I will preface this by saying this is not really Virginia Tech related in any fashion, though I put in a couple of tenuous analogies. However, I am super pumped for tomorrow and could not resist writing this, mostly because my favorite team is now relevant (at least for one game). This is for those of you who are not overly familiar with English soccer, but tomorrow and Sunday will be presented with a very good opportunity to see it at its most glorious. If you love sports for the spectacle of sport, the competition, the drama, the chance to watch world class athletes at the highest level do battle on the playing field, and the potential for chaos to ensue across an entire country, you should read this and watch tomorrow and Sunday. Heres some background.
The English Premier League wraps up on Sunday; all 20 teams will play their last games of the season simultaneously. There are no playoffs. Every team plays every other team twice, home and away. Three points for a win, one point for a tie (draw), none for a loss. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season wins. If two or more teams have the same number of points, it goes to goal differential (how many more goals you scored than your opponents). Bottom three teams in the standings go down to the second division for next season, replaced by three teams from that division.
Yesterday, Liverpool, one of the most historic and successful teams in England, was in great shape to win the league for the first time in 24 years. Thats almost like Michigan not winning the Big Ten for 24 years; its a REALLY BIG FREAKING DEAL. On top of that, its also the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, where 96 Liverpool fans died in a stadium accident and then, to add insult to injury, the police and government blamed the fans themselves and vilified them for years until documents came out revealing it was the police that essentially caused the disaster. For more, watch the Hillsborough 30 for 30. Have tissues handy. Basically, everything that happens to Liverpool does so with the added weight of their entire history, good and bad.
Manchester City are a noveau rich club, bought by Arab billionaires as a plaything a few years ago who then bought a world class set of players. They are a heartless machine that generally destroys lesser clubs without remorse, particularly at home. Until the money came in, they were an also ran in their own city. They won the Premier League two years ago in dramatic fashion, scoring a goal in the dying seconds of their last game that won it (and taking it away from their bitter rivals, Manchester United, at the same time).
This is how insane it got when Man City won the title at the last second. This could happen again Sunday
Yesterday, both teams had played 36 of their 38 games and were level at 80 points. Manchester City had a goal differential of 59, Liverpool a goal differential of 50. Nine goals is a lot to make up in one or two games.
SPOILER ALERT if you havent seen it, but last night, things got REAL interesting. Liverpool completed one of the most monumental collapses in sports history last night. Up 3-0 with 12 minutes to go and looking to score more to make up their goal differential, they gave up an incredible 3 goals to Crystal Palace in quick succession and ended up drawing (tying) the game. Crystal Palace was in the second division last year, meaning Liverpool essentially choked away a realistic shot at the league title against a minor league team still trying on their big boy pants.
If you have NBCSN and havent seen it, go watch the game. Its a roller coaster that ends terribly for a long suffering fanbase. There were a good five minutes after the game where the commentators were silent over extended footage of depressed Liverpool fans and players. Luis Suarez, a somewhat unsavory character who leads the league in goals, was inconsolable, sobbing with his shirt over his head. Dont feel too bad for him, hes been banned for biting MULTIPLE TIMES and making racist remarks. But DEFINITELY feel bad for Liverpool fans.
So now, Liverpool have 81 points with Newcastle left to play. Win on Sunday, and theyll finish with 84 points. If Manchester City win their last two games, theyll finish with 86 points and the title. Win one and draw one, theyll finish with 84 points and, likely, a vastly superior goal differential to Liverpool and the title. So, essentially, Man City need to lose at least one of their remaining games and Liverpool need to win on Sunday to win the title.
Which brings me to tomorrow. Aston Villa (my club of choice) are traveling to Man City tomorrow (Wednesday) with a chance to play the spoiler. Win, and Liverpool are right back in with a chance to win the title. If you are a fan of sporting chaos, you are rooting for the Villa tomorrow. If you are a Liverpool fan (or Chelsea, who have an outside shot at the title if Man City and Liverpool both lose out) you are praying to whatever god(s) you pray to for Aston Villa to beat Man City.
