Writing about North American football with little internet in Ireland is difficult, so I’ll direct your attention to CONCACAF’s team previews that they are doing as each team plays their first game.
http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/champsleague/qteams.aspx
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Alajuelense, Deportivo Jalapa, Hankook Verdes, Harbour View FC, Joe Public, Marathon, Metapan, Montreal Impact, New England Revolution, Puerto Rico Islanders, Real Esteli, San Francisco, Santos Laguna, Tauro FC, UNAM Pumas
Last Year-
Coca-Cola Championship: 21-12-13 (3rd, Playoff Champion)
Founded: 1904, after rugby’s popularity made it difficult to start a club until then
Manager: Phil Brown (English)
Stadium: KC Stadium (25,404)
Nicknames: The Tigers
Top Players: GK Boaz Myhill, M Geovanni, M George Boateng, F Marlon King, M Nick Barmby
Famous Fans: With rugby dominating Hull’s sporting landscape, the Tigers are lucky to have fans
Last year’s feel-good story in English football, Hull City was predicted to dwell in the relegation zone in the Championship, England’s second tier. Instead, the Tigers finished third in the league and battled through the four team playoff to win promotion for the first time in their history, allowing them to shed the title of “Club in the Largest Town That Has Never Played in the Top Division”. One of Hull’s prominent scorers last season was remarkably old, 39 year-old Dean Windass. Because Windass probably doesn’t have the athleticism or quality to score in the Premiership, Hull had plenty of rebuilding to do for their first year in the top flight. Most experts are picking them to go straight back down to the CCC next season, but at the very least, 2008-2009 should be a fun ride for the Tigers’ faithful.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Boaz Myhill, Dean Windass, George Boateng, Geovanni, Hull City, Marlon King, Nick Barmby, Phil Brown
Last Year-
Premier League: 8-12-18 (17th)
Founded: 1879 as Fulham St. Andrew’s Church Sunday School
Manager: Roy Hodgson (English)
Stadium: Craven Cottage (30,500)
Nicknames: The Cottagers
Top Players: GK Mark Schwarzer, F Andrew Johnson, M Jimmy Bullard, M Simon Davies, M Danny Murphy
Famous Fans: Hugh Grant, Michael Caine
Fulham have spent relatively little time in the top English Division and have never won a title there. As a club, the only real success they’ve ever had was 2002-2003 UEFA Cup qualification through the Intertoto Cup (the Cottagers knocked out Croatia’s top two sides, Zagreb and Split, before falling to Hertha Berlin in the third round). Last season, Fulham languished in the relegation zone for most of the year. Interim Manager Lawrie Sanchez was relieved of his duties in December, and Roy Hodgson managed to save the team on goal difference after a tie in points with Reading. After last season’s debacle, Hodgson brought in 9 new faces and sent 13 old ones packing. Until recently, Fulham was infamous for having more Americans on their roster than any other English side (earning them the occasionally-used nickname “Fulhamerica”). Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Marcus Hahnemann, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Lewis, Kasey Keller, and Brian McBride have all recently been Cottagers, but only Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey remain for the 2008-2009 iteration of the team, and neither of them are projected starters.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Andrew Johnson, Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Danny Murphy, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Lewis, Fulham, Jimmy Bullard, Kasey Keller, Marcus Hahnemann, Mark Schwarzer, Roy Hodgson, Simon Davies
Last Year-
Premier League: 19-8-11 (5th)
UEFA Cup Round of 16 (defeated by Italian club Fiorentina)
Founded: 1878 at St. Domingo’s Methodist Church
Manager: David Moyes (Scottish)
Stadium: Goodison Park (40,569)
Nicknames: The Toffees
Top Players: GK Tim Howard, D Joleon Lescott, M Mikel Arteta, F Yakubu
Famous Fans: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Sylvester Stallone
Everton have spent more time in the English Top Division than any other team, and are fourth in all-time titles with 9 (more than Chelsea). They finished 5th in 2007-2008, but a huge gap remains between them and the Big Four. The Toffees certainly won’t be helped by any offseason additions, as confusion over a new stadium has left any extra funds unavailable for transfers. Enjoy an intercity rivalry with Liverpool.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Everton
Last Year-
Premier League: 25-10-3 (2nd)
UEFA Champions League Runner-Up
Founded: 1905 at the Rising Sun pub
