The Soccer Thread

[Butter]

Anyone with DirecTV notice new channel 615... Setanta Sports? I checked their website, and apparently this channel is like HBO or some such... you have to pay $11.95 a month just to subscribe to that channel. A bit steep for me, especially considering the European football season is nearly over, but it looks like they have some good stuff for those interested.

Also, to chime in on this Niemi = good or bad? debate, I think Niemi is a fine keeper, but he pretty much single handedly cost Saints any chance at the Portsmouth game on Sunday. Maybe he'll rally and help keep them in it... but I'd be surprised. They're lucky they don't have WBA's schedule left, they still have a chance to pull themselves out of relegation if they win their next 2.

[Critch]

Setanta is the company that bought all the rights to Scottish Soccer and set up Rangers TV and Celtic TV. They specialize in broadcasting live games to bars for huge fees (or so the guy that runs our local supporters club says). They also snap up a lot of international matches to broadcast to bars here and in Europe. The home version doesn't seem to show the top live games they have, just re-runs. Looks like it'd be a good buy for Rugby fans though.

$12 a month is going to be a hard sell to wifey. Wish me luck.

[Critch]

Dola

Or maybe they do show them live, who can tell. The Rangers and the celtic game this weekend are listed as being live in one place, but they're not on the schedule.

I want this channel so bad I may bargain away my WoW subscription. It's that serious.

[Katon]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Also, to chime in on this Niemi = good or bad? debate, I think Niemi is a fine keeper, but he pretty much single handedly cost Saints any chance at the Portsmouth game on Sunday. Maybe he'll rally and help keep them in it... but I'd be surprised. They're lucky they don't have WBA's schedule left, they still have a chance to pull themselves out of relegation if they win their next 2.

Well, be fair. He had plenty of help blowing that one. The entire team seems to have pretty much stopped playing recently.

Originally Posted by Critch

I'd still put Niemi in the top handful in the league though, better than anything Liverpool, Man Utd or Arsenal have. I'd guess if Southampton go down he'll be linked with a number of the top teams over the summer, I'd like to see him go to Liverpool. Dudek is too erratic and Kirkland/Carson don't look ready yet.

Agreed. Cech's the best in the league, but Niemi's in the group right behind him with Van der Sar and Cudicini.

[SirFozzie]

BTW.. The New England Revolution sends Neuqua and other Chicago Fire fans home unhappy, laying down a 3-0 whompin on em. Next up, Chivas!

[Desnudo]

Some video of the "seal" technique:

http://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/player...=26&clipID=557

I figure he'll have so many broken ribs and concussions, that he'll retire the move within a year.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by ice4277

A lot of people in the States do that with European team names. It especially happens with Real Madrid, people just calling them "Real".

Oh, don't get me wrong here, it's something most of the sports media do, not just those in the States. Just count all the versions of Milan, AC Milano, Milan AC, AC Milan and their rivals Inter, Internazionale, Inter Milan, Inter Milano, Internazionale Milano. Last night there was Sporting, Sporting Portugal, Sporting Lisbon, Sporting Lisboa, Sporting Club de Portugal, Sporting CP, Lissabon or whatever they are called playing against the European sensation of 2004/2005, being AZ from Alkmaar in the Netherlands.

It's traditional to go with short abbrevations for names in the Netherlands, yet in countries around us they don't appreciate it and call them just after their city name. Even if it means they start using the name of a defunct club (Alkmaar in stead of AZ, the A even stands for Alkmaar as being one of two parties involved in a merger, Zaanstreek being the other half) or a still living club (the Eindhoven and PSV example I gave, as FC Eindhoven plays in the second level of pro soccer, the level below where PSV Eindhoven plays).

[Critch]

Paid up for Setanta yesterday, early impressions are that it's not very good unless you are a Rugby Union or GAA fan. For the soccer fan it seems the $12 a month is fairly pricey. For example this weeks live soccer is two live English Championship games (the level below the Premier), a tape delayed German game, and a number of old games. At least the Championship games are the top games of the weekend (Sunderland v West Ham tonight, Wigan v Preston tomorrow, both important promotion battles). No sign of the Scottish Premier games being shown, either live or on tape delay, this week. Seems that anything they make money selling to bars won't be turning up on this channel.