Heres the rub; Villa are TURRIBLE this year. They will probably finish between 14th and 16th (out of 20 teams) and that is down to the awfulness of the teams below them, not through exhibiting any quality themselves. Their best goal scorer is out with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Their second best goal scorer is out with a broken leg. Their (probably) best defender is out with a torn ACL. Their most creative player is out with some freak, unknown (ankle? Achilles tendon?) injury. Their second leading scorer on the season (and leading scorer who is not out injured) is a backup defender. They are owned by the guy who just sold the Cleveland Browns and he is making vague statements that he might sell the club this summer, unsettling everyone. He also publicly said the team has been terrible because he wont give the manager (who has no idea if hell be employed next year) any money to buy players, which is true and depressing.
BUT...they are young, they are hungry, they are completely unpredictable (mostly in a bad way, though) and the best part...they already beat Manchester City once this year, a thrilling come from behind 3-2 home win back in September (before most of our players started dropping like flies). The chances of them beating Man City on their fortress of a home field? Small (apparently, 20-1 odds). The chances of them losing 5-0, like they did in this game last year, are probably higher.
Assuming that you are now interested and on the Villa bandwagon, heres a quick guide so you can yell the correct names at the TV when they screw up:
Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan. Hes American, hes going to the World Cup next month as Tim Howards deputy and his nickname is the Polar Bear. In a US match, I once saw him slap one of his own players upside the head full force and scream at him after the guy screwed up. It was great.
Defense: Mostly bleh. Theres a Dutch behemoth, "Concrete" Ron Vlaar, and a bunch of kids who lose focus and give up stupid goals at an alarming rate. It's literally the opposite of a Bud Foster defense.
Midfield: Again, a bunch of kids, highlighted by Fabian Delph, a guy who has had an injury plagued career and has transformed himself this year from somewhat of a thug to a complete midfielder who has scored a couple of ridiculous goals this season.
Attack: Three pronged: Andi Weimann, an Austrian who scored twice on Saturday to help Aston Villa win for the first time since March 15 (I told you they were terrible) and has the best goal celebration ever.
Its even more fun if you make "pew! pew! pew!" noises. Courtesy of 7500 to Holte
Gabby Agbonlahor, who left the game Saturday with an injury and might not play tomorrow. He is the longest serving player at the club, has been there since he was a kid and can, at times, be a mean and dirty son of a bitch. He's fast as hell and I love him in a (mostly) non-sexual way.
Marc Albrighton, another guy who has been at the club since he was a small kid, a winger who runs like a maniacal Energizer Bunny and looks sort of like he only got on the team because he was secretly taking math tests for the coachs kid. However, hes probably Villas best chance at setting up goals with his crosses.
So, Wednesday at 2:45 Eastern, this goes down. Its on NBCSN or you can catch it at most soccer or sports bars. Watch Villa attempt to play David to Man City's Goliath. Spend 90 minutes learning how watching Villa this year has been akin to watching the Logan Thomas-less offense in the Sun Bowl (okay thats probably not a selling point). If Villa can miracle their way to a win, things on Sunday get REAL interesting, with Liverpool's title chances increasing dramatically. Cheer for chaos.
Sunday morning, even if Villa lose, could still be chaos. Man City could lose to West Ham (not likely) and Liverpool could beat Newcastle and still win the title. NBC will show all ten games live on their various networks, meaning you can channel surf the insanity. Enjoy.
Comments
I need city to drop points big time. Huge Liverpool supporter here and was absolutely disgusted with the performance yesterday. Johnson is garbage, and would be better as a RW or RM he has 0 defensive skills. No idea how you can go 3-0 to 3-3 in 10 minutes. Part of blame goes on brendan rogers, after they score that 1st goal I bring agger in and play a back 5 like we did vs city.
you cant fault Brendan Rodgers for this, as a city fan I have the utmost respect for the guy he totally knows what hes doing. He figured that city would win out and they'd have to make up the goal differential which would run up to at least 11 higher than them (should city win out). Crystal Pallace were completely routed and looked lost out there, so he went for the throat and tried to pour it on to catch city. Chelsea did the same thing a few years ago and it worked out for them (they won 8-0 I think to rip the title away from MU). If it had worked, and he had caught the sky blues he would've looked like a genius but you cant seriously expect to beat Newcastle 10-0 on the final day (or by even more had city won by more than a goal in either of their last 2 games which is a possibility)
yeah i guess, he is playing numbers looking at city's performance and going no way they drop points. I have to go after what I can control and that Liverpool. The only thing I was thinking was damage control, sometime you have to know when a 3-1 win isn't too bad and lets get the W, and put pressure back on city. Now city can tie and win those games and still win.
