General Soccer Discussion

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#326      
Joel Goodson
El Tri is a little better than Curacao and Jamaica, so we'd better be ready. We can score, but they have the more potent attack. Going to need a strong defensive effort. Really looking forward to the match.
 
#327      
KBLEE
unimaroon said:
I watched the game this morning and thought we played well. Really pleased that the entire game (4+ hrs with pre & post commentary) was recorded so props to YTTV.
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I did the same thing yesterday morning. I was bummed the night before when I accidentally saw a 1-0 score around 10PM. I was assuming it was a 2nd half scoreline and was pleasantly surprised when I realized it was only 15 minutes in due to the weather delay. YTTV has been great since I made the switch from DirecTV.
 
#332      
Joel Goodson
Lotsa good stuff in the first half, but our finishing sucked. We definitely petered out in the 2nd half. Disappointing, but just result.
 
#333      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
CONCACAF is changing its qualifying format for 2022 with the video here explaining the change:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1148972980569067530

In short, it's going to be like this. The Hex will still be played but will only involve the top 6 teams in the FIFA World rankings (which as of now, would be Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and El Salvador) after the FIFA window of June 2020. For the remaining teams in the confederation (teams 7-35), they'll go into a group stage comprised of eight groups (five groups of four and three groups of three). The first place finishers of the eight groups will then go into a single elimination knockout stage with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals played in a home-and-home format. The winner of the knockout stage will then play the 4th place finisher in the Hex to determine the CONCACAF representative in the intercontinental playoff.
 
#334      
Joel Goodson
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
CONCACAF is changing its qualifying format for 2022 with the video here explaining the change:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1148972980569067530

In short, it's going to be like this. The Hex will still be played but will only involve the top 6 teams in the FIFA World rankings (which as of now, would be Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras and El Salvador) after the FIFA window of June 2020. For the remaining teams in the confederation (teams 7-35), they'll go into a group stage comprised of eight groups (five groups of four and three groups of three). The first place finishers of the eight groups will then go into a single elimination knockout stage with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals played in a home-and-home format. The winner of the knockout stage will then play the 4th place finisher in the Hex to determine the CONCACAF representative in the intercontinental playoff.
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Thanks for that. My initial take is that this change is good (if I was from a 7-35 country, mebbe not).
 
#336      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
USMNT has another September friendly scheduled. They'll face Uruguay on September 10th at Busch Stadium. They already have a friendly scheduled for September 7th at MetLife Stadium vs. Mexico.
 
#337      
wettsten
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
If nothing else, it will give the Caribbean sides more opportunity to play matches.
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but the top six will have fewer matches but could give them the opportunity to schedule more difficult opponents in friendlies (although the competitive level is not as high there so not as effective imo).
 
#338      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
wettsten said:
but the top six will have fewer matches but could give them the opportunity to schedule more difficult opponents in friendlies (although the competitive level is not as high there so not as effective imo).
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I agree. But it's more about giving the minnows in CONCACAF more opportunities to grow their programs and make the confederation as a whole a lot more competitive.
 
#339      
KBLEE
Tottenham knock off Real Madrid and Bayern Munich (at home) in successive days to win the Audi Cup.
 
#344      
Joel Goodson
Congrats, St. Louis. Does the ownership own the USL Championship team? IOW, would Pulis junior be in charge and the team elevated to MLS?
 
#345      
IlliniSaluki
Joel Goodson said:
Congrats, St. Louis. Does the ownership own the USL Championship team? IOW, would Pulis junior be in charge and the team elevated to MLS?
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Jim Kavanaugh of the ownership group is also part of the ownership group that owns STL FC of USL. No they wouldn't be "moving" up since every new MLS team is a new entity. Most likely what will happen is STL FC will become the "MLS 2" team for the new St. Louis MLS team. (ala NY Red bulls 2, Portland 2 etc). My guess is they would still play out at Soccer Park in Fenton, but they could also be moved. The ownership group Jim K. is apart of that owns STL FC also owns Saint Louis Scott Galagher Soccer Club (SLSG) and that will become the Academy for the new MLS team.
 
