Sliding Doors

The final groups stage matches were like scenes from the film Sliding Doors, except in the movie they only alternated between two scenarios.  Here, it seemed the possibilities were almost infinite.

Also, 36 games to winnow the European Championship field from 24 to 16?  The NBA would be proud.  But it was good entertainment.  The group stage came to an exciting conclusion and we move on to the knockout phase Saturday.  

Also, the Union return to action.

The Undefeated

Three sides - Italy, Belgium, and Netherlands - made it through group stage unscathed.  Italy were just about perfect, scoring seven and allowing none in their three matches.  Belgium were pretty much the same, scoring seven while yielding just one.  If we are grading based on degree of difficulty, Italy's accomplishment easily outpaces the other two countries; they compiled their record in what was arguably the second toughest group while Belgium and Netherlands were blessed with the two easiest groups of the tournament.  Does this translate into further success in the competition?

Shifting Sands

The final day of Group F action was a roller coaster ride.  As scores changed, Germany, Portugal and Hungary took turns being the odd country out.  England's first knockout stage opponent kept changing too, switching among France to Germany to Portugal.  France and Portugal battled to a 2-2 draw with three of the goals coming on penalties; at least one might have really been a penalty.  A little harsh, since nothing was overturned by VAR but there were three calls (one a no-call) that wouldn't have been overturned by VAR had they been called differently on the field.  Germany had to work their keisters off to salvage a draw with Hungary, which was enough for them to grab third.

Speaking of shifting sands, this article from the NYT's Rory Smith highlights how a Finland own goal changed many fates.  Also, good stuff in general about the tournament.

Feel Good Story

Denmark entered the last day of group stage with no points yet somehow still had a chance.  They had a pair of hard luck losses to Finland (after watching their teammate collapse) and Belgium (late game heroics from De Bruyne).  So the scenario required them to beat Russia by at least two and for Finland to lose against Belgium.  At one point it looked good, except that Denmark surrendered a penalty while Belgium had a goal ruled out within minutes of each other, leaving Denmark up by one and Belgium level with Finland past the 70 minute mark.  Then, also practically concurrently, Belgium got their breakthrough goal and Denmark restored their two goal lead.  The goal that mattered can be seen here  (should open at around 4:04).  Pandemonium! If you watch a little further you'll see that both Denmark and Belgium added insurance goals.  Somehow it feels right that the Danes are advancing.

How Many Countries in This Country Made It To the Knockout Stage?

Two.  England was spectacularly mediocre in winning their group with just two goals.  Not yielding any probably helped.  Good to see Grealish in for the last match and setting up Sterling for the lone goal against the Czech Republic with a deft cross.

Wales advance too, largely on the strength of their 2-0 basting besting of Turkey.  They also held Italy to one goal despite being down a man for much of the second half.  Italy might have been on cruise control at that point but still a notable defensive effort.

Alas, Scotland will not be moving on after falling to Croatia 1-3.  That was a nice goal from Luka Modric for the game winner.  The lads play with heart but scoring goals would really help - they got just the one over the three matches.  

Disappointments?

North Macedonia got no points and had a -6 goal differential but we really can't call that a disappointment since they came in ranked 62nd.  Scotland finished 22nd out of 24 with just one point and one goal; to be fair, they came in ranked 44th so they were in for a tough ride.  No, I think we have two stronger (weaker?) candidates.  We offer Poland, ranked 21st, who ironically finish 21st here with just one point and a -2 goal differential.  Or maybe you prefer Turkey, who finish dead last, with no points and a -7 goal differential.   

Surprises?

The Czech Republic are a good candidate; a win over Scotland and draw with Croatia got them one of the third place advances.  Austria are having a decent run, though their reward is a round of 16 fixture with Italy.

Conversation That Could Have Taken Place But Did Not

Dennis:  Did you say Germany are looking exceptionally motivated?

Steve:  No, I said they are playing Hungary

Get It Out of Your System

Slovakia's keeper - Newcastle's own Martin Dubravka - had a good start to the tournament when his side beat Poland.  Things went downhill from there.  In the second match against Sweden, he committed a foul in the box, leading to the only goal of that match.  He was saving his worst for last.  Against Spain, Dubravka ceded the opening score via a horrendous own goal as seen here.  He would see four more go past him before the day was through.  All we can say is better you had that day here than, say, against Brentford in the EPL next fall.

