Your Sexy Soccer Saturday Open Thread – Dec 1

Later this gorgeous Pacific Time morning, I’ll be heading out to the LA Convention Center to check out the LA Auto Show.

I may find my next car or I may just get extremely tired walking around for hours on end. Which will it be?

STAY TUNED!

In the meantime,  the UEFA Nations League group stage has ended,  the mid-week Champions League and Europa League games are done for a bit, and so the Euro leagues are back again in full swing!

Here is today’s schedule of games (all times Pacific):

The big games of the day are in the Mexican league as it is one of the very few leagues (MLS among them) that utilize a seeded knockout playoff bracket to crown the champion.

Cruz Azul took a 2-0 win in Querétaro on Wednesday and now play at home to solidify their #1 seed and continue on their quest to add another trophy this year as they just won the Mexican Cup.

In the other game,  Santos Laguna hosts Monterrey after narrowly losing 1-0 on Wednesday.  They are a tough team at home and should be able to squeeze at least one goal out.

This would be enough as any ties are settled by finishing position,  not extra time or penalties,  so finishing #4 based on goal differential instead of #5 like Monterrey did could turn out to be vital.

Here’s what I suggest:

***

Before I let you go,  please allow me to talk for a bit about the Copa Libertadores Final.

HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING THIS INSANE SHIT?!?

Seriously,  it’s bananacakes.

To refresh your memory,  the Copa Libertadores is the South American version of the European Champions League. Instead of holding a one game final at a neutral site,  the winner is crowned after two legs,  one game at each team’s stadium.

The two teams vying for the cup are Boca Juniors and River Plate who are bitter rivals from Buenos Aires in the Argentinian league.  You’ll see soon exactly how bitter.

Let’s start with the first leg, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday,  November 10, 2018 in Boca’s beautiful stadium,  La Bombonera. Unfortunately,  a heavy rainstorm turned the field into this:

And so the game was moved to the following day,  Sunday,  November 11, 2018. This time, the weather cooperated, the field recovered,  and the two teams tied in a feisty and hard-fought game that saw 4 goals and six yellow cards.

The return leg was scheduled for Saturday,  November 24, but on the way to the stadium on game day, this happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8mVslwaWDA

The Boca bus got hit,  several players were hurt,  and the final was postponed.

Again,  the game was rescheduled for the following day.

However,  after reviewing video and getting updates on the conditions of the players (who were ok,  but shook up), CONMEBOL, the equivalent of UEFA, decided to postpone the game indefinitely until they could ensure a “level playing field”.

This is,  of course,  subject to interpretation.  Finally,  CONMEBOL decided,  in their infinite wisdom and not at all motivated by dollar signs,  to hold the return leg in…wait for it…

Madrid,  Spain.

Yup,  apparently the Bernabéu is now the host stadium as the Copa for the South American Club Champion will be awarded in Europe on Sunday,  December 9, 2018, making it the longest final in history.

As you may have guessed,  this decision was not well-received. Both clubs have filed protests and appeals.  Boca thinks the second leg should not be played and they should be crowned champions. River doesn’t want to travel to Europe and wants the game played at home as originally scheduled. Both have said they will fight this all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

It should be noted that violence in Argentinean League games is VERY common and away fans have been banned from attending road games for some time.

So, the final is in limbo,  tickets are being sold in another continent to a game that may not happen,  and everyone is pissed.

At least we got a classic joke out of this (courtesy of Don T):

Enjoy the games,  everyone!

0 0 votes
Article Rating
ballsofsteelandfury
Balls somehow lost his bio and didn't realize it. He's now scrambling to write something clever and failing. He likes butts, boobs, most things that start with the letter B, and writing in the Second Person. Geelong, Toluca, Barcelona, and Steelers, in that order.
Subscribe
Notify of
46 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
scotchnaut

Texas with the score.

/the next thread has reared its head

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

It’s pretty wonderful to live in a place where I wake up on the first day of December and think to myself “my garden is going to LOVE the weather today.”

Wakezilla

“Damn it’s getting hot down here.”

George HW Bush

King Hippo

not gonna do it…at this JUNCTURE!

scotchnaut

Also, “Hi dad!”

