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Well, since I can't get behind any soccer team in New York that is not named the Cosmos, I am all right with Columbus winning. Congrats!

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  • 1 month later...
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Happy to report that my team will be back in the Dutch Eredivisie after two years   

Dusting off this ancient thread for some exciting news from Germany: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11891/13113740/xabi-alonso-leads-bayer-leverkusen-to-first-bundesliga-title  

Go Gunners!

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This might deserve its own thread, but thought it should be discussed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7...200/7829231.stm

Kaka's 100 million pound transfer, and half a million a week wages.

I am torn. From a Milan fans perspective I kind of want them to sell for that much money and invest in young players with the money. But I still want him on the team.

From a soccer fan perspective I think this would be bad for the sport. No one should get payed that much for kicking a ball, much less for a relegation zone team.

Anyone else have thoughts?

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  • 9 months later...

Holy crap. And WTF? :no

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/soccer/11/10/robert.enke.ap/index.html

 

Germany GK Enke dies at 32 in apparent suicide

 

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Robert Enke, the Hannover and Germany goalkeeper, killed himself by apparently intentionally getting hit by a train on Tuesday. He was 32.

 

"It was suicide," Enke's agent Joerg Neblung said. "I don't want to talk about the possible reasons today."

 

Police said Enke died after being hit by a train at a level crossing northwest of Hannover, not far from his home. Enke's car was found near the scene, unlocked, with his wallet on the seat.

 

The two train drivers reported seeing a man on the tracks and applied the brakes while traveling at about 100 mph but could not stop in time, police reported.

 

After Hannover president Martin Kind confirmed Enke's death, the police released a statement saying he was fatally injured after being hit by a train.

 

"The first police indications are that it was a suicide," the statement said.

 

Kind said Enke had been "unstable" recently, but that it had not been publicly noticed.

 

"You expect many things, but not something like that," he said. "I do not know how and why it happened, but I do not think that it had anything to do with football."

 

Enke had been diagnosed with a bacterial stomach ailment and missed nine weeks before returning 11 days ago and playing two Bundesliga games.

 

He had not been selected for Germany's friendlies against Chile on Saturday and Ivory Coast next week. But coach Joachim Loew had said Enke remained the leading candidate to be Germany's goalkeeper at next year's World Cup in South Africa.

 

"We are all shocked," said Germany manager Oliver Bierhoff in Bonn, where the national team assembled.

 

Enke played eight matches for Germany. He made his debut in March 2007 in a 1-0 loss to Denmark. His last game was on Aug. 12 in a 2-0 win over Azerbaijan. He had played 196 Bundesliga games.

 

After Jens Lehmann retired following the European Championship in 2008, Enke was promoted to No. 1 for Germany, but was set back by a broken hand.

 

Enke's career included several foreign clubs, among them CD Teneriffa, Fenerbahce, Barcelona and Benfica. He also played for Borussia Moenchengladbach, after starting his career as a youngster in Jena, former East Germany.

 

Enke and his wife lost their 2-year-old daughter to a heart ailment in 2006. The couple adopted a girl in May, who was now eight months old.

 

"We are speechless," German football federation president Theo Zwanziger said. "Our sympathies are with Robert Enke's wife and his family."

 

Hundreds of fans lit candles and placed flowers outside the Hannover stadium late Tuesday.

 

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Yes, I saw this on the news late last night before I went out. Very sad. Seems he had a problem with depression and the fact that they lost a daughter just added to his despair.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I know the draw is (supposedly) random and all, but the results almost seem like the world decided to say "Hey North Korea! Fuck you!" :lol

 

I think the U.S. got off easy. England's trouble, of course, but they should match up pretty well against Algeria and Slovenia.

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England - U.S. should be a good match. I expect England to win (or at worst, somehow allow the U.S. to draw them), but no matter the result, I hope Landon Donovan kicks Beckham right in the sack.

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She's probably the most famous person from South Africa, next to Morgan Freeman.

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England - U.S. should be a good match. I expect England to win (or at worst, somehow allow the U.S. to draw them), but no matter the result, I hope Landon Donovan kicks Beckham right in the sack.