Union Keep Dooping Along

First time for a full Subaru Park - photo from Jeff H

Philadelphia returned to action with a pair of testing matches - Atlanta in their horror show of an indoor arena with artificial turf and last year's MLS Cup Champion Columbus.  In Atlanta, I thought the Union were giving as good as they got (538 metrics back me up on this) but they were down 0-2 in the 82 minute.  Cory Burke got one back in the 84th minute.  In stoppage time, defender Jakob Glesnes got the equalizer on an incredible blast from distance.  We make it this week's  YouTubeableMoment; as the announcer notes, the shot came from a different area code.  You may recall, Glesnes has done this kind of thing before (last year vs LAFC).

Against Columbus, the Union benefited from an early goal courtesy Monteiro - their only shot on target.  Stats suggest a territorial advantage for Columbus but they didn't translate it into too many shots.  Blake had his usual clutch save late.  The 1-0 final flatters the U; that looked like a draw both live and on paper.  I checked the newspaper the next day and it still counts as three points.  

After 10 matches, Philadelphia sit third in the table.  Much work to do if they want to repeat as Supporters Shield winners but they have recovered well from the shaky start.  

Taking It Pretty Well

Dennis seems incredibly calm about reports that Jack Grealish is likely to leave Aston Villa for Man City this summer.  The $140 million transfer fee might have something to do with it.  Also, Villa have a recent history of good acquisitions so maybe his confidence is merited.  Still, it seems like a change fraught with danger; though I don't have the numbers at my fingertips, I recall a staggering difference in points per game with and without Grealish.

Similarly, Michael B (to the extent that he still follows the EPL) is relatively calm about the possible departure of Harry Kane, also to City.  

My silver lining to this?  Maybe Kane and Grealish mean less Sterling.  Some day I'll figure out why I don't like Sterling.

The Company You Keep

Or maybe the investors you attract?  Michael B sends us the picture (left) from his dinner with former Italian soccer star Guiseppe Rossi.  He is a long-time investor with Michael's company.  Michael reports that he was treated to an awesome authentic Southern Italian dinner complete with escargot appetizers, tiramisu for dessert and doppio espresso to close out.  Fortunately, it appears that no grappa was imbibed.

Knockout Stages

The round of 16 runs from Saturday through Tuesday, two each day, one at noon and one at 3 pm.  Arrange your schedules accordingly as there are a pile of intriguing fixtures.

Saturday at 12 -   Wales vs Denmark - I like both sides so will be happy whatever the result.  Denmark would normally be the favorite but without Erikson, not so clear.

Saturday at 3 - Italy vs Austria - This is an in-form Italian side but Austria have been playing well.  

Sunday at 12 - Netherlands vs Czech Republic - On paper this looks good for the Dutch

Sunday at 3 pm - Belgium vs Portugal - Yikes, that sounds like a semi or even a final match up.  Belgium have been steady but mostly untested.  Portugal have been tested but their grades are all over the place.  This is definitely one to watch.

Monday at 12 - Croatia vs Spain - Another interesting one.  Both sides have been growing into the tournament.

Monday at 3 pm - France vs Switzerland - Like the Netherlands, France look the better side on paper and really should take care of business here.

Tuesday at noon - England vs Germany - I would much prefer the Three Lions here.  Both sides have been hard to figure out so far.  England are undefeated but unimpressive.  Germany looked great thrashing Portugal but have been ordinary at other times.

Tuesday at 3 pm - Sweden vs Ukraine - The Swedes have a great opportunity to make it to the quarters with the match up.

The Union will also be in action versus the Chicago Fire on Saturday at 8 pm.  Chicago are really struggling and this is the kind of match Philadelphia needs to win if they want to stay top tier in the MLS.  

Good news at Clearview St - we have new set-top boxes and dvr is working again. It was like the dark ages here for a few weeks.

Match Day Three Recommendations

 Like any major competition with a group stage, the last matches in each group are played concurrently.  This makes it difficult to watch one without hearing the results of the other.  So choices must be made.  Below we will offer our recommendations for each group.

Match Day Three begins Sunday.  This was written before the Spain-Poland match.  Our recommendations draw on our own observations but also the analysis from ESPN provided here.

Group A

Italy are through and Wales with four are probably advancing as well.  Turkey is, ahem, on the chopping block but could mess up Switzerland's hopes.

