International Soccer is rolling along and games, mostly without fans, are being played across the world. Lots of player testing and some positive cases popping up, but soccer has been able to control their environment reasonably well. Compare that to our state University, UW Madison, and we are not doing so well. Initially a report of just the QB, reports indicate Wisconsin Football now has 22 positive cases, has postponed their next game, and will need to improve results to avoid additional games being cancelled. The difference….not sure, but a college campus versus a controlled environment of a professional team training facility and fewer contacts might be the issue…..maybe a few more people wearing masks in Europe….not sure, but seems it will be an ongoing story of players testing positive and missing big games in College Football. Locally, club soccer in Eau Claire has completed their Fall socially distanced training. All reports are a successful training season. The big challenge is no games or scrimmages. The kids are managing things well, but as a coach, and I am guessing as a parent, you just really, really want to play some games. And as a player, you really, really, really, really want to play games. But these are the cards we were dealt. While other sports or leagues, or States, say it is okay to play games, I have no issue with the City of Eau Claire and the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association calling a time out. Lots of opinions out there on this topic, but for me, a little caution, a little patience, a little extra time to get this thing under control seems rational and reasonable. Okay, enough of that. I am confident that once WYSA and Eau Claire give us the green light, we will get the players back on the fields with a new sense of excitement and love for the game. Fingers crossed, toes crossed….everything crossed!

Premier League Match Week 7

With all the tournaments, Cup games, Champions League games and such, the current Premier League table is a bit tough to follow. We are completing Match Week 7, but not all 20 teams are wrapping up their 7th game. And the extended schedule means games are coming fast and furious and on many days of the week. As of 12:00 on Sunday as I am writing this post, about half the teams have completed or are playing their 7th game, while the other half sits at 6, and one team is at 5. Games still to be played today and tomorrow to wrap up this stretch of games. The once wacky and completely upside down table is now settling down….just a bit….but still as wide open and crazy as I have ever seen it. Everton and Aston Villa have come down to earth a bit, Everton with draw-loss-loss in the last three and Aston Villa with loss-loss in their last two. Both were undefeated in the first 4 games. But surprise surprise, Southampton and Wolverhampton have jumped up to fill some of that space and both enter the top 5. Crazy. Some big names are far down the table, but as well, have games in hand, and with wins can make a big jump up the table. Things are still wide open and a ton of teams within 3-4 points of the Top 3. But, just so things are not completely crazy….Liverpool is back on top of the table, but unlike last year when they threatened an undefeated season, they already have a loss and a draw and several close calls in their first 7. Let’s take a look at the table.

1. Liverpool 5-1- 1 16 Points
2. Everton 4-1-2 13 Points
3. Southampton 4-1-2 13 Points
4. Wolverhampton 4-1-2 13 Points
5. Chelsea 3-3-1 12 Points
6. Aston Villa 4-0-2 12 Points

Sitting in the next wave are Leicester City 12 Points (6 games). Tottenham 11 Points (6 games), Manchester City 11 Points (6 games) and Newcastle 11 Points. With LC, Tottenham and Man City wins, that would elevate them to Top 4 positions. It’s going to be an interesting year with the Table. Lurking even further back and playing right now….Manchester United in 15th with 7 points (5 games) and Arsenal in 12th with 9 points. At 65th minute, it’s 0-0 and a pretty good game. Arsenal has had a few really good chances and Man U has had a few close headers. I’ll update the results.

Oh man….as I am writing the post, an Arsenal pass into the box….. a Pogba foul, a PK for Arsenal and….bam, just like that, Arsenal up 1-0. Aubameyang hammers home the PK. Still 20 minutes to go, and I am thinking there are more goals! As we look at the bottom of the table and the early Relegation zone, here is what we see; Sheffield United 0-1-6 1 Point, Fulham 0-1-5 1 Point, and Burnley 0-1-5 1 Point. Sheffield United was the darling of the Premier League for much of last season in their first season up after being promoted. This league is tough…now they are fighting to stay up. Fulham, newly promoted, so not much of a surprise. This year’s darling are newly promoted Leeds United. If they can find a way to upset Leicester City tomorrow they would move up into a Top 6 position….crazy. How about some highlights. three really well worked goals in Chelsea’s 3-0 win.

