2010 World Cup - Ultimate Music Preview - Group F

Group F

Italy: Rolling Stones

Italy has the World Cup title. They’re the Champions from Germany 2006. Traditionally known as a defensive juggernaut, Italy finds ways to win and has staying power. They are second only to Brazil in the number of World Cup victories. Love them or hate them, you have to respect them. Their hard edge and staying power makes them the Rolling Stones of the soccer world. Mick Jagger and friends are pushing 70, yet still get up and put on a great show. Their music is timeless and other bands will continue to draw from their style long after they’re gone. Italy created the modern defense and despite their aging roster, they'll compete well.

In 1994, we were huge fans of Roberto Baggio and were pulling for him all the way through the bitter end. Our feelings changed quite a bit when Danielle De Rossi elbowed Brian McBride in the head in 2006. In 2002, Italy crashed out of the World Cup in the second round after some very questionable officiating that heavily favored the host nation, South Korean. Despite the fact that they are the Cup holders, this year could just as easily end up like 2002.

The undisputed star of the 2006 team was Fabio Cannavaro. He was team captain and a defensive juggernaut, making stop after stop and eventually raising the Cup. However, the good days are now behind him and we don’t have much confidence in a back line led by Cannavaro. It’s an old team with an incredible tradition. We don’t think they’ll win, but counting Italy out is a mistake. Like the Stones, they have staying power.

Paraguay : Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

Paraguay has qualified for the second round in seven of their eight World Cup appearances. Paraguay is under the radar, just like Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Paraguay has foiled more than a few teams over the years and has a solid history in the World Cup. They will advance and could easily win this group. They’ll be overlooked by the casual fan but the diehard will know them. An Ecuadorian introduced us to Los Fabulosos Cadillacs back in 1997. Matador is great song and epitomizes Paraguay in this Cup. A ska song with a rock edge fits the gritty Paraguayan team that many won’t take seriously but in the end they’ll make some noise.



New Zealand : Flight of the Conchords


Is Flight of the Conchords a real band? Is the New Zealand National Soccer team a real soccer team? It's not clear. New Zealand is from the weak Oceania qualifying group and slipped into the World Cup by defeating Bahrain in a one game playoff. The Kiwis are loveable losers in soccer. The biggest headline heading coming out of the New Zealand camp during the run up to the World Cup is that their captain, Ryan Nelson, hopes that England wins the World Cup this year. This is the team that is ‘just happy to be here.’ They’re kind of the polar opposite of the All Blacks Rugby team, a point not lost on the New Zealanders, in fact they nicknamed their soccer team the All Whites. I expect to laugh when watching Flight of the Conchords and we think we’ll get a chuckle out of New Zealand as well.

Slovakia: Pras

Remember when it was Czechoslovakia? For those of you not keeping up with the rise and fall of Communism, Czechoslovakia is now two nations: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic has a solid record. Slovakia? Not so much. If Czechoslovakia is The Fugees, then The Czech Republic is Wyclef and Slovakia is Pras. After the break up of the Fugees, Wyclef went on and released the Carnival album and had huge success. Although subsequent albums haven't been as successful, he has definitely had additional hits. But the other two? Well, Lauryn Hill went on and had huge success with her album, whereas Pras was really just a one hit wonder with "Ghetto Superstar." It's hard to know if Slovakia will be a Lauryn Hill or a Pras. We are betting on Pras. Don’t expect much from Slovakia this World Cup. They made the tournament by taking down the Ukraine in a one game play-off and will make a first round exit. Just like Pras.

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2010 World Cup - Ultimate Music Preview - Group G

Group G

Brazil: The Beatles

No matter who you are or what type of music you like, you can't have a discussion about the greatest band of all time and not mention the Beatles. The Beatles rattled off one amazing album after another. St. Peppers is considered the greatest album of all time. They are practically unparalleled in their musical genius. Unless you have some harbored anger against the Beatles or you are discussing the greatest bands of all time that don't have drummers named Ringo, you'll likely and justifiably conclude that the Beatles are the greatest ever. It may be boring at this point because you have heard it so much, but it's just true.

