I can say everything I need to about this weekend's EPL action in four quick points so we are not going to waste time.
1) Congratulations to the top table teams that got the job done. Everton was perhaps the most efficient in a clinical shutdown of Manchester United in which the Toffees never looked in danger in the 2-0 win that finishes any chance of CL for the Red Devils; it also apparently finished any chance of David Moyes finishing the season with Man United. Arsenal allowed Hull to feel like they were in the match but eventually walked away with a 3-0 win. Liverpool was never behind but never comfortable in a 3-2 win at Norwich. Honorable mention to Tottenham for a 3-1 win over Fulham to keep Europa League hopes intact.
2) Congratulations to Aston Villa for picking up an unexpected point against Southampton. Didn't see the match but it can't have been all that riveting, except for the context. Dennis adds: Not all that riveting indeed. Southampton could (should?) have been up at least 1 and probably 2 goals within the first 5 minutes. It settled into a back and forth contest that, while mildly entertaining, never really felt like it would produce a winner. None of that matters now and Villa snagged one of those 2 crucial points I mentioned last week, leaving them one win away from really feeling safe. Beating Norwich [ed note: Swansea?] this weekend seems like our best chance, so I am preparing for the worst.
3) Congratulations to Newcastle, who's performance was less "pooh-er" than recent weeks' even though it was still a loss, 2-1 to Swansea. An early goal (the thing where the ball crosses the line between the posts) gave the Magpies a lead; a swell header by Bony evened up the match for Swansea in first half stoppage time. Slight advantage to Newcastle in the second half but they could not get a game winner. A breakaway in stoppage time led to a PK which Bony converted and the losing streak continues.
4) Congratulations to Chelsea for turning what should have been a boring romp against Sunderland into compelling theater. Of course it came at the cost of Chelsea pissing away control in the title race. Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming on. Did Chelsea not bother to watch the tapes from Sunderland's performance on Tuesday against Man City? Maybe realize that this team is not going quietly into the relegation night. And enough with the whining. Until you learn the difference between a ball that hits the hand and the infraction of handling - I'm looking especially at you Ivanovic and Salah - just stfu. And Chelsea should have spent the second half a man down after Ramires' disgraceful blow to Larsson's face. I don't blame Mike Dean for not seeing it. His attention had turned to the right to follow the play because he had to make a determination of whether advantage would apply. Plus, why would Dean need to focus on the Ramires, since no one would be stupid enough to strike a player in the face with the ref right there? The PK - tough call but not outrageous. Azpilicueta went for a slide tackle in the box at greater than a 90 degree angle from behind and made contact with Altidore. What do you expect? Assistant coach Rui Faria's performance on the sideline was impressive; maybe if the whole squad had focused that kind of passion on playing soccer, the result might have been different. Mourinho completed the ugly day with a sarcastic post game performance that will likely earn him a hefty fine. And to think I used to lust in my heart over Chelsea. I feel like I need a shower.
In MLS action...
Houston and the Union played a 0-0 draw that likely did not advance the cause of MLS. Outplayed in the first half, the Union had a much better second half but can you really say they threatened to score? This habit of getting draws at home is a formula for finishing 7th in the division.
Red Bulls were idle over the weekend but just completed a mid-week thrashing of Houston. With two consecutive wins, they jump to 3rd in the division, allbeit with a few extra games played.
In Football Manager action...
It is now late May on the cyber calendar. The players are on vacation until June 30. I'm about to take my annual one-week vacation. We just managed to sign Gaetano Hoffman, a fictional 21 year-old Swiss striker who my scouts say is ready now to play at the Premier League level. Still looking to add an experienced keeper and a stronger left back but probably won't be able to do that until July 1, when I get my new salary and transfer budget plus I can get players on loan.
This weekend
With Chelsea's loss to Sunderland, their marquee match with Liverpool has lost some of its luster. It may lose even more if Mourinho follows through on his idea to play his second team so as to save his regulars for the second leg of the CL semi-final with Atletico (0-0 after the first leg in Madrid). Man City has to play a hot Crystal Palace on the road to make sure they keep pace and/or gain on the top two teams. Everton travels to Southampton for a tricky match while their competition for the last CL spot, Arsenal, gets to host Newcastle (oh man that could get ugly).
