The Ultimate Football Thread 2013-2014 Vol. 4 EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc

[rck3sactown]

Don't worry United fans, it's all good. See you at the Emirates in February

Gaaaah I envy you so much

I'm still working with my pops to get a trip to the UK in April but he's got a few health issues so its tough to plan too far ahead with him about anything.

I have a feeling if we go it will be a last minute thing :\

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Psk, your family friend knew nothing. ameriCACA is trash.

Could've been worse, he could've been an atlas supporter

He would say the same about you & your club.

when you see that, we say "strong avy to post ratio" c'mon man you're on NT you should know that
also, I didn't know you were Asian weebay.gif

What did you think I was? Why is that surprising?

Pic of my son. He's on the right in the yellow shirt & royal blue shorts. He's normally an attacking mid but the coach had him playing right & left back this season because of his speed.

It's fun watching him shut down his side of the field & then bringing the ball up the sideline making a cross like Alves.

He had a ton of assists & tackles. He had so many tackles that opposing coaches were complaining about him to refs but they kept telling him all his tackles were clean... Love my little guy...

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[rck3sactown]

Awww little PSK

 

[keepie uppie]

New Argentina kits, I'm bout to tell my cuz to start making National team wallpapers. Wonder when the Nike leaks come out.

Btw, Argentina and Germany have all-white kits, not sure how to feel about that

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might take a couple of matches to get used to the white shorts,but i actually like that combo...
hopefully in the event of a kit clash,they don't have to look weird in a blue and blue combo like this:

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[Kimchi Papi]

So the black robed alien at football matches/Franz Beckenbauer is an elaborate Samsung Galaxy ad... :roll eyes

New Messi commercial for Samsung mobile...

 

[chiva1908]

New Zealand has arrived in Mexico City...

 

[jada2001retro]

Let's go New Zealand!

 

[Coupé It]

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These kids nowadays are wearing sponsored kits and great looking ones for that matter!

 

[Sinner]

Mini-PSK! 

Did you shoot that?  Great bit of bokeh! 

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Nah, I didn't shoot the pic. A parent from the other team did.

Looks like the El Tri vs. Kiwis is on tomorrow on ESPN, UniMas, & Univision Deportes @ 2:45PM ET.

Here are the listings for the games over the next couple of days I found on "the internets". All times Eastern Standard US.

Friday November 15 (all times Eastern)
Portugal vs Sweden (World Cup playoff match, 1st leg), 1:45pm, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com
Ukraine vs France (World Cup playoff match, 1st leg), 1:45pm, ESPN3.com
Greece vs Romania (World Cup playoff match, 1st leg), 1:45pm, ESPN3.com
Iceland vs Croatia (World Cup playoff match, 1st leg), 1:45pm, ESPN3.com
Scotland vs USA (friendly), 3pm, ESPN2, UniMas and WatchESPN.com
England vs Chile (friendly), 3pm, FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes and FOX Soccer 2GO
Belgium vs Colombia (friendly), 3pm, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com
Argentina vs Ecuador (friendly), 7:55pm, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld

Saturday, November 16
Nigeria vs Ethiopia (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 10am, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld
Senegal vs Ivory Coast (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 2pm, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld
Equatorial Guinea vs Spain (friendly), 4pm, ESPN Deportes

Sunday, November 17
Cameroon vs Tunisia (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 9:30am, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld

Tuesday, November 19
Egypt vs Ghana (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 11am, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld
Romania vs Greece (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 1pm, ESPN3.com
Algeria vs Burkina Faso (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 1:15pm, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld
Croatia vs Iceland (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 1:15pm, ESPN3.com
Sweden vs Portugal (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 1:45pm, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com
Netherlands vs Colombia (friendly), 2:30pm, ESPN3.com
Austria vs USA (friendly), 2:45pm, NBCSN
England vs Germany (friendly), 3pm, FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes and FOX Soccer 2GO
France vs Ukraine (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 3pm, ESPN3.com

Wednesday, November 20
New Zealand vs Mexico (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 1am, ESPN, UniMas, Univision Deportes
Uruguay vs Jordan (World Cup playoff match, 2nd leg), 6pm, beIN SPORT, beIN SPORT Espanol and DishWorld

 

[Coupé It]

I'm too scared to watch.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

It's an interesting game to say the least. Both teams need to win to qualify but then you have the hottest scorers in the world playing each other.

 

[jada2001retro]

Both teams need to win to qualify!?

The madness.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Jose being Jose...

