Big news for Spanish clubs. The ability to directly enter the group phase for fourth place takes a lot of pressure off teams like Atletico, Valencia, and Sevilla since third place was much more important in the current/old way.
2017-18 Champions League
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
It’s bigger news for Italy. They only had two go directly with the third in the playoff. Having four go straight in should help the league continue to rebound.
Biggest surprise for me is that the Dutch Eredivisie isn't ranked in the top 10 ahead of Belgium or Ukraine, or even top 11 ahead of the Czech league. Doesn't seem like much of an impact as top teams like PSV and Ajax never get very far, but a blow for Dutch soccer nevertheless not getting an automatic berth.
There is also every chance that only 2 go through.
If they get 3 in the Premier League should be ecstatic.
This is probably better suited for the soccer media thread, but there is going to be a significant amount of fracturing in the soccer media landscape in the near future. Next year, there will likely be three big soccer over-the-top services: NBC Gold, ESPN Plus, and Turner. NBC Gold already has EPL matches that are not on a main channel and ESPN Plus will soon have all out-of-market MLS games. Tuner will have all of its Europa matches plus most Champions League on its service. ESPN is also rumored to be adding the FA Cup and Serie A to its service.
This seems to be the future model for soccer television in America and I really don't want to subscribe to multiple OTT services just to view matches I want to see. I don't mind MLS selling its out of market games, which were already on an expensive standalone service, to a subscriber service, but losing most Champions League matches to a pay service really stinks.
That totally sucks for the smaller leagues who just went from 10 potential places to 6. It's not like more than 1 or 2 teams who were not at the same level made the group stage. At least until now, the final stage of qualifying at least pitted some of these minnows against some Big League titans, who got a home-and-home with them and the money it entailed, even if they usually got rocked. It also added spice to the 4th-vs-3rd races in the league.
I really don't like these changes at all, but that's UEFA for you - their slogan might as well be "helping the rich get richer".
I really don't like these changes at all, but that's UEFA for you - their slogan might as well be "helping the rich get richer".
That’s exactly what happened. The power leagues leveraged their strength when there was a power vacumn following Platini’s ouster. They should just cut the crap and officially make this exclusively a 32 team tournament featuring clubs from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Paris.
Liverpool:
Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Milner, Mane, Firmino, Lallana
Salah, VVD, Ox, TAA are on the bench.
Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Milner, Mane, Firmino, Lallana
Salah, VVD, Ox, TAA are on the bench.
The correct question is: "Either (a) in the dressing room, or (b) in his car."
Edit: On a more serious note, I wonder how PSG players will be seen by their international managers ahead of the World Cup (not an issue for Signore Red Card Verratti).
On some squads, it's no brainer that the player will be on the WC squad, like Neymar and Cavani. But, what about all the Argentines? If you're Don Sampa, does this affect your view of Di Maria, Pastore, or Lo Celso?
For France, do Rabiot, Mbappe, Diarra, Kurzawa, et al make the squad?
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Mbappe does of course and I don't think the other players are more than depth.
PSG buying Mbappe and pushing him out wide is such a strange outcome. Neymar forces them into a winger formation. With another failure I think they need to look to move Cavani and get Mbappe into his best position.
Cavani is as hard working a striker as you'll ever see but I find him so wasteful. To buy one of the best young players in the world for such a large fee and then push him out of position is to waste an asset. With Neymar out they could have looked to recreate Monaco's setup last season with Mbappe working off Cavani. Instead they forced DiMaria into the front 3 and he spent the first half wasting every opportunity that was created. I have a lot of sympathy for Emery as PSG just aren't better than Madrid but his approach to this one was so naieve
PSG buying Mbappe and pushing him out wide is such a strange outcome. Neymar forces them into a winger formation. With another failure I think they need to look to move Cavani and get Mbappe into his best position.