Interesting stuff down in the relegation zone where just eight points separate 12th and 20th in the table. Aston Villa travels to Wales to play Swansea, Sunderland hosts Cardiff, West Ham is away to West Brom, and Fulham welcomes Hull City to Craven Cottage. Points are critical to all; winning is important, not losing is even more important.
Europa League spots are still up in the air as Spurs take on Stoke and Man United faces Norwich.
Still a lot of viewing to be had...
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
BFS Would Like to Recall the Previous Post
Jeebus Christmas. The ink was barely dry on Tuesday's post and a series of unexpected midweek results in seemingly innocuous fixtures have rendered it moot.
Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham on Tuesday was expected. The match was a bit of a return to mid-season form, as the Gunners struggled against a lesser opponent - and fell behind 0-1 - but did not panic. Better quality finishing was eventually the difference here. That and maybe a non-call in the box when West Ham's Jarvis refused to go down after a possible foul in the box; much speculation on the interwebs that had he taken the tumble, he would have been rewarded with a PK. But regardless, Arsenal got the required three points.
Wednesday was not as simple. Everton stumbled badly in a home match against Crystal Palace, losing 2-3. Did not see the match but apparently Crystal Palace was extremely effective in the counter attack. The Eagles have been in fine form (four straight wins) and their quest to stay up in the Premier League looks complete. Wonder how Rebecca Lowe kept it together during the post-match analysis; she is a life-long CP fan and must be thrilled. Maybe this is not quite the upset it seems to be but it is devastating to Everton. The Toffees drop to 5th, one point behind Arsenal. Worse, their remaining fixtures (Man Utd, Southampton, Man City and Hull) are somewhat more difficult that Arsenal's run-in to the finish (Hull, Newcastle, West Brom and Norwich). Contrary to what I said Tuesday, Arsenal, not Everton, now have the upper hand in the race for the last CL spot. For Everton, it could be a fine body of work seemingly undone in one afternoon. Unless of course, the weekend brings more surprises.
The other Wednesday match was maybe more of a stunner; it was also a great match for the neutrals. Sunderland gave Manchester City all they could handle and came away with a well-deserved 2-2 draw. Fernandinho got the hosts off to a flying start, maybe too easy a start, with a goal in the 2nd minute. Man City had the run of play early but could not add to the lead and Sunderland started to have some bright moments of their own. And then the play seemed about equal. The Black Cats got the tying goal from Connor Wickham in the 73rd minute. He enjoyed scoring so much, he did it again 10 minutes later and Man City was faced with the possibility of Sunderland, last place Sunderland, taking all three points at Etihad Stadium. Sammy Nasri "rescued" the situation with the equalizing goal in the 88th minute; watch how Sunderland keeper Vito Mannone scrambles, then crawls in a desperate attempt to keep the ball from rolling across the goal line. That YouTubeableMoment might say it all for Sunderland this year.
I put rescued in quotes because even the draw has completely changed the complexion of the title race. Liverpool already controlled their fate but can now hold off Man City with three wins and a draw (i.e. they only have to not lose to Chelsea). And Chelsea now can also win the title by winning all their remaining fixtures. All because of a little draw against the last place team.
Morals of the story
1) Even though the weekend features what look like unappealing match ups, you probably should watch anyway
2) A contender might be better off playing Newcastle than any squad still in relegation danger
And in the last match on Wednesday, the Union was 3/4 empty, 1/4 full in a 1-2 loss to the Red Bulls. Not much offensive pressure (at least until Conor Casey came in - maybe Jeff H will comment on what our preferred line-up should be) and the Red Bulls "outphysicaled" the Philadelphia side. Next up - Houston Dynamo.
Arsenal's 3-1 win over West Ham on Tuesday was expected. The match was a bit of a return to mid-season form, as the Gunners struggled against a lesser opponent - and fell behind 0-1 - but did not panic. Better quality finishing was eventually the difference here. That and maybe a non-call in the box when West Ham's Jarvis refused to go down after a possible foul in the box; much speculation on the interwebs that had he taken the tumble, he would have been rewarded with a PK. But regardless, Arsenal got the required three points.
