So time for an update as we approach the end of the Premier League Season. I lost a few weeks blogging but am back on track. The three weeks of outdoor social distance training kept me busy but no more excuses….it’s time to talk about soccer.

The Premier Leagues just wrapped Match Week 36, so just two weeks left and still lots of drama to report. The FA Cup, England’s oldest tournament, gets back underway this weekend with a couple of big games. And just around the corner, UEFA Champions League is about to start back up in the Round of 16. MLS is underway with the League Tournament to open the season. And with all of that, we also are still playing under the umbrella of COVID-19 and hoping the players, officials, referees, coaches and the limited number of fans are all staying safe. Let’s start with a little Premier League update.

Premier League Match Week 36 Update

Just two league games left and the season is done. Although One VERY BIG game tomorrow to officially finish off the Match Week 36. Seems strange to call it a big game, but that is how it works when there is a league with Relegation. #16 West Ham United is playing #17 Watford tomorrow. There is no Championship at stake, no trophies to secure, no Champaign waiting in the locker room to open, but this is a BIG GAME. The stakes are 3 points and maybe a guaranteed stay in the Premier League next year. Both teams are currently sitting on 34 Points and just three points clear of the Relegation Zone. The winning team moves to 37 and is almost guaranteed to stay up. The loser, well, they are still massively at risk. The 18-19th place teams both sit at 31 points and a win gets them to 34 as well. That’s dangerous. There will be tons of drama and the winner just might celebrate like they have won a championship. Staying in the Premier League with all the TV and sponsorship revenue money makes this a critical game for both teams. These relegation battles at the bottom of the table are epic every year. Imagine your favorite football team in the US playing their last game of the year. If the win, they stay in the NFL….if they lose, they get demoted out of the NFL to a lower tier semi-pro football league the following year. Wow! What a crazy ride for the fans of that team as well as owners. From the Penthouse to the outhouse in one game! Uff da!

Race for the Top 4.

Liverpool is crowned as Champions and Manchester City is guaranteed 2nd place, but after that, things get very interesting. Three teams are battling for the Final 2 places in the Champions League. Someone is going to be very disappointed. Champions League is the ultimate place to prove you are an elite club as well as players all want to play against the other best players in the world. He is how things look.

1. Liverpool 30-3-3 93 Points
2. Manchester City 24-3-9 75 Points
3. Chelsea 19-6-11 63 Points
4. Leicester City 18-8-10 62 Points (LC ahead on Goal differential)
5. Manchester United 17-11-8 62 Points
6. Wolverhampton 14-14-8 56 Points

Chelsea has two tough games remaining: Liverpool and Wolverhampton. Leicester City have Tottenham and the an epic battle against Manchester United in what might be a win and get in game. Manchester United face off with West Ham and then the epic battle with Manchester United. I could make a case for any of the three or against any of the three. My hope as a Chelsea fan is that Liverpool and Wolverhampton have little to play for and may just not have the motivation while Chelsea are in desperate need of points to qualify for Champions League. It’s going to be interesting and likely on the last day, each of the three teams could still advance and each could not…..and likely during the course of their two games it will ebb and flow as well. Oh man…..getting nervous just thinking about it!

The Relegation Zone. Things are a little more clear here, but still moves can be made. Here is what we know for sure….Norwich City is getting relegated. That is confirmed. Who, what two, will join them is the burning question. Aston Villa (19th) and Bournemouth (18th) both sit at 31 Points. Just above them is West Ham and Watford at 34 points who play tomorrow, so one of those two teams goes to 37. 37 feels safe. So, it comes down to the loser of West Ham-Watford, Aston Villa and Bournemouth for the final two spots relegated.

Aston Villa plays Arsenal (tough game) and then West Ham….interesting …..on the last day. Bournemouth have Everton and Southampton….both games they can compete in. Watford has Arsenal and Man City….uff da….they better win tomorrow or they could be in trouble. West Ham has Manchester United (not likely a win) and then the likely relegation battle against Aston Villa. More drama!!! It will be a very interesting final day for both the Champions League qualifying and the Relegation Zone.

In honor of Liverpool, check out this video. One of the most celebrated clubs in the World and most popular in England with their first Premier League title in 30 years since their last. What a year!

FA CUP Semi-Finals

This weekend we get the FA Cup Semi-Finals. Four of the top teams in England face off. Whoever survives will make for a great finals.

On Saturday we have Arsenal vs, Manchester City @ 1:45.

On Sunday we have Chelsea vs. Manchester United @ 12:00

Get your popcorn ready, they should both be really good games.

UEFA League Round of 16

The Round of 16 games continues the first week of August….games on August 7th and 8th. There are 4 teams who have already advance to the Quarter Finals: RB Leipzig, Atalanta, PSG and Athletico Madrid. four more team will advance after the next round of games.