80th minute….still 1-0 Arsenal.

I was wrong…Arsenal 1-0 over Manchester United. Arsenal move to 8th in the table while Manchester United stay at 15th with a game in hand. Still not a place they are happy with 6 games into the season with 2 wins, a draw and three losses.

International Soccer Updates

The Nations League has completed their first 4 of 6 games in the initial rounds. The top 4 Groups will compete for a Championship. This tournament has been a little controversial. Over the years, National Teams across Europe have played friendlies, to prepare for European Championships, to prepare for World Cup qualifying or Olympic qualifying. Many of these games were more relaxed and allowed countries to try new players, rest players, etc. But now…UEFA gas decided….we need another tournament. And countries now are taking the “friendly” matches a bit more serious, no rest for top players, no getting young players some time on the field to develop. The Club teams are not excited. Top players are off to play for their country and they come back a bit tired, or sometimes with a knock, for the next run of league games. I guess we will see. Of the top 4 groups, many of the 16 teams are still alive. Round 5 will start to clear up the top two teams from each group advancing. Games in the middle of November for Round 5.

UEFA Champions League has completed round two of the Group Stages. Still 4 games to play in Group stages before we advance into the Top 16 Round. Match week 3 of 6 starts this week with games on Tuesday and Wednesday. All the top tams are doing well with the exception of the All Time best team in Champions League, Real Madrid. RM sitting in 4th and last in their group after 2 games. They need to pick it up!!

National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) has completed their fall season. A shortened 4 game Fall season was held to help build awareness while also dealing with COVID. The fall season, dubbed the Community Shield for the winning team, and in a show of unity with their local communities, each team played for a charity or organization with the top 3 winning clubs passing on a donation on behalf of NWSL, sponsored by Verizon. A great concept. The top 4 finishers for the Fall season.

1. Portland Thorns 3-0-1 10 points
2. Houston Dash 3-1-0 9 Points
3. Washington Spirit 2-1-1 7 Points
4. Sky Blue FC 2-2 6 Points

Earlier in the year, the Challenge Cup tournament was held to kick off the season. The 23 game tournament finished with a Houston Dash 2-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars. In very encouraging news, the ratings for the games carried on CBS channels and streaming services was up significantly, almost 500% up, breaking records for viewership. More people watched Women’s Soccer this year than at anytime in the sport’s history. Let’s keep the momentum going. Here are some highlights from one of the games this fall. If they have games like this, count me in!

FA Women’s Super League has completed 5 of their 12 game schedule so far thus fall. Games will kick off again next week after a break in play for international play. Standings after Match Week 5.

1. Arsenal 5-0-0 15 Points
2. Everton 4-1-0 13 Points
3. Manchester United 4-1-0 13 Points
4. Chelsea 3-1-0 10 Points but with a game in hand.

Bristol City winless and in the Relegation Zone in 12th.

MLS continues its run to finish the regular season having just completed Match Week 21 of 23 for the Fall season. Just three weeks of games left before the playoffs begin. The playoffs expand to 18 of the 23-team league and kick off in November culminating the the MLS Cup on December 12th. Top 5 teams in each division with just a few games left….likely the MLS Cup champions comes out of this group.

Eastern Conference Western Conference

1. Philadelphia Union 1. Seattle Sounders
2. Toronto FC 2. Sporting KC
3. Columbus Crew 3. Portland Timbers
4. Orlando City FC 4. Minnesota United
5. NYC FC 5. LA FC

A few highlights for our “local team” Minnesota FC.

I promise…more blogs coming your way. Hang in there with me.

