euros and friendlies all tied up with strings

[jazzypom]

Comments

Yeah, Liverpool Hilton, iirc

[jazzypom]

The party was for everyone after the match, I think? I would have included stuff about it, but the post was getting too long already - and alas, life drags me away from LJ. It was nice for everyone to come back and receive their songs and goodbyes as it were.

I'm still sad we didn't get a Xabi/Moreno/Steven photo :(I know! I think Gerrard and Moreno would have been well up for it, Alonso, not so much. LOL

[marsyke]

Those WAGS do look alike. Ah well, if they feel happy about it.

Lol Steven's face..
Philippe Coutinho looks more like a fan than a colleague.

[lied_ohne_worte]

Aww, not following Liverpool and all the who-went-weres, but all of that does look quite sweet. Might need to dig up video of it.

Boateng was awesome. Always a step faster somehow, very grown up. There were lots of pitch invaders in the match, though, four or five, but they were at least very friendly, kissing people's feet and things (which also happened during the German training session). It was hilarious in a way, but if they hadn't been that friendly... total security failure, really. That's a Georgian journalist in the training session.

[lied_ohne_worte]

Saw this just now... while his playing was great, I do think his taste in glasses is questionable.

Diese Brille! pic.twitter.com/xs8Lu8INiT
- uersfeld (@uersfeld) 30. März 2015

[marsyke]

Good God, those glasses?!!!!
I always have Monica Seles in the back of my mind when I see pitch invaders.

I'm not sure Basti would have reacted otherwise if Lahm was still the captain, we just look at it differently because he is the captain now.
If I look at the picture, I find his anger understandable. You have to stay away from people's throat.

Glad Reus scored and didn't get injured this time.

[chrysa]

Supposedly the tickets to the game were 2-4eur for the Georgian fans. What a chance, right? And Basti is always very kind and good about supporters :') His face makes me happy

The two captains appreciated each other. Schweinsteiger was still very annoyed about it in the post-match interview as they both got a yellow while he felt unfairly attacked. Definitely a change in captaining style from Lahm (granted, he'd have had to jump up to go forehead to forehead with practically anyone but Messi. Neuer stood next to him for the interview, hadn't really seen the incident from his end, but was in total loyal Captain's sidekick mode, hilarious really.

Well, the other thing is, Lahm is so short that being anything other than uh not aggressive towards him seems kind of mean-spirited, whereas Schweinsteiger is...taller, so he has a sort of aura that you might feel like you need to conquer. But seriously, people need to stop hurting him. This is my #1 gripe.

[marsyke]

Nice post! I missed most of yesterday! It's nice to see the players returning to Liverpool

It's... complicated

[jazzypom]

I just read your Ronaldo comment and on the Guardian that Kane is going to the U21 Euros after all.
That discussion is quite strange, seeing as Messi had won a CL and played in a World Cup before going to the Olympics which is also a youth tournament. Ronaldo played both Euro 2004 and the Olympics in 2004.
If they manage to always play for their country, how come the English can't?The English senior teams get first dibs on the talent, so if a lad gets tapped into first teams, he doesn't necessarily go back into U17s or whatever. Once Wayne Rooney got his senior call up, I don't think he went back into his U19s (he was 17 when he got his NT call up

RE: It's... complicated

[marsyke]

Several difficult issues, I see. I can understand Giggs better than the English players. Because even with him Wales wouldn't probably get anywhere. Although they might have a few years when he was nearing the end of his career and Ramsey and Bale were starting to grow.

But I don't understand the English players. Refusing to play for your country in most other countries, at least that's the impression I have, is mostly because of very personal problems with the coach or well problems like Nasri.
England mostly qualify and they would have had a great chance of achieving something if they would have, like the Germans worked their ass off for the NT.

RE: It's... complicated

[the4thjuliek]

Slightly off topic, but Bale looked like he was having the time of his life in the match against Israel. He and Welsh Prince are so good together and you could tell that he just soaked in the love from the fans and his teammates. And yeah, unlike Giggs, he and Ramsey and Ashley Williams and the other Williamses all take their NT duties very seriously. I really want Wales to qualify for the Euros, I think they can do it.

