football thread No11

[Takhisis]

You won't understand it if you don't live it.

Lionel Messi's been rightfully banned for 2-4 matches from playing for Argentina. Insulting the referee is not to be allowed.

 

[AdrienIer]

The single biggest problem I've always had with traditional European-style promo/relegation, no salary cap, no draft sporting leagues is the entrenched oligopoly of success.

I don't understand what's in it for supporters of teams that are structurally unable to have success. Or, for that matter, what fans of Manchester Utd or Barcelona get out of 90% of their games.

Man Utd sucks these days.
It's not as stable as it looks. Sometimes a small team will win unexpectedly, like Leicester last year or Montpellier in France in 2012. And some big teams sometimes fall into irrelevance (like both Milans) while some who were mid table teams (or even second division teams) take their place. A decade ago I think Naples was just up from Serie B, and Atletico Madrid was doing terribly before the Torres years.

 

[BirraImperial]

You won't understand it if you don't live it.

Lionel Messi's been rightfully banned for 2-4 matches from playing for Argentina. Insulting the referee is not to be allowed.

What did he do? I couldn't watch that game... The suspension starts with today's match vs Bolivia...Argentina is seriously screwed...When Messi doesn't play, the Albiceleste suffers a lot...

 

[Takhisis]

We can say that he volubly cast aspersions on the parentage of one of the linesmen. Argentina were awarded a penalty they shouldn't have and Chile had a goal wrongly disallowed before that, so Messi should have at least paid the refs' hotel stay and expenses.

 

[AdrienIer]

Interesting new test for video ref today in France-Spain. A French goal accepted by the assistant was declared offside by the video and a Spanish goal declared offside by the assistant was declared valid by the video. Both time the ball ended in the net, the assistant made his call, the video ref told the central ref that he was reviewing the call and made the decision in 10s. Even though I'd have preferred if they had kept the original calls tonight (to avoid the 0-2 loss) I think it's a great move forward for football.

 

[Takhisis]

^Messi's ban was based on video footage.

 

[uppi]

I don't understand what's in it for supporters of teams that are structurally unable to have success.

All teams have some kind of goals and can have success at achieving them. It might not be the championship, but maybe the qualification for a European tournament or just staying above the relegation line. The fight for these goals can be just as or even more exciting than the championship. And there is always a tiny chance of an exceptionally good run that might yield a trophy.

 

[Takhisis]

@Arwon: it's about tribal identity.

 

[AdrienIer]

It's about fighting with your means for your goals. You're not going to be 11th in the league every year, that would be boring. One year you'll be in trouble, and end up 16th after fighting relegation and you'll have been tense all year. One year you'll end up 5th. One year you'll get into the cup final. If you're in lower leagues you'll dream about promotion to the higher level.

The team of my city (a historic club in France, who won severall cups a long time ago) came back from 4th division into 2nd division in the past decade, and that's amazing. I was going to the games in 3rd division, hoping every year for a promotion and the opportunity to play solid teams (teams who would have been just relegated from 1rst division into 2nd division, and who might have a few solid players). And then at one point the club won the 3rd division. It's a great feeling. And now when I go to the 2nd division games I'm even more enthusiastic (even though the team is now fighting to avoid relegation) because I know where the club was and how far it's come.

 

[Serutan]

So... Bilic gets the dreaded vote of confidence, and West Ham promptly go out and lose. Do the bookies
have an official over/under on the # of days until he is sacked?

 

[Takhisis]

Argentina's Bauza also got the vote of confidence. The official unofficial off-the-record-as-long-as-you-put-it-on-the-record thing is that they're just settling on severance pay.

 

[Takhisis]

^To build on that, somebody leaked a recording of the newly-installed president of AFA insulting Bauza. The new coach is Sampaoli.

 

[BirraImperial]

Arsenal gets humiliated again, this time by Crystal Palace...Now they're 6th, out of a CL spot and barely in a Europa League qualification place...

 

[Serutan]

And on the flip side, Big Sam appears to be close to keeping his EPL teams in safety record intact.

 

[Takhisis]

Juve don't get a penalty, then Barça don't get a penalty, then Juve get a ridiculous offside called against them… this is UEFA taking itself seriously, apparently.

 

[Serutan]

Welp. Now things are innerstin. Will Chelsea wilt?

 

[Takhisis]

I'm personally holding out for St. Totteringham's not being cancelled this year after all.

 

[gay_Aleks]

laughs in Mancunian

 

[Takhisis]

 

[AdrienIer]

What's with champion's league referees and spanish teams ? Did UEFA insist on having as many as possible in the semi finals ?