Premier League Match Week 2 Update

It’s Back!!!! The English Premier League kicks off the 2020/2021 season next weekend with games starting on Saturday. Have I mentioned it’s the most difficult league in Soccer. Have I mentioned even the 20th rated team likely can beat a top ranked team on any given weekend. I think I have…..but here we go. Can Liverpool maintain the standard of excellence of this past season when they crushed the points and led wore to wire, winning easily. Will Manchester City and Pep make it a two horse race? Can Arsenal maintain their late season form and be a contender? Can Chelsea’s 6 major new signings catapult them up the charts? Will Manchester United be consistent all season and get back into a title chase? Is Leicester City fading? Can Tottenham make a jump with Mourinjo and another year to work his 3-year magic? Get your popcorn ready, this should be a good one.

A little tease….if you were ever curious how talented these top players are…check out this little snippet of a few top young Chelsea players messing around. Including Captain America…Christian Pulisic. Fun stuff.

UEFA Nations League has started their second Match Day and teams are beginning to advance. It is an interesting concept, a third big UEFA tournament in addition to World Cup and the European Championships. Its 55 teams broken up into 4 distinct groups of teams. In general, the intent of the Nations league is to replace some of the International Friendlies that occur each year, as well as use the games as part of qualifying for European Championships as well as World Cup qualifying. For Group A, the top 16 clubs in Europe, there is a semi-final and final after the early rounds. In the inaugural nations League, Portugal was cropped Champion in 2018. The League ruins biennially….I think that means every two years :). Fro the other three groups, there is relegation and promotion aspects to consider. The lowest team in each group is relegated down, while winners from B-C-D are promoted. Over time, clubs can make their move up the rankings to earn a shot at a Nations Cup title. In the top 16 and going for a title from Group A include:

1. Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Poland
2. Belgium, England, Ireland, Denmark
3. Portugal, France, Sweden, Croatia,
4. Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland

This should get exciting as Group A advances into the next rounds. Some highlights of one of the top games so far.

MLS Update

We are about halfway thru the adjusted MLS season of 18 games and Playoffs. Teams will continue games until early November at which time the Top 18 will make the playoff rounds commencing with the MLS Cup on December 12th. Soccer in a snow storm is a distinct possibility with many top teams playing in the North. The top teams from each conference as of this week.

Eastern Conference Top 5

1. Columbus Crew 20 Points
2. Toronto FC 18 Points
3. Orlando City 16 Points
4. Philadelphia 15 Points
5. Montreal Impact 13 Points

Western Conference Top 5

1. Sporting KC 17 Points
2. Seattle Sounders 15 Points
3. Houston dynamo 13 Points
4. LASFC 12 Points
5. Minnesota FC 12 Points

Before I get into the fast and furious start to the Premier League and provide some other league updates, I wanted to start this post with a Team of the Week segment. I am not sure how many people heard this story but I feel it’s one that needs to get some additional coverage. We play sports because we love them, we love the competition, we love the game…..and we might hate to admit it, but we all love a winner! We bask in the glow of the winning team, the championship team, the players who have reached the pinnacle of their sport.

But, I think we also love that sport sometimes becomes a microcosm of life and society. And this week, in the midst of a crazy world, another moment in sport caught my attention. The Team of the Week is USL Soccer team, the San Diego Loyal.

Founded in 2020 and coached by the most successful US Soccer player to date (but watch out for Pulisic to take that over some day), Landon Donovan, the San Diego Loyal entered into the conversation this week with their most recent two games. One of 35 teams in the USL Championship league (the division just below the US top division, Major League Soccer) the San Diego Loyal were fighting for a playoff spot this week when they became the center of the conversation regarding “doing what is right”, even if it is a little painful. In their game on September 23 against LA Galaxy II, a 1-1- draw, the team says there was a racial slur directed at one of their players, a Black defender, Elijah Martin in the 71st minute of the game. The game ended, but in an interview, Donovan indicated the team left that game feeling they missed an opportunity and felt bad they did not do more in the face of the incident. Should they have stopped the game, should they have walked off the pitch. It bothered them. The team asked for the result of this game be forfeited, the point they earned, dropped from their results…..an important point as they are fighting for a playoff birth in the USL championships.