Wednesday was not as simple. Everton stumbled badly in a home match against Crystal Palace, losing 2-3. Did not see the match but apparently Crystal Palace was extremely effective in the counter attack. The Eagles have been in fine form (four straight wins) and their quest to stay up in the Premier League looks complete. Wonder how Rebecca Lowe kept it together during the post-match analysis; she is a life-long CP fan and must be thrilled. Maybe this is not quite the upset it seems to be but it is devastating to Everton. The Toffees drop to 5th, one point behind Arsenal. Worse, their remaining fixtures (Man Utd, Southampton, Man City and Hull) are somewhat more difficult that Arsenal's run-in to the finish (Hull, Newcastle, West Brom and Norwich). Contrary to what I said Tuesday, Arsenal, not Everton, now have the upper hand in the race for the last CL spot. For Everton, it could be a fine body of work seemingly undone in one afternoon. Unless of course, the weekend brings more surprises.
The other Wednesday match was maybe more of a stunner; it was also a great match for the neutrals. Sunderland gave Manchester City all they could handle and came away with a well-deserved 2-2 draw. Fernandinho got the hosts off to a flying start, maybe too easy a start, with a goal in the 2nd minute. Man City had the run of play early but could not add to the lead and Sunderland started to have some bright moments of their own. And then the play seemed about equal. The Black Cats got the tying goal from Connor Wickham in the 73rd minute. He enjoyed scoring so much, he did it again 10 minutes later and Man City was faced with the possibility of Sunderland, last place Sunderland, taking all three points at Etihad Stadium. Sammy Nasri "rescued" the situation with the equalizing goal in the 88th minute; watch how Sunderland keeper Vito Mannone scrambles, then crawls in a desperate attempt to keep the ball from rolling across the goal line. That YouTubeableMoment might say it all for Sunderland this year.
I put rescued in quotes because even the draw has completely changed the complexion of the title race. Liverpool already controlled their fate but can now hold off Man City with three wins and a draw (i.e. they only have to not lose to Chelsea). And Chelsea now can also win the title by winning all their remaining fixtures. All because of a little draw against the last place team.
Morals of the story
1) Even though the weekend features what look like unappealing match ups, you probably should watch anyway
2) A contender might be better off playing Newcastle than any squad still in relegation danger
And in the last match on Wednesday, the Union was 3/4 empty, 1/4 full in a 1-2 loss to the Red Bulls. Not much offensive pressure (at least until Conor Casey came in - maybe Jeff H will comment on what our preferred line-up should be) and the Red Bulls "outphysicaled" the Philadelphia side. Next up - Houston Dynamo.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
No Silver Linings Playbook
Difficult times indeed for the blog's home teams. Even those that got a result this weekend, upon further review, have little to cheer about. I hear that our fans of Spanish teams are having much more fun so maybe Michael B, Bob K and Luke P (loyal Atleti supporter since 4/8/14) will enlighten us in the comments section.
If there is a silver lining behind the dark cloud hanging over Newcastle, I can't see it. Though they played a little better in a 1-0 loss to Stoke, the Magpies extended their scoreless streak to over 360 minutes. The game's only goal came on a cross that was so bad it turned into an awesome shot, completely fooling Newcastle Tim Krul. But the long stretch of poor form is not the real concern here. Absent substantial new blood, it's hard to see Newcastle as a mid-table team next year. They've not filled the giant hole left by Cabaye's departure and Remy's likely exit at the end of the season will create a similar-sized problem up top. Defenders Debuchy and Colochino are also probably gone. With a front office in disarray or indifferent or both, effective signings to address these losses are hard to envision. Here's hoping that I'm wrong.
Not much better in the Midlands. Aston Villa lost to relegation rival Crystal Palace 1-0 and several of the other bottom table teams got three points as well, leaving the Villans very exposed at this point. Dennis reports on the game below (including how many times he got up to make a sandwich in apparently vain attempts to spur the offense) but again, it's hard to find the silver lining here. Dennis notes:
The second 1-0 loss to CP this season (need I really say more?) wasn't as soul-crushing as the first since we conceded well before the 93rd minute this time. But it came at a much more crucial point in the season and to a team that was tied with us on points before the game. Announcers keep implying that Aston Villa is essentially safe as 36 points is usually enough to avoid relegation and we have 34 points. However, and check my math on this one, that means we need 2 whole points. And after the sloppy, uninspiring show on Saturday, I am not even sure where we are going to get 1 more point. A sandwich at halftime was not enough to spark the Villans and I am seriously worried about their fate.