In the same vein, if you are discussing the greatest soccer country of all time, you have to answer Brazil. It may be boring because it's so predictable, but it's true. Someone might argue that Italy is the greatest like someone might argue that the Stones are better than the Beatles. You can raise the argument, but you'll ultimately lose. Take the emotions out of it and there is no other conclusion to make. They have won the World Cup 5 times - more than any other country. The 1970 Brazil team is considered the greatest team of all time (they are the team in the blog header). Brazil has never really had a down year. They have never not qualified for the World Cup. If they don't win it all, it's a disappointment. That is the high standard they have set. Fortunately for everyone, Brazil loves to attack and is very exciting to watch. You'll never see them sit back and play defense. Bottom line though: just like the Beatles in the rock world, Brazil rules the soccer world.

Ivory Coast: Outkast

Speaking of exciting soccer. Ivory Coast brings it like Bombs over Baghdad brings the beat before you can even finish saying "Yeah." Really though, who doesn't like Outkast? They are extremely creative and wildly entertaining. They are very talented and they are always in your face with all of their music. But it's so good that you can't get enough of it. Bombs over Baghdad was Rolling Stone's song of the decade for the 2000s. Which is surprising at first, but then when you think about it more, you realize that it really is an amazing song from one of the greatest rap/hip hop groups of all time.

Ivory Coast has a similar high energy. They are an attacking team and very exciting. Unfortunately, all of their talent resides in their offense. Shut down their offense, and you don't have much left. Sadly, that offense was severely handicapped this last week when Didier Drogba went down with an injury. Drogba is easily one of the best strikers in the world. He's really good. It's a devastating blow. It's like Outkast losing Andre 3000. Sure Big Boi is still pretty good on his own, but he's not winning awards like Outkast. With Drogba, Ivory Coast was easily the best African team in the Cup and had a strong chance of advancing out of this group with Brazil. They still have an explosive offense with players like Yaya Toure and Salomon Kalou. But without Drogba, it's not nearly as strong and impossible to know how they will do. We know Portugal is breathing easier now.

North Korea: The Long Beach dub AllStars

If South Korea is Sublime, then North Korea is the Long Beach dub Allstars. Sublime was a great band but few probably know that the surviving members of Sublime formed the "LBDA" after Sublime's lead singer Bradley Nowell died. Few probably know that because the LBDA were terrible and everyone's life is better off not knowing the LBDA. Sort of like North Korea.

For purposes of this post North Korea are the LBDA because they are closely linked with South Korea who is Sublime. In reality though, North Korea could be any terrible band. They have no recognizable players. All but two of their national team players play for North Korean club teams. Probably because they aren't good enough to play for better clubs; and probably because they are afraid they'll get shot if they leave their country and play elsewhere. Bottom line is that North Korea doesn't stand a chance in any group, but especially not in this group. The World Cup doesn't have a mercy rule, but they might institute one before Brazil plays North Korea.

Portugal: Britney Spears

Ten or so years ago, few artists were bigger than Britney Spears in the music world. She was coming off a huge debut album, dating Justin Timberlake, and the fantasy all of all males ages 12 - Bob Dole. Then, K-Fed happened and she turned into a drama queen and a train wreck. Yet somehow, she still remains relevant in the music scene. She may not have reached her complete potential and may have had some major bumps along the way, but she still sold records and even just completed her Circus tour which was a worldwide sellout. She's not what she could have been, but she's not irrelevant yet by any means.

Ten years ago, few teams were hotter than Portugal. They had a strong youth system which had produced a lot of stars who were finally coming of age and were making their first appearances with the National Team. However, they have done anything but live up to the hype and expectations. In 2002, the first World Cup with the elevated expectations, they didn't even make it out of the group stage. They did much better in 2006, but still came up short. Now, although they still have loads of talent, they have been struggling to find the chemistry as a team. That could be for many reasons, but one could be because they have Cristiano Ronaldo. Remember that name. Like Britney, he's a drama queen diva. He also is one of the top 3 players in the world. Incredibly talented, and an incredible hot head.

