Chelsea and Bayern win titles, and La Liga and Serie A down to last day

It's sad to see the season finishing off, it's almost as if you've ended a long relationship with a lover which has had it's ups and downs. And although European leagues are finishing off, there are the attractions of the MLS, and the Brazilian Championship which are beginning, but it just doesn't feel the same...
Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea has won the Premier League title in his first season on the final match-day while Portsmouth, Hull City, and Burnley are relegated to the Championship for next season.

In Germany, Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga mathematically two days in advance, the 22nd title in the club's history. It seemed like Felix Magath's Schalke 04 could pull off a heroic finish to claim first, but Bayern Munich's might was too much and the Bavarian's will be looking ahead at their Champions League final date against Inter Milan May 22nd.

Sevilla - Barcelona


If there was to be a match where Barcelona slipped and gave Real Madrid a chance, it was supposed to be this one, yet the Catalans managed a shaky 3-2 win. It seemed the usual stuff for Barca as they scored in the 5th minute with Messi controlling an indescribable pass/volley by Xavi and slotting it into the net. Krkic followed soon after with another routine goal, but Barcelona was wasting many chances as the match went on. After the interval Sevilla had Konko sent off and it seemed impossible for them to do anything after Pedro drilled in a volley for the third. But sleepy defending by the Barcelona back-line allowed two quick goals by Kanoute and Luis Fabiano to put Barcelona in a shaky state for the final 20 minutes. Sevilla pressed on and Barcelona continued to waste opportunities, eventually the final whistle came and the Catalans narrowly escaped from what could've been a fatal draw.

In England, Manchester United defeated Stoke 4-0 but didn't claim the title, Berbatov was missing goals for fun but eventually Fletcher tapped in a goal to ease the tension, Giggs, an own goal by Higginbotham and Ji-Sung Park followed. Chelsea on the other hand won with double the goals to extravagantly claim the title, Wigan were defeated 8-0 with Drogba getting a hat-trick to win the top-scorer of the league ahead of Wayne Rooney. Tottenham crash after their fantastic sprint for fourth at Turf Moor against relegated Burnley, Spurs went two up in the first half but were met with a four goal comeback by Burnley.

In Italy, the title race goes down to the next and final matchday, Roma came back against Cagliari with a Totti double letting them stay in the race behind Inter. Inter Milan on the other hand won with the extravagant score-line of 4-3 over Chievoverona, it seemed like everything was fine at 4-1, but Chievo gave the nerazzurri a scare in the final minutes after coming back with two goals. The battle for fourth between Sampdoria and Palermo ended up in a 1-1 draw, a tight and exciting match which favors Sampdoria in the table, and we could be seeing Cassano back in the Champions League next year. AC Milan continue their disappointing season after losing 1-0 against Genoa and Udinese and Bari ended their match 3-3, with Di Natale breaking 100 goals in Serie A.

In Spain, Real Madrid continue to press on for the title after they won 5-1 against Athletic Bilbao, it seemed like a tight match at 1-1 up till the 73rd minute until Higuain started the scoring with Sergio Ramos, Benzema, and Marcelo following for the easy win. Villareal won 2-0 against Valencia even if they were in 9 men for about 15 minutes with Llorente and Capdevila sent off, but the Italian Rossi had already scored along with the later sent off Llorente to take 3 important points as Villareal push for Europa League football next season.

What do you think of the season finale? Comment below!

Inter Milan win Coppa Italia, Marseille win French Ligue 1, and more

Just a quick update with midweek action starting with silverware being dealt out in Italy and France.

Coppa Italia


Inter Milan won the Coppa Italia (Italian FA Cup) 1-0 over Roma in the final with a wonder-goal by Diego Milito. But what you should look out for this match is Totti's wild kick at Balotelli, here's a video with the kick below. There was also a fan who after the final whistle ran onto the field and charged towards Cambiasso, but he was quickly stopped.




Ligue 1


Marseille have won the Ligue 1 in midweek after winning 3-1, but also thanks to Lyon who managed to defeat 2nd placed Auxerre 2-1, giving Marseille the title mathematically. This is the first time in 18 years that Marseille win the French title Lyon on the other hand get closer to Champions League football for next season.

Premier League

In the English Premier League, Tottenham beat Manchester City in the battle for fourth 1-0 thanks to a rather late goal by Crouch. The game was fantastic full of chances for both sides, and the Spurs goalkeeper Gomes should be commended for some fantastic saves. With this win Tottenham are assured Champions League football next season and they could even overtake Arsenal for third place if the Gunners lose and Tottenham win on the final day of the season.

La Liga


In La Liga everything remains the same with both Barcelona and Real Madrid winning in midweek, keeping Los Blancos still one point from the Catalans. If there's one place Barcelona will slip up it'll probably be this weekend against Sevilla who will be fielding Luis Fabiano, and Barcelona could be without their center-back Gerard Pique for that important game.

The Growth of Soccer in the USA

Written by Annette Lyndon

The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is fast approaching. Fans from all over the globe will be flocking to the country to watch their nations compete. Excitement is building as the opening match approaches (June 11th). Football, or soccer, is the world’s sport, and mounting anticipation can only be expected. However a high level of enthusiasm is coming from an unlikely nation this year, the USA.

