ES Soccer Thread

[ixcuincle]

About NBC EPL coverage

—20 Premier League matches to be televised live on NBC’s free-to-air channel over the course of the 2013-14 season.

— Every single EPL match will be streamed for free via NBC Sports Live Extra, which is available online and on iPhone and Android devices with authenticated sign-on via participating TV providers (more on that later).

— Premier League matches will be shown live on television each gameweek with NBC Sports Network showing the Saturday 7:45am ET and 10am ET kickoffs as well as the Sunday early kickoff (typically 8:30am ET) and weekday matches. Telemundo will show 10am ET matches, while NBC free-to-air will feature the Saturday 12.30pm ET matches. Last but not least, the USA Network or CNBC will feature the Sunday 11am ET matches. All games will be shown live.

— As previously reported by EPL Talk, the team bringing you the games each week will include Rebecca Lowe, Arlo White, Robbie Mustoe and Robbie Earle. They’ll be joined by Gary Lineker, Graeme Le Saux and Lee Dixon. Lineker will host from the UK on occasion while White, Dixon and Le Saux will be on-site commentators.

[ixcuincle]

The problem with FSC was that it was never mainstream. For instance, with my FiOS system, I get it...but it's not on the main tier. It wasn't on the main tier on Comcast either.

Basically anyone with cable can access NBC and NBC Sports Network. In addition, NBC is making a concerted effort to make nearly all of these games available either online or through cable systems, on channels people actually get. Great move for the sport

[Elessar78]

For the last two years I've been paying for FoxSoccer2Go. I can get it streaming to my desk or my phone. it's a little frustrating because Arsenal games are almost always on delay, BUT it's super convenient to have when I'm somewhere boring and want to watch a match.

Also, for coaching, I can use it for studying as I can pull up many matches On Demand from many different leagues.

I'm just glad that it seems like NBC will have an online component BUT I hope there's an OnDemand feature as well.

[ixcuincle]

Speaking of coaching, I need to study the formations some more. I just use the default 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 in FIFA 13

What formation do you tend to use

[Elessar78]

In real life or FIFA?

I play with Arsenal and I play a 4-1-3-2, so basically a 4-4-2. The AI in FIFA has gotten really good that, IMO, actual real-life decisions can be seen in the game. But I also use a 4-2-3-1 when I need to be more defensive, like in games where I have to rotate my squad and I have scrubs playing.

My first season of playing FIFA12 I got relegated as Arsenal, the defending was really dificult for me to grasp. See how realistic it is??:silly: (Arsenal joke).

I choose to play with 2 forwards, because when I had Van Persie solo up to, two Center Backs made it tough for him to get any space. So the 2nd forward (I use Walcott) is there to inject pace and give RVP someone to play off of.

I have a Central Attacking Mid to create and act as a back pass option for my two strikers. The two wide midfielders give me width, I don't cross in much but just do so to give the defense a change-up, so to speak. The holding mid is there to screen my back line.

I think you'll get more mileage out of the "Custom Tactics" menu, as you can tweak how your team actually plays—again, another more realistic feature.

In actual real life, coaching views formations as "just a string of numbers". Radio announcers popularized "formations" because they found it useful in describing how a team lined up before kickoff. But the real important things, as it relates to game play, is roles and responsibilities of each player in the different phases of the game (own team in possession, opponents in possession, transition from attack to defense, transition from defense to attack). So formations should be mostly based on the abilities of your players and/or what you want to do.

[Old Bay]

Really looking forward to the way NBC will handle the EPL. Too bad Rovers aren't up there anymore.

For FIFA I use a 4-4-2 Diamond Wide (or a 4-1-2-1-2 in FIFA12) or a 4-5-1 that I customized (Attacking midfielder/forward in the hole and the wingers pressed high to attack the flanks, with two defensive midfielders, one pressed up a little bit to help in attack). I like having a defensive mid who breaks up the play and I like to attack the flanks with speed.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Old Bay

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

FIFA meh.

My analytical nature says Football Manager is still the only way to go. Even if I seem to lose track of whole days and nights when I bang it on, lol.

Hail.

*Edit* Another thing wrong with 'modern' soccer from the above discussion. The need to bracket limited players to give them a role and make them fell special. Defensive/ attacking midfielders. Man, it wasn't too long back that a central midfielder put the leg work in by doing an all round job. Support the defenders by tracking back from midfield. Get his ass down the other end to support the forwards.

