OT: Association Football

[85 Baby]

Soccer won’t be same without Hilly. Had great voice for commentating.

 

[Suitman]

Soccer won’t be same without Hilly. Had great voice for commentating.

Indeed.
Best commentator of any sport in Australia.
A huge loss.

 

[Suitman]

Taken from another site........nice summary.

The tiebreak order is overall points, overall goal difference, overall goals scored, then if all those are tied it goes to head to head. Given the current table it's impossible for us to end up tied on all three.

• We win or draw we go through on points.
• Any Saudi win by 3 goals or less means we're level on points but we go through on goal difference.
• A 4 goal Saudi win makes us level on points and goal difference, but we go through on goals scored.
• Only way the Saudis can finish ahead of us is a win by 5 or more goals.

This is a side that has only scored 6 goals in their 9 games so far, needing to score at least 5 in a single game against a side that has only conceded 6 in their 9 games. My guess is a vintage Popa football terrorism 0-0, although there's no downside to the Saudis absolutely going for it so they may leave gaps at the back. Technically the Saudis could finish fourth if Indonesia upset Japan and we win or draw, but it looks like there isn't any seeding for the fourth round draw so there's no real difference between finishing third or fourth.

 

[the phantom menace]

I was fully expecting Bahrain to “fall apart” and let in 10 goals.

Yes,, stranger things have happened...

Anyway we should only have to wait another 5 days to celebrate qualification alongside the other mighty teams to qualify such as Canada, Uzbekistan, Jordan and New Zealand

We'll be among good company! Though I reckon if we come up against Japan again in the real deal, they'll hand our arses back to us.

 

[Gronk]

They play tough over there.

Ange Postecoglou sacked as Tottenham manager two weeks after Europa win

Ange Postecoglou is sacked as manager of English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, just two weeks after he delivered the north London club its first silverware in 17 years.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Twizzle]

17th in the PL wasn't good enough and according to the official club statement is was unanimous.

https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2025/june/club-statement-ange-postecoglou-departs/

 

[Twizzle]

 

[the phantom menace]

Wow. But I guess fair enough... if their measure of success is finishing higher than the danger zone in Premier League. But I guess if they're shifting through managers that quickly despite achieving a rare trophy win, will Spurs ever be satisfied or get what they seek in a manager?

Ange did what he said he would with a trophy in the second year, and is probably best doing the same somewhere else now, even in another league/country.

 

[TheParraboy]

This gave me a chuckle, a random punter on social media, why Ange was sacked

Ange: I just won a trophy
Hotspurs board: We don't do that

 

[T-Boon]

Has Japan gotten a lot better over the last 4 years or so? According to the TV coverage they had a few starters out and completely dominated except for the creating chances bit.
Have we gotten worse since the last WC, we looked pure dog shyte?
It was an unbelievable 5 seconds of play though and a great result for Australia. You take that over playing brilliant but not being able to score/win any day of the week.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Japan has become pretty good. They are ranked 15th in the world at the moment. We are ranked 26th.

As for the gulf between the two teams, I wonder how many we would win if the two countries played each other ten times. This recent win may have been extremely lucky and could've been a 1 in 10 outcome for us. Anyway it was very exciting, or at least the last few minutes were.

 

[the phantom menace]

Has Japan gotten a lot better over the last 4 years or so? According to the TV coverage they had a few starters out and completely dominated except for the creating chances bit.

I'd say yes. They've gone from 24 to 17 in the rankings since 2022. But I've always considered them a better squad than us.

Have we gotten worse since the last WC, we looked pure dog shyte?

Even though our rankings have gone up in the same period (35 to 25) I'd also say yes - especially in terms of creating anything in attack, but our defence stood up and we kept a clean sheet.

It was an unbelievable 5 seconds of play though and a great result for Australia. You take that over playing brilliant but not being able to score/win any day of the week.

True.

 

[Suitman]

17th in the PL wasn't good enough and according to the official club statement is was unanimous.

https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2025/june/club-statement-ange-postecoglou-departs/

I've just spent a couple of hours watching YouTube videos re this decision, both official media and fans.
The general consensus is overwhelmingly against the sacking of Ange and that Spurs have made the wrong decision. From media pundits to former players to fans.

This is so typical Spurs though. Always looking for the quick fix. 6 managers in 7 years proves that this approach does not work. Some highly credentialed managers are amongst that lot, yet only Ange bought Spurs a trophy.

If anyone needs to be rid from that club, it is Levy and the board.
I'm not even a Spurs fan yet I was so hoping that Ange would at least be given the chance to manage them for another season into the Champions League and improve the PL results. I've no doubt he could have done it.
Alas, they now start another re-build and start from scratch. AGAIN!
Spurs get what they deserve.

 

[Twizzle]

This is so typical Spurs though.

a lot of talk that he has sold, god I hope its true, a lot of structural changes to the back office and Donna Cullen, his right hand woman, has gone in the last week

we've had Poch, Jose, Conte and now Ange and he has never backed any of them becuase he is profit before on field sucess and he just thinks things will change if he gets a new manager in, rinse and repeat, he'll get a new manager and wont back them and sack them within 2 years if he's still around but at least he'll make himself a huge amount of money in the process, he is our second highest share holder to Joe Lewis (Nike)

 

[Twizzle]

 

[Suitman]

a lot of talk that he has sold, god I hope its true, a lot of structural changes to the back office and Donna Cullen, his right hand woman, has gone in the last week

we've had Poch, Jose, Conte and now Ange and he has never backed any of them becuase he is profit before on field sucess and he just thinks things will change if he gets a new manager in, rinse and repeat, he'll get a new manager and wont back them and sack them within 2 years if he's still around but at least he'll make himself a huge amount of money in the process, he is our second highest share holder to Joe Lewis (Nike)

The hire - sack - hire - sack - hire - sack the manager approach is so f**king dumb.
Look at Newcastle. Eddie Howe actually given a chance over several years and also delivers a trophy. Without even a huge spend on players.
Well, Ange is an equally good manager. Levy is a dickhead and really should not be owning a PL team.
He built your incredible stadium. It's now time for him to f**k off.