Yeah, I think Lewandowski (or Salah?) should’ve gotten the Ballon d’Or - Messi has still failed to rise to his expected level with PSG. Frustrating to watch for this fan.
Quick FIFA Women’s Score result:
England 20
Latvia 0
Bah. #MLS
Revs fan?
Great game though.
Yes, Revs fan. Not a great game from an artistic standpoint, but very intense!
There’s a fascinating article in The Athletic about the testing of semi-automated offside technology in FIFA’s Arab Cup (I’d link to the article, but it’s paywalled…but I did just sign up for $1/month for a year, FWIW).
In any case, here’s an article below posted before it was in use, and it sounds like in the longer run it could provide a direct feed to the lineman so the flag could go up immediately. Certainly there are wrinkles to be worked out (e.g. is there a margin of error for say a fingertip offside), but less offside VAR and faster offside calls would be a great improvement.
FIFA is trialling limb-tracking tech to catch offside players - The Verge
I’m watching Juve and thinking - wow - Morata - I don’t know if I can think of a player over the last five or so years who has so spectacularly failed to live up to what he should be capable of, and then lo and behold, after he gets booted for dissent, gets in an animated yelling match with manager Allegri.
Gee I wonder how much longer that scoreless, shiny-haired let-down will be sticking around.
Even though they’ve been a rolling train wreck, and even though it was predictable (or let’s be honest, likely), for me it’s still a strange feeling to see Barca knocked out of the CL and into the Europa League. That’ll be the first time in 20 years they haven’t been in the CL knockout stage, which goes back almost to the beginning of when I first started seriously following world football.
This is also a big blow to Barca’s financial situation. The revenues from the CL knock-out stage have always been a steady factor for their budget, and in the situation they’re currently in, it prevents them from making any big changes to remedy the miserable state they’re in.
Barça scored 2 - 9 in this round, that is even worse than against Bayern in Lisbon. Of course they are out, did not have any illusions. Sigh…
The amount of money Barcelona have spent just to plummet to embarrassing depths is incredible. It will be a study on how not to run a sports team.
Bartomeu has to be one of the worst executives of all time. He started with a treble winning team and ended with a broken husk that very well might not make the CL at all next year.
Potboiler in Portland right now.
MLS Cup final, NYCFC visiting and went up a goal near the end of the first half, Castellanos on a set piece. In the fourth minute of second half stoppage time, Portland equalized on a shot by Felipe Mora.
They’re in the first period of extra time.
Over after spot kicks, 4-2 to NYCFC. Sean Johnson really came up big with two shots saved. Diego Valeri’s time in Portland ends on a sour note.
Well, after an exciting day when UEFA did the draw wrong, then said “psych!” and redrew, we have the following match-ups:
- Red Bull Salzburg vs. Bayern Munich
- Sporting Lisbon vs. Manchester City
- Benfica vs. Ajax
- Chelsea vs. Lille
- Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester United
- Villarreal vs. Juventus
- Inter Milan vs. Liverpool
- PSG vs. Real Madrid
PSG vs Real Madrid feels practically like a semi-final…it’ll be interesting, as will ATL vs Man U.
The people in charge of Real Madrid aren’t happy. The club chairman complained that the draw should have been redrawn only from the point it went wrong. Real Madrid had drawn Benfica originally so it is understandable why they are mad.
I guess it depends on whether the correct balls were in the first pot, which doesn’t seem a foregone conclusion based on the subsequent errors. But yeah, I’d rather play Benfica too!
I think Villarreal vs Juve is probably going to be the most competitive series. If PSG actually start clicking that could be fun, but they haven’t looked great. Liverpool is just better than Inter and the rest are pretty lopsided draws.
Sergio Aguero retires due to a heart condition. You always hate to see someone retire not of their own volition. Was fantastic for Atletico and Man City. Could have probably another 20+ goals for Argentina if he didn’t share his era with Higuain. #4 scorer in the EPL all time even though he spent half his career in other leagues. Top 10 (5?) striker of his generation.
A little statistical note: Robert Lewandowski yesterday broke another of Gerd Müller’s almost 50 years old records: he scored his 43rd Bundesliga goal in the calendar year, one more than the Bomber in 1972.
It is starting to look like the reverse Midas touch, aka the Trump Touch™ (hm, seems like I cannot colour that orange, pity!) for Barça: everything they touch turns to shit. Agüero came to Barcelona to play with his friend Messi. As soon as he signed, Messi was gone. As soon as he played, he injured himself. As soon as he came back, he felt sick and was diagnosed a heart condition. Those are the kind of news I read all the time about Barça. I can picture them being relegated soon if they don’t have to dissolve due to bankruptcy first…
At least they won against Elche yesterday. 3 - 2. Against Elche, a sure relegation cadidate! and they barely won, after leading 2 - 0 after 20 minutes… Oh dear oh dear oh dear…
Nah, the Bomber was 1979. Gerd Müller is el torpedo.
(Told you before, I know, that is the way you will keep being my most replied to poster, as I recently realized 
Football and German)