Football (real)

[khazalid]

they are also sniffing around lavezzi and benzema. wenger has scope for a big signing; chances are it will be up top. i like oliver giroud but realistically they probably need an upgrade there, as well as a new central defender and a defensive midfielder for when le coq gets le croq.

[betiko]

I d love benzema to sign for arsenal, i think he would do great there.
Lavezzi.... He is the kind of guy who will run tirelessly all game, but my god he sucks shooting and stuff... Paris really wants to get rid of him this summer, I think he s probably worth around 18M€ by now.

Fekir and Lacazette should not leave Lyon unless an offer above market value comes around. Lyon will be playing champions league in its new stadium this comming season... And there is the eurocup at the end of the season held in France. Lacazette and Fekir want to play in the new stadium... And want stability to make sure they get selected to play the eurocup.
Lyon has been working for over 10 years in this stadium project... And has financed it all with its own capitals so they will actually own it. Almost no club in france owns its own stadium, so that will be a huge financial advantage for them.
Lyon hasn t been able to spend much in transfers these past few years because of this project, so we should expect them to be more buyers than sellers in the next few years. But over half of lyon's team always comes from their own youth section... They are the second best in europe after barcelona for that.

[waauw]

Lavezzi.... He is the kind of guy who will run tirelessly all game, but my god he sucks shooting and stuff... Paris really wants to get rid of him this summer, I think he s probably worth around 18M€ by now.

I hope PSG succeeds in buying De Bruyne. Would be awesome to see him play at one of europe's top teams of the moment.

[khazalid]

agree, i think chelski were foolish to let him go. quality player

[betiko]

I think he s wayyy too expensive by now!

And jackson martinez signed for the Atleti?? Wtf?? Seemed almost like a done deal with ac milan!
I heard Vietto could ve signed for the atleti as well??

[nietzsche]

I think he s wayyy too expensive by now!

And jackson martinez signed for the Atleti?? Wtf?? Seemed almost like a done deal with ac milan!
I heard Vietto could ve signed for the atleti as well??

Jackson Martinez is overrated. He's good, except he's not the super forward everyone think he is. Vietto on the other hand is quite good. I told you about him when he had only played like 10 games for Villarreal, he has a lot of determination.

[betiko]

Dude, i bet you hands down that jax will score 25+ goals in liga. It s in the club s DNA... I ve never seen a striker sign for atletico and not do great. Yeah Kezman maybe...
I didn t think Falcao was that good when he still played for Porto...

[nietzsche]

Dude, i bet you hands down that jax will score 25+ goals in liga. It s in the club s DNA... I ve never seen a striker sign for atletico and not do great. Yeah Kezman maybe...
I didn t think Falcao was that good when he still played for Porto...

He will not. JAckson will not defend like Simeone asks, and Atleti will end up playing with Griezman + Raul Garcia.

[nietzsche]

What amazes me is that nobody is going for Hector Herrera, also a Porto player.

I really thought Herrera had been the best player for Porto this season, and that he was going to be sold for some 30-35 million euros.

[waauw]

What amazes me is that nobody is going for Hector Herrera, also a Porto player.

I really thought Herrera had been the best player for Porto this season, and that he was going to be sold for some 30-35 million euros.

I didn't know him, so I had to look him up. But it seems to me he had is big breakthrough quite late. He's 25 already and only now showing good stats.
I just can't see a team pay 30-35 million for such a player when there are more proven players out there for the same price. Not to mention, due to the financial fair play rules focus seems to have shifted much more to younger talents.

[nietzsche]

What amazes me is that nobody is going for Hector Herrera, also a Porto player.

I really thought Herrera had been the best player for Porto this season, and that he was going to be sold for some 30-35 million euros.

I didn't know him, so I had to look him up. But it seems to me he had is big breakthrough quite late. He's 25 already and only now showing good stats.
I just can't see a team pay 30-35 million for such a player when there are more proven players out there for the same price. Not to mention, due to the financial fair play rules focus seems to have shifted much more to younger talents.

have you see him play? he's a back and forth midfielder, excellent for the equilibrium of any team. after seeing him play in the WC, rio ferdinand tweeted that if anyone in europe was looking for a cheap midfielder this was the guy, little did he now that Porto had him protected with a 40M clausule (is that the right word).

He's had two good years now, the only thing that's missing is some goals so he makes it. It seems to me he's only been unlucky with the shots, because he can quickly make strong shots but they always end up stopped by the keepers or miss the post.

Mediocampista de ida y vuelta, perhaps betiko can help me with the translation.

[betiko]

Nietzsche, france s feminine team has beaten mexico 5-0 in the world cup! We ve made it through to quarter finals after beating south korea last night.
France is ranked #3 in the fifa standings, with germany and USA ahead... Of course we re going to meet germany next, and the winner most likely faces USA in semis while the other side of the brackets is a pile of crap.
Ok, there s just canada perhaps... Last night brazil got kicked out by aussies!

[WingCmdr Ginkapo]

I want to know why the English team seems determined to play like Stoke with a flat back nine and a lone striker! Its not working at all.

[nietzsche]

Nietzsche, france s feminine team has beaten mexico 5-0 in the world cup! We ve made it through to quarter finals after beating south korea last night.
France is ranked #3 in the fifa standings, with germany and USA ahead... Of course we re going to meet germany next, and the winner most likely faces USA in semis while the other side of the brackets is a pile of crap.
Ok, there s just canada perhaps... Last night brazil got kicked out by aussies!

I read Mexico's goal was to win a game in the WF for the first time. It was supposed to be vs Colombia.

As I understand the problem with Mexico female team is that there isnt a league in Mexico. Even Colombia has one.

