English Premier League 2023/24

Listening to the Scuffed podcast Monday review for this week, and they are having an extensive discussion on Luca Koleosho. Seems he grew up in NYC until he was 12, and that's when his parents moved the family to Spain to further his soccer career. He is eligible for Italy, Canada, USA and Nigeria. He has played for Italy's youth teams and was on the bench for some Canadian senior team friendlies last year.

I wonder if he was ever approached by NYCFC for a spot in the academy. I suppose in 2017, it still wasn't a proven commodity for developing players, but you can't argue against it these days.
They never lived in NYC afaik. His family would drive him down to NYC almost every day after school and on weekends, from Connecticut where they lived, for a few years this went on. His family were lovely people-- we went to a few regional tournament weekends together when we were both involved in Kickers, as well as one in Barcelona and Tarragona for two weeks (amazing trip! It was then I saw Real Madrid beat Barca in the Copa del Rey final in Valencia, on Bale's late winner). I'm sure that trip was when he was first scouted by Espanyol and others. I think they were already heading to Europe when NYCFC started up its academy.
 
A big thing to note for this coming Premier League season is that former NYCFC legend Andoni Iraola is the manager for Bournemouth. He becomes the second NYCFC player to go on to manage a Premier League team after Frank Lampard, and the third person connected with NYCFC to manage in the Premier League after Lampard and Patrick Viera.

It's also interesting in light of Tyler Adams joining Bournemouth. I checked, and Adams did not play in any of the HR Derbies in 2016, so the two never actually faced off on the pitch.
 
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Your kid's former teammate is showing quite well today against Forest. Did he have this much pace back then?
It's like traveling back in time. That goal he was involved in-- that was EXACTLY what he used to do... blow by the wide defender, make the turn in bounds, get past/through a second defender, then score (back then) or assist (or assist the assist) nowadays. We always thought "he won't always be able to rely on his speed at the highest levels"
 
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Tremendous article.

They’ll have to add one more paragraph about how Emery felt after playing them today

Thierry Henry Smile GIF by hamlet
 
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They’ll have to add one more paragraph about how Emery felt after playing them today

Thierry Henry Smile GIF by hamlet
Seriously. I couldn't watch it because it was on USA and I don't have cable, and NBC won't stream the USA games on Peacock. I guess they're trying to force people to pay the cable companies.

Greedy bastards. But hey, you have to get the money to pay players a gajillion dollars a week from somewhere, I guess.

Anyway, sweet revenge for Unai Emery, especially after Liverpool bottled it earlier in the day. Arsenal could have started to pull away. After all the grief Emery took from the supporters after replacing Wenger (some of which was deserved, to be honest) there must be at least a little bit of schadenfreude involved.

How do you say "neener neener" in Spanish?
 
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So, is anyone else rooting for Arsenal today solely because you want matchday 38 drama?
I personally don't have preference of who wins the title, but I love it when the title is on the line and will be decided on the final day!
 
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I'm Spurs and for the first time in my life I'll be rooting against my own team on Tuesday. Even if Villla lose tomorrow and we have a shot at 4th by getting a result vs. City, I'd happily take 5th over handing Woolwich the title.

Not that I think we will get a result, mind you. But it will be very funny to see how the home crowd is reacting if City is not ahead in the second half. I guarantee 99% of Spurs fans feel the same as me.
 
I'm Spurs and for the first time in my life I'll be rooting against my own team on Tuesday. Even if Villla lose tomorrow and we have a shot at 4th by getting a result vs. City, I'd happily take 5th over handing Woolwich the title.

Not that I think we will get a result, mind you. But it will be very funny to see how the home crowd is reacting if City is not ahead in the second half. I guarantee 99% of Spurs fans feel the same as me.
If the shoe were on the other foot, same thing. 😆
 
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I'm Spurs and for the first time in my life I'll be rooting against my own team on Tuesday. Even if Villla lose tomorrow and we have a shot at 4th by getting a result vs. City, I'd happily take 5th over handing Woolwich the title.

Not that I think we will get a result, mind you. But it will be very funny to see how the home crowd is reacting if City is not ahead in the second half. I guarantee 99% of Spurs fans feel the same as me.
Interesting tidbit here: City has never beaten the Spurs in a Premier League match in Tottenham's new stadium:

 
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