Football in the UK and Ireland season 2019/20

///United's two best chances were clear cut, well created, and better than almost all of Arsenal's chances. Ladd also had a half chance.//

United's first chance was clear cut, to be sure--but I'm not sure about the second. I thought the Arsenal keeper simply made a good save. I'd have to look at the play again.

As for Arsenal's chances, Miedema's header was certainly not right at Earp. She had to make a desperate, reaching stab save with her left arm as that ball was going in the net.

This game was another illustration of how hard it can be to score against a well-organized team that sits back. ManU had a lot of people behind the ball, and that always makes it tough for even excellent ball-moving/passing teams like Arsenal. Stoney is a good, demanding manager and by next year, with what I guess will be the addition of another attacking talent or two, they will be formidable.

 

Which is why I said most of Arsenal’s chances.

Ross’ was still clear cut to me. First, a better touch there gives her a better angle, and that’s on her. Second, the angle was still decent, it was a 1 vs 1 with no defender on her, and chipping was even an option. Agree to disagree.

 

Seems like some people don't think Earps is all that great at times either. I think M. Turner and McManus have had solid/really solid starts to the season, and A. Turner was good last night defensively while also creating a great chance for Ross. Maybe it is Casey's system, but I think you're underrating Man Utd's defenders a little.

 

Do we know why the groups are so imbalanced? Like, is it geography or something? (I don't know my English geography well) Or just some really bad RNG results?

 

Does anyone REALLY care about the Conti Cup? It just seems another unnecessary competition. I suppose some smaller/mid-size clubs can get motivated for it, but for the bigger clubs ... who needs it?

 

Who needs it? The league season is 22 games, and even with the FA Cup, that pales in comparison to the number of matches the top men's teams play. Man Utd Women (and I'm assuming the other teams as well) largely have two/three league matches a month throughout the season; I'd welcome additional matches if I was an FA WSL player.

 

Ha: My response is that the men play WAY too many matches--an absurd number--more than 60 for some teams/players. But then any popular professional sports league--with private owners--is going to suck every dollar/euro/peso out of fans/sponsors/broadcast networks that it can--and that usually involves more and more games. In the U.S., the Major League Baseball season lasts about 9 months--162 games! It was originally just a summer sport! Of course, another way to expand revenues is to play more competitions (Conti Cup!) and expand the playoffs--you see a lot of that, too. In the National Hockey League, half of the teams in the league make the playoffs! Absurd. The National Football League has a grueling 16-game season--very hard on the players, most of whom are very underpaid in a sport in which careers are short--and yet has been trying hard in recent years to gin up support for an 18-game season...And so it goes.

As for the soccer women, when you add in Champions League games, which can potential mean an extra, what? 8 games to the season, along with Euro qualifiers, NT friendlies, World Cup qualifers, a significant number of the women are already playing a lot of matches. I just don't think the Conti Cup has much real significance besides it offering another trophy to the winner.

 

here's a replay of Man City/Reading league match from a dew weeks ago. Glad to see Pauline Bremer. For those in the not know; Bremer was a spectacular fwd in the u20 WC a while back only to get her career sidetracked by a horrendous injury that's taken two years to finally get her back into her prime. She's the league's temp. goal scoring leader but will most lilely loose her starting spot wants Ellen White returns from injury.
Even when White does comeback, I still don't think they got a strong enough lineup to match up with Arsena)(who finally got back Miedema, Nobbs & Walti in their last match, though Kemme is missing)

 

Yeah, I just think we disagree on it being an absurd number. I mean only two teams in England play in the Champions League, so that doesn’t impact ten other teams, and even adding everything up, I just don’t think the schedule’s overly rough. Agree to disagree.

 

I read recently that Daly Blind started 61 games last year! THAT, in a physically demanding sport, is crazy. I think that was the number--it was in the 60s!

 

Their true face? That’s a bit of a gross generalization. The supporters I’ve come across on social media aren’t antagonizing and seem like truly good, genuine supporters with an acceptable amount of rivalry (not antagonizing) with other fans. Action definitely needs to be taken against any involved fans, but there’s no need to lump everyone in with a group of terrible fans.

 

not getting a good live stream, but at least it's one. Neville's squad allready down 0-1, when will this guy ever win? lol

 

whatever style Neville's using, he's now winless in 5 stragiht games as England crashes to Brazil, 1-2