And now the best player, Correa, has been separated from the team and won't be playing the Panamerican games because she openly said it was time for a change, that they were stuck, referring indirectly to the coach.

I really don't care.

Mexico's football is focused in beating the US twice in American territory to qualify to the Confederations Cup.

[tzor]

Everyone, sing it with me ... "On the boats and on the planes ... They're coming to America."

Andrea Pirlo agrees to expected megadeal with NYCFC

NYCFC has won three straight MLS games, with Villa scoring a brace in Saturday’s 2-0 road win at Giovinco’s Toronto squad.

[Serbia]

You realize that aging stars that can't quite hack it in the major European leagues come to play in America because the American clubs will pay, and because the talent pool is watered down, allowing these guys to appear relevant, right?

Bollocks.

[betiko]

You realize that aging stars that can't quite hack it in the major European leagues come to play in America because the American clubs will pay, and because the talent pool is watered down, allowing these guys to appear relevant, right?

Bollocks.

Yeah... Like this guy who just played yet another champions league final a couple of weeks ago?

There is a big difference between the soccer stars that join the MLS compared to the ones that join The Qatar or Indian super league, or the chinese leage etc...
These guys are not completely done, and I could assure you that most european clubs would be delighted to have Pirlo, Lampard and Villa..
As long as you guys are getting stars finishing their career coming from big european clubs where they were still playing a major role there is much more to be proud of than ashamed of..

[Serbia]

You realize that aging stars that can't quite hack it in the major European leagues come to play in America because the American clubs will pay, and because the talent pool is watered down, allowing these guys to appear relevant, right?

Bollocks.

Yeah... Like this guy who just played yet another champions league final a couple of weeks ago?

There is a big difference between the soccer stars that join the MLS compared to the ones that join The Qatar or Indian super league, or the chinese leage etc...
These guys are not completely done, and I could assure you that most european clubs would be delighted to have Pirlo, Lampard and Villa..
As long as you guys are getting stars finishing their career coming from big european clubs where they were still playing a major role there is much more to be proud of than ashamed of..

I'm not saying they wouldn't. You don't think Newcastle would love to score Pirlo and Villa? Obviously they would. But those guys won't go play for Newcastle. If they can't cut it on the top European clubs, they'll leave. That's what I'm saying, and I admit I expressed this poorly in my original comments. They're better off going to play in the States, in a league that is up-and-coming, than to play for a second-tier Premier/La Liga/Bundesliga/Serie A team.

Bollocks.

[betiko]

Well not really... If they want to play at the top they d rather sign for a second tier european club like newcastle rather than NYCFC in a league with such a poor level such as the MLS.
Let s face it... Once your career is done... You are either too much in love with football and you will play no matter what at the highest level possible, or you want quality life for your family.
Living in NYC with loads of cash isn t quite the same thing that moving to newcastle for your wife and kids.
I would go for the same thing, I d sign for NYCFC but just for the human experience at that point of my career.
Any top european player that signs for a MLS club before 29 yo is a fool though.

[khazalid]

bit generous of you to describe newcastle as second tier. relegation fodder

[waauw]

Axel Witsel apparently first buy of the summer for new AC Milan.

[betiko]

bit generous of you to describe newcastle as second tier. relegation fodder

bah... sure they are not too good lately but they definitely have some awesome supporters, an awesome stadium, lots of history and good money to throw in transfers.
I'm sorry I'm comparing Newcastle FC to the great club of NYCFC that has brought so much to football, the US subsidiary of MCFC....

[waauw]

World's most expensive U21's:

1. Sterling(Liverpool - RW - 49 million €)
2. Marquinhos(PSG - CB - 40 million €)
3. Depay(ManU - LW - 34 million €)
4. Berardi(Sassuolo - RW - 31 million €)
5. Gimenez(Athletico - CB - 30 million €)
6. çalhanoglu(Leverkusen - AM - 27 million €)
7. Kovacic(Inter - CM - 26 million €)
8. Gaya(Valencia - LB - 26 million €)
9. Shaw(ManU - LB - 25 million €)
10. Laporte(Athletic Bilbao - CB - 24 million €)
11. Zouma(Chelsea - CB - 23 million €)
12. Tielemans(Anderlecht - CM - 19 million €)
13. Mitrovic(Anderlecht - CF - 18 million €)
14. Talisca(Benfica - AM - 18 million €)
15. Can(Liverpool - DM - 17 million €)
16. Stones(Everton - CB - 17 million €)
17. Martial(Monaco - CF - 16 million €)
18. Origi(Liverpool - CF - 15 million €)
19. Chambers(Arsenal - RB - 15 million €)
20. Bellerin(Arsenal - RB - 15 million €)

http://mysoccerex.com/Soccerex_20_Under ... r_2015.pdf

[betiko]

bah don't know what that is worth...

for the record waauw, there is no club called "athletico". It's either the Atletico either the Athletic, that's 2 different clubs.

A guy like Berardi can't be worth 31M€, simply because he plays for sassuolo. Such small clubs can't sell players for such prices; simply because you can't prove enough in those type of clubs and because the player would push way too hard to leave if ever a big club comes with an offer.


On a side note, looks like PSG has bough frankfurt's keeper and is about to through Sirigu out on the Market. I bet he'll end up playing for Inter.

[betiko]

lol... some guy was making fun of Freddy Adu because after 4 month he is yet leaving another club... his 11th in his career.
So someone was arguing that he was close to a record. Another guy said not even close, here is the guy:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutz_Pfannenstiel

this guy has played for 31 different clubs... on 7 different continents! yes, it includes antartica!! get the f*ck outta here!!!!!

this guy is just awesome!