So there is no real way to know what to expect from Portugal this summer. With the Drogba injury to Ivory Coast, Portugal will likely advance out of the group, but it's not guarantee. Portugal has plenty of talent to make a run in the World Cup but it's probably too late to find the chemistry they need. Although you never know. Most people would have considered Britney a complete thing of the past, but she proved that you can't quite count her out yet. I wouldn't do that with any team that has C. Ronaldo.

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2010 World Cup - Ultimate Music Preview - Group H

Group H

Honduras: Steppenwolf

The first band in our classic rock group. Steppenwolf wasn't exactly one of the legendary bands, more just a band with a few hits here and there. Honduras is the same. This is only the second time Honduras has qualified for the World Cup. The last time they qualified was in 1982 where they were eliminated in the first round. It's probably safe to bet that they will have the same fate in South Africa.

Chile: Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne has been all over the map. He had huge success with Black Sabbath back in the day. He later had some solo success as well. Then he was sort of fading until he became a reality TV sensation. Granted, that's not music related, but it did put him in the spotlight again. Chile has been the same way. They had huge success way back in the day when they finished third in the 1952 1962 World Cup. They haven't really had success even close to that and they seem to bounce back and forth between qualifying for the World Cup and missing it altogether.

Like Ozzy, it's hard to really know what you are going to get from Chile. They benefit from being in a weak group - apart from Spain. They definitely have the talent level to beat Switzerland and Honduras. I wouldn't bet on Chile having Black Sabbath success, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them have limited success and make it out of this group.




Switzerland: Deep Purple

Deep Purple has had more break ups and changes than Lindsey Lohan. The band was constantly breaking up and for awhile they weren't even together. Similarly, Switzerland has been up and down as a national team. Granted, they haven't ever broken up as a country, but they haven't had consistent soccer success. They had early success, but then spent many years where they didn't even qualify for the World Cup. They had decent success in the 2006 Cup and have now qualified again here in 2010. But they had a very easy qualifying group and they haven't really been tested yet. They are fortunate again because this group-apart from Spain-is somewhat weak. Believe it or not, Deep Purple is somehow on a revival and still touring. It's entirely possible that Switzerland's 2006 revival could still be going into 2010 and that they will advance out of this group.

Spain: Led Zeppelin

What can you really say about Led Zeppelin? If someone said they were the greatest band of all time you would either agree, or have a hard time disagreeing. You would have to at least acknowledge that they were one of the greatest of all time, and probably the greatest classic rock or hard rock band of all time. They have an endless list of great albums and songs.

Spain is like Zeppelin for a few reasons. First of all, they are the juggernaut in their group. You can't even really compare Spain to these other teams like you can't compare Zeppelin to the other bands. Sure some of the bands might have been Zeppelin's contemporary, but Zeppelin was head and shoulders above the other bands.

The main reason Spain is like Zeppelin is because they are loaded with talent and there is no weak spot on the team. If Zeppelin had a weak spot, it was probably with John Paul Jones on bass. And it wasn't so much that he was weak as much as the other players were so amazing and strong. Spain's squad is stacked. Here's a list of some of their midfielders: Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro. Those names may or may not mean something to you, but at least one of those will have to sit the bench. Which is ridiculous. It's like Zeppelin having Slash as a back up guitarist. Any other band would kill to have Slash, but Zeppelin had a better guitarist and just didn't need him.

Anyways, we are getting carried away a bit with Spain. But they are definitely a team to watch. Their national team won the Euro 2008 and other than a loss to the US in the Confederations Cup last summer, they have been flawless. They are one of the, if not the heavy favorite heading into the tournament. They have the team chemistry and all the talent. They have the potential to be legendary like Zeppelin and win it all. But is Zeppelin really the greatest band of all time? We'll soon find out.


