Falastur

This is Torque's badge: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Escudo_CA_Torque.png (not linking directly to the file as the image is huge) Also worth pointing out that Torque and Yokohama played in their current colours before CFG took them over, so that's not part of any CFG redesign. I thought CFG had given up on changing club colours so was slightly disappointed to see Girona step out in blue away kits, though at least there's no sign that they plan to change the home strip. I think they've had their fingers burned on changing club identity too much now.

Is it possible that the Friday night part contributed to lower crowds? I know that Friday night games in the PL are getting a lot of criticism as being hard to attend for fans.

Just to clarify: I'm only referring to the ones I saw since I started watching in 2014. I believe the other ones I've seen were Galekovic and Redmayne? Time blurs memories so I could be wrong - you guys are the experts - but I'm fairly confident Bouzanis has been the best of those three. That said, I still think there are improvements to be made, hence my question. I was genuinely surprised that Mombaerts hadn't replaced him already. Edit: 2-1 win, I'll definitely take it. City seemed strong first half but the commentators kept going on about second half comebacks this season and they almost had a point. Good luck to the team (and you all) for the final on weds. Sadly that'll be taking place while I'm just starting work so no chance of tuning in for that one.

BAH. Right when I felt we were starting to control Adelaide after they came out of the traps racing in the second half. Really need another Macca goal to kill this one off (and give him the hattrick he thoroughly deserves) but Adelaide look fired up all over again now. Quick thing by the way: Bouzanis is surely the best Melbourne City keeper I've seen, but I still thought he might move out over the off-season. What are people's thoughts on him? Is everyone confident in him or is he a bit of a risk? Obviously it's been some time since I last saw him play so not sure if moods have changed (or if I just don't remember his performances accurately).

Early indications, I'm liking the play style a lot better than anything I saw under Valkanis or Joyce. Also, get in! Quick fire double, exactly what was needed to settle the game down. Great work from Maclaren on both.

Alright blokes? I know I disappeared for a while but I'm was always following the scores (and praying for Joyce to get the sack) and I'm back and joining you for this one.

You're right, though. There's one spot for the regular season winner (i.e. Sydney), one for the runner-up and one for the GF winner. If either of the top two teams in the regular season win the GF then the third spot goes to highest league placement (i.e. third) as no team can qualify for the same tournament twice. Therefore, so long as we finish 3rd and no team below us wins the GF, we would get a place.

Four words I never thought I'd see written

Only just managed to tune in for the last 15 mins but so far looks like a decent showing of sitting back to defend a lead (the goal just now does help). Pleasantly surprised to not see the team start to crumble under the pressure.

Wait, Redmayne can save now? I don't remember that when he was playing for us...

I thought Bruno was supposed to be match-fit again? I thought I saw something suggesting he was going to play?

Well, seems I've jinxed us again.

Morning all. How are we playing?

True, but my point still stands. America is not generally a country which is willing to promote socialist attitudes... I do remember once reading an American arguing that their sporting system was the capitalist style instead and that the "European" style was socialist. I've always struggled to get my head around how that works. I think it was something to do with the fact that the league set-up may promote equality but it is far more geared towards ensuring that rich club owners only get richer, but I don't recall it being a very strong argument.

I always found it ironic that America based much of its identity in the 20th Century on being in every way anti-Communist and yet their sports systems are so incredibly socialist, what with the extreme number of ways they have of ensuring that the worst-performing sides get first dibs on new players, all merchandising revenue being shared equally between all clubs and all the rules preventing owners from spending their money to improve their teams.

There's another aspect of the Mix signing that people here probably aren't aware of. MLS is actually even more obtuse with its bizarre rules and restrictions than the A-League, and one of those is that players often get signed to contracts with indefinite ends due to a bewildering array of extension clauses that can often be triggered without necessarily having everyone's agreement, and which often are not publicised anyway. Furthermore, players are technically signed to the league not to individual clubs, and the league simply allocates them to clubs based on details of the transfer. Mix was signed by NYCFC for their first season back in 2015 on very high wages as he was expected to be a centrepiece of the team, but by the end of their second season it was clear that Patrick Vieira didn't rate him and he would have to go. They wanted to sell him but couldn't find any takers, so used a MLS rule which states that clubs can terminate any one player's contract without being hit by salary cap penalties (mutual termination clauses etc) but due to MLS rules his contract wasn't terminated with MLS itself. MLS could have made him available for signing by any other MLS club but it was decided ultimately to loan him to a club in Sweden, probably due to lack of interest. All the NYCFC fans assumed that that was the end of it...until it wasn't. Stories kept popping up that due to MLS rules he was still somehow bound to NYCFC and they would have to put him back in the squad if they couldn't transfer him. Under those circumstances, and with no-one else willing to take him, it suddenly makes a lot more sense that Manchester City agreed to sign him for free. Also he definitely isn't coming to Melbourne, as all the reports state that he will not be sent to another CFG team. To all intents and purposes it seems that CFG have basically done a deal with him where they will let him train in Manchester for a while and find him a new club if he will agree to get off NYCFC's salary books.

No, sorry, I got that. For some reason I decided to answer it straight and not tongue-in-cheek like the tone suggested I should but I got your intention. My bad.

Well, some might argue that it's entirely because JVS took five seasons to make people that way that it only takes one to make people feel it about Joyce. That said, I would also say that I'm pretty surprised that it did take five seasons as I always had the impression that JVS had been fairly unpopular into his second or third year. Obviously I wasn't here at that point, but going off comments I've seen here I mean.

There is far more excitement in the stands than I am feeling right now...

I was about to say the exact same thing. I actually felt numb when McCormack scored, because it felt like a restoration of some of Joyce's credibility.

Well, I mean...it's something to do, right? It was gone 9 and I was waking up anyway, so I thought why not?

Just dragged myself out of bed. I take it we've been about as effective as last time so far?

Who Etc doesn't sound like the name of a Greek construction worker to me. Is it a nickname?

Well that game went about as well as I was expecting it to. Well, it was good at least to get a chance to come on the forum to watch a game with you all. Hope you all had a good New Year's Day up until this game started.