It's been a long 30+ days since the end of the World Cup. We've had to subsist on crumbs from a light MLS schedule and some let's-take-money-from-the-Yankees-for-preseason-games-by-calling-it-a-cup tournaments. But that comes to an end Saturday morning when Manchester United hosts Swansea City in the opening match of the 2014-15 EPL season. A full slate of games follows that 7:45 am opener covering Saturday and Sunday, with six matches on NBCSN or NBC. And the MLS schedule gets more consistent as they move into the last part of their season. La Liga people tell me that the Spanish season will start a week from Saturday. Better erase unneeded shows from your dvrs.
Newcastle again gets to open against Manchester City. Hopefully we will see something better than last year's 0-4 thrashing in which Steven Taylor was sent off. There are many reasons to be optimistic this season - at least for a mid-table finish - but this Sunday I'll be more interested in how the Magpies play than the final score. Aston Villa opens on the road at Stoke. There's some buzz about the Potters possibly being a surprise team but even if they're not, this is a tough match for the Villans; maybe they'll surprise like last year when they beat Arsenal on opening day.
Other sides of interest, at least to our regulars, have brighter prospects for a result. Everton is at Leicester, Arsenal hosts Crystal Palace and Tottenham is at West Ham. A
Michael B pointed me to a great series by The Guardian on the prospects for each EPL team. Here's the link: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog+football/series/premier-league-2014-15-previews. Their consensus top four is Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, and Man United. Fifth through seventh are Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton. Newcastle is slotted 9th and Aston Villa 16th (ouch).
And let's go over the only thing you really need to remember about viewing etiquette. Before blurting out the score or even a key moment of any match, either verbally or cyberly, remember to ask: Are you current?
MacMath Giveth and Taketh Away
The Union have advanced to the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. I confess to not following this competition closely at all, only vaguely aware that the Union had been making their way to the later rounds. I ask for the court's indulgence, even the semi-final wasn't on any channel nor could you stream it live. Poor man's FA Cup indeed. Protecting a 1-0 lead late, MacMath came too far off his line and was burned for the tying goal. Regular time ended in a draw, as did the 30 minutes of added extra time. In the shootout, MacMath redeemed himself with two big saves, sending the team on to the September 16th final against Seattle at PPL Park.
That was their second win of the week. On Saturday, they won the must-win contest against last place Montreal, 2-1. Except the Union were awful. The Impact is a bad team and they were without their leading scorer. But the Union managed little offense; both goals were almost all luck. Passes weren't just intercepted, they were often straight to the opposition. They were unable to create any space, had little creativity and frankly looked tired. LeToux wasn't at his best skillwise but his work rate was the reason the Union scored at all. MacMath had a decent game and Valdes, in his first game back, put in a credible effort. The win moved them into the last playoff spot but that did not look like a playoff team to me. A congested schedule sees the Union traveling to Houston for a Friday match against the Dynamo; sure, it's a road game but Houston is below them in the standings so this is where we see if the Union is going to make a run or not.
Only saw the score of the match but Red Bull fans can't be too happy about an 0-1 loss at Chicago. They maintain 4th place on the tie breaker. But with as many as six teams vying for the last two playoff spots, nothing is secure at this point.
Coaching Genius
When picking players for the Chester Blues, I insist on a high rating for determination. That was quite helpful in the midweek League Cup game against 4th division Carlisle. I sat most of the regulars to keep them fresh for Saturday's league match with Everton, believing the second team would be strong enough to handle a 4th division squad. So Carlisle puts up two goals in the first seven minutes and I'm thinking I'm going to be roasted by the board and fans. But teams with high determination tend not to be rattled playing from behind and sure enough, my guys came through with three goals before halftime and another two in the second half. Still might get thrashed by Everton but at least we'll be rested.
All I'm Asking For Is 60% Effort 1000% of the Time
Ted Lasso may be back in the EPL. We saw him last year during his brief, very brief, tenure at Tottenham, which is documented here. After a short stint at NBCSN, he is apparently under consideration for the position at Leicester, even if he can't pronounce it properly. Details here.
Good luck to your chosen side, unless of course your side is playing my chosen side, Newcastle.
Blake looked good last night...
ReplyDeleteI already liked him before I saw him play, as I heard he was the second coming of Donovan Ricketts (one of my favorites), but last night solidified it. He needs playing time. Not happy now about the Mbohli signing (although Mbohli>MacMath).