to go and it ended 0-0.

Watford is only about a 40 minute tube ride from central London and is basically a suburb with a mall and not much else. They have made some upgrades to the stadium, but is still only a 20k stadium. We had great seats in the first row by the corner flag, right by the West Brom section. Watford was up 2-0 and got a silly red card with about 30 minutes to go, but played hard and kept the 2-0 for the win.

Arsenal was the last game and my first time watching my team play live. It's honestly a bit emotional, when you have followed a team for so long, but never seen them live and then boom there they are playing in front of you. We had great seats about 15 rows off the field, opposite the clock end and Arsenal really put on a show. West Ham put up a fight for about 5 minutes and then Arsenal dominated the game and won 3-0 and each goal was really well worked (and also right in front of us, which was awesome).

I hope to make it back at some point to do a similar trip, really one of the best vacations I've ever had.

Sounds awesome!

I have always been curious, how are ticket prices over there? I have heard that they can be pretty prohibitive.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Sounds awesome!

I have always been curious, how are ticket prices over there? I have heard that they can be pretty prohibitive.

The ticket buying process is a bit weird. We used a site called Ticketbis.net which is the international Stub Hub. We paid a mark up, but except for the Liverpool game wasn't crazy. Most of the teams have a membership club you have to join that gives you access to buy tickets directly through the teams and those tickets go on sale anywhere from 1 to 3 months before the game. If you do that and can get face value tickets they seemed to range from 30-90 pounds. On the secondary market site we paid between 50-150 pounds per game.

[bucksfan2]

The ticket buying process is a bit weird. We used a site called Ticketbis.net which is the international Stub Hub. We paid a mark up, but except for the Liverpool game wasn't crazy. Most of the teams have a membership club you have to join that gives you access to buy tickets directly through the teams and those tickets go on sale anywhere from 1 to 3 months before the game. If you do that and can get face value tickets they seemed to range from 30-90 pounds. On the secondary market site we paid between 50-150 pounds per game.

That isn't terrible for a ticket, especially with the pound dropping against the dollar. I have always wanted to attend an EPL game, but going to England is pretty far down on my list of places to visit. I know my brother-in-law is a huge Barca fan and has paid top dollar for tickets to see them play a couple of times.

[BuckeyeRed27]

That isn't terrible for a ticket, especially with the pound dropping against the dollar. I have always wanted to attend an EPL game, but going to England is pretty far down on my list of places to visit. I know my brother-in-law is a huge Barca fan and has paid top dollar for tickets to see them play a couple of times.

Yeah I didn't find the tickets to be more than an NFL game or anything.

London is a pretty amazing city, lots to see and do and the fact they speak English is always helpful for travel purposes. I also really enjoyed Scotland when I went a few years back, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

[Yachtzee]

Yeah I didn't find the tickets to be more than an NFL game or anything.

London is a pretty amazing city, lots to see and do and the fact they speak English is always helpful for travel purposes. I also really enjoyed Scotland when I went a few years back, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

London is pretty amazing. I've never seen so many supercars (Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Lotuses, Bugattis) just parked on the street. I went on the London Eye right at sunset and the view of the city was incredible. I was in Watford too, but not for a match. That is where they have Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios which features a Harry Potter tour. I think my family would have disowned me if I had gone to more than the one football match I did get to go to.

As far as ticket prices go, or prices at team shops and concessions for that matter, I actually found everything to be quite reasonable compared to America. I don't know about the stadiums you went to, but in Brighton, a pie and a pint was 7 pounds, and the pint was real English ale, and two authentic Nike team jerseys were 80 pounds. I explained to my host that, at many US stadiums, the 7 pounds gets you a cup of watery big brewery lager and not much else and 80 pounds gets you one authentic jersey. Although it will be interesting to see if those prices hold steady next year, as Brighton and Hove are in prime position for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

[BuckeyeRed27]

London is pretty amazing. I've never seen so many supercars (Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Lotuses, Bugattis) just parked on the street. I went on the London Eye right at sunset and the view of the city was incredible. I was in Watford too, but not for a match. That is where they have Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios which features a Harry Potter tour. I think my family would have disowned me if I had gone to more than the one football match I did get to go to.

