Ive not been as nervous about a non United match before.

United will win their final 2 games, Chelsea will win their final game so the whole league comes down to Liverpool v Chelsea tomorrow

If Chelsea win they will the league, if Liverpool draw or win at home then United will be champions. For the first time in my life im not hoping Liverpool lose.

I go to Old Trafford regularly and have my ticket for the final home game next weekend.. please, please, please let us be celebrating our record breaking 19th championship

Should be a cracking game at Anfield

I know very few of you give a fuck but the amount of sparts threads on here at the weekends this deserves a mention!!!

cracking

ha!

I mean, I know you're talking about soccer or football or whatever but really I have no idea what you said at all.

Sigh...you're Irish...why are you a United fan?

1-1 scoreline

 

Originally Posted by DBo Fo Sho

is this like a regular season championship, or is the regular season and playoffs the same in one>?

there are no playoffs...

basically, it works like this...

In the EPL there are 20 teams. Each teams plays the 19 others twice, once at home and once away. One point for a tie, three for a win, zero for a loss. Most points after the 38 games wins the championship (ties settled by goal difference).

Then there are the Cups, which have the tournament format that we use for playoffs.

The Carling Cup is the League Cup, which only has the top pro teams in it. 92 teams...The teams from the EPL and the lower divisions. Basically look at it like this: NCAA D1 = EPL, NCAA D2 = Coca Cola Championship, NCAA D3 = League One and League Two. All these teams are thrown in a tourney NCAA style. It's the least prestigious of all the English competitions.

And there is the FA Cup, which I believe is the oldest Cup competition in World Soccer. This one, every team gets to play in. There are something like 750 teams that play in it. It works a lot like the Carling Cup, but with a lot of different rules. This cup is a big deal.

There is the Champions League/European Cup...This is the grandaddy of them all. All the top teams from the top leagues in Europe, playing in a World Cup style format.

Then there is the Europa League...It is exactly like the CL, except for the level of competition is a level down. Like in England this year, the top 4 qualify for the CL, and the 5th 6th and 7th place teams get a Europa place.

Just about every country has a setup similar to the above. Champions League which ties together the continent, League Cup, Country Cup and Country League.

Lastly there is the FIFA Club World Cup. Which is the winners of all the various Champions Leagues in the world getting together to crown the true champion of the world. (though that's not entirely valid, since the CL final loser last year, Chelsea, is miles ahead of say, the Copa Libertadores winner).

EDIT: And one of the coolest things about soccer, by far, is the concept of relegation. Basically, in the EPL, if you finish in the 18, 19 or 20th spots, you are relegated from the Premier League into the League Championship (like the NCAA demoting you from D1 to D2). And the top two teams from the Championship get promoted to the big stage, with teams that finish 3,4,5,6 play in a four team playoff for the third promotion spot.

One of the things I have come to despise as an American about American sports is the end of the year. I mean, who wants to go watch the STL Rams play their last game of the year when they are 1-14.

Soccer doesn't have this problem for the most part. Relegation battles are some of the most fun things to pay attention to. Like in the Bundesliga right now (i.e. German equivalent of the English Premier League), next week is the last week of the season. Bochum and Hannover 96 play each other. If Bochum wins, they will leapfrog Hannover, who will then be relegated to the German second tier. So, you have the second worst team in the league playing a game at the end of the year which is absurdly important, since a win will mean another year in the Bundesliga, versus being relegated...the difference between a year in the second league or the top league is literally tens of millions of dollars.

How about that for keeping things relevant for fans even if the team had a poor year, and/or were punching above their weight?

 

Originally Posted by TheWhitePele

Why not?

I lived in Dublin...I got into soccer while I was there...I became a Newcastle fan, because they just happened to be on all the time so I got to know them the most. The guys I knew over there took me aside and said "Celtic good....Rangers bad." ....never knew a united fan.

 

Originally Posted by Johnny Slippy

"Celtic good....Rangers bad."

LOL, one of the things on my life bucket list is making it to an Old Firm game. Gotta be ridiculous.

thanks abnormal, i kinda get it now

 

Originally Posted by DBo Fo Sho

thanks abnormal, i kinda get it now

no worries...if you care to experience football in all its competitive glory, chelsea at anfield (the name of Lpool's stadium) more or less for the EPL title is about as cool as it gets...though as a diehard United fan...I am like Pele, shitting bricks...especially given how Pool played a 120 minute cracker in their Europa League semifinal at midweek. They have some injuries (particularly to Torres, one of the best players in the world), and some other guys like Kuyt picking up knocks in the loss to Atletico Madrid. And all the healthy guys will no doubt be tired, with only three days rest from the Europa heartbreak.

Sorry for posting, tho I'm glad it helped. Asshats like dickpen would rather I don't go into any detail on the setup of the beautiful game.

 

Originally Posted by jesterwords

anoint my feet with expensive oils

Why you a Chelski guy?

 

Originally Posted by Lenny

Wow, the FA Cup is crazy. I had heard of it, but didn't know much about it. The "Giant Killers" are pretty amazing. I mean it doesn't happen often, but for non-league teams to beat a top Premiership team- wow.

That's like the Akron Roadkill semi-pro/weekend warriors beating the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I know right. It's like the NCAA tourney, but crazier. I mean cereally. Could you imagine the Kane County Cougars dusting the Yankees? Not to mention, its more or less the oldest big sport competition in the world. It's a really cool competition.

But again, I am sorry that I posted. Dickpen would rather I didn't, so I apologize for offending him by trying to throw out a little knowledge on a sport a lot of Americans miss out on.

 

Originally Posted by jesterwords

Liverpool

"And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. - Luke 7.38"

Listen, Jester. If Liverpool wins tomorrow...Or fuck at least draws, I will do a lot more than anoint your feet with oils. No homo. Ok maybe a little...

But cereally, what are your feelings on this game? Since, being an American in the Midwest I don't really have contact with any major Pool supporters...If Pool wins/draws, United is huge favorite to take our 19th.

So, how do you feel with that scenario in mind. The United boards are blowing up with conspiracy this, conspiracy that about Pool players throwing the game.

But that is stupid. The players are professionals and will doubtless give it their all. But as a fan, how do you feel? Would you rather see your team lose tomorrow for the sake of the greater good, the broader history at stake? Or would you rather see your team end a turrible season on a high?

EDIT: And now that I know youre a Pool supporter, I should hate you no right? lol :-)

I'm tired of going to this local pub to watch the games at 8 in the morning. I just bought the fox soccer plus package on direct tv. can't wait for the game.

Assuming the relegation question is an honest one-

No, there is not movement between the "majors" in any of the top American Sports.

Occasionally we have an "Expansion" where a new team is created or a "contraction" where an existing team gets the ax, but major league teams (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) do not move up or down form any minor league structure.

American Football doesn't have any minor league, although College is basically structured that way, with lots and lots of money being made by everyone but the players.

Individual PLAYERS do move between minors and majors, especially in Baseball and Hockey at the beginning of their careers or when recovering from injury. You see this much less frequently in the NBA or NFL, although occasionally a player will go play overseas or for a few years and then make it back to the big time.

Is this what you are looking for?