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Soccer

 
 
 
I have a hard time using the words Guardiola and failure in the same sentence. Yes, City haven't won a Champions League. That is a notable exception to the success under Guardiola, but I wouldn't say it was a "failure". I'd say their only failure is only 1 FA Cup under him. And they beat Watford (City only had the second (in their Arab owned run) and that was against Stoke City). Lots of League cups though.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
I have a hard time using the words Guardiola and failure in the same sentence. Yes, City haven't won a Champions League. That is a notable exception to the success under Guardiola, but I wouldn't say it was a "failure". I'd say their only failure is only 1 FA Cup under him. And they beat Watford (City only had the second (in their Arab owned run) and that was against Stoke City). Lots of League cups though.
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I have trouble considering the League Cups important when you have the highest payroll in the league. Statistically, over 38 games it should be hard not to win if you're outspending everybody. To Guardiola's credit they did trust him with the team, though, and haven't found reason to fire him.

And maybe you can't exactly pin the CL on him like you wouldn't pin the lack of a world cup on Messi, but it really is extraordinary that they haven't won it yet despite all the chances.
 
Draw at Anfield gave City an opening to extend their lead to 3 pts, which they executed well. City face a pair of mid to upper mid-table teams, West Ham who is fighting for Europa League and have a very strong chance, and Wolves, who'll be playing for pride. City need to either draw two games, I don't see that happening... or drop one, and that'd put a perfect Liverpool to the end into first, likely on GD. City have the advantage, but we still play the games.
 
FA Cup Final 2022 - Deja Vu 2

Chelsea and Liverpool facing each other again in the other domestic cup final in 2022. And again, chances to score, but go goalless through regular time. Unlike the League Cup final, the teams were on fumes in extra time and neither side was finding stringing two passes together particularly easy. I think maybe the teams should be given the option for Extra Time or go straight to penalties.

This time, people actually miss penalties before the Keepers' turn. Mendy came close a couple times at blocks, but wasn't able to stop enough shots and Liverpool have at least the Double this season. Treble with the Champions League, Quad if... pigs fly.

But pigs flying is still possible. West Ham opened up a glorious 2-0 lead at halftime against Man City which was dropping all three points and losing critical GD advantage. City come out flying in the first ten minutes of the second half. They eventually level up against a West Ham side that aren't backing down... and thanks to a remarkably awful back pass, West Ham could have gone up 3-2. On the other side of the pitch, a VAR reviewed foul led to a PK, which would have effectively made it impossible for the Reds to win the EPL... but it wasn't far enough or fast enough, and it was blocked. Game draws in the end, leaving City four points up but Liverpool one game in hand. So City would have to win, if Liverpool wins out. West Ham was the game I thought City could lose, as the Hammers had Europe on the line. So I'm not hopeful and it looks like City will win the EPL.
 
Disappointment in the end, but City did Liverpool a favor and allowed for some hope well into the second half. Villa performed wonderfully, as did Wolves. Marvelous end to a wonderful league season. One game remains and the sting from today would be lifted with a treble.

Of course, the sting today would have been a lot worse with a Man City loss or draw and a Liverpool draw. Oi, that'd been tough.
 
City v Liverpool legend Gerrard’s Villa was a good game to watch. City were two goals down and the title on the line and City came thundering back with three goals in five/six minutes midway through the second half, unbelievable Jeff. Another notable match was the Manchester Utd v Crystal Palace game where Utd were beaten 1-0 to end a miserable season. And also West Ham beaten to finish seventh rather than leap frog Man Utd into sixth and a Europa league spot.
 
So the team that played the best by far lost. Courtois was incredible in net while the one of only a couple mistakes made by liverpool the whole game led to a Real Madrid goal. The La Liga giant that had plenty of time off before the final wasn’t able to muster much but defense as if they were some lowly far down table side.

It reminded me of Man City v Stoke City in the FA Cup final except this is the Champions League.

The game was fairly ref’s, just a shit outcome with the bus parking Euro ‘giants’ barely winning. I’d have felt better if Real had a few actual scoring chances.
 
I will say.. Real Madrid know how to win games. I was half-watching, but I didn't notice many truly quality chances from Liverpool.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
rousseau said:
I will say.. Real Madrid know how to win games. I was half-watching, but I didn't notice many truly quality chances from Liverpool.
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WHAT?! You mean other than the three incredible saves by Courtois?
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He made some nice saves but most were pretty direct shots. I didn't see the free-flowing offense I'm used to with Liverpool, in most cases they were taking shots where they could get them.

A lower quality keeper likely would have let one of them in, but none of them looked like too much of a stretch.