Should watch: As we noted before the tournament started, you can't pass up Turkey and Swiss (Sunday at noon)

Will watch: Probably Turkey and Swiss but we are enamored of the Wales side (and still hoping for a glimpse of our Forest Green MVP Dylan Levitt).

Group B

Belgium are in. Despite two losses, Denmark still have a chance to finish second.  Russia are in good position but really do want a result against Denmark.

Should watch: Russia - Denmark (Monday at 3 pm)

Will watch: Russia - Denmark (Monday at 3 pm)

Group C

With Netherlands in and North Macedonia out, this is an easy one.

Should watch: Ukraine - Austria (Monday at noon)

Will watch: Ukraine - Austria (Monday at noon)

Group D

Since four points probably gets you in, England and Czech Republic are likely advancing.  Croatia and Scotland, with one point each, need to win.

Should watch: Croatia - Scotland (Tuesday 3 pm)

Will watch: Game time decision.  Would like to see if England get their act together against Czech Republic but Scotland have played with a lot of heart so would also like to see how they do against Croatia.

Group E

Nobody guaranteed anything yet (this is before Spain - Poland), though Sweden are looking pretty.  Would love to see Slovakia advance but they probably need at least a point against Spain.  Note, if Poland lose to Spain, they are out.  If that happens, the choice is clear.  But if Poland get a result, the Sweden - Poland match could be tense.

Should watch: Slovakia - Spain (Wednesday at noon) unless Poland beat Spain, then Sweden - Poland

Will watch: Slovakia - Spain (Wednesday at noon) unless Poland beat Spain, then Sweden - Poland

Group F

France are probably in but could finish as low as third.  With three points, Germany and Portugal have a good chance of advancing too.  Germany should be able to handle Hungary but so should have France.  Both France and Portugal should be properly motivated.

Should watch: Portugal - France (Wednesday 3 pm)

Will watch: Portugal - France (Wednesday 3 pm)

Hope you got to see Portugal vs Germany.  Most exciting match of the tournament so far, especially in the context of Germany falling behind 0-1 and looking at crashing out of the tournament.  Poor Kai Havertz scores the equalizer only to have it be changed to an own goal.  Symbolic of the year he had.  But, he got one that counted later.  At 4-1 Germany looked solid until they gave up a goofy one and Sanches rifled one off the post.  After looking punchless against France, now you have to wonder.

Two of the Countries in This Country

The Scotland - England 0-0 draw was probably a moral victory for the Scots but definitely a let down for the Three Lions.  Too slow in the attack with no creativity does not yield goals.  Grealish did come on around 60 minutes and sparked the team for a bit.  But, as ESPN noted, "the collective malaise soon engulfed him as well."  We will note that when he came on, 13.64% of the players on the pitched were from Aston Villa; no club had more.

Hope to be back Thursday to discuss knockout stage.

Match Day 1

Twelve matches in five days to complete Match Day 1 of the European Championship.  Certainly the biggest story was Christian Erikson's collapse and revival.  You can see he was getting CPR less than two minutes after he collapsed on the field.  I'm not an EMT or a physician (nor do I play one on TV) but that seems like an excellent response time.  Maybe Erikson was lucky.  Or maybe he was saved by technology and trained personnel who knew how to use it.  Following protocols set by medical professionals can save lives?  Imagine that (snark intended).

Hard to say there were any stunning upsets in the first tranche of games.  Maybe Slovakia's 2-1 win over short handed Poland counts.  Newcastle's Martin Dubravka was between the sticks for Slovakia and for him it had to be reminiscent of tending goal for the Magpies - you know, outpossessed, outshot, relying on a few counterattacks, needing an own goal (Syzygy Szczesny, the former Arsenal keeper) and an opponents red card to scrape out a win.  Makes that group (Sweden and Poland are the other two) very interesting.

Best match so far would be Netherlands 3-2 thriller over Ukraine.  The Dutch were cruising comfortably at 2-0 until Ukraine scored twice in quick succession (75th and 79th minutes).  Denzel Dumfries rescued all three points for Netherlands with his goal in the 85th minute.

How Many of the Countries in This Country Are in the Tournament?

Three.  Northern Ireland didn't make it.  England got off to a good start with a 1-0 win over 2018 World Cup Finalist Croatia.  Not that they played all that well.  Good enough to get the win obviously and probably won't have trouble getting to the knockout rounds.  But the Three Lions won't last long without stepping up their game.  Put in Grealish for cryin' out loud.

