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Post 24 Aug 2013, 10:40 am

Yes, I have caved in.

I've adopted Arsenal in the BPL. They were horrible in their opener, but bounced back nicely today.

In Spain, I chose Barcelona.

Of course, I had to adopt the Revolution in the MLS. Of the three, I'll probably watch the Gunners the most closely.
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Post 24 Aug 2013, 3:41 pm

I am also a Gunner's fan. Of course, for the MLS, I am a Union fan. I follow the Union more closely then Arsenal only because it is easier to watch the games on tv. Every Union game is available on tv were as, in the past, you may only get the occasional Arsenal game.
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Post 24 Aug 2013, 4:16 pm

Archduke Russell John wrote:I am also a Gunner's fan. Of course, for the MLS, I am a Union fan. I follow the Union more closely then Arsenal only because it is easier to watch the games on tv. Every Union game is available on tv were as, in the past, you may only get the occasional Arsenal game.

With NBC broadcasting the BPL, we have more access than ever. The Gunners were on NBC Sports Channel this morning.
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Post 25 Aug 2013, 1:57 am

'BPL'?

I thought you were favouring Spurs, DF. Arsenal and Spurs are implacable local rivals.

Also, typical that it's Fulham your new team beat yesterday.
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Post 25 Aug 2013, 7:58 am

Doctor Fate wrote:With NBC broadcasting the BPL, we have more access than ever. The Gunners were on NBC Sports Channel this morning.
True and I watched most of the game. However, I have been following soccer for the last 3 years and the EPL wasn't on as often. Fox Soccer Channel would only show 2 games a week and when Arsenal does bad (which is often early in the season) they wouldn't be shown.

Now, while NBC claims they are going to show every EPL game, I am more invested in watching the MLS then the EPL so... Besides which, with the MLS and the EPL having essentially opposite seasons, one can follow both pretty equally. It also means we have soccer all year round instead of for only 8-9 months of the year.
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Post 25 Aug 2013, 11:38 am

danivon wrote:'BPL'?

I thought you were favouring Spurs, DF. Arsenal and Spurs are implacable local rivals.

Also, typical that it's Fulham your new team beat yesterday.


A Diplomacy friend from Britain posted an article for us poor Yanks on how to pick a team. I went through all the pros and cons and chose the Gunners. Sorry about Fulham, but how do you think I felt when Arsenal lost its first opener in 13 years the day after I chose them?

I'm still not sure what all the singing is during the games. My wife asks me and I just tell her they're just drunk Brits yammering on, but I'm willing to be corrected.

Yeah, they're calling it "BPL" because Barclay's is sponsoring it. I think that's foolish because it could be other companies down the road. But, okay . . . . I think it should be EPL or maybe HMPL.
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Post 25 Aug 2013, 11:44 am

Archduke Russell John wrote:
Doctor Fate wrote:With NBC broadcasting the BPL, we have more access than ever. The Gunners were on NBC Sports Channel this morning.
True and I watched most of the game. However, I have been following soccer for the last 3 years and the EPL wasn't on as often. Fox Soccer Channel would only show 2 games a week and when Arsenal does bad (which is often early in the season) they wouldn't be shown.


With our DVR, I am going to watch as many games as I can. I must admit to being a neophyte. I was proud when I saw a goal, questioned whether the scorer was offside, then was relieved to see a different angle--showing the second defender he was online with some 20 yards away!

I also watched the Liverpool match yesterday. I can't remember the name of the player who scored, but his goal was quite deftly done.

Now, while NBC claims they are going to show every EPL game, I am more invested in watching the MLS then the EPL so... Besides which, with the MLS and the EPL having essentially opposite seasons, one can follow both pretty equally. It also means we have soccer all year round instead of for only 8-9 months of the year.


I've not caught MLS fever, but I'm working on it. I'd like to see some more Spanish and German games. I understand the Spanish league is on BEIN, so I'll try to catch some of that too.

A friend, a coach from Venezuela, tells me those two leagues are a bit above the BPL, but the BPL is much better than MLS. Nevertheless, I do understand that the only way to promote the game in the States is to patronize it. However, the MLS season overlaps with baseball . . .

I'm still a work in progress. :uhoh:
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Post 26 Aug 2013, 6:10 pm

Doctor Fate wrote:A friend, a coach from Venezuela, tells me those two leagues are a bit above the BPL, but the BPL is much better than MLS. Nevertheless, I do understand that the only way to promote the game in the States is to patronize it. However, the MLS season overlaps with baseball . . .

Really? Spain and Germany higher level of play then the EPL? I have never heard that. I have always heard that EPL is currently the highest level of play for soccer worldwide followed by Spain and Germany.

Btw, the Rev's played the Union Sunday night and kicked the shit out of us. It was an embarrassment for us. Though I blame it all on one really bad call from the ref.
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Post 26 Aug 2013, 6:23 pm

Archduke Russell John wrote:
Doctor Fate wrote:A friend, a coach from Venezuela, tells me those two leagues are a bit above the BPL, but the BPL is much better than MLS. Nevertheless, I do understand that the only way to promote the game in the States is to patronize it. However, the MLS season overlaps with baseball . . .