[chuk_is_dazzled]

that charity match was cute, the dudes looked liked they were just having a bunch of fun. im sad there wasnt a xabi, steven, and alberto family photo :( but oh well.

i bet crispy was so jealous when matic got that bicycle kick right in front of him lol

mls reddit was cracking me up yesterday cause the comments match threads were like so hilariously negative. not with the usual "retirement league" stuff but people being like: refs sucks, defense nonexistent, and just teams in general that suck. granted most these comments came from a game between 2 teams at the bottom of the table with like the lowest attendance yet lol. ia with the comments there that im now after watching multiple mls games. like idc what other people who watch other leagues think of mls anymore cause mls in general is still in its like beginner stages/ kinda bad-ish but since its my domestic league i'll deal. tho the refs are really trash OMG

heh, once people start complaining it's a good thing

[jazzypom]

As in, it's nice to see that they can recognize that for most players, their first touch is woeful, and if they can see the shortcomings of their teams instead of blind loyalty, you're more than half way there, to be honest! I think if I'm going to follow the MLS, I need a team to stan for; for their rivalries to be mine, and them me. For me to rock their shirts and badges and whatnot. But I can't say that I've found a team that does that though. It doesn't help that most of their names are a bit silly, like Real Salt Lake, and Columbus Crew sounds like the name of an erotic male dancing troupe, like Chippendales.

Besides, I'm an embittered LFC supporter already, and Spurs is my second team/team in waiting if LFC and Rodgers pisses me off anymore than they do. LOL.

RE: heh, once people start complaining it's a good thing

[chuk_is_dazzled]

lol team names in USA sports are named after whatever, but idg real salt lake. like NBA names are funny, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets (which took me way too long to realize its not named for mcdonalds chicken nuggets lol) the list goes on. so of course MLS gets some different names too. i couldn't tell you who too root for, like besides my local team Houston (who seem allergic to scoring) im waiting til like midway-end of the season to really determine teams. altho Seattle and Portland have huge followings based on attendance, like they always have sellouts it seems and the atmosphere seems amazing. Orlando is new to MLS but they were in another league so there crowd atmosphere is really great to, tho idk about them so far

Re: RE: heh, once people start complaining it's a good thing

[jazzypom]

but yeah people see the shortcomings and criticize stuff but theyre optimistic supporters so thats fine. like with the USMNT, everyone sees the horrible possession, bad passes, weak defense but they still support them. Well, you support your national team until you don't. I supported England even with the racist pos John Terry on the team, because like a fart in the wind, he too would pass. But yeah, I gotta say, the USMNT confound me though - but I wonder if it's because they don't really play with each other day to day, so they have yet for form a relationship

[chrysa]

Awww.... LFC match. :') I think the LFC match was good times for everyone because it was such an all-star game. So happy to see Torres' smiling face, and I'm glad he's back at a club that he loves and can really support him too, and he put the old wounds to rest (??? mixed metaphor sorry) at Anfield.

Also, Jazzy, did you notice that both Xabi and King Titi wore the #14 jersey? hahaha I'm a legend, you can't tell me what to do!. I was incredibly charmed by that. And everyone (from the Arsenal side) was talking about his trick pass to Babel which was flopped oop.

It was a fun match. It'd be nice see more All-Star matches in the EPL, but I don't think many of them would be this emotional (unless if somehow Arsenal managed to get the Invincibles back together... but they couldn't even get A Cole for the book so I doubt that's going to happen.

Also, Frances' kits are seriously sexy :9 Helped by Flop Baguette, but in general, beautiful design.

[melj1213]

It'd be nice see more All-Star matches in the EPL, but I don't think many of them would be this emotional

TBF they don´t happen with huge regularity but they do happen often enough - this game was billed as an "All star" game but it was basically a testimonial for Gerrard (and a second one for Carra) and they´ve happened a few times over recent years, it just depends on the clubs involved as to how "big" the players involved are and how much it´s publicised. Most of them happen at the end of a season but this one was mid season so it´s kind of an anomaly