Internationals 31/08 - 05/09

[Spoonsky]

The bigger question to me is why it wasn't more popular earlier. Americans love sports, and soccer doesn't take any more sophistication to appreciate that baseball does. The World Cup gets massive coverage here, and each one brings exponentially more people into the fold, along with the expansion of MLS into new parts of the country (like the South). The MLS itself is a very well-run league, with a good mix of marquee players to attract people and homegrown and domestic players to keep the league sustainable.

There's probably also a hipster factor, lots of people who actually love sports but don't identify with the college football / NFL / NBA crowd.

[Waffdon]

Scotland have two world class left backs unbelievable Jeff

[John]

American sports tend to be either high scoring or basically socialist in their approach to scoring opportunities. A baseball game without runs is technically possible, but both teams will have the same opportunities to score runs over the course of the game. I reckon it's just taken some time for a game where the standard scoreline is 2-1 and scoreless games are incredibly common to be marketed properly and find its place in that climate.

[McAvennie]

I think it's more that Americans like a winner in their games, and football has lots of draws so it doesn't match their psyche

[Shindig]

There's a lot of downtime in American sports, basketball aside.

[mugbull]

I just think it wasn't popular because (after the 20s at least) everybody saw it as foreign and effete and you were some social outcast fanny if you were fucking around with this European game. Don't think it had much to do with the nature of the sport itself.

[mugbull]

Football won't be proper popular here until the MLS is very good, which I can't see happening any time soon. Nobody's gonna be waking up at 5 am on Saturday mornings, vomit encrusting the mouth from the previous night's binge, to watch Premier League.

[SincereTheRebel]

It does not have to pop-off in the USA. Its already the biggest sport in the world. I dont know if its the biggest sporting market in the world, but thats not really important.

[mugbull]

I would like it to, because I live there

[phonics]

It's the push from the middle class to not have their kids playing American football and increased visibility from matches being on TV outside of a World Cup every 4 years.

[SincereTheRebel]

I would like it to, because I live there

Move.

[mugbull]

It's the push from the middle class to not have their kids playing American football and increased visibility from matches being on TV outside of a World Cup every 4 years.

The US national team is still the extent to which 95% of the country watches football

[phonics]

And yet that's still a larger amount of a populace than most small European nations.

[mugbull]

http://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/viewe...oving-nbc.html

Viewership numbers aren't going up. NBC even made changes after this article was written for this season that are driving down viewership as well. 400k people watching football is not a lot.

[igor_balis]

http://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/viewe...oving-nbc.html

Viewership numbers aren't going up. NBC even made changes after this article was written for this season that are driving down viewership as well. 400k people watching football is not a lot.

That's barely more than who watches TNA every week.

[Weaver]

The 'Game for Grenfell' is on Sky 1 at the minute if anyone's got nothing better to watch - Team Ferdinand 1 Team Shearer 1 at HT.

Jose Mourinho is expected to come on in Goal at some point.

[Giggles]

I've another abject showing of pump it long (to Long) to watch.

[Giggles]

Randolph

Christie
Clark
Duffy
Ward

Walters
Brady
Whelan
Arter
McClean

Long

Dodgy looking at the back especially. Duffy is a mistake waiting to happen.

[CJay]

Brady will see us through. Scrappy 1-0 win.

[Giggles]

Randolph

Christie
Clark
Duffy
Ward

Walters
Brady
Whelan
Arter
McClean

Long

Dodgy looking at the back especially. Duffy is a mistake waiting to happen.

[CJay]

That looked like a foul on the keeper, tbf. Great start for us though.

[Mike]

Jose Mourinho is about to go in net for a shoot out for some charity match on Sky 1

[Giggles]

That's a howler of a miss from McClean when you see it back.

[Giggles]

I was expecting abject but this is fucking pathetic, despite the scoreline.

[CJay]

We're getting well and truly donned. This will be a smash and grab for the ages when we nod in a corner in the 89th minute.

[Giggles]

I don't think I've ever seen a worse performance from the international team. Absolutely woeful, how the fuck they're level is beyond me.

62 successful passes and 24% possession in a half vs Georgia Just one hoofed clearance after another.

[CJay]

I don't think I've ever seen a worse performance from the international team. Absolutely woeful, how the fuck they're level is beyond me.

