although i do not have a favorite team i really enjoy watching Christiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
Are any of you soccer fans as well as Duke Bball fans? Ive been playing and watching soccer since I was 4, and love the sport as much as, if not more, than basketball. Huge fan of Arsenal FC (English Premier League) and of course the US National Team. Just wondered if any of you also follow "the beautiful game" and who are your teams.
although i do not have a favorite team i really enjoy watching Christiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
I follow West Ham-- there's another one on here too (I'm talking to you Forever Blowing Bubbles). So now that Duke Basketball is over, I get to watch West Ham languish in mid-table. Not as exciting as last year but I guess a little stability is in order.
Kdogg, awesome! Glad to find a fellow Gooner on the site. As for West Ham, I saw the "Forever Blowing Bubbles" poster which is what made me think to start this thread. The Hammers are a good squad even if they are midtable, and they ALWAYS give us fits home and away it seems. As for Lavabe, good luck over the next three games, but don't forget Arsenal's CL form is quite different from their domestic at the moment. We just finished going to the San Siro and eliminating the holders, and now can go ahead and rid the competition of the previous season's holders as well In all honesty, I see both games as being draws (CL) with Arsenal going through on away goals. League I have a feeling you guys will get the W, but at this point, after we took only 4 pts out of 15 (excluding the AMAZING comeback Sat vs Bolton) I feel our league hopes have been extinguished, and we will go even harder after the one we have never won. Remember, Torres doesn't score away from the Kop
I favor Barcelona (Messi is insane) and Real Madrid (I still love vanI and what can you say about Ronalbino), but can still get into the quick touches of the premier league even though they keep giving up the best of their best to Spain. Henre (?) seems to have lost something in his transfer South but when he played for Arsenal, there was none better. Rooney is the most amazing combination of brute force and light touch I have seen in any sport; pity that Ronaldinio is not younger, as he can come close to matching Rooney's strength and you can't push what you can't catch.
Yeap, I love watching football, and, given the choice between a good match and anything other than Duke Carolina, I'd go with the match, even though I never played football in my life and find trying to kick the thing correctly (other than a push pass) as befuddling as trying to hit a 5 iron, which is pretty darn befuddling. Nice post!
You sound like me as far as viewing habits. I'd much rather watch a "football" match as opposed to anything other than a Duke basketball game. Of course not just any football match (like 99% of the games played in the MLS, Galaxy fan domestically, was WAY before Beckham ever thought of coming over) but pretty much any game in the Prem I can watch.
Regarding Henry, youre right, I think we let him go at just the right time. Not saying we couldn't use him at the Emirates, but he has lost a step, and was a bit of a prima donna at times and would pout on the pitch. Cesc Fabregas has taken over as my new fav player for the Gunners, this kid is just amazing in the midfield. I don't watch the other leagues all that much, but will catch them when Real is playing Barca, or other local derby's are happening.
Watching the US Mens team back in 02 is one of the best memories of my life, took the week off of work, watched them at like 2 or 3 am every morning, and seeing them through to the Final 8 was just incredible. Ill def never forget that week with my best friend and I celebrating in the living room after we squeaked into the knockout round thanks to the hosts, S Korea, and then demolished Mexico, which is ALWAYS fun to watch.
Glad you like the thread. I suppose its time I finally contribute SOMETHING to this site
In related news, ManUre and Roma just kicked off in the Champions League. Im watching it via SoccerNet at least until I get out of here at 4pm.
DC United fan myself. Really enjoyed it when Marco was in his prime, and they had a defense that was world class--Pope, the Lefty, and the big Latino guy whose name starts with an S and who was able to get forward and score the ball, along with Ritchie (the little guy) as a defensive mid-fielder--Morano and Diaz-Arsee up front.
Landon is such a talent but somehow there is a but, if you know what I mean. Somehow I get the feeling that his teammates really don't take to him, not that they dislike him, just that they don't relate the way you'd expect.
I know ... waiting with baited breath for that one.
Truth be told, I really enjoyed Highbury. My wife and I saw a game there with Bergkamp vs. Southampton (LaTiss). Honestly, it was a good time, and REALLY enjoyable. My wife and I would go back in a heartbeat. I would take going to a Premiership game over all but two sporting venues:
CIS
Any Triple Crown Race
Is there a Gunners' podcast out there? The NYC Liverpool Supporter''s Club has a wonderful podcast... REALLY neat.
Cheers,
Lavabe
Chelsea fan here. After failing miserably to win the Carling Cup a Champions League cup is in order. Chelsea lost too much ground in the Prem to win it, United is unstoppable, even though they come to the Bridge one more time. Injuries to Petr Cech and Africa Nations Cup killed the Blues, losing Drogba, Kalou, Obi Mikel, and Essien for a month.
Though that win over the Gunner last week was glorious
I'm an American but grew up mainly in London. I am absolutely obsessed with soccer, especially when it comes to US soccer and the EPL. I really wish we could get a solid thread up here about all things soccer.
Also, how ridiculous was that C. Ronaldo goal against Roma today? He completely flew out of nowhere!
Duke in Glasgow will do that to you
Dunno, I did that program, and didn't come away with much of a deeper football appreciation, beyond understanding that the Rangers/Celtic Rivalry may in fact be deeper than the Duke/UNC rivalry.
I was a fan of DC United when I lived there -- seeing a game in RFK on a nice sunny Saturday when the Screaming Eagles were in full force was a LOT of fun. I also saw the very first WUSA game there. Ahh, memories.
I suggest that the moderators retitle this thread "All things soccer." The cycling thread is a good central location to find all things cycling, so having one devoted to soccer seems like a good idea. In the last year, we've had some 20+ threads with soccer related main topics, and some 199 threads or so with mentions of soccer. Jimbonelson and greybeard have started a number of threads (I still love greybeard's "Fraulines Rock" thread). We had another thread about where to watch soccer in Greensboro, NCAA soccer threads, a NZ Women's soccer thread (Duke connection), soccer injury threads, World Cup threads, etc... Technically, the old board also had a Men's World Cup pick'em pool as well.
Here's the site for Liverpool-NY supporter's club; see MULTIMEDIA for the podcast info.
Here's to a tough game in the CL!!
Cheers,
Lavabe