Jump to content

2019-20 UEFA Champions League


  • Please log in to reply
95 replies to this topic

#1
regulator

regulator

    Dir. of Football Operations

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,440 posts
  • Location:NJ
  • Supports:Metrostars, USMNT, Ecuador

Groups are set, with a couple of good storylines to follow for casual CL fans like myself:

 

Group E: Can Jesse Marsch navigate Salzburg out of a very tough group (with Liverpool and Napoli heavy favorites to advance)?

Group G: Will Tyler Adams feature heavily for Leipzig in a well-balanced but winnable group? (Benfica/Lyon/Zenit)

Group H: Can Christian Pulisic turn around Chelsea's regular season woes? Will Tim Weah play the role of spoiler for Lille and send Pulisic packing?

 

Last year I won a nice chunk of change betting on Liverpool to win the CL in a pre-season futures bet. This year I opted for Atletico Madrid (23:1 odds) as they have a similar formula to Liverpool last year (relying heavily on youth rather than overpriced, over aged "super" stars).  I did throw in a smaller hedging bet on Juventus as well at 11:1 odds (I think Ronaldo still has a lot left in the tank and can single handedly will his teams to victory). 

 

So...who ya got?



#2
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle

Groups are set, with a couple of good storylines to follow for casual CL fans like myself:
 
Group E: Can Jesse Marsch navigate Salzburg out of a very tough group (with Liverpool and Napoli heavy favorites to advance)?
Group G: Will Tyler Adams feature heavily for Leipzig in a well-balanced but winnable group? (Benfica/Lyon/Zenit)
Group H: Can Christian Pulisic turn around Chelsea's regular season woes? Will Tim Weah play the role of spoiler for Lille and send Pulisic packing?
 
Last year I won a nice chunk of change betting on Liverpool to win the CL in a pre-season futures bet. This year I opted for Atletico Madrid (23:1 odds) as they have a similar formula to Liverpool last year (relying heavily on youth rather than overpriced, over aged "super" stars).  I did throw in a smaller hedging bet on Juventus as well at 11:1 odds (I think Ronaldo still has a lot left in the tank and can single handedly will his teams to victory). 
 
So...who ya got?

Im not exactly going out on a limb, but gun to my head, Id be hard pressed to bet against City. Theyre obviously the favorite and in part due to being in the weakest group of all the big clubs. They should have a relatively stress free walk to winning their group. That being said, Im certainly not rooting for them. I tend to pull for English clubs (the ones I dont detest, at least). Ill probably be pulling for either a Liverpool repeat or Tottenham, despite being a Newcastle fan. I have a few buddies who are lifelong, diehard Liverpool and Spurs fans respectively, that Id be happy to see bask in European glory. Theyre all also Metro supporters, so that helps me side with them.

#3
ivo

ivo

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 4,369 posts
  • Location:Queens
  • Supports:NYRB, Real Madrid

Groups are set, with a couple of good storylines to follow for casual CL fans like myself:
 
Group E: Can Jesse Marsch navigate Salzburg out of a very tough group (with Liverpool and Napoli heavy favorites to advance)?
Group G: Will Tyler Adams feature heavily for Leipzig in a well-balanced but winnable group? (Benfica/Lyon/Zenit)
Group H: Can Christian Pulisic turn around Chelsea's regular season woes? Will Tim Weah play the role of spoiler for Lille and send Pulisic packing?
 

No
no (injury)
no (Chelsea are bad)
maybe yes? (See above)

City and Barca are due a title (and also the betting favourites). May be Messi's last best chance this season.

#4
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle

No
no (injury)
no (Chelsea are bad)
maybe yes? (See above)

City and Barca are due a title (and also the betting favourites). May be Messi's last best chance this season.


Chelsea are definitely bad (I.e. blowing a 2-0 lead at home to freaking Sheffield United), but could benefit from being in a mediocre group. They strike me as a club that could slowly start to gel and put it together, being that theyre playing so many young guys. Could be just in time for the round of 16, if theyre able to scratch and claw their way out of the group. Theyre not going to win the whole thing, obviously, but it wouldnt shock me to see them go on a little run.

#5
ivo

ivo

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 4,369 posts
  • Location:Queens
  • Supports:NYRB, Real Madrid
There's certainly potential there but it would be at least a mild surprise if they do well in the regular season. Maybe they can claw their way to 4th of things break right but more likely not.

#6
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle

There's certainly potential there but it would be at least a mild surprise if they do well in the regular season. Maybe they can claw their way to 4th of things break right but more likely not.


I definitely wouldnt bet on them finishing top 4, but they have a prayer because Im not sold on Arsenal or Man U running away with that spot. Arsenal is probably the best bet of the 3.

