The Soccer Thread

[Prodigal Son]

Can anyone name active players who have 50 goals and 50 assists in international play?

 

[davie]

He has the technical and physical skills to play at a top level.
He can lead an average team against better competition (Spain, for one)
He's not a cunt anymore, like he was in his earlier years, when he failed.
He can play in the Premiership, and play well.

Define top level? Are you saying he could be the Vladimir Smicer in the lucky 2005 Liverpool team? Is he the Gaizka Mendieta in Middlesbrough's League Cup year?

USA beat Spain in the nobody cares cup.

2 goals and 3 assists in the Premierleague from what I've read (1 and 1 vs Hull in a 5-1 home win). That's decent.

Donovans biggest con is that he's an American.

If he was from any other country, most of you would have his balls shoved down your throats.

His biggest con is that you and BigHouse are overrating him.

 

[BigHouseUSA]

Define top level? Are you saying he could be the Vladimir Smicer in the lucky 2005 Liverpool team? Is he the Gaizka Mendieta in Middlesbrough's League Cup year?

USA beat Spain in the nobody cares cup.

2 goals and 3 assists in the Premierleague from what I've read (1 and 1 vs Hull in a 5-1 home win). That's decent.



His biggest con is that you and BigHouse are overrating him.

The only thing you're basing him on is his stats and maybe seeing him play, what 5 times? As someone who's seen him enough, there's no doubt in my mind he could be a solid player for most good teams. Please, watch him play instead of looking up numbers online.

 

[1ke]

Donovans biggest con is that he's an American.

If he was from any other country, most of you would have his balls shoved down your throats.

In other news...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soundersfcblog/2012414940_reports_uruguayan_mid_alvaro_f.html

Nice to sign World Cup players who aren't at the end of their career.

I can say flat out I would love to see Landon succeed on Europe. I think if anyone one person can do magic for America and soccer, its him. I dont think he realizes how important he is, at times.

 

[davie]

The only thing you're basing him on is his stats and maybe seeing him play, what 5 times? As someone who's seen him enough, there's no doubt in my mind he could be a solid player for most good teams. Please, watch him play instead of looking up numbers online.

I have 2 clear premierleague memories of Donovan - scoring the easy goal against Hull and missing a similar chance vs. another team that he obviously should have scored.

You're right I haven't watched him play a 100 2nd rate MLS games. The only reason Everton played him as much as they did though was because of the high number of injuries they had. A squad player on a Europa League team isn't what you're saying he is, the Champions League is a huge step up from that.

 

[Prodigal Son]

I love the argument, "You don't think Donovan is good enough so you must hate American soccer"

I guess I should be more like CNNSI and hype up all the US players regardless of talent.

No, it's just simple that him playing for the US taints his image among those who watch the sport. They think just because he plays for the US, that he isn't that good. Same can be said about Dempsey, Howard, and many others who play in the EPL. They won't get their fair shots at playing on the top teams because of their nationality.

The US has constantly put out great goalies, and yet they all get overlooked in the EPL. Guys like Keller and Freidel never got fair shots to be on top teams.

Think Donovan is trash all you want, but please, show me a list of all active players who have 50 goals/50 assists in international play? The guy is a lot better then many of you are trashing him for.

 

[Bigpapa42]

No, it's just simple that him playing for the US taints his image among those who watch the sport. They think just because he plays for the US, that he isn't that good. Same can be said about Dempsey, Howard, and many others who play in the EPL. They won't get their fair shots at playing on the top teams because of their nationality.

The US has constantly put out great goalies, and yet they all get overlooked in the EPL. Guys like Keller and Freidel never got fair shots to be on top teams.

Think Donovan is trash all you want, but please, show me a list of all active players who have 50 goals/50 assists in international play? The guy is a lot better then many of you are trashing him for.

The US is hardly alone with producing class keepers who don't get a chance at the top teams. Mexico, Russia, Argentina, Turkey, and even Russia have produced class keepers in the recent past who never really got much of a shot, if any, with bigger European clubs. Jussi Jaasekelainen has been consistently among the top keepers in England for a decade now and he's never managed a move away from Bolton. Pretty much every non-British player faces some degree of scrutiny in England when they arrive, because one can point to players from any given nation who have failed to some extent with an English clubs. Claiming there is an anti-American bias amongst English clubs or fans seems odd, given there is resistance against almost any nationality. I recall some Liverpool supporters being really upset at the money spent on Fernando Torres and the reason was simply because other Spanish imports had failed in the past...

Is it really trashing a player to doubt that they would clearly and obviously walk into the squad of "most Champions League caliber clubs"? I'm not saying he's useless or has no quality... But a player capable of walking into the side of almost any top four club in any major European league is a truly top class player...

Donovan's international scoring record is quality. And its taken him almost 130 international caps to get there. In one of the weakest regional federations in the world. The scoring record would impress me a bit more if about half the goals weren't coming against nations ranked outside FIFA's top fifty, and many of them from outside the top one hundred. Ali Daei was worse in that regard with his 109 international goals for Iran... but still...