Juventus vs. Lyon, Manchester City vs. Real Madrid, Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich and Barcelona vs. Napoli. The highlighted team won the first game of the Round of 16 and is favored to advance. Barca/Napoli was a draw.

MLS Tournament is Underway

The MLS is in Orlando with 24 teams in 6 Groups of 4 playing a season re-opening tournament, World Cup style. It is a round robin format with each team playing 3 games with the top 2 teams from each group advancing. I think the next best 4 advance to form a Round of 16 elimination round. The games in the World Cup groups will run thru the end of July. Teams have played either 1 or 2 games so far in the Group Play. More updates as Group Play ends.

Christian Pulisic Continues to Star for Chelsea

As a Chelsea fan and a fan of US Soccer, I just couldn’t resist to drop in this highlight package. Christian Pulisic is becoming a star in the Premier League; scoring goals, getting assists and generally creating havoc with his dribbling and attacking style. And it so cool!!!!!! Check it out. The new Captain America!!!!

More to follow this weekend. Keep an eye out for more regular updates in the next few months.

So I have been thinking about the stages of grief lately, this whole COVID-19 world we are living in and it’s impact on society and in a very small way…it’s impact on the sporting world and soccer. I mean, it is really becoming our new reality.

In my last post, it was all so early, we had thoughts of a quick recovery and maybe a few weeks of inconvenience….but now I think reality is setting in across Wisconsin, the country and the world. This “thing” is here to stay awhile and maybe we won’t hit the peak of the curve for another month and then how long till things feel normal again. When will all the social distancing rules be lifted, when could you hold a soccer practice or even have a game played. Interesting question s and not sure there are any answers yet. So we are just learning to be patient. We are trying as coaches to encourage players to practice on their own and stay connected to the game as best they can. But, back to the 5 stages, I think we have all gone thru it a little….Denial..Anger…Bargaining…Depression and Acceptance. For me it was more about Denial….no way we will lose our season. No way we won’t be able to practice. I am sure we will get to play in the April tournament. Wrong–Wrong–and Wrong! I kind of skipped over the anger and bargaining and just have jumped to Acceptance. It just seems the season will be hard to complete. Even if the National social distancing and Shelter in Place rules are lifted, is it likely that we will be able to have 25 girls at a practice or 100 people at a game or a thousand people at a tournament. That seems unlikely. So, now I just have decided…no expectations …and if we get to play games in May-June-July then that’s a bonus. So what now.

I am now thinking the best chance as a coach will be to plan for summer training is small groups. Why not set up a training at Soccer Park for 3-4 girls at a time. Everyone spread out, 10 feet between everyone, working on foot skills, ball mastery, dribbling, juggling, shooting….etc. No huddles, no high fives, no standing next to each other, no contact. We rotate 3-4 players every hour for an afternoon. We get every girl interested a serious training session….safely, no risk and no fear of transfer. Maybe this is how the season will progress. It’s how I am thinking about things now. As well, what about having 3-4 girls in a room …separated as we discussed….watching a game and discussing shape, formations, player movement, etc. It would give the players a chance to really learn the game, understand tactics, vision, support, game flow, etc. It could be a really valuable time to develop the players as a complete player who really understand the game. I know the ultimate goal is to “play the game”. I am with you…but until we are in the clear, I think this might be the short term future of soccer. I have started the conversation with my team manager and think soon, it will be time to extend the conversation to the team. We will just figure out a way to keep developing players, that’s our job as coaches, find a way to develop players.

Until we get outside and start the small sided training and until we have a viewing session on tactics, what can players do! Well, do you have a basement…do you have a garage…do you have a soccer ball and soon….do you have a yard. If you answered yes, then you are set. It’s time to train. I know, not the same, but challenging times require some unique solutions

I know the league is working on some creative training plans to post on the ECU Facebook site….ECU Communities 715. Sign up and check out the future videos to help you out. Until then….juggle, dribble, quick touches, 1v1 moves and ball mastery are all easy to do and WILL have a MAJOR impact on your skills and future performance. It will make you a BETTER player. Give it a shot, trust me, it works!

You don’t need much space. Check it out. Fast feet will pay off big time when you get back out on the field. Wow, those are some quick feet, nice!!

And here is some motivation for you. The Juggle Challenge. Here is some video of a U13 players crushing the juggle challenge. I counted 79. This is a pretty impressive display. Juggling will give you confidence on the field, it will benefit you in multiple ways on the field when trying to trap balls, win 50/50 balls, while trying to get shots off in a tight space. Ball control is the name of the game.