62 successful passes and 24% possession in a half vs Georgia Just one hoofed clearance after another.

I wonder is that something we practice in training? Kicking the ball as high into the air as possible - it's been our go to move this evening.

[-james-]

Croatia - Kosovo is being played on what is basically a swamp. The theory that the Kosovan national side are all match fixers will be well tested here, they'll need to find a way to chuck five in if that's the case.

[Mazuuurk]

Anyone got a stream to the Spain - Italy game?

[SincereTheRebel]

I was going to comment on the ireland came which i was watching earlier. But yeah.

[Weaver]

Anyone got a stream to the Spain - Italy game?

Try Navixsport.com

We've got it on ITV4 here so I haven't been on to see if they're showing it.

[Mazuuurk]

Try Navixsport.com

We've got it on ITV4 here so I haven't been on to see if they're showing it.

Works a treat, cheers buddy.

[SincereTheRebel]

Isco and asjensio* move dangerous

[Mazuuurk]

I have a bit of a mancrush on Asensio recently.

[Waffdon]

Isco and Asensio

[SincereTheRebel]

Napoli have two small players that also play savage. Mertens and insigne**

Trying to spell player names is at an all time difficulty level.

[Giggles]

I was going to comment on the ireland came which i was watching earlier. But yeah.

O'Neill has to go after this campaign. Whatever about results, you still have decent English based players there and they're set up to play like minnows. They all can't forget any football ability they have as soon as they join the international squad.

[Mazuuurk]

Napoli have two small players that also play savage. Mertens and insigne**

Trying to spell player names is at an all time difficulty level.

Are you fucked?

Man I wish I was fucked in some pub somewhere.
Working on it at home instead. But they aren't not going down so smoothly today.

[CJay]

O'Neill has to go after this campaign. Whatever about results, you still have decent English based players there and they're set up to play like minnows. They all can't forget any football ability they have as soon as they join the international squad.

Most of our English-based players are simple workhorses. We aren't exactly awash with talented ballers. I do agree with you overall though, there's setting up defensively and then there's the hoofball we watched tonight.

[Toppedogge]

Ireland dropping points in good for Wales. It's a shame Scotland drew against England as there would be a chance for all the home nations and Ireland to qualify for World Cup. Basically GB v Putin's people.

[Giggles]

Most of our English-based players are simple workhorses. We aren't exactly awash with talented ballers. I do agree with you overall though, there's setting up defensively and then there's the hoofball we watched tonight.

They're all limited but there's no way they collectively should be that bad. I'd expect some bad performances as that's what goes along with such players but that tonight was shocking. Surely a team made up of Championship and Premiership players can show for the ball and string more than two consecutive passes together against Georgia.

[CJay]

They're all limited but there's no way they collectively should be that bad. I'd expect some bad performances as that's what goes along with such players but that tonight was shocking. Surely a team made up of Championship and Premiership players can show for the ball and string more than two consecutive passes together against Georgia.

At the end of the day O'Neill will be judged on his results, like Trapattoni was. If he fails to qualify from this group which has no stand out big team then I'd say we'll get rid.

[Lewis]

When I heard Roy Keane talking about 'average players' going for thirty million quid the other day it struck me that he must think all of the Ireland players are absolute shit. I wonder how that influences how you coach, or even how receptive you are to being coached.

[Giggles]

He knows enough to know that even though they're average, they're capable of a better setup than yesterday. I don't know how he hasn't walked away completely, though he has turned into a bit of a yes man for O'Neill and he's getting great money for an assistant.

[Shindig]

He's probably waiting for a shot.

[Giggles]

He's probably waiting for a shot.

I'd say he'll be next once this campaign is over. There had been talk of him going to manage Israel but it's close enough for him now.

[niko_cee]

Big Davy Propper donning things for the Dutch I see.

That's probably an accurate reflection of just how poor a side they are these days.

[Waffdon]

Belgium could really do with getting a proper manager. They've clearly got the talent. A lack of a left back will constantly trouble them, though.

edit: right on cue, Vertonghen scores.

[Waffdon]

Left back in no mans land. I win.

Scotland could do with lending one of our two world class left backs.

[Kikó]

France.