I don't think BR gets enough credit for what he has done in 1 years time. He is a great manager and his style of futbol is very fun to watch. He could park the bus, but whats the fun in that? I'm sure he will learn to do so in the CL but why not play an attacking way and tighten/bring in 4 new defenders to help seal up the D.
agreed lord knows they'll finally have the funds next year, although I think selling suarez to Madrid wouldn't be the wisest decision, it could open up their pockets and allow them to spend a lot and shore up a few other positions. Frankly I think Liverpool will be just fine in the champions league next year. I do expect their domestic play to take a step back however, Liverpool were really fortunate to only have the premier league to play for, for most of the season and it makes a huge difference. Everyone faulted pelligrini when city stumbled in the middle of the season but did anyone ever think to stop and be like holy hell these guys are competing for a quadruple?! regardless, I still think they're going to qualify for champions league again next year and continue to bury Manchester united down the table for the rest of eternity, Brendan Rodgers is a much better manager than anyone MU can bring in this year. God bless the glazers because they are pretty horrible owners
thats the only thing I worry about is suarez at Madrid. If that were to happen that would be huge, just because you have the $ doesn't mean top players will want to come. Filling his shoes would be tough. Liverpool needs 2-3 more defenders and 4 attacking players, word on the street is BR is expecting 6 top signings and a slew of other mediocre players.
Out: Moses, Aspas, Lucas, Agger
In: Ashley Cole, Konoplyanka, Caulker, Richards, and others
god I hate to think about what could've been with micah Richards...hopefully you have better luck with him the guy was a beast when healthy. he just never got healthy. If I were BR I wouldn't focus as much on the offense as the midfield, stevie G isn't getting any younger an suarez can carry that offense with sturridge up top (sterling has come a long way this season too). they need more depth along the midfield and a brand spanking new back four
diame or mbia would be beastly!
agreed, im just pumped with the latest rumors of javi Martinez coming to city. we missed out on him two years ago thanks to mancini and we really regreted it next year. Not knocking javi Martinez but hes not even close to the same player and rodwell was just a desperation buy.
i am all-in behind the clarett and blue tomorrow! my least favorite teams in order are spuds, chelski, citeh, ManUre, stoke, liverpool...by that logic alone, i'm begrudgingly hoping for chaos so Liverpool can still squeak out a title over citeh...ideally with a last minute goal in stoppage time as citeh did to ManUre a couple years back!
It would be amazing if city were to lose tomorrow. If not I could see Liverpool losing to Newcastle as last night performance could have the hangover effect for Sunday.
Hate Chelski and their bus tactics/ mourihno's arrogance
Hate Spurs- well they're terrible so ehh sold bale and got nothing in return
ManUre- loveed it this year, poor rooney and company. Fergie Time has reached 0
Man SHitty- bought their players, going to get murdered by the Fifa Fair play laws and basically won the title with arab $$
YNWA Come on you REDS!!!!!
Go Villa! And I say that while also saying GO BLUES!!
Come on you Gunners! Kinda sucks to win yet another "4th place trophy" but we can still snag the FA Cup, in which case I'll consider it a successful season given the plethora of injuries we've had.
same song for arsenal every year. Wenger needs to go I think. he is a decent manager but I just think its time, yeah ya'll will win the FA Cup and get 4th but no transfer movement/money and the best player ozil has to play with 5-6 new players every week.
Wilshere will never be 100% fit, Oxlade hurt for sure and ramsey is like joe allen for liverpool great little player very undervalued but when its not going 100% its easy to point him out.
Nah Wenger is fine. I think had we had a healthy Ramsey and Walcott for more of this year we'd still be talking about Arsenal this weekend. Add in the fact that we lost Ozil, Ox, Wilshere, and Cazorla for portions of the season and you see why we struggled to maintain form.
Wenger's only mistake this year was not bringing in help at the striker position this winter when it was obvious that Giroud wasn't going to be able to play that many hours by himself. For that, I'm not thrilled with Wenger. But overall I think he's still doing a great job.
