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A poor outing from Newcastle but some pretty good viewing otherwise...


Championship Level Finishing

 Tomer Hemed scores the winner past Newcastle’s Robert Elliot.
Photograph: Craig Mercer/CameraSport via Getty Images

And of course the Magpies stumble on the coast, losing 0-1 to Brighton.  And Hove Albion.  Newcastle were not awful and fivethirtyeight metrics suggest this was a very close contest.  This one came down to whose finishing was the least bad, with the only goal a scraggly looking corner that bounced around a few times.  Yes, both teams looked like they are playing in the Premier League with Championship Division quality finishing.  Joselu, Gayle and Perez aren't bad given what we paid, but they are simply not going to convert chances at the same rate as higher priced players. Not a disastrous result and maybe instructive if Ashley et al get that until this problem with finishing is addressed, the relegation threat will remain.


Brighton may be turning into a favorite of Michael B's with their Jewish owner (Tony Bloom) and Israeli striker, Hemed.  But just to clarify Michael, their nickname is the Seagulls, not the Siegels.


Return of Scoring

And not just the "Man" sides.  Saturday started brightly with Spurs 3-2 win over West Ham.  Tottenham built a 3-0 lead with two more from Harry Kane, then had to hang on after Aurier was sent off with a second yellow.  Great stuff for the neutral but probably white knuckle time for Spurs fans.  Even better was Leicester-Liverpool.  Coutinho helped Liverpool to a 2-0 lead, first with an pinpoint cross to set up Salah, then a laser of a free kick.  Either could have been this week's YouTubeableMoment but we'll go with the free kick.  But with Liverpool's defending this was not a safe lead.  First Okazaki got one back in first half stoppage time. After Henderson made it 3-1 Vardy responded immediately to make it 3-2.  Mignolet then fouled Vardy in the box and we were looking at a level match.  Except Vardy did his power shot up the middle and Mignolet stopped it.  So it ended 3-2 for Liverpool but Klopp sure has some work to do.

I flipped back and forth between the Chelsea-Stoke and Man City-Crystal Palace.  The Citizens did look a little lax and then tight through 44 minutes until Sane broke the ice.  Then the rout was on and the final there was 5-0, leaving the Eagles pointless and goalless through six matches with a -16 goal differential.  Chelsea got on Stoke early and that was a 4-0 match that wasn't all that interesting.

Probably better viewing would have been Everton-Bournemouth, where the Toffees were trailing 0-1 through 76 minutes.  This would have been a potentially devastating loss.  But then Oumar "Pain" Niasse rallied Everton with two goals in five minutes for a big comeback win that may quiet things Merseyside for at least a little while.

Arsenal continued to get healthy, albeit on lesser lights, but I'm sure the 2-0 win over West Brom was satisfactory.  Man United kept pace with City (though not on goal differential) with 1-0 win at Southampton.  That match featured Mourinho's 9th sending off, this time for entering the pitch.  Though he denied it, the video was pretty clear; why not just say it was an emotional moment and I lost track of my location instead of denying something so easily proved?  Ah, the Special One.  He didn't get a touch line ban for this transgression.  Huddersfield posted another clean sheet but the 0-0 draw with Burnley may not have been a thriller; the Terriers have ceded just three goals so far this season.


Not Going to Make It

On Saturday, the Union came up with a sterling performance against the Chicago Fire to keep the flickering play-off hopes alive. But an 0-3 road loss to Atlanta on Wednesday put the chances on life support.  In the Chicago match, Chris Pontius ended his season-long scoring drought with a pair of goals and CJ Sapong got his 14th to tie the Union record held by Sebastien LeToux from the team's inaugural season.  The 3-1 final fairly reflects the Union dominance.  I didn't get to see the Atlanta match but Jeff H says we weren't awful; metrics from fivethirtyeight suggest it was a little closer than the score indicates.  So now we're seven behind the Red Bulls with three to play.  Any combination of three points gained by them or dropped by the Union and the deed is done.

Did you notice that in the East, four of six playoff berths are sewn up but in the West, no one has clinched a spot yet?


Schedule

Big home match for Newcastle on Sunday as they take on Liverpool at St. James' Park (11:30 NBCSN).  Not feeling very confident about this one.  In theory, even the Magpies should be able to get a goal or two against this defense.  On the other hand, this will be likely the toughest test for the Newcastle defense since the opener against Spurs.  I'll be on tape delay, leaving for the Union match with Seattle at just around kick-off time helping Mackenzie move into her new apartment.

Saturday's first match looks interesting with Spurs traveling to Huddersfield for a 7:30 match on NBCSN.  As we mentioned earlier, the Terriers have been stingy with the goals but maybe they haven't seen the likes of Harry Kane yet.

Chelsea at Stamford Bridge hosting Man City is the week's top match and gets the 12:30 spot on Saturday, though it's on NBCSN for some reason.  Between them, the two sides have 33 goals and allowed just seven.  Hope it's not a bust.

The continuing car crash that is Crystal Palace's season moves on to Old Trafford.  What a prospect, six straight losses, no goals, and now they get to face Man United at home.  For those who simply can't turn away, that's at 10 am Saturday on NBCSN.  We will note that Admiral Ackbar wasn't totally off-base with his warning to Man City last week as they struggled for almost the entire first half.  Man United would do well to heed his words.  Everton will try to stay on course with a home match against Burnley.  Like Bournemouth, this is a match that the Toffees can't afford to lose.

The Union host Seattle on Sunday but could already be out of the playoffs depending on what the Red Bulls do against Toronto on Saturday.