Official 2014-15 Club Soccer/Football Discussion Thread

[Middle-aged Europe]

Interesting trivia:

Red Bull Salzburg has sort of sister club with RB Leizpig (mentioned earlier in this thread in Yeaysayyeah's post on the DFB cup). Along with a couple with other clubs like the New York Red Bulls or Red Bull Brasil they're forming the Red Bull company's football franchise.

Salzburg and Leipzig have a somewhat closer relationship than with the other RB clubs, because they're even swapping players. The current Salzburg squad includes three former Leipzig players (Bredlow, Bruno, Sabitzer) and vice versa (Dähne, Teigl, Hierländer).

 

(Oficially, RB Leipzig's full name is RasenBallsport Leipzig and not Red Bull Leipzig, because German football statutes don't allow naming a club after a company. But they are the main sponsor, the club is effectively owned by Red Bull employees, and their stadium is called the Red Bull Arena.)

[Tender Branson]

A Swedish columnist for the major newspaper Aftonbladet recently compared Red Bull Salzburg to Hitler and Fritzl:

(pic)

The chief editor of the newspaper has now personally apologized for the column, by writing an e-mail to Red Bull Salzburg:

http://derstandard.at/2000004467681/Aftonbladet-entschuldigte-sich-in-Salzburg-fuer-Entgleisung

Good.

[Yeahsayyeah]

Very wrong, let's just recycle the cans and fill them with surströmming! ;-)

The first round in the German cup is over and I was quite good at predicting, what the interesting matches would be. ;-)

Five(!) teams of the 1st Bundesliga have been kicked out.

Chemnitz (3rd league) vs. Mainz 5:5 a.e.t. 5:4 in penalties. This match was really spectacular
VfL Bochum (2nd league) vs. VfB Stuttgart 2:0. Stuttgart was really weak and 2nd Bundesliga front-runner Bochum was clearly better.
1. FC Magdeburg (4th league) - FC Augsburg 1:0
Rülpsburp "Leipzig" (2nd league) - SC Paderborn 2:1 a.e.t.
Dynamo Dresden (3rd league) - FC Schalke 04 2:1. Schalke have very good players with great technique, e.g. Choupo-Moting, who came from Hamburg, but they did not work as a team, their defense was horrible, and Dynamo played very clever and earned their win.

A propos HSV, they only beat 3rd league site Energie Cottbus at the penalties.
Some 2nd league sites also had hillarious results, so four 4th league (Regionalliga) teams advanced to the second round which has to be a record for today's mode of the cup competition.

[Keystone Phil]

Napoli vs. Bilbao today. Must win and preferably by two goals or more. For those that don't care about Napoli, please remember that the Spanish federation* must not have more than the three disgusting teams that have already qualified.

*Have to throw that in just in case one of the "fans" around here throws a "THEY'RE BASQUE!!!!" tantrum.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

First leg of the Supercopa is today.

[Tender Branson]

Tomorrow is the 1st Champions League play-off game between Red Bull Salzburg & Malmö !

My prediction: 3-1 for RBS



If they advance to the CL group stage, it would be the first time since the 1994-95 season that a team from my state (Salzburg) is in a CL group stage.

The referee tomorrow will be Nicola Rizzoli (ITA), who officiated the 2014 World Cup Final between GER & ARG.

The game will likely be sold out, 30.000 visitors.

As of yesterday morning, 26.000 tickets were sold and I'm pretty sure the remaining ones will be gone today.

If Salzburg makes it to the CL group stage, I might go there to watch a game as well.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

The fascists will be destroyed in the second leg.

[Keystone Phil]

The fascists will be destroyed in the second leg.

...ummm who?

[Tender Branson]

Red Bull Salzburg defeats Malmö 2-1 at home in a strong performance (3 shots to the goalposts and a few 100% shots, 60% ball possession, 30 to 10 shots in general), but due to a silly defender/goalkeeper misunderstanding conceded an away goal for Malmö in overtime.

So there's still some work to do next week in Sweden, but I remain confident that RBS will enter the group stage.

[Keystone Phil]

Balotelli to Liverpool.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Malky Mackay's career seems to be over, at least for a few years.

Highlights!

"Go on, fat Phil. Nothing like a Jew that sees money slipping through his fingers."

"He's a snake, a gay snake. Not to be trusted."

With reference to some potential signings:

"Not many white faces amongst that lot but worth considering."

On a Korean player:

"Fycking chinkys, fyck it. There's enough dogs in Cardiff for us all to go round."

And so on.

Of course such... sentiments... are unfortunately very much mainstream in the Land of Football, as demonstrated by the League Managers Association's description of the texts as 'banter' and by Harry Redknapp claiming that it's no big deal because (and I quote) "he's not murdered anyone, he's not a rapist or a paedophile." Methiks many senior football figures are deleting text messages and emails as I type.

[Keystone Phil]

ArsenaLOL!

One week until the best league begins, by the way.

[Lief 🗽]

No Phil, the Premier League began last week.

Also good to know that we still have exactly the same problems as last year and Wenger hasn't done anything to fix them.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Still giddy over yesterday's revenge at the Supercopa. Mandzu may well be a better fit for us than Costa.

Also, lolarsenal

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Everton are hardly a bad side.

[Tender Branson]

Just a few days to go until the 2nd play-off game for the CL group stage between Malmö and Salzburg.

In the Swedish league, Malmö beat their opponent by 3-0 today.

In the Austrian league, Salzburg is currently leading 3-0 as well (but the 2nd half is just starting).

This should be a fun game on Wednesday ...

[Lief 🗽]

rofl

[Tender Branson]

Some news from the German Bundesliga, which started yesterday:

In the first game yesterday, Bayern beat Wolfsburg by 2-1 at home.

Today the first surprise, Dortmund loses to Leverkusen by 0-2 at home.

[Keystone Phil]

Go to hell, Lief. Go to hell, Arsenal. Should have known that would happen.

[Velasco]

Still giddy over yesterday's revenge at the Supercopa. Mandzu may well be a better fit for us than Costa.

Believe it or not, I didn't pay attention or noticed until now. If you are an Atlético fan, congrats. Eat humble pie, Real!

I'd be happy if the glorious Athletic de Bilbao knocks out Napoli. They crushed Man United in Old Trafford not so long ago. Besides, I don't like Rafa Benítez.

[Keystone Phil]

I'd be happy if the glorious Athletic de Bilbao knocks out Napoli. They crushed Man United in Old Trafford not so long ago. Besides, I don't like Rafa Benítez.

Get out of here, troll.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Today the first surprise, Dortmund loses to Leverkusen by 0-2 at home.

With the fastest goal in Bundesliga history... Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi gave his team a 1-0 lead only nine seconds into the game.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

1-1

[Keystone Phil]

Let's get Moyes back as United coach!

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

It's international football, but I'm watching the U-20 Women's World Cup final right now between Germany and Nigeria. Surprisingly exciting.