While sports are an integral part of American culture, soccer never really gained popularity as a primary spectator sport. For many years soccer was accepted as a popular team sport for youths and never caught on in the mainstream arena. But recently soccer has taken flight and is becoming more than recognized as part of the American sports lineup. Major League Soccer (MLS) was founded in 1993 and today has 16 major league teams. The sport has also attracted a large number of individuals from many backgrounds. Soccer teams and clubs are increasing in popularity in US inner cities. Role models, like Cobi Jones from the LA Galaxy, have demonstrated minority involvement within the sport and are encouraging youths from different ethnicities to adopt playing it as well. Soccer has also developed as an important sport for women. In the US, 35% of all soccer players are female, one of the highest percentages of women participants around the world. Soccer in America is helping to cross racial, as well as gender, lines.

While the United States has their own teams, fans are broadening their horizons and watching international play as well. Many American soccer fans have begun to follow popular foreign teams like Spain’s Real Madrid and Britain’s Manchester United. Yet, when the World Cup begins, you can be sure that the majority of the country will be supporting the USA. As of March 31st, the USA ranks 16th out of the total 204 world teams who entered to take part in the games and qualified for the tournament. The USA is scheduled to play its first match against England on the 12th of June. An overwhelming number of American fans are traveling to South Africa to see the US play. It is reported that Americans stand second after South Africans as primary ticket holders for the tournament.

While American fans may have to fly overseas this year to attend the festivities, in the future they may not have to leave their own backyard. The United States is being considered as the host country for the 2018 World Cup. Former President Clinton’s top counselor, Doug Band, has accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors as a member of the USA Bid Committee in an attempt to bring the World Cup to the US in 2018 or 2022. Adding him to the committee should increase the chance that the U.S. has at winning the bid since Doug Band is known worldwide for his international philanthropic initiatives, thus improving the relationship the U.S. has with over 170 foreign countries. Ultimately, the hope is that the committee effort will continue to boost soccer enthusiasm in the US and bring the nation to the forefront as a serious contender for the bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

What are your reflections on soccer in the USA? Comment below!

Real Madrid grab last minute winner and Chelsea close in on title

While La Liga, The Premiership, and Serie A remain similar in their table standings, the season end is nigh. Twente mathematically win the Dutch Eredivisie (Viva McLaren!) and Bayern Munich also practically claim the German title (unless Schalke 04 magically equal the massive goal difference after getting equal on points with Bayern), while Marseille is very close to winning the French title. And now, on with the wrap up...

Liverpool - Chelsea


A match which surely had contrasting emotions for the Liverpool faithful, and in the end I'm sure most Liverpool fans will be happy that United's 19th title is farther away. While in the beginning Liverpool was playing relatively well, they died down as the game went on, giving Chelsea a very easy match. Liverpool's best chance was a long range effort by Aquilani heading for the top left corner which just shaved the top of the bar, with Cech beaten. But it was captain fantastic which set up Chelsea for their first, Steven Gerrard passed it back to an alert Drogba who rounded the keeper and gave Chelsea the lead in the 33rd minute. As the match progressed, Chelsea created plenty of chances, putting them all wide or over the bar, but eventually in the 54th minute, Lampard taps in the second, securing the result. Chelsea stay dominant in first with this important win, and will be looking to win against Wigan on the last matchday.

In Spain, Barcelona keep their lead over Real Madrid with a comfortable 4-1 victory away against Villareal, Messi scored two along with Bojan and a wonderful curling free kick by Xavi. Sevilla seal an important win over Atletico Madrid after they got two penalties (Negredo tucked them both away) which won them the game 3-1. Real Madrid were able to stay just one point from Barcelona after a late winner against Osasuna by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese headed in the winner in the dying moments to allow Los Blancos to win 3-2.

In Italy, Roma stay tight up to Inter after winning 2-1 against Parma thanks to Totti's sublime chip followed by Taddei doubling, and Lanzafame pulling one back for Parma. Catania drew 1-1 against Juventus who have rumors circulating that this upcoming transfer window they want to invest 80 million Euros in players like Mascherano and Ribery. Inter Milan stay top after a very comfortable win away at Lazio, a 2-0 win which was marked by two headers by Samuel and Thiago Motta. Bari continue their fantastic run in Serie A after defeating Genoa 3-0, and Sampdoria win 2-0 with a great goal by the returning Cassano.

In England, the second-last matchday was filled with tense and electrifying matches, none other than the Tottenham - Bolton match which ended 1-0 for the Spurs only thanks to a wonder-strike by Tommy Huddlestone which rocketed into the top right corner. The other contenders for fourth place played it out at Eastlands, Manchester City defeated Aston Villa 3-1, mostly thanks to fantastic work by Johnson on the right flank who got a penalty for Tevez and set up Adebayor. Manchester United win 1-0 thanks to Nani's goal, but what should really be looked at is Berbatov's miss from about half a meter from the goal with an empty net... very worrying.

What do you think about this week's action? Comment below!