Random Soccer Thread

[ribs]

In fairness, even as a Liverpool fan you just have to applaud the strike........................genius, no other word for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky6CiBshol4

An overhead kick? Using your description there are then serveral thousand geniuses (or genii) playing the game. Take a look at the goals scored by the Brazil U20's against Uruguay on the same weekend to see what the "premership" is missing.

[nelly the elephant]

In fairness, even as a Liverpool fan you just have to applaud the strike........................genius, no other word for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky6CiBshol4

An overhead kick? Using your description there are then serveral thousand geniuses (or genii) playing the game. Take a look at the goals scored by the Brazil U20's against Uruguay on the same weekend to see what the "premership" is missing.

You're absolutely right, I don't know what got into me................distinctly average on reflection!

[ribs]

Sorry - was a bit harsh with the ol' phrasing. Just annoys me that a skill that you would expect every pro should have mastered (being so highly paid and pampered to dedicate their life to improving their game from when they are out of nappies) suddenly seems to be so special. Some great goals are scored every week in England but this seems to have a life of its own - is it because Rooney scored it? or have the skill levels in England actually decreased since the 1990's?

[jezzer]

Sorry - was a bit harsh with the ol' phrasing. Just annoys me that a skill that you would expect every pro should have mastered (being so highly paid and pampered to dedicate their life to improving their game from when they are out of nappies) suddenly seems to be so special. Some great goals are scored every week in England but this seems to have a life of its own - is it because Rooney scored it? or have the skill levels in England actually decreased since the 1990's?

Overhead kicks have always been massively celebrated and have featured in Goal of the Season debates as long as I can remember.

If they were that easy, you'd see them every week. You just have to see the look on the players face when one comes off to know its a rare and very special thing to catch one and put it right in the top corner. Rooney no exception. Of course it'll get more attention because it was him, but any player would be an instant star with a goal like that.

You'd expect every pro player to hold onto a popped pass ball with 5 metres to run and the winning of the game against France, but hey!

[Peg Leg]

Sorry - was a bit harsh with the ol' phrasing. Just annoys me that a skill that you would expect every pro should have mastered (being so highly paid and pampered to dedicate their life to improving their game from when they are out of nappies) suddenly seems to be so special. Some great goals are scored every week in England but this seems to have a life of its own - is it because Rooney scored it? or have the skill levels in England actually decreased since the 1990's?

Overhead kicks have always been massively celebrated and have featured in Goal of the Season debates as long as I can remember.

If they were that easy, you'd see them every week. You just have to see the look on the players face when one comes off to know its a rare and very special thing to catch one and put it right in the top corner. Rooney no exception. Of course it'll get more attention because it was him, but any player would be an instant star with a goal like that.

You'd expect every pro player to hold onto a popped pass ball with 5 metres to run and the winning of the game against France, but hey!

Always thought that a bicycle kick was the best outcome of one of two things:
1. The striker/receiver of the ball has over-run his position and adjusted his body position to enable any sort of kick.
2. The pass was bad and the striker/receiver of the ball has had to adjust his body position to enable any sort of kick.

So IMO it is worthy of praise on both counts for identifying the problem and dealing with it effectively.

[johng]

Sorry - was a bit harsh with the ol' phrasing. Just annoys me that a skill that you would expect every pro should have mastered (being so highly paid and pampered to dedicate their life to improving their game from when they are out of nappies) suddenly seems to be so special. Some great goals are scored every week in England but this seems to have a life of its own - is it because Rooney scored it? or have the skill levels in England actually decreased since the 1990's?

Overhead kicks have always been massively celebrated and have featured in Goal of the Season debates as long as I can remember.

If they were that easy, you'd see them every week. You just have to see the look on the players face when one comes off to know its a rare and very special thing to catch one and put it right in the top corner. Rooney no exception. Of course it'll get more attention because it was him, but any player would be an instant star with a goal like that.

You'd expect every pro player to hold onto a popped pass ball with 5 metres to run and the winning of the game against France, but hey!