#346      
Joel Goodson
IlliniSaluki said:
Jim Kavanaugh of the ownership group is also part of the ownership group that owns STL FC of USL. No they wouldn't be "moving" up since every new MLS team is a new entity. Most likely what will happen is STL FC will become the "MLS 2" team for the new St. Louis MLS team. (ala NY Red bulls 2, Portland 2 etc). My guess is they would still play out at Soccer Park in Fenton, but they could also be moved. The ownership group Jim K. is apart of that owns STL FC also owns Saint Louis Scott Galagher Soccer Club (SLSG) and that will become the Academy for the new MLS team.
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Thanks. SLSG always fields strong teams. I wonder if Pulis will be elevated to manage the MLS team. The new stadium seems like it's going to be first rate and its location is VG.
 
#347      
IlliniSaluki
Joel Goodson said:
Thanks. SLSG always fields strong teams. I wonder if Pulis will be elevated to manage the MLS team. The new stadium seems like it's going to be first rate and its location is VG.
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Yah not sure if he will be. I guess it really does depend on if they keep STLFC going in USL or not. I thought it was a given they would keep it going instead of affiliating with a non "2" team. I am kind of wondering if they will try and go for Steve Ralston since he is a St. Louis guy. Not sure how much info we will get on Tuesday. Also found out the official announcement is invite only (may end up having some open space not sure yet) but they are also hosting a happy hour at Urban Chestnut later Tuesday evening.
 
#348      
IlliniSaluki
So as a St. Louis soccer fan who has been waiting for MLS to make it here since the league first started in 1996, then through the first expansion hopes with Cooper's ownership group that even had Albert Pujols apart of it (I believe mostly was just for name recognition) to the last real attempt back in 2017 and now to this.. I'm still in shock it's actually happening because of the let downs when each attempt failed.

I'm part of the Supporters group for the USL club Saint Louis FC which the owner Jim Kavanaugh is part of the MLS4TheLou ownership group. The supporters group is named The St. Louligans (a play on/mocking of Hooligans). Just a little history on the group. The original supporters group that was formed for the initial expansion attempt by Jeff Cooper was Eads Brigade. When the MLS attempt failed Cooper found new partners to start up an NASL (at the time Division 2) team along with a women's team the Athletica who started a year before AC STL. At the start of the season for AC St. Louis their were around 7 different supporters groups. Eads Brigade, Laclede's Army (the Athletica's supporters group) and 5 others. Midway through the season the 7 groups merged into 1 umbrella group The St. Louligans. Sadly AC STL only lasted one year as Cooper's partners who I believe were hedge fund guys from the UK bailed midway through the year after someone in their company embezzled a lot of money forcing them to pull their funding out.

After ACSTL folded the supporters group stuck together albeit in smaller numbers and started going out and supporting the St. Louis Lions USL-PDL team owned by Tony Glavin of St. Louis Steamers fame. We also followed a lower division team FC Bordo (can't remember the spelling heh). Things were fine with the Lions for the most part outside of the ridiculous summer start times of 5pm in the blaring heat.

That leads us to 2014 when Saint Louis FC was formed and they reached out to the St. Louligan leaders. Since then we have grown to filling 2 full sections in one of the corners at Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo where the team plays. Although the 2017 bid which at the time on paper was one of the better ways of having a public/private partnership failed because they just didn't explain it well enough and put in the marketing on it in the areas of the city that needed it. So when the time to vote happened it failed. Looking back on it all though with this new ownership group and the deeper pockets they have and their ties to St. Louis itself it was probably all for the best anyways.

The stadium is now privately funded and the only thing the ownership group is getting is what any other business that would of gone in that or any other city location would of asked for and most likely been granted by the city & state. I think the main thing they are getting is no taxes on the construction materials. The city in the end will own the stadium with the maintenance money coming from the taxes on tickets to events their and anything that is bought in the stadium. (food, beverages, merchandise)

So that's a little background on the supporters group and where our path took us from the initial MLS bid till now. Sorry for the big post. I CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW!
 
#350      
KBLEE
 
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