Orlando City SC

[spenser1058]

Woohoo! Orlando City defeats Columbus(!) 2-1 and advances to the Playoffs in the East!

*watches @dcluley98do the Happy Dance around Exploria *

[dcluley98]

Yeah, what a relief.  Unfortunately, I don't know if the team is good enough to do anything in the playoffs, but at least we avoid the jokes of perhaps missing the playoffs despite winning a trophy.  

Bad news is that Robin Jansson is out for the year with a foot surgery scheduled.  

At least the team did enough to get in, but may be done for the accomplishments this season. (Kinda like my Rays, who just couldn't score runs to extend their post-season  ) 

[spenser1058]

Meanwhile, in the USL, the Tampa Bay Rowdies advance to the Eastern Conference final:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/rowdies/2022/10/30/rowdies-leo-fernandes-phil-breno-sebastian-guenzatti-steevan-dos-santos-usl-championship-memphis-901/

From The Tampa Bay Times 

*wonders if @dcluley98was ever a Rowdies fan back in the day*
 

Edited October 31, 2022 by spenser1058

[dcluley98]

I never was a "Rowdies" fan. I was a Tampa Bay Mutiny fan back in the day before the team folded. Carlos Valderrama was my soccer idol in HS. 

[spenser1058]

Call it football or soccer. The US is making some noise at the World Cup totally botched by FIFA (so what else is new?):

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/25/sports/soccer/us-soccer-england-tie-draw-world-cup.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

From The New York Times 

After a draw with England, the US needs to defeat Iran to move up.

 

[dcluley98]

The US played well against England. They deserve to move on, IMO, but need some more goal production to do so. 

Big news today was the rumor that Messi (arguably the greatest player in the history of soccer) is rumored to be moving to Inter Miami, the Orlando City rivals to the south. That is a big deal for soccer in America.  (Even though it will be to our hated neighbors, Inter Fort Lauderdale).   

[spenser1058]

United States defeats Iran 1-0 and advances to the round of sixteen at World Cup.

USA! USA! USA!

*watches @dcluley98do the happy dance*

Between Iran losing (they were trying to get the US ejected), Pootie’s bad moments in Ukraine and China’s lockdown woes, The Axis of Evil’s having a bad week…

Edited November 29, 2022 by spenser1058

[dcluley98]

Nervey game. The USMNT deserved to advance, but they need to find a way to produce more goals.  The defense has been pretty stellar.  Defense and GK have only allowed 1 PK goal. 

[spenser1058]

It was a valiant effort but Team USA was defeated by the Netherlands at the World Cup. 

[HankStrong]

On 11/25/2022 at 9:07 PM, spenser1058 said:

Call it football or soccer. 

Little known fact: soccer isn't an American term, despite being primarily used today in America.  It's a British term coined at the Uni of Oxford in the 1880s for what they call football.  It just took off here and died there.

[dcluley98]

It was a slang British term for As"soc"iation football, and primarily stuck in the British colonies in which other forms of "football" developed, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the Pacific Islands.  

[spenser1058]

Exploria Stadium will host 1st domestic matches in U.S. women’s World Cup cycle
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/soccer/world-cup/os-sp-world-cup-usa-womens-team-shebelieves-cup-exploria-stadium-20221209-wtjxplyh2fci5kjueuxypypdoa-story.html

From The Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Don’t cry for Argentina as they win the 2022 World Cup in an epic penalty shootout with France.

Charge On!

On to the US in 2026!

Edited December 18, 2022 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Pele, perhaps the GOAT in soccer, has died in Brasil at 82.