OT: thank God for Soccer

[Fk_Pitt]

With WPIAL football being a snooze fest due to the lack of rivalries, and there being no Pitt football, Steeler football, and Penguin hockey this weekend...at least there’s ample English Premier League football on tv these days to enjoy. There’s a huge Chelsea vs Man U game on tomorrow. If it wasn’t for soccer, I’d be forced to do something crazy, like paint the bathroom, clean the garage, or something.

 

[upj87]

With WPIAL football being a snooze fest due to the lack of rivalries, and there being no Pitt football, Steeler football, and Penguin hockey this weekend...at least there’s ample English Premier League football on tv these days to enjoy. There’s a huge Chelsea vs Man U game on tomorrow. If it wasn’t for soccer, I’d be forced to do something crazy, like paint the bathroom, clean the garage, or something.

ambien makers not pleased....

 

[Fk_Pitt]

Would have been a good weekend to get up on the hill and support our #6 ranked VBall team or our men’s soccer team. But of the three games/matches those teams play, all are on the road.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

huge Bethel vs Peters game tonight with divisional playoff implications not to mention a playoff riverhounds game tomorrow night..

When faced with housework, its amazing how you'll find importance and entertainment value in any sporting event..

 

[California Panther]

Would have been a good weekend to get up on the hill and support our #6 ranked VBall team or our men’s soccer team. But of the three games/matches those teams play, all are on the road.

???? #6 VB team plays at home today and Sunday.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

???? #6 VB team plays at home today and Sunday.

They do? Well then there you go. There’s an option for pitt fans. I thought they were on the road. Thanks for pointing out.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

huge Bethel vs Peters game tonight with divisional playoff implications not to mention a playoff riverhounds game tomorrow night..

When faced with housework, its amazing how you'll find importance and entertainment value in any sporting event..

I’m a soccer guy, but I hadn’t considered the Riverhounds. And won’t. I’d probably enjoy the bethel/peters game more. Although on second thought...you can have a pint in your hand at the riverhounds game, right?

 

[President Stache]

With WPIAL football being a snooze fest due to the lack of rivalries, and there being no Pitt football, Steeler football, and Penguin hockey this weekend...at least there’s ample English Premier League football on tv these days to enjoy. There’s a huge Chelsea vs Man U game on tomorrow. If it wasn’t for soccer, I’d be forced to do something crazy, like paint the bathroom, clean the garage, or something.

That's the game you kick the checkered ball around right?

Kidding, I played all through hs, my dad was from italy, loved soccer, of course steeler football, and for some reason baseball, so I played all three.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I’m a soccer guy, but I hadn’t considered the Riverhounds. And won’t. I’d probably enjoy the bethel/peters game more. Although on second thought...you can have a pint in your hand at the riverhounds game, right?

you can, not sure if you're allowed but yeah, its possible. You can have a pint in your hand at a funeral mass if you want. and honestly, I'd respect you that much more if you did.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Weather's gonna suck, I got a head cold. This would be a great weekend to stay home and watch football and my teams aren't even playing. Wait, Michigan is on aren't they? GO BLUE!

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Weather's gonna suck, I got a head cold. This would be a great weekend to stay home and watch football and my teams aren't even playing. Wait, Michigan is on aren't they? GO BLUE!

only team i'll be rooting for is Indiana. Which is why a riverhounds game is even an option..

 

[paulbl99]

That's the game you kick the checkered ball around right?

Kidding, I played all through hs, my dad was from italy, loved soccer, of course steeler football, and for some reason baseball, so I played all three.

Kiick thee ball and kiick thee ball harder.....

Kidding
EPL is one soccer venue I can take actually.....maybe it’s because I like the British accents in pre, half and post match shows.
Man City and The Gunners

Quite

 

[Pittx9]

Really odd weekend ahead, no pitt, Steelers, or pens. Not just at home, none of them play at all this entire weekend.

Speaking of wpial football though, I really didn’t see the big deal in West A-NA making their game basically a scrimmage. But unfortunately that is the AT&T Sports Net televised game tonight. Idk what their contractual obligations are like, but as soon as I found that out I would’ve told them we’re taking our tv crew elsewhere.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

huge Bethel vs Peters game tonight with divisional playoff implications not to mention a playoff riverhounds game tomorrow night..

When faced with housework, its amazing how you'll find importance and entertainment value in any sporting event..

I’m a soccer guy, but I hadn’t considered the Riverhounds. And won’t. I’d probably enjoy the bethel/peters game more. Although on second thought...you can have a pint in your hand at the riverhounds game, right?

