It's that time of year again, where I make my annual plea to the masses: Take my Premier League Challenge.
Here's my story.
Following the 2006 World Cup, I chose to follow Arsenal F.C. of London as my adopted club. I was new to the sport, and I wanted to follow a good club; after all, I'm an American, and Americans are front-runners. I said I would follow the Gunners for a year, and see what happens after that. I became a Gooner.
After one season, I was hooked.
During that first season, I learned about the ins and outs of promotion and relegation, which happens in European football: if your club is one of the bottom three (bottom four in other leagues), your club is dropped a division, while the top teams in the next lower division are promoted to the higher division. It keeps things interesting, that's for sure. You don't want to be relegated.
After that first season, I couldn't wait for the next. I eagerly browsed the transfer -- trading -- wire, waiting for the Arsenal -- hell, any club, for that matter -- to make a move. When the league released the fixtures -- the schedule -- I circled the dates when the Arsenal would play Tottenham Hotspur, our bitter archrivals, as well as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. I got ready for the season.
Once the next season started, I watched games online. I couldn't get enough football! Now the Arsenal -- and the Premier League as a whole -- is an irrevocable part of my life (I even keep track of the international breaks, where national teams play), and I cannot wait for the beginning of the 2010-11 Premier League season.
So, the Challenge.
Pick a Premier League club. There are 20 of them. Each club has a Wikipedia page, with a rundown of each club's history. You want a club with history. You also want a club that is going to stay up instead of relegated to Championship, the next division down. Here's the link to the Premier League's Wikipedia page, which has a list of the clubs competing this season.
Follow your club for one season. The season runs from mid-August until May. Remember that some clubs also play in the Champions League, and some also play in Europa League. There are also the Carling Cup and FA Cup knockout competitions; the Carling (League) Cup is for the 92 clubs in the Football League, and it played in the first half of the season, while the FA Cup, for the Premier League clubs, is played in the second half starting with the first weekend of the new year.
There are many ways to follow a club: you can watch the matches on ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel (a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning before flipping to the NFL), and there is a peer-to-peer service called myp2p.eu, which has pretty much every match you can think of. There are the BBC Sport and SkySports web sites, as well. They have great commentary and, while it takes a while to learn the terminology, great recaps. I must admit that Sky has more news. You can also get recaps on your club's web site. If you want, buy your club's shirt and wear it proudly. WorldSoccerShop.com has practically every club's shirt.
After that year, tell me your life hasn't been changed. Go on. I dare you. If it hasn't, then you can forget the whole thing. I don't think you will, though. Of course, those whose lives haven't been completely transformed are those who didn't take the challenge seriously, or didn't put in the effort. Remember how you felt the first time you went to Fenway, or when you started following your favorite baseball or American football team? Following a sports team is like a marriage. You have to put in the work. Remember how much pain and suffering we went through with the Red Sox? Same thing, only the ball is larger, and the matches are done in two hours.
And you may even be as pumped as I am for when the World Cup comes around in 2014.
Now does it have to be a Premier League club? No, it doesn't. It can be the Primera Division (Spain), Ligue 1 (France), Serie A (Italy), or the Bundesliga (Germany). I've found, though, that following a British club is easier for me. I know there is a five-hour difference between Boston and London, except for the few weeks between the changing of the clocks; it becomes a four-hour difference.
The Premier League season begins at 7:45 am. ET on Saturday, August 13. What are you waiting for? Pick a club, then comment here to let me know what club you picked.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Welcoming the blog back with the 2014 World Cup Qualifying draw!
Earlier this afternoon, FIFA held the preliminary draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in Rio de Janiero. For about two hours, yours truly was riveted to the computer as the balls rolled out for Africa, Asia, CONCACAF, Oceania and UEFA's qualifying rounds.
First off, let me say thank you to FIFA for giving CONCACAF a better opportunity at having one additional nation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Pitting CONCACAF's fourth place team against Oceania's champion is welcomed here. In the past, CONCACAF's fourth played CONMEBOL's fifth, and if you have an inkling of knowledge at all about the sport, it was easy to figure out that South America would send five teams while CONCACAF sent three every year.
I'm not going to go through the African first round, because it would just be a waste of my time: none of the 24 nations in the first round have a chance of getting out of the second round. They just don't. Going through the groups will be tough for me, too. More study is needed.
Asia is a little easier. Asia starts the third round of qualifying on Sept. 2, 2011 and ends on Leap Day, 2012. Asia has been broken down into five groups of four, with the top two advancing into two groups of five in the fourth round. The top two teams in each of those two groups go to Brazil, while the third place sides in each meet each other. The winner of that matchup then plays CONMEBOL's fifth place side to go to the World Cup.
In Group A, China meets Jordan, Iraq and Singapore. Seriously? Seriously, Asia. This group intrigues me, especially the Jordan-Iraq clashes.
In Group B, we see South Korea, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. South Korea should easily advance from this group.
In Group C, 2010 World Cupper Japan has Uzbekistan, Syria and North Korea. First, I hoped North Korea would get South Korea in this group, if only for the hope that at least one of the North Koreans would defect. And the political climate between Japan and North Korea has so many possibilities.
In Group D, Australia has Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand. Thailand played a spirited match the other day against Palestine. Tough call, but the Aussies should move on.
And in Group E, Iran has Qatar, Bahrain and Indonesia. This group is a toss up. I don't want Qatar to move on, though. They'll need to get used to failure on the world stage.
CONCACAF mapped out its road to the Hexagonal in two rounds. The second round is full of duds that it may not matter who wins most of the groups and moves on to the third round. However, two sides who were in the 2009 Hexagonal are in the second round. It should be noted that the top teams in the second round (six), move to the third.
Group A sees El Salvador, Suriname, Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic. El Salvador made the Hex two years ago, but Group A could see a challenge out of the Dominican. New blood is needed, but I give the nod to El Salvador.
Group B sees Trinidad and Tobago (the other member of the Class of 2009), Guyana, Barbados and Bermuda. T/T easily.
