Last Call For World Cup

Unfortunately, it's not Friday morning.  I wanted to do a mid-week post to alert you to the FIFA playoffs for the final World Cup spots.  While I'm here I might as well report on the weekend.  Mostly disappointing results but your actual mileage may vary (looking at you Dennis).

Last Chance

Six spots are still open for the 48-team World Cup tournament.  Four will go to European countries and two are reserved for international playoff winners.

Europe has a two game playoff with four groups of four.  The first round is Thursday with the "finals" on Tuesday.  Here are the matchups:

Thursday 26 March 2026

A Italy vs Northern Ireland
A Wales vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
B Ukraine vs Sweden
B Poland vs Albania
C Türkiye vs Romania (18:00 CET)
C Slovakia vs Kosovo
D Denmark vs North Macedonia
D Czechia vs Republic of Ireland

Play-off finals

Tuesday 31 March 2026

A Wales / Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Italy / Northern Ireland
B Ukraine / Sweden vs Poland / Albania
C Slovakia / Kosovo vs Türkiye / Romania
D Czechia / Republic of Ireland vs Denmark / North Macedonia

The winner of the Group C (likely Turkiye?) thread will be slotted into the US group for the World Cup.  Some big names in there - Italy and Sweden come to mind.  FS1 and FS2 have some of these matches.

There are two international "pathways."  One includes Jamaica playing New Caledonia with the winner facing Congo DR.  The survivor there goes into Group K for the World Cup.  We have some interest in seeing Jamaica advance based on familiar names in the squad like Andre Blake (Union), Leon Bailey (Aston Villa), Damion Lowe (Union alum) and Isaac Hayden (Newcastle alum), among others.  Pathway 2 has Bolivia vs Suriname with the winner to face Iraq for a chance to be in Group I.  

"Pathetic, Weak, Lazy and Poor"

Brobbey finishes Newcastle

Thus was Newcastle icon Alan Shearer's unsparing criticism of the Magpies' second half performance in the 1-2 loss to Sunderland at St. James' Park.  He was being kind.  Newcastle got a lucky early first half goal on a Sunderland giveaway, then played okay - not great - for the rest of the half.  In the second half, Sunderland outeverythinged the Magpies.  So many problems with Newcastle's play; we'll go with ball watching as the most annoying.  Any doubt that Sunderland deserved the win is extinguished with the xG figures - 2.48 to 1.29 favor Sunderland.

So, is the lackadaisical second half showing on Eddie Howe or the players?  Answer:

They were clearly surprised by the Sunderland response.  But there was time to react and they did not.  Echoing my thoughts from last week, I am disappointed not because they lost to Sunderland but because they have clearly revealed themselves as a mediocre mid-level side.  To wit, they now sit 12th in the table.  Oh, and Newcastle again lead the league in dropped points from winning positions with 22; pretty sure that West Ham are second with 20.  We're number one!

An Ugly Day at St. James' Park

As if the loss wasn't bad enough, there were other issues Sunday.  First, prior to the match, there were violent clashes between Newcastle and Sunderland fans outside the stadium.  The sordid details can be had here. Hmm, not sure how that squares with the following as reported by the BBC:

"The policing operation around the match between Newcastle United FC and Sunderland AFC passed largely without incident" Ch Supt Mark Hall said.

Hate to think what they would consider an incident.  Fun times continued in the stadium as the match had to be stopped after allegations of racial abuse targeting Sunderland's Lutsharel Geertruida were reported to referee Anthony Taylor.  At least the Newcastle management response to this looks appropriate:

"Our stance is clear -- we do not tolerate discrimination of any form. We will work with the authorities to fully investigate and will ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable."

What happened to my beautiful game?

Conversation That Didn't Take Place But Most Certainly Could Have

Michael: Magpie fans will be drowning their sorrows at the Akenside Pub.

Steve:  Except now it's call the Ache-inside.

Meanwhile...

