Watching The SPL Is Not As Painful As Being Romo
One of the best conversations on BigSoccer (in my opinion of course) as of late has been a poll on which is better, the SPL or MLS. In the end, the SPL got quite a late burst of support and is winning 46.73% to 38.32%. 14.95% of respondants chose the option "they are about the same in terms of quality."
It seems as though early on in this European season, Scotland has established themselves as the whipping boy league. All on the basis of one aggregate loss by Celtic.
Still Rangers and Celtic will steamroll their way to some pretty good dominations this year in the world's most predictable league as they are almost good enough to play in Holland. Alright, I never said I would avoid the dogpile (and I know that statement in ludicrous). :)
For the record, however, I did say that MLS was better in reality.
The most fascinating Scotland basher this season seems to be Anorthosis Famagusta, who is Rangers' opponent in the 3rd round of the Champions League. The little Cypriot side is obviously thinking they're an anonymous Eastern European team who will catch Rangers by surprise the way Artmedia Bratislava did Celtic. When, in reality they're a Southern European team. And they surprise no one.
Well, the Greek national team, but that doesn't count.
The Anorthosis manager actually had the nerve to say: "Now is our big chance to move into the group stage of the Champions League."
As if they have more of a shot against Rangers because they're Scottish or something.
Alright, I know I'm overexaggerating this to get a rant out of it. It's a slow news day in the footcer world. :)
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Thank you to We Call It Soccer for an in-depth analysis of the Clint Mathis incident.
Warning, if you've got a faint stomach, are male, or under 5'0", you should not ride this ride. I still feel the pain from reading it! Still it's worth a read once you've braced yourself.
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Screw the Champions League! Tomorrow is the first leg of the finals (there are actually three of them) of the Intertoto Cup (otherwise known as the "underachievers anonymous" tourney) happen tomorrow. The featured team is surely my prediction for surprise team in all of Europe for the 2005/6 season - Valencia CF.
Sure it can't be too much of a surprise team since they won La Liga two years ago (and four years ago) but they should turn heads because they were 7th in said league last year.
They're going to come in 2nd in La Liga this year (if not outright win it) not due to some statistical "it's their time based on a pattern" but because they completely revamped their offense and because a certain guy named Kluivert is going to be out to prove he can still play.
Once they get into it, they'll win the UEFA Cup at least. And they won't even need Rafa Benitez this time around.
The Intetoto Cup finals are as follows:
Hamburg (Germany) v. Valencia (Spain)
Cluj (Romania) v. Lens (France)
Deportivo La Coruna (Spain) v. Olympique Marseille (France)
Not a Scottish team among them. Just like the finals of the actual UEFA Cup or Champions League. ;)
It seems as though early on in this European season, Scotland has established themselves as the whipping boy league. All on the basis of one aggregate loss by Celtic.
Still Rangers and Celtic will steamroll their way to some pretty good dominations this year in the world's most predictable league as they are almost good enough to play in Holland. Alright, I never said I would avoid the dogpile (and I know that statement in ludicrous). :)
For the record, however, I did say that MLS was better in reality.
The most fascinating Scotland basher this season seems to be Anorthosis Famagusta, who is Rangers' opponent in the 3rd round of the Champions League. The little Cypriot side is obviously thinking they're an anonymous Eastern European team who will catch Rangers by surprise the way Artmedia Bratislava did Celtic. When, in reality they're a Southern European team. And they surprise no one.
Well, the Greek national team, but that doesn't count.
The Anorthosis manager actually had the nerve to say: "Now is our big chance to move into the group stage of the Champions League."
As if they have more of a shot against Rangers because they're Scottish or something.
Alright, I know I'm overexaggerating this to get a rant out of it. It's a slow news day in the footcer world. :)
---
Thank you to We Call It Soccer for an in-depth analysis of the Clint Mathis incident.
Warning, if you've got a faint stomach, are male, or under 5'0", you should not ride this ride. I still feel the pain from reading it! Still it's worth a read once you've braced yourself.
---
Screw the Champions League! Tomorrow is the first leg of the finals (there are actually three of them) of the Intertoto Cup (otherwise known as the "underachievers anonymous" tourney) happen tomorrow. The featured team is surely my prediction for surprise team in all of Europe for the 2005/6 season - Valencia CF.
Sure it can't be too much of a surprise team since they won La Liga two years ago (and four years ago) but they should turn heads because they were 7th in said league last year.
They're going to come in 2nd in La Liga this year (if not outright win it) not due to some statistical "it's their time based on a pattern" but because they completely revamped their offense and because a certain guy named Kluivert is going to be out to prove he can still play.
Once they get into it, they'll win the UEFA Cup at least. And they won't even need Rafa Benitez this time around.
The Intetoto Cup finals are as follows:
Hamburg (Germany) v. Valencia (Spain)
Cluj (Romania) v. Lens (France)
Deportivo La Coruna (Spain) v. Olympique Marseille (France)
Not a Scottish team among them. Just like the finals of the actual UEFA Cup or Champions League. ;)
posted by incendiarymind at 7:09 AM
2 Comments:
The gay-baiting comments in that Mathis thread are pretty Grade 9. So much for association football fans in the US being more intelligent and refined than American rules football fans.
Yeah. I don't endorse the comments, only the original post.
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