As far as ticket prices go, or prices at team shops and concessions for that matter, I actually found everything to be quite reasonable compared to America. I don't know about the stadiums you went to, but in Brighton, a pie and a pint was 7 pounds, and the pint was real English ale, and two authentic Nike team jerseys were 80 pounds. I explained to my host that, at many US stadiums, the 7 pounds gets you a cup of watery big brewery lager and not much else and 80 pounds gets you one authentic jersey. Although it will be interesting to see if those prices hold steady next year, as Brighton and Hove are in prime position for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

I would agree, stadium prices seemed to be a little less than US stadiums. Beer was like 4 pounds most places. I didn't buy an jerseys but shirts were like 20 pounds, so not crazy.

You can't drink beer in the stands. So before the game and at half time everyone is sort of huddled into the areas around the concessions pounding beer. I found that pretty funny.

[Yachtzee]

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your newest Premier League club, Brighton and Hove Albion F.C.

http://www.espnfc.com/club/brighton-and-hove-albion/331/blog/post/3106262/brighton-promoted-to-premier-league-20-years-after-selling-their-stadium

[ScotlandRed]

Yeah I didn't find the tickets to be more than an NFL game or anything.

London is a pretty amazing city, lots to see and do and the fact they speak English is always helpful for travel purposes. I also really enjoyed Scotland when I went a few years back, one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

You're not wrong. Especially the North.

- - - Updated - - -


Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your newest Premier League club, Brighton and Hove Albion F.C.

http://www.espnfc.com/club/brighton-and-hove-albion/331/blog/post/3106262/brighton-promoted-to-premier-league-20-years-after-selling-their-stadium

They've been banging the door down for a couple of seasons and good to see them finally go up. They have been the most consistent team all season and definitely deserve their chance in the big time.

[M2]

Madrid and Atleti are into the CL semis. Got a feeling they'll meet in the next round just to prevent them from getting to a third final in the past four years.

[MWM]

Man, Monaco is fun to watch. I was hoping Dortmund would pull it off, but they play a brand of football that's easy to love.

[MWM]

El Clasico certainly lived up to its name this time around. Great game from start to the very end. Ter Stegen put on a clinic today overshadowed only by Messi's brilliance.....and Ramos' stupidity.

[schmidty622]

What a day for Liverpool! This of course means they'll lose tomorrow at Watford.

[M2]

Cristiano Ronaldo is pouncing on the Champions League like a great white in the third act of a shark movie. Madrid now holds a 3-0 lead on their crosstown rivals. Bad news, Dani Carvajal may be lost for the rest of the season with a hammie injury.

[MWM]

Looking like a Real - Juventus final, which should be excellent. Juventus playing a strong game, but Monaco can't seem to get out of their own way.

[IslandRed]

What a day for Liverpool! This of course means they'll lose tomorrow at Watford.

Luckily they didn't, thanks to Emre Can of all people. I've never really figured his game out, he's like a Swiss Army knife except that only some of the blades work on any given day. The club really should finish top four now -- Man U is running on fumes and is prioritizing Europa League, and LFC is three points up on Arsenal even if the latter win the games in hand.

If they do qualify for Champions League, it would be a feather in Klopp's cap IMO. When Sadio Mane isn't on the pitch, as he often has not been, this is basically the same primary cast of characters that got Brendan Rodgers sacked. In terms of squad strength, all things considered, they're probably no better than sixth in the EPL. I'm hoping FSG finally opens the checkbook this summer.

[MWM]

I like Juventus today over Real. I think Chiellini frustrates Ronaldo and they get another clean sheet.

[M2]

I like Juventus today over Real. I think Chiellini frustrates Ronaldo and they get another clean sheet.

Offense > defense

Madrid had too much speed and too much skill for them.

[M2]

Madrid is having their big parade right now. So far Sergio Ramos has not dropped the cup in front of the bus.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxSuzRpTps