dustypanther6 said:Is there going to be some kind of organized viewing party in the city like last year??
Yeah, we've got a Plan B—a bar right at the top of the Tkalci area, just before the Kaptol center, right before the pedestrian zone ends. There should be plenty of guys who play footy there, plus a good crowd of Australians. We'll even have breakfast sorted out, so everyone's welcome...
quietfox38 said:What's the deal with St. Kilda this season? They look rough. Did that championship loss totally break them?
Honestly, I don't know—it all seems pretty weird to me. Plus, they had those issues with player discipline during the off-season... maybe they just started clashing with each other. To me, they look like they caught whatever virus hit the Lakers during the playoffs; the symptoms are identical.
Anyway, for those of you who usually just catch the NFL on TV, you should come see what it's actually like live. This Saturday, June 11th at 4:00 PM, we’ve got the Legends game. It's basically the crew that played their first official match five years ago going head-to-head against the current roster, followed by a BBQ. We're expecting about 50 fans, so swing by—we don't bite, and we're always down to talk shop about footy.
Looking ahead to next weekend, on June 18th, the Eagles take on the Graz DownUnderDogs. Kickoff will probably be around 1:00 PM, and I'm assuming there will be more grilling too.
So, if you kick the ball up and snag it right out of the air, that’s a "mark." Basically, the player gets a free kick—meaning the defender has to freeze exactly where the mark happened, while the attacker can back up just enough to get a decent run-up to blast the ball toward the goal or a teammate. You've usually got about 10 seconds to keep things moving, though if you're hanging out near the goal, the ref might give you a little extra breathing room. Once the ref yells "play on," that's the signal that the game is live again and they can come at you (which happens if you hold onto the ball too long and start playing passive). Of course, even if you catch it clean, you don't *have* to take the free kick; if you think a quick transition is a better play, you can just keep running.
For everyone who mentioned they’d swing by to watch when we're playing near Chicago or maybe even try to get some training in—heads up. This Saturday, 10/09, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, we've got the US Open Cup final happening over at FC Dallas's auxiliary field in Aurora...
Anyone down to hit up Old Pharmacy this Saturday at 6:30 to catch the Super Bowl replay (New England Patriots vs. St. Kilda)? If it’s as wild as last week's game, the vibe in there is gonna be insane. Just trying to see if we have enough people to actually make it worth the pub opening its doors.
Just a heads-up—training sessions are shifting this week. We’re hitting the field Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 5:00 PM at the Youth center near Difa, since we're heading out to New York City this Thursday. Once we get back from NYC, there'll be a few more practices because the US Open Cup final is set for October 9th—still waiting to hear if it's happening in Aurora or Chicago.
Swing by whenever you can. All newcomers are welcome, and don't sweat it—someone will walk you through the basics during your first couple of sessions before you jump straight into the regular rotation. Membership dues are $167 per year, and that actually covers all our travel. To give you an idea, this year we did a one-day game in Denver, a three-day tournament in Sacramento, a nine-day trip out to Unknown and Seattle (for the championship), and now we're off to New York City (for the UEFA Champions League)—all handled by the dues. If anyone wants to tag along to New York City with us, check the previous page; everything you need to know is already laid out there. Also, there's plenty of info over at www.footycroatia.com
quietfox38 said:I’m no big-shot expert or anything, but man, Goddard absolutely killed it—that mark he pulled off toward the end of the game was easily the smartest play of the whole match.
Good luck in Milan. 👍
You're probably right—maybe it was Mark who really outplayed Goddard. He’s been killing it in the midfield, just constant handpasses, totally dismantling the Eagles' rhythm. I mean, he basically handed them two goals, including that final one from the Saints.
Good luck in Milan—I'll hit the forum once we're back... And then I'll see you all on October 9th for the Cup final. I'll let you know if it ends up being in a suburb or right in the middle of the city.
Wow. Just... wow. I’m honestly speechless here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of_oTtyLoec Man, what a game. Honestly, after the first half, I was convinced the Philadelphia Eagles were going to pull it off in the third quarter—but those New Orleans Saints totally caught us off guard. Riewolt, Hayes, Del Santa... man, just absolute madness. We had about 30 people at the pub—split right down the middle between our guys and some locals—and it was basically a 50/50 split on who we were rooting for. Half the room was backing the Saints, half for the Eagles, though the Saints fans were definitely louder. That moment after Riewolt's mark early in the fourth? Pure electricity.
