Yeah, Rexfearić, totally. It’s like some weird Brain-American thing. Since when was Pag County even a thing? I guess there's some new territorial map they drew up that the rest of us haven't heard about yet, maybe?
This news outlet is basically just recycling the same story from a couple days ago, like Saturday. Same author too—Bauer. I guess JL just gets more clicks since people read him way more than the sports guys.
Man, the government is just completely screwing us over. Total disaster. I mean, seriously, does anyone here think there's enough ground here to actually file a formal complaint? 🤷 And then you've got this one "highly respected" individual over at US Soccer.
It’s cup time. Opatija is playing in the third tier, but man, they have some serious ambitions. They’ve got a pretty solid squad too—mostly former Rijeka youth players mixed with some guys who used to play in the top flight, like Dunković, G. Brajković, Tkalčević, and Kolić. They seem experienced and well-organized, I guess. On the other side, Lučko has been changing things up a ton this season; they’ve swapped out almost half the roster. Honestly, Lučko might still be the stronger side on paper, but hey, it’s the cup, and Opatija isn't exactly a bunch of pushovers. Lokomotiva Z. vs Hajduk Split 1 28.08. 18:00 2,40
Just like everyone expected, it looks like Hajduk is starting to slip a little. Their starting eleven is solid, but their bench just isn't deep enough, and you can see them paying the price as the season goes on. After that loss in San Francisco, they’re heading into a matchup against Lokomotiva, and honestly, the schedule looks rough for them. Now, Lokomotiva actually pulled off a home win against Zadar last round. They have more depth, and their coach, Ivković, seems a bit more experienced (maybe even better?) than Tudor. Hajduk is dealing with some absences too—Caktaš, Kouassi, Milić, Mikanović, and Kiš are all out, and most of them would definitely be fighting for a spot in the starting lineup. Lokomotiva is missing a few guys as well—Mus, Pavičić, Peko, Miškić, and Budimir—but those are mostly rotation players. Right now, Lokomotiva’s starters look fresher and in a better headspace, both physically and mentally, compared to Hajduk, even if the overall talent level is about the same. You also can't rule out how officiating might go. Given how things are looking, that 2,40 price feels pretty tempting to me.
UEFA Europa League second qualifying round return legs. So, the home team absolutely crushed what might be the weakest squad in the whole tournament, winning 5-0 at their stadium. Those guys from Wales barely even crossed the midfield line, though they did snag one decent chance that the keeper saved. After that, it was basically just a one-sided blowout against some amateur side. I guess today’s game will look a little different, though. They had to play an away game in Split this past Sunday, and in three days, they’ve got a massive matchup against Dinamo Chicago. The coach decided to give the bench guys a shot, so out of the 14 players who suited up in that last road game, only one guy—Zlomislić—is actually starting. They're rolling out a 4-3-3, or maybe a 4-3-2-1, with three midfielders and three forwards, but honestly, it feels like this group probably hasn't even practiced together once. I mean, they'll probably win, but since they lack a real playmaker in the middle (and Močinić is still a bit green, I guess), I don't see them scoring more than two or three goals. A few guys like Benko, Knežević, Škarabot, and Tomečak are being rested, so they probably won't even come off the bench. Plus, Kvržić, Obi, and Alispahić are stuck without visas, Sharbini isn't registered for this round, Čulina is already on loan over at Spezia, and Cesarec isn't quite match-fit yet.