#7
ElTriMetro

ElTriMetro

    Dir. of Football Operations

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 7,887 posts
  • Location:New Jersey
  • Supports:Metros, Club America.

Vamos LFC!

Vamos Chucky

Vamos Edson

Go Timmy Weah

 

Hope LFC and Napoli pummel Salzburg and both advance

Hope Ajax win their group.

Hope Chelsea don't get out of the group.

 

LFC back to back!



"Red Bull on the pitch - Metro in our hearts."

 

#RedBullOut

 

 


#8
General Robles

General Robles

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 2,260 posts
  • Location:Jersey City
  • Supports:Metro & Newcastle

No
no (injury)
no (Chelsea are bad)
maybe yes? (See above)

City and Barca are due a title (and also the betting favourites). May be Messi's last best chance this season.

 

I hadn't looked at the betting odds, but found it interesting that FiveThirtyEight has Barca listed 4th, rather than 2nd like the betting odds you mentioned. I don't take their stuff as gospel, but still find them to have some interesting models. 

 

https://projects.fiv...ampions-league/



#9
ivo

ivo

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 4,369 posts
  • Location:Queens
  • Supports:NYRB, Real Madrid

 
I hadn't looked at the betting odds, but found it interesting that FiveThirtyEight has Barca listed 4th, rather than 2nd like the betting odds you mentioned. I don't take their stuff as gospel, but still find them to have some interesting models. 
 
https://projects.fiv...ampions-league/

Mostly impacted by Barca's more difficult CL group, I think. Once the top teams progress past the group stage (and I don't really doubt all of that top 8 first tier group will, Barca should go up in the rankings, all things equal). But probabilistically at this early stage, it makes sense that they are hurt by the draw.

#10
regulator

regulator

    Dir. of Football Operations

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,440 posts
  • Location:NJ
  • Supports:Metrostars, USMNT, Ecuador

No
no (injury)
no (Chelsea are bad)
maybe yes? (See above)

City and Barca are due a title (and also the betting favourites). May be Messi's last best chance this season.

https://www.uefa.com...id=2619647.html

 

Adams, Weah, Pulisic all named to their respective teams' Champions League squads.  Hope that means they (Adams and Weah) will return to action soon.



#11
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,312 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

Adams ... named to ... Champions League squad.
Hope that means ... return to action soon.


During RBLs BL match, commentators said that
RBL fielded two separate squads last season,
one for BL & one for Europe.
If same, Adams will see little BL action.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#12
regulator

regulator

    Dir. of Football Operations

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,440 posts
  • Location:NJ
  • Supports:Metrostars, USMNT, Ecuador

Jesse Marsch and Salzburg kick off their CL campaign today at 3pm vs Genk from Belgium.  They had a nice feature about them in the NY Times this morning (in before US media covers Salzburg more than RBNY....)

 

https://www.nytimes....l-salzburg.html



#13
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,312 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars

Jesse Marsch and Salzburg ... in the NY Times


The RB vision seems to have taken hold in Austria, where RBS dominate, and in Germany, where RBL are also in the CL and are early leaders in the BL.
Meanwhile, RBNY are like the red-headed stepchild.
There does not seem to be any clear vision.
Or, if there is a vision, it is unrealized.
Where is the young, innovative HC?
RBS has easily replaced its stars who moved on.
Our youth program, including RBII, is not a pipeline;
more piecemeal replacements for the main team.
And, the NYT finds it easier to buy & publish this article from an English pundit, than purchase a MetroCard for a stringer to make the PATH trip to RBA.

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#14
JBigjake54

JBigjake54

    Amicus Curiae

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 24,312 posts
  • Supports:MetroStars
Game on! The BBC take:
https://www.bbc.com/...otball/49690033

We are good enough to beat the best teams, and bad enough to lose to the worst teams. 


#15
sabremike

sabremike

    Player/Manager

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 4,113 posts
  • Location:Brewster, NY
  • Supports:Metros, Man Utd, Buffalo Sabres

The RB vision seems to have taken hold in Austria, where RBS dominate, and in Germany, where RBL are also in the CL and are early leaders in the BL.
Meanwhile, RBNY are like the red-headed stepchild.
There does not seem to be any clear vision.
Or, if there is a vision, it is unrealized.
Where is the young, innovative HC?
RBS has easily replaced its stars who moved on.
Our youth program, including RBII, is not a pipeline;
more piecemeal replacements for the main team.
And, the NYT finds it easier to buy & publish this article from an English pundit, than purchase a MetroCard for a stringer to make the PATH trip to RBA.


In terms of finances and resources to buy players relative to league:

Salzburg=Celtic

Rest of Austrian BL:=St Miren
Let's Go Buffalo!!!




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users