Spurs were throwing away all that good work last week against Liverpool.  Facing Nottingham Forest, a side one place and one point behind them, Tottenham absolutely came up flat in an 0-3 loss.  I did not see the game as it conflicted with Aston Villa - West Ham but I was following on line.  If memory serves, I don't think Spurs got a shot on goal until like 70 minutes.  The xG at 1.43 - 1.44, barely favoring Forest, hints that maybe it was closer than the score indicates.  Various accounts on the web suggest otherwise.  Whichever, this was a crushing six point loss that drops Spurs to 17th place, just one point above West Ham.  

Somewhere the Sun Was Shining

And that somewhere was Birmingham.  Aston Villa got a workmanlike 2-0 win over West Ham that featured goals from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins plus the return of Yuri Tielemans.  The Villans were certainly not overwhelming but it was a step in the right direction.  

Age is just a number: 35 year old Danny Welbeck
nets the first of his brace against Liverpool
Photograph: Simon Dack/TPI/Shutterstock

Villa also had a great weekend on the out-of-town scoreboard.  On Friday, Man United coughed up
leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.  The Cherries' second goal came courtesy of a Harry Maguire DOGSO in the box at 78 minutes.  Man United felt hard done by the call, especially as a "similar" play was not called in their favor; ESPN's VAR review, available here, suggests the ref got both calls correct.  Aston Villa's good fortunes continued on Saturday when Brighton knocked off Liverpool 2-1 on a brace from the ageless Danny Welbeck.  That was followed by Everton's 3-0 pasting of Chelsea. Brentford's 0-0 draw with Leeds didn't hurt either.

All this means that Aston Villa go into the international break in 4th, just one point behind Man United.  Liverpool trail by five with Chelsea six back.  A few weeks to heal won't hurt either.

We Watch So You Don't Have To

Did you miss the Carabao Cup Final in which Man City beat Arsenal 2-0 ?  Even if you did, you didn't.  Arsenal had the run of play in the first half but failed to score.  Though City were better in the second half, the match was still 0-0 heading into the 60th minute.  Then, Arsenal keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga absolutely butchered Cherki's cross, letting it go through his hands right to Nico O'Reilly, who buried it from about two feet out.  You can see the play here.  O'Reilly added a second minutes later and the match was essentially over.  We needn't spend any more time on it.

No Better This Side of the Pond

The Union's 1-2 loss at Subaru Park to the Chicago Fire wasn't fun either.  They did manage a non-PK goal but it was pretty goofy.  You can see it here.  Though it was good work by Iloski to get his head on the ball, I'd argue that it was a mistake by keeper Brady getting caught in no man's land.  The xG was horrible with the Union at .6 compared to Chicago's 2.5.  Hard to know how much is just the low expectations I have at this point but at no point did I feel like the Union would win this match.

The debate is on about whether this is simply a poor start or is this team just not good enough.  I read about the need for patience with a guy like Alladoh as he is just 20; however, now we hear that he is out for an undisclosed period  while "dealing with a couple of things personally."  It's also fair to point out there are some talented players on the squad - Blake, Makhanya, Iloski, Lukic, for example.  On the other hand, they don't have a proven finisher (could be Alladoh but he hasn't proven it yet), with Wagner's departure they don't have anyone who can reliably deliver the ball into the box, and the back line is incredibly thin right now (Ndinga has not impressed so far and I swear it looks like Makhanya doesn't trust him).  These are serious talent gaps that patience will not fill. 

 

With work and travel and a lighter soccer schedule, I'll likely take one or two weeks off.  

Don't forget the FA Cup Quarter Finals the weekend of 4/4-5:

Saturday 4 April 2026

• 12.45pm – Manchester City v. Liverpool on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max
• 5.15pm – Chelsea v. Port Vale on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max, BBC One and iPlayer 
• 8pm – Southampton v. Arsenal on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max, BBC One and iPlayer

Sunday 5 April 2026

• 4.30pm – West Ham United v. Leeds United on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max 

And, if you're still up for it, there's the Union at Charlotte on Saturday 4/4. 