Group C sees Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua and the Bahamas. Safe bet here: Panama is itching to get a sniff of the World Cup.
Group D sees Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and St Lucia. In all seriousness, this is a fantastic group for both Canada and Puerto Rico. CONCACAF's second round starts on September 2, as well, and I'm eagerly anticipating this group. This may be Puerto Rico's best opportunity to go beyond the second round, especially after taking a powder in 2010, withdrawing in 2006 and not even getting out of the first round in 2002. For Canada, it has shown its mettle in getting to the third round in the last two World Cup cycles. The fact that the winner in Group D avoids the United States and Mexico in the third round should have both Canada and Puerto Rico breathing easily. Of course, they have to play each other.
Group E includes Grenada, Guatemala, St. Vincent/Grenadines and Belize. US fans will pay attention to this group as well as Group F.
Group F has Haiti, Antigua/Barbuda, Curucao and the US Virgin Islands. My money is on Haiti. Something has to go right for that country, but I think Group F sees the biggest shock of the second round.
The third round of CONCACAF has been broken up into three groups of four, with the top two in each group moving on to the Hexagonal.
Group A sees the United States, Jamaica, as well as the winners of Groups E and F. Personally, this is the USA's tune-up for the more serious Hex. But for Jamaica, this is the opportunity to get a little revenge for the 2-0 loss to the Yanks in the 2011 Gold Cup. And it gets to play the US twice, of course. The US and Jamaica move on to the Hex.
Group B is the CONCACAF Group of Death, in my eyes. Mexico has Costa Rica as well as the winners of Groups A and B from the second round. More than likely, it'll be El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago. This would be, without a doubt, a heavy task for Mexico, especially going up against three sides that did not make the trip for South Africa -- unless they bought a ticket. Playing in El Salvador is a task for any nation, and Mexico lost to El Salvador, 2-1, in San Salvador in 2009. I do not expect those fixtures to be easy for Mexico, but I do expect El Tri to advance. It just won't be the cakewalk that the Americans have.
Group C has Honduras, Cuba and possibly Canada/Puerto Rico and Panama. Honduras should move on to the Hex, but who joins it? Cuba couldn't get out of the third round in late 2008, and Canada has this thing about not getting out of it, either. No comment on Puerto Rico, since this is where its ride ends (unless they play their best football). Panama didn't get out of the second round in the lead-up to South Africa, but it made the 2005 Hexagonal. The fact Panama played fairly well in the 2011 Gold Cup, including the shock win over the Americans, leads me to believe it will get to the fourth round in 2013. It does have a friendly coming up against Bolivia, so that will be a nice litmus test.
2013 Hexagonal -- my picks
USA
Mexico
Honduras
Jamaica
Costa Rica
Panama
With four of the six competitors the same from 2009, it's easy to suspect that things will continue: USA and Mexico should qualify for Brazil. After that, though, is anyone's guess. Any two of those other four could find themselves in the World Cup, especially since the fourth place team plays Oceania's champion. It would be a boon for CONCACAF to have new blood representing it in Brazil, but a World Cup without the USA and Mexico just doesn't sound right.
Oceania was next, and there's really only one country who can realistically win that federation: New Zealand. I won't even waste more space on the Internet on Oceania.
Then came Europe.
UEFA and its 13 spots. Who to pick?
Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales
Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta.
Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan.
Group D: Netherlands, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.
Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.
Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Lichtenstein
Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino
Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland
Holy shit! I look no further than Group I. Spain? France? Hey Belarus, Georgia and Finland, there's no need for you to play your Group I matches. Thanks for coming to Rio.
Group A has Croatia and Scotland in it, and even though Scotland is fourth in this group, it would be nice to see it in the World Cup, or at the very least, the UEFA playoff. It's a tough draw for Scotland, but anything is possible.
Group B is Italy and Denmark. Italy needs a rebound, but the Czech Republic is no slouch.
Group C... ugh. Germany AND Ireland? Can I not have it so hard? My father was Irish. My mother comes from a German family. Seriously FIFA?? (And knowing my luck, Ireland will draw France in the playoff again.)
Group D is Netherlands and Turkey.
Group E is wide open. Slovenia, though... I'm still in therapy after it went up 2-0 on the Yanks last year.
Group F is Portugal and Russia, with Israel making the group interesting. Israel's in the hunt for Euro 2012, currently sitting third on goal difference in Group F (weird), with September matches against Greece and Croatia, the two nations ahead of them, coming up. If Israel don't qualify for Euro, I expect it to focus on the UEFA play-off for the World Cup. Of course, so is Russia, especially after heartbreak in 2009.
Group G is tasty, too. Greece and Slovakia should advance to Brazil or the playoff.
Group H is easy peasy for England. 10-0-0. But then again, it's England, and it's over-confidence is its worst enemy.
And Group I... well... it's Group I. Spain and France. France and Spain. Push.
What do you think? Who do you think moves on and who goes home? It's going to be a long 1,074 days, though.
First off, let me say thank you to FIFA for giving CONCACAF a better opportunity at having one additional nation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Pitting CONCACAF's fourth place team against Oceania's champion is welcomed here. In the past, CONCACAF's fourth played CONMEBOL's fifth, and if you have an inkling of knowledge at all about the sport, it was easy to figure out that South America would send five teams while CONCACAF sent three every year.
I'm not going to go through the African first round, because it would just be a waste of my time: none of the 24 nations in the first round have a chance of getting out of the second round. They just don't. Going through the groups will be tough for me, too. More study is needed.
Asia is a little easier. Asia starts the third round of qualifying on Sept. 2, 2011 and ends on Leap Day, 2012. Asia has been broken down into five groups of four, with the top two advancing into two groups of five in the fourth round. The top two teams in each of those two groups go to Brazil, while the third place sides in each meet each other. The winner of that matchup then plays CONMEBOL's fifth place side to go to the World Cup.
