On the Eve of the new Season...

poor brennser

godsshoeshine wrote:
poor brennser

total fucking NIGHTMARE from start to finish - we were shit, unbelievably shit…couldn't string two passes together - made fucking Fulham look lke Barcafuckinglona

at least the Irish rugby team put their choking days behind them with the grand slam

but horrible, horrible horrible…….been drowning my sorrows the whole damn weekend

I'm actually not ready to discuss it yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

my plan was to only watch the first 20 minutes or so and then go for a run, but i was so transfixed by the meltdown i had to watch the entire thing

i almost texted smackie but i decided to be nice for once. and i figured the toon match would make my head explode. it did

godsshoeshine wrote:i almost texted smackie but i decided to be nice for once.

I probably would have thrown my phone through my TV.

Right now, I think it's a race to see who's reputation can fall faster:  the squad or their sponsor?

well, for the sake of the tv, i am glad i showed restraint

  yeah, soccer in Baltimore!!!!!

www.worldfootballchallenge.com

  neato, i think i'll hit that up! 

i was thinking about it. pretty expensive for a friendly, though. likely only to see pato and lamps for 45 minutes, but at least there's no mls team involved

I'll be passing on Inter/Club America out here, but in my previous experience scalped and corporate sponsor tickets were plentiful the last time they did this so I don't think there's a need to pay face for a ticket.

good to know

cant believe that inter and milan are going to play each other over here. it'll be hard to call that a friendly

no weekend schedule for the internationals?

ireland and england are both on setanta on sunday. i think holland is on goltv

godsshoeshine wrote:
i was thinking about it. pretty expensive for a friendly, though. likely only to see pato and lamps for 45 minutes, but at least there's no mls team involved

but isnt Beckham playing for one of those teams now???? ;)

his loan spell will be over

Sorry, I've been doing my NCAA pool commissioner duties:

SATURDAY, MARCH 28 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

10:30am Iran vs Saudi Arabia (FSC - I'm watching this one for the ladies)
11:00am Wales vs Finland (goltv)
12:30pm Russia vs Azerbaijan (FSC)
1:55pm Israel vs Greece (set)
3:00pm Germany vs Lichtenstein (goltv)
3:30pm Slovenia vs Czech Republic (FSC)
4:40pm Portugal vs Sweden (set)
5:00pm Spain vs Turkey (goltv)
6:45pm Montenegro vs Italy (Set)
7:00pm Holland vs Scotland (goltv)
8:30pm Lithuania vs France (Set)
9:00pm USA vs El Salvador (ESPN2 HD)
11:00pm Japan vs Bahrain (FSC)

Sunday, March 29

4:45pm Friendly - England vs Slovakia (set 1st Air)
6:30pm Ireland vs Bulgaria (Set 1st Air)
8:15pm Northern Ireland vs Poland (Set 1st Air)

i know this is a soccer site . . . but duke? wtf happened?

wrong thread, but i thought there was a good chance they wouldnt even make it to the sweet 16

godsshoeshine wrote:
wrong thread, but i thought there was a good chance they wouldnt even make it to the sweet 16

yes i know about the thread . . . i was waiting for van to yell.  and now kansas falls.  i will cry now.

smackie, you are slipping:
http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/03/fox-soccer-channel-beats-out-espn-for-rights-to-uefa-champions-league-starting-next-season.html
didnt see that one coming

Sorry, today is a state holiday in CA so I took a few days off for a long weekend.  I've been talking to my brother in law about this for two days now.

This is horrible for the game, no doubt about it.  A lot of people who don't follow soccer still watch a champions league game or two, but no casual fan will get FSC (if it's even offered) simply for the champions league.  Given it's limited availability, not yet HD ready, and the horrible announcers, this is just awful.

I did hear a few things, all rumors though:  The final will be on FX in HD if FSC is not HD by ther final, and the FSN's will also broadcast Champions League games giving more available matches on at the same time.

Granted, this doesn't affect me, as DirecTV gives me a ton of FSNs, but, let's just start a list of major metropolitan areas that do not currently have FSN's: San Francisco (Comcast Sports Net), Boston (NESN), New York (YES/SNY), Chicago (CSN), Philapelphia (CSN), Baltimore/Washington DC (MASN), San Diego (Cox Sports).  And that's just off the top of my head.  If you have a shitty cable co you're fucked. 

I didn't even mention how I'm no longer able to watch the CL games at work on ESPN360 (presumably).  This just sucks all around.

godsshoeshine wrote:
wrong thread, but i thought there was a good chance they wouldnt even make it to the sweet 16

I picked Nova over Duke.  It was a no brainer.