Regular EPL programming returns Friday April 10th.

No Hardware This Year

With Barcelona's second half onslaught leading to an 8-3 aggregate loss, Newcastle is now officially out of the running for any hardware this year.  The Union is officially out of Concacaf Champions League and sucking wind in MLS play.

On A Brighter Note

Newcastle's week did get off to good start with a surprise 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.  Guimaraes is still out and Tonali was absent due to illness so the 2 in the 4-2-3-1 were Willock and Ramsey.  Ruh roh.  Both came through big time.  The game's only goal came on a through ball from Livramento to Willock, who waited just long enough to make the pass to Gordon, who despite nearly blowing the first touch, slotted the ball in for the game winner.  We make it this week's YouTubeableMoment.

The stats are somewhat mixed, suggesting maybe the Magpies stole this one.  Possession was 67/39 and shots were 22/7 in favor of Chelsea; on the other hand shots on target were 5/3 and xG was 1.41/1.39 favor Newcastle.  Watching, it felt like the win was deserved.  

The three points notwithstanding, Newcastle are officially out of the title race.  Actually, they were mathematically eliminated last week but I just didn't notice.  So there will be no trophies Tyneside this year.

ICYMI

Blues on three everybody?

The first image from the Chelsea - Newcastle match was quite jarring.  There stands referee Paul Tierney in the middle of Chelsea's huddle (see picture left).  Tierney says it wasn't his fault, he told them he wasn't moving off the midfield spot.  Of course opinions abound on this issue, ranging from the optics were horrible and Tierney should have moved to Chelsea were being disrespectful.  However, as detailed here, it looks as if Chelsea were told specifically not to do the huddle around the kickoff spot.  If true, then Tierney's error was in not sternly telling them to move their party elsewhere.

And Another Thing

BFS Spurs' correspondent Michael B suggests that Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior is actually Darryl Nelson, the actor who played Elaine's "black" boyfriend on Seinfeld.  Hmm, come to think of it, have you ever seen them together?

Villa Still Ailing

Granted going to Old Trafford to face a new manager bouncing Man United side wasn't the best way to get back in form.  And, they did play somewhat better.  The problem of course is that "somewhat better" is not good enough for a top five finish.  The game was close on the scoreboard for a while until Man United pulled away with goals at 71 and 81 minutes.  The 3-1 final felt about right, although note that xG was 1.1/1, barely favoring Manchester.

Signs of Life From Spurs

Relegation is still a threat however as all six of the bottom sides picked up a point this weekend.  Still, this was important as Spurs were down 0-1 at Anfield but played a solid second half and fully deserved the 1-1 draw and the point.  West Ham, on the other hand, clearly stole their point from Man City.  The final was 1-1 but the stats were highly skewed; possession was 71/29, shots 24/1, shots on target 6/1 and xG 2.03/.54.  Yes, West Ham scored on their only shot of the day.  Didn't see Burnley -Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest - Fulham or Crystal Palace - Leeds and that looks to be a good thing as all three were 0-0.  Wolves' 2-2 draw at Brentford was a good watch; the problem for Wolves is that one point at a time will not get them out of the bottom three.

Realistically, there is little to no hope for Burnley or Wolves.  The last relegation spot however is up for grabs:

15. Leeds - 32 points

16. Spurs - 30 points

17. Nottingham Forest - 29 points

18. West Ham - 29 points

Spurs' superior goal difference over all three rivals is essentially worth a point.

Is The Race Over

Thanks to Man City's draw with West Ham, Arsenal's lead grew to nine points as they beat Everton 2-0 on two very late goals.  One of them was from Max Dowman, who at 16 years and 73 days became the youngest goal scorer in Premier League history.  You can see the play here. Don't want to be too much of a spoil sport here, but, notice that his run came after a stoppage time corner when every Everton player, including keeper Jordan Pickford, were crammed into the Arsenal penalty box.  So, his solo run was unopposed and he put the ball into an untended goal.  Just sayin'.