In Group A, China meets Jordan, Iraq and Singapore. Seriously? Seriously, Asia. This group intrigues me, especially the Jordan-Iraq clashes.
In Group B, we see South Korea, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. South Korea should easily advance from this group.
In Group C, 2010 World Cupper Japan has Uzbekistan, Syria and North Korea. First, I hoped North Korea would get South Korea in this group, if only for the hope that at least one of the North Koreans would defect. And the political climate between Japan and North Korea has so many possibilities.
In Group D, Australia has Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand. Thailand played a spirited match the other day against Palestine. Tough call, but the Aussies should move on.
And in Group E, Iran has Qatar, Bahrain and Indonesia. This group is a toss up. I don't want Qatar to move on, though. They'll need to get used to failure on the world stage.
CONCACAF mapped out its road to the Hexagonal in two rounds. The second round is full of duds that it may not matter who wins most of the groups and moves on to the third round. However, two sides who were in the 2009 Hexagonal are in the second round. It should be noted that the top teams in the second round (six), move to the third.
Group A sees El Salvador, Suriname, Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic. El Salvador made the Hex two years ago, but Group A could see a challenge out of the Dominican. New blood is needed, but I give the nod to El Salvador.
Group B sees Trinidad and Tobago (the other member of the Class of 2009), Guyana, Barbados and Bermuda. T/T easily.
Group C sees Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua and the Bahamas. Safe bet here: Panama is itching to get a sniff of the World Cup.
Group D sees Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico and St Lucia. In all seriousness, this is a fantastic group for both Canada and Puerto Rico. CONCACAF's second round starts on September 2, as well, and I'm eagerly anticipating this group. This may be Puerto Rico's best opportunity to go beyond the second round, especially after taking a powder in 2010, withdrawing in 2006 and not even getting out of the first round in 2002. For Canada, it has shown its mettle in getting to the third round in the last two World Cup cycles. The fact that the winner in Group D avoids the United States and Mexico in the third round should have both Canada and Puerto Rico breathing easily. Of course, they have to play each other.
Group E includes Grenada, Guatemala, St. Vincent/Grenadines and Belize. US fans will pay attention to this group as well as Group F.
Group F has Haiti, Antigua/Barbuda, Curucao and the US Virgin Islands. My money is on Haiti. Something has to go right for that country, but I think Group F sees the biggest shock of the second round.
The third round of CONCACAF has been broken up into three groups of four, with the top two in each group moving on to the Hexagonal.
Group A sees the United States, Jamaica, as well as the winners of Groups E and F. Personally, this is the USA's tune-up for the more serious Hex. But for Jamaica, this is the opportunity to get a little revenge for the 2-0 loss to the Yanks in the 2011 Gold Cup. And it gets to play the US twice, of course. The US and Jamaica move on to the Hex.
Group B is the CONCACAF Group of Death, in my eyes. Mexico has Costa Rica as well as the winners of Groups A and B from the second round. More than likely, it'll be El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago. This would be, without a doubt, a heavy task for Mexico, especially going up against three sides that did not make the trip for South Africa -- unless they bought a ticket. Playing in El Salvador is a task for any nation, and Mexico lost to El Salvador, 2-1, in San Salvador in 2009. I do not expect those fixtures to be easy for Mexico, but I do expect El Tri to advance. It just won't be the cakewalk that the Americans have.
Group C has Honduras, Cuba and possibly Canada/Puerto Rico and Panama. Honduras should move on to the Hex, but who joins it? Cuba couldn't get out of the third round in late 2008, and Canada has this thing about not getting out of it, either. No comment on Puerto Rico, since this is where its ride ends (unless they play their best football). Panama didn't get out of the second round in the lead-up to South Africa, but it made the 2005 Hexagonal. The fact Panama played fairly well in the 2011 Gold Cup, including the shock win over the Americans, leads me to believe it will get to the fourth round in 2013. It does have a friendly coming up against Bolivia, so that will be a nice litmus test.
2013 Hexagonal -- my picks
USA
Mexico
Honduras
Jamaica
Costa Rica
Panama
With four of the six competitors the same from 2009, it's easy to suspect that things will continue: USA and Mexico should qualify for Brazil. After that, though, is anyone's guess. Any two of those other four could find themselves in the World Cup, especially since the fourth place team plays Oceania's champion. It would be a boon for CONCACAF to have new blood representing it in Brazil, but a World Cup without the USA and Mexico just doesn't sound right.
Oceania was next, and there's really only one country who can realistically win that federation: New Zealand. I won't even waste more space on the Internet on Oceania.
Then came Europe.
UEFA and its 13 spots. Who to pick?
Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales
Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta.
Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan.
Group D: Netherlands, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.
Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.
Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Lichtenstein
Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino
Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland
Holy shit! I look no further than Group I. Spain? France? Hey Belarus, Georgia and Finland, there's no need for you to play your Group I matches. Thanks for coming to Rio.
Group A has Croatia and Scotland in it, and even though Scotland is fourth in this group, it would be nice to see it in the World Cup, or at the very least, the UEFA playoff. It's a tough draw for Scotland, but anything is possible.
Group B is Italy and Denmark. Italy needs a rebound, but the Czech Republic is no slouch.
Group C... ugh. Germany AND Ireland? Can I not have it so hard? My father was Irish. My mother comes from a German family. Seriously FIFA?? (And knowing my luck, Ireland will draw France in the playoff again.)
Group D is Netherlands and Turkey.
Group E is wide open. Slovenia, though... I'm still in therapy after it went up 2-0 on the Yanks last year.
Group F is Portugal and Russia, with Israel making the group interesting. Israel's in the hunt for Euro 2012, currently sitting third on goal difference in Group F (weird), with September matches against Greece and Croatia, the two nations ahead of them, coming up. If Israel don't qualify for Euro, I expect it to focus on the UEFA play-off for the World Cup. Of course, so is Russia, especially after heartbreak in 2009.
Group G is tasty, too. Greece and Slovakia should advance to Brazil or the playoff.