Wales look considerably worse than Switzerland on the stat sheet but still came away with an important point, drawing 1-1 on a late goal from Kieffer Moore.  I remember feeling like the Welsh deserved this result but couldn't tell you why now.  Wait, now I remember thinking that Jose Mourinho must have been managing the Swiss.  They fashioned a 1-0 with good pressure, then pulled back and Wales made them pay for going conservative.

And Scotland, well, not so good, as you'll read below.

If I Were the NY Post Headline Writer

Italians Gobble Up Turkey

Not traditional Italian fare but it was the only thing on the menu.  They went back for seconds and thirds.  This was the first time in Euro history that Italy scored three goals.  The 3-0 final might actually be an understatement.

Fifty-yard Goal Spells Czech Mate for Scotland

Not that Scotland looked like they were going to come back from 0-1 down to the Czech Republic but Patrik Schick sealed their fate with an incredible bomb from just inside the center line.  Check it out here as this week's YouTubeableMoment.  Not that the Scots weren't trying hard, they just didn't seem very good and with matches still to go against England and Croatia, well, 

Possession May Be 9/10 of the Law But It Doesn't Guarantee Goals

At one point against Spain, the Swedes were in single digit possession percentage.  They ended at a lopsided 15% possession, even worse than anything Newcastle ever did.  However, as many note, the point is to score and neither did.  Robin Olsen, who backs up Jordan Pickford in goal at Everton, was deserved Player of the Match for some fine saves but part of the issue was the Spaniards not making the most of their opportunities.  We have seen this before.

Portugal Nearly Left Budapest Hungry

Portugal struggled for 83 minutes and the Hungarians looked like they might slip away with a 0-0 draw.  Then the Portuguese poured in three between 84 and 91 minutes.  They did dominate but the scoreline is deceiving.

France Get Maginot Line Right This Time

For those not well-versed in history, the Maginot Line was not three forwards from the French national team in the 1920s but rather a series of fortifications designed to stop German invasion.  Yeah, how did that work out?  For the much anticipated opening round match-up with Germany, they did way better this time, winning 1-0, confirming their status as tournament favorites.  Germany did have 62% possession and 10 shots but only one was on target and obviously, none went in.  France weren't exactly an offensive dynamo, managing just four shots overall and one on target.  And that one on target, wasn't even the goal.  No, that came off the foot of German defender Mats Hummels.  But as with many own goals, the French put the ball in a dangerous position and if Hummels hadn't intervened, it probably would have been deposited in the back of the net by a Frenchman.  France also had one called back, correctly for offside.  The 1-0 final looks right to me.  Also, love him or hate him, Paul Pogba was a force in the match.

VAR Done Right

Kudos to the organizers and referees for judicious and efficient use of VAR.  A few calls have been correctly overturned but with a minimum of disruption.  They must be following BFS guidelines - if it takes more than 15 seconds to decide, it can't be a clear and obvious error.

Hope to be back Sunday with review of Matchday 2.

How Soccer Put Me in The Pour House

Viewing location for
 2021 Champions League Final

Michael B and I found ourselves in the Poconos on the Saturday of the Champions League Final attending the wedding of BFS Fitness Consultant Jeff H's daughter.  Jeff was kind enough to schedule the Saturday evening activities (a picnic!) for 6 pm, ensuring that we would be able to take in the final.  Ah, but where exactly would we do that in Canadensis, PA?  No TVs in our creekside cabins.  Fortunately, we found The Pour House (right), a local tavern that was willing to switch one TV from NBA, NFL, NASCAR and other sports to the final.  We were joined by two brothers from York, PA attending a family reunion who say they never miss the final regardless of where they are.  Also, by an Eastern European - a Man United fan - who came to root for Chelsea to make sure that hated Man City did not win; the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or something like that.  The five of us had a grand old time.

Decent final.  Thought there might have been a bit more scoring but there was enough good attacking football to make it enjoyable.  The 1-0 Chelsea win seemed about right to us.  Was Guardiola outcoached by Tuchel?  Some seemed to think so.  

A Tale of Two Keepers

The final of the other European competition - the Europa League - was pretty cool.  Villarreal did a good job of mostly keeping Man United out of the goal and managed to keep things at 1-1 through extra time.  At the point, a most intriguing PK shootout began.  Five takes for each side and no misses.  Five more takes for each side and no misses.  Therefore, at 10-10, the keepers would face each other.  Geronimo Rulli of Villarreal dispatched his with a plumb aplomb; that's a take worthy of any field player.  David De Gea?  Not so much.  Easily the weakest take of the 22.  Never a big fan of PK shootouts for a championship but this was riveting.  Have to say Villareal earned it with their defense.