To Dennis's point, they finish the season on the road at Man City and Tottenham and play Southampton this weekend. The matches against Hull and Swansea loom as the critical places to get enough points to keep them in the Premier League.
Since I haven't seen any of their matches, I don't know exactly what's up with the Red Bulls. A loss to DC United wasn't likely part of the plan. Perhaps Chris can comment on whether there is a silver lining to their 0-2-4 start.
But as I said at the start, sometimes even winning isn't all that it seems either. Take Arsenal. Surely, you say the FA Cup semi-final win over Wigan, and the chance to end a nine-year trophy drought mean things are good. Shirley, you might be wrong. First, the Gunners' play of late has been uneven and they struggled mightily to defeat the second division Wigan squad. Only late game heroics by Mertesacker even got them to extra time and the penalty shoot out. And now they are heavy favorites to beat Hull City in the final. As in, it's a no-win situation, though that's a bit unfair because you don't get to choose your competition. It gets worse. While they were out gallivanting around in FA Cup land, Everton was beating Sunderland in EPL action to move passed Arsenal for the last Champions League spot. I'd say Everton has a tougher run-in so it's not over yet but you can see why Luke P has been cheating on the Gunners.
The Union got a result too - a 2-2 draw with a Real [Good] Salt Lake side, with Maurice Edu getting the equalizer in stoppage time. There are many things to like about the Union right now. Last year their goals seemed like accidents where this year they seem like the logical conclusion to a clever sequence of passes. They've lost just once so far. But it's hard to say yet whether the Union are half full or half empty. They are good for two to four astounding defensive break downs per game. The play is pretty but it is not a high powered offense that can easily overcome those gaffes. And they need to put up some W's; draws will not get you to the playoffs (playoffs? playoffs?).
Hey, look at this. Red Bulls and Union in a mid-week MLS contest on Wednesday night. That should be fun. Show of hands, who would like to see Hackworth give MacMath a day off and start number one draft pick Andre Blake in goal? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaking of draws, Tottenham spotted West Brom a 2-0 lead, missed a PK of their own, allowed another tally for the Baggies and then decided they'd better get moving. Managed a draw. Keeps them firmly anchored in 6th. For which they will likely besaddled rewarded with another season in the Europa League, guaranteed to sap the life out of your team for far less money than it's worth.
There was quality action this weekend as the Match of the Year (at least until the Liverpool-Chelsea contest) delivered the goods. Sterling got the festivities off to a great start with a deft move in the box to open the scoring in the 6th minute. Skrtel (Slovakian verb which means "to grab a fistful of an attackers' jersey in the box and not get called for it") added another on a what I grudgingly must concede was a great header at 26 minutes. Man City was reeling but held on to keep the deficit at two for the rest of the half. A revived Citizen side showed up for the second half (Milner's appearance at 50 minutes might have had something to do with it) and were eventually rewarded with a nifty tally by Silva. A short five minutes later they got the equalizer that went as an own goal against Liverpool defender Johnson but really was a good piece of work and totally deserved. Thoughts of a 4-2 rout must have danced in Pellegrini's head. Not so fast. A totally botched clearance by Vincent Kompany (get that out of your system now so we don't see anything like that when you represent Belgium at the World Cup), landed at Coutinho's feet and the young Brazilian made the most of it, slotting the winner past Joe Hart. Liverpool ends the weekend up two over Chelsea and seven over Man City (i.e. more points than you can make up with two games in hand); run the table and the title is theirs.
Chelsea had a good week. Got the 2-0 win over PSG they needed to advance to the Champions League semi-final. They kept pace with Liverpool - barely - by eking out a 1-0 win at Swansea. A 10 man Swansea (Chico sent off at 16 minutes for a second yellow that sure looked like was the result of Chelsea whining). Though they are just two points back and play Liverpool at Anfield on 4/27, they technically don't control their own destiny because Man City could sneak past them by winning all their remaining matches. Mourinho Fake Sound Bite of Week: "The race is over. I have already turned my attention to preseason preparations for next year. And maybe a little for the Champions League semi-final. But mostly preseason because Atletico will thrash us. We have no chance there either."
Every game is critical now but the match ups this weekend aren't really going to grab you. Man United at Everton is likely the best of the lot. Getting a little excited about Fulham's late charge to avoid relegation. Of course, that charge this week would come at the expense of Tottenham, though Michael B might prefer another loss so as to be sure the Spurs miss out on Europa League.