Really? Spain and Germany higher level of play then the EPL? I have never heard that. I have always heard that EPL is currently the highest level of play for soccer worldwide followed by Spain and Germany.

Btw, the Rev's played the Union Sunday night and kicked the shit out of us. It was an embarrassment for us. Though I blame it all on one really bad call from the ref.


While I understand, I think we both know that no game is ever decided by one call. Even when the Soviets were given the gold in '72, it took many plays to set the refs up to steal the game.
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Post 27 Aug 2013, 8:28 am

ruff
and if he had the budget that the Manchester Utd, Manchester City, and Chelsea did, he would win every year.


he doesn't spend the transfer budget he has now ...... given more money he wouldn't likely spend it either
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Post 27 Aug 2013, 11:16 am

RUFFHAUS 8 wrote:Danivon likes Fulham, and has even embraced (shockingly) their previous American players like Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey.
Criticising America, and in particular the politics, is not the same as disliking America or Americans. Mind you, it was always Bocanegra rather than McBride that I rated (just found Brian a bit ploddy for a forward).

He seems to have contempt for my Newcastle, even though the two teams are not specifically rivals.
Contempt? Where do you get that from? I'm not a great fan of theirs, but it's pure ambivalence. I just don't think they are all that good, and find the hardcore fans a bit gullible at times (the owners are the ones that show contempt).

I don't agree that the German league is better than the EPL (I would put the Spanish league top). I remember a few years ago, when top English teams were outperforming the to German teams in Europe you made the same claim, and that mid-tier teams from England were not as good as their German equivalents. That was before, of course, we beat Wolfsburg and Hamburg to get to the Final of the Europa League. Given that Fulham are mid-table if not narrowly avoiding relegation and their opponents were usually top-half finishers, I was quietly satisfied with that.

Where Germany has a big advantage is in the structure and culture - domestic players thrive, fans flock to cheaper games, and strict ownership and financial regulations apply to avoid the problem of foreign owners coming in and creating massive piles of debt that we have in England. However, the reason for German players doing well is that wages are comparatively low, meaning that some of the top talent leaves but more importantly the best players from outside are not attracted in.

The German and English games are similar - higher tempo, more physical - while the Spanish and Italian games are slower and more skillful (Italians concentrating on defensive skills while the Spaniards tend to the attack).

Wenger - 10 years ago the guy was a genius. Now? Not so much.
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Post 27 Aug 2013, 12:57 pm

As for “soccer” that’s not an American invented word at all. It’s a term originated in Britain (short for Association Football) to distinguish the game from rugby, another version of football. So when some douchebag tells you how unsophisticated you are for calling it “soccer”, tell him to go pound sand, and do his homework.


This is quite true. It does still grate slightly to hear the game called 'soccer' but there's nothing wrong with it at all. Fifty years ago it would have been commonplace in England, not so much as a way to distinguish it from rugby as just a common colloquialism. It fell out of fashion here though, and if you follow football for long enough you'll certainly come across a few small-minded English football fans who mock you for using it because they've forgotten their own history and think it's an American term.

I agree with Randy that the Spanish league is overrated. The team who finished 3rd last season were closer to the team who finished last than they were to Barcelona, which says it all about the overall level of competitiveness. I find it very hard to believe that the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, great players though they surely are, would score anything like the number of goals they do in a more competitive league.

In terms of overall quality I'd say England does shade it over the Bundeliga. The Germans definitely have the best league though, when you factor in things like ticket prices, fan involvement in club ownership, opportunities given to domestic talent and the fact that most German clubs are still in touch with their roots. The English game has sold its soul to big money long ago, and it's much the poorer for it.
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Post 27 Aug 2013, 1:00 pm

Ok, I just took an online quiz that will tell you which English soccer team to root for.

It told me I should take up the cause for Charlton. I fear this is akin to being a Cubs fan or something. Should I just jilt this potential lover before it becomes serious? I do like the uniforms - very Marylandesque.
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Post 27 Aug 2013, 1:21 pm

Charlton play in the league below the PL, and they've made a very bad start so could end up even lower. If you decide to support them you'll find it hard to actually watch any of their games on US television.
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Post 27 Aug 2013, 3:12 pm

ruffhaus
You seem to use the only source of comparison as the Champions League and the Europa Cup, those contests revolve around a few select head to head competitions


I think the only way to compare is through head t head competitions between the teams.... Anything else is conjecture.
The problem is that mid level teams from the Bunde, La Ligue and EPL don't meet a lot. Maybe more in Europa?
As a Wigan supporter for 10 years, I;m thrilled that they will be in the Europa League ths year. Mostly cause thats about the only place I can get them on television. Right now I have to try and track tehir games on various internet sites. Last week I watched them on a Swedish broadcast... whoch cut out several times due to a clogged server...

Sass
Charlton play in the league below the PL, and they've made a very bad start so could end up even lower. If you decide to support them you'll find it hard to actually watch any of their games on US television


Does Fox not carry the Championship on its Fox Plus lineup?