Manager: Luis Felipe Scolari (Brazilian)
Stadium: Stamford Bridge (42,055)
Nicknames: The Blues
Top Players: GK Peter Cech, D John Terry, M Joe Cole, M Frank Lampard, M Michael Ballack, F Didier Drogba
Famous Fans: Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Bill Clinton, Paul Oakenfold, Jimmy Page, Damon Albarn
A member of the Big Four more because of the money of Russian sugar daddy Roman Abramovich than anything else, Chelsea have one a mere 3 Top Division titles, with 2 of those coming in the Premier League days of big money. With Scolari, Chelsea have their third manager in as many years, failing to win a title with the best squad money can buy. Sort of this generation’s New York Yankees of the Premier League. Last year, Chelsea just could not clear the Manchester United hurdle, losing out to them in the domestic Premier League race as well as the UEFA Champions League final.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Chelsea
Last Year-
Premier League: 9-10-19 (16th)
Founded: 1874 by a reverend (then known as Christ Church FC)
Manager: Gary Megson (English)
Stadium: Reebok Stadium (28,723)
Nicknames: The Trotters
Top Players: Nicky Hunt, Fabrice Muamba, Matthew Taylor, Johan Elmander
Famous Fans: Still drawing a blank
Bolton Wanderers have the dubious distinction of having spent the most time in England’s top division without a title (70 years) and last one a major trophy when they secured the FA Cup in 1958. This painful lack of success may contribute to Bolton’s notoriously poor home field support. However, Bolton competed in the UEFA Cup last season, lasting until the round of 16 (out of 157 teams). Hopefully for the Wanderers, a new season without the distraction of cup duty will result in a leap up the standings, as they were just one point away from being relegated last season.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Bolton
Last Year-
Premier League: 15-13-10 (7th)
UEFA Cup First Round (defeated by Greek AE Larisa)
Founded: 1875 by a group of wealthy Lancashire locals
Manager: Paul Ince (English)
Stadium: Ewood Park (31,367)
Nicknames: Rovers
Top Players: Roque Santa Cruz, Benni McCarthy, David Dunn, Jason Roberts
Famous Fans: Hmmm…bonus points if you can discover any
Though finishing a remarkable 7th in the table last season, Blackburn appears to be on the fall rather than the rise. Tight funds due to their small market location forced them to sell rising star midfielder David Bentley to Tottenham, and signing manager Paul Ince from fourth-tier champions Milton Keynes Dons is a bit of a stretch. Even if Blackburn are fighting relegation this season, fans can take solace knowing that they are the only club outside of the Big Four to ever win the Premier League, accomplishing that feat in 1994.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Blackburn
Last Year-
Premier League: 16-12-10 (6th)
Founded: 1874 by members of a local Wesleyan chapel
Manager: Martin O’Neill (Northern Irish)
Stadium: Villa Park (42,640)
Nicknames: The Villans
Top Players: Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, John Carew, Gabriel Agbonlahor
Famous Fans: Prince William, Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Hanks, Amy Winehouse
With 98 seasons in the Top Division, Aston Villa has spent the 2nd most amount of time at the top of English Football. A well-established club, they are only one of four English teams to have won the European Championship (1982), but have not won the top domestic division since 1980. American sportswriter Chuck Culpepper has said that Aston Villa has the best name of any sports team in the world (that’s debatable).
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Aston Villa
Last Year-
Premier League: 24-11-3 (3rd)
UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals (lost 5-3 to Liverpool)
Founded: 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal
Manager: Arsene Wenger (French)
Stadium: Emirates Stadium (60,355)
Nicknames: Fans call them the Gunners, everyone else calls them “The Arse”
Top Players: Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor
Famous Fans: Kevin Costner, Osama Bin Laden, Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth, Douglas Adams, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Most famous to Americans because of the Ocean’s Twelve cast disguising themselves as Arsenal during the film. With 13 Top Division titles (3rd all-time), 92 seasons in the Top Division (4th all-time), and currently enjoying a stay in the top flight that began in 1920, Arsenal is firmly cemented as one of the “Big Four” teams that has a realistic shot at winning the Premier League in a given year. Tabbed to finish 3rd or 4th this season.
Categories: Team Previews
Tagged: Arsenal