Also it's the highest point total Arsenal has hit in I wanna say 6 years in the PL... so I think we're improving as we've needed to, we just need those final pieces (first choice striker, cover for the wings, and depth in midfield) and we're good to go.
yeah idk its tough to see. injuries are huge and play and important role in the epl. Lose a key man for 3-13 games (henderson for liverpool and ozil,ox, wilshere ect ect) and you really see the difference.
I'm not saying if Liverpool had henderson we would have won vs chelsea and palace but it keeps 1 of 2 lucas or allen off the field. Lucas is 27 a good player but too slow and just not strong enough. But missing Henderson was bad bad timing
I think if Henderson is there vs chelsea and palace, then it would've been a draw at worst against chelsea and a win last night. Lucas was supposed to be the heir apparent to Gerrard, but he's been injured so much that he has never really recovered to the being player he should be.
I'm still in shock about those last 12 minutes. I'm sure they'll recover and win Sunday since it's at Anfield, but I think City wins tomorrow and hopefully they catch the hangover of thinking they have the title wrapped up and playing the 3rd game in 7 days and lose to WHU.
the SG slip was absolutely heart breaking to watch. The man has given everything to the city and one club and to have that happen. Class on Grass and the grass won that match.
Why are you picking on the Welshmen? Joe Allen was pretty great last night, scoring and setting up with SHOULD HAVE BEEN a Glen Johnson goal. He also plays defense despite weighing like 120 lbs. I'm not a Liverpool fan and I was screaming at Coutinho who was just trotting back half assed on a couple of the Palace goals last night. Joe Allen was definitely not the problem for Liverpool. And Aaron Ramsey has been Arsenal's best player when fit.
haha I was saying that its normally been hendo and lucas or allen.. with hendo out you have both of those in there. I have been impressed with allen lately! He is starting to show great signs, and coutihno jogging back made me throw up.
Almost lost it when I saw glen johnson watch bolasie spring by him, then really lost it when he failed to close out on the ball and turn like a **** and hit him for a goal. Then really really lost it when he failed to cover in the center for skrtel on the 3rd goal.
Victor Moses- no idea why we have him easy tap in and he whiffed the ball. If that sturridge its 4-3 liverpool and we sneak out with a W
Yeah, Jordan Henderson has been pretty good this season. Glen Johnson would drive me batshit insane and is Skrtel really a better defender than Agger or Kolo Toure? He's never looked that great to me, I don't understand why he started over them.
Agger is gone to Barcelona, I have said this to my other Liverpool mates weeks ago. He hasn't played a full 90 in almost a month, me thinks there is $ in the offering and Rogers doesn't want to mess that up with an injury. Kolo is a great organizer but he is still very shaky at the back, although Sakho doesn't have a left or right foot so he has to be better.
My back 4 for next year would be
Llori-skrtel- new transfer- ashley cole
backups would be flanno, kolo, ect ect.
Skrtel has been pretty solid this year and can also score off the corner kicks. I liked the signing of Kolo initially and he was alright at the beginning of the year, but he wore day quickly and became way too shaky back there. If Enrique comes back healthy next year I could see Flanagan sliding back over to RB to compete with Johnson. He knows he has no competition this year and hasn't played like he should, although last night I'm pretty sure he was just gassed at the end after so many overlaps with Suarez.
i am not a "Wenger must go" guy, while finishing 4th is getting old, not making champions league would still be worse (see: ManUre). if you look at our record with Ozil and Ramsey healthy this year vs the the matches without one or both of them, it is night and day. you could also point to our record vs top 3 clubs, and that would be fair, too.
Arsenal is close. Wenger gets more out of the XI he puts on the pitch week in and week out than any other manager in the EPL, the issue is that our XI should be better week in and week out. We point to injuries as an excuse year in and year out, with this year being no different. you need to build a team that can survive those injuries, which means having a starting 18, not just 11. Walcott went down, we had no speed on the right to replace him. Poldi went down, we lost our only natural goal scorer. Ozil went down, we lost all creativity around the box. Ramsey went down, we lost our heart. Kos goes out, we get exposed down the middle. Jack and Ox are great squad/depth players, but their injuries weren't really that crippling if we hadn't suffered the others.