In case you want to let the Led out:



Viva Espana

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2010 World Cup - Ultimate Music Preview

Group A
France - Green Day
Mexico - Phish
South Africa - Janet Jackson
Uruguay - Beck


Group B

Argentina - Nirvana
Greece - Daniel Powter
Nigeria - Sufjan Stevens
South Korea - Sublime


Group C

Algeria - Taylor Hicks
England - Kayne West
Slovenia - Dead Weather
United States - MGMT


Group D

Australia - Phoenix
Germany - Coldplay
Ghana - Poison
Serbia - Jack White

Group E

Cameroon - The Killers
Denmark - Scorpion
Japan - Spice Girls
Netherlands - Radiohead

Group F

Italy - Rolling Stones
New Zealand - Flight of the Conchords
Paraguay - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Slovakia - Pras

Group G

Brazil - Beatles
Ivory Coast - Outkast
North Korea - Long Beach dub Allstars
Portugal - Britney Spears

Group H

Chile - Ozzy Osbourne
Honduras - Steppenwolf
Spain - Led Zeppelin
Switzerland - Deep Purple

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World Cup Prediction - Infographic showing us what we already know...Brazil Rules

There is a great visualization from Section Design, of which country will win the 2010 World Cup this year in South Africa based on a mathematical formula.  See it here.

The variables for the prediction are Population, GDP per capita, and how much experience a country has in international football. Combine it all together and the winner is? Brazil.

It's all very Soccernomics.

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The Ronaldinho Snub - Brazil Leaves Ronaldinho off World Cup Roster

I realize I'm a little late on responding to this, but it still is worth a post. Brazil, like most World Cup teams, announced their final roster the other week. Not included in the final roster was once greatest player in the world, Ronaldinho. Brazil's head coach, Dunga (no last name of course), basically said that he selected his squad based upon their past performances together and believed that this squad had the best chance to win. Makes sense.

But Ronaldinho's absence from the final roster has caused quite the discussion and criticism. A lot of reporters and other analysts are criticizing the coach for omitting Ronaldinho. World Cup organizer Danny Jordaan criticized Dunga for the omission and said that "some coaches are "blinded" by a sense of power." And that "Ronaldinho is a "soccer genius" who had talents "enjoyed by few in the game, both past and present." He said that Dunga "should have selected the midfielder "as a matter of course."

Which brings up an interesting point. How much should a player be favored because of his name? And how much would it have really mattered to bring Ronaldinho? He's not going to be one of the starting 11. At best he would be a sub and maybe get in for a game or two. I find it hard to believe that he isn't as good as any other sub. Or that he isn't as good as the #23 person (the final spot) on Brazil's roster. So if he is likely as good as Brazil's worst player, why not bring him? Hasn't he earned it? Wouldn't his reputation and name alone be good for the game and for the cup?

But maybe that is the point Dunga is trying to make. He's not here to honor the past. He's here to win. No one made the team because they are dating the coach's daughter or some booster paid a lot of money to get them on the team. No one is on the team because of their name or their club team. They are on because he believes they are flat out the best 23 players Brazil has to offer. I think that message will be a bigger boost to the team than anything else he could have done. Knowing that their coach is so committed to winning that he is willing to do whatever is needed to win, even if it means leaving off the fabled Ronaldinho and taking criticism for it. It has to be inspiring to the players and let them know that Brazil is in it to win it and that anything less will be a disappointment.

I understand it, but I'm still bummed about it. Nike released their amazing World Cup ad this last week. Ronaldinho is of course featured in it. I say of course because Nike, like most of the world, probably thought Ronaldinho would make the Brazil squad. Nike probably also needed to get the most recognizable faces in soccer to sell to the world. Ronaldinho is one of those faces. He was the face of the game in the 2006 World Cup. He also left his cleats in Brazil and forgot how to play soccer for a month and went MIA. Still though, it's amazing that its only been four short years since he was king of the soccer world and he won't even be part of the team this year.