And not to be outdone, here is another video of the juggle challenge, 1v1 style for more pressure. A U13 player vs. the coach for a little fun. I think I counted 79 again, crazy and crazy impressive. Takes a little confidence to take on the coach and WIN!!

Here is the challenge. Take a video of yourself juggling and send it to me. Text the video to 715.379.7733 and I’ll load it onto my you tube account and drop it onto the blog. Anyone out there think they can beat 79. Challenge delivered! But ‘ll take a video of 20 or 30. It’s not about perfection…it’s about progress. Can’t wait to get the first video!

And here is a little more fun for you. If you need a little more motivation, check this out. Top players from across the world juggling toilt paper tolls. You have got to watch this. They are amazing and I couldn’t stop watching. Thierry Henry with the amazing pick up! Oh man. Could you get 10 juggles with a roll of toilet paper? Challenge delivered! Let’s get those videos coming!

Stay Safe and we will connect soon!

So, my first post since COVID-19 took over the sports world and our everyday lives. Not much else has been on my mind the past few weeks. It’s been a roller coaster on the stock market, a roller coaster hearing the news of China, Italy and Spain…..and now the cases are growing in the USA. At some points this thing doesn’t feel that real, but then BAM….you hear the death count rising, you hear about people testing positive, more restrictions from our government leaders, restaurants closing, businesses asking people to work from home, airlines shutting down flights, borders closing to travel…..and the impact gets very real.

First the NBA decided to shut down games….Baseball followed, the big boom came when the NCAA decided to shut down the March Madness tournament….as a UK fan that got my attention. Soccer soon followed. Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea tested positive. Mikel Arteta, head coach at Arsenal tested positive. Daniele Rugani from Juventus in Italy tested positive. Games suspended, and then pretty quickly, the Leagues were indefinitely postponed.

And now from a sporting perspective….Sports is shut down. A first in my lifetime and a sign of the times we are in right now. And I guess, for me, it is a reminder that no matter how much we all love sports, how much we follow our teams, how we schedule our lives around the start of your favorite teams games….sports is ultimately just not that important right now. Now it’s about doing our part to limit the spread of the virus. It’s not about the me….it’s about the we. Can we break the cycle of the spread. Can we get people to take the social distancing and shelter in place seriously. Can we get self quarantine to be taken seriously. I hope so, but it seems we still need more people to accept we have a serious risk. Our family has seriously limited contact this week, but I was out with friends at a restaurant 8 days ago….and this weekend had dinner with a few friends at their house….but now, I think our family is all done with that. It’s time to hunker down…time to stay home, time to wash hands hourly, time to wipe down surfaces, time to stop hugging friends, stop the high fives, shaking hands and hanging out at bars/restaurants. Go to work and shop for essentials, but other than that, its time to do what the sports world did and shut things down for awhile. As a middle (some say a bit past middle) age dude, that will be pretty easy for me. I ask all the millennial and youngsters out there to pitch in. You guys are so good at social media, face time, tik tok, Instagram and all the other apps I don’t even know about. You guys love to stay at home and play video games with friends online. DO THAT! DON’T GO OUT! Please. We need your help.

The experts are saying the USA is following the trajectory of Italy, where things are bad, huge numbers of positive tests and large numbers of deaths. We really need to “flatten the curve”. As we are getting more and more people tested, then the reality is setting in. My thoughts and prayers to all, let’s all do our part to limit the spread. Stay home and watch a movie!

So, this is a Soccer site, so maybe it is time for a little soccer. Locally, things are being impacted as the travel leagues from Eau Claire United and Chippewa Falls are canceling the early part of their seasons….thru the end of April currently. Girls High School soccer is at risk of losing their season. With schools closed for at least two weeks and maybe a few more, it might be a challenge to have a full season. Suspended seasons may extend into April or maybe even May. So lets all get comfortable with no soccer and no sports for awhile.

Okay, enough of that. I did want to share some soccer news.

US Women’s National Team

Some pretty good soccer recently with the just completed We Believe Cup featuring 4 top teams including USA, Spain, England and Japan. A round robin tournament played over a few weeks. Final standings:

1. USA 3-0-0
2. Spain 2-0-1
3. England 1-0-2
4. Japan 0-0-3

I had the chance to watch some of the games. As we have described many times on this post, it is really fun to watch our USWNT play. They play the game the right way, their talent is outstanding, they play as a team and they are pretty exciting to watch. Not to shabby to be able to cheer for the most dominant soccer team in the world, and no real challenger.