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/nov/12/jose-mourinho-tunnel-row-chelsea-westbrom-olsson

José Mourinho 'in tunnel bust-up' with West Brom defender Jonas Olsson
• Chelsea manager calls Swede 'Mickey Mouse player'
• Anger after Ramires wins dubious penalty in 2-2 draw

José Mourinho and the West Bromwich Albion defender Jonas Olsson were reportedly involved in a bust-up in the tunnel after their side's contentious draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Both sides left the pitch in a fury after Ramires's plunge won an injury-time penalty for the home side which was put away by Eden Hazard to rescue Chelsea with a 2-2 draw.

The Chelsea manager and the West Brom player then rounded on each other, with reports suggesting that Mourinho called Olsson a "Mickey Mouse player" to which the Swede responded by telling him to "**** off".

That sparked an ugly melee as players from both sides confronted each other before stewards stepped in to break up the row.

Olsson was one of the West Brom players who had earlier surrounded the referee Andre Marriner after he gave a highly debatable penalty for Chelsea in the 94th-minute after Ramires had gone down when brushed by Steven Reid.

Last month Mourinho was sent to the stands in the 4-1 win against Cardiff City by the referee Anthony Taylor and fined £8,000 for improper conduct.

However, the Football Association said that the referee's report did not include any mention of the fracas with West Brom in the tunnel, and as such no action is anticipated from the governing body.

 

[AZwildcats]

Both teams need to win to qualify!?

The madness.

 

[chiva1908]

Both teams need to win to qualify!?

The madness.

Not going to lie, I chuckled lol

 

[ROYGBiV]

Hope Mexico loses, thus starting the change the Mexican National team needs.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Is jada trying to be the footy police or the footy televangelist again?

The madness indeed.

young actin'

 

[Kimchi Papi]

So Cules & football fans that watch Barca...

With Messi's absence, would you put Neymar in the center & play Tello on the left or put Alexis Sanchez in the False 9 & keep Neymar on the left?

 

[chiva1908]

According to the Neo Zealand Herald the "Mexican mind games" have begun...smfh...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11155629

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

All Whites set to be mobbed by Mexican fans after arrival published by Mexican Football Federation.

The psychological warfare has begun. The All Whites will be forced to play in black on Thursday, while their arrival details into Mexico have been published nationwide.

Some crafty work by the Mexican Football Federation has ensured that the New Zealand side will be swamped by a mountain of fans and media when they arrive in Mexico tonight.

The team touch down at around 1130pm local time (630pm NZT), and had hoped to keep their arrival time and airline under wraps, as much as feasible.

But the Mexican Federation contacted every media organisation in the country yesterday, as well as fan websites, forums and supporter networks, informing them of the All Whites exact time of arrival and airline.

"Going into Mexico was always going to be a challenge," says striker Chris Wood. "But it is also a great occasion and we have to try to enjoy the moment."


More All Whites v Mexico coverage
Vicelich set to be deployed as sweeper
Little Marco's magic touch
Fallon back when it counts

There is no fear at this stage of a particularly hostile airport reception but there is no doubt it feel like enemy territory.

Meanwhile, Mexico has won another pre-match battle - as the All Whites will be forced to play in black. New Zeland had hoped to play in their traditional white kit, especially as the early afternoon match is expected to be played in sweltering conditions at the Azteca Stadium.

But the home side has first choice, and plumped for their traditional uniform of green shirt with white shorts. FIFA don't allow any colour clashes across the uniform, forcing New Zealand to make the switch.

The team completed their final training session today in Los Angeles, with most of the focus on set pieces and defence. Like yesterday, Ivan Vicelich filled Winston Reid's spot at the back with Jeremy Christie in midfield which may give a hint to Ricki Herbert's final starting XI.

Complaining about the color of your uniform? Really? In case they forgot, they are the away team. The home team decides what color they want to play in, Mexico wasn't going to play with their black uniform...

Edit: Don't know if certain words are spelled differently down there, but I see a lot of grammatical errors

 

[rck3sactown]

mind games

 

[Coupé It]

Why don't they just wear black shorts then? With white tops? Doesn't take a scientist to figure it out.

Psk, I think they should experiment Neymar in the Center Forward position, he's been the only one to turkey be successful in the position in the past. Then have Pedro and Alexis on the wings, with Tello subbing in for either. If it doesn't work well, put Neymar back and Cesc in the position. There are many options but I'd like to see that one the most.