Rant over. *traditioanl GHH

Edited April 17, 2013 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Elessar78]

FIFA meh.

My analytical nature says Football Manager is still the only way to go. Even if I seem to lose track of whole days and nights when I bang it on, lol.

Hail.

I wasted too much of my youth on games like football manager. "Wasted".

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I wasted too much of my youth on games like football manager. "Wasted".

I try to avoid it in my adult life as its still so freaking addictive, lol. I can literally lose a day and more without realising ...... Just one more game lol.

Anyway, I'm not talking to you after last night and not beating the bitters. So there.

Hail.

[Elessar78]

Anyway, I'm not talking to you after last night and not beating the bitters. So there.

Hail.

Yeah . . . about that. Everton should've been down to ten men. Fellaini needed a caution for persistent fouling after 15 minutes. It's going to be an interesting run in. I'm definitely tuning in for Sp*rs-Citeh this weekend.

---------- Post added April-17th-2013 at 02:50 PM ----------

oh and why are they called the bitters?

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Because we apparently caused the death of 56 people in Brussels in 1985 to get English clubs kicked out of Europe and stop Everton's certain World domination. I kid you not. The red obsessed mind of an Evertonian is a 'special' place indeed.

The fact that the same side with the addition of Lineker finished runners yup in both league and cup the following year to their 'dear' neighbours is lost on them as to how (not) so great that dominating side wasn't.

That's when things really turned again. The friendly derby often is anything but.

Once a blue. ALWAYS a bitter, jealous gob***** ****head.

Their all from Rhyll anyways. People's club my pasty white ass!

It got funny in the 90's when they used to throw United up at us. 'You're not Scousers any more' didn't begin to cover it. Then there was the 'Die die Nicky Nicky Die' ditty from the oh so loveable blues after Barmby switched clubs. Classy bunch that they are. I could go in, but you get the gist.

And yet the City came together like no other after Hillsborough, for which we continue to be excessively great full for. The mind if a blue is defi a 'special, wondrous' place.

Hail.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[ixcuincle]

In real life or FIFA?

I play with Arsenal and I play a 4-1-3-2, so basically a 4-4-2. The AI in FIFA has gotten really good that, IMO, actual real-life decisions can be seen in the game. But I also use a 4-2-3-1 when I need to be more defensive, like in games where I have to rotate my squad and I have scrubs playing.

My first season of playing FIFA12 I got relegated as Arsenal, the defending was really dificult for me to grasp. See how realistic it is??:silly: (Arsenal joke).

I choose to play with 2 forwards, because when I had Van Persie solo up to, two Center Backs made it tough for him to get any space. So the 2nd forward (I use Walcott) is there to inject pace and give RVP someone to play off of.

I have a Central Attacking Mid to create and act as a back pass option for my two strikers. The two wide midfielders give me width, I don't cross in much but just do so to give the defense a change-up, so to speak. The holding mid is there to screen my back line.

I think you'll get more mileage out of the "Custom Tactics" menu, as you can tweak how your team actually plays—again, another more realistic feature.

In actual real life, coaching views formations as "just a string of numbers". Radio announcers popularized "formations" because they found it useful in describing how a team lined up before kickoff. But the real important things, as it relates to game play, is roles and responsibilities of each player in the different phases of the game (own team in possession, opponents in possession, transition from attack to defense, transition from defense to attack). So formations should be mostly based on the abilities of your players and/or what you want to do.

I'm not a real life coach. Just in FIFA 13

Going to look into your formations advice.

---------- Post added April-17th-2013 at 03:20 PM ----------

FIFA meh.

My analytical nature says Football Manager is still the only way to go. Even if I seem to lose track of whole days and nights when I bang it on, lol.

Hail.

*Edit* Another thing wrong with 'modern' soccer from the above discussion. The need to bracket limited players to give them a role and make them fell special. Defensive/ attacking midfielders. Man, it wasn't too long back that a central midfielder put the leg work in by doing an all round job. Support the defenders by tracking back from midfield. Get his ass down the other end to support the forwards.

Rant over. *traditioanl GHH

Football Manager is also good too. Love press conferences. I played 11 and 12 a lot but never got 13.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I bought 13 only because I favour Glasgow Rangers and wanted a completely different challenge getting them back up from the third division.

Prior to that, 11 wa the last I bought. And then you're going back to 09 and 06. A lot tend to be just little tweaks here and there and updated databases of players so you're not really missing out on the new launch.