This turned out to be the best game of the three. Spain is rapidly rising the charts on the best national women’s teams in the world. They gave the USA a tough match during the World Cup and did the same again in this tournament. What a great game….just watching the highlight package again and I was nervous. US had a ton of chances, but then survived a Spain ball off the post. More US pressure led to multiple chances but no goal. Spain came aliver in the second half with a few great chances as well….and then Julie Ertz delivered. A great flick on header on a set play. Bam…1-0 USA. Great gamer, great action, very exciting.

This was another great game with a few amazing goals. The quality of the three goals from the US and the one goal from Japan were top notch….really good stuff. Megan Rapinoe’s direct kick was spectacular. 1-0 US. Then, maybe my favorite soccer goal this year, Christen Press with the trap, turn and vision to deliver a very cheeky chip from the top of the 18 into the back of the net. The courage to attempt the shot is amazing. Then the vision and technique to pull it off is truly amazing. Love it! Very cool goal! Japan did not quit, a really smart goal from some excellent passing in the box drew them to 2-1. Another attempt later in a half where they played well and took charge from the US team, bounced off the post, same post that saved them against Spain. The US team settled down and found another set play goal to earn a solid 3-1 win and 3-0 record to win the tournament. I must tell you, if you get a chance to watch the USWNT, DO IT! They are really really good and you will really enjoy watching them play. High skill, high energy, great team play and pretty likely you’ll see a victory. 31 games unbeaten, with 2-3 ties thrown in there. Their last loss was January 2019 to France. Once soccer kicks back in in the next few months…keep your eye out for another game for the USWNT. You will not be disappointed.

Keep checking in to the site. I’ll be dropping in some updates and finding some good videos and news to share. For now BE SAFE, BE SMART, HUNKER DOWN and lets do what we can to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Best to you and your families. Hope to see you on a soccer field in the near future!

So I am still trying to get over the Liverpool news from last week.. They lost, wow. I mean I am not a Liverpool fan, but that was so fun to watch and follow the streak. In a season where the title is all but decided, we had the streak to follow. So now what….how do we keep things interesting. We will just have to move on I guess.

And now that Liverpool have lost, I can now get super excited about the recent Chelsea v. Liverpool FA Cup Round of 16 game. Yes, I am a Chelsea fan, lets start there. I was really torn in cheering a little for Liverpool all season to not lose a game. But hey, we just decided we were moving on right, so is it okay to gloat a bit about Chelsea’s recent win over Liverpool. After all their wins in Premier League it was strange to read that they had lost 3 of their last 4 games when you include FA Cup and Champions League games. In honor of Chelsea….had to drop this in.

The Willian goal was a bit of a gift, but he almost scored like 10 seconds earlier, so maybe that was fair to get the goal. The Barkley goal was amazing. Not very often you see a 60-70 yard run that starts in your own half and is just one long extended dribble and then at the end, a shimmy, a shake and boom…. a wonder goal for the ages. I have watched it multiple times and just a fun goal. Such a long run and he shows great speed and ball control and just finds the perfect time to strike it into the corner. Well done Ross Barkley! And somehow Chelsea kept Liverpool off the score sheet. Liverpool now needs a win to get back on track. Spoiler Alert!! They did get a win this weekend and so maybe they will start a new record attempting winning streak!

Match Week 29 Recap

Let’s take a look at the winners this past week as the race for top 4 and relegation are still very much alive and well. The score of the week was definitely 1-0. Four matches ended 1-0 this weekend so at least it made so some exciting soccer, and a bit of drama.

1. Liverpool get back to their winning ways, 2-1 over Bournemouth.
2. Newcastle United with a 1-0 win over Southampton.
3. Arsenal with the same score, 1-0 win over West Ham United.
4. You guessed it, Sheffield United with the 1-0 win over Norwich City.
5. Crystal Palace with the final 1-0 winner over Watford.
6. Chelsea smashing Everton 4-0.
7. Manchester United with a big Derby win over Manchester City 2-0.

Dropped in a little Manchester Derby highlights. An interesting game…..Manchester City had 72% possession but fewer shots on goal than Man United. That seems weird for sure. Manchester City GK Ederson had a touch day. Most games he stops the first goal, but just could keep this one out and then in stoppage time, a clearance on a ball rolled out of the box, gets returned in the form of a long shot….and it goes in. Never seen that before. Just a strange one, but for Manchester United a really huge win as they continue to press for a Top 4 spot and Champions League play next year.

Race for the Top 4

Liverpool is a run away leader. How does the rest of the table look.

