Mas Que Un Club

The confetti hasn’t even been swept from the Stadio Olimpico, but the superlatives are already being tossed around every corner of Catalonia. Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United, in the Champions League final earned them the Treble and secured their title as one of the greatest teams in football history. It was brilliant. It was a classic. The funny thing is that the “classic” part, didn’t go as expected for many fans and pundits. This wasn’t a fierce match where the teams traded blows like heavyweight fighters. It was more of an art lesson taught by some of the greatest practitioners of the Beautiful Game. In the lead-up to the match, Barca striker Lionel Messi commented that they deserved to win the Champions League because they played beautiful soccer. It turns out, he was right. Barca’s swift elegant runs and passes, and strong shots were far superior to Man U’s bumbling ball movements and the visible frustration of Mr. Ronaldo. The brilliance with which Messi tapped Xavi’s gentle cross into the corner of the net, put an exclamation point on the game, and was the affirmation that backed up his words.
It’s an odd position for United, and a tough pill to swallow. They were beaten by the only team that could match them, and more than that, they were ripped to shreds. That does not happen in a rational United world. But van der Sar, Vidic and Ferdinand couldn’t contain the magic that Barcelona produced. And so, that Barca magic seeped into every corner of the Stadio Olimpico, lighting the Eternal City’s night sky with shades of red, yellow and blue. Tonight, Barcelona showed that is it truly mas que un club.

2018: London Calling?

It’s more than nine years away, but the 2018 World Cup has been the topic of conversation around England lately, garnering support and sparking controversy. Their bid to host the 2018 World Cup is one of the strongest in the field of 9 candidates. England officially launched their bid to host the tournament at Wembley on May 17, with support from David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Prince William, and Gordon Brown. Lord Triesman, chairman of the FA, cited England’s strong infrastructure and economic benefits as incentives for England hosting the tournament, while Beckham emphasized the strong passion of English fans. The launch was not without controversy however. The bid has been criticized for its lack of diversity after a British National Party member was invited to the launch. Despite the controversy, England does look like a strong selection for 2018. They boast legendary venues, a good infrastructure which will be on display at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and an unquestionable passion for the Beautiful Game.

The Rivals: There are several strong bidders in the field, but each has a noticeable flaw in their proposals. Spain and Portugal, and Belgium and the Netherlands are at a disadvantage because they are joint bids, and FIFA President Sepp Blatter has already stated that joint bids will most likely fail. Russia stretches nine time zones, and will be too big to host the event. Indonesia has a poor infrastructure and an even poorer national team. Japan hosted the tournament 7 years ago with South Korea. The United States do not have the passion or football culture that England possess. Mexico and Australia also have bids in, but neither are as strong as England’s.



The Last Time England Hosted the World Cup:
Have a look at what life was like last time England Hosted, and Hoisted the Cup in 1966.
-John Lennon sent waves across the music world when he proclaimed that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.”
-Popular songs included the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer”, and “Yellow Submarine”, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”, and Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night”.
-Dirk Bogarde won the Best British Actor BAFTA for Darling
-Harold Wilson was Prime Minister

Relegation Sunday

This Sunday brings one of the most anticipated days in football. Not because it brings glory or championships, rather because a few teams will earn salvation from the threatening cloud of relegation. West Bromwich will be unable to escape the trip down to the Championship, however four other teams are trying to avoid filling the remaining two spots. Middlesbrough appears to be in the most trouble, and the third spot is currently filled by Newcastle. Hull City and Sunderland are also in the danger zone.

Sunday will feature a plethora of twisting scenarios, mental tactics and intriguing plotlines. Will Alan Shearer be the savior of the Toon? Will Sunderland self-destruct even further?

How it breaks down: Sunderland and Hull City are in the best positions. They can both earn salvation with wins at Chelsea and Manchester United respectively. This may seem like a lofty task for both teams, but considering both Chelsea and Manchester United have major cup competitions within the next few weeks, their paths might be a little easier. Newcastle must win against Aston Villa and must score more goals than Hull City. Middlesbrough faces the toughest road back. They must win at West Ham, and then hope for Newcastle and Hull losses with a goal turnaround from Hull of at least five.

Hull City: Perhaps the most intriguing team, Hull City has fallen the furthest, and their game against Manchester United carries the most weight among the other teams facing relegation. Hull was third in the table in October and few could have imagined that the Tigers could have fallen that far. But after going 4-19 in 2009, the Tigers are facing the very real threat of relegation.  

Sunderland: Sunderland appeared safe after last week, but they self-destructed in a 3-1 loss to Portsmouth last week which included an own goal by Phil Bardsley. That loss was just the breaking point however. Sunderland has won only one of their last twelve games and has been in a slide all season. Even if they manage to escape relegation, manager Ricky Sbragia’s future is in serious doubt.

Newcastle: Newcastle is perhaps the most appealing story from a nuetral’s perspective. How romantic it would be for the Geordie saviour Alan Shearer to swoop in and lay down the law, bringing glory back to the Toon. The Magpies struggled all season, and Shearer’s impact might be too little too late at this point. Unlike Sunderland however, it looks like Newcastle is sticking with Shearer for the long haul.

Middlesbrough: Middlesbrough has the surest chance to join the Championship, however, they are the team that most needs to rebuild. They struggled all season under young Gareth Southgate, and are looking to sell star Stuart Downing in the off-season. That may be a little more difficult however, now that Downing suffered a broken foot during Boro’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Championship Play Off Preview: Sheffield Utd. vs. Burnley

The Clarets face off against the Blades for promotion to the Premier League.

How they got here:

Burnley- The Clarets had a successful season going 14-5-4 in the Championship. They finished 5th in the table and took on Reading in the first tie of the playoffs. Thanks to a late penalty kick conversion by Graham Alexander, Burney took a 1-0 lead in the tie, and finished the Royals off in the second leg of the series with goals from Martin Paterson and Steven Thompson.

Sheffield United- The Blades finished 3^rd in the table with a 12-6-5 record. They came on strong in the second half of the season winning or drawing twelve of their last thirteen games. That set the stage for a semi-final showdown with Preston. The Blades were unable to gain an upper hand in the first leg of the tie, drawing 1-1. However, Greg Halford’s header in the second leg of the tie put the Blades ahead for good and booked their ticket to Wembley.

Key Player

Burnley- Martin Paterson. Paterson is the leading scorer for the Clarets and scored a brilliant goal in the second leg against Reading. Look for his skill and goal-scoring prowess to spark Burnley.

Sheffield United- Darius Henderson. Henderson brings the experience and goal-scoring ability that will be key to Sheffield United’s success. He’s one of the few players for either team that has experienced promotion through the Championship Play Off final, when he moved up with Watford in 05-06.  Henderson knows what it takes to earn promotion and if he can impart that knowledge on his teammates, that could prove an advantage for the Blades.

Analysis: Sheffield Manager Kevin Blackwell has made it to six previous Play Off Finals and that experience could be key for the Blades. Blackwell has made two Finals with Notts County, and one each with Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United and Sheffield United. Blackwell’s experience paired with Henderson’s could be a boost for the Blades. However, Burnley will be playing with the motivation of a team that has not made it to the top-flight of English football in over 30 years. Their strong season has shown that they are capable of securing promotion, so, this last bit of motivation, fueled with the atmosphere of Wembley might be just enough to earn the Clarets their first Premier League appearance.

Prediction: Sheffield United 2-1.