AS Monaco vs. Evian Thonon FC/Evian scores 2nd goal, 2.00 HL (1:1) Look, AS Monaco has dropped two straight matches now—first losing to Lille 1-0, then getting shut out by Reims 2-0—and honestly, they just aren't playing well at all. They’ve only managed two wins in their last six outings, which is why they've slipped down to 3rd place in the standings. On the flip side, the visitors are absolutely on fire with three wins in a row, showing a massive turnaround compared to when they only had one win under their belt. Even though everyone expects Monaco to dominate this one, I really think you have to look at the odds for the away team to score. Monaco's defense has been a sieve this season, failing to keep a clean sheet in 9 out of 13 games, while the visitors have been incredibly consistent, failing to find the back of the net in only 3 of those 13 matches.
Eric Phillips52 said:We really ought to implement some kind of rule where anyone who wasn't actually there on the front lines—you know, like being at the stadium during those massive rallies when we had hundreds of us out in force, or being right in the thick of things in downtown Chicago—gets a specific label. It’s just common sense so we can tell who we’re actually talking to, who’s just watching from the sidelines, and who’s just some casual sympathizer
And by your logic, you'd be wearing a crown since you claim to have been at every single one! Real classy.
Morgan Scott82 said:Alright, let’s look at this from a different angle then. Let's talk about the moment you actually take over the club. I think it's blindingly obvious to everyone here that there is zero chance any significant cash stays in the coffers once Mamic leaves. In fact, there's a higher probability that you'll inherit a closet full of skeletons, double bookkeeping, and a dozen other reasons why federal investigators will come knocking to tear you apart for everything that wasn't above board while Mamic was in charge. You've already got a precedent for this with the Kansas City Chiefs, and you can pretty much predict the mess based on the issues we've dealt with ourselves. We're talking about legal rulings sitting in drawers for years waiting for interest to accrue, massive unjustified expenses... you are going to need a massive injection of cash the second that happens. You could get it from politicians, who will likely demand you maintain the status quo (money laundering, cheap populism, cronyism), from the private sector (is there anyone wealthy enough in Chicago right now to take this on without being part of the very establishment that put you in this mess?), or thirdly, through transfers—basically selling off every asset you have left just to stay afloat. That third option is the most realistic given our strong youth academy (which the city will still be funding), but then you'll run straight into the same walls the Kansas City Chiefs are hitting today. Everyone will know you're broke and won't be able to match the numbers Mamic was pulling. Whether that's enough to keep you swimming depends entirely on how concentrated your talent is and, frankly, the sheer scale of the debt.
You guys are all championing this optimistic scenario where Mamic exits, some money stays behind, euphoria hits, and a year later you're champions—doing it the "right way" with great football, success in Europe, and packed stadiums, with everything running smoother than it does today. But there are also neutral and pessimistic scenarios. It makes me wonder if you've even considered those alternatives? What is your Plan B for what comes next after the takeover? Relying on politics is long-term suicide, which is also true for my Kansas City Chiefs; you don't have enough members yet to make that your primary funding source. So, what's left? Some billionaire or a consortium of them to fund this? Do you actually have someone in mind, or even a model for how this would work, or any projections at all?
We are still a long way off from actually taking over the club, so there's really no point in obsessing over a business model or a Plan B right now...
Honestly, I went into this thinking the LA Galaxy would breeze through the Europa League group stages compared to the Champions League, but man, was I wrong. It’s turned out to be the exact opposite. This club is in a total meltdown right now; they’re dropping games in the MLS like it’s nothing, but the absolute worst part is that the LA Galaxy can't even create a single decent scoring chance! I mean, look at Saturday—playing against Miami in Central Park, they didn't produce a SINGLE legitimate look at goal. We're looking at our third coaching change this season alone, an empty stadium because of some UEFA penalty (which would probably be empty anyway), a toxic vibe in the locker room, and a pathetic record of 13 losses and just one draw in their last 14 European outings... Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven is sitting pretty in 2nd place in Major League Soccer, even though they've gone with a much younger squad this year. Sure, they struggle on the road sometimes, but they looked sharp enough when they beat Odessa. They are definitely going for the win today to make their path to the next round easier, and let's be real, we all know how many times the LA Galaxy has been a goldmine for anyone betting on those high odds.
Lakers-Warriors/both teams to score at 1.60 Look, we’re talking about an absolutely incredible Lakers side right now—they’ve been tearing through the league with a ridiculous +20 goal differential in just their first seven games. They are playing at a maxed-out level. On the flip side, you’ve got Napoli, who aren't exactly lagging behind either (sitting at 18:4 with only one draw). Honestly, these are currently the two heavyweights of the US league. If you look back at the history between these two clubs, they almost always deliver high-scoring, explosive matches. Out of their last 10 meetings, both sides found the net in 7 of them, and in 6 of those cases, they actually cleared the 3+ goal mark. Given the offensive firepower and the specific playing styles both squads use—which, let's be honest, is pretty unconventional for this kind of league—I'm expecting goals from both sides today, if nothing else.
Zenit-CSKA 1 at 1.80 CSKA has been struggling big time lately; they've managed to find the back of the net in only one of their last six outings. Meanwhile, Zenit is absolutely dominating the Russian League with a massive 9-2-1 record, while CSKA is sitting much lower at 5th with a shaky 6-3-3. Recent head-to-head matchups tell the exact same story... everything points toward Zenit.