1. Liverpool 27-1-1 82 points.
2. Manchester City 18-3-7 57 points.
3. Leicester City 15-5-8 50 points.
4. Chelsea 14-6-9 48 points.
5. Manchester United 12-9-8 45 points.
6. Wolverhampton 10-13-6 43 Points

Sheffield United (43), Tottenham (41), Arsenal (40) and Burnley (39), round out the top 10. The big recent moves have Chelsea and Manchester United starting to get organized and playing better and trying to make a move on Leicester City. As well, the story of the year…after the Liverpool streak…must be Sheffield United. Newly promoted this year, their first time up in awhile, and they are sitting in 7th with a game in hand and could take over 5th and only 2 points out of the Top 4. What a story. Can they keep it going or will the pressure get to them. Quite a run this year.

The Relegation Zone

There are now 6 teams within 3 points of the relegation zone and fighting to stay up. And three of these teams all sitting on 27 points. Something must give soon and someone needs to break out of the group and lock down their spot. Who will it be. Brighton sit in 15th with 28 points, West Ham United 16th at 27 points and Watford 17th and also sitting at 27. The current bottom three include: 18. Bournemouth at 27 points 19. Aston Villa at 25 points 20. Norwich City 21 points. A tight race for sure.

Game of the Week. Match Week 29. Manchester United face another tough test. Can they get a streak going. Tottenham are faltering a bit and really need this one. A huge game for Top 4 implications.

#5 Manchester United vs. #8 Tottenham Hotspur.

FA Cup Update

The Quarterfinals are set. Just 8 teams remain to win the glory that is the FA Cup. And unfortunately, the real underdog stories are now crashed out of the tournament. All the remaining teams are from the Premier Leaguer. The only true underdogs are now the bottom of the table teams fighting for glory and respect. Here are the next round games scheduled to be played March 21st.

1. #5 Manchester United vs. #20 Norwich City
2. #7 Sheffield United vs. #9 Arsenal
3. #3 Leicester City vs. #4 Chelsea
4. #2 Manchester City vs. #13 Newcastle United

MLS Is Back!

The new season kicked off this past weekend. Lets see how things look after just 2 games played. 4 teams have started 2-0 and lead their conferences. In the East…Atlanta United are 2-0 and on top. In the West, three teams tied at the top, Sporting KC, Minnesota FC and the Colorado Rapids. In honor of our local team, the Loons, here are some Minnesota FC highlights. 7 goals. wow. But the good guys got 5!!

Liverpool. Amazing Liverpool. Unbelievable Liverpool. And now we can add….once beaten Liverpool. I am a bit conflicted today as I write about Liverpool. It was starting to get exciting. The streak was something to focus on since Liverpool was running away with the League Championship race. How many games could they win, how many in a row, how long till they would lose a game. Their last loss was to Manchester City last January and since then 44 games in a row undefeated and equally impressive, 18 games in a row winning streak. I mentioned last week that the road to the record of 50 was actually pretty good. The next few games were to lower tier teams until they would face Manchester City again as they approached the record. No way they could stumble against the likes of West Ham or Watford, ranked 19th place in the league. So as I was channel surfing yesterday afternoon, I chanced upon the Liverpool-Watford game. First half and the score of 0-0. but upon watching a few minutes the game seemed pretty competitive. Watford dropping into a low block and defending like crazy, but able to break out occasionally and look threatening.

So I continued to watch into the second, now intrigued if Liverpool would keep the streak going. the halftime pundits were not to kind to Liverpool….they were off their game and did not look sharp. Watford was full of energy and playing with confidence. 10 minutes into the second half and I look up at the TV….what!, Watford 1-0 over Liverpool. A throw in from deep in the Liverpool half, a slick move down the end line, a cross into the 6 box and bam….a tap in goal. That looked to easy and not much urgency to prevent to move from the Liverpool defenders. Well, no worries, Liverpool will crank it up and take this game over…..but they just never did. They never really looked threatening. There were not many shots on goal. A glancing shot off the post was as close as they came and then shock of all shocks…..another throw in from Watford in their half, a back heel down the line, a quick thru ball whipped toward the back line and then, what?, the Watford striker breaks thru , wins the ball, and has a 1 v 1 vs the Liverpool keeper. A touch, the GK approached and then a very slick, chip over the top of the GK and into the back of the net. Oh my! What just happened….Liverpool down 2-0 to the team in 19th place. Virgil Van Dyke, the best defender in the Premier League just got beat off a throw in?? But still 25 minutes and this is Liverpool. But it never really got better for Liverpool. Watford controlled them and limited shots and seemed fresh and full of run. Liverpool looked slow and not engaged. And then it happened. A back pass, a steal, a ball dropped into the corner of the 18 and Bam! a ripped shot into the far corner….3-0 Watford. Oh come on….what is going on….is their an alternate universe premier League I am watching. But it did happen….Watford shocked Liverpool 3-0. This was not a late game, lucky win off a crazy rebound….this was a thorough beating of the top team in the league on a record run by a team about to get relegated out of the Premier League. Wow—wrap your head around that for a minute. Have I ever said this is a really difficult league and any team can beat anyone on a given day. The biggest shock of the Premier League so far this season for sure.

