February 12th, 2013 at 3:07 PM ^
Which one of these are fixed?
February 12th, 2013 at 3:37 PM ^
... is on Juventus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Italian_football_scandal
February 12th, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:12 PM ^
Brian Mone?
February 12th, 2013 at 3:12 PM ^
Anyone know when Barca plays next? Later this month?
February 12th, 2013 at 3:13 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:13 PM ^
Curious - is Beckham playing for PSG? Or has he not reported to the team yet?
February 12th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^
He met up with them today. They will train together for the first time tomorrow afternoon.
I'm not sure whether he's on the team roster for the Champions League, but his first match for PSG might be 2/24 against Marseille. One heck of an introduction if true.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^
It will be absolutely fascinating to watch Gus Johnson call the Man U/Real match tomorrow. Major props to the guy for taking on the challenge and immersing himself in a sport which he had no previous knowledge of. From the interviews it seems like he's picked up a ton real fast.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:28 PM ^
Especially since that game of all the others will probably be one (if not the) most watched in the States. I'm surprised they don't have him start on a smaller, less watched match first. Then again, all he'll really need to do to be successful tomorrow is verbally masturbate Ronaldo.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:31 PM ^
He's been calling SJ Quakes games...on radio. Not sure it gets smaller than that.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:36 PM ^
I'm about as excited by Gus calling soccer as I'd be by Martin Tyler calling the NFL.
The Real - Manchester series ten years ago next month was one of the biggest matchups in about 20 years. The results from that Madrid triumph shaped a decade of world soccer (think about it - Abramovich decided to purchase Chelsea because of the games, Beckham left for Madrid, Ronaldo's hat trick in 55 minutes, etc.)
Now think of all the backstory this matchup has - Ferguson v. Mourinho, Ronaldo facing United, Giggs doing it for the 23rd season, Chicharito, Rooney, Van Persie's history with Madrid and the Spanish players, the media war between Casillas's girlfriend (a Spanish reporter) and Mourinho, Ozil v. England last summer, etc. etc.
I'll be interested to hear whether Gus intelligently weaves all these storylines into his broadcast like Martin Tyler would, or if he simply decides to scream and say "pure" when describing a square pass by Sergio Ramos.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
Might be worth noting that the two teams that lead, PSG and Juve, had the best defensive records during the group stages with 3 and 4 goals conceded from 6 games, respectively
February 12th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:33 PM ^
Gonna be a loooooooong 3+ years my friend.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:48 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:14 PM ^
I'm not sure if I'd be bragging about the 4th highest anything, let alone attendance. All that says is that there's nothing else sports-wise to attend in Scotland, if it says anything at all. Plus, I don't think ranking high in attendance puts the Rangers in anywhere near the European elite drawers that are Barcelona, Real, Manchester U (I assume those are the top 3?)
February 12th, 2013 at 4:56 PM ^
home attendance would put them about 4th in EPL behind ManU, Arsenal, Newcastle. Considering they are playing in the lowest tier of Scotish Football its pretty impressive the fans are still going to games.
Ranger's and Celtic are monsters in the SPL, akin to Michigan and Ohio playing in the MAC but still drawing the huge crowds. Rangers just under 50,000 capacity, Celtic around 60,000
After those two I think the next biggest stadium in Scotland is like 22,000 capacity in Aberdeen.
February 12th, 2013 at 5:23 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:37 PM ^
Rangers: the world's most successful football club!
My co-workers just wondered why I laughed out loud at a computer screen.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:35 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
Juventus = Michigan MBB. Because I know nothing about elite European soccer, this weak connection is enough to lead me to cheer for Juventus (although the WSJ was not making a flattering remark about the parallels).
February 12th, 2013 at 4:10 PM ^
Used to be a power, scandal hit, some down years, now back at the top.
Actually the parallels are scary.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^
Except it really only took Juventus about 3 years to truly recover, whereas it took Michigan 15.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:44 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
So do 0 European Champions' League or Champions Cup finals appearances, let alone victories.
