The Foot: English Premier League

I anticipate that today's English Premier League Predictions/Preview will drive away potential readers in droves. After all, the perception in America is that soccer is too boring and that nothing happens. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the country that celebrates the sport of golf? It takes nearly 10 hours to play one round of golf. You could watch five soccer games in that timespan. Of course, this is the country that loves high scoring games in any sport. The NHL constantly explores ways to have MORE scoring and heaven forbid a tie happens in the sport of hockey. The NFL hands out points without record and NBA games are nothing but scoring. Many soccer detractors dislike the 1-0, 2-0, 0-0 finishes in the sport even if the two teams played splendidly. Don't misunderstand me because I love all four major American sports but the time for disrespecting the great game of soccer is over. I mean, the people of our country come off like morons when they toss aside soccer like the sport is a worthless piece of junk because every country, besides America, loves soccer.

Of course, the sport isn't understood very well. Ask any sports fan why he or she dislikes soccer and the response will be silly. An inquisitor will hear nonsense answers regarding stoppage time or ties or the cliche "it's too boring" answer. Should one ask for elaboration on the latter answer, the elaboration won't be satisfying. The game itself isn't hard to grasp or understand. Soccer is a very smart game; it's tactical and strategical. If you watched any of the first group games in the World Cup, you saw tight and defensive affairs. Each team wouldn't stray from their tactics because the points meant everything. As the tournament progressed, games opened up and the latter rounds contained exciting and fun soccer; however, the best soccer in the world isn't World Cup soccer.

The consenus choice for Best Soccer is the UEFA Champions League because the top teams from the top leagues play. The other choices for Best Soccer are the EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A etc because teams know each other very well. The best hockey a fan will see is in the NHL, not the Olympics for the same reasons.

The difficult part of soccer is immersing oneself in the large scope of the game i.e. the leagues. The only league I'm very familiar with is the EPL. Serie A or La Liga is next but it's a learning process. Since ESPN and FSC can air games from the best leagues in the world, I must take advantage of the opportunity which is why the soccer element of The Foot does not end today with the EPL. There are even MORE leagues to cover after the EPL.

I implore my fellow Americans to watch soccer games with an open mind. Leave your judgments and assumptions at the door. Also, actually read my EPL picks/preview.

THE 2010-2011 ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTIONS







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You, the reader, won't find mind-blowing insight about the EPL because I'm still learning about each team and all the players while attemtping to follow the transfer window. I'm just having fun.

Here is a breakdown of the importance of where a team finishes:

1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams play in the Champions League while the 4th place team plays in Champions League Qualifying. The 5th place team plays in the Europea league. 18-20 are relegated.

1. Manchester United

Reason: I like the changes Sir Alex Ferguson made to the team. They seem more formidable than last year and they almost won the EPL. Rooney should play out of his mind yet again. I watched them in the FA Community Shield game last Sunday and the team was on fire. Van Der Sar is back in net. Paul Scholes was awesome in the mid-field. I don't think they'll win the Champions league though. Also, Man U supporters are frustrated by the owners lack of spending so not all is sunshine in Old Trafford.

2. Chelsea

Reason: I'm probably playing it safe but Chelsea is fantastic team. They didn't look ready enough during their game with Man U on Sunday. The team wants to bring in Neymar from Brazil (the guy who made the US defense look silly on Tuesday) and they still have Drogba and Lampard though they lost Michael Ballack. Chelsea expects nothing less than winning both the EPL and the UEFA Champions League.

3. Manchester City

Reason: The team is so damn talented that they're bound to break through into the top four. They just landed Mario Balotelli, the 19 year old Italian sensation AND David Silva. Carlos Tevez remains and they still have Emmanuel Adebayor plus the additions of Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng (who starred for Germany in the World Cup). City was miserable on the road last season which doomed their hope for Champions League qualification so if they can stop losing to a team like Wigan on a Monday night late in the year they should flourish.