And then fate intervened. Life is funny that way. Their next game, September 30th, just a week later, was against the Phoenix Rising, and the result of this game would determine if they made the 16-team Championship group. A week to think about their actions from the LA Galaxy game. A week to let it soak in a bit. And then it happened…..just before the halftime break, a free kick, a goal, a tussle of two players. San Diego Loyal player Collin Martin, an openly gay player, was allegedly called a homophobic slur by a member of the Phoenix Rising. The Phoenix player denies the claim vigorously and has sent out tweets backing the LGBTQ community, but to me that’s not the point of this story. Maybe the Phoenix player did not make the slur, but the story for me is San Diego’s reaction to the alleged slur. The Phoenix player has faced some harsh criticism and angry tweets directed his way, but I want to focus on the San Diego Loyal. A week to think about their actions from the LA Galaxy game. A week to let it soak in a bit. After the incident, at the end of the half, the game stopped as the Landon and Collin discussed the alleged slur with officials of the game. Red Card, no red card, what to do. San Diego wanted the player removed from the game, the opposing coach just wanted to play and move on. The player was not removed. Halftime ensued. There was a ton of discussion in the San Diego locker room, discussion about forfeiting the game. Not playing the second half. In an interview, Collin was uncomfortable initially, this was a big game, playoff implications, and he did no want to be the reason they missed the playoffs. But then the feeling changed, to the amazing support he was receiving from the team. San Diego returned to the field, took a knee at the start of the second half whistle…..and walked off the field…..forfeiting the game, their 3-1 lead, and a chance at the playoffs. Wow! Sometimes life and doing what is right is more important than winning. Sometimes the long term statement is more critical than the short term glory of the win. Sometimes in life, you get another shot to do what is right.. San Diego Loyal, we salute you as the Team of the Week for taking a stand, for supporting your player, for telling us that treating people with dignity is important….as important as the win……..even if the opposing player didn’t say it. Well done San Diego Loyal!

Premier League Week 4 Recap

The Premier League is underway and things are off to a fast start. In what has been described as the craziest start to a Premier League campaign ever, there have been some strange results, some surprising results and some teams looking good while others are still finding their way. We have just finished off Week 4 so let’s take a look at some of the more interesting story lines.

Everton. Leading the table and off to a 4-0 start is Everton. Carlo Ancelotti, hired last year and now having time to instill his philosophy, Everton is starting to play their best soccer in years. A few player additions like James Rodriguez and a few youngsters are starting to become stars like Dominic Calvert Lewin and Richarlison. Watch out Top 6, Everton is for real!

Manchester City struggling. Expected to be the primary competition to Liverpool with many expecting them to retake the title, Manchester City is out of the gate a bit slow. A shocking 5-2 loss to Leicester City and then a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Leeds United have Man City fans in a funk. They have the coach and the talent, so no panic yet, but a bit surprising.

Manchester United 1-6 vs. Tottenham. Yes, Manchester United gave up 6 goals. 4 coming after a controversial red card, but still, 6 goals. What the heck is happening up in Manchester. Some transfers may be needed to inject some more energy in the club.

A crazy game for sure. A goal in the first 30 seconds. Tottenham strike back for two quick ones. And then the Red Card. A pretty soft one for sure, and its always a bit awkward when players seem to “work” the issue a little, but no question there was a strike. Man U fans were not a fan of that call. The goal I loved was the double Nutmeg goal to get to 4-1. First the cross megs the defender and then the shot megs the GK. Crazy!

Aston Villa is 3-0. Last year Aston Villa needed a point on the final day of the season to avoid relegation…..this year they are out of the gate 3-0 and looking like a different team.

And the biggest surprise so far this year…..

Aston Villa 7 Liverpool 2. I need to write that again even for me to believe it. Aston Villa, the team that just avoided relegation last season, just smoked Liverpool, last years runaway champion, 7-2. I still can’t believe it so lets take a look at the highlights. How did that happen!

