Off Topic: Soccer and NASCAR

[Marko69]

[Fraquar]

What in the hell is the point of UEFA Nations League? Seriously.

Copa Del Rey Final is scheduled for May 25
La Liga season ends May 26 (something has to give between those two)
Europa League Final is on May 29
Champions League Final is on June 1
UEFA Nations League Semi-Finals on June 5
UEFA Nations League Final on June 9

Not sure how they expect Spain to field their best players and expect them to be able to give 100% if they make the Semi-Final range. If this year is like any of the last 5, Spain has had a team in the CL Final every year (and both teams in the Final in 2 of those) and in the Europa League Final in 4 of them - and those teams usually in some combination also end up facing each other in the Copa Del Rey Final to boot.

[Marko69]

The lowest earners in La Liga are on between 50 and 75 grand, per game! SO........., fk them. Make them work for their dosh.

Seriously though......... No one here in the UK is giving a fk about the Nations Cup. Loady shite.

[froot loops]

That first game for Spain showed what an idiotic decision the Spanish Federation made before the World Cup.

Robert Firmino rescued Liverpool in stoppage against PSG, it would have been a disappointing draw. Also a Daniel Sturridge sighting. They are going to need him to compete this year.

[Marko69]

[froot loops]

Since Liverpool got Van Dijk in January, they have been among the best teams in any league. Their big problems under Klopp have been the bottom of the table teams, too many shoddy results to win the league. They are deeper this year, but as great as their start has been, Chelsea is sitting above them in the table. I was skeptical of your Chelsea pick but the new coach may have done the trick.

I did not see the Inter goals but I did see Pulisic's lucky goal, that was cool.

[Marko69]

For the soccer guys........ Super John McGinn for Aston Villa today v Sheffield Wednesday.

For the non soccer guys....... Sheffield Wednesday is a football team.

Although I did know a person once who thought it was a bank holiday.

[chemiclord]

Maybe they'd play better if they were Sheffield Friday Night or something.

Because honestly, I'm at my absolute worst on Wednesday.

[Marko69]

Maybe they'd play better if they were Sheffield Friday Night or something.

Because honestly, I'm at my absolute worst on Wednesday.

Sheffield Friday Night! Very good.

Forgot to add in that other post ...... final score, Aston Villa 1 Sheff Wed 2

[chemiclord]

Well, I mean... it is Aston Villa. We're not talking about a terribly high bar to clear there.

[Marko69]

[chemiclord]

Ya mean, kinda like how the Lions will be back in the championship hunt "soon?"

AV is just... total garbage. They're about to lose their EPL stipend (if they haven't already), and without that extra influx of cash... they won't even be able to keep the overpriced players they currently are using to struggle just to remain in the 2nd flight playoff discussion. If they don't squeeze back into the EPL by some miracle this season, it'll be a long time before they sniff the top division again.

I just don't see that miracle happening. Aston Villa is just simply done. And they're gonna be done for a long time.

[Marko69]

[Marko69]

[chemiclord]

In 1958, the Detroit Lions went 4-7-1 on the heels of a championship season, then 3-8-1 in 1959. They were considered blips. A team with the Lions history would be right back in the championship conversation real soon, the conventional wisdom said. There's no way a team with their history could be anything but contenders.

I think we all know the story from there. The Lions became the joke of the NFL and haven't seriously been in the championship discussion for the last 60 years. Hell, the only reason they are still in the NFL at all is because there's no relegation.

Incompetence trumps history every single time. The people in charge at AV don't even look like they know what soccer is, much less how to put together an actual coherent team. If they don't manage to get back into the EPL next year... they probably aren't getting back in for a while. And even if they do manage to squeak back in, I don't see how their stay will be particularly long without a complete retooling of their executive staff.