4. Arsenal

Reason: The Fabregas drama seems like it has subsided. Barcelona wants Fabregas badly after the World Cup but Arsenal managed to keep him in the Emirates. Nick Hornby's favorite team is Arsenal and they used to be England's version of the Red Sox but, now, they are a mainstay in top 5 of the EPL and a contender for the Champions League crown always. Their uniforms are awesome.

5. Tottenham Hotspur

Reason: I've read that Spurs are a team that struggles with consistency so it seems like disappointment will occur at White Hart Lane after finishing fourth last season. Fun fact: their name comes from Shakespeare's Henry IV play. As someone with an English degree, I appreciate that.

6. Liverpool

Reason: Bad times for Liverpool last season. They destroyed streaks constantly in ESPN's streak for the cash and they were atrocious on the road. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard remain the stars of the team. I'm not sure what fans expect from Liverpool. I just know I'll rarely pick the team in Streak for the Cash.

7. Fulham

Reason: Fulham have great, great uniforms. The team advanced to the Europa League final last season; however, the fanbase seems devastated by the loss of the coach who brought them there but success seems certain for Fulham. Clint Dempsey, one of America's favorite soccer plays, is a member of Fulham.

8. Everton

Reason: Their front office wants Landon Donovan back after an impressive run with the team last season. I'm unfamiliar with their roster as a whole but I know the team had success last season. They also play in Liverpool.

9. Birmingham City

Reason: I like the grit of this team. Money drama exists within the team though. This is a theme of the EPL: lots of money problems. It's not what one wants to read, y' know?

10. Aston Villa

Reason: Love/hate relationship with their uniforms. In my brief research, I gathered that the team lost a key player and experts wouldn't be surprised if the team unraveled. I don't know if 10th place means unraveled though. I imagine so. Bob Bradley, current US Men's coach, is rumored to become manager for Aston Villa. One would think the hiring would happen soon since the season begins tomorrow.

11. Stoke City

Reason: The team just landed the great Kenwyne Jones, formerly of Sunderland. Stoke's hovered around this area in the standings for the last few years. Jones could help the team finish in the top ten because he is awesome.

12. Bolton

Reason: Why not? I sort of adopted Bolton as my team when I played FIFA. According to my sources, actual optimism surrounds the team this season. YES! Any time I hear the name Bolton, I think of the great Monty Python skit entitled "Blackmail!"

13. Blackpool

Reason: I know absolutely nothing about Blackpool. FSC nor ESPN airs their games. Well, goal.com describes the team as a nightmare and fully expects "thumping defeats" and relegation. So glad I picked them to finish 13th.

14. Blackburn

Reason: They are called The Rovers and are in much better shape than goody Blackpool. I apologize to any Blackburn supporters for placing them 14th behind Blackpool.

15. Newcastle United

Reason: THE MAGPIES! They return to the EPL after being relegated a year ago and the team doesn't want to go back to the Championship league again. I wonder how fans react to that. If you're a pirates fan, you're resigned to losing but Newcastle would be demoted and then probably get promoted again. I imagine it'd be frusting but I'll never experience one of my favorite teams being demoted.

16. Sunderland

Reason: On one hand, the team deserves something for playing in The Stadium of Light. The place sounds biblical but they gave away Kenwyne Jones. They were impressive for a stretch last season before they hit a wall and were near relegation before finishing the season in 11th place.

17. Wigan Athletic

Reason: Roberto Martinez provided analysis during the World Cup so I refuse to pick his team to be relegated. That's all I got.

18. West Ham United

Reason: In a perfect world, West Ham would be where Blackpool is. Unfortunately, West Ham's going to be relegated. West Ham fans are excited for the season because of recent signings. Yep.

19. Wolverhampton

Reason: Do I hate names that begin with the letter W? You decide for yourself. I simply forgot about Wolves. They seem like an average group who got lost in the shuffle.

20. West Bromwich Albion

Reason: Yet another name beginning with W. No one trusts their strikers and that is not good for a team's success.

More Leagues. More Predictions. NEXT WEEK.

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