Please, La Liga fans, tell us of your experiences so we can see a silver lining to this supposedly beautiful game.
If there is a silver lining behind the dark cloud hanging over Newcastle, I can't see it. Though they played a little better in a 1-0 loss to Stoke, the Magpies extended their scoreless streak to over 360 minutes. The game's only goal came on a cross that was so bad it turned into an awesome shot, completely fooling Newcastle Tim Krul. But the long stretch of poor form is not the real concern here. Absent substantial new blood, it's hard to see Newcastle as a mid-table team next year. They've not filled the giant hole left by Cabaye's departure and Remy's likely exit at the end of the season will create a similar-sized problem up top. Defenders Debuchy and Colochino are also probably gone. With a front office in disarray or indifferent or both, effective signings to address these losses are hard to envision. Here's hoping that I'm wrong.
Not much better in the Midlands. Aston Villa lost to relegation rival Crystal Palace 1-0 and several of the other bottom table teams got three points as well, leaving the Villans very exposed at this point. Dennis reports on the game below (including how many times he got up to make a sandwich in apparently vain attempts to spur the offense) but again, it's hard to find the silver lining here. Dennis notes:
The second 1-0 loss to CP this season (need I really say more?) wasn't as soul-crushing as the first since we conceded well before the 93rd minute this time. But it came at a much more crucial point in the season and to a team that was tied with us on points before the game. Announcers keep implying that Aston Villa is essentially safe as 36 points is usually enough to avoid relegation and we have 34 points. However, and check my math on this one, that means we need 2 whole points. And after the sloppy, uninspiring show on Saturday, I am not even sure where we are going to get 1 more point. A sandwich at halftime was not enough to spark the Villans and I am seriously worried about their fate.
To Dennis's point, they finish the season on the road at Man City and Tottenham and play Southampton this weekend. The matches against Hull and Swansea loom as the critical places to get enough points to keep them in the Premier League.
Since I haven't seen any of their matches, I don't know exactly what's up with the Red Bulls. A loss to DC United wasn't likely part of the plan. Perhaps Chris can comment on whether there is a silver lining to their 0-2-4 start.
But as I said at the start, sometimes even winning isn't all that it seems either. Take Arsenal. Surely, you say the FA Cup semi-final win over Wigan, and the chance to end a nine-year trophy drought mean things are good. Shirley, you might be wrong. First, the Gunners' play of late has been uneven and they struggled mightily to defeat the second division Wigan squad. Only late game heroics by Mertesacker even got them to extra time and the penalty shoot out. And now they are heavy favorites to beat Hull City in the final. As in, it's a no-win situation, though that's a bit unfair because you don't get to choose your competition. It gets worse. While they were out gallivanting around in FA Cup land, Everton was beating Sunderland in EPL action to move passed Arsenal for the last Champions League spot. I'd say Everton has a tougher run-in so it's not over yet but you can see why Luke P has been cheating on the Gunners.
The Union got a result too - a 2-2 draw with a Real [Good] Salt Lake side, with Maurice Edu getting the equalizer in stoppage time. There are many things to like about the Union right now. Last year their goals seemed like accidents where this year they seem like the logical conclusion to a clever sequence of passes. They've lost just once so far. But it's hard to say yet whether the Union are half full or half empty. They are good for two to four astounding defensive break downs per game. The play is pretty but it is not a high powered offense that can easily overcome those gaffes. And they need to put up some W's; draws will not get you to the playoffs (playoffs? playoffs?).
Hey, look at this. Red Bulls and Union in a mid-week MLS contest on Wednesday night. That should be fun. Show of hands, who would like to see Hackworth give MacMath a day off and start number one draft pick Andre Blake in goal? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaking of draws, Tottenham spotted West Brom a 2-0 lead, missed a PK of their own, allowed another tally for the Baggies and then decided they'd better get moving. Managed a draw. Keeps them firmly anchored in 6th. For which they will likely be
There was quality action this weekend as the Match of the Year (at least until the Liverpool-Chelsea contest) delivered the goods. Sterling got the festivities off to a great start with a deft move in the box to open the scoring in the 6th minute. Skrtel (Slovakian verb which means "to grab a fistful of an attackers' jersey in the box and not get called for it") added another on a what I grudgingly must concede was a great header at 26 minutes. Man City was reeling but held on to keep the deficit at two for the rest of the half. A revived Citizen side showed up for the second half (Milner's appearance at 50 minutes might have had something to do with it) and were eventually rewarded with a nifty tally by Silva. A short five minutes later they got the equalizer that went as an own goal against Liverpool defender Johnson but really was a good piece of work and totally deserved. Thoughts of a 4-2 rout must have danced in Pellegrini's head. Not so fast. A totally botched clearance by Vincent Kompany (get that out of your system now so we don't see anything like that when you represent Belgium at the World Cup), landed at Coutinho's feet and the young Brazilian made the most of it, slotting the winner past Joe Hart. Liverpool ends the weekend up two over Chelsea and seven over Man City (i.e. more points than you can make up with two games in hand); run the table and the title is theirs.
