We all had fun scouring the web for the most outlandish gifs of international soccer feats (Diego Costa ftw), but it's time to end recess and get back to the bread and butter of fall futbol. Looking at the matchups things will take off a little slow, but with many clubs (and their beleaguered managers) facing tense times, the drama will be there as usual. The first game could be the most interesting, with City already trying to keep pace with the Chelsea juggernaut and Spurs having a decent start but lacking any major scalps under their belts so far. The scoreline last year between those two was brutal (11-1 to the Citizens), so Tottenham fans will be hoping Pochettino can muster some of the tactics that helped them get a draw at Arsenal. Speaking of which the Gunners have a winnable home fixture v Hull City, with Wellbeck looking like he might potentially play despite his ankle scare against Estonia. The big story could be Walcott's return to the field after 9 months off, but it remains to be seen if he is judged ready by Wenger and his staff. Up north Everton will be looking for only their second win of the season against Villa. No real pressure on Martinez yet, as he has had to deal with some terrible luck with regards injuries, but 3pts would do the team a world of good. For fourth-place United the game against West Brom will be a good test of their solidity, against a team that is tougher than it looks, and with a phone-book of injuries to deal with.

Spain: much has been made of Messi's 10 year anniversary in the Liga, and the dazzling goal scoring record that goes with it. Facing Eibar this weekend means there could be a few more where those came from.

Italy: Allegri takes his Juve team to Sassuolo, the team he started his managerial career with, as Juve try to edge closer to the all-time win streak in Serie A achieved by Mancini's Inter in 06 (17 wins). An Inter team which is in a lot of disarray as Mazzarri is very close to losing his job if rumors are to be believed. Same rumors would have one David Moyes up for the post, which shows you the kind of ambition the Internazionale owners have these days.

Germany: Finally some good news for Dortmund as Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan are set to make their return this weekend.

France: Paris was supposed to get Ibra back for the meeting with Lens and ex-Paris coach Antoine Kombouare, but now they're not, and furthermore Thiago Silva will not be present, nor will Lucas Digne. Difficult times for Laurent Blanc, compounded by the fact that red-hot Marseille have a very winnable game against Toulouse which could take their winning streak to 8.



EPL
Saturday 18 October 2014
7:45am Man City v Spurs
10:00am Arsenal v Hull
10:00am Burnley v West Ham
10:00am Crystal Palace v Chelsea
10:00am Everton v Aston Villa
10:00am Newcastle v Leicester
10:00am Southampton v Sunderland
Sunday 19 October 2014
8:30am QPR v Liverpool
11:00am Stoke v Swansea
Monday 20 October 2014
3:00pm West Brom v Man Utd

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS1nsMbrIcA

terrible music choice but that's par for the course for Euro highlights

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

has no confidence in front of goal. He does everything right always, till it comes to shooting at goal. Then he makes the wrong possible decision.

This stadium is nuts now

..

...

apparently, the ref thought he aimed it at the Lens crowd. c'mon.

Knowing you just gave him a yellow. You should give him a stern warning. And keep it moving. The man just finally scored a goal after a long drought. Warn him and move on. He almost lost control of the game. The other 2 reds were harsh too.

I mean, I understand you want to curb players arguing decisions, but when you just called a soft PK and the guy protesting it is a 19 year old that you already booked earlier, you need to use discretion
the Cavani shit was just some authoritarian tantrum
and then the second yellow to Lecorgne for pushing Cabaye was asinine

this asshole just ruined a perfectly good game of futbol

Outta there. Absolutely ridiculous.

---------------------------------
<--The drought is over

"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS

"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left."
-Kobe speaking to investigators

L D E A

good to get the points but damn sounds like the ref had a nervous breakdown or sthg

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

but Maxwell had another outstanding game

Pastore was a little more wasteful than he's been this year in his passes, but he hustled hard as hell, most notably on the Cabaye goal but really all game long...it's hard to believe, but he's become a reliable defender now

btw I'm flying out to your fair city tonight for the wkd. I'm pre-emptively shivering from the temperatures I saw on weather.com haha

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

all right, I'm on rug rat duty all Saturday, possibly including Saturday night. don't know what your Sunday schedule is looking like, but if you got some time, holla at the inbox, we can down a brew or two and watch some bears somewhere.

the weather isn't that bad, you just need a 'petite laine'

lmk if you didn't get anything, phone did something weird after I hit send

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

Was nice too

good stuff from Eriksen. Dunno why Kaboul keeps trying to shoot from distance tho

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

Spurs have no clue what to do with him

the quickness with which he gets off his shot -- not a shot, but his shot -- is marino-esque.

still thought spurs looked good until the penalty miss. we probably still lose given how amazing kun was on saturday, but it would have been interesting.

They had a chance to get back in this game and pressure the Blues. But he fucked it up.

