Off Topic: Soccer and NASCAR

[Lem B]

The USMNT is almost always disappointing to watch. I realize they were playing a good team, but when you can't even trap a ball or pass the effing ball you sure as heck aren't going to beat Argentina. I used to think Bradley played because his dad was the coach. Have no idea why he plays now. Bradley gave the ball away almost every time he touched it last night. I am so tired of watching him play. With how many people play soccer in this country now, I find it hard to believe he's the best center mid we can find.

[chemiclord]

The USMNT is almost always disappointing to watch. I realize they were playing a good team, but when you can't even trap a ball or pass the effing ball you sure as heck aren't going to beat Argentina. I used to think Bradley played because his dad was the coach. Have no idea why he plays now. Bradley gave the ball away almost every time he touched it last night. I am so tired of watching him play. With how many people play soccer in this country now, I find it hard to believe he's the best center mid we can find.

I find it perfectly easy to believe, as the sort of talented young man who would make a good center midfielder in this country instead has dreams of being an NBA point guard or an NFL quarterback. And by the time they realize that dream isn't going to manifest, it's too late to try and learn a completely different sport with little carryover in terms of skills.

When your sport gets what's left, you get Michael Bradley as the best your country can offer.

[Marko69]

Understand what you were saying 100%, FL.

Those stats apply to most of the rest of the world, Chemiclord against the top countries......, the USMNT ain't unique. I was actually expecting the USA to be turned over 6 or 7 nil by Messi alone.

And you've mentioned Belgium in your list. Historically, they are pretty mediocre. It's only in the past 5 or 6 years that they've had a group of players that are brilliant. They could actually win the Euros, but they're new on the big BIG scene...., forever in the shadows of their neighbours, Netherlands, (who incidentally failed to qualify)

[chemiclord]

Understand what you were saying 100%, FL.

Those stats apply to most of the rest of the world, Chemiclord against the top countries......, the USMNT ain't unique. I was actually expecting the USA to be turned over 6 or 7 nil by Messi alone.

And you've mentioned Belgium in your list. Historically, they are pretty mediocre. It's only in the past 5 or 6 years that they've had a group of players that are brilliant. They could actually win the Euros, but they're new on the big BIG scene...., forever in the shadows of their neighbours, Netherlands, (who incidentally failed to qualify)

Oh, I'm well aware Belgium hasn't always been a good team. And yet, the US team's record against them is still pish, as you would put it. You can take the U.S.'s record against ANY team that has had a reasonable stretch of quality performance, and the records are almost eerily the same. Italy? 1-7-3. France? 0-3-0. England? 2-7-1. The Netherlands? 1-4-0.

I can keep going if you want.

The U.S. is literally the example of a career .500 team; they regularly beat the awful teams, and regularly get thumped by the good ones.

Again, Froot never wonders why the Lions don't hang with the Patriots, because the answer is patently obvious. It's not a mystery.

Neither is this.

[froot loops]

Understand what you were saying 100%, FL.

Those stats apply to most of the rest of the world, Chemiclord against the top countries......, the USMNT ain't unique. I was actually expecting the USA to be turned over 6 or 7 nil by Messi alone.

And you've mentioned Belgium in your list. Historically, they are pretty mediocre. It's only in the past 5 or 6 years that they've had a group of players that are brilliant. They could actually win the Euros, but they're new on the big BIG scene...., forever in the shadows of their neighbours, Netherlands, (who incidentally failed to qualify)

I was disappointed that they didn't even show up. Hyped up crowd, home soil, they didn't even register a shot on goal. The effort was awful, generally when they are outclassed they still have the effort, it wasn't there last night.

The first goal was particularly terrible. They were asleep and nobody was around Messi. That was inexcusable, you are in a big game and you fail basic defending. I'll concede that second goal. When you are outclassed those are the type of goals that you should expect, but not the first.

[Newbomb Turk]

they played for the 0-0 tie from the opening whistle...............

I am honestly amazed that it was only 4-0.

[Lem B]

Me too Turk. With the possession Argentina had, if they would have tried to force the issue, could have easily been 7 or 8-0.

[froot loops]

I think playing for a tie is being generous and I'm not sure they deserve that amount of credit. When they lost to Belgium, that was playing for the tie. They parked the bus in that game and tried to hold on, but at least there was a defensive philosophy. Yesterday the back line was playing a pretty high line and there were a few runs were Messi was totally clear and the linesman helped them out. Donovan was saying he wanted them to a play higher line, yeah right.

