ES Soccer Thread

[Elessar78]

As I've always said the problem is in our talent pipeline. Until we start developing more talent and being able to look at the guy across from ours and unequivocally say "Yeah, ours is better." Then it's just a quarter-final worthy squad (WC). It's embarassing that countries like Mexico, Japan, and Korea are putting more and more players into European sides and we're a little stagnant in that dept.

There's an American kid, Ben Lederman, that's at La Masia. He has a two year contract. He's about ten years old now. They gave him the #10 shirt, no small thing. And I don't think he's unique . . . there are other kids like him but we have a great propensity for screwing our talent up instead of making it better.

[DCranon21]

I love watching soccer on Telemundo and Andres Cantor yell GOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Congrats to Mexico for winning the gold medal 2-1.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

WHAT A MISS FROM OSCAR TO TAKE THAT INTO EXTRA TIME! WOW!

Hope that's a sign of things to come for the rent boys this season.

Congrats Mexico. Comprehensive win. Fully deserved. Brazil pay for their arrogant attitude that makes them think they only have to turn up to win.

Hail.

[RichmondRedskin88]

Sad knowing we could very well get swept in qualifying by Mexico next year. I know both defend their homes well but we don't have the current talent to win against them at this rate. Interesting our U 23 team beat Mexico in Mexico 2-0 not to long ago. Yet look who was in the Olympics winning a gold. smh.

[ixcuincle]

My baby takes the mornin' train
He works from nine to five and then
he takes another home again to find me... watching the Manchester United Football Team! Ah? The best freakin' team in all the land! Woo hoo!

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

Brazil will never win a major tournament again (barring an easy draw like 2002) until they find a guy to control a match from the middle. They havent produced a player like that in ages.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Brazil will never win a major tournament again (barring an easy draw like 2002) until they find a guy to control a match from the middle. They havent produced a player like that in ages.

Kaka, before injury struck.

It'll be interesting to see if he comes back into it after a pretty strong season for Real last term. He'll only be 32 in 2014.

Hail.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

Kaka, before injury struck.

It'll be interesting to see if he comes back into it after a pretty strong season for Real last term. He'll only be 32 in 2014.

Hail.

Kaka was a 9.5-type

They have players like that (altho their attacking talent is wildly overrated too) but they have stopped producing Xavis and Pirlos and instead rely on workhorses in the middle. Mexico was out passing Brazil today by a lot. Brazil can only create when in transition against top teams, a bit like Germany.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Kaka was a 9.5-type

They have players like that (altho their attacking talent is wildly overrated too) but they have stopped producing Xavis and Pirlos and instead rely on workhorses in the middle. Mexico was out passing Brazil today by a lot. Brazil can only create when in transition against top teams, a bit like Germany.

IMHO, Kaka was unrivaled in World football as a playmaking midfielder for those 4 or 5 years at Milan; who not only totally dominated and took over games possession wise, but chipped in with a ridiculously high amount of goals from the middle.

Your doing him a great disservice. Whether he's still got that to that level after the injury's I don't know. I honestly haven't seen much of him at Madrid. But he sure seemed to be over the injury bug at least last year.

Hail.

*Edit* Maybe Gerrard rivaled him for influence and totally taking over games during that stretch. But Kaka just had that Brazilian style to go with it.

[Elessar78]

Well the great Brazilian forwards seem to be drying up. No more Romario, Bebeto, and Ronaldo. That seems essential (unless you're Spain) and they have good forward, but is there anyone great that will lead them to a WC? They all seem to be midfield playmakers. Oh yeah, there's that Neymar guy , but we'll see if he can be the man. Brazil are still the leading exporter of soccer players around the globe but it's just evidence that they have tons of "really good" but maybe no one great. Robinho? Pato? Meh. I have a dozen other guys I'd take across Europe before I'd take those two.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

IMHO, Kaka was unrivaled in World football as a playmaking midfielder for those 4 or 5 years at Milan; who not only totally dominated and took over games possession wise, but chipped in with a ridiculously high amount of goals from the middle.

Your doing him a great disservice. Whether he's still got that to that level after the injury's I don't know. I honestly haven't seen much of him at Madrid. But he sure seemed to be over the injury bug at least last year.

Hail.