Entertaining game though.

...

<--- Big Baller World Order

Same ole possession difference w nothing to show for it, same ole narrowness, same ole shit play from the holding midfielder, same ole lack of depth (Monreal starting at cb, LOL), same ole fragile players (Wilshere off again), same ole weakness against direct attacks, same ole lack of progress towards actually being a top caliber team, same ole Wenger who won't address any of these issues....same ole shit just a different day.

---------------------------------
<--The drought is over

"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS

"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left."
-Kobe speaking to investigators

L D E A

as for arsenal, I suppose the race for 4th has started

>as for arsenal, I suppose the race for 4th has started

---------------------------------
<--The drought is over

"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS

"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left."
-Kobe speaking to investigators

L D E A

Damn.

James' touch...and subsequent goal was pretty cool too.

<--- Big Baller World Order

....

eibar is a tough team, no matter how much the memes want to play it.

neymar and messi connecting lovely.

cristiano and his for real life fanboys on the pitch (bale, james) are something to behold though.

on the one hand, i think suarez is ready to start el slasico and be a better option than pedro, who's nothing like the kid that ripped all competitions during that sextuple. but if luis isn't ready to start, particularly in a match that's so high-charged ---

shit start luis. leggo!

---

But hell, what do I know?

sandro and munir are better (not for a full 90, but play munir 60 and sandro the last 30). bitey mcracist will be a huge upgrade.

pedro needs to be gone. clear weak link, no matter how hard he plays. even when he was killing that one season, it was because he was basically unmarked on the pitch so often.

-----------
Y'all stupid...should've tanked for Lebron/Wiggins in 2014 -Rex LongFellow

Its 2014...there are computers in glasses and people stunt after hitting the ball far. Get over it. -Cenario

It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilariou

sandro plays more as a CF, and has been playing in the first team imo to get the squad used to playing with a CF (he bites people) ...

but pedro's gone. there's munir as you mentioned. there's also this kid deulofeu, on loan for the second straight season, but it looks like his CRy-esque attitude has improved. he's coming back next season.

also, rafinha can play the wing.

i love pedro, but he's been asleep for far too long since 2011. he's gone and the only thing keeping him here if he stays is the potential (likely) (political) transfer ban.

---

But hell, what do I know?

<--- Big Baller World Order

coutinho looked really good. particularly liked his little shuffle dribble before the goal.

---

But hell, what do I know?

Terrible body language
Shoots everything within 30 yds
Doesn't celebrate when teammates score

---
"though time has passed, im still the future" (c) black thought

By his own admission, he hates playing as a CF. He'd rather play as a second striker, behind someone like ... Sturridge.

He's also a diva. He will show his emotion with body language or the lack thereof. That's his personality.

He's also frustratingly inconsistent, but that goes with the diva mentality.

Is this the part where you tell me to shut my pussy?

---

But hell, what do I know?

And doesn't even hit the ball with the right parts of the foot. He reminds me of Sheva circa Chelski days. Or Torres in that same jersey. If he doesn't want to be a 9....then i don't know what else to say.


Btw.....Raheem Sterling was too fast for those QPR guys.....and Vargas was very good. He should be paired with Zamora.

but they gotta at least test the keeper. he's so powerful that he should be able to knock home a couple from the edge or outside of the box, or at least create rebound opportunities or corners.

but when he can't even tap home a gimme and his longer shots are completely off the mark? yeah. it's getting old.

on the plus side, that run and finish by coutinho was truly special.

------
"I can't promise I'll try. But I'll try to try."

he reads summaries of what people tell him to think based on statistics, then he speaks from authority with them. but he gets mad when you tell him that. and resorts to sexual euphemisms because well, what else is there?

---

But hell, what do I know?

>Terrible body language
>Doesn't celebrate when teammates score

----

THFC
F1
MotoGP

....both teams played hard © Sheed

Jones needs to stop booting balls to the sky and learn to realize he can pass and start a good passing game from the back. The kid needs to be benched for Falcao

...

They have been pretty good to great most of the time with their EPL coverage.

You're such pests...now, what is it you want? In your depths of your ignorance, what is it you want? Well, whatever it is you want, I can't deliver because I just don't see it. - Orson Welles


Never Tired, Always Sleepy

A David Luiz. Stay back and quit roaming. He was gassed at the end too. RVP needs to come off the bench. He basically just sits in the box. He adds nothing else.

Januzaj sits on the ball way too much. The ball goes to him to die. Benchwarmer for me too. Sadly Mata falls into a bench role too on this team. Or he needs two midfielders behind him for him to play.

Berahino is impressive. Be it scoring, holding the ball. He is impressive

when fatboy comes back I say roll w/ those two for a few games and let RVP and Mata pick the splinters out of their asses for a few games.

<--- Big Baller World Order