Off Topic International Match Thread

Cannot believe Ryan Babel is only 30! Seems like he's been around longer than Robben.

 

Robben is 33, which is remarkable, as he looked 40 a dozen or so years ago.

 

Amazing what the blood of 10 virgins can do

 

Two goals down, five to go...

 

It looks like Switzerland are going to finish 2nd in their group with 27 points.
Sounds harsh until you realise that the Faroe Isles have picked up 10 points in the same group and only have -11 goal difference.

 

Almost time to close the thread
Back to the PL.
England bored, Wales & Scotland failed, the Irelands have to play more bloody games

 

So, another German World Cup win beckons?

Meh.

 

I wouldn't be so sure. They've had trouble travelling east to Russia before

 

As did the French......

 

Well thank **** that's over. International breaks tend to be like exceptionally boring and long-winded speeches interrupting a really good wedding.

 

Nothing to remember is there? Maybe Robben's 2nd goal and the one that beat a certain French goalie.

 

Best US finish in ages, maybe ever.

The Trinidadans and Tobaggons have now taken a 2-0 lead, so it'll be tough sledding for the US--though they're still on pace to squeak through, due to results elsewhere.

 

Or not

 

Messi hat-trick sees Argentina through.
Chile out.

 

I see messi scored a hat trick to put Argentina through to the finals in Russia. I wonder if Strachan has changed his mind now about small players

 

The Faroes have an excellent team for the size of their country. They scored versus Portugal. I wonder if they went berserk for football jointly with Iceland. Their languages are very similar.

 

The decline of the US in international football has been brewing for a while, masked first by Donovan, then Dempsey, vastly outperforming many bigger stars in World Cups (Gerrard, Lampard and Rooney come to mind). A couple of decades ago, it was clear top US football players had to go abroad to progress. Now they stay at home, for the most part, with the notable exception of Pulasic---and don't get pushed by the competition. It's true that Donovan was an exception, but exceptions happen. The US simply weren't better than the CONCACAF minnows because their players didn't compete against the best.

Funny Mexico didn't seem particularly motivated to help us out, what with all we've done for them lately and all.

 

That won't help the development of soccerball in the US will it, perhaps they'll have to be given the World Cup again (if they can afford the bribes).

 

So there will be no soccer at the world cup finals only football

 

I am more kindly disposed to the US in soccer/football terms. As a general rule we are 2 countries divided by the same language but at least they don't do the raising of the tone of every sentence at the end that the Australians do, making every sentence end with a "?".

Plus, our future is inextricably linked with 'those guys'. We have the Gridiron game coming to share our stadium and our success in future is in part going to be dictated by how many foreign supporters we can attract and currently, the US likes Spurs. So I like them.................but not enough to be able to stomach the chant.........

"USA.........USA............USA......."

That makes me want to cut off my own ears.