Three Goal Leads Are Tough to Overcome

Not much of an improvement for EPL sides in Europe this week.  Chelsea surrendered a goal right away, then allowed two more to complete their 2-8 loss to PSG.  Man City gave up a goal and had a man sent off at 20 minutes.  Somehow they managed to only lose 1-2 for a 1-5 aggregate loss.  At least Spurs scored the opener and cut into their three goal deficit.  That set up a back-and-forth with Atleti that ended with a 3-2 Spurs result but a 5-7 aggregate loss.

Of course, you don't have to start with a three-goal deficit to get blown out.  Newcastle were 1-1 starting the day, fell behind quickly, responded, fell behind again, responded, then gave up five unanswered.  The first half was possibly one of the most fun 45 minutes of the year; well, except for Trippier's late foul in the box (which could have been DOGSO) that put Barca up 4-3.  Things fell apart from there and ended in an 8-3 aggregate loss.

So the EPL is left with just Arsenal (2-0 second leg for 3-1 overall against Leverkusen) and Liverpool (4-0 second leg versus Galatasaray for a 4-1 win).  

Europa Cup results were better as both Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest advanced to the quarter finals.  Crystal Palace also advanced in Europa Conference League play.

Fast Forwarded Through the Union

It has come to this.  We dvred the Union vs Atlanta because it started while the Newcastle -Chelsea match was still in progress.  We got an ominous text from Dennis's teammate Jeremy (who by the way as a Wolves and Union fan deserves a special place in heaven) before we even started to watch the game.  Still we plunged in.  The first half offered little reason for optimism, with Atlanta scoring in the 28th minute with a goal from the awesomely named Emmanuel Latte Lath.  The U had a chance to level right before half time but Iloski could not convert the PK.  When Atlanta scored early in the second half, Dennis and I looked at each other and I knew what to do - move to fast forward.  Note that you can still follow the game so we felt the decision was correct after we saw Atlanta add a third at 68 minutes.  We did get to see Anello's nice but irrelevant header goal at 88 that made the final 3-1.  

A curious stat is that xG was 3.0/2.3 favor the Union.  Even taking out the PK, that suggests a level xG from open play.  I can't say that it felt that way viewing, though maybe speeding through leaves the wrong impression.  With Atlanta, Orlando and New England picking up their first wins, the Union fall to the bottom of the table, the only pointless side in the Eastern Conference MLS.

Move to mid-week and there was a moderate improvement in their 1-1 draw with Club America in Concacaf Champions Cup play.  The bad news is that wasn't a goal from open play but another PK.  Also, the 1-1 draw meant a 2-1 aggregate loss so the Union are out of this competition.  Buried deep in MLS standings, though it is early, it is hard to see the Union taking home any trophies this year.

And Another Thing

We also found out about this:

Major League Soccer has suspended Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner without pay through June 1, 2026 for violating the policies and standards of professional conduct required of league and club leadership.

More details can be had here.  Sorry, but this leaves me feeling that the organization is not just poorly run but is morally bankrupt.  Same for the MLS.  The allegations were out there and supposedly both the Union and MLS investigated but took no action.  Then, a reporter for The Guardian published a story about the situation that looked so bad that MLS and the Union "reopened" the investigation.  And the upshot is this three month suspension?  Hard to think this is not a slap on the wrist. Then look at Tanner's statement:

“I regret the impact that this situation has had on the Philadelphia Union organization and its supporters.  I remain proud of my work with the Philadelphia Union and look forward to my return and future work with the team.”

He's basically saying I'm sorry if you were offended by my actions, not I'm sorry for what I did.  I don't care how good a job he did as a sporting director, this is not cool.

The "We Fired Nuno and Now Face Relegation Derby"

Nottingham Forest and Spurs face off in a critical match fraught with relegation implications.  Hey wait a minute.  Wolves fired Nuno too and they now face relegation.  And West Ham hired Nuno and find themselves in the relegation mix too.  As my investment advisor consistently reminds me, past performance does not guarantee future results.  However, none of Wolves, Forest or Spurs were relegated when Nuno was in charge so we're going with West Ham to stay up.