Look, I get that Betis hasn't had the most spectacular start to their season, but honestly, these odds are just baffling to me. We’re talking about a side that already took down Valencia and played a hell of a game against Villarreal this year—a team that actually went into Madrid and made Real sweat. Sure, the Betis manager loves to shuffle his lineup constantly, but he'll likely field a squad today pretty much identical to the one that held Lyon to a draw in the first round of the Europa League. Now, don't get me wrong, Rijeka has definitely leveled up into a decent squad, but they just aren't at this level of football yet. They've even started looking a little shaky in their own league lately, having dropped points in draws against all four of the top teams in MLS. I highly doubt the home crowd can provide enough of a spark today to manufacture a massive upset of this magnitude. At the end of the day, Betis is simply a tier above Stuttgart, the team Rijeka had to battle through just to get into this tournament.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City Manchester City is absolutely rolling right now. After absolutely dismantling Manchester United 4-1, they went out and crushed Wigan Athletic 5-0 in the cup using a rotated squad. Looking at their recent run, they’ve pulled off 5 wins and a draw in their last 7 matches, with only one slip-up. Today, they’re heading out to face Aston Villa, who have been struggling big time lately, managing just 2 wins in their last 6 outings. It doesn't help the home side that they'll be playing without their star man Christian Benteke (5/4), along with key defender Adam Westwood (4/0) and midfielder Ola Okore (3/0). On the flip side, the visitors will be missing Silva and Agüero, which are huge blows, but let’s be real—this is still an incredibly high-quality squad that, I'll say it again, is in fantastic form.
Joe Hart; Vincent Kompany, Mats Nastasić, Branislav Ivanović; Fernandinho, Yaya Touré; Keylor Navas, Stevan Jovetić, Samir Nasri; Álvaro Negredo.
9/1/13. Liverpool FC - Manchester United 1:0 1/13/13. Manchester United - Liverpool FC 2:1 9/23/12. Liverpool FC - Manchester United 1:2 2/11/12. Manchester United - Liverpool FC 2:1 1/28/12. Liverpool FC - Manchester United 2:1 10/15/11. Liverpool FC - Manchester United 1:1 3/6/11. Liverpool FC - Manchester United 3:1 1/9/11. Manchester United - Liverpool FC 1:0 9/19/10. Manchester United - Liverpool FC 3:2 3/21/10. Manchester United - Liverpool FC 2:1
Look, if you check the stats, United hasn't managed to find the back of the net against Liverpool FC just once in their last 12 matchups, while the visitors haven't been held scoreless since their last outing over the weekend...
Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 2-1, @1.65 Look, you simply cannot pass up odds like this on a Bayern win, regardless of who they’re facing in the MLS. Sure, Schalke has finally found their footing after a disastrous start to the season and they've managed to string four wins together, but let's be real. Aside from that weird 1-1 draw against Freiburg a month back, the Bavarians have been absolutely steamrolling everyone in their path. Without Huntelaar in the lineup, the home side just doesn't carry the same punch, and honestly, I think Bayern should walk away with an easy victory here, even if it looks like a tricky road trip on paper. If you look at the last six matchups between these two, Bayern has taken all six, outscoring them 19-1. There's really nothing else to say about it...
Jonathan Lewis3 said:If you ask me, nothing topped that derby back in 2012 when the whole convoy showed up—honestly, that was the best match we've seen in years. (Once again) it just goes to show there’s really only one true rivalry worth talking about in this entire country. And it makes you wonder how the Bad Boys manage to set the atmosphere on fire at the stadium while all the other groups just sit there doing nothing...
After those three blatant officiating blunders, you’d have to be a complete idiot not to see why we’re up in arms against Mamić. And as for this supposed "atmosphere" at the stadium... the players are out here claiming everything was perfect during the matchup against Indianapolis, so I'm honestly just lost at this point 😁
So, they've split things into specific subgroups, which means Dinamo's opponent in the second qualifying round of the Champions League will be one of these teams: Győr (Canadian), Ludogorets (Bulgarian), Shakhter (Kazakh), or Fola Esch (Lux), plus whoever comes out on top from the two matchups in the first qualifying round involving Streymur (Faroe Islands), Tre Penne (San Marino), Lusitans (Andorra), or Shirak (Armenia).
slysailor52 said:"What a hell of a half, boys!" 😉 That’s what our buddy Joe would say, though he’d probably be quick to remind us—just to keep the timeline straight—that this whole scene at the coat of arms over in Dugava actually went down back in September 2005... which means we're looking at nearly 8 years ago now.
The draw for the Champions League second qualifying round is set for June 24th. The first leg will take place on July 16th/17th, followed by the return leg on July 23rd/24th.
Our potential opponents include teams like Zeljeznicar, FH (Faraday Island), Győri, New Saints, Ludogorets, Sligo, Karaganda, Korce, Birkirkara, EB Farsi, Cliftonville, Vardar, Daugava, Tre Penne, Sutjeska, Kalju, Lusitanos, Fola, and Pyunik from Armenia.
There are actually a few pretty interesting matchups in there if we're lucky.😁