Cavani is as hard working a striker as you'll ever see but I find him so wasteful. To buy one of the best young players in the world for such a large fee and then push him out of position is to waste an asset. With Neymar out they could have looked to recreate Monaco's setup last season with Mbappe working off Cavani. Instead they forced DiMaria into the front 3 and he spent the first half wasting every opportunity that was created. I have a lot of sympathy for Emery as PSG just aren't better than Madrid but his approach to this one was so naieve
I’ve singled out DiMaria, because it’s been my understanding his consistency has been a key factor in PSG’s title run. Especially now since Neymar is injured. Is that not the case?
There is always a lot of ranking churn in the #8-#15 range in the UEFA rankings. This is because the top clubs in these leagues are inconsistent at the UEFA level - they might get dumped out early if they get a bad draw and one year's good performance results in the club getting picked clean in the offseason (see: Ajax last year). It's also because there just aren't more than a handful of quality clubs from these leagues in any given season. The #5 club from the Eredivisie always gets dumped out of Europa qualifying early and is a big drag on the league's coefficient. (Actually, several Dutch clubs usually fail to get out of qualifying.)
Eventually the league drops in the rankings to the point where they get one fewer club in Europe and their clubs have to start earlier in the qualifying competitions. But then they don't have that shitty #5 club dragging their coefficient any more and their top clubs can rack up some easy points in the early qualifying rounds against someone from Macedonia. The cycle continues.
I thought Mbappe was always a winger? He certainly has the pace and skillset to be one. Also, he looks like a relative of Doc Rivers.
I'm pretty hard on Di Maria, but I'm also very bullish on Draxler. To not see him at all over the two legs was a surprise to me.
He started as a winger but played striker for Monaco to great results. Good with his feet and head with speed, he's got everything for the position. If he played like more of an inside forward it might be OK but he was literally hugging the touchline. He has ball skill and can be useful out there but it's a waste of his goal talents.
Draxler did come on yesterday but he is for some reason not a regular at PSG.
Mea culpa, I checked out after Madrid scored and Verratti lost his goddamned mind.
Where are the penalty calls for Tottenham after Chiellini slid into the ball? 
Kane is twice as fast as Chiellini.
And then there´s a deserved penalty for Juve dismissed, when Vertonghen clips Douglas Costa. Nothing...Hm...
Spurs are pushing hard now.
Kane is twice as fast as Chiellini.
And then there´s a deserved penalty for Juve dismissed, when Vertonghen clips Douglas Costa. Nothing...Hm...
Spurs are pushing hard now.
There could have easily been three or four penalties already in this game. Juve had the clearest one, but they've gotten 3 let-offs on the other side.
Really? They’ve really turned into one of the most unlikable sides in England. The title backbreaker against Chelsea a couple of years ago has proven to be a good preview of what they’ve become.
Uh, no? I didn’t? My history here on that subject has been fairly well established.
My apologies then, but you would definitely be the first Liverpool fan I've come across that would say that.
No one else thinks that. Alli? Okay, whatever. You'd still take him in a cocaine heartbeat. Beyond that I'm sorry you're still upset at the Spurs-Liverpool result a few weeks back.
I'm a Juventus fan first and foremost. I picked up an interest in Liverpool from my wife a few years ago, but a cunt is a cunt. Dele Alli, Diego Costa, Luis Suarez... Doesn't matter. Players like that are disgusting.
I know the term is a little less loaded in Britain, but this is a mostly American board, so can we please not use that term?
i would vote in favor of using the c term in its british connotation on the soccer forum but could understand if that wasn't seen as ok.
either way we'd need to settle on the right word which replaces it in regards to Dele Alli who is a massive whatever it is of the highest order.
either way we'd need to settle on the right word which replaces it in regards to Dele Alli who is a massive whatever it is of the highest order.
I don't have a problem with the c word, particularly in this forum, but I'll bring it to the higher ups...
Uh, sure? Where do you want to draw that line? Should we stop using pitch? That can insult musicians.
Not trying to start an argument or be an ass, but that seems like an odd one to be called out for given its general use and acceptance here.