Group H is easy peasy for England. 10-0-0. But then again, it's England, and it's over-confidence is its worst enemy.
And Group I... well... it's Group I. Spain and France. France and Spain. Push.
What do you think? Who do you think moves on and who goes home? It's going to be a long 1,074 days, though.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sporting Lisbon 1 (5)-1 (6) Celtic, and Fenway, The Search For Scarf
I made my first pilgrimage to Fenway Park on Wednesday for the first time in 11 years.
Of course, that's understandable: Red Sox ticket prices have skyrocketed significantly since 1999, and my limited funds have prevented me from seeing the Olde Towne Team. But with real football in Boston for the first time in nearly half a century, I had to go to the Home of Hardball.
I've been a soccer fan for four years, and although I've covered high school and college soccer, I've never seen a professional match in person. I've never even seen the Revolution in person. And since I was headed to Fenway to see Celtic F.C., I wanted a scarf to hold aloft when You'll Never Walk Alone was sung.
Only problem was, I couldn't find one at any of the souvenir stands inside or outside the ballpark. As I found out early this morning on Twitter, Twins Enterprises and Nike could not come to an agreement, and there was no Celtic merchandise to be had at all. Bummer and epic fail.
I took my cousin Christian to this match. He's not really a soccer fan, but he seemed excited to go. When we got to Fenway, he was able to get a few laughs in as a few Celtic supporters -- and I'm talking real Celtic supporters from Glasgow -- rode me a bit for wearing an England shirt while we passed Cask N' Flagon. I told them I'm supporting Celtic and would be in their section.
"You can't sit in the Celtic section with an England top!" one of the lads said. I didn't take it personally; they were a bunch of good blokes and rode everyone that didn't wear the proper Hoops' colors. We made a stop at the Sausage Connection on Lansdowne Street as well as another food vendor on Yawkey Way before we searched and searched for appropriate apparel. I settled on a Football At Fenway hat after the guy at one souvenir stand said, "You came early just to get a scarf?" Apparently, he found that funny.
Chris and I sat right behind the plate, just under the roof of the press box in case of inclement weather. Luckily we only had a little sprinkle before 6 p.m., two hours before kickoff. By the time 8 p.m. rolled around, the sun had been out for quite a while, and there was nothing but blue sky as Celtic and Sporting Lisbon trotted onto the makeshift pitch. We also had more food inside the park; believe it or not, sausage subs are cheaper inside the park than outside: I also had a little Mother's Milk -- Bud Light -- which certainly made up for the price of the sausage.
The first half was not anything to write home about: Sporting carried possession, but Celtic had better chances. Sporting certainly had rubbish corners, as several corner kicks sailed through the 18 with a single Sporting player touching the ball. There was also a bit of drama near the end of the first half, as a Sporting chance went for naught as a Celtic defender cleared the ball off the line. Brilliant defending, that.
Celtic finally broke the deadlock in the second half, only 25 minutes after a somewhat stirring rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone; I called Fenway PA announcer Carl Beane on Tuesday to see if they would play YNWA prior to the match. One thing I was surprised about: other than the occasional "Ole, ole, ole, ole," there wasn't much in the form of chanting by the Celtic supporters. When there was, it didn't last long: I'm thinking that the Americans in the crowd didn't know the chants and couldn't take part. There was a couple Mexican Waves that went through the park, but that's usual. Sporting brought the match to level terms about 10 minutes later on its third successive corner; a former Tottenham player scored the goal.
We saw loads of different shirts: of course there were Celtic and Sporting and England, but there were also USA, Burnley (one kid wearing a Burnley shirt in front of us asked me at half time, "Hey mate, can you buy us a couple of beers and one for yourself?" I politely declined, knowing the limit is two and that they were underaged), Newcastle, Inter, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, Fulham, Everton, Liverpool, Portugal, Ireland and a few Revolution jerseys. There were also plenty of Celtics jerseys, too.
All in all, we had a blast. Christian had fun, and he said he would even start following the Premier League. He chose Manchester United.
The little front runner.
Of course, that's understandable: Red Sox ticket prices have skyrocketed significantly since 1999, and my limited funds have prevented me from seeing the Olde Towne Team. But with real football in Boston for the first time in nearly half a century, I had to go to the Home of Hardball.
I've been a soccer fan for four years, and although I've covered high school and college soccer, I've never seen a professional match in person. I've never even seen the Revolution in person. And since I was headed to Fenway to see Celtic F.C., I wanted a scarf to hold aloft when You'll Never Walk Alone was sung.
Only problem was, I couldn't find one at any of the souvenir stands inside or outside the ballpark. As I found out early this morning on Twitter, Twins Enterprises and Nike could not come to an agreement, and there was no Celtic merchandise to be had at all. Bummer and epic fail.
I took my cousin Christian to this match. He's not really a soccer fan, but he seemed excited to go. When we got to Fenway, he was able to get a few laughs in as a few Celtic supporters -- and I'm talking real Celtic supporters from Glasgow -- rode me a bit for wearing an England shirt while we passed Cask N' Flagon. I told them I'm supporting Celtic and would be in their section.
"You can't sit in the Celtic section with an England top!" one of the lads said. I didn't take it personally; they were a bunch of good blokes and rode everyone that didn't wear the proper Hoops' colors. We made a stop at the Sausage Connection on Lansdowne Street as well as another food vendor on Yawkey Way before we searched and searched for appropriate apparel. I settled on a Football At Fenway hat after the guy at one souvenir stand said, "You came early just to get a scarf?" Apparently, he found that funny.
Chris and I sat right behind the plate, just under the roof of the press box in case of inclement weather. Luckily we only had a little sprinkle before 6 p.m., two hours before kickoff. By the time 8 p.m. rolled around, the sun had been out for quite a while, and there was nothing but blue sky as Celtic and Sporting Lisbon trotted onto the makeshift pitch. We also had more food inside the park; believe it or not, sausage subs are cheaper inside the park than outside: I also had a little Mother's Milk -- Bud Light -- which certainly made up for the price of the sausage.