I'll be keeping it and hoping for improvement, but if this is worth $12 a month, FSC and Gol TV are worth a billion squillion dollars each.

I guess with DirecTV talking about adding 1500 tv stations in the next year or so, they'll be letting any station with minority appeal on, good news for the Rugby/GAA fans.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Also, to chime in on this Niemi = good or bad? debate, I think Niemi is a fine keeper, but he pretty much single handedly cost Saints any chance at the Portsmouth game on Sunday. Maybe he'll rally and help keep them in it... but I'd be surprised. They're lucky they don't have WBA's schedule left, they still have a chance to pull themselves out of relegation if they win their next 2.

He let in a couple of bad ones, although one was off the unluckiest bounce I've ever seen, where the ball landed and spun backwards away from him. According to the announcers, those were the first two mistakes he'd made all season long. Having pylon cones for defenders didn't help his cause either.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by Critch

I guess with DirecTV talking about adding 1500 tv stations in the next year or so, they'll be letting any station with minority appeal on, good news for the Rugby/GAA fans.

Not to dampen your spirits, but the 1500 or so stations Directv is referring to is mainly providing local stations to those markets that cannot currently access it. It's not like you're going to be seeing 1500 new channels in the near future.

[condors]

Niemi has 5 clean sheets in 25 appearances which may not seem like all that with that defense its kinda impressive, add in he has only let in 41 goals with the amount of shots he has faced, that is much better than i would have thought.

[SirFozzie]

Just got home from the MLS game. God I'm cold and soaked to the bone. We had an inch and a half of rain fall in Foxboro DURING the game. Revs finally scored in the 89th minute (they had dominated all game) to take the 1-0 win

[McSweeny]

sad, sad day

Nottingham Forest has been relegated. I think i read that it is the first time that a team that has won the European Championship has been relegated to a third tear league. Bleh

[Huckleberry]

In better news, the only way Torquay can be relegated now is if they lose and both Oldham and MK Dons win next week.

[Desnudo]

Anyone catch the FA Cup Final? I read the recap and it sounds like I didn't miss much.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Anyone catch the FA Cup Final? I read the recap and it sounds like I didn't miss much.

Wasnt a bad game, considering the final result. Man Utd threw it away, countless chances squandered. Van Nistelrooy missed an open header, then one that looked like a tap-in where he tried to get fancy and back heel it but missed the ball completly. He looked past his best since returning from injury. I think the final shots total was about 24-7 in Man Utds favor, Arsenal only had one shot on target the whole game. Reyes can have no complaints about being sent off, he should have went earlier.

A great advert for letting FA Cup finals go to replays instead of penalties.

[ice4277]

I thought it was a pretty exciting match. Man U was unlucky to lose considering all the pressure they applied. But you have to finish, and they blew a couple of golden opportunities.

[Katon]

Hopelessly one-sided, but probably the most exciting match of any of the recent FA Cup finals - basically because the team that was dominating didn't actually manage to score.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Anyone catch the FA Cup Final? I read the recap and it sounds like I didn't miss much.

Paul Scholes missed something...

(I know, I know, technically his shot was stopped.)

[Critch]

Last day of the Scottish League season, Celtic went in 2 points clear of Rangers with Celtic visiting Motherwell and Rangers at Hibernian. With two minutes to go both Celtic and Rangers were 1-0 up, so it looked like Celtic would win the league. Two Motherwell goals in the last two minutes and Rangers win the league.

Stunning end to a season that's been close, but not very impressive. Neither Rangers nor Celtic have looked very good this year, Rangers plagued by financial problems have tried to rebuild through the year and the Rangers manager had the Scottish press and some fans calling for him to be fired earlier. Celtic tried to patch together an aging good team for one more championship by bringing in a couple of expensive loan players.