They looked like a team that didn't read any scouting reports.

[FVD]

I felt like they tried and worked hard but were outclassed and made bad turnovers. It wasn't like Mexico vs Chile and just quitting in the second half. They were also pretty decimated going into the game because of suspensions

[Marko69]

For me, whether it's Argentina or Barca, opponents can play their back line at any depth they want because, (when Messi isn't skilfully dribbling forward), he's weighting those threaded forward passes almost inch perfect and 9 times out of 10 the forward is millimetres onside. That's the difference......, even when Messi is negotiating what he himself is doing with the ball, he's also looking around and KNOWING exactly where the strikers are, and when to release the ball. I know I keep banging on about Messi, but he really is an absolute genius on the soccer park.

If Matt Stafford had as much talent in US Football as Lionel Messi has in soccer......, aw man, we'd all have that Lions superbowl victory date tattooed on ourselves somewhere by now.

[froot loops]

The great thing about Argentina, no matter what year, they always look like they came off the set of a Spaghetti Western.

[Lem B]

I felt like they tried and worked hard but were outclassed and made bad turnovers. It wasn't like Mexico vs Chile and just quitting in the second half. They were also pretty decimated going into the game because of suspensions

Sure they tried and worked hard, they're just not very skilled. When your center mid, Bradley, turns it over about 90% of the time he touches the ball, no way in heck are you going to win. And, the really frustrating thing was, he did it many times with minimal, if any, pressure.

[Marko69]

The great thing about Argentina, no matter what year, they always look like they came off the set of a Spaghetti Western.

Oh Aye, they're scruffy bastards.

[dpatnod]

Sooooooo, I admit I do not really get it. But..., is this why soccer is cool?

Swedish soccer player gets red card for farting during game

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-fc-yahoo/swedish-soccer-player-gets-red-card-for-farting-202705537.html

The fart heard 'round the world is an underdog story.
It's the tale of a humble fart, unloosed on the world in a moment of innocence in the anonymity of a game between Swedish soccer clubs nobody had ever heard of. Its maker is Adam Lindin Ljungkvist, a left back for J?rna SK's reserve team. They were playing Pershagen SK.

He already had a yellow card.
He also had "a bad stomach," per the Guardian. So, as he told L?nstidningen S?dert?lje, which we're going to guess is either a newspaper or a cheap, self-assembled coffee table, "I simply let go."

There this whole besotted odyssey would have ended. But this little fart was destined for greater things. For global fame. Perhaps fortune. Maybe even a straight-to-TV movie on Lifetime and a spot on Oprah's bench. Because the referee, Dany Kako, who cares not for your farts, showed Ljungkvist a yellow card.

Which is to say that he almost certainly became the first player in a century and a half of organized soccer to be sent off for cutting the cheese on the field. He and his fart are forever famous. Thanks to that red card.

"Yes, I was shocked," Ljungkvist told the paper/coffee table. "It's the strangest thing I have ever experienced in football."
An opponent agreed. Kristoffer Linde testified that he "was standing a good distance away but I heard the fart loud and clear. It's the strangest thing I've seen on a pitch, and I've been playing football since I was eight years old."

Ljungkvist, baffled, needed closure. "I asked the referee, 'What, am I not allowed to break wind a little?' " Ljungkvist continued, sensing that the world and the history books would need more information. " 'No,' he replied. … I don't get it but maybe he thought I farted in my hand and threw the fart at him. But I did not."

The referee explained himself. "I perceived it as deliberate provocation," Kako said, adding that he'd once given a player a yellow for peeing by the field as well. "He did it on purpose and it was inappropriate. Therefore, he received a yellow card."
Ljungkvist then re-litigated the matter to Aftonbladet, which definitely is a newspaper. "To provoke anyone with a fart is not particularly smart or normal," he said. "It's nonsense – I just broke wind and got a red card. I spoke to the referee afterwards, I was annoyed, but there were no bad words. I just said he was a buffoon."

The below is more or less what we imagine the game's highlights of the game to look like.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAbtPr_77Pc&feature=youtu.be"]Family Guy - Fart Duel - YouTube[/ame]

[froot loops]

The player in question is not very believable, I'm sure he is a huge Monty Python fan.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBUl7oT9sA[/ame]