The first half was not anything to write home about: Sporting carried possession, but Celtic had better chances. Sporting certainly had rubbish corners, as several corner kicks sailed through the 18 with a single Sporting player touching the ball. There was also a bit of drama near the end of the first half, as a Sporting chance went for naught as a Celtic defender cleared the ball off the line. Brilliant defending, that.
Celtic finally broke the deadlock in the second half, only 25 minutes after a somewhat stirring rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone; I called Fenway PA announcer Carl Beane on Tuesday to see if they would play YNWA prior to the match. One thing I was surprised about: other than the occasional "Ole, ole, ole, ole," there wasn't much in the form of chanting by the Celtic supporters. When there was, it didn't last long: I'm thinking that the Americans in the crowd didn't know the chants and couldn't take part. There was a couple Mexican Waves that went through the park, but that's usual. Sporting brought the match to level terms about 10 minutes later on its third successive corner; a former Tottenham player scored the goal.
We saw loads of different shirts: of course there were Celtic and Sporting and England, but there were also USA, Burnley (one kid wearing a Burnley shirt in front of us asked me at half time, "Hey mate, can you buy us a couple of beers and one for yourself?" I politely declined, knowing the limit is two and that they were underaged), Newcastle, Inter, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, Fulham, Everton, Liverpool, Portugal, Ireland and a few Revolution jerseys. There were also plenty of Celtics jerseys, too.
All in all, we had a blast. Christian had fun, and he said he would even start following the Premier League. He chose Manchester United.
The little front runner.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Take my Premier League Challenge, please!
With the end of the World Cup only a few hours past, it's time for my favorite game: The Premier League Challenge.
It's a simple game, folks. Over the past four weeks, many people who do not generally like soccer have been following the World Cup. Whether it be the United States' performance in the most prestigious tournament or not, people have watched this competition that regularly would not watch the beautiful game. Now I want those people to continue following the world's sport.
That is why I come before you with this offering:
Take my Premier League Challenge.
Here's my story.
Following the 2006 World Cup, I chose to follow Arsenal F.C. of London as my adopted club. I was new to the sport, and I wanted to follow a good club; after all, I'm an American, and Americans are front-runners. I said I would follow the Gunners for a year, and see what happens after that. I became a Gooner.
After one season, I was hooked.
During that first season, I learned about the ins and outs of promotion and relegation, which happens in European football: if your club is one of the bottom three (bottom four in other leagues), your club is dropped a division, while the top teams in the next lower division are promoted to the higher division. It keeps things interesting, that's for sure. You don't want to be relegated.
After that first season, I couldn't wait for the next. I eagerly browsed the transfer -- trading -- wire, waiting for the Arsenal -- hell, any club, for that matter -- to make a move. When the league released the fixtures -- the schedule -- I circled the dates when the Arsenal would play Tottenham Hotspur, our bitter archrivals, as well as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. I got ready for the season.
Once the next season started, I watched games online. I couldn't get enough football! Now the Arsenal -- and the Premier League as a whole -- is an irrevocable part of my life (I even keep track of the international breaks, where national teams play), and I cannot wait for the beginning of the 2010-11 Premier League season.
So, the Challenge.
Pick a Premier League club. There are 20 of them. Each club has a Wikipedia page, with a rundown of each club's history. You want a club with history. You also want a club that is going to stay up instead of relegated to Championship, the next division down. Here's the link to the Premier League's Wikipedia page, which has a list of the clubs competing this season.
Follow your club for one season. The season runs from mid-August until May. Remember that some clubs also play in the Champions League, and some also play in Europa League. There are also the Carling Cup and FA Cup knockout competitions; the Carling (League) Cup is for the 92 clubs in the Football League, and it played in the first half of the season, while the FA Cup, for the Premier League clubs, is played in the second half starting with the first weekend of the new year.
There are many ways to follow a club: you can watch the matches on ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel (a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning before flipping to the NFL), and there is a peer-to-peer service called myp2p.eu, which has pretty much every match you can think of. There are the BBC Sport and SkySports web sites, as well. They have great commentary and, while it takes a while to learn the terminology, great recaps. I must admit that Sky has more news. You can also get recaps on your club's web site. If you want, buy your club's shirt and wear it proudly. WorldSoccerShop.com has practically every club's shirt.
After that year, tell me your life hasn't been changed. Go on. I dare you. If it hasn't, then you can forget the whole thing. I don't think you will, though. Of course, those whose lives haven't been completely transformed are those who didn't take the challenge seriously, or didn't put in the effort. Remember how you felt the first time you went to Fenway, or when you started following your favorite baseball or American football team? Following a sports team is like a marriage. You have to put in the work. Remember how much pain and suffering we went through with the Red Sox? Same thing, only the ball is larger, and the matches are done in two hours.
And you may even be as pumped as I am for when the World Cup comes around in 2014.
Now does it have to be a Premier League club? No, it doesn't. It can be the Primera Division (Spain), Ligue 1 (France), Serie A (Italy), or the Bundesliga (Germany). I've found, though, that following a British club is easier for me. I know there is a five-hour difference between Boston and London, except for the few weeks between the changing of the clocks; it becomes a four-hour difference.
The Premier League season begins at 7:45 am. ET on Saturday, August 14. What are you waiting for? Pick a club, then e-mail me to let me know what club you picked. A few of my friends are taking the challenge this year.
Will you?
It's a simple game, folks. Over the past four weeks, many people who do not generally like soccer have been following the World Cup. Whether it be the United States' performance in the most prestigious tournament or not, people have watched this competition that regularly would not watch the beautiful game. Now I want those people to continue following the world's sport.
That is why I come before you with this offering:
Take my Premier League Challenge.
Here's my story.
Following the 2006 World Cup, I chose to follow Arsenal F.C. of London as my adopted club. I was new to the sport, and I wanted to follow a good club; after all, I'm an American, and Americans are front-runners. I said I would follow the Gunners for a year, and see what happens after that. I became a Gooner.