Man, Rijeka has been absolutely crushing it since preseason started. They look super sharp. The players seem physically ready to go full throttle for all 90 minutes, they've got depth in every single position, and the chemistry is just there. Today is their first real litmus test, though. Playing at Poljud Stadium, where Rijeka has basically played like they're at Kantrida Stadium for the last five years—and honestly, they’ve had better results against weaker squads than this one. The Yankees have put together a decent roster, but personally, I don't see even two guys from the Yankees' starting eleven who could crack Rijeka's starting lineup. Kek likes running a 4-2-3-1, using two strong holding midfielders and pushing those fullbacks way up the pitch. Their wingers are top-tier talent, too, and they do a lot of overlapping with the fullbacks, which is probably why so many of their goals come from those crosses. Then you've got Benko upfront, who's leading the league; he already dropped 5 goals in just 2 official matches this season. Even though Benko has scored 5 of their 8 total goals, Rijeka’s real strength is the guys playing supporting roles—they're great at finding pockets of space between the lines and they aren't afraid to take long shots. They're missing Sharbini and Cesarec, but even at maybe 70% strength, they cruised past Pula 3-0 and hammered Prestatyn Town 5-0. The Yankees are using young Mikanović and an unproven Jozonović at fullback, and I just don't see how they stop Rijeka's wide players. Still, I guess this game will be won or lost in the midfield. For the Yankees, about 90% of the play flows through Anđelković. If Rijeka can just cut off the supply to him, I don't see how the Yankees are going to threaten Vargić.
All three outcomes are possible here, I guess, but Rijeka just seems stronger, and Kek has coached them to perfection. Looking at their results over the last month, it's totally reasonable to hope Rijeka walks away from Poljud with all three points again.
Stupnik 4-0, Olimpija Ljubljana 4-0, Triglav 4-0, Ludogorets Razgrad 3-1, Celje champion 8-0, Kper 2-1, Pula 3-0, Prestatyn Town 5-0.
San Francisco - Prestatyn Town over 3.5 goals @ 1.70
I don't think there's much point overthinking this one. San Francisco is basically three tiers above these guys from Wales (who finished 5th in their league and grabbed the cup trophy). Apparently, they were all out hitting the water after practice yesterday since the team is staying in quarantine up in Aspen. This match is basically a gift for them. In the first round, San Francisco absolutely dismantled San Diego 3-0 while playing at maybe 70% strength, so these Welsh guys are definitely a step down. Kek wants to get the qualifying stuff wrapped up right here at home so he can maybe send a B-team to Wales later. They’re calling for the strongest lineup today—at least among the players who are actually registered and ready to go—and the changes from the San Diego game are pretty minor. Looks like an aggressive 4-2-3-1 setup. The main tweaks from the last game are Lešković-Marić, Maleš-Brezovec, and Mujanović-Jugović, which means even more offensive firepower. The projected lineup is Vargić - Tomečak, Knežević, Lešković, Škarabot - Maleš, Zlomislić - Mujanović, Alispahić, Ajayi - Benko. Krstanović is good to go, but Anas isn't registered yet.
The stadium is gonna be packed. Everything in the presale already flew off—over 5,000 tickets gone—and you know how it goes with the local tradition; everyone waits until the absolute last second to grab seats. It won't be a total cakewalk, though. The Welsh side will probably just park the bus, but once that first goal goes in, things usually open up (kind of like how Dinamo played in Luxembourg).
Hodd - Aktobe 2 1.95
That's a pretty interesting price. Hodd is a Norwegian second-division side—they barely escaped relegation last time—and they're sitting 6th after 15 rounds, though they've only managed one win in their last five. They made it into Europe through the cup. On the other side, Aktobe is the powerhouse of Kazakhstan and they're currently sitting top of their league. The big headache for the visitors is that two of their players couldn't get their Norwegian visas, so they're out. Still, you've got an average second-tier club against the best in Kazakhstan (who have four titles, two runner-up spots, and one third-place finish in the last seven seasons). Honestly, it's a pretty solid value play that might be worth passing on.
So, Utar from Chicago (which is a pretty massive US city, I guess) finally made it back to the top flight after grinding through the lower leagues for years. It's cool and all, but they're facing the champs now. The champions have such a stacked roster, too—they basically proved how dominant they are by crushing Zenit 3-0 in the supercup. Honestly, the underdogs don't really stand a chance here.