Frankly, I feel somewhat robbed of the Ronaldinho era. I feel like it should have lasted longer. Jordaan is right. Ronaldinho is a soccer genius. There was so much promise and so many good times. I'm sad it has come to an end. It could have been so much better and lasted so much longer.


Nike's ad:

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Inter beats Bayern: What the Champion's League Final tells us about the World Cup

Here are a couple of quick thoughts after today's Champion's League Final.

The nationalities of the winners of this year's Champion's League final may only interest me, but there is something intriguing about this group. Here is the line-up:


Internazionale - Julio Cesar (Brazil), Maicon (Brazil), Lucio (Brazil), Walter Samuel (Argentina), Christian Chivu (Romania), Javier Zanetti (Argentina), Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Sameul Eto'o (Cameroon), Diego Milito (Argentina), Goran Pandev (Macedonia).

First of all, Internazionale is based in Milan, Italy and there are no Italians in the starting 11. Second, they have three Brazilians anchoring their defense, which tells me that Brazil will be very strong defensively in South Africa. Next, the four Argentinians are great players, but the second best Argentinian on the night wasn't picked to play for his country. Esteban Cambiasso was left out by the tactical genius (ha!) Diego Maradona. This tells me that Argentina will have a typically strong side that misses out on the Semi-finals of the World Cup due to poor management. Same story as 2006.

UPDATE: I also forgot to mention that Javier Zanetti was snubbed from the World Cup squad as well. Allegedly, Maradona blamed him for some of the poor results in qualification. There was also rumors that Zanetti overruled Maradona's tactics once the players stepped on the field.

Prior to today's match, I thought that Spain and Brazil were the teams to beat in the World Cup. After watching this game, I'd say Brazil has the edge. They are stronger defensively and in tournaments, that makes a big difference.

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Nike's Barcelona Ad

More than a Club.

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David Villa to Barcelona: Bad News for Spain as the Rich get Richer

David Villa signed with Barcelona today. It's not a surprise as there have been rumors of him leaving Valencia for a few months. But it is somewhat disappointing as it just confirms that the rich in Spain are getting richer.

Last season, Real Madrid finished with 96 points, the second most ever for a team in one season in La Liga. Who holds the current record? Barcelona. When did they set that record? This last season. Barcelona finished with an unprecedented 99 points and Real was barely behind them with 96. They absolutely dominated the league. Valencia finished in third with 71 points. They were 25 points behind second place Real Madrid. 25 points! Just not even close. Sevilla finished in fourth with 63 points. Over 30 behind Real and Barcelona. So now Valencia, the third place team which could hardly compete with the first and second place teams, is losing their premier striker and leading goal scorer to Barcelona-the team that absolutely dominated La Liga. It's not helping the competition in the league when the two already rich teams, just get richer.

It's particularly unfortunate because more than anything the move is a commentary of the status of teams in La Liga. Mallorca, who finished in 5th in the league, confirmed today that they will be filing for bankruptcy. It has long been rumored that Valencia is also having serious financial difficulties and on the verge of bankruptcy. Finishing third in La Liga and qualifying for the Champions League helps, but they still can't afford to keep their marquee players - like Villa. They need to sell their players to get themselves out of the red. Although they finish well, instead of being able to capitalize on their success and build on it, they still have to sell off their players in order to stay afloat. So they, along with most other teams, aren't about to change the landscape of La Liga anytime soon. We are likely destined to another two horse race before the season even starts.

Finances aside, you can't really blame Villa for the move. As a Real fan it would have been great to see him go to Madrid, not that we need yet another galactico to intimidate Kaka in the locker room. But as a fan of La Liga it would have been nice to see him stay at Valencia to help build up competition in the league. But Villa is somewhat like Fernando Torres and the rumors that he might leave Liverpool. In soccer, a player's prime only lasts a few years. And while it would be nice to see a player show loyalty and stick with a team and help build that team or dig that team out of their woes (Liverpool), it's hard to fault the player for wanting to make sure his prime years are spent with a team that can contend for a title. It's a sad reality, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a player that wouldn't do the same thing if they were in Villa's boots.

