OT: Soccer

[goonster]

An American, Clint Dempsey, has just been substituted into the Europa Leage final (Fulham vs. Atletico Madrid), which apparently makes him the first U.S. player to appear in a major European final.

There is a real chance that he may repeat the heroics of his winning goal against Juventus, to advance his club past the Yankees of Europe.

Just thought I'd point that out, as it may interest those who root for Americans in a sport where they have not yet achieved what they have in cycling, and who realize that it is games like these that, on some level, matter much more than the World Cup.

http://images.teamtalk.com/08/12/800x600/Clint-Dempsey-Fulham-Chelsea-Premier-League-0_1698094.jpg

[Ozz]

I figured Real Madrid or Man U would be considered the "Yankees of Europe" :cool:

To whom are you referring?

[goonster]

To whom are you referring?
Juventus. But perhaps you're right: Real Madrid are Yankee-er than even Juve (more money, more European titles, greater margin of domestic league titles over the runner-up, preposterous levels of spending and marquee player-collecting).

Definitely not ManU: fewer European Cups than Liverpool, tied for domestic league titles.

[Chris]

So uncool of you to post a picture of Chelsea being scored on... so so uncool. Almost blasphemy. :)

[wc1934]

So uncool of you to post a picture of Chelsea being scored on... so so uncool. Almost blasphemy. :)
don't see Peter C. on his a$$ very often

[clunk]

A tough loss for Fulham especially since the winning goal came so late.

[snah]

don't see Peter C. on his a$$ very often

Played goalie on a travel team as a kid, my kids don't play and I haven't in years, so I may have missed something along the way, but what's he wearing on his dome?

[clunk]

Cech, the goalkeeper, has worn that ever since he suffered a depressed skull fracture a few years ago. More information here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petr_%C4%8Cech#Head_injury

[goonster]

(baseball metaphors cont'd) Petr Cech is the John Olerud of soccer.

Yes, it was cruel, but Atleti were clearly better, and that winning goal was truly sublime.

[rwsaunders]

New NIKE World Cup ad...awesome to say the least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idLG6jh23yE

[cadence90]

The new Yankees of Europe, if not the world! :)

http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/gallery/Calcio/2010/05_Maggio/inter_bayern/1/img_1/inter_08_672-458_resize.jpg

http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/gallery/Calcio/2010/05_Maggio/inter_bayern/1/img_1/inter_28_672-458_resize.jpg

http://images2.gazzettaobjects.it/gallery/Calcio/2010/05_Maggio/inter_bayern/1/img_1/inter_18_672-458_resize.jpg

http://images.corriereobjects.it/gallery/Sport/2010/05_Maggio/inter_madrid/4/img_4/in_107_672-458_resize.jpg

[Louis]

The only time I truly miss having a TV is every four years when the World Cup rolls around.

Go Brazil !!!

[rwsaunders]

Speaking of the World Cup, here's our squad after Monday night's championship match. They played their hearts out all season, fought in the mud this past weekend and swept their opponents in the final bracket to be crowned as champions.

It wasn't too long ago that we had to call newbies to field a squad. Two seasons later, division champions. Bring on Wayne Rooney.....

[johnnymossville]

I get World Cup fever every 4 years like everyone else. Hard not to get caught up in it. 4 years ago when my neighborhood was like South America North it was really exciting with all my neighbors watching and yelling pretty much 24/7.

Won't be the same this time around now that I changed zipcodes. I'll be following LeMans this weekend.

[djg]

Speaking of the World Cup, here's our squad after Monday night's championship match. They played their hearts out all season, fought in the mud this past weekend and swept their opponents in the final bracket to be crowned as champions.

It wasn't too long ago that we had to call newbies to field a squad. Two seasons later, division champions. Bring on Wayne Rooney.....

Awesome. I'm coaching U8 boys at 12:15 today and then straight home for US/England.

Missing the pro race that's happening a mile and a half from the house, but what areyagonnado?

[rwsaunders]

Here's a decent article regaridng the last time that the US beat England in the World Cup....1950.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/02/23/football.us.popularity.1950/index.html?hpt=C1