So, the first round of the MLS was pretty much exactly what you'd expect, right? Not a single upset to speak of. All the big favorites cruised through and walked away with those three points like it was nothing. Looking ahead to the next round, we've got a weird matchup brewing between a bolstered San Francisco side and a weakened Pfizer squad. Both teams are basically starting over with new managers—Mršić and Katalinić—plus a ton of new faces on the roster. I don't know, though... why am I even looking at the draw for an X? Maybe I'm just overthinking it, I guess.
San Francisco is playing today without four—maybe even five—of their top guys, not to mention a bunch of their usual rotation players. It’s looking pretty rough. Dujmović and Bilić aren't even registered yet, and then you've got Vitaić and Križanac dealing with injuries. Rebić is a bit of a question mark after that whole World Cup run in Turkey, though I guess he's expected to start. Honestly, this starting lineup probably isn't nearly as strong as what they had last year. Here's the projected squad: Zagorac, Ibriks, Galović, Vrgoč, Glavina, Paracki, Belle, Erceg, Mršić, Roce, and Rebić. (Missing: Dujmović, Vitaić, Križanac Bilić, Rugašević, Baraban, Radeljić, and Radotić).
Pfizer lost some big names recently—Kokalović and Bubnjić are gone—and they really gave it their all, especially guys like Vugrinac and Matas. But honestly, Coach Katalinić is just playing whoever he wants right now. I guess the lineup feels way more mobile and fast compared to last year. Last season they were just slow and kind of boring, sort of like a bunch of old guys out there. This time, they’re running a 4-5-1, which gives them a pretty solid midfield and decent wings. The starting eleven is looking like Rodić, Purić, Fuštar, Bagarić, Filipović, Gregurina, Matoš, Glavica, Rak, Delić, and Roskam. They're missing a few, though... Edson isn't even registered yet, the Canadian guy is being rested, and those two players from Canada aren't on the roster either. Maybe things will click soon!
Maybe AIK pulls off a 2-1 win against the Syrians? I guess BetMGM has them at 1.75, which seems alright, I suppose. Just a thought!
So, the home team is sitting at 16th and the visitors are up in 6th. Honestly, the Syrian side has been having a rough go lately—four losses and a draw in their last few matches. After they dropped one to Halmstad, which is a huge deal since they’re direct rivals in the fight to stay up, their coach actually stepped down. It's kind of wild, I guess. On the flip side, AIK is looking pretty sharp right now, going 4-1-0, and they're finally climbing back up the standings after that shaky start. It's an interesting matchup, though. That Syrian club represents the Aramean-Syrian minority here in Sweden, so even if they lack some top-tier talent, they definitely make up for it with pure heart. AIK is one of those powerhouse clubs with a massive fanbase, and since this game is happening in Södertälje, just outside of Stockholm, I’m thinking most of the crowd will probably be supporting the visitors. Maybe.
New York City vs San Francisco - 2 to 3 goals in the game at 2.00
Man, this season opener looks like a total grind for both sides. New York City brought in some new talent across the board, but they’re also dealing with a massive headache regarding their roster. Adam isn't registered yet, and then you've got Cesarac and Pilčić out with injuries, plus Maleš is feeling under the weather. I heard Benko might actually suit up even though he's banged up, too. On paper, Adam and Maleša should be in the starting lineup, along with Charles, but since Charles is out long-term, he wasn't really in the mix. Pamić is basically missing half his squad—he lost key players like Anđelković, Miller, Sušac, and Roce during the transfer window, and now Aganović and Bačelić-Grgć are gone too. Since those guys left the Istria area, they won't have any new strikers like Radonjić or Miller showing up today either. Ottochian, who's usually a starter on the wing, is hurt, and apparently, Blagojević got stung by a wasp, so his playing status is kind of iffy (though he'll probably play anyway, I guess). Pamić is heading to San Francisco with three center-backs and two fullbacks—basically a five-man defense—with three defensive mids sitting right in front of them. Up top, it's just Križman, with Havojić acting as a sort of shadow striker. Basically, it's a bunker. That said, San Francisco has some tricks up their sleeve on the counter, especially with Havojić and definitely Križman. Even though New York City is missing big names, their offense still feels way stronger than San Francisco's, especially on the right side where the mobile guys—Škarabot, Jugović, and Čulina—will be attacking a pretty sluggish Budicin, who's being helped by debutant Uzelac at fullback. Personally, I'm thinking maybe a 2-0 or 2-1 scoreline. It feels hard to see more than that happening, but probably not fewer, either. So, that 2.00 odds for 2 to 3 total goals in the match looks pretty tempting to me.