Union Beat Crush Portland

When Jeff K showed me the score during the wedding Sunday night (with appropriate warning so no yellow card for spoilers), I was shocked.  Up 3-0?  Only saw the highlights but there were some nice set piece goals in there.  The expected goals at 538 suggest the result was reasonably fair.  So after a weak start to the MLS campaign, the Union now find themselves in second.  Depth is still an issue but Gazdag (pronounced gusDOG), will be available after the Euros so that will help.  A few weeks off is probably helpful too after the hectic spring.  

The Euros!!

By the time you get this, the 2020 European Championships will be underway, with Italy taking on Turkey.  There are plenty of reviews and predictions out there.  The Supercomputer says France wins it all. Some fun observations from Guardian writers here.  With so much info out there, we will do our usual BFS thing and make random observations.

Group of Death

Group F (France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary) clearly deserves the designation but Group A Italy, Switzerland, Wales and Turkey should get some recognition too - the Group of Pain and Suffering?  Here's a ranking of each group based on the latest FIFA rankings - we simply added the ranking of each group member.

Group F - 56

Group A - 66

Group E - 81

Group D - 102

Group B - 103

Group C - 125

With the new format, the top two in each automatically advance but so do the best four third place finishers.  Kind of like the NBA - the group stage will only eliminate eight of 24.  That competition for 2nd and 3rd in some groups could be tough.  Aside from the two groups already mentioned, Group C could be tight between Netherlands, Austria and Ukraine, while Group E is no picnic with Sweden and Poland likely fighting it out behind Spain.

Magpies at the Euros

Emil Krafth - Sweden

Martin Dubravka - Slovakia

Ryan Fraser - Scotland

Fabian Schar - Switzerland

"Tastiest" Group Stage Match

Turkey and Swiss

Other Key Group Stage Matches

In some ways they are too numerous to mention but we'll throw out a few

Wales v Switzerland (Sat 9 am)

England v Croatia (Sun 9 am)

France v Germany (Tues 3pm)

Turkey v Wales (Wed noon)

Netherlands v Austria (Thur 3 pm)

England v Scotland (Fri 3 pm)

Portugal v Germany (next Sat noon)

Spain v Poland (next Sat 3 pm)

Speaking of Pitch Invasions...

Courtesy of BFS Keeper Consultant Graham R, we have this video of a parachutist landing at midfield.  The best part of course, is the calm reaction of the referee as he shows the yellow for delay of game.

What We Said...

Dennis sends this along - EPL will use thicker lines in determining offside during VAR checks, which essentially will make it harder to overturn the call on the field.  In theory it shouldn't favor the attackers or the defenders.  However, with the mandate to ARs to hold the flag on close ones to let the play develop, this probably means fewer overturned goals.  I believe if you review the BFS archives, we suggested something along these, ahem, lines as a solution to the false accuracy of the VAR process.

Gotta go.  When you get this, tune into to see Italy - Turkey if you're not already watching.

Another Season in the Books

6911 set up for proper last day viewing

Thanks mostly to the Leicester-Tottenham match, the live table did change by the minute during Sunday's final matches.  Newcastle continued their Alfred E Neuman-like (What, me worry?) end to the season.  The Union win again with less than their best.  And now all we have to look forward to is a month of June full of Euro 2020 2021.

Depressingly Familiar

At two points on Sunday, Leicester had a place in the Champions League.  Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes an early lead against Spurs with a PK.  Coupled with Chelsea's struggle against Aston Villa, a win would have gotten them fourth.  Harry Kane temporarily put that to rest with a late first half tally.  But Vardy got a second PK to restore Leicester's hopes, especially with Villa up 2-0 on Chelsea.  And then it fell apart.  Schmeichel surrendered an own goal on botched corner and Bale added two more late to seal a 4-2 win for Spurs.  Chelsea's 1-2 loss to Villa was irrelevant at that point.  Thus we are left with top four of Man City, Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Turns out Spurs needed that rally to get their own ticket for Europe next year (albeit in the less desirable Europa Conference League).  Until Bale's goal put Spurs in front of Leicester, Arsenal were holding the seventh spot thanks to a comfortable lead over Brighton.  West Ham had left no doubt about sixth place with their convincing 3-0 win over Southampton.  So the Europa picture is Leicester and West Ham in the Europa League and Tottenham in the "tertiary level" Europa Conference League.