I feel really bad for the Riverhounds. They had a great season. They host their first ever playoff match and they wont sell out their 3500 seat stadium. Meanwhile, down the Ohio river in the very similar city of Cincinnati, their USL team has drawn such big crowds that they were promoted to Major League Soccer. The crowds they were drawing for really really low level soccer is unbelievable.

 

[Las Panteras]

A trip to the VB game Sunday includes an early dinner in Bloomfield.

Any suggestions?

I'm partial to the pleasure bar.....as this was a bimonthly thing during my years at Pitt. Nostalgia.....if nothing else

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I feel really bad for the Riverhounds. They had a great season. They host their first ever playoff match and they wont sell out their 3500 seat stadium. Meanwhile, down the Ohio river in the very similar city of Cincinnati, their USL team has drawn such big crowds that they were promoted to Major League Soccer. The crowds they were drawing for really really low level soccer is unbelievable.

Cinci is a much better soccer town (as is Columbus) but also Cinci doesn't have an NHL or NBA 3rd franchise like Pittsburgh. One other thing, Cinci, while no it is not East LA, but Ohio cities have a much larger Hispanic population than Pittsburgh. In fact, I think Pittsburgh has the lowest Hispanic population of any top 25 markets, and they tend to be much better supporters of futbol.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I feel really bad for the Riverhounds. They had a great season. They host their first ever playoff match and they wont sell out their 3500 seat stadium. Meanwhile, down the Ohio river in the very similar city of Cincinnati, their USL team has drawn such big crowds that they were promoted to Major League Soccer. The crowds they were drawing for really really low level soccer is unbelievable.

Cinci is a much better soccer town (as is Columbus) but also Cinci doesn't have an NHL or NBA 3rd franchise like Pittsburgh. One other thing, Cinci, while no it is not East LA, but Ohio cities have a much larger Hispanic population than Pittsburgh. In fact, I think Pittsburgh has the lowest Hispanic population of any top 25 markets, and they tend to be much better supporters of futbol.

Columbus is a horrible soccer town. So bad in fact that they are losing their MLS team.

I get that Cincy has 1 less major pro franchise but is that really a reason for their USL team to be outdrawing the Penguins....and most MLS teams. Its nutty.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I feel really bad for the Riverhounds. They had a great season. They host their first ever playoff match and they wont sell out their 3500 seat stadium. Meanwhile, down the Ohio river in the very similar city of Cincinnati, their USL team has drawn such big crowds that they were promoted to Major League Soccer. The crowds they were drawing for really really low level soccer is unbelievable.

Not me. There’s enough “below the line” things that have gone on there that would make the Obama and Trump White Houses look like the Boy Scouts of America. And not to beat a dead horse, but they didn’t exactly ingratiate themselves well with the local soccer community through the years. They have themselves to blame.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I feel really bad for the Riverhounds. They had a great season. They host their first ever playoff match and they wont sell out their 3500 seat stadium. Meanwhile, down the Ohio river in the very similar city of Cincinnati, their USL team has drawn such big crowds that they were promoted to Major League Soccer. The crowds they were drawing for really really low level soccer is unbelievable.

Not me. There’s enough “below the line” things that have gone on there that would make the Obama and Trump White Houses look like the Boy Scouts of America. And not to beat a dead horse, but they didn’t exactly ingratiate themselves well with the local soccer community through the years. They have themselves to blame.

The Riverhounds are essentially a pay for play youth soccer "development" program which just so also happens to have a pro team. There is no way their pro team can be supporting itself

 

[BuffetParrothead]

What's soccer??

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Columbus is a horrible soccer town. So bad in fact that they are losing their MLS team.

Actually they aren't. You'd think the big soccer fan such as yourself would have heard about it.

 

[BFo8]

I hadn’t seen any soccer in person for many years until I took in a Las Vegas Lignts fixture this Spring.

It was a good experience and I’ll be back, they drew around 7k per game in their inaugural season despite putting a lousy product on the pitch. I even got to watch the near mythical Freddy Adu perform.

They just hired Eric Wynalda as coach, hopefully he can upgrade the roster.

 

[Burgh15]

I look forward to a great weekend of college and NFL football. Will be a nice change to watch stress free.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

well what a great morning. The Chelsea v Man U game was as good as advertised, as Chelsea scored in the last minute to draw even for the match in dramatic fashion. A Chelsea assistant coach in celebration ran down the line and pumped his fists in the face of Jose Mourinho the Man U Manager. Quite a sideline scuffle ensued that trickled out onto the field. I watch sports for entertainment and as usual the EPL did not disappoint.