Tiny Weary Derby

People are certainly making a big deal of Sunday's Newcastle -Sunderland Tyne Wear Derby.  As Dennis has asked in the past, are these derbies more of a thing for fans than the players?  Both these sides are pretty much buried in mid-table with no threat of relegation but little chance of qualifying for European competitions.  I just want the three points and it doesn't matter that Sunderland is the opponent.  But then I live 3,415 miles from Newcastle so what do I know?  Newcastle are big favorites  - 61/19 at Opta.  That's at 8 am on Sunday (England moves their clocks forward Sunday at 2 am).

The "bigger" fixture is the EFL Carabao Cup final between Man City and Arsenal, Sunday at 12:30.  They play at Wembley and the match is on Paramount+.  Opta has Arsenal as the big favorite at 52/25 with a 23% chance of the match going to extra time.  

That final means a truncated EPL schedule.  There is a fun Friday 4 pm fixture between Bournemouth and Man United.  Saturday has games lined up all day but they won't exactly leave you drooling:

8:30 Brighton - Liverpool

11 Fulham - Burnley

1:30 Eveton - Chelsea

4 pm Leeds - Brentford

On Sunday at 10:15, we have the Nuno Derby referenced plus Aston Villa vs West Ham. 

Between the FA Cup action next weekend and the international break, the EPL will be off until April 10th.

If you can stomach it, the Union are home versus Chicago at 4:30 on Saturday.  

After seemingly non-stop football for most of the winter, the schedule won't be as demanding for a couple of weeks.

There Goes the Triple

Man City unceremoniously dumped Newcastle out of another competition with a 3-1 win in their FA Cup 5th round match.  That leaves Champions League and the EPL!  Not a great week for English sides in Europe.

Fifth Time Was Not A Charm

Him again? Two from Marmoush ends Newcastle's FA Cup plans
Scott Heppell/Reuters

Newcastle lost to Man City for the fourth time since January 13th of this year.  This time it was 3-1 in the 5th Round of the FA Cup.  Things started out well and for 25 minutes Newcastle were the better side, holding a 1-0 on a nice shot from Harvey Barnes.  Then it was like the visitors woke up and said "Hey we're Man City and you're not."  Downhill from there, although it did take a little while for the goals to pour in.  By 65 minutes it was 3-1 and clear that the Magpies were outclassed.  Two came from Marmoush, who had a hat trick against Newcastle back in February 2025.

Wrexham Spoiler Alert

Do not read on if you want to be surprised when you watch the fifth season of Welcome to Wrexham.  There's talk that this is already an FA Cup Classic.  Wrexham scored first but then saw one of the ownest own goals of all-time (seen here).  Clearing the ball of the line to save a goal, it hit keeper Okonkwo and went straight back into the net.  Chelsea's second goal was legit.  Not giving up, Wrexham scored late and we were set for extra time.  Except minutes before the whistle for regular time, Wrexham's Dobson got a straight red, which meant they would play down a man in extra time.  Chelsea took advantage scoring at 96 minutes.  Seeming to rescue a PK shootout from the jaws of defeat Wrexham scored late in the second extra time period.  Alas, Brunt was fractionally offside; to make it even crueler, it's possible the ball was going into the goal without Brunt's touch (judge for yourself here).  Chelsea added another in stoppage time to make the margin look healthier but the 4-2 final understates how close a match this was.  

Minnows Acquitting Themselves Very Nicely Thank You

Three upsets in this round, though two really can't be considered shockers.  West Ham over Brentford, especially on PKs, isn't a big stretch.  Southampton, 8th in the Championship Division (2nd tier), aren't really a minnow either but it was a mild upset for them to beat Fulham 1-0.  Port Vale on the other hand, sitting in last place in League Two (4th tier) is definitely a minnow and their upset of Sunderland is a big deal. 