/you see, Prescott Bush was a bit of a shithead

Wakezilla

That’s pretty good

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Moreso than George, it seems like. Despite his many, many, and I mean many faults, (seriously, many), at least GHWB was willing – at one point, when he was young and probably feeling invincible – to put his own life on the line for the country.

scotchnaut

Actually, Bush Sr., Sr. sorta fought in WW1 and came under fire at least one time.

/his actions during WW2 however…

tomsellecksmoustache

“You get used to it.”

Roger Ailes

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“Ooja wooka babba noo.”

[translated from its original Hutt]

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I have to say I am glad that GHWB lived for long enough to see the Republican party exposed for what it truly became after the Southern Strategy took root.

scotchnaut

Oh look, the 10:55am beer is right on time today!

/I did clear my schedule

herodotus450

comment image

King Hippo

terribad GAMBLOR morning, saved by a cray-cray bet I put on Reading to win the first half ($70 at +586)

rockingdog
rockingdog

cheesincomment image

King Hippo

Up teh CHERRIES!!!

scotchnaut

I swear to gawd that I picked up Matt LaCosse before I watched the Brandon Perna video! He was stuck on the Giants practice squad for a couple of years.

yeah right

I took the draw at +950. The win was worth +2200 but even I ain’t that delusional.

litre_cola

Tito the Mexican pug ate 7 rice crispy squares while we were out. Thank Bleergh it was’t chocolate but I feel we will have a mess on our hands soon.

Wakezilla

He should be fine. Just keep Tito close to the door incase he has the liquid squirts

tomsellecksmoustache

I’d fill a flask and take Tito to the local dog park for the day.

litre_cola

Snowstorm here. Maybe will take him for a rip for awhile and run it out of him. Unlike Oxipug who was very old, Mexipug is fast and agile.

Ian Scott McCormick

Unrelated to sports, my two year old daughter has taken to calling me “Super Daddy.” Meanwhile my wife remains “Crazy Mommy.” She is not thrilled about this development. But then she probably shouldn’t have insisted on giving her a name that is essentially “Lil’ Ian” if she didn’t want her to take my side on the issues of the day.

scotchnaut

Having your thoughts/actions legitimized by your very young offspring is oddly gratifying. Before it occurred I had no clue that it carried so much weight.

4yr. old: “Daddy, you’re a very good driver.”

Me: [thinking to self] “I am a good driver!” [smiles]

King Hippo

ah yes, the Daddy’s Girl! I had 2-3 of them, most days.

THEY GROW UP AND BECOME TEEBNAGERS

rockingdog

found a funny:
When you’re cutting wrapping paper and your scissors start to glide is what I imagine heroin feels like.

herodotus450

“Now only three former us presidents condemn my actions instead of four.”
-Don T.

Ian Scott McCormick

I think W has come out against him as well, so that’d be four with Carter, Clinton and Obama.

herodotus450

Forgot Carter was still alive… Proof that Democrats are allied with satan since they live so much longer?

Ian Scott McCormick

Also, I am assuming you’re talking about Trump and not our own Don T.

herodotus450

Yeah. But they do both love Puerto Rico…

Ian Scott McCormick

If I were ever in League 1 and played Angers, I’d spend the whole game asking my opponent “U mad bro?” Especially if I played for Nice.

King Hippo

oh yes, this is righteous!!

litre_cola

Am grocery shopping at 7 am. So peaceful totally going to get little drummer boyed though

litre_cola

I avoided that song! Huzzah!

blaxabbath

There is a Countdown to Kickoff on the Dolphins homepage that has reached zero.

https://www.miamidolphins.com/

Considering it’s in Days/Hours/Mins/Secs, I hope this is somehow just leftover from Week 1.

theeWeeBabySeamus

I will never again complain about the weather in NC. Yes, that’s probably a lie, admittedly.

But I just had to scrape ice off of my windshield before going to get breakfast. I had forgotten how much “fun” it is to live in Maryland without an enclosed garage type thingy.

As an aside, Santos Laguna girl seems nice.

comment image

theeWeeBabySeamus

Also, facebook keeps sending me “friend suggestions” from girls who I’m fairly convinced are hookers.

No, I’m not complaining.

scotchnaut

She could “pose in my stadium” anytime.

litre_cola

Young Boys v Thun! With a 16 pt lead we can put the Swiss league to bed.

Brick Meathook

Jamaica, Queens, New York City
November 28, 2018
comment image

blaxabbath

Jamaica is it’s own country. If these people are casting ballors, there is your electional fraud right there!