The Irony Would Be If FC United Is Forced To Use Cheap United States Players
By now it's probably common knowledge that Mexico pulled a huge 1-0 upset of Brazil in the Confederations Cup on Saturday. Barring a horrendous loss to Greece (who, thank goodness has already been eliminated from the competition after a 1-0 loss to Japan), they will win the group.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed this pretty obvious scenario. It appears as though Germany realizes it too. In their match against Argentina tomorrow, coach Jurgen Klinsmann has chosen to start their third string goalie, Stuttgart's Timo Hildebrand.
Can you say fix?
Should Germany lose to Argentina, they'll manage to avoid Brazil in the semifinals. But, of course the match is still a little while away so who knows what kind of countermove Argentina will make to also be the one who tries to come in second and draw Mexico. ;)
Could be a sloppy beautiful 6-5 victory for someone featuring no less than six own goals.
Of course Brazil is also playing an "much changed" (read second string) lineup for match three so the whole imaginary plan could backfire as Japan advances.
---
Speaking of self-sabotage, FC United is a go!
This is the breakaway footcer team that disgruntled Manchester United fans threatened to start (and 3,000 have given donations to forming). And, now this "dream" is a reality as the team (which thusfar has no players to the best of my knowledge) has been accepted to participate in the Moore & Co Construction Solicitors North West Counties League.
Now, when it gets into non-league structure in England, I claim absolutely no knowledge. But based on the number of clauses before the very name of the league, I'd have to think it's pretty low on the totem pole of the giant pyramid that is the English FA's domain (how's that for some mixed metaphors).
By my rough calculations, should this team win every league it's promoted to, in approximately 17 years it could be competing with the real Manchester United in the Premiership again.
That is if the former Manchester United supporter got enough exercise marching on picket lines to actually be fit enough to play for the team to get it started. :)
---
Finally, congratulations again to the "Baby Yanks" who won their group in the U-20 World Cup and now face Italy in the round of 16. This match is tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. United States central time on Fox Soccer Channel.
It may actually be more entertaining than the Argentina/Germany Confederations Cup match that follows!
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed this pretty obvious scenario. It appears as though Germany realizes it too. In their match against Argentina tomorrow, coach Jurgen Klinsmann has chosen to start their third string goalie, Stuttgart's Timo Hildebrand.
Can you say fix?
Should Germany lose to Argentina, they'll manage to avoid Brazil in the semifinals. But, of course the match is still a little while away so who knows what kind of countermove Argentina will make to also be the one who tries to come in second and draw Mexico. ;)
Could be a sloppy beautiful 6-5 victory for someone featuring no less than six own goals.
Of course Brazil is also playing an "much changed" (read second string) lineup for match three so the whole imaginary plan could backfire as Japan advances.
---
Speaking of self-sabotage, FC United is a go!
This is the breakaway footcer team that disgruntled Manchester United fans threatened to start (and 3,000 have given donations to forming). And, now this "dream" is a reality as the team (which thusfar has no players to the best of my knowledge) has been accepted to participate in the Moore & Co Construction Solicitors North West Counties League.
Now, when it gets into non-league structure in England, I claim absolutely no knowledge. But based on the number of clauses before the very name of the league, I'd have to think it's pretty low on the totem pole of the giant pyramid that is the English FA's domain (how's that for some mixed metaphors).
By my rough calculations, should this team win every league it's promoted to, in approximately 17 years it could be competing with the real Manchester United in the Premiership again.
That is if the former Manchester United supporter got enough exercise marching on picket lines to actually be fit enough to play for the team to get it started. :)
---
Finally, congratulations again to the "Baby Yanks" who won their group in the U-20 World Cup and now face Italy in the round of 16. This match is tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. United States central time on Fox Soccer Channel.
It may actually be more entertaining than the Argentina/Germany Confederations Cup match that follows!
posted by incendiarymind at 7:50 PM
4 Comments:
Actually, the North West Counties League is more towards the middle of the pyramid, at the bottom rank of professional leagues. There are all flavour of amateur leagues beneath them. Now, I am not sure if they have 1st/2nd/3rd Division structure off-hand (I'll have to look at Wikipedia), but they'll probably be placed at the bottom division of the league, and then from the top of this league you go up to the Northern League (2nd Division, I believe), then work up through the Northern League to the Conference Northern Division, then Conference, then you get into the League from there. So it would be seven years, minimum, to the Football League, if I'm not mistaken.
By the way, AC Wimbledon is in the process of making a similar climb up from the bottom rungs. They're they club that the Dons' Supporters put together after Wimbledon FC was moved to Milton Keynes. I think they're just moving into the top-flight of the Isthmian League for 2005-06. Again, I'd have to check Wiki.
*runs to check*
The North West Counties league is on level 9 of the pyramid (with the EPL on level 1). FC United will be in their Second Division. The league then feeds into the Northern Premier League First Division (aka UniBond League First Division), then the Premier Division from there. That leads to Conference North, then the Conference. So it's a minimum of six seasons to get to League football. Then the three seasons minimum in the Coke League, so that it would be 10 seasons hence (i.e. 2014-15) before FC United could possibly be in the EPL. That's a long time for hate to fester.
I figured it really wasn't 27 leagues down the pyramid but the joke didn't sound as good at 10 years. :)
Thank you for the information. In the words of Pavement, "you're my fact checking 'cuz."
Seriously though, the 10 year scenario assumes they're in a promotion spot each year. And, that has never happened and I doubt it will here. It's not like FC United has unlimited resources to build this team.
But, chances are, in 10 years Glazer will be dead (or at least too feeble to run the team himself) and a lot of kids won't even remember why the team was started in the first place.
Well, I'm a research geek, so fact-checking is part of what I do. ;)
And yes, even AFC Wimbledon (I had it wrong in the previous comment) has only moved up 3 steps through 4 seasons. And I am sure none of the FUC Manchester (or whatever they are) fans will remember what precipated this situation in 10 years. They'll just know that their team is the third-best in Manchester, and struggling to get out of League 2. ;)
Hi read your blog - seeing as you feature manchester united roster I thought you might like to get the latest Manchester United football news. If you know any United fans then please pass this on. Cheers for now ;-)
Post a Comment
<< Home