Will Man City Falter?

With the major European league champions now decided in the Bundesliga (Bayer Leverkusen), LaLiga (Real Madrid), Ligue 1 (PSG), Serie A (Inter Milan), and Primeira Liga (Sporting CP), the English Premier League champs at this point are still undetermined.

Because Man City have a game in hand over Arsenal, their fourth consecutive title-win hopes are completely in their hands. Not easily though. Their remaining three games against Fulham, Tottenham, both away fixtures, and West Ham at the Etihad won’t be walks in the park despite the lack luster form the Cottagers, Spurs, and Hammers currently find themselves. All three opponents would love to knock City off their perch and in the recent past the Spurs have caused the sky blue Citizens plenty of problems with their often devastating counter-attacks. Pep Guardiola’s boys cannot slip up, not even with a draw or two draws, either at Craven Cottage, Spurs Stadium, or at home against West Ham.

How can the Gunners take the Premier League title? They must win their remaining two matches against Man United at Old Trafford, and Everton at home, and hope that Man City slips up once or twice in their three fixtures. Arsenal does have the better goal differential (+6) over the Citizens. Therefore, if Man City draws one or more of their three games or loses even one, the Premier League trophy goes to north London. But how likely will Pep Guardiola’s squad falter? Is it really a possibility with the current form City are playing their last seven games?

As much as I would love my Gunners/Gooners to take the Premier League title—their last one was in 2004—I don’t see the chances as very good. Man City are just too good, everyone is healthy, and they are in a great run of games to finish out the 2023-24 season. For now I am a Cottagers, Spurs, and Hammers fan these next thirteen days.

What are your thoughts/predictions? Will Arsenal take the title when City falters, or will Man City prevail and take home their fourth consecutive Premier League title?

“Football-Soccer: The language the world speaks fluently.”

The Professor’s Convatorium © 2023 by Professor Taboo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

A Very Disappointing 4-Days

These last four days have been a let down and quite painful for me on a footballing scale. On a scale of 1 out of 10—1 being the most intolerable and 10 being the most euphoric—I’m at a 2 1/2. 😞

Images via Reuters

Why am I so down-trodden? My two favorite football clubs for decades, Arsenal and Barcelona are in a slump at the moment. Arsenal lost a league game this past Sunday to Aston Villa, and their Champions League game today against Bayern Munich. Barcelona was eliminated yesterday from the Champions League by Kylian Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germane.

Declan Rice dejected after Aston Villa result Sunday, April 14, 2024 — Action Images via Reuters

And if that heartbreaking defeat wasn’t enough for my fragile heart, then came the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League Quarter-final today against Bayern, in Munich. As I watched the match, I became acutely aware of my Gunners’ young inexperience in huge pressure-filled games in one of the most elite, acclaimed tournaments in the world, certainly in Europe. Arsenal just did not have the savvy or the savage predatory hunger to take it to Bayern Munich. Credit Bayern for being well-disciplined in defense along with their pedigreed experience in big Champions League fixtures.

Kylian Mbappé scores sending PSG thru to the Semi-finals — Getty images

And my beloved FC Barcelona were eliminated by PSG, Dembélé, Vitinha, and the phenomenal magic of Kylian Mbappé. Despite the disappointing losses of my two clubs, the level of football played, the offensive creativity exhibited by the top clubs in the world, and the exquisite number of goals scored, made this weekend and mid-week truly a footballing experience to last a long, long time! Below is my #1 pick for Best Goal of these CL Quarter-finals, Frederico Valverde’s smasher in the 79′ minute to tie the aggregate. Watch the highlights and be amazed…

Now it is on to the Premier League title race against Man City and Liverpool, and on to the LaLiga title race for Barcelona against Real Madrid and maybe Girona if they gain momentum in these remaining weeks of league play.

“Football-Soccer: The language the world speaks fluently.”

The Professor’s Convatorium © 2023 by Professor Taboo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

USA Faces Mexico in Final

Thursday night, March 21, the USMNT advanced to the CONCACAF Nations League Final, beating Jamaica in the first semi-final 3–1 in extra time. They will meet Mexico Sunday, March 24 in AT&T Stadium, Arlington/Dallas, Texas for what should be a highly competitive, exciting rival match.

Against Jamaica the Yanks came out flat with no energy, no real pace as if they thought knocking the ball around laterally ad nauseum, and no attacking through directly, would suddenly make the ball magically go in the Jamaican net. But the exact opposite was the case. Only 30-seconds after the opening whistle Jamaica had a set-piece throw-in deep in the Yanks defensive third. Throwing it almost to the end-line, left wingback Antonee Robinson (Fulham) was beat, the cross went to the far post run of Greg Leigh, who started from the top of the U.S. penalty box, and Leigh headed it past a scrambling Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest). BANG! A dream start for Jamaica, a shocking nightmare start for the Yanks.

The rest of the first half was sheer torture for me to watch because it seemed minutes after their goal the Reggae Boyz went straight into their highly disciplined, defensive 5-4-1 setup. Icelandic Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson had Jamaica superbly organized in the back with dual defensive midfielders protecting the middle in front of their three center backs. The U.S. had no answer creatively through the “bus” or over the Jamaican bus. To make matters worse, the passing by our boys was messy and not at all sharp. It looked like we just might lose the match if Manager Gregg Berhalter didn’t change tactics and some lack-luster players, especially Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach) who had a mistake-ridden 45 + 1 minutes.

During the half as requested by me to our television in frustration, Scally was brought out and wonderfully replaced with one of my favorites, Giovanni Reyna (Nottingham Forest, on loan). The impact of Reyna was immediate for the Yanks. Here are the highlights from streaming service Paramount+. Hope all of you in the U.K., Brasil, and South Africa can watch them:

The brightest spot of the game? Three players: Malik Tillman (PSV, on loan), Haji Wright (Coventry City), and Gio Reyna, my Man of the Match.

Up next? Mexico. And it will be a feisty, heated game for sure. It won’t be easy for us against Mexico even being the home team in Arlington/Dallas, TX, USA. Why? Because when Mexico plays in the U.S. they are typically still the home team due to their fanatical fans both here and visiting-traveling to Mexico’s games. 😡 They almost always outnumber American soccer fans by a huge margin unless playing so far north in the U.S. such as Columbus, OH, or Chicago, IL, or Seattle, WA, the Mexican fans can’t travel so far north. If you noticed in the above highlights the many empty seats in AT&T Stadium against Jamaica, that’s what I am talking about. It is infuriating and sad for the USMNT and our poor level of support when it comes to our biggest rivals, Mexico.

Nevertheless, it will be an exciting game. Many football/futebol analysts are picking the U.S. to lift the championship trophy once again for a third time. GO USA!!! 🇺🇸 ⚽ 🇺🇸

“Football-Soccer: The language the world speaks fluently.”

The Professor’s Convatorium © 2023 by Professor Taboo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0