At least the right team won in the end

[B & B]

Scottish league this season had some of the most unexpected upsets while teams like Celtic were continually overrated and overpriced. Celtic's meltdown was quite fitting alongside the Hearts laydown.

[SirFozzie]

God I'm still tired, we had a 4 1/2 hour bus ride to NY, a 4 hour tailgate, and a 5 hour trip home, and I still was 2 1/2 hours from my bed. (Had to ride the T and then drive home at 1:30 in the morning )

But a good game, we shoulda beat the Mutt-roScum and they should've beaten us, a draw is a good result

[Critch]

Maybe good news for Tim Howard, Man Utd have released Roy Carroll and Ricardo. Maybe the American owner has told them to play the American in goals so he can sell soccer shirts in the US and pay down that debt?

Incidentally, the Setanta/FSC combo is going to make next weekend a World Cup Qualifier bonanza, Russia v Latvia, Scotland v Moldova, Sweden v Malta, Serbia v Belgium, Norway v Italy, Portugal v Slovakia, Denmark v Albania, Azerbaijan v Poland, Ireland v Israel all live or on tape delay. Followed by another full list on Wednesday June 8th.

[BreizhManu]

Looks like Manchester United made a 6M€ for GK Andreas Isaksson from Rennes

I don't want to see him go, we could not replace him...

Anyway if it happens he would be the 2nd consecutive goalie from Rennes (BTW we're playing the UEFA next season wohoo !) leaving for the premiership, the previous one being Petr Cech.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by BreizhManu

Rennes (BTW we're playing the UEFA next season wohoo !)

Awesome, congrats!

(FC Utrecht failed to reach the Cup Final 4 years in a row and thus missed out on a UEFA Cup ticket.)

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by BreizhManu

Looks like Manchester United made a 6M€ for GK Andreas Isaksson from Rennes

I don't want to see him go, we could not replace him...

Anyway if it happens he would be the 2nd consecutive goalie from Rennes (BTW we're playing the UEFA next season wohoo !) leaving for the premiership, the previous one being Petr Cech.

How does he compare with Cech?

[BreizhManu]

Cech is better (In my opinion Cech is fantastic so...) but he is a fine GK, I still think he is not ready for the big show yet. One more year playing with Rennes and in the UEFA and he would be ready to make the jump to a big club.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, did anyone think that releasing Carroll was so Howard could get more chances between the posts?

[AlexB]

The theory over here is that Ferguson sees Howard as the future #1, but not yet. So he's released Carroll and Ricardo (who never got a look in over the last couple of years anyway) to cement Howard's squad position, but he'll make a move for another keeper. Shay Given of Newcastle is heavily linked with United at the minute - he's an excellent keeper: probably the best active UK/Irish keeper

[Crapshoot]

Meh- I think Anti Neimmi, at 2 million pounds, would be a nice, cheap steal - he was one of the best keepers in the premiership last year. At 32, he's good 3-4 years- especially since he's a goalkeeper.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

Meh- I think Anti Neimmi, at 2 million pounds, would be a nice, cheap steal - he was one of the best keepers in the premiership last year. At 32, he's good 3-4 years- especially since he's a goalkeeper.

He was linked with Utd until he dropped a couple of clangers towards the end of the year - (not sure but I think it was aginst Utd) for example he made a mad rush out of his area and conceded a goal

Niemi's now being majorly linked with Celtic, especially as Strachan is now there (and we're about to nick their keeper - don;t think Rab Douglas is comparable though unfortunately!). But I agree with your idea: Niemi is a good keeper, and would be good value (Redknapp has said today he wanys £2m for him) - the Utd link has gone quiet though.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by Jari Rantanen's Shorts

Niemi's now being majorly linked with Celtic.

It's not all good news for Celtic though, they're being linked with Klaus Lundekvam too. Not even Niemi on a good day can save a team with that big carthorse in the middle, as last season at Southampton showed.