 

[Beans]

that black new zealand kit is tho

and is neymar looked at as messi's direct replacement.. I know he played out wide before asking pep to move him inside, do they have the same plans for neymar? I always looked at him like a cr7 type winger/forward, gonna be interesting to see though

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Interesting financial perspective regarding El Tri.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1...e-mexico-world-cup-qualifying-playoff?cc=5901

Huge Bottom Line In Mexico's World Cup Qualifying Playoff
Brazil berth turns into El Tri's gamble
November 1, 2013
By Darren Rovell | ESPN.com

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

When Mexico takes the pitch at Azteca Wednesday night vs. New Zealand, there's the do-or-die, last-chance tension of World Cup qualifying, but there is also an estimated $600 million at stake.

That's because major players like Univision and adidas have invested so heavily in what they believed would be a sure bet, but turned into a huge gamble.

On the line Wednesday is the country's qualification into the World Cup, with just as much on the bottom line.

After winning just two of its last 10 qualifying matches, Mexico was lucky to even get this far. But two stoppage time goals by the U.S. against Panama last month gave them new life and the opportunity to face off against the All Whites on Wednesday in Mexico City and in New Zealand on Nov. 20 with the winner of the two matches earning a berth in Brazil 2014.

There's TV Azteca, which paid $100 million for the TV rights to broadcast the 2010 and 2014 World Cups in Mexico. There's Univision, which paid $325 million for the Spanish language rights to broadcast the same games in the United States. And there are sponsors like Coca-Cola, Banamex, Movistar and adidas, who pay roughly $300 million a four-year sponsor package sold by Mexico's national soccer federation.

"I would say that the atmosphere between all the stakeholders and sponsors, it’s about doubts, it’s about uncertainty and it’s about questions," said Rogelio Roa, who heads up DreaMatch Solutions, a sports marketing firm in Mexico. "No one would have suspected that, at this point, Mexico wouldn't have a spot in the World Cup."

Roa estimates the sum total of investment at stake for Mexico is $600 million, a conservative number compared to some economists in Mexico.

The sponsor with the most on the line is unquestionably adidas, which sold 1.2 million El Tri jerseys in 2010, more than any of its other teams including the eventual champion, Spain.

"Mexico is our prize possession," said Ernesto Bruce, head of soccer for adidas North America.

Last World Cup, adidas said it sold as many Mexico jerseys in the U.S. as its competitor Nike sold U.S. jerseys. That's one of the reasons why the brand launched the Mexico team kit last month, to showcase the 2014 outfit during qualifying rounds. That also means that adidas has already reached a point of no return with Mexico should they not qualify.

"We are full production," said Bruce, adding that he's confident Mexico will eventually prevail. "We have been preparing for this a long time."

Officials with Coca-Cola in Mexico, which has sponsored the Mexican team for 40 years, told ESPN.com that its plans to activate their sponsorship would be the same "in spite of the results of each country." But one could safely assume that the marketing wouldn't be nearly as effective if El Tri weren't playing in the World Cup.

"The least affected party would be the football federation because they've already gotten paid," said Hussein Forzan, general director of business for the Mexico-based ad agency Marketing Deportivo. "Television is the most exposed, followed by the sponsors who have been involved by this World Cup cycle."

Mexicans, who make up roughly 65 percent of the estimated 53 million Hispanics living in the U.S., are strongly relied upon by Univision. Why? Three of the four most watched games on its network last World Cup featured Mexico. If Mexico's absence leads to lower than expected ratings, Univision would have to give money back to advertisers, a standard practice in the business.

Back in Mexico, all the side businesses that rely on the World Cup buzz, could take a hit.

"If Mexico is not there, it’s going to affect it because we all go to the restaurant to watch the national team, we all buy the special edition of the jersey, the soft drinks, we enter contests, or we travel, or we consume," said Forzan, noting that overall ancillary spending could be down as much as 40 percent.

The tension is palpable. Mexico has brought in Miguel Herrera, its fourth coach in six weeks, to energize El Tri, whose last absence from the World Cup came in 1990 when the team was disqualified by FIFA for using players over the age limit in a junior qualifying tournament.

One of the greatest home field advantages in sports in Estadio Azteca is also fading. Prior to this year, Mexico had only lost once in a World Cup qualifier in the stadium that was built in 1961. In September, the team lost again, in a 2-0 shutout at the hands of Honduras.

New Zealand's Nike black kit...

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[Coupé It]

Now I hope Mexico doesn't make the World Cup.

1) Because they don't deserve it.

2) For Adidas always sticking there noses on the pitch.

3) So Univision starts marketing towards the other hispanics more.

4) So Mexico hits rock bottom and is forced to improve there football program. So in the future, they'd be better. Maybe this is the wake up they need.