Real Football (Soccer to you Yanks) Thread

[Racks]

This time tomorrow...
Biggest game of the Premier League calender so far Arsenal vs Liverpool... I for one can't wait.

Date: 20 August 2011
Kick-off Time: 12:45 British Summer Time
Venue: Emirates Stadium (Capacity 60,355)

Injury News
Liverpool
Steven Gerrard - Out
Glen Johnson - Out
Fabio Aurelio - Out
Martin Skrtel - Doubtful

Arsenal
Armand Traoré - Doubtful
Kieran Gibbs - Out
Johan Djourou - Doubtful
Jack Wilshere - Out
Alex Song 3 match ban
Samir Nasri??? unwilling to play
Abou Diaby - Out
Gervinho 3 match ban

Last season’s meeting between these two sides saw the two latest goals in last season’s whole Premier League, Robin van Persie’s 98th minute penalty being cancelled out by Dirk Kuyt’s 102nd minute spot-kick equaliser.

There have been more hat-tricks scored in this fixture than any other in Premier League history. Robbie Fowler scoring the quickest ever Premier League hat-trick in this very fixture(In 4 minutes).

Arsenal have only won just two of their last 12 Premier League matches.
The Gunners have scored just three goals in their last five Premier League home matches.

Arsenal posted the worst discipline stats for the first weekend, with five yellow cards, one red and a post-match charge for Alex Song.

Luis Suarez won more fouls than any other player in the Premier League in the opening round of matches (6).

Robin van Persie has scored 17 goals in his last 16 Premier League starts.

Martin Atkinson takes charge of this game; he was in charge when these sides met at Anfield last season, sending off Koscielny and Joe Cole.

Score Prediction for me : Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool

 

[Springsteen]

I think Liverpool will win tomorrow. I just think Arsenal have a lot of problems with the midfield and while Gerrard is missing for Liverpool, I think Liverpool are stronger in that position for the game. 2-1 Liverpool.

 

[Racks]

I think it could come down to the fullbacks... Liverpool are missing Johnson and Aurelio and Arsenal without Traoré and Gibbs( Eboue left already I think). I can see Suarez having a stormer against their reserve left-back. And Walcott or Arshavin against whoever plays right back for us Flanno or Kelly.
I feel there will be goals in this game.

I would like to see Liverpool line-up like this...

-------------------------------Reina-----------------------------------
Kelly------------- Carra--------------- Agger--------------- Enrique
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------Lucas-------Adam----------------------------
-----------------------------Aquilani----------------------------------
Suarez----------------------------------------------------- Downing
------------------------------Carroll-----------------------------------

Maybe Meireles for Aquilani or Kuyt for Carroll Either or and I'm happy.
Can't wait till Gerrard comes back... Then will be a real force.

 

[Racks]

It's been a good game yeah.

Whomever is commentating with Alan Smith is grating on me. Every minute he says Arsenal are shit. I can only take so much! :surrender

Alan Smith has been confirmed as the new voice of Fifa... He's so boring but could be worse, Could be Ray sideways Wilkins.

 

[Springsteen]

Alan Smith's fine enough. He's better than Ray Wilkins as you say.

The tournament modes on Fifa (or any cup games you play in Career Mode) will have Andy Townsend and Clive Tyldlsey on commentary)

 

[porterjack]

i have to admit i giggle when the brits commentate on soccer
there is one guy who works for espn (tommy smith?) who i think is scottish who says things like

"and that bulged the old onion bag " when someone scores

quite eccentric and mildly amusing

 

[Peter Parka]

i have to admit i giggle when the brits commentate on soccer
there is one guy who works for espn (tommy smith?) who i think is scottish who says things like

"and that bulged the old onion bag " when someone scores

quite eccentric and mildly amusing

I'll admit, I had to look him up, apparently he's Irish but lived in the USA for over 50 years. Apparently he's a colour commentator (never knew that existed outside of wrestling) but he still sounds better than the shit bags we get. :thumbup

 

[Racks]

Well Liverpool won 2-0 away against Arsenal... Liverpool were without Steven Gerrard Glen Johnson and Luis Suarez for 70mins... But against all odds came out with the win... Away from home

 

[retro]

Keane has already made an impact... scored the winning goal in his first game with the Galaxy.

 

[Zorak]

I completely missed that transfer; Robbie Keane?

 

[retro]

Indeed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/soccer/news/story?id=6863728

 

[Zorak]

Wow. I thought his career was dead to be honest. By all reports he was used as a pawn in a power struggle at Liverpool between Benitez and whoever the Chief of Directors was back then. He never really got going in red, and looked shot of confidence ever since.

 

[Springsteen]

His career's pretty dead at the very top level. Since 2008 I think since he had that very good season with Berbatov at Spurs, but the failure at Liverpool set him back a lot and has never recovered, it's better than nothing I guess and MLS is a good place to be for the older players, nice payday too

 

[Peter Parka]

Good riddance. Glad in a way that we didn't stay up and get forced to keep the useles cunt on ridiculous wages. The level of football in the USA league must be really shit if even Robbie Keane can score! He couldn't even keep it on target in the 6 yard box for us a couple of months ago!

 

[Peter Parka]

Carling Cup embarressments -

Norwich 0 MK Dons 4
QPR 0 Rochdale 2

Bad day for the Premiership noobs. :24:

 

[Zorak]

Arsenal beat Udinese 3-1 on aggregate.

 

[Springsteen]

I actually thought Arsenal played better tonight than they did in the first leg, Walcott looked alright for once despite that miss in the first half (it was a bad miss, the keeper saved it but he should have buried it but he took his goal well). I didn't see a great seal to worry me about Sunday considering how easily Arsenal were opened up on the break, and given our better quality of player on the break and also Arsenal will be missing players Sunday too.

 

[Zorak]

Second half we absolutely dominated them, and showed the massive difference in quality between English and Italian football. They're not even on the same level of fitness as us.

I'll happily take a draw at the weekend. Hopefully we can defend more like we did against Liverpool than tonight...

 

[Springsteen]

Here's the pots for tomorrow

Pot 1
Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, FC Porto, Inter Milan

Pot 2
AC Milan, Lyon, Shakthar Donetsk, Valencia, Benfica Lisbon, Villareal, CSKA Moscow, Marseille

Pot 3
Zenit St.Petersburg, Ajax Amsterdam, Leverkusen, Olympiakos Piraus, Lille, Basle, BATE Borisov, Manchester City

Pot 4
Dortmund, Napoli, Dinamo Zagreb, APOEL Nicosia, Genk, Plzen, Otelui Galati, Trabzonspor

I want....

Man United
Lyon
Basle
Genk

 

[skyblue]

Here's the pots for tomorrow

Pot 1
Manchester United, FC Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, FC Porto, Inter Milan

Pot 2
AC Milan, Lyon, Shakthar Donetsk, Valencia, Benfica Lisbon, Villareal, CSKA Moscow, Marseille

Pot 3
Zenit St.Petersburg, Ajax Amsterdam, Leverkusen, Olympiakos Piraus, Lille, Basle, BATE Borisov, Manchester City

Pot 4
Dortmund, Napoli, Dinamo Zagreb, APOEL Nicosia, Genk, Plzen, Otelui Galati, Trabzonspor

I want....

Man United
Lyon
Basle
Genk

you'll get

milan
man city
trabzonspor