Arsenal need a real EPL striker up top if Wenger is going to stick with the 4-2-3-1. Giroud is a nice player, but not good enough to be our first/only option up top. An alternative solution would be to shift to a 4-4-2 and slide Poldi into the box with Giroud. Poldi can't be a lone striker, but he also isn't at his best on the wing, so this would be a great solution with the current squad. we still need depth, so signing a striker, finding our new holding midfielder to replace the aging Arteta, and it appears replacing Sagna at right back seem to be the 3 big priorities this summer. adding some depth at center half would be nice, too, but we may have some players coming up to fill that role.
I know we are normally disappointed with transfer windows, and winter was certainly no exception, but the Ozil signing last year has given me hope that maybe some good things are yet to come from Wenger!
COYG!
I would say yes that and Brendan Rogers, honestly look at our lineup.. apart from sturridge, suarez and coutihno and SG we have a lot of youth and no defenders lol
I think Arsenal and Liverpool are 3-4 players away from being 1-2 in the EPL for a long time. Mourihno's gig will end soon since he is such a wanker, and complains all day long. Also calling your star players out in public multiple times can really piss them off
Muck Fourihno!
As Arsenal is one of the few big teams that haven't bought (or haven't tried to buy) Villa's best players away, I wish you luck in your transfer dealings. :o) Also, that Serge Gnabry kid that got some time a little while ago is going to be very good in the not too distant future. He's a boss on FIFA 14
i'm a big fan of Serge. if we can bolster the squad this summer via transfer, i wouldn't mind loaning he and Sanogo out, preferably to lower table EPL clubs, to get some real minutes in the EPL this year. i think both could be great for us in 2-3 years.
that said, if we can't bolster the roster, we have to keep both of them for depth/cover which is not a good way for them to develop their game IMO...
I think I'd like to keep Gnabry, I think he's just about ready to be a solid option off the bench. But yeah Sanogo needs some time. Also, don't forget about Joel Campbell. He's had quite a season in Greece. Word is that West Brom is interested in bringing him in. That'd be good for him, I think he's just about ready to play in the BPL.
ugh...Campbell...i worry about that one. i see the skill, but he seems like a head case to me. if he can come in and prove himself for a full season in the EPL with someone like West Brom, i'll change my tune, but for now, i'm not real high on him...
Yes I'm hoping Gnabry can become a better relief for Walcott, as Theo can't seem to stay healthy lately.
Arsenal's financial responsibility is one of my favorite things about them. Related: I hope we take advantage of this 3.3 mil. Carlos Vela buyback option I've been hearing about. That addresses our winger shortage and gives us another option up top. Guy has become a very skilled forward.
I'd like to see Villa do better in general, personally. I've never harbored any grief with them (season opener aside).
The key to not having Arsenal poach your players is making sure none of them are French. Loic Remy seemed a little eager to be at the grove this past weekend...
or German of late...
Lars Bender (or his brother), Draxler, and Reus have all been mentioned. Gotta love the silly season.
I'll take it as long as we stay from Dutch players. To me RvP = Gin.
robin van pu*** makes me laugh..
I hear his inner-child is unhappy at ManU these days. This pleases me.
HA! In that case, you can have Charles N'Zogbia! We'll even trade you straight up for Aaron Ramsey so you can get the damn Welshman off your roster, polluting it with non-Frenchiness.
If Rambo ever left I think I would be in legitimate physical pain. When he is on the pitch, Arsenal wins. Period.
The great run of form started with HIM in spring of 2013, not when Ozil came last August.
Leg for you. Ozil's impact cannot be overstated, the guy makes so many crucial passes and plays each game. But Ramsey started our resurgence last year.
Exactly and thank you. Never meant to downplay the impact Ozil has had, but Ramsey is the key and has been for some time. I could watch his screamer against Dortmund all day.
Men in Blazers said we were going for a double in Wembley this month...i almost spit out my drink. #4thPlaceTrophy
Solid post and full disclosure: COYG. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Palace comeback.
Pretty amazing to believe that Arsenal will most likely end their trophy drought while Chelsea and Liverpool lay a big fat goose egg. Not really Wenger's fault that Ramsey goes down with an injury for months, Walcott tears his ACL, Jack breaks his ankle, Ozil goes down, etc. Boxing Day-Champions League exit Arsenal played in its domestic league and two tournaments with a skeleton crew. Finishing top four and (hopefully) winning the FA Cup given all of that is a major net win for Arsenal.