Anyways, I've posted this video before, but it's worth posting again especially when you consider that Villa will now be playing up top with Messi. Good night. It's almost unfair. Great news if you are a Barca fan. Bad news for everyone else in Spain as the rich get richer. Not that you can blame Villa though. Most everyone would do the same.

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Quick Hits

So much going on in the world of soccer and yet, so few posts. Sorry to the 5 followers. The posting will be more regular leading up to the World Cup and during the World Cup. I'm going to have to get up every morning at 5 to catch the early game and since I'll be up, I might as well post. Easier said than done. Maybe one of the former contributors will rise from the ashes of the dead and provide a stirring post as well. One can only hope for such company in this lone and dreary cyberspace blog world.

Anyways, like I said, a lot has happened in the world of soccer and I've wanted to comment on many things. Here are just a few quick hits:

1. The near post, upper V goal.

I love these goals. Luka Modric scored one of these goals for Tottenham in their final game of the season. Tottenham has already clinched 4th place so they went out and laid an egg against Burnley. But Modric's goal was just a beauty. It's such a hard goal. Usually a player in that position will go far post on the ground to try and beat the keeper. When a player is coming from the side angle the goalie usually has the near post covered (although not really in this goal since the goalie is shifting over rather slowly) and thus the best option is for the player to shoot low and around the goalie to the back post. Sometimes however, the player chooses the lower percentage, higher difficulty, yet usually more exciting shot right into the top corner of the near post. There is about a 2 foot window above the goalie and the shot has to be hard enough so that the goalie can't even get his hands up in time. The player doesn't always pull it off, but when they do, it's just lovely. (Goal is at the 40 second mark)




2. The Michael Ballack injury.

Seriously such a bummer. Injured during the last game of Chelsea's season and now he has to miss the World Cup. So sad. Worse than the Beckham injury because Ballack is Germany's captain. It wasn't even a guarantee Beckham would have made the squad (although it was likely). But Ballack would have actually contributed to the team's success. Granted, he is a little old in soccer years (33), but he would have helped on the field. Now, he's just there for "moral support." It's also worse than Beckham because this came on the last game of the season. The next competitive soccer game for Ballack would have been the first game of the World Cup.

To add a little drama to everything, the man that injured Ballack - Kevin-Prince Boateng (on the left) - although from Germany, is opting to play for Ghana in the World Cup because his dad is from Ghana. It just so happens that Ghana and Germany are in the same World Cup group and they play each other on June 23rd. Over/under this guy gets elbowed 11 times by all 11 Germany players on the field? Or that he gets a nasty tackle from behind. Just look at this guy. Just looking at him makes you want to elbow him. If it was someone like Deco or Messi, it might be hard to be upset at the person, but this guy? I'm sure the Germany coach will have no problem finding a volunteer to give him a hard foul.


3. Ribery out for the Champions League final.

Franck Ribery was red carded in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal. The Champions League suspended him 3 games for his dirty tackle. Ribery sat out the second leg of the semifinal and then appealed his suspension once Bayern Munich reached the final. Normally, I don't agree with the Champions League on their card policy. I hate the way the Champions League suspends a player for a game because the player gets a yellow card in two consecutive games. I think they should stick to two yellows in one game equal a red card and a 1 game suspension. So if a player has already served their 1 game suspension for a red card, usually I would say that he should play. But I just re-watched the play and it's just gross (the tackle, not Ribery). The extended suspension is warranted.