From what I've read the main reason that Roy Carroll got released was that he was playing hardball for a huge pay increase. Apparently everybody thought Roy Carroll was lucky to be Man Utd's keeper, except Carroll himself. He thinks he's great and deserves a whole lot more cash and a longterm contract.

[AlexB]

That also did play a factor by all accounts, although just a few dys before his release it was widely reported he had signed a contract extension (he had turned down an offer a few months ago). Then all quiet, next thing you hear is he's gone. Was all a bit strange: what I've posted above is what has come from the football press in the last couple of days

[ISiddiqui]

Interesting... there are rumors that Scott Parker may be involved in a bidding war between Charlton, Everton, and Newcastle. Charlton are going to offer 4 million pounds, but Souness said they are going to get in the race. If they can do it, it'll be easier to sell Bowyer to West Ham (who apparently want him).

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Interesting... there are rumors that Scott Parker may be involved in a bidding war between Charlton and Newcastle. Charlton are going to offer 4 million pounds, but Souness said they are going to get in the race. If they can do it, it'll be easier to sell Bowyer to West Ham (who apparently want him).

hxxp://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,1772_503014,00.html

Makes sense about the Bowyer angle though: with him and Dyer not exactly being best buddies, Parker may be an ideal option. And Everton have been linked with Parker as well...

[Galaxy]

Man,
I love the soccer transfer market. Quite exciting. What is up with Real Madrid this off-season? I've read they plan on a major shakeup? Will they look to lay off in getting the top stars, and rebuild/retool with fewer "name stars" with more quality, lesser-known players.

[MIJB#19]

Good luck on the bench, Howard.
Latest news from Manchester: Edwin van der Sar signed to a two-year contract.
My prediction: Howard riding the bench until after WC2006.

[Katon]

Not a long-term solution, but he'll be a good player for the length of the contract.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Man,
I love the soccer transfer market. Quite exciting. What is up with Real Madrid this off-season? I've read they plan on a major shakeup? Will they look to lay off in getting the top stars, and rebuild/retool with fewer "name stars" with more quality, lesser-known players.

I think they'll get rid of Ronaldo (Version Fat), Figo, some other players, and retool by buying younger, overpriced "name stars."

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Good luck on the bench, Howard.
Latest news from Manchester: Edwin van der Sar signed to a two-year contract.
My prediction: Howard riding the bench until after WC2006.

Should have happened in the January transfer window. Ferguson is getting cautious as he moves through his sixties

[ISiddiqui]

Weee... now Arsenal needs to buy a Continental goalkeeper and they can keep their grubby mitts of Given .

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Mac Howard

Should have happened in the January transfer window. Ferguson is getting cautious as he moves through his sixties

Cautious? This is almost the opposite concerning money, I'd say.

Van der Sar was up for a free transfer this summer, yet ManU (and Arsenal) didn't offer him a contract. VDSar then signed a contract extension with Fulham, and now Fulham get's >3M Euro out of him.

[Mac Howard]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Cautious? This is almost the opposite concerning money, I'd say.

Van der Sar was up for a free transfer this summer, yet ManU (and Arsenal) didn't offer him a contract. VDSar then signed a contract extension with Fulham, and now Fulham get's >3M Euro out of him.

Oh yes. Alex is now paying (through the nose) for his caution.

[moriarty]

For those interested in the Liverpool transfer wire:

Liverpool has been linked with several names, most notably in the midfield:

GK - Jose Reina (Villareal) he's already claiming the #1 spot. That would give us Dudek, Reina, and two England Internationals (Kirkland and Carson) ... overkill anyone? Looks like Dudek's heroic performance in the CL was his last.

Def - Matthew Upson (Birmingham) , John O'Shea, Franck Queudrue , MIquel Roque (16 year old), Olivier Kapo, Ryan Taylor, Patrice EvraAge.
Would love to see a young future replacement for Hyypia (O'shea or EvraAge would be nice), but I'd be content with anyone who can play the left side ahead of Traore.