Wenger tried to get Demba Ba last summer (after the Suarez drama) and was shut down by Mourinho. He is willing to spend, but on his own accord. Transfer market will be a bit more unpredictable (and expensive) this summer with the WC going on. Arsenal need a CF, holding MF, and a defender to replace Sagna once he inevitably leaves.
Arsenal aside, I don't have a dog in the title fight so I am supporting chaos!
I guess when Arsenal hasn't won a trophy in years its a nice thing for sure. If Liverpool won FA cup i'd be happy but going from 7th last year to maybe 4th this year and now had<--- (key word) a chance to win the title I was pumped all year. Good things are coming for the Reds and definitely Arsenal as well
Arsenal fans, don't forget, we might (MIGHT!) have Diaby in the lineup for 2014-15...#LANS!
The force of your words just put him back on the trainer's table. Thanks.
a (Diaby) leg for you!
I am starting to think that Diaby is more of a myth than an actual person.
but at some point, he'll be all replacement parts with no wear and tear...if he can get his aerobic fitness back, he might be able to play into his 40's!
I bet it is nightmare getting him through airport security.
in Fifa 14 diaby is a tank..
Since we are talking EPL/FA Cup...I'd like to take a minute and say that I will be in London next week, at Wembley, watching my favorite boyhood club play in the FA Cup Final (!!!!!)
That's awesome, have fun! Have only seen Wembley from the train, but have been to Upton Park, Villa Park, the County Ground (Swindon Town. don't ask why) and the Liberty (but not for Swansea, to see the Wales in a WC Qualifier). Wembley remains on the to do list!
Good luck, and I hope Ramsey scores 8 goals for you.
Thanks! Really looking forward to it. Went to England in '06 while the WC was going on and even that was an insane experience. Was in Scotland when they got knocked out and oh boy that was absolutely hilarious.
It is also really refreshing to see someone that supports Villa. I pull for them every time they play, but admittedly it stems from my deep deep hatred of Birmingham because Eduardo.
As a big soccer/BPL fan, I appreciate this thread. As a Man Utd fan, this thread makes me relish next year with a new coach...
leave it to a ManUre fan to kill a perfectly good thread ;)
This was the Chosen Thread until aqua lost the dressing room
Edit: Fixed
This level of passion is manic and magical. I get chills every time I watch the Man City Finale.
ive probably watched this game 100 times and I still get nervous at stoppage time, such an insane day
So
Who here plays football manager?
All I can say is Liverpool threw the title away. Now they need a miracle to stop city from repeating. Suarez was crushed.
Fuck's sake there are a lot of gunners on here. Makes me sick.
That clip you showed of Aguero's goal for ManCity against QPR is the greatest single sports moment I've ever seen captured on film. The way the crowd explodes nearly brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. Thanks for including it.
i didn't have a dog in that fight, but i rem watching live, switching from Fox to Fox Soccer all morning...for a sport set up to normally have anticlimatic finishes with no post season tournament, the EPL nailed it that year. as much as i hated to see citeh win, it was pretty awesome to see the ManUre players be crushed moments after they thought they had won the league.
for those new to the game (or the english aspect of it), make it a point to tune into the FA Cup final and the Championship promotion final later this month.
The FA Cup is like the ACC Tournament, but instead of being played after the regular season, it's played simultaneously. the biggest difference is that lower division teams are also invited, so you end up with many opportunities for "Giant Killings". there is no baked in home field, it's all done by draw, so you can see a small club in a 15k seat stadium host a top European level club in the early (or occasionally even later) rounds. In any case, it's a great tournament, and winning it is 2nd only to winning the EPL in England.
as for the championship i mentioned, the 2nd division of English Football is referred to as the Championship (as the EPL is referred to as the Premiership). Rather than simply promoting their top 3 to replace the 3 relegated teams from the Premier League, 1st and 2nd move up, but the 3rd through 6th place teams have a 4 team playoff to determine the 3rd and final promoted club. without a traditional post season tournament in England, this creates great drama for the clubs and fans. those 5 games (semi-finals are home and home) are definitely worth a watch! It will be played the morning of the Champions League Final making for another great day of Soccer!
All Championship matches are on BeIN Sport, i believe.