 

[davie]

I remember when all the Champions League standard clubs were desperate for him. He scored 44 goals for Saudi Arabia and people hated on him for playing for Saudi Arabia and for having a great scoring record for Al Hilal.

And for his receding hairline being a major weakness of his [LOL BigHouse]

 

[1ke]

No, it's just simple that him playing for the US taints his image among those who watch the sport. They think just because he plays for the US, that he isn't that good. Same can be said about Dempsey, Howard, and many others who play in the EPL. They won't get their fair shots at playing on the top teams because of their nationality.

The US has constantly put out great goalies, and yet they all get overlooked in the EPL. Guys like Keller and Freidel never got fair shots to be on top teams.

Think Donovan is trash all you want, but please, show me a list of all active players who have 50 goals/50 assists in international play? The guy is a lot better then many of you are trashing him for.

See that there, thats your overlooking. United spent real money on this dude (4mil) and gave him the job right off the bat. He won 3 trophies, C.S.. Carling Cup...And F.A. Cup....But they never won the league and it was a horrible gaffe by him that lead to them bouncing out if C.L.

I dont know how many times we have to say it, Im pretty sure were all US Soccer supporters, and we dont hate the players or the league. Shit Im all for Marcus Tracy tearing it up at Allborg...Lol

 

[Bigpapa42]

Looks like Citeh just signed Kolarov from Lazio, the Serbian leftback. 19m for a leftback... Christ. Good player from what I've seen of him, but 19m? If reality were Football Manager, Citeh would be assembling a dream squad...

 

[Archer]

Every club will drive the asking price up simply because they know it is City and they are good for the money. [I don't blame them either]

Same thing was happening to Chelski at the start. People thought 24mil for Drogba, 21 for Wright-Phillips etc were crazy amounts to be spending.

 

[citizenerased]

Every club will drive the asking price up simply because they know it is City and they are good for the money. [I don't blame them either]

Same thing was happening to Chelski at the start. People thought 24mil for Drogba, 21 for Wright-Phillips etc were crazy amounts to be spending.

Except Newcastle... who will sell a top European Goalie for peanuts... in the January window and not even demand it be paid all up front.

 

[Archer]

Except Newcastle... who will sell a top European Goalie for peanuts... in the January window and not even demand it be paid all up front.

Ok then... smart teams will ask for more because it is City.

 

[davie]

Looks like Citeh just signed Kolarov from Lazio, the Serbian leftback. 19m for a leftback... Christ. Good player from what I've seen of him, but 19m? If reality were Football Manager, Citeh would be assembling a dream squad...

Must have only watched him play for Serbia, because Serie A is obviously too shit for all of you and below the levels of MLS and SPL.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Must have only watched him play for Serbia, because Serie A is obviously too shit for all of you and below the levels of MLS and SPL.

I quite enjoy that you can make blanket statements about my viewing habits based on absolutely nothing.

 

[Prodigal Son]

I never said anyone hated the USNT, you guys just assumed it. My point is that Donovan playing for the US hurts his value. Had he been from Mexico, or any other respected football nation, his value would be much higher.

Howard when he played for Man U is a much different player then he is today. The repeated benchings would destroy any players psyche. The guy is now one of the EPL's top keepers. Let's be honest, he never had a fair shot.

 

[davie]

I quite enjoy that you can make blanket statements about my viewing habits based on absolutely nothing.

I got the general feeling that everyone in here enjoys hating Italian football, so I made a fair assumption that you'd only watched him play for Serbia. I think he's one of the best left backs in the world.

I never said anyone hated the USNT, you guys just assumed it. My point is that Donovan playing for the US hurts his value. Had he been from Mexico, or any other respected football nation, his value would be much higher.

Howard when he played for Man U is a much different player then he is today. The repeated benchings would destroy any players psyche. The guy is now one of the EPL's top keepers. Let's be honest, he never had a fair shot.

He was dropped for making bad errors and costing the team goals. It's not like a normal position where you might have to adapt to the pace of the game or change the role you play. He was dropped for performance reasons. He had a fair shot and in his own tourette-ridden words he fucked it the fuck up because he's shit and a fucking cunt fuck dick shit tits.

 

[Cody]

cant wait till all star game

 

[Bigpapa42]

I got the general feeling that everyone in here enjoys hating Italian football, so I made a fair assumption that you'd only watched him play for Serbia. I think he's one of the best left backs in the world.

I will quite honestly watch any footballI can, and I try to watch Serie A about as much as much as I watch La Liga. I'll even watch South American football. Some of the top players in the world by in La Liga, so why wouldn't one want to watch at least occasionally?

I haven't seen quite enough of Kolarov to say yes or not on him being of quite that quality. I do know he's quite highly rated.

 

[1ke]

Must have only watched him play for Serbia, because Serie A is obviously too shit for all of you and below the levels of MLS and SPL.

Ill verbally groan you for saying this crap....All those leagues clearly do not mess with Shamrock Rovers and the Irish league...Duh!