Always thought that a bicycle kick was the best outcome of one of two things:
1. The striker/receiver of the ball has over-run his position and adjusted his body position to enable any sort of kick.
2. The pass was bad and the striker/receiver of the ball has had to adjust his body position to enable any sort of kick.

So IMO it is worthy of praise on both counts for identifying the problem and dealing with it effectively.

Pele scored a cracker in the 1970 WC.

[fourthirtythree]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsEbf-o8 ... e=youtu.be

[sarah_lennon]

[Logorrhea]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsEbf-o8 ... e=youtu.be

brilliant

[johng]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsEbf-o8 ... e=youtu.be

brilliant

Bloody Cheating Dago Ba$tards!!!

[Donny B.]

Who could have predicted bringing Diouf into the old firm would have caused trouble?


Soccer: Celtic first-team coach Alan Thompson claimed El-Hadji Diouf sparked the mayhem which engulfed tonight’s 1-0 win over Rangers in their Scottish Cup fifth-round replay at Parkhead last night.

Mark Wilson’s goal just after the break was enough to beat the visitors in an ill-tempered game which saw the Ibrox men end up with nine men — and then have Diouf dismissed after the final whistle.

Rangers midfielder Steven Whittaker was sent off by referee Calum Murray in the 35th minute after picking up his second booking for a foul on Emilio Izaguirre. A spat ensued in the tunnel as the players went in at the interval and then, in second-half injury-time, Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra was sent off after picking up his second caution.

Seconds after the final whistle, as Hoops manager Neil Lennon and Rangers assistant Ally McCoist had to be pulled apart in the technical areas, the unruly Diouf, booked earlier, was booked and red-carded for approaching Murray.

However, Thompson claimed the night of mayhem could be traced back to when Diouf and Lennon clashed on the touchline following the dismissal of Whittaker.

He said: “Our physio had gone on when Steven Whittaker went off and Diouf shouldered him. Neil saw it and it has gone on from there. That instigated everything. I am not blaming anyone, I am just telling you what Neil saw.

“I didn’t see anything at half-time. But in terms of Neil and Ally at the end something was said that wasn’t taken the right way. They have players who play on the edge but our players did as we asked from them.

“We are delighted with the performance, discipline-wise and football-wise. We picked up three yellow cards out of everything that went on. We asked the players to remain disciplined and they did what we asked.

“Any team that gets three red cards in one game — I think that will be looked at. I hope it doesn’t take too much away from the way we tried to play. We knew they would come tonight and make it difficult but we kept trying to play the right way. We are over the moon to be through.”

Rangers manager Walter Smith claimed Diouf was an “easy target”.

Smith said: “He’s an easy target for criticism and he gets himself wound up a little bit as he has done at the end of the game because it was a frustrating evening for us to see two players sent off. That’s the way he is.

“I am not so sure we committed many more fouls than Celtic. I felt Whittaker’s first yellow was soft although I wouldn’t have argued with the second. Obviously I was disappointed with that.

“Madjid Bougherra’s first yellow card was one, the second one was clearly not. He slid in and clearly takes the ball and the Celtic player’s momentum takes him over the top. From my own point of view I feel the referee got carried away with the crowd’s reaction on both these occasions.”

As for the spat between Lennon and McCoist, the former Scotland manager said: “These things happen but I didn’t see it, I was reasonably quick up the tunnel. I think the problem was simple. I think Alastair was a bit annoyed that Neil was being aggressive to one of the Rangers players.

“I think that was annoying him. Playing each other seven times in a season doesn’t help. We will go down and have a drink with the Celtic management team — but it might be an interesting cup of tea.”

[Scott]

Who could have predicted bringing Diouf into the old firm would have caused trouble?

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/what-just ... ed-2011-3/

[Dexter]

Stephen Ireland gifts us with more of his wisdom:

STEPHEN IRELAND has launched an astonishing attack on the Republic of Ireland, Giovanni Trapattoni and his hometown Cork in an explosive interview with a French magazine.



The Newcastle midfielder, who last represented Ireland in September 2007, said he had “better things to do” than play for Ireland, labelled Trapattoni “the most arrogant man” he has met, and added he would rather shoot himself than live in Cork.

