ES Soccer Thread

[Elessar78]

What do y'all think of BigSoccer?

[mcsluggo]

I agree the game day experience is 100x better than that of FedEx, but that's completely a product of the DCU organization and its fans. The stadium itself is a dump and is far too large for regular use by an MLS team.

Have you been to any of the new MLS stadiums? Once you go you will never look at RFK the same. I love it for its character and history, and Lot 8 (which will never be replicated at a new location), but I can't wait to miss it.

how does an unused upper bowl affect you on game day?

i can see where the OWNERS would like luxury boxes, and other revenue gathering items... but for ME the current situation is 100% absolute nirvana ideal... There is nothing that can be improved much, and much that can be lost.

---------- Post added July-10th-2012 at 04:29 PM ----------

by the way....where do you sit when you go to games? I spinge off of a friend 2 or so games a year, and he HAD tix in the ring (closest things there is to boxes at rfk... but now has lower bowl, around goal line tickets... it is all gravy to me

[renaissance]

how does an unused upper bowl affect you on game day?

i can see where the OWNERS would like luxury boxes, and other revenue gathering items... but for ME the current situation is 100% absolute nirvana ideal... There is nothing that can be improved much, and much that can be lost.

---------- Post added July-10th-2012 at 04:29 PM ----------

by the way....where do you sit when you go to games? I spinge off of a friend 2 or so games a year, and he HAD tix in the ring (closest things there is to boxes at rfk... but now has lower bowl, around goal line tickets... it is all gravy to me

We "sit" in the supporter's section. And yes, the unused seats bother me, but more than that the stadium is just too big and cavernous for soccer. It was slightly better before things were reconfigured for baseball, when there were seats behind the goal, but even then the stadium was too big for its crowd. A full 20,000 seat stadium is 10x more intimidating than a 1/2 full 50,000 seat stadium.

I don't give a crap about luxury boxes, but I do care about updated, team-specific facilities.

I'm not sure what you think would be lost, honestly. Sure I understand the history of DCU having played there for so long, and I know we will never get a tailgate area as large (if at all) as RFK has if we get a new stadium, but I don't see any other value in staying at RFK.

Edit: And don't discard the value of revenue-generating potential of a new stadium. The money doesn't just come from cushy boxes. It comes from concessions, naming rights, and renting out the stadium when it's not in use by DCU. And that's the kind of money the team could spend on DPs, better overall facilities, etc.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Dempsey to Liverpool? Anyone confirm? GHH??

Been a lot of talk, and Rodgers has said their close to a couple of signings before they leave for the States next week. One of which, in his words, is a 'major' signing. Definitely need one if not two strikers added, and for the all round value (age, price and ability wise); I'd be more than happy to add Clint into the mix.

The next few days should reveal more.

Hail.

[Old Bay]

Could the big 'signing' be to let Carroll out on loan.

[TaylorPickSix]

Ahhh Dempsey to LFC would make the Baltimore game in two weeks that much more epic. Really hope it happens!

[Kilmer17]

What do y'all think of BigSoccer?

Ive been a member for over a decade.

Great insight across the spectrum.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

On the subject of Dempsey, one thing that was repeatedly amusing the living piss out of me was the amount of ill-informed folks in the recent thread on US soccer coming out with the tired old mantra about American players not being of any great standard.

In the English Premier League alone, widely revered as one of the top Leagues in Europe (although I personally think it's over hyped to a standard it isn't, but that's another story); Americans have played a big part over the last decade or so. And two of them, the aforementioned Dempsey and Brad Friedel, have consistently been amongst the leagues best in their respective positions for the last few years in Dempsey's case, and the last decade and longer in Brad's case. Europe is littered with some real tidy US players .

This myth that's still perpetuated from many Americans that their guys can't hold their own in the sport is quite simply that, a myth.

But we did all that to death in that thread, so back on topic and your normal ES Soccer thread .....