Chelsea had a good week. Got the 2-0 win over PSG they needed to advance to the Champions League semi-final. They kept pace with Liverpool - barely - by eking out a 1-0 win at Swansea. A 10 man Swansea (Chico sent off at 16 minutes for a second yellow that sure looked like was the result of Chelsea whining). Though they are just two points back and play Liverpool at Anfield on 4/27, they technically don't control their own destiny because Man City could sneak past them by winning all their remaining matches. Mourinho Fake Sound Bite of Week: "The race is over. I have already turned my attention to preseason preparations for next year. And maybe a little for the Champions League semi-final. But mostly preseason because Atletico will thrash us. We have no chance there either."
Every game is critical now but the match ups this weekend aren't really going to grab you. Man United at Everton is likely the best of the lot. Getting a little excited about Fulham's late charge to avoid relegation. Of course, that charge this week would come at the expense of Tottenham, though Michael B might prefer another loss so as to be sure the Spurs miss out on Europa League.
Please, La Liga fans, tell us of your experiences so we can see a silver lining to this supposedly beautiful game.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Hit the Road Jack
Plenty of EPL stuff but first let's look in on the Union.
The weekend opened with news of the trade of Jack McInerney to Montreal for Andrew Wenger. Frankly, it was not a surprise. Sure he has been the Union's leading scorer for the last two years but he hasn't done much since he came back from his brief stint with the USMNT at last year's Gold Cup. He also can be moody when things aren't going well. Our group last Saturday wondered aloud whether Hackworth would tire of McInerney's pouty streak. The ability to sign McInerney when his contract ends was the reason cited by Hackworth. He will, by definition, now be an Impact player but whether he will make a difference, we'll have to see. I wonder how he'll fit in with Di Vaio.
As for Wenger, until yesterday all I knew of him was that he got a red card in last week's Union match. He was the top pick in the 2012 Super Draft but has struggled in Montreal. He may have suffered being in the shadow of Di Vaio so a change of venue might get him back on track.
On the field, this week's Union match at Chicago was a continuation of the season's theme - drop points from winning positions by surrendering a late goal. Except this time they were damn lucky to get the point; MacMath saved a PK, and the subsequent rebound in the 95th minute to preserve the tie. The sequence is this week's YouTubeable Moment.
Positives from the match - taking a 2-1 lead after giving up the first goal, continued strong play from Noguiera and Fernandes, and an improved performance from Edu. Negatives include a fifth straight poor second half performance and an inability to protect a lead. Still, at 94:57, the match looked lost so sometimes a point is a good thing.
Crummy Weekend for Blog Favorites and Neutrals
Newcastle was listless in 4-0 loss at home to Manchester United. Sure they were missing Remy and Sissoko but MU was without RVP and Rooney. I guess the difference is that MU has players like Januzaj and Hernandez to fill in. Next stop for the Magpies - 10th place.
The news was even worse at Villa Park, where Aston Villa first had to deal with the loss of Christian Benteke as a training injury earlier in the week turned out to be a ruptured achilles tendon. He'll miss the World Cup too. Then the Villans failed to get a result against Fulham. Did not see the match but it did sound like a good back-and-forth affair. Fulham scores at 60 minutes, Aston Villa equalizes at 70, but Fulham gets the game winner at 86 minutes. Not that a draw really would have been acceptable against the Cottagers but that was a point they could not afford to give up.
