All threads are temporary. This one's about soccer.

[Baloney]

[brian]

Jose Bautista (yes, that Jose Bautista) buys the Las Vegas USL team.

[wlu_lax6]

Jose Bautista (yes, that Jose Bautista) buys the Las Vegas USL team.

The Lights have great uniforms. I have one from the first year (smiley face hidden under the jersey so you can put it over your head when you score).
Plus they often on sale at 6pm.com (zappos/amazon's discount site).

https://www.6pm.com/las-vegas-lights

[sancarlos]

Funny draws in the FA Cup. 10 EPL sides remain (of the 32 left), and 8 of the 10 are playing another EPL team this round.

ETA: it’s 10 out of 13, not 8 of 10, but the point remains the same. Weird.

[brian]

Funny draws in the FA Cup. 10 EPL sides remain (of the 32 left), and 8 of the 10 are playing another EPL team this round.

Then there’s Man U, who drew Newport County.

[mister d]

I don’t like playing Tottenham (although being out of another cup might not be the worst thing).

[degenerasian]

Canada Soccer's new General Secretary quits the morning of her start date, can't make this up.

[Nonlinear FC]

Funny draws in the FA Cup. 10 EPL sides remain (of the 32 left), and 8 of the 10 are playing another EPL team this round.

Then there’s Man U, who drew Newport County.

That's not actually as easy of a game as it might appear, especially having to play in South Wales.

[Pruitt IV]

Canada Soccer's new General Secretary quits the morning of her start date, can't make this up.

What a bunch of clowns.

[DaveInSeattle]

Sure is interesting seeing all those players who jumped to the Saudi league now saying "Hmm....maybe I shouldn't done this".

Ex-Man City star Laporte on Saudi move: Many players unhappy

"It's a big change compared to Europe, but in the end it's all adaptation," Laporte told Spanish newspaper Diario AS. "They haven't made it easy for us. In fact, there are many players that are dissatisfied. They do look after us but not enough for my liking. That is to say, in Europe they pay you a good salary, but they take better care of you.

"I speak from my own experience and I don't know what the experience of others is like. For my part, what I have seen is that they try to bring you in, but then there is the day-to-day life and that is different."

But of course, Cristiano is happy.

[The Sybian]

Sure is interesting seeing all those players who jumped to the Saudi league now saying "Hmm....maybe I shouldn't done this".

Ex-Man City star Laporte on Saudi move: Many players unhappy

"It's a big change compared to Europe, but in the end it's all adaptation," Laporte told Spanish newspaper Diario AS. "They haven't made it easy for us. In fact, there are many players that are dissatisfied. They do look after us but not enough for my liking. That is to say, in Europe they pay you a good salary, but they take better care of you.

"I speak from my own experience and I don't know what the experience of others is like. For my part, what I have seen is that they try to bring you in, but then there is the day-to-day life and that is different."

But of course, Cristiano is happy.

I see these guy looking to get out and just have to wonder... wtf were they expecting? Sure, the salaries are insane, but you are stuck living in Saudi Arabia, playing in empty stadiums with nobody watching on tv. I'm sure that other than a few washed up stars, they are playing with and against far inferior players. These guys were used to living the celebrity life in big European cities, and now they are in SA. Of course it's going to suck! Not to mention, selling your soul and career out to help a murderous despotic regime achieve legitimacy through sports washing.

[DaveInSeattle]

I see these guy looking to get out and just have to wonder... wtf were they expecting? Sure, the salaries are insane, but you are stuck living in Saudi Arabia, playing in empty stadiums with nobody watching on tv. I'm sure that other than a few washed up stars, they are playing with and against far inferior players. These guys were used to living the celebrity life in big European cities, and now they are in SA. Of course it's going to suck! Not to mention, selling your soul and career out to help a murderous despotic regime achieve legitimacy through sports washing.

The guys on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast today were saying "Did they not do any research? Did they not figure out that it was going to be hot and humid?".

And Jordan Henderson...way to torpedo your reputation and good works with a 6 month stay in the Saudi league, that it now looks like he won't even get paid for.

[Nonlinear FC]

TBH, I really didn't know much about the logistics of the Saudi league until I watched a pretty good YouTube video that went into all that sucks about the place. (And, to be fair, the video wasn't a rant or screed, it was just laying out the fact that the stadiums are mostly empty, the travel sucks and it's hot AF almost all year 'round.)

These guys, at a minimum, have agents... You have to wonder how many of those relationships soured when the commission check got cashed and the player is looking around saying WTF did I get into here?

[mister d]

Its funny seeing Laporte complain based on his treatment at City where his tenure was about 30% strong play and 70% sulking.

[DaveInSeattle]

TBH, I really didn't know much about the logistics of the Saudi league until I watched a pretty good YouTube video that went into all that sucks about the place. (And, to be fair, the video wasn't a rant or screed, it was just laying out the fact that the stadiums are mostly empty, the travel sucks and it's hot AF almost all year 'round.)

These guys, at a minimum, have agents... You have to wonder how many of those relationships soured when the commission check got cashed and the player is looking around saying WTF did I get into here?

Seems like a big part of their complaints are that they are living in Bahrain, so they can live in a place where they can get a drink, rather than in Saudi Arabia...and then its a 90 minute commute to the training grounds.