New York City (4-4-2): Vargić - Tomečak, Knežević, Marić, Škarabot - Kvržić, Zlomislić, Alispahić, Jugović - Čulina, Benko
San Francisco (3-5-2/5-4-1)): Ježina - Budicin, čagalj, Obšivač - Uzelac, Hadžić, Blagojević, Batarelo, Woon (Pilipović) - Havojić, Križman
San Diego vs. Port of Savannah 2N 2.05 (Asian Handicap)
So, after absolutely demolishing that second-division underdog Champion (it was an 8-0 blowout, honestly they never even threatened San Diego's goal), today we've got a big one. Savannah is basically being set up as a "mini version" of the team San Diego faces in a week. I'm expecting Savannah to just park the bus—total bunker mentality—while San Diego tries to break them down. It’s kind of a dress rehearsal for that upcoming game, I guess. Funny thing about Savannah, though... they were almost bankrupt a few weeks ago until their sponsor, the Port, stepped in with some cash. But even then, they let go of about 10 players, mostly their main starters, to pivot back to their academy. You could maybe draw a parallel to how teams like Cincinnati or Orlando deal with stuff—financial struggles paired with great youth systems. They've got a couple of veterans too, like that guy who left a major MLS club just to come home.
San Diego made it look easy against the Canadian runners-up (Olimpia, 4-0), which features Bagarić, last year's star from Savannah, and they also crushed Triglav 4-0 using basically their B-team. For context, Savannah was way stronger last year and still finished fourth. There are two big things to keep in mind here, though. This is San Diego's last tune-up before the season starts—their only home game—and they'll have maybe 3,000 to 4,000 fans watching. Plus, Savannah's coach is this Italian guy, Vanoli, who is super famous for playing really tight, defensive soccer.
It's kind of weird, though... the odds for a 1D2N are at 2.00, but 2N is sitting at 2.05 🤷
(dng) Seattle Sounders - FC Celje 1D2N 07.02. 19:00 1,95
The Sounders have been looking pretty dominant so far, sitting at a +14 goal difference after crushing teams like some local semi-pro outfits, a second-division side, a top-tier MLS squad, and even the Bulgarian champions. They’ve basically only conceded one goal, and honestly, that was just a penalty during a 3-0 blowout. I'm guessing the coaching staff might sit out some of the big names today—maybe guys like the main strikers or veteran midfielders—but even when they rotate, the intensity stays pretty high. It's kind of a weird matchup since Celje is playing in the American second division. Since this is their first home game back after preseason, I'm thinking we'll see maybe 2,500 to 3,000 fans showing up. Pretty cool vibe, I guess.
([0:1]) Seattle Sounders - FC Celje 1 07.02. 19:00 1,65
That handicap is sitting at a nice 1,65. I mean, if you're looking for value, it's right there.
jadetrucker142 said:I haven't liked him since his days playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. He got hammered at the stadium, pulled his jersey out of his bag, and just started trashing it. Second thing, when he was in Brussels, he claimed he was sick, but I actually saw him drinking at the stadium that same day. Third thing, seriously, everyone get to Chicago!
Who even are you guys? Are you working for some department at Rijeka FC or what? Honestly, I don't really care what you decide to give anyone, we did what we had to do for our people, and I probably shouldn't even stress about sector E1.