Leicester again lose out on Champions League on the last day of the season.  West Ham at least is a newer face in the top seven, recovering nicely from last year's relegation threatened 16th place finish.

What Were We Worrying About?

With a 2-0 win over Fulham, Newcastle finished 12th with 45 points.  Are you kidding me?  Seven weeks ago they were 17th with 28 points, just two outside the relegation zone.  The Magpies took 17 points from the final nine matches; extrapolate that over a 38-game season and you get almost 72 points and a top four finish.  Easy there Sparky. Nine of those points came against bottom of the table competition.  On the other hand, eight points did come against top seven sides, so it wasn't just bottom feeding.

We are left with the question of how could a 45-point, 12th-place season be so incredibly stressful.  Part may have been the schedule.  A bigger part is likely injuries, including covid-19 related absences.  We can't ignore that the only significant piece of January business, acquiring Joe Willock from Arsenal on loan, paid off big time (more on that below).  Unfortunately, the solid finish could lead to complacency Tyneside.  See, we were fine except for injuries.  We don't need to make changes.  Yeah, except Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin look to be injury prone and the early signs from Mikel Arteta are that he has no intention of making the Willock deal permanent.  No, the worst thing would be to stand pat - that would pretty much guarantee another season on the brink.

Aston Villa Are the Mid-Table

Not in the mid-table.  They are the entire mid-table.  The win over Chelsea gave them an completely creditable 11th place finish with 55 points.  It's 10 points down to the next spot - Newcastle - and every team below them was relegation threatened until late (well maybe not Wolves).  It's only four points up to 10th place Everton but every team above them was a serious candidate for Europe (well maybe not Leeds).  

Villa went from 17th and incredible escape last year to this 11th place finish.  What if Grealish hadn't missed so many games?  Looking over the fixtures he missed, we might conservatively give Villa seven more points.  With 62 points, they would have been in the hunt for at least a Europa League spot.  We can only hope management takes the summer window seriously.  Hang on to the key players like Targett, Cash, and Konsa, find someone to replace Douglas Luiz, add some depth.  This team could challenge for top seven with some judicious spending.

Loanee of the January Window - Lingard or Willock?

This is an incredibly tight contest.  Willock had eight goals in 14 games, averaging a rating of 7.13; Newcastle averaged 1.25 points per game in those 14 games versus 1.04 in the other 24 games.  But Lingard was probably better.  He had nine goals and four assists in 16 games, averaging a rating of 7.22; West Ham average 1.875 points per game in those 16 games versus 1.45 in the other 22 games. He also played all but 14 minutes of those games.  Newcastle went from relegation threat to a comfortable 12th place finish.  West Ham got a 6th place finish and a Europa spot.  However, they were already in the hunt before Lingard showed up; Jesse just made sure they stayed there.  The Newcastle bias of the BFS panel shows through and the award goes to Willock,  as we feel he made more of difference to the Magpies final standing than Lingard did.  But ya done good too Jesse.

Separated at Birth

We had thought about posting this for a few weeks but held off on pointing it out, until Dennis said he saw it too.  When exactly did Tottenham sign Jack Sparrow?  And will he be back next year?  Guess it might depend on who Daniel Levy picks as his new manager.

Good Thing That Wasn't NYCFC

Glesnes in action: BFS choice for PoM

Or somebody comparable.  For the second straight match, the Union looked mediocre versus mediocre
competition.  But for the second straight match, they escaped with a 1-0 win, this time against DC United.  Quite a few passes that were not intercepted as much as sent directly to the opposition.  Some communication breakdowns that led to shockingly easy scoring opportunities.  And again, not making the most of the chances they generated.  Three things stand out for me.  There was a moment of brilliance on a through ball from Monteiro to shuhBILLkoh, with CATSpurr calmly finishing the play.  Blake had his usual result saving save.  And a big shout out to Glesnes for always being in the passing lane to disrupt the DC United attacks.  At whoscored.com, they had Blake above Glesnes (8.0 to 7.7) but we would have gone with the Norwegian.  We also got a quick look at new addition Daniel Gazdag.  Hard to draw much from the appearance, except that he showed up ready to play, even just for one match.  He probably won't be back until July after the Euros.  