And so the record run ends. 44 games unbeaten and good for second best all time. 18 games winning streak, just 1 short of the record. Liverpool still has several record to play for, but a little of the magic just rubbed off their season. The 2003/2004 Arsenal team just popped the cork off some Campaign and gave a big, phew!, it really seemed that Liverpool was going to do it and break the their record. Hats off the Liverpool for a great run, it was exciting to follow and now let’s get on with the week 28 wrap up.

Match Week 28 Recap

Let’s take a look at the winners this past week as the race for top 4 and relegation are still very much alive and well. Only 5 winners this week with several draws and a few games postponed due to weather.

1. Watford shocks the world and Liverpool, 3-0.
2. Crystal Place with a 1-0 win over Brighton..
3. West Ham United with a solid 3-1 win over Southampton..
4. Norwich City with a critical win, 1-0 over struggling Leicester City..
5. Wolverhampton with a key 3-2 win over Tottenham.

Race for the Top 4

Liverpool is a run away leader. How does the rest of the table look.

1. Liverpool 26-1-1 79 points.
2. Manchester City 18-3-6 57 points.
3. Leicester City 15-5-8 50 points.
4. Chelsea 13-6-9 41 points.
5. Manchester United 11-9-8 42 points.
6. Wolverhampton 10-12-6 42 Points

Tottenham (40), Sheffield United (40), Burnley (38), and Arsenal (37) round out the top 10. The top 4 have been the same for awhile, but Leicester and Chelsea are hanging on and several teams in the hunt and chasing them down for a top 4 finish. But none of the teams in the 3-8 spots seem to be able to get on a run of games and take charge. It will be an interesting finish for the Top 4 race. Manchester City’s potential ban from UEFA Champions league die to financial fair play rules violations will become a very big story as the season progresses. Maybe the 5th place team gets in!

The Relegation Zone

There are now 6 teams within 3 points of the relegation zone and fighting to stay up. Brighton sit with 28 points, West Ham United at 26 points and Watford with their big win get to 27. The current bottom three include:

18. Bournemouth at 27 points 19. Aston Villa at 25 points 20. Norwich City 21 points. Norwich City with a huge 3 points this week if they want to try and climb out of the cellar. A tight race for sure.

Game of the Week. Match Week 29. The Manchester Derby is always must see TV. #2 Manchester City vs. #5 Manchester United.

UEFA Champions League Update

The round of 16 leg one is now complete. These games are home and away with the winner advancing to the Quarter Finals. There are 8 games per session and the final 4 games of Leg 1 were completed this week. Here are the results.

1. Athletico Madrid (Spain) took down mighty Liverpool (ENG) 1-0.
2. Dortmumd (GER) beat PSG (France) 2-1.
3. Atalanta (Italy) had a decisive win over Valencia (Spain)
4. RB Leipzig (GER) took down Tottenham (ENG) 1-0
5. Bayern Munich (GER) demolished Chelsea (ENG) 3-0.
6. Napoli (Italy) drew against Baarcelona (Spain) 1-1.
7. Lyon (France) took down mighty Juventus (Italy) 1-0.
8. Manchester City (ENG) defeated Real Madrid (Spain) 2-1.

Germany 3-0 and looking strong!

MLS Is Back!

The new season kicked off this weekend. Two new teams make their debut with Nashville and Inter Miami kicking off play. Inter Miami had David Beckam in the ownership group and is trying to bring sexy back to soccer in Miami. That’s 26 teams now in MLS. Let’s see if Minnesota FC can take another step forward and make a deep run in the playoffs this year.

More expansion coming in the next few years. Austin FC, St. Louis, Sacramento and Charlotte should all be joining in 2021, 2022 and 2023. #0 seems the right number, but we will see. MLS is booming and the fans are showing up.

I am finding that work keeps getting in the way of the fun stuff, coaching soccer and blogging about soccer. A tough week in the office, but I am back and catching up. thanks for your patience.

Liverpool. Amazing Liverpool. Unbelievable Liverpool. This season is all about Liverpool. I have decided this should be the start of every blog until they lose a Premier League game. The streak….let’s see where they stand. I think it’s 43 and counting….maybe 44….I’ll need a little more research……and the record is Arsenal’s 49 games unbeaten, so now they are close.