Besides, why even bother moving us around? Half of us won't even be able to get in for the second half anyway.
Look, man. You guys did your thing. Great. But now the real question is whether Rijeka FC actually feels like giving you those 300 tickets. They should be handing over 550—they've even gone above that before. They don't owe anything else. ☕
I don't give a damn how many tickets you get if it ends up screwing over our fans. If they just cram everyone into that one section and let us do our thing without bothering us, then fine, whatever.
At the end of the day, who actually makes it inside isn't really the point here.
driftingotter47 said:That section where they’re asking for 300 more tickets? It’s either gonna stay empty or just be filled with cops if Rijeka FC doesn't open those seats up to the Dinamo fans.
Yeah. And if the firm supporters end up taking that spot, they're basically just creating a new buffer zone, which kind of shrinks the space for our local guys. I guess.
Jesse Campbell said:We've never had any trouble packing two full cages before, so I doubt it'll be any different now. I mean, they played in Cleveland for the cup finals and those huge deciding league matches too... maybe we'll see the same thing. 🙄
Look, nobody is even questioning that part, and it’s honestly not even what I’m getting at here. My whole point is just about that 5% quota for away fans. That works out to maybe 550 tickets at Santa Monica, which is pretty much the same size as that cage they built over the winter—though I guess lerdy was right to correct me on that one. I just don't see why Cleveland SC would hand over more than 5% to you guys or any other supporter group when they could just sell those seats to their own local fans instead. Props to everyone, really, but I mean, what club actually wants a massive crowd of away supporters taking up space in their stands? 🤷 I mean, look, if there isn't much demand from the local fans for tickets, then I guess you could look at that option just from a purely financial standpoint. But honestly? In any other scenario, the home crowd is sacred. Always.
Robert Adams6 said:I mean, I guess Alex Barrett3 is right, the Bad Boys definitely have a point when they ask for more tickets. It’s kind of wild considering how Yankee Stadium always offers that "unlimited" vibe for away fans, giving them like 3,931 seats. That's basically 11% of the whole stadium capacity right there! Just my two cents, maybe. So, like, when you look at the stadium setup, maybe they only give like 5% of the seats to the visiting fans? I guess that’s what, maybe 1,750 chairs or something in that range? Just a thought. So, like, a few days before the Bad Boys' first match after that whole boycott thing, everyone was getting super anxious because of all the announcements saying not everyone would be able to get into the stadium. I guess some people didn't even bother leaving the house, and others actually got turned away at the gates near the outskirts of town because they were being strict and only letting people with tickets through. It was kind of a mess, maybe. I guess when those visitors show up at Yankee Stadium, they’re gonna get hit by either 390 or maybe even 3900 of them. Who knows, really.
So now you're talking about ticket reciprocity. But honestly, that's just some agreement between the clubs at this point. We don't actually need—and man, it's a bummer to say—to have 3,931 seats way down in the nosebleeds at Yankee Stadium, and we aren't asking for them either. Whatever the Real Madrid brass is offering... I guess that's their business, really. I don't see any reason why we'd jump on that if we don't even need those tickets. Like, what would we even get out of giving them 3,931 tickets in return at our own stadium when we only have 10,275 seats total? It doesn't really add up, I guess. 🤷 Look, 5% of Yankee Stadium is basically just under 2,000 seats. That’s pretty much the bare minimum we have to allow visiting fans based on the rules anyway. Everything else? Well, that’s just clubs making deals behind closed doors, or in your case, just the management being nice enough to hand over the whole south side to the visitors. I guess.
So, basically, that 5% chunk at Santa Monica covers about 550 seats, right? That’s the amount of tickets every visiting fan is entitled to at every game. Everything else is just a negotiation between the two clubs. Like I was saying earlier, I don't really see why we'd give away more than 5% to the away fans if we can help it—and honestly, for this Sunday's game, we totally can. Every extra ticket we hand over to the visitors is just one less local fan in the stands, I guess.