The "featured" match of the weekend was also a dud, at least for neutrals and Arsenal fans; I suspect Everton fans found it awesome. The Gunners looked unimaginative in the attack and shaky in the back going down 0-3 to Everton. Not that the Toffees didn't earn the win; Naismith got the first goal by tracking down a rebound and Lukaku (who now may have a more important role in Belgium's WC prospects with Benteke out) added a pretty goal on a basically solo effort and a great finish. By the second half, the crowd that had assembled at 6911 spent more time watching the cats play with their toys than the match. Everton is now just one point back of Arsenal for the fourth Champions League spot with a game in hand.
The top three all won their matches so there was no change in the standings. Manchester City did struggle a bit with Southampton, with the score 1-1 on a pair of PKs through 37 minutes. But two goals in first half stoppage time effectively ended the drama there. Chelsea handled Stoke with relative ease; afterwards Mourinho said that despite the win, he fears that Chelsea can finish no higher than 10th (just kidding). Liverpool had their hands full with West Ham, needing two PKs from Gerrard (second one at 71 minutes) to outlast the Hammers 2-1. For me the story there was referee Anthony Taylor, who seemed to have a million critical calls to make, including on all three goals. For my money he got most right but probably should have disallowed West Ham's goal after Andy Carroll appeared to foul Liverpool keeper Mignolet, causing him to lose possession of the ball, which Demel promptly deposited in the back of the net. The PK on West Ham keeper Adrian looked to be a close one too but I think he got it right; BFS Keeper Consultant Chris K may weigh in if he gets a chance to see that one. Oh, and Tottenham easily handled Sunderland 5-1, keeping faint (you have to listen really hard to hear the heartbeat) hopes of the Champions League alive.
More Champions League and FA Cup and the Potential "Match of the Year"
And me on the road next weekend. Who does my scheduling?
Midweek features the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal match ups. Manchester United acquitted themselves well in the first leg with a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, arguably the best club in the world; the second leg is in Germany so they have their work cut out for them. Chelsea was looking at a manageable 2-1 deficit heading back to Stamford Bridge but surrendered a silly goal in stoppage; at 1-3 down they have a long way to go, though with tiebreaking rules, a 2-0 win at home would see them through. Michael B's beloved Atletico drew Barcelona 1-1 and gets to host the second leg. And Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund was hammered 3-0 by Real Madrid and look to be finished.
FA Cup semifinals feature Arsenal traveling to Wigan on Saturday and Hull City hosting League One's (3rd Division) Sheffield United on Sunday. The EPL sides will be favored but the sentimental types will be pulling for last year's champion Wigan and the lower division Sheffield United.
The aforementioned "Match of the Year" is Liverpool hosting Manchester City on Sunday morning. Chelsea, I reckon, are rooting for a draw. I'm just hoping for an interesting match. Chelsea travel to Wales to face a reeling Swansea City. Everton is at Sunderland, with every prospect of a win and taking over fourth place.
Aston Villa is on the road at Crystal Palace in yet another relegation challenge. They can't afford to have these teams get three points. Fulham-Norwich City is another match loaded with relegation implications.
And Newcastle? The 9th place Magpies travel to Stoke carrying a six-point lead over the 10th place Potters. With any luck, I'll be hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains at kickoff and will nothave be able to watch the Magpies go for their third straight 0-4 defeat.
The weekend opened with news of the trade of Jack McInerney to Montreal for Andrew Wenger. Frankly, it was not a surprise. Sure he has been the Union's leading scorer for the last two years but he hasn't done much since he came back from his brief stint with the USMNT at last year's Gold Cup. He also can be moody when things aren't going well. Our group last Saturday wondered aloud whether Hackworth would tire of McInerney's pouty streak. The ability to sign McInerney when his contract ends was the reason cited by Hackworth. He will, by definition, now be an Impact player but whether he will make a difference, we'll have to see. I wonder how he'll fit in with Di Vaio.
As for Wenger, until yesterday all I knew of him was that he got a red card in last week's Union match. He was the top pick in the 2012 Super Draft but has struggled in Montreal. He may have suffered being in the shadow of Di Vaio so a change of venue might get him back on track.
On the field, this week's Union match at Chicago was a continuation of the season's theme - drop points from winning positions by surrendering a late goal. Except this time they were damn lucky to get the point; MacMath saved a PK, and the subsequent rebound in the 95th minute to preserve the tie. The sequence is this week's YouTubeable Moment.