Conversation That Could Have Taken Place But Didn't

Dennis:  Who's the player on DC United wearing 20-20?

Steve:  Brendan Hines-Ike

Dennis: What's the deal with his number?

Steve: Everybody knows Hines-Ike is always 20-20

Conversation That Could Have Taken Place and Did

Bob K: Did you say Spurs owner Daniel Levy had trouble getting out of jail?

Michael B: No, I said he misspent the Bale money.

Not Istanbul (Not Constantinople) [apologies to They Might Be Giants]

The Champions League Final was originally to be held in Istanbul.  But with Turkey on the UK red list for travel fans of the both finalists - Man City and Chelsea - would not be allowed to attend.   The clubs proposed Wembley but UEFA staff would have had trouble getting exemptions to fly to London.  So the compromise city was Porto.  With Portugal on the UK green list, about 6,000 fans from each club will be able to attend.  That match is this Saturday at 3 pm on CBS (the main network).  City are prohibitive favorites.

The Europa League final looks good with Villareal taking on Man United.  That one is on CBSSports at 3 pm on Wednesday.  United are the favorite here too but I wouldn't count The Yellow Submarine out.

The Union have one more match - home against Portland - before a long international break sets in.  That's Sunday at 7 pm on FS1.  They better bring their A game or it might not be pretty.  

The USMNT is gearing up for a busy second half to the year.  Nice article here from Axios (hat tip BFS La Liga correspondent Bob K).  You might want to take a moment to acquaint yourself with the roster.  Nice to see two ex-Union names (McKenzie and Aaronson).

And of course, Euro 2020 kicks off a year late on June 11 with Turkey taking on Italy at 3 pm.  Group stage matches every day from 6/11 to 6/23.  Knockout games most days until the final on July 11th.  

We're going to take off until 6/11 when we'll present our thoughts and viewing plans for the Euros.

A Little Drama Left

The weekend and midweek results leave a few issues unresolved as we head into Sunday's season finale.  Leicester got their first FA Cup ever.  There was a pile of games that were of little consequence but we watched anyway.  And a play that never works, worked for once.

Fates Were Sealed

Results went in favor of Newcastle this weekend, so much so that the Magpies suddenly find themselves safe from relegation.  And they weren't the only ones.  Nine different sides saw their destinies decided - for good or bad - by Tuesday evening.  Also, not a bad week for the Union.

Done and Dusted

Paul Dummett's header makes it 2-0 

As we've noted before, nothing better than starting the weekend off with your side getting a good result on Friday.  In truth, Newcastle's 4-2 win over Leicester wasn't merely good, it was great.   Possible Loanee of the January Window, Joe Willock (Jesse Lingard might argue otherwise) got the Magpies an early - and deserved - lead with a goal in the 22nd minute.  But the possibility that this would be Newcastle's day became real with Paul Dummett's header goal in the 34th minute.  Certainly a point was possible and the way they were playing, Newcastle looked capable of taking all three.  Second half goals from Callum Wilson extended the lead to 4-0.  A couple of late goals for Leicester (one of course from EatANacho) made this unnecessarily close but Newcastle held on for the 4-2 win.

Clearly the efforts from Wilson and Willock were key but don't overlook the continued brilliance of Dubravka in goal.  He had seven saves, often at critical points, to ensure that the Magpies would get the win.  Also, Matt Ritchie had another solid performance.  With the win, Newcastle's magic number fell to one point, meaning that Fulham would need to win every one of their final four matches.  Dennis chided me for insisting that it was not over, pointing out that Fulham had won five all year and now needed to win four straight.  He suggested that there was something like a .13% chance this would happen.  I was forced to concede that for Fulham to win four they would need to score at least one goal a game without conceding any and given that they were averaging .74 goals per game, this was highly unlikely.  

But .13% is still non-zero so we held off celebrating for the moment.  Flash forward to Monday afternoon with Fulham hosting Burnley.  The Clarets, perhaps in a sympathetic gesture to the Toon Army (I doubt it),  took control early and had things pretty much well in hand with a 2-0 lead by half time.  I suppose the fact that a win also meant Burnley were safe from relegation might have had something to do with it.  The second half proceeded uneventfully and both Newcastle and Burnley (and others it turns out - see below) get to celebrate another year in the top division.

