Soccer Thread - Page 187

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 11:18 AM

Having had a bet on 2-0 Man Utd with Scholes scoring first, it is fair to say I want NO MORE GOALS!!!

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 11:55 AM

Woohoo! I make that about £70 heading right to my pocket! :D

SuperPacker · 05-06-2012, 01:07 PM

So it goes down to the last week!

Rosebud · 05-06-2012, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTPlaya21

Record 16 away wins in La Liga!! Now need to win next Sunday to set the record for 100 points in a season & CR7 is a goal away from scoring against every team in La Liga to set a new record as well.

I don't understand how people enjoy watching a league where the title contenders are so far from the rest of the league. Yeah, Bayern is going to contend every year, but they don't win every year and they don't win with such a degree of seperation from the rest of the league as the Spanish top teams do. It sucks to cause I do like watching the way some of those teams play, but overall just can't give a **** about who wins or losses because the only intrigue ever is who will get the final CL spot.

Gay Ork Wang · 05-06-2012, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosebud

I don't understand how people enjoy watching a league where the title contenders are so far from the rest of the league. Yeah, Bayern is going to contend every year, but they don't win every year and they don't win with such a degree of seperation from the rest of the league as the Spanish top teams do. It sucks to cause I do like watching the way some of those teams play, but overall just can't give a **** about who wins or losses because the only intrigue ever is who will get the final CL spot.

basically the same. id also hate to go into every game where everything but a win means incredible disappointment

SuperPacker · 05-06-2012, 03:33 PM

The PL has been the same this year, but i don't think it's made it any less exciting. The 4th place race going into the last week is going to be intense and the relegation battle is just as intense and interesting every year.

Gay Ork Wang · 05-06-2012, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperPacker

The PL has been the same this year, but i don't think it's made it any less exciting. The 4th place race going into the last week is going to be intense and the relegation battle is just as intense and interesting every year.

the thing is: this year. When was the last time someone not named barca/madrid won the primera? 2003-2004. thats almost ten years ago.

Rob S · 05-06-2012, 03:59 PM

Yeah.....I agree, la liga is broing as all hell imo. The clasicos are probably my favorite domestic club soccer event of the year, but that's all that matters....

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 04:01 PM

I think in general though the standard of play is much higher in La Liga, yes the big two are miles ahead of the rest, but even after that the other teams are very good. Look at Bilbao knocking out Man U and so on.

SuperPacker · 05-06-2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *** Ork Wang

the thing is: this year. When was the last time someone not named barca/madrid won the primera? 2003-2004. thats almost ten years ago.

When was the last time a team other than Chelsea or Man U won it? Arsenal in '04? I agree with your point though and i think the style of play in Spain compared to Germany and England makes a big difference as well IMO.

Rob S · 05-06-2012, 04:08 PM

Yeah, but I favor meaningful games over quality of play when quality of play is at least close. For that reason I prefer the bundesliga to la liga. I do prefer la liga to serie a though.....serie a is just boring as all hell a lot of the time.

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 04:13 PM

I'd go PL > La Liga > Bundesliga > Serie A

Gay Ork Wang · 05-06-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperPacker

When was the last time a team other than Chelsea or Man U won it? Arsenal in '04? I agree with your point though and i think the style of play in Spain compared to Germany and England makes a big difference as well IMO.

while true, it is not always chelsea and man u contending. it is always other teams up there.

JRTPlaya21 · 05-06-2012, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosebud

I don't understand how people enjoy watching a league where the title contenders are so far from the rest of the league. Yeah, Bayern is going to contend every year, but they don't win every year and they don't win with such a degree of seperation from the rest of the league as the Spanish top teams do. It sucks to cause I do like watching the way some of those teams play, but overall just can't give a **** about who wins or losses because the only intrigue ever is who will get the final CL spot.

Just my own personal preference. I like other leagues too but in the past 15 years La Liga has had 4 different winners while the EPL has had a ravishing 3. The 06-07 season was one of the most exciting seasons I've ever followed for a league since it literally came down to the final day. When Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico were on top form years ago it actually made for quite the excitement.

Gay Ork Wang · 05-06-2012, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKfan

I think in general though the standard of play is much higher in La Liga, yes the big two are miles ahead of the rest, but even after that the other teams are very good. Look at Bilbao knocking out Man U and so on.

i dont like that argument. Basel also beat ManU. Bayern beat City.

SuperPacker · 05-06-2012, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *** Ork Wang

i dont like that argument. Basel also beat ManU. Bayern beat City.

Lol, then Chelsea just beat Barcelona. The 6th best team in England this season.

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 04:44 PM

It wasnt the very best argument I have made, but I think you have to look at the manner of the defeat as well. Barca dominated the 2 games and 9 times out of 10 would win that. Bilbao legitimately dominated Man U.

SuperPacker · 05-06-2012, 04:46 PM

Possession wise, Barcelona dominate every team they play. But it doesn't mean anything if they don't win.

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperPacker

Possession wise, Barcelona dominate every team they play. But it doesn't mean anything if they don't win.

I agree very true, ugh am too tired to articulate the argument I am trying to get across very well.

So think of it this way, if you had a series where the top of one league played top of another, 2nd vs 2nd and so on, who would you favour overall to take it? I would take La Liga.

Gay Ork Wang · 05-06-2012, 04:53 PM

meh. they might be, really doesnt matter though. it doesnt make the league much more appealing if those teams cant do jackshit to win the league.

SuperPacker · 05-06-2012, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKfan

I agree very true, ugh am too tired to articulate the argument I am trying to get across very well.

So think of it this way, if you had a series where the top of one league played top of another, 2nd vs 2nd and so on, who would you favour overall to take it? I would take La Liga.

This sounds fun.

1. Man City vs Real Madrid
2. Man U vs Barcelona
3. Arsenal vs Valencia
4. Tottenham vs Malaga
5. Newcastle vs Athletico Madrid
6. Chelsea vs Mallorca
7. Levante vs Everton

Ok, i'm realising i know nothing about La Liga. Someone that knows both leagues well do this for me.

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 05:03 PM

Lol I genuinely havent thought about it all the way down, it might be good to do when the league tables are finally settled at seasons end

Rosebud · 05-06-2012, 05:11 PM

I just can't get excited by a league where at the start of the season you know that the teams legitimately contending for the title will be the same two teams that have been competing for it for ever. There are occasional years where someone else makes it exciting, but those years are few and far between. The quality is certainly much higher than the Scottish Premiere League but the competitive dynamic is the same.

At least in England there's more than two teams who are in the running most seasons and who those teams are has changed, yeah there's been plenty of years where a team did run away from the field, but that was one team breaking away from the other elites, not the two elites far ahead of the pack racing each other all the time.

It's why I love the Bundesliga so damn much, yeah any given year Bayern will be one of the favorites, but there's so much turnover with the other contenders they're competing against and pretty regularly there is a team that puts it all together and puts together a great season that no one was expecting, like Borussia Monchengladbach this year, Dortmund, Hannover, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg and Mainz in seasons past. Not to mention a handful of teams that are consistent contenders.

If the level of play in Spain were radically superior and Barca and Real were far and away the best teams in the world it'd be one thing, but that's just not the case.

Rosebud · 05-06-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKfan

Lol I genuinely havent thought about it all the way down, it might be good to do when the league tables are finally settled at seasons end

Would definitely be fun to do at seasons end. I suspect the Bundesliga and EPL would do much better against the mid table spanish teams than you think.

UKfan · 05-06-2012, 05:22 PM

Onto another subject, do you guys have Football Manager in the US? I have had pretty much an entire day playing it, absolutely love it :)