The Soccer/Football Thread

[Triplethreat]

Tough for Ronaldo but Belgium is just stacked.

If DeBruyne and Hazard are hurt for the game against Italy though it will be much tighter.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Tough for Ronaldo but Belgium is just stacked.

If DeBruyne and Hazard are hurt for the game against Italy though it will be much tighter.

Portugal is such stuck until Ronaldo decides to retire from being an international. They aren't that good of a soccer country at the moment but have expectations because of Ronaldo.

As for Belgium, I'm not that impressed with them outside of Hazard and DeBruyne. Lukaku looks like he has been trying to rid Italy of all it's pasta, and the rest of the team looks rather uninspiring.

Maybe Eden and Kevin are enough to beat the Italians. But I'll still take the Italians in a boring 1-0 win.

 

[Triplethreat]

Portugal is such stuck until Ronaldo decides to retire from being an international. They aren't that good of a soccer country at the moment but have expectations because of Ronaldo.

As for Belgium, I'm not that impressed with them outside of Hazard and DeBruyne. Lukaku looks like he has been trying to rid Italy of all it's pasta, and the rest of the team looks rather uninspiring.

Maybe Eden and Kevin are enough to beat the Italians. But I'll still take the Italians in a boring 1-0 win.

Lukaku maybe wasn’t the guy today, but he was really dominant in the group stage.

His speed gets him in past back lines still on long runs, and the Italians actually looked rather pressed on the counter attack against Austria.

I’m a homer so I’ll take the Italians too, but at the end of the day Belgium is the more talented side. Should be a fun game.

I’d like to see Locatelli get in over Verati in the starting 11. He was great off the bench last time out and I think he just adds another dynamic to the Italian attack over Verati.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Lukaku maybe wasn’t the guy today, but he was really dominant in the group stage.

His speed gets him in past back lines still on long runs, and the Italians actually looked rather pressed on the counter attack against Austria.

I’m a homer so I’ll take the Italians too, but at the end of the day Belgium is the more talented side. Should be a fun game.

I’d like to see Locatelli get in over Verati in the starting 11. He was great off the bench last time out and I think he just adds another dynamic to the Italian attack over Verati.

Here's the thing: I actually kind of hate the Italian national team. They have been the most boring good national side since I started watching in about '04, well outside of that Greece team that somehow WON Euro 2004. But this new brand of Italian soccer has been AWESOME. So I have to respect it.

I think it'll be a great game. Belgium is a rising star in International Football and I think they might make that leap into the WC Winners here soon. But until they make that leap, I'll stick with the tried and true Italians.

I'm still not sure either can beat the French. And if Southgate could ever properly manage it, the English still have an amazing talent pool. Should be one hell of a finish.

 

[Triplethreat]

Here's the thing: I actually kind of hate the Italian national team. They have been the most boring good national side since I started watching in about '04, well outside of that Greece team that somehow WON Euro 2004. But this new brand of Italian soccer has been AWESOME. So I have to respect it.

I think it'll be a great game. Belgium is a rising star in International Football and I think they might make that leap into the WC Winners here soon. But until they make that leap, I'll stick with the tried and true Italians.

I'm still not sure either can beat the French. And if Southgate could ever properly manage it, the English still have an amazing talent pool. Should be one hell of a finish.

Watching these European teams duke it out in awesome, high stakes national games makes me absolutely hate the fact that the USA can't really put out much talent in the Soccer/Football world.

How cool would it be to have a USA team competing for a World Cup title? I'm hopeful we will see one sooner than later.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Watching these European teams duke it out in awesome, high stakes national games makes me absolutely hate the fact that the USA can't really put out much talent in the Soccer/Football world.

How cool would it be to have a USA team competing for a World Cup title? I'm hopeful we will see one sooner than later.

I've been waiting for about 20 years, LOL.

Klinsmann had a lot of warts, but he realized that the US needed to start acting like a big football/soccer country and did some great things. He started using the Latin American talent and got it into the pipeline along with pushing more youths towards Europe. Never in my life have the US had a Christian Pulisic, let alone someone like Gio Reyna. Hell, even having a midfielder like McKinnie and Adams, or players like Weah and Dest? Nope.

We are headed towards a Golden Age of US Soccer Talent. I'm curious to see if Berhalter is the guy, I suspect he probably isn't, but it's definitely getting better. Long gone are the days of Clint/Donovan and hope.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Watching these European teams duke it out in awesome, high stakes national games makes me absolutely hate the fact that the USA can't really put out much talent in the Soccer/Football world.

How cool would it be to have a USA team competing for a World Cup title? I'm hopeful we will see one sooner than later.

I firmly believe that we'll be a top 10 team in 2024--possibly top 5.

As long as we find a center back to replace Brooks, I'm going to feel really confident.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Hopefully we can qualify for the World Cup this time. Last qualifying campaign was disgraceful.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

I firmly believe that we'll be a top 10 team in 2024--possibly top 5.

As long as we find a center back to replace Brooks, I'm going to feel really confident.

Yeah that's the biggest problem by far right now. Even keeper isn't great right now.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Hopefully we can qualify for the World Cup this time. Last qualifying campaign was disgraceful.

I'd bet my house on it. No reason we won't qualify with this team.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

I'd bet my house on it. No reason we won't qualify with this team.

Yeah, this team is much better than the one that was being dragged, kicking and screaming, by Clint Dempsey.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Yeah, this team is much better than the one that was being dragged, kicking and screaming, by Clint Dempsey.

To be fair that team could have beaten either Trinidad or Tobago to qualify but beating them both in one match was too much to ask.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

To be fair that team could have beaten either Trinidad or Tobago to qualify but beating them both in one match was too much to ask.

I remember that night vividly. I was BEYOND pissed.

I still don't understand how Gulati allowed that to happen.

 

[Triplethreat]

The Spanish are just not good, too young for this stage. That was a MASSIVE gaff on the own goal.

I love Luka Modric as much as the next guy, but Croatia have been so bad throughout this tournament. Hate that one side of this bracket is so stacked while the other is clearly lacking top tier teams.

 

[CBR J.]

I firmly believe that we'll be a top 10 team in 2024--possibly top 5.

As long as we find a center back to replace Brooks, I'm going to feel really confident.

Are you suggesting team US becomes top 5 in the world within 3 years?

I’m not saying it’s impossible, however it seems like a bald prediction, in my view. Out of curiosity: who do you have as the other 4?