February 12th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:00 PM ^
Those are for domestic titles. One for every 10 Scottish Championships they've won. Rangers did win Europe in '72, and have made a handful of Finals appearances, though.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:06 PM ^
Rangers won the Cup Winners' Cup, not the European Cup. Therefore, they technically didn't win Europe. Celtic still hold the edge in the European Cup count.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:13 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:15 PM ^
You think I'm a Celtic fan? Look at my avatar if you actually believe that. And don't try and sell the fact that the Cup Winner's Cup is equal to the European Cup. It was a third rate competition because the European Cup only took league champions and you didn't make the UEFA Cup. And it doesn't even exist any more. At least the European Cup survived and evolved into the Champions League.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:31 PM ^
Actually the UEFA cup was the second tier Championship of all the domestic runners up, inaugurated in 72. The Cup Winners-Cup was the pseudo-Champions League of all the Domestic Cup winning teams. If you won the FA Cup, or the Copa Del Rey, or the Coppa Italia, or the DFB Cup, or the Scottish Cup, or the Coupe de France, ect. you'd participate in the Cup Winners Cup. It was eventually absorbed into the UEFA Cup for the 2000 season, but in 72 it was very prestigeous, as winning those cups still is.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:34 PM ^
Good point. I'd still slot it below the European Cup, but you're correct on that account.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^
You see, many other clubs like Bayern, Milan, Inter, Juventus, Ajax, Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, etc. put stars on their jerseys for true achievements (not defeating a league with no more than 3 legitimate teams at any one time).
All those clubs keep the stars for winning Europe, something Rangers has never done except for a then-third-rate competition.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:19 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:39 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 3:48 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:00 PM ^
February 12th, 2013 at 4:00 PM ^
I admit I clicked this thread mainly because I had no clue what UCL stood for. Honestly I've always thought soccer was cool enough, but I can't get into it because I don't have any emotional connection to any teams.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:18 PM ^
I was never into it until last year and now I'm addicted. I admit that I don't know nearly as much as these guys, but I am able to recognize good play (I think) and definitely appreciate the beauty of the game generally. I because a Barcelona fan because of their technique but you could choose a team based on whatever you find most interesting about the sport - some people like more rough play, some like faster play, some like offense/defense, etc. Its pretty cool to start being a fan of a team from scratch. Try it out! Watch a lot of Champions League matches and pick your favorite.
February 13th, 2013 at 12:22 AM ^
I need more local Wolves' supporters, join the cause! Although it might not be fun b/c we're only on TV once or twice a month and are possibly facing our second consecutive relegation.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:04 PM ^
Celtic all over Juve here. Need a result at home or they are out cause I don't see them getting anything in Turin. 'Mon the Hoops!
February 12th, 2013 at 4:07 PM ^
Gilt-edge chance squandered by Ambrose to put Celtic level...
February 12th, 2013 at 4:10 PM ^
but I am rooting for ManU.
/Barca
Now I am going to go take a shower and brush my teeth and fabreze my keyboard. Ugh.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:19 PM ^
The one thing that I find very strange being a Barca fan is seeing them play Real so many times during the year. I'm used to Michigan-Ohio matchup once a year (the equivalent of the Real-Barcelona matchup, I think) that its strange to see them go at it 5-6+ times a year. Still pretty cool though.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:34 PM ^
every time there is a matchup I say to my girlfriend in an almost geeked out voice "THERE'S A CLASICO TODAY!!"
Then she'll be like, "wasn't there one like two weeks ago?"
Me: "Well yeah, but . . . There's a clasico today!!!"
The # of matchups doesn't diminish the importance in my eyes. The Ohio rivalry is a great comparison.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
but did you see we extended the contracts of Messi, Xavi, and Puyol? God I love our team. Can you believe this little Argentine has won BD 4 straight times and he's only 25? Crazy.
February 12th, 2013 at 4:54 PM ^
I truly didn't start watching until last year and I sampled all kinds of teams in trying to figure out who I wanted to support. I purposely tried not to choose a front-runner just to make it more interesting but time after time I found myself attracted to their style of play. And it doesn't hurt to use time rooting for a team that has arguably the greatest player to ever play the game. Messi truly is mesmerizing. I think my second favorite player is Cesc - quiet but productive. And I really liked watching Cuenca but hear he was loaned out to Ajax(?). I'm not a big Tello fan.