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

John Terry cleared of all charges.

Shock ******* horror. Lucky him he's not a dirty South American from Uruguay huh? The double standards in England are that sick (NOT in a good way) it's not even funny. Disgusting, and I'll leave that at that.

And the ongoing, prejudiced campaign against Glasgow Rangers is WAY past being funny now. The Scottish Third Division! The ****** Scottish THIRD Division! Are you ******* kidding me! May the majority of Scottish clubs wither and die for the continued, WAY over the top sanctions against the hand that feeds.

Disgraceful day in British football.

Hail.

[RichmondRedskin88]

Dempsey to Richmond Kickers confirmed per source.

Nice lol

[renaissance]

NY Cosmos confirmed to be entering NASL next season. That means they could be facing the Red Bulls in the US Open Cup.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

They want to replace the Red Bulls in the MLS, given the 'success' NY's (not) had.

Hail.

[Old Bay]

John Terry cleared of all charges.

Shock ******* horror. Lucky him he's not a dirty South American from Uruguay huh? The double standards in England are that sick (NOT in a good way) it's not even funny. Disgusting, and I'll leave that at that.

And the ongoing, prejudiced campaign against Glasgow Rangers is WAY past being funny now. The Scottish Third Division! The ****** Scottish THIRD Division! Are you ******* kidding me! May the majority of Scottish clubs wither and die for the continued, WAY over the top sanctions against the hand that feeds.

Disgraceful day in British football.

Hail.

Interesting that Terry got out of it. The frenzy over these stories is a bit puzzling to me. Just don't see the same type of coverage here in the States.

As far as Rangers, I'm torn. I think clubs should be held accountable but they got hit really hard. Don't know the right answer. What sanctions do you think they should've gotten GHH?

[RichmondRedskin88]

They want to replace the Red Bulls in the MLS, given the 'success' NY's (not) had.

Hail.

I wish richmond could go nasl. They need money and a better stadium for that though.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I'll answer that a little later as I'm literally off to run some errands OB, but a quick answer would be to put the new company into the Scottish First Division and potentially have them spend just a year out of the top flight. That would be the most logical for the long term benefit of football in Scotland which depends almost exclusively on the two Glasgow clubs. This could be the final nail in a lot of Scottish clubs coffins. Not least those currently sitting smug in the SPL.

Hail.

*Edit, now I'm back.* Certain clubs and more so administrators are continuing to punish a Scottish institution and the community it serves WAY above and beyond. All for the misdoings of two despicable, lying men that are no longer at the great club they've torn apart. All under the pretence of archaic rules and the 'sporting integrity of the game.' Where does it stop? Three years with no European football. Still the threat of a transfer embargo hanging over a club who's gutless players are jumping ship to such an extent McCoist will be stepping off the bench out of retirement next year at this rate. And now making them start afresh from the bottom tier of Scottish football. No question sanctions needed to come down on Rangers, but this continued campaign by a certain few has gone above and far beyond that.

But then the chances are this will ultimately bite those very same men reveling in this on the ass HARD! Karma's gona' be a biatch.

Where the SPL goes from here I don't know. With no Glasgow Rangers, outside interest in terms of sponsorship, International TV sales et all is virtually zero. And it wasn't that high in relation to their English counterparts to start with when both Glasgow clubs were still there playing each other. Scottish football IS Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic. They single handedly keep the vast majority of the other clubs afloat with the money they generate on and off the park. Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face.

And it's not beyond probability that when Rangers do return, IF certain clubs are still in existence and haven't folded; the Rangers fans will boycott those grounds en mass and hit them hard in the pocket.

That's IF the SPL and it's clubs are still surviving for the duration without the hand that feeds. Glasgow Rangers will still be getting ridiculously high gates even in Division Three. Their an institution in the West of Scotland for many. That won't change whatever the gutless decision makers throw their way.

But without them, MANY clubs face a perilous future. As does Scottish football as a whole.