Archive for April 10th, 2009

The Big Boys Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea are back action tomorrow. There are several key match ups in EPL play this weekend. The big question that needs to be answered is can Man U right their ship and run the table and be crowned EPL Champions for a third straight year?

The Red Devils take on lowly Sunderland tomorrow afternoon. Manchester United is in a must win situation. They have to win against Sunderland to stay ahead of Liverpool who is clicking at their heels. Man U has 68 points. Liverpool is right behind them 67 points. Chelsea has  64 points.

Four points separate the top three clubs so all three need to get maximum points. We also need to remember that Manchester United has a game in hand.  

Sunderland is 17th out of 20 teams in teams in the EPL. That’s one spot above relegation. Sunderland has 32 points. They are three points ahead of Newcastle’s  29 points.

Liverpool battles Blackburn. Chelsea takes on Bolton.

The big reason why Manchester United is playing the great Swiss Cheese defense is that according to Fox Soccer.com key defender Rio Ferdinand has been out with a groin injury for more than a month.  Fox Soccer.com also reported Wes Brown and Rafael da Silva should be back in action as well too.

These players will boast Manchester United’s very leaky defense. But we will see what happens.

The  race for the relegation is zone is blazing full steam ahead. Newcastle has a key match up against  Stoke City. Middlesbrough has a huge fight on their hand with Hull City and West Brom is at Portsmouth.

Eight points separate the last four teams in the table.

The final eight matches of the regular season should be very interesting for the top clubs and the bottom feeders as well too.

The race is on for The EPL Title as well as which three teams will get sent packing to Championship Series.

Boca defeated Guarani 3-1 last night in Copa Libertadores action. Boca got their last goal on a gimme goal. It was great ball placed well inside the box and Guarani defender Eduardo Javier Filippini couldn’t play the ball very well and it bounced off his hand and arm. Hand ball. Good call. Juan Riquelme burned the twines for Boca’s third goal of the match.

Boca now has 12 points and sits a top Group Two with four wins and zero losses. Second place belongs to Ecuador’s Club Deportivo Cuenca with six points. Both Boca and Club Deportivo will advance to the next round of the Copa.

Paraguay’s Guarani is in last place in Group Two with a perfect zero points and four losses.

Just a little side note Brasil’s futebol club Sao Paulo has won three Copa Libertadores titles. The last title came in 2005. Sao Paulo has been runner three times.

The most Copa titles belong to Argentina’s Independiente with seven titles. Their last title came in 1984. This has been a long drought for one of the top Argentina futebol clubs.

A big shout to all my friends at Bola de Neve radio in Sao Paulo, Brasil.  Voces sabem muito de Futebol. Bola de Neve e uma  radio muito boa. Sao Paulo jogou muito bem. Eu sou Flamenguista. Vitorias e bencaos em nome de Jesus. Bobby Gee. Cidade de Los Angeles.

Guess what? In a matter of two minutes Boca Juniors scored twice to take a 2-0 lead over Guarani. Martin Palermo slipped one by the keeper. His goal was set up by a great run by Rodrigo Palacio down the right wing. Palacio  hit Palermo with a beautiful pass.

The second one was a thing of beauty by Rodrigo Palacio as his touched the twines  two minutes later to give Boca a 2-0 lead.

But Guarani’s Miguel Paniagua weaved his way through the swiss cheese defense of Boca to tickle the nets to make a 2-1 game. It’s halftime now so I think things are heating up in bonbon box in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

You’re not going to believe this but LDU Quito tied with Colo Colo 1-1. It happened in the 90^th minute on a brilliant play when Claudio Bieler found the back of the net. Much to Bieler’s dismay it was his own-LDU Quito. So it goes in the world of Copa Libertadores futebol.

That just about kills LDU Quito’s chances of advancing so in plain terms you’re outta here. Adios amigo. You’ll have to wait until next year.

My wife’s team Sao Paulo escaped with a 2-1 win over Defensor Sporting. It’s really bad when you stink the joint out at home. That’s what happened to Sao Paulo in Morumbi, their home pitch in Sao Paulo, Brasil.

 Keeper Rogerio Ceni decided there was nothing better to do so he scored for Defensor Sporting. Not to be deterred by such a boneheaded play Sao Paulo righted itself and scored two goals in four minutes to win 2-1. Humberlito Borges scored both Sao Paulo goals.

The win gives Sao Paulo 10 points in Group Four. Sao Paulo advances to the next round. Now Defensor Sporting and Columbian futebol club Independiente Medellin are tied for second with four points each but Independiente Medellin has the edge on goal difference.

This means it will come down to the final group game to see which of these two teams will advance to the next round.

Right now Independiente is leading on goal difference by two goals.