A few mistakes, a few deflections, a few offside traps that did NOT work and bam….7-2. Have I ever told you this is the hardest league in professional soccer. The season is going to be crazy.

Premier League Table.

1. Everton 4-0-0 12 Points
2. Aston Villa 3-0-0 9 Points (1 game behind)
3. Leicester City 3-0-1 9 Points
4. Arsenal 3-0-1 9 Points
5. Liverpool 3-0-1 9 Points
6. Tottenham 2-1-1 7 Points

Chelsea, Leeds, Newcastle and West Ham round out the Top 10. I have been tracking the Premier league for the past 3 years or so and have never seen a Table like this before, regardless of how many games have been played.

Relegation Zone. Burnley, Sheffield United and Fulham each have 0 points and are in the bottom 3.

League/Tournament Updates Around the World

National Womens Soccer League.

Founded in 2013 and an extension of leagues dating back to 2001, The NWSL is three games into their current season and represents the top professional women’s league in the US. With 9 current teams and 2 expansion teams planning to join, the league appears to be on solid footing. Owned by the teams and with a connection to United Sates Soccer Federation are all good signs. The current standings after three games.

1. Portland Thorns 7 Points
2. Washington Spirit 7 Points
3. Houston Dash 6 Points

The remaining teams include: Chicago Red Stars, North Carolina Courage, Sky Blue FC (New Jersey), Utah Royals, Orlando Pride, OL Reign (Tacoma, WA). Expansion teams include Louisville (2021) and Los Angeles (2022). The champions the past two years have been the North Carolina Courage. A combination of US National team players, international players and college players. Some names you might recognize….Julie Ertz, Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Sam Mewis, Becky Suaerbraun, Lindsay Horan, Kelly O’Hara and my new favorite player, Rose Lavelle.

FA Womens Super League.

In England, the top professional league for women is the FA Women’s Super League. Teams that are affiliated with English professional clubs. In addition to the top league of 12 teams , there is also a Championship division of 11 teams and a third tier of 24 teams. Promotion and Relegation are part of the English system, much different that the US system where the teams own the league and teams are protected. Three games into the new season and the current Top 3 in the Super Cup are:

1. Arsenal 9 Points
2. Everton 9 Points
3. Chelsea 7 Points

The remaining teams include: Manchester United, Manchester City, Reading, Brighton, Tottenham, West Ham, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Bristol City.

Current Champion: Chelsea

As well, with the success of the FA Super League and with the cash influx from their parent clubs, there has been a recent influx of talent from America. A big sponsor in Barclays helps a ton as well. That’s a bummer for the NWSL, but it was bound to happen. As the women’s game becomes more popular, as TV rights flow in money, salaries in the top leagues will increase…..and players will want both the increase and the challenge of playing in the best league. Recent moves to England include:

Alex Morgan signed with Tottenham. Tobin Heath and Christen Press signed with Manchester United. Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle signed with Manchester City. Good luck ladies.

MLS Update. The season is 15 games completed with games continuing thru early November. 8 teams from each conference will make the 16-team playoffs with will run thru November and end with the MLS Cup on December 12th. The Top 4 from each conference after 15 games.

Eastern Conference Western Conference

1. Columbus Crew Seattle Sounders
2. Toronto FC Portland Timbers
3. Orlando City FC Sporting KC
4. Philadelphia Union Minnesota United

Nations League. The next round of games between Europes best National teams takes place between October 10th and 14th. That will complete 4 of the 6 initial round games and determine the next round of games.

UEFA Champions League 2020/2021. The best of the best, the ultimate soccer tournament is back. Champions League groups have been set and the first of the home and away games in the Group Stages starts October 20th. 8 groups of 4 teams, the 32 best Clubs in Europe will battle for the premier trophy in club soccer.

Keep checking in…..planning some video of ECU Covid practices in the very near future.