Did they not look at a map beforehand?

[sancarlos]

Though, if you read the whole article, there are some defenders of the experience, too…

However, Laporte's Al Nassr teammate Sadio Mané has defended the Saudi Pro League and said his profile hasn't dipped since making the move from Bayern Munich last summer.

"That's what you think because I'm not in Europe," Mané told reporters on Friday when asked if he receives lesser attention playing in Saudi Arabia.

"This is sad for you guys. Because, for you guys, if you don't play in Europe, it doesn't matter. I'm not around as a football player."

"Fortunately, I can say the Saudi league is a very good league, and watched by everybody in the world, so, for me, as long as I'm doing my best and I'm enjoying myself every single minute, that's more important.

"The rest, for me, doesn't matter."

[P.D.X.]

Does it even get coverage in the US? Fubo or somesuch?

[Pruitt IV]

Does it even get coverage in the US? Fubo or somesuch?

It's on DAZN in Canada, but I have yet to watch a second of it.

Politics aside, through Fubo, DAZN and one of the sports networks here, I get the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, The Champiopship, Ligue 1, UCL, Europa League, Conference League, AFCON, Euro and World Cup Qualifiers and even the English Women's league.

Why the hell would I watch the Saudi league.

I'd bet that even for the hardest core fans who don't have all the options that I do, the Saudi League would be way down on the list of soccer to watch.

[P.D.X.]

Ranks as the 36th best domestic league, according to Opta. MLS is 29th. (2023)

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/ ... d9lsdal5yr

[Baloney]

[wlu_lax6]

Long read on the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/ ... urth-round

[degenerasian]

The Asian Cup and AFCON are running parallel to each other. The Round of 16s are set.

Asian Cup:

We almost had South Korea vs Japan but a 90+15' Malaysia equalizer ruined it

Tajikistan vs UAE
Iraq vs Jordan
Australia vs Indonesia
Saudi Arabia vs South Korea
--------------------------------
Iran vs Syria
Bahrain vs Japan
Qatar vs Palestine
Uzbekistan vs Thailand

African Cup:

The hosts Ivory Coast barely snuck in the last wildcard spot. Gets defending champion Senegal next.

Nigeria vs Cameroon
Angola vs Namibia
Cape Verde vs Mauritania
Morocco vs South Africa
------------------------------
Mali vs Burkina Faso
Senegal vs Ivory Coast
Egypt vs DR Congo
Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea !!!!!!!!!!

[wlu_lax6]

African Cup is wild
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/ ... tune-afcon

[sancarlos]

Long read on the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/ ... urth-round

Maidstone United are the lowest-ranked team remaining in the FA Cup, sitting fifth in the National League South, six divisions below the Premier League. Today, in the round of 32, they beat Ipswich, who is currently sitting in promotion level from Championship to the Premier League.

[rass]

Fight in the stands in West Brom after Wolves second goal

[degenerasian]

African Cup is wild
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/ ... tune-afcon

Egypt lost on penalties

[degenerasian]

Game was bonkers. Iraq took a 2-1 lead but their goal scorer got a 2nd yellow card for taunting! 'gesture of eating with your left hand"

[wlu_lax6]

Wrexham at Blackburn on the ESPN+ right now. Maybe a cupset?

[Nonlinear FC]

Game was bonkers. Iraq took a 2-1 lead but their goal scorer got a 2nd yellow card for taunting! 'gesture of eating with your left hand"

This reminds me of when most of the world (outside of the Middle East, I guess) learned that throwing shoes at someone was the rough equivalent of calling a 50 year old American white woman a c*nt.

[degenerasian]

Wrexham at Blackburn on the ESPN+ right now. Maybe a cupset?

gonna be tough, Blackburn's had 3 scoring chances already

high stakes, the winner gets Newcastle at home

[wlu_lax6]

Wrexham at Blackburn on the ESPN+ right now. Maybe a cupset?

gonna be tough, Blackburn's had 3 scoring chances already

high stakes, the winner gets Newcastle at home

looks like Wrexham travelled well....and beautiful goal for the team Deadpool.

Also if you said hey I am going to make a half and half color shirt as your kit...you would normally think...ugh..but does work for Rovers and really something that is part of their identity.

[Nonlinear FC]

Wrexham at Blackburn on the ESPN+ right now. Maybe a cupset?

[+] spoiler

And just went to check and Wrexham are up 1-0 in the 20th minute.

[Baloney]

Wrexham manager has a touchline ban for this game

[sancarlos]

3-1 Blackburn at the half.

[rass]

Second goal was pretty bad.

[wlu_lax6]

Cannon nearly got a 2nd but Rover's keeper put a great save. Up 2-0 would have changed the dynamic

[wlu_lax6]

Cupset...sorry meant curbstomp

[degenerasian]

big game kicking off on the AFC Youtube Channel

Saudi Arabia vs South Korea

Mancini vs Klinsmann

[Pruitt IV]

big game kicking off on the AFC Youtube Channel

Saudi Arabia vs South Korea

Mancini vs Klinsmann

Pains me to say this - but as a Spurs fan I have to: "Go Saudi Arabia"

[degenerasian]

Shootout now!