*Edit* Maybe Gerrard rivaled him for influence and totally taking over games during that stretch. But Kaka just had that Brazilian style to go with it.

when I said 9.5-type, I was talking about Kaka's position on the field, not how good he is. He was clearly the best or around the best player in the world for about 5 years, or until his knee gave way in 2008.

But Kaka was a playmaker/forward type, he was almost a "false 9".

But Kaka was never a CM, you play him there and he cannot influence the game as much as he can further in front of goal. Pirlo and Seedorf the gawd did the possession and creating opportunity work for him in that Christmas Tree. I remember Brazil tried that at the 2006 world cup to fit him, Ronaldo, Dinho, and him into that formation.


and you are doing a great disservice to how great Kaka was by comparing him to that headless chicken Gerrard :lol:

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

To be fair, Pato's career has been totally destroyed by injury. He was looking like a heck of a prospect his first two or three years at the San Siro.

The last 2 years have just been one injury disaster after another.

Hail.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

Well the great Brazilian forwards seem to be drying up. No more Romario, Bebeto, and Ronaldo. That seems essential (unless you're Spain) and they have good forward, but is there anyone great that will lead them to a WC? They all seem to be midfield playmakers. Oh yeah, there's that Neymar guy , but we'll see if he can be the man. Brazil are still the leading exporter of soccer players around the globe but it's just evidence that they have tons of "really good" but maybe no one great. Robinho? Pato? Meh. I have a dozen other guys I'd take across Europe before I'd take those two.

I think Argentina actually passed Brazil a few years ago in terms of exporting players.

Brazil's problems are actually in the midfield. They dont create anything anymore. They had hoped it would be Ganso, but his knees stink.

In saying that, I think all of Brazil's attacking talent is overrated. They havent produced a world class attacker since Kaka.

---------- Post added August-11th-2012 at 10:15 PM ----------

To be fair, Pato's career has been totally destroyed by injury. He was looking like a heck of a prospect his first two or three years at the San Siro.

The last 2 years have just been one injury disaster after another.

Hail.

its his own fault. he parties too much and is always out of shape. and he got married to some soap actress at a stupid young age only for her to divorce him.

Pato was actually what Neymar is now in 2007

he is still pretty young, but I fear he will never get it.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Gerrard will probably go down as the most influential player for his club never to win his domestic Championship with them. For a four or 5 year spell, in the middle to late 2000's, there weren't many better players World wide that could totally take over and dominate a game. Fearsome in the tackle, boundless energy, two great feet, great in the air, great football brain that allows him to play multiple positions better than some players who's careers are those positions (he's an outstanding right back for one on the occasions he's dropped in there), with a HELL of a web on him from distance leading to him chipping in with more of his share of goals. He was, before age and injury lessened his influence, the complete midfielder.

And there's not been many better 'big game' players in modern times that consistently produced.

The man can be an absolute ass, but he's been one of the modern games greatest midfield influences/ all round players.

Hail.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

Gerrard will probably go down as the most influential player for his club never to win his domestic Championship with them. For a four or 5 year spell, in the middle to late 2000's, there weren't many better players World wide that could totally take over and dominate a game. Fearsome in the tackle, boundless energy, two great feet, great in the air, great football brain that allows him to play multiple positions better than some players who's careers are those positions (he's an outstanding right back for one on the occasions he's dropped in there), with a HELL of a web on him from distance leading to him chipping in with more of his share of goals. He was, before age and injury lessened his influence, the complete midfielder.

And there's not been many better 'big game' players in modern times that consistently produced.

The man can be an absolute ass, but he's been one of the modern games greatest midfield influences/ all round players.

Hail.

absolutely not.

his best performances have come playing off striker (also when Liverpool had their best season with him) or on the right. Rafa couldnt trust him in the midfield and used Mascherano and Xabi behind him because of that. He was a great athlete, and great footballer, but never a great central midfielder. He was a real life Roy of the Rovers, which is great on TV but not in premiership matches.

the performance everyone points to, the 2005 CL fluke, Gerrard's poor performance in the first half was why they went down 3-0 in the first place. Rafa moved Gerrard out wide and brought in Dieter Haman and Liverpool finally stopped the Pirlo-Kaka axis from dominating for just a little bit of a time, and Liverpool capitalized.


but Gerrard hooked up Arsenal, so im cool with that from him