So, what’s next? Another game next week. The pub mentioned they’re opening up at 6 again, but none of our players will be there since we’re heading to Milan for the UEFA Euro (http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_p...soc=8112&pID=1). That said, the local fans who were there tonight—and the ones sticking around next week—will be showing up. So, if anyone actually wants to watch a game with some real fans, feel free to swing by... And hey, if any of you want to come out and train...
Look, do you really think anyone would bother tuning in if the outcome was a foregone conclusion? Of course there's a chance—anyone stepping onto that field for the Grand Final has a shot. Just look back two years ago; everyone was certain Geelong had it in the bag, and then Hawthorn went out and snatched it right from under them.
It’s on Eurosport, but honestly, watching it feels like sitting in a local dive bar for an underdog matchup—it's always better when you've got a solid crew of Americans around you and a massive breakfast waiting at the pub...
Jeremy Nelson5 said:I don't know if anyone else caught this, but during yesterday's match between Roma and Bayern, the outfield players were wearing kits with a different crest than the official club logo—yet the keeper was rocking the actual official one... is that even legal? It felt super weird seeing one team out there with two different logos on their shirts
http://uefaclubs.com/images/AS-Roma@3.-logo-80%27s.png They were using that logo—it's an old one, but honestly, I have zero clue why they decided to pull that out. It wasn't even like they were doing some specific retro kit thing...
Look, if you aren't heading out to Milan with the national team—but you still have that itch to catch some American football and watch the Grand Final, which is basically our version of the Super Bowl—then just swing by the Old Pharmacy Pub on the 25th:
We’re hitting the road early Friday morning—aiming to roll into Milan by 9 AM. We'll spend the day exploring Milan before heading over to the hotel in Parabiago where the tournament is actually happening. It's a decent 4-star setup (****). The EU Cup kicks off Saturday, October 2nd, running all day, followed by a party in the evening (all the players are going, so you really shouldn't miss out). On Sunday, we'll take the bus back into Milan one last time, then head straight back home to the States, expecting to pull in late Sunday night.
You can check the registration list at http://tinyurl.com/pregledMilano. If you mess something up or accidentally sign up twice, just shoot an email to fran [at] footycroatia [dot] com.
See ya there!
Look, this isn't just for the players—it's for the fans, the travelers, the club buddies, and anyone looking to join the crew. Don't sweat the "I don't know anyone" thing; even if you show up as a stranger, give it thirty minutes and it'll feel like you've known everyone for years. There's plenty of downtime for sightseeing, even on Saturday if you aren't feeling the American football action. And Sunday is pretty much set aside for wandering around and hitting the outlets for some shopping. That $250 price tag covers the bus transport and two nights in a double room at a 4-star hotel, breakfast included.
Dennis Newman5 said:rugby, American football, and Australian Rules Football are all trash... anyone who’s actually played all three can tell you that.
Wait, are you seriously claiming you've played all three?
Look, I’ve been in the trenches for all three myself—which is exactly why I’m saying this—and Australian Rules Football is just a different beast when it comes to contact. It’s on another level. But if you're forcing me to pick between the other two? I’d go with American football. Even with the pads, those hits are just purer and hit way harder.
Jamie Collins89 said:rugby...rugby.....rugby stop talking about sports where players wear armor like they're living in the Middle Ages
Look, even in rugby, some guys wear those rubberheadgear things. If you're looking for pure, full-speed contact without any protection, then go play Australian Rules Football—just leave the guys in pads alone so they can actually enjoy their game. Even if it isn't all about the big hits, at least there's some damn actual tactics involved.
dustypilot22 said:Thanks! I’m not entirely sure I followed everything on that site. Does logging in give you access to their specific design tools via a user dashboard, or is it just a place to upload finished designs you've already whipped up at home? Looking at how similar the Nike and Adidas kits look, it could actually be the first option. Do you happen to know anything more about it? I'd rather not go through the hassle of logging in unless I really have to...
PS This gave me a good laugh:
😁
I don't know, man. I make mine from scratch without using any of their tools. If someone else has the exact same patterns, it probably just means they swapped templates with each other.