 

beckham could very well not even be on the pitch - hopefully not anyway, cos he's not likely to be in the starting eleven, and if he is on the pitch it'll probably mean we're struggling.

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The Brazil-Portugal-Ivory Coast triplet is pretty frightening.

 

Without doubt. The latter stages of the finals will be without some very good players when one of those three doesn't qualify.

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  • 2 months later...

I wish that this thread were pinned or at least stayed active. I love football and have few opportunities to discuss it.

There is so much going on now, partcularly in the EPL (the league that I am near-obsessed with). It can't believe that Pompey will be wound up, no matter how much it may be deserved. It would throw the league into chaos, particularly regarding the table. I can't see HMRC doing it. I believe that it will drag on until the end of the season and then the winding up order will come down.

 

What about the proposal to institute a playoff for the 4th Champions League spot? It is funny listening to the top 4-5 clubs speak against it and the rest are for it. No shit!! I am undecided. It is silly to consider the possibility that a 6th or 7th placed team with 20 points less than the 4th, could make Champions League. After 38 games, the table is the table. If instituted, though, it will soon become a fan favorite just like the final promotion spot playoff in the lower leagues did. It makes for fine sports drama. I guess that I don't care either way!!

 

Last Tuesday I was going to transfer Matt Etherington into my Fantasy team. I had my finger ready to press enter on 'Confirm transfer' when I thought, "Shit, Stoke have 2 games to play prior to the transfer taking effect the 20th. What if he gets injured?". I held off. The next day they announce that he has knee ligament damage! Whoot! About 20,500 people had transfered him in, as of yesterday 10,500 had shipped him back out, paying a 4 point penalty for an extra transfer. I'm glad that I wasn't one of them.

 

Now Benny Feilhaber is injured. Not that he is the best USA player but our growing injury list dies not bode well. We have such a kind draw, too. Hopefully, most of those guys, Dempsey, Edu, Onyewu and Holden especially, will be back and in shape. I have been reading reports that Charlie Davies is making an amazing recovery from his auto accident. That would be fantastic. Donovan is playing very well for Everton. It seems as though, it wasn't European football that he sucked at, just the Bundesliga!

 

I am not embarrassed by this lengthy post. Ha! Who wants to (semi)regularly talk football? :cheers

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I want to talk about it regularly, but I'm not able to follow the European leagues as closely as I'd like. :lol

 

Maybe I should spring for that sports package...

 

 

I too have read encouraging things about Davies' recovery, but even if he fully recovers from his injuries, it seems far-fetched to think that he'd be at match fitness in time for the World Cup. Regardless, it's great to hear that he's coming back strong.

 

If I'm not mistaken, both Donovan and Altidore have recently scored goals in the EPL. Good to see they're getting some playing time there.

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Ha ha! Fox Soccer Channel is in my basic digital package but I probaly watch just as many games via on-line streams, p2p4u or justin.tv. Every Saturday I watch the early kickoff on TV then, have SkySports Soccer Saturday on the computer while a game is on TV muted. I often wonder if a Soccer Saturday-type show would work here on NFL Sundays. I guess that that new Red Line thing on NFL Network (I think) is similar.

 

I agree about Davies fitness. Donovan has been instrumental in Evertons resurgence since the Festive Period. He has started every game, displacing Bilyatenov (sic!). Altidore is a regular Hull City starter. You are correct that he recently scored to add to his 5 assists. It is a good thing that they are getting regular playing time ahead of the WC. Edu is healthy now too. He is starting for Rangers today. Adu could be back in the mix. He went on loan to Aris in Greece and is getting playing time. He scored last week.

 

I am going home to watch Wigan v. Bolton. Bolton are my team but I have 2 Wigan Fantasy players. Bolton to win 3-2 with both Wigan goals and assists from McCarthy and N'Zogbia! Heh!

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I want to talk about it regularly, but I'm not able to follow the European leagues as closely as I'd like. :lol

 

Maybe I should spring for that sports package...

 

 

 

 

i'm in the same boat as you. i just can't get myself to pay for a 15 channel package and only watch one of them. i think it's an extra $ 20 a month to get it on comcast out here. there should be an a la carte deal.

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