Ed H in Pasadena
Well-known member
I am SO excited by this hiring. Thinking Emma can be the one to complete the necessary house cleaning, right the ship, and get the team back to playing its best.
2021-22-23-24 News Thread
- Thread starter jeffbear
- Start date
I mean ... just so everybody keeps perspective, yeah. There are no miracle cures for the structural development problems in the US pipeline. We've gotten by on sheer volume for decades and that won't be good enough going forward with so many countries pouring in resources, and yet the development institutions in this country are exceptionally change-resistant. Hopefully Hayes carries enough career credibility to break down some of those barriers, but ... yeah. It's a great job, but far from an easy one. At least she starts with the respect of the majority of the fan base. That's something new.
Worth noting just how ridiculous it is that FIFA are this slow to even begin the process of awarding this Cup.
And they won’t decide until May 17.
Given up for dead, the European Super League is back. The European Court of Justice ruled that FIFA and UEFA breached EU law by preventing the formation of the league. However the Court did not rule on the league specifically, so it still may not happen.
Sports development company A22, which was formed to assist in developing the league released plans for a new competition right after the verdict. Rather than the 12 team league announced in 2021, the new competition would have 64 men’s teams in 3 leagues. The Star and a gold leagues would have 16 teams each and the Blue league would have 32. The leagues would be split into groups of 8 so there would be a minimum of 14 matches to be played midweek. Clubs would qualify for the Blue league based on domestic league performance and there would be promotion and relegation within the leagues. They also announced a women’s competition of 32 teams across 2 leagues.
Sports development company A22, which was formed to assist in developing the league released plans for a new competition right after the verdict. Rather than the 12 team league announced in 2021, the new competition would have 64 men’s teams in 3 leagues. The Star and a gold leagues would have 16 teams each and the Blue league would have 32. The leagues would be split into groups of 8 so there would be a minimum of 14 matches to be played midweek. Clubs would qualify for the Blue league based on domestic league performance and there would be promotion and relegation within the leagues. They also announced a women’s competition of 32 teams across 2 leagues.
Real Madrid and Barcelona aren't gonna let their dream die easily, but leagues with a bit more backbone than La Liga aren't as willing to be subjected to playing junior varsity soccer. I'm not sure how this all will play out, but I'm sure it's going to be ugly and bad for the sport.
In the Dutch KNVB Cup, 4th tier USV Hercules beat Ajax on a 93rd minute winner. Ajax is refunding the supporters that travelled to the match.
View: https://x.com/meninblazers/status/1738251830159642725?s=46&t=8056gLL6Pl3wbApF5otK6g
View: https://x.com/meninblazers/status/1738251830159642725?s=46&t=8056gLL6Pl3wbApF5otK6g
VinatieriDefinesClutch
Active member
Ajax has righted themselves enough in the league, but it would have been crazy if both Pele's team and Cruijff's teams got relegated in the same year. Haven't seen them play this year, but that is a really young roster. No league gets stripped for parts quite like the Eredivisie
After 15 matches in charge, which saw them drop from 6th to 20th, Birmingham City sacked Wayne Rooney. I suspect this is the end of his managerial career, he’s been an abject failure everywhere.
Mor than a year after being put up for sale, the NWSL Portland Thorns were finally sold, for $63 million. My Thorns STH daughter is thrilled to be rid of Merritt Paulson. The team was sold to RAJ Sports, run by sister and brother Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. She’ll serve as controlling owner and governor. They are also minority owners of the Sacramento Kings. The sale also includes payment of the $1 million fine the league imposed on the Thorns last January arising from the investigations of systemic abuse across several league teams. Even though they’re based in California, they’re committed to keeping the team in Portland. They have a lease agreement with Providence Park through 2035 and are committed to building a new training facility in the Portland area by 2025. They have an agreement with the MLS Timbers to use Providence Park until a new facility is open.
Gotham FC lost Ali Krieger to retirement but have signed Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett. They already had Lynn Williams and Kelly O’Hara. I’m wondering if any of them are playing for free, since the NWSL has a $2.75 million salary cap.
Well, O'Hara can't be making much. She's rarely healthy enough to actually play and isn't actually good anymore.
I'm getting Orlando vibes from Gotham, and nobody seems to remember how assembling a bunch of international players actually went for the Pride. Any team with Crystal Dunn and Rose Levelle will be fun to watch, for sure ... when they're healthy ... but playing them both really locks you in to a couple of specific formations. Aside from that, they just spent a lot of money for 4 players that are going to be gone on international duty a lot. Have fun with that. Also, they're gonna miss Kristie Mewis a lot more than they seem to think.
Once upon a time, the Courage had a roster full of US Internationals…Dunn, Williams, Dahlkamper, McDonald, Sam Mewis. But they also had Heather O’Reilly, who had retired from the National Team and got them through the 2019 World Cup when they were also missing Labbe, Erceg and Debinha. But that was before the salary cap, when US Soccer covered club salaries of the National Team players.
And it was during a time when the season was much, much shorter. So you only had to figure out how to survive a week or two during a couple of international break unless it was a World Cup year. I just find it odd that NY felt the need to go the free agent stars route on the heels of actually winning something for the fist time in franchise history ... especially given how poorly that has gone for virtually everyone else. I also wonder how they're gonna find roles for Dunn and Levelle in the same midfield ... roles that keep them both happy.
Ugh. She's had a bad run of luck lately. Chelsea has an embarrassment of riches up front so they won't miss her too much, but it's a shame to see the best striker in the women's game missing so much time right when there are so many people finding the WSL for the first time.
Franz Beckenbauer died at 78. He won the World Cup and Champions League as both player and manager.
When I was in high school a hundred years ago, my soccer coach got Bayern Munich highlight films. That was about the only exposure to European club soccer we had in the dark ages. QHe was my first soccer hero. I got to see him play live a few years later when he joined the NASL New York Cosmos.
When I was in high school a hundred years ago, my soccer coach got Bayern Munich highlight films. That was about the only exposure to European club soccer we had in the dark ages. QHe was my first soccer hero. I got to see him play live a few years later when he joined the NASL New York Cosmos.