Lascelles a Prince in Wales

Dennis once did a pithy movie review - "it was good until it started to suck."  Newcastle's match with Swansea on Sunday was the opposite.  The first 25 minutes offered little to recommend it but from then on it was a match even the neutral could enjoy. End to end action, though with a 1-0 final, there is some question as to the quality of finishing.  Fairly late I had reconciled that even a loss wasn't going to be a disaster because of how well the Magpies had played.

How did Abraham not score from this position?  Click on
the YouTubeableMoment to find out.  CREDIT: PA

And they could have easily lost this one.  Abraham had beaten Elliot but somehow Jamaal Lascelles saved the shot off the line.  Lascelles later scored the game winner with an emphatic header of a Matt Ritchie corner.   Lascelles work at both ends of the pitch gets him a YouTubeableMomentHighlight Reel.  A smart man predicted last year that Lascelles could be a Premier League defender; check out the Yank
at 31 seconds in this video. Jamaal was less than stellar for much of last season but we later learned he was playing with a groin injury from December on.  Rafa must have seen something in the guy to make him captain at age 23.

Speaking of Rafa, he didn't even make the trip to Wales after undergoing surgery to repair a hernia.  Probably got it from the heavy lifting he's done to make something out of this franchise.  Anyway, he still did the team talk and was in constant communication with the coaches on the field.  His replacement - Mikel Antia sure looks like Matt Dillon.

Too Soon?

Yeah it's only September but in two matches you could detect the distinct odor of relegation flop sweat.  Crystal Palace ceded an early goal to Burnley, then spent the rest of the match frantically chasing an equalizer, which was not forthcoming.  Four matches into the season, they are seeking not only their first points but their first goal; it's the worst start to a top flight season in 93 years.  And it got Frank de Boer sacked after just 77 days.  I'm not a big fan of ditching the manager, especially so quickly, but this article suggests that his hiring was in fact a very poor decision by ownership that needed to be addressed swiftly.

As the West Ham-Huddersfield match continued scoreless, you could sense the desperation in the West Ham players and fans.  An incredibly lucky ricochet broke the tension and the Hammers added a second soon after so all ended well in London.  Lifelong Huddersfield fan Patrick Stewart was seen in the stands but we believe Bob K did not make it over for the match.

The featured matches were again largely busts.  Sadio Mane got himself sent off, leaving Liverpool a a man short against Man City; that one turned into a 5-0 rout for the Citizens.  At Goodison Park, Everton looked largely uninterested and Spurs were more than happy to take advantage for a 3-0 win.  At least Stoke - Man United delivered a compelling 2-2 back and forth draw.  Newcomer Choupo-Moting tallied both for the host Potters.  Arsenal did indeed appear to get healthy at Bournemouth's expense; the Gunners 3-0 win left the Cherries without a point through the first four matches.  At least Bournemouth have a goal this season, which puts them ahead of Crystal Palace on goal differential.


We Love VAR

Most important moment in Union 1-1 draw at Minnesota

A 1-1 draw seems like a logical conclusion when a stoppable force (Union) meets movable object (Minnesota).  Not awful but just not good enough at this point.  And that one point wouldn't have been possible without the help of the Video Assistant Referee.  In the 68th minute with the score 1-1, Onyewu went up for a ball in the box and the ball hit his arm.  Referee signals PK and issues Onyewu a yellow - his second of the night.  A big turning point in the match.  Except upon review, the referee determined that Onyewu had been fouled prior to the handling.  I thought they got it right but the Loons went nuts about it.  The Union have dropped to 10th and sit nine points out of the last playoff spot - currently held by the Red Bulls.  Yikes, haven't been paying attention to the NJ squad but this doesn't seem like a good year for them.


Calendar

On the road for much of the weekend but hope I can catch up Sunday with judicious use of the DVR. A north London derby featuring Chelsea-Arsenal Sunday morning at 8:30 (CNBC) is obviously a biggie.  Arsenal were better against Bournemouth and got a win in their Europa League opener so maybe things are improving.  Chelsea's 2-1 win at Leicester moved the Blues up to third.  With the match at Stamford Bridge, this is a real test for the Gunners.

Newcastle are home versus Stoke.  Last week was a test of how much they were going to struggle to avoid relegation.  This week is more about whether the Magpies might be a legitimate mid-table side.  Stoke are decent but with the match at St. James' Park, we should be thinking at least a draw.

TV matches include Spurs-Swansea (12:30 Saturday NBC), Crystal Palace - Southampton (Saturday 7:30 NBCSN), Watford - Man City (10 am Saturday NBCSN) and Man United hosting Everton (11 am Sunday NBCSN).  That last match features the return of Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford; wonder what the reception will be like.  For those looking for an excuse to leave the office early, you can catch Bournemouth-Brighton at 3:00 Friday afternoon on NBCSN.

The Union travel to NJ to take on the Red Bulls.  Hard to see a result coming out of that match.