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****OFFICIAL SOCCER THREAD****


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6 hours ago, DaEagles4Life said:

Guess he is the best Josh Sargent, 6'1", 20, and plays at SV Werder Bremen

Or 

Sebastian Soto, 6 foot, 20 and plays at Norwich City 

I kind of agree with you on Hoppe. At least stylistically, I like his fit with Pulisic/Reyna/Musah more than Sargent. He seems to be more of a pure goal scorer than the other guys.

Sargent reminds me a bit of Benzema in his role. Holdup play, passing, intelligence, the occasional brilliant goal... but not the guy you count on for goals.

Not sure Hoppe is that guy either, but he’s certainly flashed the potential.

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6 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Could end up a little bit like Portugal for many years... Plenty of talent but no legit striker to score those crucial goals. 

Yup. That’s going to be key. I don’t want write off Sargent, but he doesn’t look like the final piece to the puzzle.

Whats amazing to me is that the US went from being a team built around work rate and goal keeping to a team built around creative wing play.

 Like, what?! The US a bunch of creative players that start for champions league contenders? WTF?!?!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Man City set to offer Messi two year deal and 2 years with NYCFC

Press reports in the UK claim that the Premier League side will offer the Argentine player a five year deal with two (plus one optional campaigns) in the Premier League.

Reports in the UK media suggest that Manchester City are poised to offer Lionel Messi a five-year deal with the City Group that would see the striker playing for two seasons with the Premier League side (plus one more additional as an option) and then play for two seasons with their MLS franchise New York City FC. In return the Rosario born player would pocket almost 500 million euro with the group also factoring in the possibility of Messi becoming a global ambassador after hanging up his boots.

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Things are not going very well up there in Liverpool.  Not that I'm concerned.  They had their year last year.

Citeh looks to have this one locked up so the fight is on for 2-4 and CL spots.  Plenty of teams in the mix.  Most surprising are the Hammers.

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1 hour ago, DrPhilly said:

Things are not going very well up there in Liverpool.  Not that I'm concerned.  They had their year last year.

Citeh looks to have this one locked up so the fight is on for 2-4 and CL spots.  Plenty of teams in the mix.  Most surprising are the Hammers.

Yeah I mean realistically Liverpool couldn't fight much with so many key injuries. They got lucky last year with major injuries so this year the balance is being addressed.

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13 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Yeah I mean realistically Liverpool couldn't fight much with so many key injuries. They got lucky last year with major injuries so this year the balance is being addressed.

Exactly.  When you have a year like they had last year it means everything went your way (injuries, late goals, scheduling, etc.).  Those things are definitely normally going to even out.

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1 hour ago, DrPhilly said:

Exactly.  When you have a year like they had last year it means everything went your way (injuries, late goals, scheduling, etc.).  Those things are definitely normally going to even out.

Exactly. Now the good thing (in a roundabout way) is that this year they've had terrible luck so perhaps next year they can bounce back and challenge. 

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On 2/20/2021 at 6:51 AM, DrPhilly said:

Things are not going very well up there in Liverpool.  Not that I'm concerned.  They had their year last year.

Citeh looks to have this one locked up so the fight is on for 2-4 and CL spots.  Plenty of teams in the mix.  Most surprising are the Hammers.

Liverpool are like the Eagles with the injuries.  Both starting CBs have been out for months.  TAA at RB missed 2-3 weeks earlier.  MFs Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson all missed time here and there.  The #1 microwave off the bench Jota has been out for a while now.  Also makes it harder when your keeper starts having howlers on a steady basis.  Yeah, having 2 MFs playing CB isn't really helpful.  Everything fell into place last year so while they're a very good team, it made them look better than they actually were. 

IMO they still need a MF who can help breakdown a team when they park the bus.  Their record vs the bottom clubs has been very poor and they haven't been able to score goals when those clubs park the bus and stay disciplined at the back.  Their attack is more direct than City's so can be shutdown when teams organize well across the back.  City's patience and passing is better at unlocking those teams. 

 

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16 hours ago, DaEagles4Life said:

Can old Messi can adapt to this style of play if he signs with City

I mean I know Messi is an entirely different prospect to Werner but quite simply... No I don't think so. To be honest I never thought Messi could adapt to the Premier League even when he was in his prime. I thought the beating he would take every single week would end up being too much for him. He'd end up injured a lot more and would be winning free kicks instead of using his dribbling skills to open things up. Just my opinion of course but I think his style was never compatible with the Premier League. 

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FIFA is corrupt as F 

 

Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar as it gears up for World Cup

Guardian analysis indicates shocking figure likely to be an underestimate, as preparations for 2022 tournament continu e

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13 hours ago, DaEagles4Life said:

Can old Messi can adapt to this style of play if he signs with City

 

Simple answer is I don't think he can.