Not trying to start an argument or be an ass, but that seems like an odd one to be called out for given its general use and acceptance here.
Come on, that's a ridiculous false equivalence.
I mean, god forbid we try to create an environment that doesn't come across as actively hostile to women.
I mean, god forbid we try to create an environment that doesn't come across as actively hostile to women.
Seconded.
I’ve gotten an important and valuable education around here of late in P&G and V&N. I think this is important discussion to have.
“Cunt” is a role in soccer as surely as “enforcer” or “agitator” is in hockey. I don’t know what else you’d call it that would be so instantly understood by fans of the game. Would we ban “wanker” as well? Fan wank? Maybe the closest here is “cock.” I’ve seen it used in this forum in its “intended” soccer/Queen’s English usage, but if you used it in the Sox forum I think you’d be justifiably an idiot.
There are uncomfortable changes needed in our society. The pendulum often needs to swing past center in order to bring things to a better place. That said... If we start applying different standards of language to established norms, I’m not sure how you can be sure of preventing offense in any arena.
I’ve gotten an important and valuable education around here of late in P&G and V&N. I think this is important discussion to have.
“Cunt” is a role in soccer as surely as “enforcer” or “agitator” is in hockey. I don’t know what else you’d call it that would be so instantly understood by fans of the game. Would we ban “wanker” as well? Fan wank? Maybe the closest here is “cock.” I’ve seen it used in this forum in its “intended” soccer/Queen’s English usage, but if you used it in the Sox forum I think you’d be justifiably an idiot.
There are uncomfortable changes needed in our society. The pendulum often needs to swing past center in order to bring things to a better place. That said... If we start applying different standards of language to established norms, I’m not sure how you can be sure of preventing offense in any arena.
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Genuinely surprised and disappointed to see him do that.
Wouldn’t have been surprised (but still disappointed) if it was Chiellini.
Wouldn’t have been surprised (but still disappointed) if it was Chiellini.
With all due respect, I don't think it should really be up to the (likely mostly male) posters here to decide it doesn't bother them. Those with privilege don't get to decide what's offensive to those without. This is an American message board and in America it's a deeply offensive usage.
There's a 160-post thread in V&N right now about how it's unacceptable to objectify women. And yet posters here think it's ok to casually drop the c-word? I don't get it.
If you can't find another way to describe a player's behavior, the problem is you. Be more creative.
As for the slippery slope, I think we can deal with line-drawing problems if and when they arise. I am firmly convinced that the c-word is on the wrong side of the line.
Also, it doesn't get generally used here. A search shows that it's only been used eight times in the last 18 months, seven of which were by SocrManiac and the eighth was Zomp today in this thread.
There's a 160-post thread in V&N right now about how it's unacceptable to objectify women. And yet posters here think it's ok to casually drop the c-word? I don't get it.
If you can't find another way to describe a player's behavior, the problem is you. Be more creative.
As for the slippery slope, I think we can deal with line-drawing problems if and when they arise. I am firmly convinced that the c-word is on the wrong side of the line.
Also, it doesn't get generally used here. A search shows that it's only been used eight times in the last 18 months, seven of which were by SocrManiac and the eighth was Zomp today in this thread.
Using the word "cunt" should be discouraged both because it unavoidably has too much baggage on a US-based soccer board and because it's a cringe-worthy Euro-poseur type thing to say. (Actual Brits obviously excepted.)
I’ll excuse myself from the soccer discussion on SOSH and apologize to those here.
People can be guilty of inadvertently creating a hostile environment through their language, as I am here. I do feel the environment can be turned hostile by people seeking offense where none was intended. I’m sorry to see that happening.
People can be guilty of inadvertently creating a hostile environment through their language, as I am here. I do feel the environment can be turned hostile by people seeking offense where none was intended. I’m sorry to see that happening.
It would be a shame if people took their ball and went home all because somebody asked them to stop calling people cunts.