Can they be beat….well,….Athletico Madrid says yes, yes they can. In a Group 16 UEFA Champions League game this week, the unthinkable happened, Liverpool lost….1-0. Let me repeat that, Liverpool lost. It was not a Premier League game, so it does not count against the streak, but at least it gives other teams some hope. What do the next 5-6 Liverpool league games look like. Is there another loss in there somewhere. Here are weeks 27-31 with the opponents place in the league: West Ham United (#18), Watford (#19), Bournemouth (#16), Everton (#9), and Crystal Palace (#2). and then…of course, it’s all very poetic….the last team to beat Liverpool is Manchester City, so who do you think they play with the chance for the record….of course…Manchester City, the #2 team in the table. Oh man, I can’t wait for that game, and I hope Liverpool stays unbeaten until then. What drama at that point. Oh my! Can they do it. I think they can.

Match Week 26 Recap

Let’s take a look at the winners this past week as the race for top 4 and relegation are still very much alive and well. 8 winners this week.

1. Liverpool wins 1-0 over Norwich City.
2. Everton takes down Crystal Palace 3-1.
3. Tottenham gets an injury time goal for a 3-2 win over Aston Villa.
4. Sheffield United with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth.
5. Manchester City with a solid 2-0 win over West Ham.
6. Burnley with a quality 2-1 win over Southampton
7. Arsenal with a dominating 4-0 win over Newcastle.
8. Manchester United with a controversial win over Chelsea 2-0

Race for the Top 4

Liverpool is a run away leader. How does the rest of the table look.

1. Liverpool 25-1-0 76 points.
2. Manchester City 17-3-6 54 points.
3. Leicester City 15-5-6 50 points.
4. Chelsea 12-5-9 41 points.
5. Tottenham 11-7-8 40 points.
6. Sheffield United 10-9-7 39 Points

Manchester United (38), Wolves (36), Everton (36), and Arsenal (34) round out the top 10. A 22 point lead at this point is the season is pretty amazing….never have seen that before.

The Relegation Zone

There are now 6 teams within 3 points of the relegation zone and fighting to stay up. Brighton sit with 27 points, Bournemouth at 26 points and Aston Villa at 25. Bournemouth making the biggest move the last few weeks out of the relegation zone. The current bottom three include:

18. West Ham United at 24 points 19. Watford at 24 points 20. Norwich City 18 points. Norwich City slipping a bit but then the next five are all with in 3 points. A team can win and jump 4-5 spots.

Games of the Week. Match Week 27. There are two big clashes this weekend to keep an eye on.

1. #2 Manchester City vs. #3 Leicester City
2. #4 Chelsea vs. #5 Tottenham

Chelsea News. A recent tough stretch of games for Chelsea. Several top players are out with injury, the GK has been sent to the bench and their luck in games has been tough as well. The game with Tottenham is a big game and who will be in 4th after this week is important for the rest of the season. Chelsea injuries to Abraham, Pulisic, Kante, Mount, and Tomori have meant some strange line ups lately. And the VAR decisions from the game with Manchester United were tough. What analysts described as an easy red card was not even called a foul on Harry Maguire and then later in the game he scored. A goal for Chelsea is overturned by VAR when it seemed pretty clear that a Manchester United player started the action that led to a foul by a Chelsea player. Later, a Chelsea goal was overturned by VAR due to a toenail offside call. Just a night when everything went Man U’s way….that happens….you just hope this weekend the soccer gods might even the luck a bit…Chelsea is due for sure. A big game!!

UEFA Champions League Update

The round of 16 has started. these games are home and away with the winner advancing to the Quarter Finals. There are 8 games per session and the first 4 games of Leg 1 were completed this week. Here are some results.

1. Athletico Madrid (Spain) took down mighty Liverpool (Eng) 1-0.
2. Dortmumd (Ger) beat PSG (France) 2-1.
3. Atalanta (Italy) had a decisive win over Valencia (Spain)
4. RB Leipzig (Ger) took down Tottenham (Eng) 1-0

The remaining 4 games are scheduled for the week of Feb. 24th.

The Premier League has decided it’s time for a break. Literally, they took a break and shut down games for two weeks in the middle of the season. This was the first time in league history and a welcome break for clubs and players during a grueling season….but a bummer for fans. I need me some soccer! It will be curious to see the quality of games coming up in another week. Will the rest and relaxation pay off and games will be fast paced and exciting. Will injuries be down as players had a chance to recover and heal their bodies. We shall see, but in the meantime, let’s see what else is going on in the world of soccer.

Women’s Olympic Qualifying

The US Women’s National Team is in the midst of qualifying for the 2020 Olympics this summer. Their region CONCACAF, is deep into the qualifying tournament and this past Friday the semi-finals were held. Good news for the US team.

In Semi-Final play the US beat Mexico 4-0 and Canada beat Costa Rica 1-0, earning both the US and Canada a berth in the Olympic Games. The two teams will play in the finals on Sunday, already assured a spot, the game should be fun and free flowing. The two teams have met in the finals the past three qualifying tournaments.