Wrexham certainly played well enough in a losing cause.  So did third tier Mansfield, who gave Arsenal fits in a 1-2 loss.  Wolves (3-0 loss to Liverpool), Norwich (3-0 defeat at Leeds) and Newcastle were the underdogs that did not fare well.

Quarter final matchups are Man City - Liverpool, Chelsea - Port Vale, Southampton - Arsenal and West Ham - Leeds.

We're Not In Kansas England Anymore

EPL sides mostly took it on the chin on the continent this week in the various European competitions.  Liverpool lost in Turkiye 0-1 to Galatasaray but that tie might not be irretrievable.  The prospects are not so rosy for Man City (loss at Real Madrid 0-3), Chelsea (shredded at PSG 2-5) and Spurs (also 5-2 losers away to Atleti).  Sure they're heading back home for the second leg but three goal deficits are tough.

Harvey Barnes gives Newcastle a 1-0 lead
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Newcastle had a decent day though it could have been better.  They went toe-to-toe with Barcelona at St. James' Park and were seconds away from taking a 1-0 to Spain.  Alas, Thiaw got deked by Dani Olmo in the box and the Newcastle defender stuck out his leg for a foul.  Yamal converted the PK so they head to Spain level.

Arsenal could also only manage a 1-1 draw with Leverkusen but that one is headed back to London so the Gunners' prospects aren't all that bad.

Aston Villa were the only English side to come away with a win, a narrow 1-0 victory over LOSC on the road.  The Villans played well enough though they would do well to get more shots on target; they took nine but only Watkins' game winning header was on target.  Still, Watkins scoring and McGinn back might mean an end to the slump.

Completing the mostly futile English effort, Nottingham Forest lost to Midttjylland (the t is silent) 0-1 at home in Europa Cup action and Crystal Palace worked a 0-0 draw with AEK Lamaca.  Given those second legs are on the road, not looking great for those two sides.

Do You Know The Way To Score On San Jose (apologies to Dionne Warwick)

I did not get to see the 0-1 loss at Subaru Park and may be better for it.  The stats say the U maybe deserved a draw.  Shots were 13/7, shots on target 3/3 and xG 1.4/.8, all favor the Union.  They did finish with 11 men on the field, a first in league play this year.  They are however pointless through three matches.  

Also didn't get to see the Concacaf Champions Cup match against Club America but the 0-1 loss at home reads like more of the same.  This time they didn't manage a shot on target.  Also looks like a scrappy contest with 31 fouls and four yellows (17 and 3 of those were the Union's).  Heading to Mexico for the second leg down 0-1 with an anemic offense does not sound like the recipe for advancing to the quarterfinals.

Making Chelsea Look Like Choir Boys

Our Monterey correspondent Greg M sends along this tale of cup match in Brazil that ended with 23 red cards.  No one was actually sent off as the red cards were issued post match (which was abandoned early).  My favorite part is that several of the players blame the referee.

Speaking of Chelsea players behaving badly, check out this week's YouTubeableMoment in which Pedro Neto pushes the ball boy in their Champions League match at PSG.  Neto wasn't sanctioned in at the time but is facing at least a one game ban.  Now, can we talk about the shithousery displayed by the ball boy?  First, note that he was intentionally trying to keep Neto from getting the ball and taking the throw.  Even more comical, notice that the ball boy grabs his face after the shove, even though Neto came nowhere near his face.  It's impossible not to be cynical.

Busy Again

Week 30 has some interesting match-ups.  I'll include Chelsea - Newcastle (1:30 Saturday - oh yeah we went to DST before England) in that list even though I'm skeptical that the Magpies can get a result there.  Our best chance is for Chelsea to get a man sent off; Opta agrees, having Chelsea  favored 55/22.

Marquee match of the weekend is Man United - Aston Villa (10 am Sunday).  They are level on points with United having the tiebreaker that puts them third in the table.  Villa's recent run of form leaves me less than confident even though this has been a side that is rarely out of a match.  Opta is less optimistic; they have it 44/29 favor United.  