Since the 0-3 debacle to Brighton, which left them with 47% chance of relegation, Newcastle have 11 points from six matches, including eight points from four of the top seven teams.  They clearly stepped up to the challenge, ending the relegation threat much earlier than expected.  

Others Done and Dusted

The Fulham-Burnley result settled the fate of of five different clubs.  Fulham were consigned to relegation, ending the threats for Newcastle, Brighton, Southampton, and Burnley.  Earlier in the weekend, Crystal Palace clinched safety with a 2-0 win over Sheffield United.  Combined with their 3-1 win over Aston Villa, Man United clinched a Champions League berth when Everton tipped West Ham 1-0 (which means Lingard did not score).  Sam Allardyce's non-relegation streak was ended with West Brom's 1-3 loss to Arsenal.  And Man United's 1-2 loss to Leicester on Tuesday meant that Man City were crowned champions of the Premier League.  

With all this clinching, there are still some important spots to play for.  The last two Champions League slots are still up for grabs, as are spots in the two Europa competitions.  Leicester and Chelsea still look best positioned for the Champions League but Liverpool have a game in hand so it's not quite done.  Fifth through seventh are tight, with West Ham, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton still in the hunt.

At 17 (apologies to Janis Ian)

McGlynn (2nd from left) - 16 is not is age

Suspensions, a congested schedule and generally limited depth for the Union meant that Jack McGlynn started on Saturday vs Chicago and again on Wednesday versus New England.  He wears #16 and while that could be his age, he's actually all of 17.  Didn't play like it though.  WhoScored.com gave him a solid 7.0 against Chicago; not as good Wednesday with a 6.2 but still acceptable.

The Union looked solidly in control at Chicago and the 2-0 win is a fair accounting of what I saw on the pitch.  Back home at Subaru Park, New England proved a much tougher opponent.  Though an even match throughout, the Revolution looked poised to steal a victory with an 85th minute goal from Teal Bunbury.  Fortunately, shuhBILLkoh pulled that one back in just three minutes and the 1-1 final was a totally deserved result.  Never good to draw at home but New England are hot right now, so this is not awful.  It was also in the middle of three games in nine days.

All Some To Play For

The downside of all this early clinching is that the number of matches of consequences drops dramatically.  There is the FA Cup Final featuring Chelsea vs Leicester (12:15 Saturday on ESPN+), but despite a full weekend plus mid-week fixtures, a little thin on excitement.

Take Newcastle home to Man City on Friday at 3 pm (Peacock). No really, take it.  Not much to see there.  Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa Sunday at 7 am (NBCSN)?  Southampton - Leeds Tuesday afternoon at 1 pm?  See what I mean?

Look carefully though and there are some important matches.  West Ham is at Brighton Saturday at 3 pm on Peacock.  The Hammers need a win to keep their CL hopes alive.  Tottenham hope to keep Europa League in the picture as they host Wolves on Sunday at 9:05 on NBCSN.  Liverpool will hope to get all three at West Brom (Sunday 11:30 on NBCSN).  And Everton need to take care of Sheffield United Sunday at 2 pm on Peacock.

Wait, what's this?  No matches on Monday.  First time since April 2nd (?) with no EPL, Champions League or Europa League.

Tuesday afternoon does have a good looking fixture, with Chelsea hosting Leicester at 3:15 pm.  This is a break for Liverpool in that somebody's dropping points. To be fair, there are several matches on Wednesday with consequences, including Everton-Wolves, Tottenham - Aston Villa, Crystal Palace-Arsenal, Burnley-Liverpool and West Brom - West Ham.  Okay, so I maybe overstated how many meaningless matches there are.  Maybe the matchups aren't scintillating but they are meaningful.

Will be at Subaru Park Saturday to see the Union face the Pink Cows.  That's at 7:30 on PHL-17.

Spend your day off on Monday wisely.  European Championships are coming soon.

Special Bonus BFS

As the lead GIF maker for this blog, I felt it would be criminal if we did not show off this "beauty" from Arsenal's Thomas Partay late in their victory over Chelsea. Partay is sent on his way by Lacazette only to be double teamed in the Chelsea box, decide that it was just too much running, and that he should lay down for a second. He takes the slightest nudge from Hudson-Odoi, bravely stumbles forward a few steps, then simply collapses. Truly a masterpiece that was immediately (and I mean immediately) rewarded with the appropriate yellow card.  

-Dennis