8thThe Play-Offs of the Sky Bet Championship - Brighton and Hove Albion v Derby County - 2:45pm
9thThe Play-Offs of the Sky Bet Championship - Wigan Athletic v Queens Park Rangers - 2:45pm
11thThe Play-Offs of the Sky Bet Championship - Derby County v Brighton and Hove Albion - 12:15pm
12thThe Play-Offs of the Sky Bet Championship - Queens Park Rangers v Wigan Athletic - 2:45pm
17th FA Cup Final - Arsenal vs Hull City - Noon (Fox or FS1, i think)
24thChampionship Play-Off Final - Wembley Stadium - 10am
Ugh Fox broadcast. I think NBCS has spoiled me... I may watch the FA Cup Final on mute or something.
Agree completely...i used to think how great it was to have Fox Soccer Channel...then NBC took over, and Fox was exposed...
Fox should be ashamed of their Champions League coverage this year...putting games on FS2 (hardly carried by anyone, especially in HD) while putting mid-week NASCAR shows on FS1...pathetic. i hope UEFA finds a new home in the US in the future.
EDIT: i just recalled that Fox won the Bundesliga rights starting in 2015...while i'll be happy to have Bundesliga back on TV (assuming Werder Bremen can manage to stay up) since Gol disappeared, it's bittersweet knowing the only games i care about will be on FoxSoccer+ or FS2 (if i'm lucky) in standard definition...
PS: am i the only one who has noticed FS2 in standard def is lower quality than a bad ESPN3 stream? i can't even read the score/clock on my 60" Samsung when i watch FS2...pathetic. i have FiOS FWIW...
nbc took over because they're badasses. fox sports 1 and 2 are a joke and have horrible commentators. I am thakful that Liverpool games are always on NBCSN
i have thoroughly enjoyed the NBC coverage, and the 10 match GW38 on Sunday is going to be a perfect cap to the season! they are only going to get better as they tweak the coverage over time. now if only FiOS would pick up Premier League Extra Time package like every other carrier out there seems to have...
Get your fill of decent World Cup coverage and commentary this year, 2018 and 2022 are going to Fox. Bleh.
America De Cali would crush them all, but go Man City (because the Gallagher's are my homies.)
what a game and what a finish by toure! nervous at halftime but they finished well. Go sky blues one more!!!!!!! also kudos to sunderland for surviving!
Toure's goal was absurd, most players would have played a through ball to someone else, but he knew he was going to out-hustle everyone for that goal. I saw a lot of 4-0 predictions. I've been equally impressed as to how sunderland has the played the last couple matches as I am disappointed in the the way Liverpool has played.
Toure is the one guy from Man City I really, really envy them for. I don't think there's a team in the world that doesn't want him. I have dreams of a Toure/Ramsey/Ozil midfield. Though I'll be fine with a Bender/Khedeira - Ramsey - Ozil pairing ;). One can dream.
Had me worried thought that you were gonna say you were a City fan relieved to hear youre a villa fan as im a United fan myself. Honestly had to do a double take when I was looking through the tracker and couldnt believe that there were other premier league soccer fans on here always pleasant to see, aside from all the ARSEnal fans. I've thought this year was a fantastic season in the premier leage(aside from my teams results) in that the smaller clubs are having success against the bigger clubs and its been a havoc filled campaign so far and makes it much more enjoyable. Now that it seems imminent city will probably handle their last game and win the title I personally cant wait to see the CL final in lil more than 2 weeks I was hoping for real madrid to hang in the La Liga race and really make it wild but they seem to be unable to win their last few since beating munich. Still with it looking like it will be up for grabs in the Atletico, Barca game it should make for an awesome last game.
Well according to my picking history (before the champions league I always pick a team, the last 3 years I've picked the loser of the final) real madrid are doomed to lose to atletico and I think atletico win LA liga too. Regardless this season has been terrific and incredibly nerve wracking. If the current managers stay around for a few years the premier league will be incredibly competitive for years to come. Champions league spots are gonna be hard to come by too...man u, city, Chelsea, arsenal, and Liverpool are all going to be competitive for the spots and Everton and Tottenham will be wild cards year in and out
Definately get the feeling that Atletico are gonna win the La Liga atleast barca seem to have lost it down the stretch since leaving the CL. And I feel like the future is bright for the Prem. league with all the talent in and who comes into it this summer you get the feeling next season will be a blast and you add Van Gaal to the mix of managers and things get very good.