Ireland has not played international soccer since he famously pulled out of an important Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic having made incorrect claims about the death of his grandmother(s). Although that sorry episode is in the past, the 24-year-old insists there is no chance of him wearing the green shirt again.

“I won’t come back,” Ireland told So Foot magazine. “I feel nothing for the national team. I don’t feel at all guilty when they lose and when they win I never say ‘oh dear, I could have been there’.

“Even if Ireland had qualified for the World Cup I wouldn’t have gone. People are calling for me to return, but I only ever played five games guys!”

Having turned out for Ireland at various youth levels, the former Manchester City playmaker made an immediate impact in the senior side, scoring four goals in six appearances. However, he said he rarely enjoyed the international experience and suggested the fall-out from the Czech match was merely “a good excuse” to retire.

“International soccer doesn’t interest me,” he said. “Going away for three days to play in Andorra – I’ve got better things to do.

“Also, when you’re Irish you know you’ll never win the World Cup. Even when I played for the youth teams, I got fed up at having to go away. Everyone else was from Dublin and I came from Cork. I had to get the train on my own, pay for a taxi, there was no hotel, no food. The organisation was amateurish.”

There seemed to be a possibility of Ireland returning when he was called in for talks with Trapattoni, yet the player was none too impressed by the meeting. “I’ve never seen anyone so arrogant,” Ireland scorned. “I met him once. He was taking calls every two minutes and made me hang around for 15 minutes in his office.

“In the end, he said, ‘if you want to play then come, if not, it’s no problem’. He did that mainly so the press would leave him in peace.

“Foreign coaches, they’re no good,” Ireland added.

The midfielder did not restrict his tirade to the national team. He also expressed strong views on Ireland’s economic crisis and laughed off suggestions he may one day return to live in Cork.

“Ireland is reaping what it sowed,” he said. “We built blocks of flats just for the sake of it and now there’s no one inside them. It cost huge amounts of money and nobody is in a position to pay. But I don’t care about Ireland. I don’t know if I’ll go back one day. Live in Cork? I might as well shoot myself. I prefer Los Angeles.”

Ireland’s club career has been faltering. He left City for Aston Villa last year but was sold on by Gérard Houllier in January after just 10 matches. In line to make his Newcastle debut against Everton tomorrow, Ireland will be looking to prove a point to the City manager Roberto Mancini.

“Mancini never liked me. He’s doing everything wrong. He got rid of everyone at the club – even the cook left. The family club I spent nine years with exists no more. What happens when Mancini goes? He takes his 50 recruits with him. Also, since he’s been there City matches are incredibly dull.”

So Foot is a respected monthly French soccer magazine renowned for taking an alternative look at the sport. The Ireland interview is in today’s edition.

[Scott]

Stephen Ireland gifts us with more of his wisdom:

Live in Cork? I might as well shoot myself”

And people say this lad has a screw loose

[Broken Wing]

People are calling for me to return

Where?

Foreign coaches, they’re no good

Good thing he's got an Irish manager in Newcastle then, right?

Looper.

[tackle-bag]

I'm really growing tired of this contemptible little rodent. His relentless bitterness and self-affirmation is just incredible. All because a few of the lads on the team slagged him about his hair 4 years ago. Three words Stephen:- 'get over it'. I know there are some who would disagree with me, but I really do wish him nothing but bad luck for the remainder of his career.

[Sauvignon Blank]

His career mirrors the Divot he used to wear on his slap head some years back.

He's right about Cork tho', A sh!t hole of gargantuan proportions.

[Donny B.]

I see Fergie and all his staff and players went off in a huff yesterday refusing to speak to the media!!!

[Avenger]

I see Fergie and all his staff and players went off in a huff yesterday refusing to speak to the media!!!

Apparently they had decided to do this before the result yesterday and it was because of the media's witch hunt against Rooney and Slur's ref rant post Chelsea.
Yeah right.

[Donny B.]

I see Fergie and all his staff and players went off in a huff yesterday refusing to speak to the media!!!

Apparently they had decided to do this before the result yesterday and it was because of the media's witch hunt against Rooney and Slur's ref rant post Chelsea.
Yeah right.

Awwwww, the poor lambs!