Is this the weekend Spurs fall into the relegation zone?  Probably not, even though they face Liverpool at Anfield (Sunday 12:30).  That's because West Ham get Man City (Saturday at 4 pm) so the Hammers aren't likely to get any points either.  But Spurs could fall to 17th, as Nottingham Forest have Fulham (Sunday at 10) at home so they have a decent shot at getting a point or three.

Filling out the schedule, Saturday is a sleep late day if you want with the first matches at 11 am.  You can go with Burnley - Bournemouth or Sunderland - Brighton; we recommend the latter.  Competing with Chelsea - Newcastle in the Saturday 1:30 slot is Arsenal - Everton.  Sunday at 10 you can go with Crystal Palace - Leeds if the Man United -Aston Villa match doesn't thrill you.  The match week closes Monday at 4 with Brentford hosting Wolves.

Mid-week we have the second leg of last week's European fixtures.  Some of these look irretrievable for the EPL sides but most of the reverse fixtures are home matches so maybe there's a chance.

Two matches for the Union.  Saturday at 3 pm they take on pointless Atlanta, a side that is actually below them in the table. Goal differential makes that possible with the Union at -3 (1/4) to Atlanta's -5 (2/7).  Atlanta must be really bad because Opta has that one at 47/29 favor the Union even though it's road game.  Wednesday night they have the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup vs Club America at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.  

 

Poo-aah

Andy Walker, color commentator for Peacock and others, turns "poor" into a two-syllable word pronounced something like "poo-aah."  And he used it a lot in describing Newcastle's performance against Everton.  And it applied to many other sides as well.  

Newcastle did make a bit of a recovery mid-week; others not so much.

Too many results coinciding with an uptick in work.  Yes, that sounds like an issue of priorities. I'll do what I can.

Shades of Mediocrity (apologies to Simon and Garfunkel)

An apt description of Newcastle's performance in a 3-2 loss to Everton.  Yes, it was great they came back from 0-1 and 1-2 deficits and that they pretty much dominated the second half.  Then you realize both goals came on massive deflections, they stumbled through the first half and despite getting off 16 shots, they managed an xG of only 1.0.  As in, their finishing remains very poo-ah.  Pope's howler that allowed Everton's second goal was pretty bad too.  But the hardest thing to take is that Everton's second and third goals came just two minutes and one minute after netting the equalizers.  For a side that used to be solid defensively, that just isn't good enough.

Will Osula: Danish treat for Newcastle
Photo: Adam Vaughn/EPA

All of this makes the mid-week 2-1 win over Man United hard to explain.  I missed the most of the first
half but got a sense that the Magpies had the run of play to the point. I tuned in just in time to see Aaron Ramsey get a second yellow for simulation and an early exit.  Demonstrating some resiliency, they continued to attack and Gordon won a PK which he neatly converted.  Alas, they allowed Casemiro an open header on Fernandes free kick just before the halftime whistle and we entered the second half with trepidation.  Surprisingly, it was Newcastle that remained the attacking side, to the point where Jon Champion had to observe "isn't this the period where Newcastle are supposed to be outplayed?"  This was a good back and forth contest despite the man disadvantage.  The draw was broken by an incredible solo effort by Will Osula, seen here as this week's YouTubeableMoment. We like it so much here's another view from right next to the goal. The three points were well-deserved.  Also, this is the first win Newcastle has ever gotten in an EPL match that Bruno Guimaraes didn't start.  

No Fun In Birmingham

Aston Villa more than matched Newcastle's mediocrity with two home defeats.  They were moribund in the absolutely lifeless 0-2 loss to Wolves.  There were better moments against Chelsea and they even had the lead for a time.  But four straight from the visitors left the Villans on the short end of a 1-4 score.   I speculated that the recent poo-ah run of form for Villa is a measure of John McGinn's true worth.  Dennis added that maybe Tielemann's value is also being revealed in this spell.