Mid - Pablo Aimar, Ruben Baraja, Albert Luque, Jermaine Pennant, Luis Figo, Bolo Zenden, Marek Mintal, Mark Gonzalez, Scott Parker
Pablo Aimar would be awesome ... at least based on my FM experience , Scott Parker would be a good signing just to stop the Spanish invasion. Please stay away from Figo and Pennant (don't trust his drinking). Zenden has been the most persisitant rumor so far.

Fwd - Raul, Peter Crouch, Walter Pandiani
Not much here to replace Baros who is almost assuredly gone. Crouch rumors are strong ... I just can't believe we'd pick him up after we finally just got rid of Heskey, but I have to admit I have been reluctantly impressed in several of the matches I've seen of his.

[Crapshoot]

Reina is supposedly a god send - but its an extreme lack of faith in Kirkland ever being Healty, since he's generally regard as the top or 2nd best gk when (if ever) healthy. Should be interesting- I think that you sell Dudek, and go with Kirkland, Carson, and a schlub- if the latter is good enough to play for England, he's good enough for Liverpool..

[Crapshoot]

http://www.footballrumours.info/

Very useful site.

[Critch]

It's the close season in the UK, so it's time for all the strange stories to come out. Robin van Persie, Arsenal's Dutch (not as good as Robben) Wonderkid has been arrested for rape, Liverpool's fullback Steve Finnan has been arrested for causing a death due to dangerous driving.

On the transfer front Chelsea are throwing round the cash, Man Utd have signed a player to help them sell shirts in SE Asia (Park Ji-Sung from PSV), Arsenal linked with Guti.

But the strangest story of the offseason has got to be this:

Stefan Postma in sex DVD

ASTON Villa keeper Stefan Postma is ready to quit the Premiership and move to Spain - after embarrassing details of his kinky sex life were exposed.
Postma was in line for a move to Ipswich, but is now likely to go overseas to avoid further humiliation.

The Dutch keeper's former girlfriend revealed last weekend the bizarre sexual antics the pair enjoyed during their three-year relationship. And Postma knows he would become the target of taunting from opposition fans if he remained in England.

Postma's agent Pietr Buter said: "This would not happen in Holland, but in England it is different. Stefan had a girlfriend who was not the right choice but we hope it is all behind us now.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Stefan Postma has spent the week in a bidding war with a Sunday tabloid to buy up a DVD which allegedly shows him being anally penetrated by a girlfriend wearing a strap-on"

[MIJB#19]

Robin van Persie, Arsenal's Dutch (not as good as Robben) Wonderkid has been arrested for rape

It's a weird case and I've heard some strange 'eye-witness' stories of what could have been going on. My more reliable sources around Van Persie were unavailable. Good thing people are innocent until proven differently, but you can bet he'll forever be tagged a 'rapist'. He's already been the 'cheap joke of the day' all over the Dutch radio stations the past week.

I have no comment on the Postma story, I haven't heard about it until Critch posted it.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

I have no comment on the Postma story, I haven't heard about it until Critch posted it.

So his line about "this would not happen in Holland" kind of implies that the act he was involved in is common and wouldn't raise any eyebrows in Holland? Is this what you all get up to over there?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Critch

So his line about "this would not happen in Holland" kind of implies that the act he was involved in is common and wouldn't raise any eyebrows in Holland? Is this what you all get up to over there?

I'd love to defend Postma, but, "this would not happen in Holland" is not entirely true. Well, maybe it is, nobody would be interested in seeing a sex dvd with Stefan Postma, he never built up a big reputation here. He was a backup with Utrecht before they got into UEFA Cup tickets mode and battled against relegation with De Graafschap.

Part of his statement is true, there's less of a media attention for soccer players here, but only because the media only care about the big names (Van Persie is an example of a big name, Postma is byfor not interesting). For example, the marriage of bigname Rafael van der Vaart with 'tv babe' Sylvie Meis warranted live tv coverage.

If you're referring to the actions itself, it raises an eyebrow of what part of the Netherlands he comes from. He's not from the Holland part anyway, so it's easy for him to say that.