4. Spain is on the move.

Fabregas and David Villa to Barcelona? Torres to Chelsea? David Silva to Man United or Real Madrid? All of those players could have gone to Man City had they finished in fourth. Oh, what could have been... Anyways, it's not really a surprise that these players might be on the move. Most people expected this. But Torres, you know I love you. So pick your new team wisely. Don't make it hard to love you.

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Chelsea Deservedly Wins the Title

Well, the season is over and Chelsea, deservedly, has won the title. Entering into Sunday's final game, Chelsea needed a win over Wigan to win the Premier League title. Not only did they win, they put up and 8 spot and won 8-0. Just complete domination. Not that Wigan is the toughest team in the league, but 8?! That's always impressive. Of course, once a team is down by 4 or 5 and its in the second half, are they even trying anymore? The game didn't matter to Wigan. Of course they wanted to win, but they didn't have much riding on the line, not like Chelsea at least. So once you are down by 4 in the second half and it's the last game of the season, what's your inspiration for continuing to put forth much effort? Four, eight, who cares? All the players want is for the 90 minutes to be up so they can leave for their summer holiday in Ibiza.

But Chelsea was deserving of the title. They ended up beating Manchester United by a point. The next closest team, Arsenal, was ten points behind United. So it was really a two-horse race by the end of the season. But Chelsea was more deserving of the title because they beat United both times they played this season. It's actually sort of like Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga. Barcelona currently leads Real Madrid by 1 point in the standings and there is one game to play. However, no team in La Liga is even close to Real and Barcelona. They lead by almost 30 points over third place Valencia. That lead, in and of itself, brings to light many of the current problems in La Liga. No two teams should be that much better than the rest of the clubs in the league. That aside, if Barcelona somehow slipped up this weekend and Real won, Real would win the title. But Barcelona beat Madrid both times they played this season. So as a Madrid fan, I actually don't really want Barcelona to lose. Perhaps that doesn't make me a "true" fan as I should always want a title, no matter how we get it. But what's the satisfaction of winning the title if you lost both times to the team that finished in second? You won, but you would know that when it mattered, the other team was better than you, they just had one more lapse than you did. If anything, it would just give you an undeserved boost of confidence. There would be a false sense of accomplishment which could be more destructive than anything. Consistent champions don't get there by other teams losing. Sometimes they need the help of other teams and they need them to lose. But champions get there by winning and beating those other teams. Although its always sweet to see your rival lose and its bitter to see them win the championship, it's better than winning the championship but feeling unsettled about it because you know you didn't quite earn it.

Granted, I realize that the Premier League was much different than La Liga. There were a lot of quality teams, not just two teams like in La Liga. One could argue that Man U was deserving of the title because they beat Manchester City both times they played this season, and Manchester City beat Chelsea both times they played this season. Thus, Chelsea "giving" Man U the title by losing is different than Barcelona giving it to Madrid. Maybe I'm off and maybe any championship, no matter how it comes, should be celebrated. I understand if its the Champions League or the World Cup, because that's different. And it's not the championship wouldn't be celebrated, but it wouldn't be that special. When you already have twentysomething league titles, what's so special about one more if it comes as a result of your rival losing, but not because you could beat him? Maybe there is satisfaction and I'm just not seeing it. Regardless, the season is over and Chelsea finished on top. And its tough to argue with the fact that Chelsea deservedly won the title.


Here is Chelsea's impressive finish of the season. All 8 goals in 2 minutes.

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Manchester City v. Tottenham: You Couldn't Script It Any Better

For the past six seasons, the same 4 teams ("The Big Four") have finished at the top of the English Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. They haven't always finished in that order, but it's always been those four teams. What's the big deal about finishing in the top 4? Those teams qualify for the Champions League in the next season. The Champions League is a tournament of all the top clubs from all of the top leagues in Europe. The teams still play in their own league (English Premier League, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy etc.), but in addition, they also play in the Champions League. It's a best of the best league. It's a way to crown the best team in all of Europe. Kind of a big deal. Ok, its a huge deal.

