The Soccer Wall

A 0-0 draw with Arsenal gave Manchester United the Premier League title for the third straight year. Damn.  I suppose congratulations are in order, but I can’t bring myself to do it.

Saturday, May 16

Manchester United vs. Arsenal – MU can wrap up the title (sigh) with a win or draw.  Go Gunners.

Bolton vs. Hull City – Hull desperately need to win if they want to stay in the top flight.

Everton vs. West Ham – West Ham needs a win if they want a shot at the 7th and final Europa Cup spot. (Fox Soccer Channel – 11:30 a.m. ET Live)

Middlesbrough vs. Aston Villa – Boro need a win to keep hope of staying up alive, Villa just needs to end the season on a good note.

Newcastle vs. Fulham – A win for Newcastle would most likely keep them in the Premier League another season.

Stoke City vs. Wigan – Not too much to play for as both teams are mid-table. (Fox Soccer Channel – 6:30 p.m. ET Delayed)

Tottenham vs. Manchester City – Both teams are making a push for Europe as the season winds down. (Fox Soccer Channel – 10 a.m. ET Live)

Sunday, May 17

West Brom vs. Liverpool – West Brom desperately need a win if they hope to stay up.  Might not matter much for Liverpool depending on Saturday’s results.

Chelsea vs. Blackburn – Likely to see more whining from Chelsea in this one – that’s how they roll. (Fox Soccer Channel – 11 a.m. ET Live)

Monday, May 18

Portsmouth vs. Sunderland – A win for Sunderland would greatly ease any fears of relegation.

Quick hits from the past week:

• I ran a half marathon Saturday, so pardon the lack of posts. 
• Liverpool beat West Ham, 3-0, behind a brace from captain Steven Gerrard to keep their slim title hopes alive.  The Reds need Arsenal and Hull to pull off HUGE upsets of ManU if there is any hope for the title.
• Manchester United defeated Manchester City at the weekend, 2-0, and Wigan on Wednesday, 2-1, to take a six point lead at the top of the table.  The Red Devils only need one more point from their remaining two games (at home to Arsenal, away to Hull) to win the league title for the third straight year.
• Newcastle defeated Middlesbrough, 3-1, to move out of the relegation zone.  Hull City, Boro and West Brom are currently headed down.
• As the season winds down, the transfer talk gets louder, but I will not address it much unless something actually happens.  Currently, the rumour of Liverpool’s Xabio Alonso to Arsenal is my least favorite.
• Steven Gerrard was named the 2009 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers Association, an award he clearly deserves.  He beat out MU’s Ryan Giggs (who scooped the PFA award) and Rio Ferdinand for the honor.  Chairman of the FWA Steve Bates, chief football writer for The People, said, “Steven’s performances this season have been of the highest quality.  His drive and desire have underpinned Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge and ensured a tight finish to the season.  Steven is clearly in his prime and quite rightly rated one of the finest midfield players of his generation, and the FWA are delighted to honour his contribution to club and country.”

Manchester United dominated Arsenal, 3-1, on Tuesday to advance to their second straight Champions League final.  The real fun started on Wednesday.  Chelsea played host to Barcelona and Michael Essien put the home side up 1-0 with a cracking volley in the ninth minute.  Despite Barcelona having the majority of the possession, Chelsea always looked like more of a threat to score.  With 25 minutes to play and his team down a goal, Barcelona’s Eric Abidal got sent off for “taking down” Nicolas Anelka as he dribbled into the box.  Chelsea couldn’t take advantage of having an extra man on the pitch and got denied a couple penalty chances due to dubious officiating.  In stoppage time, Andres Iniesta put a screamer past Petr Cech to tie the game at 1 apiece.  Iniesta’s goal was the difference as Barcelona advances to the final on away goals.

Now I’ve heard a lot of complaining about the officiating of the game, which definitely wasn’t good, however, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Chelsea couldn’t get the job done.  They had several clear chances at goal and couldn’t finish.  They had an extra man for the last 25 minutes and didn’t do anything with that.  The behavior of Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba at the end of the game was disgraceful.  I understand being upset, but that doesn’t give you the right to practically assault the ref.

Barcelona faces a tough task against Manchester United, as they will be missing several defenders through suspension or injury.  The Spanish side will have to put on a much better performance if they want to be competitive against the Red Devils.  There were several times that Barcelona players had a chance to take a decent shot on goal, but instead played with the ball or tried to pass it – they need to take those first time shots against ManU in Rome.

Manchester United defeated Middlesbrough 2-0 to stay at the top of the Premier League.  Liverpool stayed close with a 3-0 win over Newcastle.  Boro, Newcastle and West Brom are all currently in the bottom three with only three games remaining.  Newcastle and Boro play each other at the weekend and it could be a crucial battle to determine who stays and who goes.

In the Champions League, Manchester United and Arsenal play the second leg of their semifinal today beginning at 2:30 ET.  The game can be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com.  The Red Devils have a 1-0 lead going into the Emirates today.  On Wednesday, Chelsea hosts Barcelona after the two sides played to a scoreless draw at Camp Nou.  That match can also be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com.