So I got my sports fix for the day and now I’m out working on errands for my honey do list. Pomp is on 93.7 talking about the NBA as I drive to Home Depot. Personally, I don’t care much for the NBA. But I will never bash the sport. It’s just not my thing but I will watch occasionally. Yet people in this town rip it, and I don’t get it. Why feel the need to rip the sport you dont like? It’s the same with soccer. Why feel the need to rip the sport? There’s never a thread on this board about soccer or the NBA where people don’t interject their ignorance. There’s a reason why the NFL, EPL and NBA are likely the three biggest sports brands in the world.

 

[MartyInLawrenceville]

Sunday. 1PM. Fitzgerald Fieldhouse. #6 Pitt volleyball takes on #21 Louisville. $5. You’ll be home by 3:30. It will sell out.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

well what a great morning. The Chelsea v Man U game was as good as advertised, as Chelsea scored in the last minute to draw even for the match in dramatic fashion. A Chelsea assistant coach in celebration ran down the line and pumped his fists in the face of Jose Mourinho the Man U Manager. Quite a sideline scuffle ensued that trickled out onto the field. I watch sports for entertainment and as usual the EPL did not disappoint.

So I got my sports fix for the day and now I’m out working on errands for my honey do list. Pomp is on 93.7 talking about the NBA as I drive to Home Depot. Personally, I don’t care much for the NBA. But I will never bash the sport. It’s just not my thing but I will watch occasionally. Yet people in this town rip it, and I don’t get it. Why feel the need to rip the sport you dont like? It’s the same with soccer. Why feel the need to rip the sport? There’s never a thread on this board about soccer or the NBA where people don’t interject their ignorance. There’s a reason why the NFL, EPL and NBA are likely the three biggest sports brands in the world.

Hmmmm.....interesting subject. Lets take the UEFA Champions League out of it, I go

1. EPL
2. NBA
3. Bundesliga
4. La Liga
5. NFL
6. Serie A

 

[Twisted Pittster]

The Riverhounds are essentially a pay for play youth soccer "development" program which just so also happens to have a pro team. There is no way their pro team can be supporting itself

The Riverhounds youth program finances the pro team. No doubt about it. It's the exact opposite of any other pro team academy. Youth academies of a pro team are typically financed by the parent club.

The amount of money that the Riverhounds suck out of their youth academy families is remarkable, and shameful.

 

[eastender2]

The Riverhounds youth program finances the pro team. No doubt about it. It's the exact opposite of any other pro team academy. Youth academies of a pro team are typically financed by the parent club.

The amount of money that the Riverhounds suck out of their youth academy families is remarkable, and shameful.

and the parents who pay the extra money to support the pro team act like it's the greatest thing on the earth.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

and the parents who pay the extra money to support the pro team act like it's the greatest thing on the earth.

Kool aid drinkers.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The Riverhounds just Pitted. Biggest game in franchise history. Night game. One of the largest crowds in history. Favorites. I even watched it on TV as a very casual fan (I go to 1 game per year and only watch them on TV when they are in the playoffd which is once every 20 years).

Up 1-0. Cant hold it.

Go up 2-1 in Extra Time. Cant hold it.

Lose in penalties 8-7. Pitt grad GK Dan Lynd did about as bad a job in PK's as you can. He never got close to the ball, guessing wrong every time.

Pitt football
Duquesne basketball
Pirates
Riverhounds

 

[Twisted Pittster]

And the game ending kick - Riverhound player's PK missed the goal entirely. Didn't even nick any metal. The opposing GK made zero saves through eight rounds of PKs and still won.

Choke job by the whole team. The stage was too big for them.

 

[mike412]

Hmmmm.....interesting subject. Lets take the UEFA Champions League out of it, I go

1. EPL
2. NBA
3. Bundesliga
4. La Liga
5. NFL
6. Serie A

No way the Bundesliga is a bigger brand than La Liga. Barca and Real Madrid are both bigger brands than Bayern Munich, and the only other “brand” in Germany is Borussia Dortmund. La Liga has at least half a dozen teams more well known than any other German team. As a brand, I don’t think the Bundesliga is as big as Serie A either.

As far as quality goes, La Liga is the best league in the world. Six straight Champions League titles and 5 of the last 6 Europa League titles says it all. And, it’s not all Barca and Real Madrid either. Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have won multiple Europa League titles during that period.

But, the EPL has the name recognition and the big television deal. It just doesn’t have the quality that La Liga does.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

As far as quality goes, La Liga is the best league in the world. Six straight Champions League titles and 5 of the last 6 Europa League titles says it all. And, it’s not all Barca and Real Madrid either. Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have won multiple Europa League titles during that period.

