The Soccer Thread (Version 12) — Revenge of the Backup GK

Coke has been an official World Cup sponsor since 1978 and will be so until at least 2030. Pepsi will have to wait to be the choice of whichever generation follows the Zoomers.

 

I mean, you can't actually drink beer in the stands at Premier League games as it is. The mad dash to run upstairs to chug a Bud at Vicarage Road at halftime is a time-worn tradition.

 

I'm going over in August and hopefully seeing Villa play (tickets not on sale yet). And the night before I fly home, there's a midweek round in the Championship so I'm probably going to watch QPR at Loftus Road and then head to Heathrow.

 

I'm planning on going back to London for next spring's The Hold Steady Weekender, and Watford is playing QPR at Loftus Road on my birthday. Definitely plan on going to that as well.

 

I want an explanation of this play that convinced me match fixing wasn’t afoot.

 

Stupid play but that's a goal. There's clearly green between the back of the goal line and the ball, it's completely over the line at the 39-second mark.

 

Rooney managing DC United? Interesting.

 

Seems like a bit of a strange move. It didn’t seem like he loved the MLS experience and, despite the shit show surrounding Derby, he got generally positive reviews.

 

Wouldn't be shocked if he were stockpiling experience in order to make a run at the Manchester United and/or Everton jobs the next time either of those two shitshows turn over again, so the Gerrard plan except bad.

Jokes about the quality of MLS aside, coaching a financially barren squad in League One doesn't help him with that, and he can probably have a nice dinner with his family without getting mobbed in D.C., as opposed to literally anywhere in the UK where there might be an opening.

 

His wife made no secret of how much she hated DC, but after the Wagatha Christie affair I imagine even she could see the upside to spending a few years outside England. If Patrick Vieira could make a move to a prominent European league after getting decent results during a short run coaching in MLS, Rooney probably thinks he can, too.

 

MLS is morphing into the NASL before our eyes — at least in terms of becoming a retirement home for old international legends. I'm sure the finances are much better this time around.