All addictive as all heck though lol.

Hail.

[Elessar78]

I bought 13 only because I favour Glasgow Rangers and wanted a completely different challenge getting them back up from the third division.

Prior to that, 11 wa the last I bought. And then you're going back to 09 and 06. A lot tend to be just little tweaks here and there and updated databases of players so you're not really missing out on the new launch.

All addictive as all heck though lol.

Hail.

I'm pulling for Liverpool tomorrow, GHH. I hope they can take it to Spartak London.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Thanks man. I hope so too. But as I am currently chilling, I shall refrain from talking about the rent boy *****.

Put a story up in the CNN Checnian thread you'll probably like.

Hail.

[Elessar78]

The piece about being in a war zone and your plane escorted by MiGs? That's pretty bad ass. Soccer fan dom is nothing like that in the US, although never been tested. I don't doubt there are enough crazy DC United fans that would go to a war zone for a match. But other fans in MLS, not so sure.

although I'm familiar with the term "rent boy" I looked it up and found this on Urban Dictionary:

3. rent boy 204 up, 157 down

Either a male prostitute or a player or supporter of Chelsea FC. Even if they no longer play for Chelsea, the fact that they once did (e.g. Dennis Wise, Graeme Le Saux) means they'll always be thought of as a Rent Boy! Le Saux is just THE ultimate Rent Boy! No wonder Robbie Fowler once showed him his ass! And I don't even like Fowler (ugly Scouse ****) but that incident was funny as ****!

Hello! Hello! Chelsea Rent Boy! Chelsea Rent Boy!

United are 6 points clear of the Rent Boys in the Premiership. Oy, Rent Boys - keep that trophy nice & shiny coz we're coming to take it back to Old Trafford where it belongs, you shandy-drinking soft Southern ****es!!!

Dennis (Un)Wise may now be manager of the Sheep Shaggers but he'll always be a Rent Boy to me!

what an amusing rant/definition.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Elessar78

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

The incident down at Stamford Bridge when Robbie wound him up all game, culminating in offering his rear to LeSaux was indeed hilarious. Almost as funny as when he got down on his hands and knees after a winner against Everton and started sniffing the line in response to the blue ****** 'Smack Head' chants. Or the way he always, without fail, wound Utd fans up when he scored past them after he left Anfield by holding up 5 fingers to remind them who England's real Europran masters are. Man I miss that guy.

The area around Chelsea' Kings Road is a notorious 'rent boy' area so it fits.

Sadly I fully expect Sundays game to be as ugly as ever off the pitch. No way will Chelsea respect any silence for Anne Williams (the low life ***** were singing 'Always the victims, Never your fault' at Fulham through the week and we weren't even playing them. In this week of all weeks.). Then there's the Rafa factor. They'll be abusing him. Our lot will be backing him. ******* hate games against them.

A Torres own goal winner would do nicely .....

Hail.

BTW, only 37 of us made that trip. Money, difficulty (having to fly out with the players, aside from the VISA which was even worse back then to obtain); and the small matter of the Russia- Chechen war.

I was one of the Vladikavkaz 37.

Think I'll have that on my headstone.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Elessar78]

Ah the Toxteth Terror. I was in my early teens when he was coming into his own at Liverpool. Which is crazy because I just checked and he's only 4 years older than me. One of my buddies at the time was this Northern Irish transplant who was a big Liverpool supporter. Scored some ridiculous goals.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Elessar78

[ixcuincle]

Noted American Clint Dempsey ties it for Spurs, and Defoe gives them the lead.

[Elessar78]

... I've learned to hate spurs.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

That is a beautifully worked free kick above. Nice to see some team actually working on something on the training ground.

Not enough of that these days.

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Double post. Darn cell lag. Sorry.

Continue on .....

Hail.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Est.1974]

Wow..Luis Suarez appearing to bite Ivanovic.

Thats not going to end well.

Edited April 21, 2013 by UK SKINS FAN '74

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

******* knob. Can't defend that at all. Fully expect a lengthy ban now. That was clear. Given his previous, the FA will take him to the cleaners. As if playing ******* volleyball for the Chelsea 2nd wasn't bad enough.

********.

Hail.

[Est.1974]

Could be his last game for Liverpool, imo.

Banned for the rest of the season then shipped out in the summer.

Great player but yeah, total knob.