After one season, I was hooked.
During that first season, I learned about the ins and outs of promotion and relegation, which happens in European football: if your club is one of the bottom three (bottom four in other leagues), your club is dropped a division, while the top teams in the next lower division are promoted to the higher division. It keeps things interesting, that's for sure. You don't want to be relegated.
After that first season, I couldn't wait for the next. I eagerly browsed the transfer -- trading -- wire, waiting for the Arsenal -- hell, any club, for that matter -- to make a move. When the league released the fixtures -- the schedule -- I circled the dates when the Arsenal would play Tottenham Hotspur, our bitter archrivals, as well as Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. I got ready for the season.
Once the next season started, I watched games online. I couldn't get enough football! Now the Arsenal -- and the Premier League as a whole -- is an irrevocable part of my life (I even keep track of the international breaks, where national teams play), and I cannot wait for the beginning of the 2010-11 Premier League season.
So, the Challenge.
Pick a Premier League club. There are 20 of them. Each club has a Wikipedia page, with a rundown of each club's history. You want a club with history. You also want a club that is going to stay up instead of relegated to Championship, the next division down. Here's the link to the Premier League's Wikipedia page, which has a list of the clubs competing this season.
Follow your club for one season. The season runs from mid-August until May. Remember that some clubs also play in the Champions League, and some also play in Europa League. There are also the Carling Cup and FA Cup knockout competitions; the Carling (League) Cup is for the 92 clubs in the Football League, and it played in the first half of the season, while the FA Cup, for the Premier League clubs, is played in the second half starting with the first weekend of the new year.
There are many ways to follow a club: you can watch the matches on ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel (a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning before flipping to the NFL), and there is a peer-to-peer service called myp2p.eu, which has pretty much every match you can think of. There are the BBC Sport and SkySports web sites, as well. They have great commentary and, while it takes a while to learn the terminology, great recaps. I must admit that Sky has more news. You can also get recaps on your club's web site. If you want, buy your club's shirt and wear it proudly. WorldSoccerShop.com has practically every club's shirt.
After that year, tell me your life hasn't been changed. Go on. I dare you. If it hasn't, then you can forget the whole thing. I don't think you will, though. Of course, those whose lives haven't been completely transformed are those who didn't take the challenge seriously, or didn't put in the effort. Remember how you felt the first time you went to Fenway, or when you started following your favorite baseball or American football team? Following a sports team is like a marriage. You have to put in the work. Remember how much pain and suffering we went through with the Red Sox? Same thing, only the ball is larger, and the matches are done in two hours.
And you may even be as pumped as I am for when the World Cup comes around in 2014.
Now does it have to be a Premier League club? No, it doesn't. It can be the Primera Division (Spain), Ligue 1 (France), Serie A (Italy), or the Bundesliga (Germany). I've found, though, that following a British club is easier for me. I know there is a five-hour difference between Boston and London, except for the few weeks between the changing of the clocks; it becomes a four-hour difference.
The Premier League season begins at 7:45 am. ET on Saturday, August 14. What are you waiting for? Pick a club, then e-mail me to let me know what club you picked. A few of my friends are taking the challenge this year.
Will you?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Gearing up for the World Cup
In less than 15 hours, the attention of the world, after three years of qualifying, will be pointed on South Africa as the 2010 FIFA World Cup opens. Back in December, we broke down the World Cup group stages as it looked at that point. Of course, things have changed in many ways in just six months. Let's re-visit the groupings.
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Not much is changing in my estimation. France still gets the free pass to the knockout stage, while I'm still of the opinion that Mexico-Uruguay on 22 June decides the second side in. But the whole "host country has not been left out of the first knockout stage" thing has me rooting for Bafana Bafana, if only to put a crimp in Mexico's knockout-stage aspirations.
Sean's pick: France, Uruguay
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Another group that I don't see much changing as to my original thoughts. A solid nine points for Diego Maradona's Albicelestes should be easy, especially with Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi forming two-thirds of Argentina's attacking triangle. Nigeria's recent problems will leave it unsettled, and I would be surprised if it captures any points in this World Cup.
Sean's pick: Argentina, South Korea
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
With Rio Ferdinand going down with an injury, his absence is going to hurt England's chances. Ferdinand is a calming presence in the midfield. Will that help the USA when the two sides meet Saturday? Probably not. Again, the USA has to attack -- much like it did against Turkey in the last friendly on US soil two weeks ago -- in order to be successful. Algeria will be without Yazid Mansouri, who has fitness issues. Slovenia will look to exploit that Sunday and will try for second place when it faces the USA.
Sean's pick: England, USA
Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia
No Michael Ballack is going to hurt Germany. Does that mean it won't advance? I never said that.
Sean's pick: Germany, Serbia
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Back in December, I mentioned that there was a possibility of Robin van Persie being out of form due to his injury against Italy in a November friendly. Of course, football fans know van Persie returned for the Arsenal in April and played a role in the Gunners' holding of third place in the Premier League. But this may be a very tough group, regardless: Japan played fairly well against England in a friendly last week, and even gave the Britons fits. Japan is a side to look out for -- but not one to advance.
Sean's pick: Denmark, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Much of the same, although I have to laugh at the Azzurri not putting Guissepe Rossi into its squad. See what happens when you don't play for the USA?
Sean's pick: Italy, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Didier Drogba's injury -- it couldn't have happened to a better guy -- is going to hurt Ivory Coast's chances of advancing. Back in December I wrote that Ivory Coast would be the third-place team in this group, and unless Drogba makes a miraculous recovery and plays one of the matches (my Magic 8 Ball says Unlikely), it will be a two-week stay for the Elephants.
Sean's picks: Brazil, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
Loads of quality with that Spanish side, but the big question for me is will Fernando Torres be able to put up five goals in order to help Spain win the Cup?
Sean's picks: Spain, Honduras
So who is going to win it all? Spain.