Positives from the match - taking a 2-1 lead after giving up the first goal, continued strong play from Noguiera and Fernandes, and an improved performance from Edu. Negatives include a fifth straight poor second half performance and an inability to protect a lead. Still, at 94:57, the match looked lost so sometimes a point is a good thing.
Crummy Weekend for Blog Favorites and Neutrals
Newcastle was listless in 4-0 loss at home to Manchester United. Sure they were missing Remy and Sissoko but MU was without RVP and Rooney. I guess the difference is that MU has players like Januzaj and Hernandez to fill in. Next stop for the Magpies - 10th place.
The news was even worse at Villa Park, where Aston Villa first had to deal with the loss of Christian Benteke as a training injury earlier in the week turned out to be a ruptured achilles tendon. He'll miss the World Cup too. Then the Villans failed to get a result against Fulham. Did not see the match but it did sound like a good back-and-forth affair. Fulham scores at 60 minutes, Aston Villa equalizes at 70, but Fulham gets the game winner at 86 minutes. Not that a draw really would have been acceptable against the Cottagers but that was a point they could not afford to give up.
The "featured" match of the weekend was also a dud, at least for neutrals and Arsenal fans; I suspect Everton fans found it awesome. The Gunners looked unimaginative in the attack and shaky in the back going down 0-3 to Everton. Not that the Toffees didn't earn the win; Naismith got the first goal by tracking down a rebound and Lukaku (who now may have a more important role in Belgium's WC prospects with Benteke out) added a pretty goal on a basically solo effort and a great finish. By the second half, the crowd that had assembled at 6911 spent more time watching the cats play with their toys than the match. Everton is now just one point back of Arsenal for the fourth Champions League spot with a game in hand.
The top three all won their matches so there was no change in the standings. Manchester City did struggle a bit with Southampton, with the score 1-1 on a pair of PKs through 37 minutes. But two goals in first half stoppage time effectively ended the drama there. Chelsea handled Stoke with relative ease; afterwards Mourinho said that despite the win, he fears that Chelsea can finish no higher than 10th (just kidding). Liverpool had their hands full with West Ham, needing two PKs from Gerrard (second one at 71 minutes) to outlast the Hammers 2-1. For me the story there was referee Anthony Taylor, who seemed to have a million critical calls to make, including on all three goals. For my money he got most right but probably should have disallowed West Ham's goal after Andy Carroll appeared to foul Liverpool keeper Mignolet, causing him to lose possession of the ball, which Demel promptly deposited in the back of the net. The PK on West Ham keeper Adrian looked to be a close one too but I think he got it right; BFS Keeper Consultant Chris K may weigh in if he gets a chance to see that one. Oh, and Tottenham easily handled Sunderland 5-1, keeping faint (you have to listen really hard to hear the heartbeat) hopes of the Champions League alive.
More Champions League and FA Cup and the Potential "Match of the Year"
And me on the road next weekend. Who does my scheduling?
Midweek features the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal match ups. Manchester United acquitted themselves well in the first leg with a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, arguably the best club in the world; the second leg is in Germany so they have their work cut out for them. Chelsea was looking at a manageable 2-1 deficit heading back to Stamford Bridge but surrendered a silly goal in stoppage; at 1-3 down they have a long way to go, though with tiebreaking rules, a 2-0 win at home would see them through. Michael B's beloved Atletico drew Barcelona 1-1 and gets to host the second leg. And Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund was hammered 3-0 by Real Madrid and look to be finished.
FA Cup semifinals feature Arsenal traveling to Wigan on Saturday and Hull City hosting League One's (3rd Division) Sheffield United on Sunday. The EPL sides will be favored but the sentimental types will be pulling for last year's champion Wigan and the lower division Sheffield United.
The aforementioned "Match of the Year" is Liverpool hosting Manchester City on Sunday morning. Chelsea, I reckon, are rooting for a draw. I'm just hoping for an interesting match. Chelsea travel to Wales to face a reeling Swansea City. Everton is at Sunderland, with every prospect of a win and taking over fourth place.
Aston Villa is on the road at Crystal Palace in yet another relegation challenge. They can't afford to have these teams get three points. Fulham-Norwich City is another match loaded with relegation implications.
And Newcastle? The 9th place Magpies travel to Stoke carrying a six-point lead over the 10th place Potters. With any luck, I'll be hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains at kickoff and will not
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