I'll give you that Liverpool looked stronger, but Real still somehow managed to win it.
 
After a memorable qualifying campaign, Scotland qualified for the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina. For some strange reason, Scotland manager Ally MacLeod had the belief that Scotland had a realistic chance of actually winning the world cup. And he did a pretty good job of convincing a good many of the "Tartan Army" that the World Cup trophy was within reach.

Perhaps it was the way Scotland qualified, a victory over Wales played at Liverpool's Annfield stadium with a little help from the "hand of God" as Joe Jordan cons the referee into awarding Scotland a penalty;

Scotland v Wales

And off to Argentina they go. A miserable start to the tournament sees Scotland humiliated 3-1 by Peru after taking an early lead. A disappointing 1-1 draw with Iran in the next game leaves Scotland with a mountain to climb in their last game against hotly fancied Holland. If Scotland could beat Holland by two clear goals, they advance to the knockout stage. After falling a goal behind things looked bleak for Scotland. But at last, with backs to the wall and nothing to lose, Scotland turned up. Scotland were leading 2-1 when Archie Gemmill scored an incredible and famous goal to put the Scots 3-1 up in the 68th minute and looking like they could advance to the knockout stage;



But alas, it did not last long as four minutes later, Johnny Rep of Holland struck a wonder goal of his own to crush that glorious moment of hope;



What a world cup that was. Some great players whose names just rolled off the tongue. Pasarella, Platini, Gentile, Kasperczak, Ordiles, Kempes, Rummenigge, Rivelino. Argentina won the cup but without Maradona who was only 17 at the time and the Argentine coach felt he was too young despite having played for the national team before.
 
Looking it up, 2022 is deja vu all over again. They are almost in the same group as 2018, but with Tunisia instead of Peru... but they had to play Peru to qualify for 2022.

Australia was only fifth best in the Asia qualifications. In their glorious rise to the World Cup finals, Australia won the right to the qualifier of the qualifier by beating Vietnam (x2), China, and Oman. They went 1-3-3 in their last 7 games in the third round. But they opened 3-0-0 which got them the right to play U.A.E. in the qualifier, that they did win. Then onto Peru, scoreless draw win in penalties.

As in 2018, they face France and Denmark, making 2022 a tall order.
 
What a mess Manchester Utd are in. Humiliated 4-0 by Brentford, what a sorry state of affairs but quite funny too. DeGea made some terrible mistakes.
 
I've been off of sports for a while, but with Canada attending I'm in for the World Cup. I could be dead by the time it happens again.

I don't have anything profound to say about the groupings, but England / U.S. is going to be a fun one. My English relatives will surely be.. vocal on Facebook. Apparently the Canadian team isn't terrible but I'm assuming they'll get routed by Croatia and Belgium. My wife is Dutch, so I'll be behind them too.
 
Ecuador vs Qatar went pretty much as expected. Ecuador looked much more confident and controlled most of the game. Ecuador's first (disallowed) goal was a beauty:



I've started following The Guardian Football Weekly again who called Ecuador a decent team who came out of a tough group in South America. Where Qatar doesn't have many naturalized players or great professional experience.
 
This Qatari team makes the '94 USA team look like France in '98. Minor miracle Ecuador didn't win by 10.

US v Wales tomorrow... at 10 PM local time. As in Qatar, it'll be midnight when the game is over.
 
England looked good this morning, scored a few nice goals. With that finishing ability I could see them going deep into the tournament.

There also seems to be some pleasant African drumming going on in the Senegal game at the moment.
 
In a tale as old as time, the talented but over-confident and flat-footed Saudi Arabia just barely edged out Argentina, the underdogs with absolutely nothing to lose, and only one good player.

I didn't see the first half, but there's no way around it - Saudi came out flying in the second half and overwhelmed Argentina. Argentina looked stunned after the first goal. I'm not sure I've seen a team (Saudi) play with the same intensity - ever - so much so that the goalie injured his own fullback.

Hard to see how Argentina recovers from this one.
 
rousseau said:
In a tale as old as time, the talented but over-confident and flat-footed Saudi Arabia just barely edged out Argentina, the underdogs with absolutely nothing to lose, and only one good player.

I didn't see the first half, but there's no way around it - Saudi came out flying in the second half and overwhelmed Argentina. Argentina looked stunned after the first goal. I'm not sure I've seen a team (Saudi) play with the same intensity - ever - so much so that the goalie injured his own fullback.

Hard to see how Argentina recovers from this one.
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Apparently Saudi has a great coach too - Hervé Renard

I'm told he's great at disciplining his teams, which is why Argentina had so many offsides.
 
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