USA 4 Mexico 0. Samantha Mewis scored two goals while Rose Lavelle and Christen Press scored the other two goals. It was the US teams 27th consecutive victory. Wow! Impressive. The US has made every Olympic tournament since the sport was added in 1996 and the US has quite a history in the tournament.

Champions: 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012

Runner Up: 2000

Their only tournament not making the finals was in 2016, when they were knocked out in the quarter finals by Sweden, and Germany was the eventual Champion. In 2000, Norway beat the US in the finals. The US, ranked #1 in the world, will be favorites for their 5th Olympic title this summer in Tokyo Japan. Let’s see some highlights from the Mexico match.

Watching the USWNT is such a treat, the quality of play across the field and the quality players in every position is remarkable. In this game, the dominance of the US midfield was apparent. 3 of the 4 goals were from the midfield in Mewis and Lavelle, During the World Cup, Rose Lavelle (UW-Madison player) became a star and now her midfield teammate Mewis is beginning to make a name for herself as well. It is sort of a thunder and lightning due. Lavelle quick and wiry and can strike fast for goals, Mewis is a beast who can dominate the midfield and use her strength to overpower players. It’s a great combination.

USA vs. Canada goes off at 5:00 CST on Sunday on FS2 (FoxSports). I found it on our local Spectrum cable and would encourage everyone to take a few hours and check it out.

Men’s Olympic Qualifying

The Men’s National team is not quite in the same place as the Women’s team. The US team is currently ranked 22nd in the FIFA rankings. There are eight teams in CONCACAF playing for two qualifying spots in the Olympic tournament. USA and Mexico are rated as the top 2 going into the tournament, but we have found with the men’s team, anything is possible….both good and bad. Their 4 team group in Round 1 of the tournament includes Mexico, United States, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The top 2 teams advance after round robin play in late March, first game is March 20.

One interesting note for the Olympic Men’s tournament is that they only allow countries U-23 teams to be involved. So you will not see our normal Men’s National team….they do make 3 overage exceptions and some of the younger players are also on the main team, but all the “old guys” will only be watching. This is all about the young guns! Can our developing and younger players find a way to advance to the Olympics. The next generation needs to step up. Who will be the break out stars, who will step up and carry us to glory! The men’s program could use a boost and something to build on for the future!

FA Cup Update

Round 5 is coming soon and there are now 16 teams remaining in the Cup. Here is a breakdown of the next round…a few surprise teams are still involved as well as some traditional powers facing off.

1. Portsmouth vs. Arsenal
2. Chelsea vs. Liverpool
3. West Brom vs. Newcastle
4. Reading vs. Sheffield United
5. Tottenham vs. Norwich City
6. Leicester City vs. Birmingham City
7. Sheffield Wednesday vs. Manchester City
8. Derby County vs. Manchester United

A few interesting notes.

Biggest Underdog. Portsmouth is 5th in League 1, that’s two levels below Premier league team Arsenal. This will be the Davids vs. Goliath match up from this round.

Championship League teams remaining. 5 teams from the Championship League still remain and all would be huge wins to take down a Premier League team and advance to the Quarter Finals round. West Brom is 1st, Sheffield Wednesday 11th, Derby County 13th, Birmingham City 15th and Reading 16th in the Championship league.

Wayne Rooney vs. Manchester United. One of the most interesting match ups will pit Manchester United versus one of their all time legends Wayne Rooney. Rooney left the club a few years back and moved to the MLS. He was picked up recently by Championship level Derby County and has helped them thru a few rounds of play in the past month. And now, what a match up. Is it possible that Rooney could find a way to lead Derby past the club where he became a legend. Must see TV for sure. What a match up!

UEFA Champions League

The first leg of the Round of 16 will be played February 18th thru February 25th. Get ready for some great match ups.

1. PSG (France) vs. Dortmund (Germany)
2. Bayern Munich (Germany) vs. Chelsea (England )
3. Manchester City (England) vs. Real Madrid (Spain)
4. Juventus (Italy) vs. Lyon (France)
5. Liverpool (England) vs. Athletico (Spain)
6. Barcelona (Spain) vs. Napoli (Italy)
7. RB Leipzig (Germany) vs. Tottenham (England)
8. Atalanta (Italy) vs. Valencia (Spain)

League Tables around Europe

1. Bundesliga first place is Bayern Munich
2. LaLiga first place is Real Madrid
3. Serie A first place is Juventus
4. League 1 first place is PSG

Top Goals Highlights

In honor of the women’s Olympic qualifying for the US team, lets take a look at some of the top goals from this past years World Cup tournament.