Wolves at least proved to be equal opportunity destroyers, handing a stoppage time set back to one of Villa's key competitors - Liverpool.  Game winning goal can be seen here. Wolves are making a move to avoid relegation but the phrase "too little too late" probably applies here.

And Then There's Burnley

Kayode Ugly: Michael after the first of his two own goals for Burnley

Down 3-0 to Brentford, the Clarets rallied to draw level (thanks in part to two own goals from Kayode!), scored the go-ahead goal only to see it ruled out for offside, then conceded the go-behind goal at 90+3.  In the cruelest twist, Burnley scored the equalizer at 90+7 but saw it ruled out for accidental handling.  They followed that up with a 2-0 midweek loss to Everton in which they managed two shots on target.  Wolves are getting closer while 17th just gets farther away.

Chelsea Recidivists

After noting last week that Chelsea had the worst disciplinary record in the EPL, the Blues added four more yellows and a red to their tally in a 2-1 loss to Arsenal.  Throw in two more yellows against Aston Villa and will likely extend their lead as the most undisciplined side.

Biggest New Manager Bounce Evah?

With a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, Man United have garnered 19 out of 21 possible points since Michael Carrick took over and remained undefeated during his tenure at Old Trafford.  Of course, I wrote this before Newcastle's unlikely 2-1 win at Saint James' Park on Wednesday.  Still, a pretty good start for him.

New Manager Thud?

Spurs on the other hand are waiting for any kind of bounce under Tudor.  They fell behind 2-0 to Fulham, got one back and looked in the running for an equalizer but came up short once again.  Home against Crystal Palace, they took a 1-0 lead, saw van de Ven sent off for DOGSO at 38 minutes and gave up three goals before halftime. Unthinkably, they are now just one point out of the relegation zone, though at the moment they have the tiebreaker against both West Ham and Nottingham Forest.  The home match versus Nottingham Forest on March 22nd looms massively large right now.

In Case I Missed It

I forgot to point out last week that all nine of the EPL sides advanced to the Round of 16 in their respective European competitions.  This includes Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Spurs in the Champions League, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the Europa Cup and Crystal Palace in Europa Conference League.  This should help their league coefficient and keep that fifth Champions League spot?

I Mentioned the Bisque

Jeff K and I attended the Union match versus NYCFC on Sunday, weather wasn't awful, we had the sausage sandwiches, yada, yada, yada.   The yada, yada, yada of course is that they lost 1-2 on a stoppage time goal.

We were correct in asking where the Union goals were going to come from.  Yes, they did manage to score against NYCFC but it was a PK (according to Dennis that was a soft call but made up for missed call earlier).  With limited replays at the stadium, Jeff K and I really couldn't be sure.  

It's early and the U have a history of slow starts.  Still, this side seems to have a lot of holes.  The depth at center back will be tested as Makhanya has to serve a one-game suspension for picking up two yellow cards Sunday afternoon.  With two red cards in two games, are we the Chelsea of the MLS?

FA Cup and European Competitions

No EPL as we have the 5th Round of the FA Cup on the weekend and the Rounds of 16 for Champions  League, Europa Cup, and Europa Conference League midweek.  This will be "fun" for Newcastle as they will face Man City on Saturday in the FA Cup and Barcelona on Tuesday in Champions League before returning to EPL action against Chelsea next Saturday.  

The full FA Cup fixture list is here.  Matches are mostly sequential if you want to catch all eight. Not so much with Champions League; fixtures are:

March 10

Galatasaray vs. Liverpool (1:45 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Atalanta vs. Bayern Munich (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Atlético Madrid vs. Tottenham (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Newcastle United vs. Barcelona (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)

March 11

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Arsenal (1:45 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Real Madrid vs. Man City (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting CP (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Chelsea (4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. GMT)

We'll be focused on Newcastle but neutrals might go with Atleti - Spurs on Tuesday.  Probably Real Madrid - Man City on Wednesday.

Villa get LOSC on Thursday.

Just realized DST starts Sunday at 2 am.  Like I can really afford to lose an hour right now.