But, the EPL has the name recognition and the big television deal. It just doesn’t have the quality that La Liga does.

Not true. La Liga plays attractive soccer. But that’s where it ends. Would you say that the ACC has the top league in college football because of Clemson and one other team in any given year? Not taking anything away from real Madrid, Barcelona, and to a lesser degree athletico and then Sevilla, but once you get past those clubs, the league is dreadful. That’s why those teams have an advantage in European play. EPL clubs have a hard time resting players for European play because getting through their own domestic league is brutally tough. If they aren’t careful, a team in the relegation zone can and will beat them. Gone are the days a decade ago where Chelsea and Man U are favorites to win the Champions League. Nobody favors an English club theses days because their domestic league is too good. Kudos to Liverpool making it to the final last year. But that’s no longer the norm.

So in summary, there is no quality from top to bottom like the EPL.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

Messi breaks his arm and supposedly out 3 weeks.
La Liga is some series money spenders. Bundesliga isn’t what it used to be. I remember watching Soccer Made in Germany back in the 80s and 90s. It was the only televised euro soccer on us TV. They would show the bundesliga match of the week. It was great viewing at the time considering the difficulty of catching English or Spanish Soccer on TV. Mexican channel always had soccer on but I never like Mexican soccer.

 

[anon_d97v9o3a8b6xr]

The US better work some serious magic if they plan on making any impact when we host the World Cup. Maybe find an actual coach would help. MLS is just not as enjoyable as la Liga, EPL, or Italian leagues.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

La Liga is some series money spenders.

It’s why I can’t get PO’d over MLB spending anymore. It’s just how it is. You have the haves and the have nots. End of story, and no sense losing sleep over it.

You’re right about the spending of Real Madrid and Barcelona. I support a big spending club of my own (Chelsea), and if Real Madrid wants one of their players, they come and get them and there’s nothing Chelsea can do. I’d equate it to the Yankees taking any of the Cardinals players that they want at any time. There’s a saying in football, “what Madrid wants, Madrid gets”. That’s another reason they’ve been winning the Champions league for LaLiga every year. I know Mike is a huge Barcelona supporter, but take away Madrid’s spending, and suddenly he and everyone else in LaLiga can’t claim they are the best league.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

The US better work some serious magic if they plan on making any impact when we host the World Cup. Maybe find an actual coach would help. MLS is just not as enjoyable as la Liga, EPL, or Italian leagues.

Maybe this is worthy of its own thread, but if you won the mega millions, and wanted to buy or invest in a pro sports franchise, which one or which league would you??

 

[paulbl99]

well what a great morning. The Chelsea v Man U game was as good as advertised, as Chelsea scored in the last minute to draw even for the match in dramatic fashion. A Chelsea assistant coach in celebration ran down the line and pumped his fists in the face of Jose Mourinho the Man U Manager. Quite a sideline scuffle ensued that trickled out onto the field. I watch sports for entertainment and as usual the EPL did not disappoint.

So I got my sports fix for the day and now I’m out working on errands for my honey do list. Pomp is on 93.7 talking about the NBA as I drive to Home Depot. Personally, I don’t care much for the NBA. But I will never bash the sport. It’s just not my thing but I will watch occasionally. Yet people in this town rip it, and I don’t get it. Why feel the need to rip the sport you dont like? It’s the same with soccer. Why feel the need to rip the sport? There’s never a thread on this board about soccer or the NBA where people don’t interject their ignorance. There’s a reason why the NFL, EPL and NBA are likely the three biggest sports brands in the world.

The Chelsea Asst Manager was “bang out of order”

Lol

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The US better work some serious magic if they plan on making any impact when we host the World Cup. Maybe find an actual coach would help. MLS is just not as enjoyable as la Liga, EPL, or Italian leagues.

Maybe this is worthy of its own thread, but if you won the mega millions, and wanted to buy or invest in a pro sports franchise, which one or which league would you??

I would work an agreement with Pitt, the city, MLS, and some business partners (like Cuban and Tepper) to invest $100-$200 million in a 45K seat stadium in Oakland that can be attractively downsized to 20K for MLS. FWIW, Tepper is trying to bring an MLS franchise to Charlotte. He is basically an uber-rich SMF.

 

[paulbl99]

I would work an agreement with Pitt, the city, MLS, and some business partners (like Cuban and Tepper) to invest $100-$200 million in a 45K seat stadium in Oakland that can be attractively downsized to 20K for MLS. FWIW, Tepper is trying to bring an MLS franchise to Charlotte. He is basically an uber-rich SMF.

You mean to tell me Tepper posts crazy Sh!t like this on the Lair?