Brilliant. Yeah its pretty funny the reaction it gets.

Its indisputably true that it was an Englishman who coined the term soccer but he was instantly found and instantly killed and the word was never used on these shores again.

However the Aussies and the Americans picked it up and ran with it.

I laugh at my own jokes all the time. Someone has to amirite?!!?

When do you guys usually start a transfer window thread?

Bergkamp >>> Cantona >>>>>>>> anyone else.

Ask me in a few years and that'll probably change, ldo

No love for Zola?

I'm not sure where I'd put him but Bergkamp, Cantona and Zola are definitely the three foreign players who've performed best in the PL over time.

I'd probably have Zola in my top five somewhere but he's overrated imo

Who else would be in there then?

I think I'd have to add Ginola but I can't decide who would be the fifth.

Juan Sebastian Veron

If you're talking most valuable, Schmeichel has to be in the top 5

Widely hailed as the best Scottish cup semi ever. Hard to argue, a beast of a game that I sadly travelled to see.

They wouldn't be auto #1, even Brazil and Italy, arguably the most fanatical football countries in the world do not dominate international football to that extent, and in the case of Brazil, they don't even have a particularly strong domestic game due to the lack of money.

However we're assuming that football would be the #1 sport in the US for the purposes of your argument, so forget history as that's not the point, in which case I think you'd be pretty much up there continually with Brazil, Italy, Germany & Argentina.

A bit shocked at people talking about Zola, Cantona, Bergkamp. The best foreigner to play in the prem is Thierry Henry, this isnt a matter of opinion, no one else even comes close.

He was top scorer 5 times out of 8 seasons, he scored 226 goals in his time here, he was 3 times player of the year, twice runner up in World Player Of the Year (& shouldve won at least once).

He was also top of the league for assists numerous times, and just generally on a different level to everyone in the PL between 2002-2006.

Just one time maybe? They probably look strongest on paper, although Itlay and France are the most likely.

Psh.

Problem with spain is the team/squad has no unity. Spaniards hate Catalonians who hate Basques who hate Valencians who hate Andalucians who hate Spaniards etc etc etc

France have a very good shout as long as they play some of the younger talent (Benzema, Ben Arfa, Menez, Loic Perrin, Toulalan) - whenever the big game scome around they drop these guys for more experience.

Italy will no doubt be there

Croatia looked a decent bet, although losing Eduardo may have ended there chances.

Holland are my tip, they need to keep there players fit, cos Van Persie & Robben are so fragile. But in Sneider and Huntelaar aswell as the 2 mentioned they have a great attack, possibly they may blow it as they are very young compared to italy & france.

It's just bull**** spouted by the chief exec of Charlton yesterday as a solution to the repetitiveness & predicatability of the EPL.

Prior to that the Old Firm were trying to find a way into the EPL.

It'll never happen because turkeys don't vote for Xmas. Who drops out? 5 relegated? The OF won't want to work up from a lower league, and yet how can they not be made to do so?

It just won't happen because teams don't just choose where they want to play, they have to play in their national league. The Welsh clubs being an exception because the League of Wales is a modern invention.

It would however be incredibly interesting, as one or both would break into the top 4 in very short order.

I'd put my money on Italy/Germany personally, good teams that always excel in big tournaments.

The best foreigner to play top flight in England was George Best, who may well be passed by Ronaldo.

Thierry Henry combined pace, creativity, power and exquisite finishing to AVERAGE 21.75 league goals per season for Arsenal. He is the only player in the history of the EPL to hit for 20 or more in five consecutive seasons ( 24, 24, 30, 25, 27).

The Frenchman was also a terrific playmaker, laying on 23 assists in 2002-2003 and averaging over 9 assists a year for his Gunners career.

Henry was simply on a different level both physically and technically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zO6...eature=related

sumpy, that's linguistic differences as opposed to sporting terminology being crossed over as in my post that raju quoted. We could go on all day about the differences between English English & American English.

Correct answers? No clue on "road game" (away game? dunno) or "bad call", which is alternatively used with horrid call, terrible call, horsebleep call, wtf is he thinking, rigged, fixed, so rigged, jesus he sucks, wtf is he blind, etc.

I prefer flopping to diving because its more insulting. Diving sounds like an olympic sport with skill. Flopping implies you are out there helplessly flailing like a fish out of water. More appropriately describes just distasteful it is.

I agree he is better than Bergkamp and Cantona but it's not by much. Bergkamp's technical ability may have been slightly better.

Seriously?!? I doubt that any of the WCQs prior to the Hex will be particularly worrisome. My suspicion is that Bob can comfortably start fringe players against the various CONCACAF minnows.

I am headed to Beijing in August and have tickets for many of the men's and women's soccer matches. Not sure what to make of the U.S. draw (Netherlands, Nigeria and Japan). Though I seriously doubt that they will be facing the likes of Robben, Nakamura, Yakubu, or Ruud van Horseface.

They won't be since its an U-23 competition.

We call American football just that, very very rare to hear gridiron, if so, it's likely to be from someone who doesn't actually follow the game. NFL Wembley had 500,000 ticket applications last year by the way, and that was before the general public were made aware of it.