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Not much is changing in my estimation. France still gets the free pass to the knockout stage, while I'm still of the opinion that Mexico-Uruguay on 22 June decides the second side in. But the whole "host country has not been left out of the first knockout stage" thing has me rooting for Bafana Bafana, if only to put a crimp in Mexico's knockout-stage aspirations.
Sean's pick: France, Uruguay
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Another group that I don't see much changing as to my original thoughts. A solid nine points for Diego Maradona's Albicelestes should be easy, especially with Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi forming two-thirds of Argentina's attacking triangle. Nigeria's recent problems will leave it unsettled, and I would be surprised if it captures any points in this World Cup.
Sean's pick: Argentina, South Korea
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
With Rio Ferdinand going down with an injury, his absence is going to hurt England's chances. Ferdinand is a calming presence in the midfield. Will that help the USA when the two sides meet Saturday? Probably not. Again, the USA has to attack -- much like it did against Turkey in the last friendly on US soil two weeks ago -- in order to be successful. Algeria will be without Yazid Mansouri, who has fitness issues. Slovenia will look to exploit that Sunday and will try for second place when it faces the USA.
Sean's pick: England, USA
Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia
No Michael Ballack is going to hurt Germany. Does that mean it won't advance? I never said that.
Sean's pick: Germany, Serbia
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Back in December, I mentioned that there was a possibility of Robin van Persie being out of form due to his injury against Italy in a November friendly. Of course, football fans know van Persie returned for the Arsenal in April and played a role in the Gunners' holding of third place in the Premier League. But this may be a very tough group, regardless: Japan played fairly well against England in a friendly last week, and even gave the Britons fits. Japan is a side to look out for -- but not one to advance.
Sean's pick: Denmark, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Much of the same, although I have to laugh at the Azzurri not putting Guissepe Rossi into its squad. See what happens when you don't play for the USA?
Sean's pick: Italy, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
Didier Drogba's injury -- it couldn't have happened to a better guy -- is going to hurt Ivory Coast's chances of advancing. Back in December I wrote that Ivory Coast would be the third-place team in this group, and unless Drogba makes a miraculous recovery and plays one of the matches (my Magic 8 Ball says Unlikely), it will be a two-week stay for the Elephants.
Sean's picks: Brazil, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
Loads of quality with that Spanish side, but the big question for me is will Fernando Torres be able to put up five goals in order to help Spain win the Cup?
Sean's picks: Spain, Honduras
So who is going to win it all? Spain.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Bring on the Habs -- for history's sake
I usually don't chime in about the National Hockey League due to the fact that I haven't watched a full game all season; my high school sports duties during the winter normally mean I'm covering a game when the NHL begins at 7 p.m., and by the time I get home, write, file and make dinner, the game is over. But I'm making my voice heard today on the verge of the Bruins and Flyers' Game Six.
If anything, I would want the Big Bad Bruins to play Montreal in the Eastern Conference Finals should Boston dispatch with their enemies from the City of Brotherly Love tonight or Friday.
There's a good reason why I would rather see a B's-Habs matchup rather than the B's-Penguins. Does Boston-Pittsburgh in hockey really stir the heartstrings? In this writer's opinion, it does not. Sure, there are people in the Hub who want to see Marc Savard's assailant be put through glass or cross-checked into June. That's fine and dandy; personally, I would have rather seen the Bruins go after this guy in that game, immediately after the hit. However, is it really good for hockey to see this matchup? There is barely any history there.
Now, Bruins-Canadiens, that's true history.
Montreal and Boston. Boston and Montreal. A grudge match to end all grudge matches. An Original Six showcase for the right to represent the Eastern Conference against Chicago or San Jose.
The reason I would rather see Les Habitents is the same reason I wanted the Red Sox to beat the Yankees in 2004 -- making it past an archrival, and a bitter one at that, would make winning Lord Stanley's Cup even sweeter for this typist.
Everyone will have their own opinion, but mine is this: Montreal is due for an ass kicking. Bring on the Habs.
If anything, I would want the Big Bad Bruins to play Montreal in the Eastern Conference Finals should Boston dispatch with their enemies from the City of Brotherly Love tonight or Friday.
There's a good reason why I would rather see a B's-Habs matchup rather than the B's-Penguins. Does Boston-Pittsburgh in hockey really stir the heartstrings? In this writer's opinion, it does not. Sure, there are people in the Hub who want to see Marc Savard's assailant be put through glass or cross-checked into June. That's fine and dandy; personally, I would have rather seen the Bruins go after this guy in that game, immediately after the hit. However, is it really good for hockey to see this matchup? There is barely any history there.
Now, Bruins-Canadiens, that's true history.
Montreal and Boston. Boston and Montreal. A grudge match to end all grudge matches. An Original Six showcase for the right to represent the Eastern Conference against Chicago or San Jose.
The reason I would rather see Les Habitents is the same reason I wanted the Red Sox to beat the Yankees in 2004 -- making it past an archrival, and a bitter one at that, would make winning Lord Stanley's Cup even sweeter for this typist.
Everyone will have their own opinion, but mine is this: Montreal is due for an ass kicking. Bring on the Habs.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Relegation weekend, Part 1
Later this morning here on the east coast (early this afternoon in England), Wigan Athletic will host Hull City in a Premier League match that is all but window dressing. Even with a win today, Hull City is pretty much assured of relegation to the Championship due to its position (18th) in the league table, joining Burnley and Portsmouth. The odds of survival are ludicrous: the Tigers would need to beat Wigan on its own pitch this week, beat Liverpool next weekend, hope 17th place West Ham United lose to Manchester City next weekend... and overcome a 22-goal difference in the process. Like I said, Hull's chances of a lifeline are very slim, indeed.
But that's what makes the month of May so interesting in English football. The endless possibilities, the mathematical certainties that can doom a team to a lower division, the coming promotion play-offs that will see one of four teams in each division tasting a higher division. It's something we don't see in the United States, so it's not something Americans can appreciate until they experience it by following a football club. Just looking at what happened this weekend at one particular ground, though, can give one insight into the utter euphoria one can feel for surviving the perilous drop, as well as the dismay a supporter can feel for going down.