Even the Messi who was on the right side of 30 always had trouble with the type of players that translate physically to the EPL (Ramos, Pepe, Varane, Casemiro, etc).  Obviously those are some of the very best players to come around at their positions in the last 10 years, and not everyone in the EPL is an equal defender to them even if they are an equal athlete, but it was always evident that those types really gave him fits.

And the thing is, he'd only see those level athletes a few times per year. Spain is all about technical ability and tactics.  And hey, it was clearly the best league in the world over the past decade top to bottom, but there just isn't the physical grind that you get in the EPL. City would be terrifying on paper with Messi, KDB, and the rest of them, but Messi could have some difficulties. Another year older and 38 physical battles in terrible weather would probably bring him down a notch or two. I also think there would be a reality check with what defenders are allowed to get away with in the EPL vs La Liga

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16 hours ago, TEW said:

Obviously those are some of the very best players to come around at their positions in the last 10 years, and not everyone in the EPL is an equal defender to them even if they are an equal athlete, but it was always evident that those types really gave him fits

I know they aren't in the Premier League at the moment but going back a few years... Can you imagine Messi on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke? Or a wet and windy night in Bolton? I just don't think he'd cope with the physicality of the Premier League. Too many players would look to lay one on him.

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8 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I know they aren't in the Premier League at the moment but going back a few years... Can you imagine Messi on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke? Or a wet and windy night in Bolton? I just don't think he'd cope with the physicality of the Premier League. Too many players would look to lay one on him.

Yeah, the cynical tackles are just stylistically different in both leagues. In La Liga it’s almost dirtier in the sense that you get a lot purposeful tripping, but in the EPL they body you a lot more. Spain has rain, but not as much, and not the type of cold in mid season.

I’m also curious how he’s be used. City needs a striker more than a winger or ACM. But that kind of negates Messi’s best quality and would put him between a triangle of center backs and the DM.

Honestly, if I were City, I’d be looking at Haaland over Messi. He’ll be cheaper, play for 10+ years at a high level, and fills a bigger need.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Liverpool lost their 5th straight at home setting a historic record of futility for them.  They are in real trouble right now.

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13 hours ago, DrPhilly said:

Liverpool lost their 5th straight at home setting a historic record of futility for them.  They are in real trouble right now.

Shame they aren't in trouble at the other end of the table. 

😁

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Man Utd dominated City today especially in the 2nd half. City will still win the table but gap is close and hopefully get a real RW once again. 

Talk of Raphinha out of Leeds and he played with Bruno at Sporting. 

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On 3/7/2021 at 7:30 PM, DaEagles4Life said:

Man Utd dominated City today especially in the 2nd half. City will still win the table but gap is close and hopefully get a real RW once again. 

Talk of Raphinha out of Leeds and he played with Bruno at Sporting. 

ManU playing very well now.  They should cruise into a CL spot without difficulty now.  The other two spots are up for grabs.  Chelsea with 11 straight without a loss now under the new coach and coming off a dominating performance tonight vs. Everton look to join Leicester but West Ham, Everton, and Tottenham plus Liverpool all right there.

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On 2/24/2021 at 4:49 PM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I know they aren't in the Premier League at the moment but going back a few years... Can you imagine Messi on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke? Or a wet and windy night in Bolton? I just don't think he'd cope with the physicality of the Premier League. Too many players would look to lay one on him.

I seem to remember Saleh exiting a Champions League final after getting tangled up with Sergio Ramos.  I’m guessing Messi saw plenty of physical play although maybe not on a weekly basis.

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2 hours ago, Dave Moss said:

I seem to remember Saleh exiting a Champions League final after getting tangled up with Sergio Ramos.  I’m guessing Messi saw plenty of physical play although maybe not on a weekly basis.

Not like the PL 

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4 hours ago, Dave Moss said:

I seem to remember Saleh exiting a Champions League final after getting tangled up with Sergio Ramos.  I’m guessing Messi saw plenty of physical play although maybe not on a weekly basis.

Ramos is the exception for La Liga, not the rule. Most La Liga defenders are more ball playing types. Ramos is unique in that he’s an all time great ball playing defender with the physicality and fury of an elite EPL defender. It’s why he’s the greatest of his generation.

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27 minutes ago, TEW said:

Ramos is the exception for La Liga, not the rule. Most La Liga defenders are more ball playing types. Ramos is unique in that he’s an all time great ball playing defender with the physicality and fury of an elite EPL defender. It’s why he’s the greatest of his generation.

Admittedly I don’t watch enough of the Spanish league to know how physical it is.  I’ve seen Ramos play a lot because I watch the Champs league.

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1 minute ago, Dave Moss said:

Admittedly I don’t watch enough of the Spanish league to know how physical it is.  I’ve seen Ramos play a lot because I watch the Champs league.

Yeah, Real and Atleti are the exceptions in that they generally go for EPL type defenders. Most of La Liga is biased towards skill, and the ones with physical attributes end up getting bought by one of the Madrid teams or a team in the EPL.

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