Germany - England

I think Brazil would beat Manchester U. Ok, where would a decent MLS team place in England? Would they be in the lowest divison? Also, would Arsenal or Barcelona kick the crap out of an MLS all star team?

 

I think Bayern Munich would beat the crap out of Valencia, Real, ManU...wait a second...they DID IT ALREADY .

And...forget about all that Dunkirk stuff, let's talk about sports...

 

Didn't they get waxed by Owen and Liverpool in the Super Cup?

 

I knew this was coming. What matters is the Champions League title...the Supercup is just a warming-up game for the season and everyone knows it...

 

Yeah, Owen warmed those Germans up! Like toast!

I doubt you'd be saying that if BM had taken the Supercup. The point is that neither BM nor the German Nationals are as good as the English. And I think you've witnessed the turning point in Owen's career. You have reason to fear his dominance, as you're going to be at the boot end of it for awhile.

 

Apologies all around; I think Det is completely right. I didn't mean to start an historical debate in a soccer thread. Obviously, I've touched a nerve, though, with our London chapter. But, in the interests of soccer, I won't engage in the argument any longer. I'll even throw you a bone: the Americans crossed the Rhine a solid 3 months before Berlin fell to the Russians. So, I exxagerated a bit.

An apology also to our German posters -- comparing the military prowess of WWII regimes is not always a comfortable subject for Germans. So, I'm sorry I brought it up at all.

Please, carry on.

 

My guess is that the very best MLS team would be comparable to a mid-table Nationwide Division One team. Any team the likes of Arsenal or Barcelona, Champions League teams from a major country, would beat an MLS All-Star team 6 times out of 10, maybe lose once out of 10. Additionally, I would certainly hope that Brazil could beat Man United.

 

FRANZ BECKENBAUER
"I am very sure that we are going to win this game. We are as good as, if not better than, Sven Goran Eriksson's side. I am sure that we are better prepared for this match than England. We will beat England."

CARSTEN JANCKER
"We don't have to worry about single players such as Michael Owen or David Beckham. We have a stronger team and that is what counts."

SEPP MAIER
"David Seaman is past his best. Even I would have saved that shot and I don't play football any more. I don't think Seaman has the same standing in the game as our keeper Oliver Kahn, who is better."

STEFFEN EFFENBERG
"Steven who? I don't know him. I am not interested in England, or who is in their squad. I don't have time. I have better things to do."

PIERRE LITTBARSKI
"In Germany we are not as stuck in the past as the English. We have always kept our nerve and gone on to beat them when it mattered most. "They [England] put too much pressure on themselves and they have too much respect. I believe that Germany will win in the end, let's say 2-0."

SEBASTIAN DEISLER
"I am glad that David Beckham will be fit. Now England will have no excuses when we beat them."

ULI HOENESS
"How are England going to win in Germany? It hasn't happened for 100 years. I have no doubts whatsoever that Germany will quite clearly thrash England. They will easily qualify for the World Cup with this match."

ULI STIELICKE
"Judging from his potential Deisler is a better player than Beckham. He is perfect technically, his crosses are precise, he is dangerous in front of goal, has excellent vision and he is quicker than Beckham."

just for yuks, nothing more

 

I didn't say the Germans weren't arrogant, it was just funny coming from the English

And to all the depressed German fans, it could be worse. You could be a fan of the US team. With the exception of Friedel and Stewart, that basically was a MLS all star team we put on the field last night. When Richie Williams, Greg Vanney, and Preki are on the field in a vital WC qualifier you know we have problems.

I think Richard Gough compared MLS to the Scottish League. Naturally, Rangers and Celtic would dominate, but he said MLS teams could compete with the other Scottish clubs.

 

This is not arrogant, but just confident. Of course you are not going to say that you are worse and that you will lose.

Okay, he was wrong - for this particular game. Again, to me, not arrogant, just trying to express confidence.

True statement. I still think Seaman sucks bigtime. First of all, he looks like some wannabe-pimp, secondly, he is a really, really bad keeper. I have seen many games he played in and he is almost certain to at least have one big mistake in each game. Kahn had his worst game ever in this last game against England, but overall, I think he is the best keeper in the world. He was selected best keeper of the Champions League last season. He has this incredible willpower which not many people have and has won a countless amount of games for Bayern Munich.

This quote needs to be seen in context. Effenberg was asked if he was considering a return to the German national team and then he was asked about the game against England. Effenberg has expressed many times that he does not want to play for Germany. So he tried to stress that point by stating that he doesn't even follow the German national team or its opponents; all he is interested in is the team he plays for and its opponents.

Judging from Littbarski's experience, this quote was a true one...e.g., he was on the team (although he didn't play in that particular game) that beat England in the semifinals in 1990. His prediction was obviously wrong, but I don't think it expressed arrogance, it just stated what had been happening the last 30 years.

He said IF we beat them. Big difference. All he was saying was that he did not want to win because one of the opponents' best players is injured.

Uli Hoeness has a tendency to make drastic points and to make bold predictions. That's why he had to eat his words many times in the past, but he is a true winner...there is no English player, active or not, that can compare to him in terms of titles won - World Champion (1974), European Champion (1972), Champions League winner (1974-1976), etc., etc. Also, he is hands down the best manager in Europe. He was instrumental in making Bayern Munich one of the most dominant and commercially successful teams in the world over the past 20 years. This quote could be considered arrogant, but everybody in Germany knows he comes across as arrogant...Bayern Munich fans love him, everybody else hates him...I could dig out a million quotes from English players/coaches which are a lot more arrogant than this one...

First of all, as assistant coach of the German national team, Uli Stielike has already proven that he does not know THAT much about football. However, his quote is not entirely untrue. He was talking about the POTENTIAL. And there are not many players in the world who have more potential than Deisler, although that did not show at all in the game against England. It is true that he is perfect technically and that he is quicker than Beckham, his free-kicks are just as good as Beckham's, etc. The big difference is that Beckham has already grown into a leadership role for the English team, whereas Deisler still needs time and experience...however, I fully believe that Deisler will have a fantastic career if it is not cut short by injuries. He is incredibly talented and only 21 years old.


...and I still fully expect England not to win against Greece...with its German coach...

 

Maybe you guys missed this?

 

No, but I still wanted to answer every single one of them, your honor .