This year, for the first time in a long time, Liverpool won't qualify for the Champions League. There is only 1 game left and Liverpool is mathematically eliminated from making the Champions League. They will likely finish in 7th and qualify for the Europa League (sort of a NIT tournament to the NCAA March Madness tourney. A nice consolation for finishing well, but not nearly the excitement or publicity or glory). The two teams competing for the 4th and final spot are Tottenham and Manchester City. Perfectly enough, they actually play each other tomorrow (Wednesday). A previous game between the two teams earlier in the season was postponed and it was conveniently and dramatically rescheduled for the final week of the season. The two teams do have one more game on Sunday, so the winner of tomorrow's game doesn't necessarily have 4th place locked up, but they control their own destiny.

So here's a look at the two teams:

Tottenham:

There isn't much reason to root against Tottenham. I tried to think of one and couldn't. As far as I (and wikipedia) am aware, Tottenham hasn't finished in the top 4 since the inception of the current Premier League in 1992. The best they have finished was 5th, twice. They have always been a good team, but usually somewhere in the middle of the pack. For the most part, they have likable players. You would really have to try to not like them or have some personal vendetta against one of the players if you were upset that they finished 4th. You may have wanted another team and may not be excited that they made it, but it's sort of hard to hate them. One of those, "Well, I would have preferred Team X, but I don't mind Tottenham and at least it wasn't Team Y that made it" teams.

Manchester City:

Manchester City is a Team Y type of team.

First of all, its worth noting that Manchester City is often called Man City. Their coach is named Roberto Mancini. Mancini. Mancini coaches ManCity. This was the reason he was hired right? It's like someone walking into a job interview being named Joe Dodger or Danny Laker. You have an immediate leg up on the other candidates. Who wouldn't hire that person?

But here is why it's possible to dislike Man City: they have money. And tons of it. Granted, there is a lot to like about Man City and a lot of reasons to root for them. They have long played second fiddle to the other team in their city, Manchester United (the Evil Empire of the Premier League). This isn't even like the Mets play second fiddle to the Yankees. The Mets have at least had success in the past. Man City is more like the Los Angeles Clippers. Just terrible for many years and always right next to the Lakers. Finally, a few years ago, a man by the name of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought the team. He's only a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi emirate. The family worth is estimated to be about $500 billion.

Anyways, he bought Man City a couple years ago and like any good owner with endless resources, he started buying many great players. The problem is/was, many were reluctant to go to Man City because Man City isn't part of the Champions League. Some went because the money was good, but Man City couldn't quite attract all the great names. Now however, they are on the brink of being a part of the Champions League. Which is why tomorrow's game is so intriguing. If Tottenham wins, great. That's fun and its a good story for the kids. But if Man City wins, it could dramatically change the Premier League landscape. They could be at the top of the Premier League for years to come. Man City will be a team that has qualified for the Champions League, so all the great players will want to go to Man City because they will get to compete against the other great teams of Europe. On top of that though, the owner has the money for all of those players. If Tottenham wins, their stock will go up and they will probably land some new players. But no one has the resources like Man City. Their owner can go out and buy up all the great players without even noticing. Man City could go to town in the offseason and have their pick of any player. They have the money and they would now be part of the Champions League stage where many of the great players want to perform. There is really no excuse for a player to not want to join. Torres? David Villa? Buffon? Ribery? Robben? The list and possibilities are endless.

Thus, despite their losing history, it's a reason Man City is a "Team Y" and people might not be happy they get in. Man City has essentially bought themselves a birth into the Champions League and will continue to buy their success for many years to come. Doesn't always make a you a likable club. Essentially it just boils down to people being jealous that Sheik Mansour bin Ihavetonsofmoney Nayan isn't their owner, but still, its a reason to root against Man City.

Regardless of the winner, the big 4 are shaken up. It's a bummer for Liverpool fans and Torres lovers (like yours truly), but in this case, any change is good change. Especially when the change comes down to the (second to) last game. Couldn't be scripted any better.

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