The scene was Hillsborough, the home of Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday came into Sunday's match against Crystal Palace with 46 points, good enough for 18th position in Championship. Palace had 48 points, one spot above its hosts.
Simple math said it all on this final weekend of the Championship's regular season: Palace could simply draw and survive with one point in the match. But for Wednesday, winning meant staying in the second division, and Palace would face the drop. A draw or a defeat would doom Sheffield to relegation.
By half time, the two sides were deadlocked at a goal apiece. Palace went ahead just after the hour mark, meaning in the last half hour, the Wednesday would need two goals in order to survive.
It got one in the 88th minute, but could not dent the back of the Palace net in five minutes of injury time. Palace won, its fans ecstatic. The trip back to London would be a happy one. It was a moment of glory, especially with the club in administration and wondering if it will stay afloat.
Not so, though, for supporters who would be making a short trip home -- or for some Wednesday supporters, a trip to jail -- after they saw their side come perilously close to staying in Championship. The Wednesday supporters stormed the pitch in frustration afterward. A fine is certainly going to be levied by the FA, something Wednesday will feel the brunt of. Wednesday are now in League One, the third division in English football.
The Owls have not participated in League One since the 2004-05 season.
Wednesday are no stranger to close calls when it comes to relegation danger: since the 1992-93 season, the inaugural season of the Premier League, the Owls' fortunes have been slim in many ways, including financial. In the 1999-2000 season, Wednesday could not survive the drop from the Prem. Three seasons later, Wednesday were relegated again. The next season, Wednesday was nearly relegated again -- this time, it would have dropped to League Two, the fourth division -- but avoided the drop. It looked like a drop would be a certainty following a slow start in 2004-05, but a change in managers led to a change in fortune. They finished fifth, qualified for the play-offs, and beat Hartlepool in the play-off promotion game to move back into Championship.
A close survival call happened again in 2007-08.
At the other end of the spectrum, Swansea had the chance to extend its season into the promotion play-offs, but failed to win its match. Instead, Blackpool will play Nottingham Forest. Another year for Swansea in the second division.
There will be joy for three clubs in League One next weekend, as four teams are trying to avoid the drop to League Two: Tranmere (48), Exeter (48), Gillingham (50) and Leyton Orient (51). None play each other, and only Exeter will be at home. Only Leyton Orient and Gillingham have to play for a draw, but Gillingham has to be wary for a 17-goal swing from Tranmere. An 18-goal win by Tranmere would doom either Exeter or Gillingham.
Will it happen? Probably not. But anything can happen in British football. That's why if Hull City can somehow turn things around over the course of the next six days, there will be celebrations galore in that city, one that had finally tasted the Premier League two seasons ago.
But that's what makes the month of May so interesting in English football. The endless possibilities, the mathematical certainties that can doom a team to a lower division, the coming promotion play-offs that will see one of four teams in each division tasting a higher division. It's something we don't see in the United States, so it's not something Americans can appreciate until they experience it by following a football club. Just looking at what happened this weekend at one particular ground, though, can give one insight into the utter euphoria one can feel for surviving the perilous drop, as well as the dismay a supporter can feel for going down.
The scene was Hillsborough, the home of Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday came into Sunday's match against Crystal Palace with 46 points, good enough for 18th position in Championship. Palace had 48 points, one spot above its hosts.
Simple math said it all on this final weekend of the Championship's regular season: Palace could simply draw and survive with one point in the match. But for Wednesday, winning meant staying in the second division, and Palace would face the drop. A draw or a defeat would doom Sheffield to relegation.
By half time, the two sides were deadlocked at a goal apiece. Palace went ahead just after the hour mark, meaning in the last half hour, the Wednesday would need two goals in order to survive.
It got one in the 88th minute, but could not dent the back of the Palace net in five minutes of injury time. Palace won, its fans ecstatic. The trip back to London would be a happy one. It was a moment of glory, especially with the club in administration and wondering if it will stay afloat.
Not so, though, for supporters who would be making a short trip home -- or for some Wednesday supporters, a trip to jail -- after they saw their side come perilously close to staying in Championship. The Wednesday supporters stormed the pitch in frustration afterward. A fine is certainly going to be levied by the FA, something Wednesday will feel the brunt of. Wednesday are now in League One, the third division in English football.
The Owls have not participated in League One since the 2004-05 season.
Wednesday are no stranger to close calls when it comes to relegation danger: since the 1992-93 season, the inaugural season of the Premier League, the Owls' fortunes have been slim in many ways, including financial. In the 1999-2000 season, Wednesday could not survive the drop from the Prem. Three seasons later, Wednesday were relegated again. The next season, Wednesday was nearly relegated again -- this time, it would have dropped to League Two, the fourth division -- but avoided the drop. It looked like a drop would be a certainty following a slow start in 2004-05, but a change in managers led to a change in fortune. They finished fifth, qualified for the play-offs, and beat Hartlepool in the play-off promotion game to move back into Championship.
A close survival call happened again in 2007-08.
At the other end of the spectrum, Swansea had the chance to extend its season into the promotion play-offs, but failed to win its match. Instead, Blackpool will play Nottingham Forest. Another year for Swansea in the second division.
There will be joy for three clubs in League One next weekend, as four teams are trying to avoid the drop to League Two: Tranmere (48), Exeter (48), Gillingham (50) and Leyton Orient (51). None play each other, and only Exeter will be at home. Only Leyton Orient and Gillingham have to play for a draw, but Gillingham has to be wary for a 17-goal swing from Tranmere. An 18-goal win by Tranmere would doom either Exeter or Gillingham.
Will it happen? Probably not. But anything can happen in British football. That's why if Hull City can somehow turn things around over the course of the next six days, there will be celebrations galore in that city, one that had finally tasted the Premier League two seasons ago.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
