Not so Super Saturday?
If tomorrow is Super Duper Sunday, with the big boys playing each other, then what does that make today? Perhaps a day of some fascinating relegation battles - Newcastle vs. Fulham is the one to watch, surely - and more promotion drama from the lower divisions. Join me for all the action.
posted by gatorbob @ 10:46 AM
69 Comments:
Spurs have beaten Pompey at home today, all but killing off their hope of squeaking into the fourth Champions League spot. It's now surely between Everton and Liverpool.
Of course most of my attention today is drawn toward the situation in Division 1 where my boys are currently lying in tenth spot, so a home win against seventh placed Walsall would be a real tonic.
That's interesting - FSC's dynamic due Keith Costigan and Christian Miles had just been promoting the Everton vs. West Ham match as the first match today, but now they've shifted to Fulham vs. Newcastle. Great - that's the game we all wanted to watch.
The Toon Army are in full voice today - surely they have better things to do than watch a shockingly poor team lose again today?
GOAL! Mark Viduka spins at the top of the box and pokes one into the bottom left corner. Keggy is up and dancing in the snowstorm.
I'd be happiest with a score draw in this match, since I've got a soft spot for both sides.
Newcastle have gone off the boil since scoring and this is a very open and thrilling match with lots of cut and thrust.
You've got to love King Kev if you're a neutral. He's under a lot of pressure, his side is a few points from the drop zone and what does he do - he starts with three strikers: Viduka, Owen and Martins. Incredible.
Blackburn and Wigan are level on 1-1 after two quick goals.
Nice flick on there from EJ from the corner, but no one's there to snaffle it up. Shame, I'd love to see EJ get on the scoresheet.
Up the other end of the pitch, Martins works a brilliant opening and makes Kasey Keller stretch. This is a quality match!
Owen produces another great save from KK. And now another Owen chance is scrambled off the line by a combination of KK and Danny Murphy. And another chance from Martins rolls along the line! Wow!
Owen blows a big chance there - he's been making some late runs from behind the front two and he had an open header and just shouldered it meekly into the ground.
In the other relegation dogfights today, Boro are leading Derby (shock!) and Reading are one up over Brum. If Fulham can scrap out a draw here they'll fancy their chances in catching Birmingham.
In Division 1 action, the results are going for us so that when Leeds play later today, a win could propel us into seventh.
Newcastle go in 1-0 up at the half after some intense Fulham pressure at the end of the half.
This is what the bottom of the Prem looked like at the half:
13th Newcastle 32pts - 1-0 v Fulham
14th Wigan 31pts - 1-2 v Blackburn
15th Reading 31pts - 1-0 v Brum
16th Sunderland 28pts - 0-0 v Villa
17th Brum 27pts - 0-1 v Reading
18th Bolton 26pts - 0-0 v Man City
19th Fulham 23pts - 0-1 v Newcastle
20th Derby 10pts - 0-1 v Boro
EJ is not playing badly as a foil for Brian McBride, but unfortunately strikers are judged by their goal tallies not by their intricate support play, so all of the nice flicks and holding up play will be for nought.
Martins slams it home but there were about five Newcastle players offside there. It won't count.
Looks like Dempsey is coming on for Clint Dempsey. Strange move, there. McBride definitely looked more likely than EJ and Dempsey hasn't scored since Boxing Day. They desperately need a goal here.
The crowd is really getting on Michael Owen here. The wee man has been badly out of form today and I wouldn't be surprised to see him go off. They could use a terrier like Alan Smith at this point just to chase balls down.
Ten-man Blackburn extend their lead over Wigan to 3-1 after Roque Santa Cruz times his run into the box to perfection to nod home after a great cross from the left by David Bentley.
It's 1-1 between Reading and Birmingham at the Madejski, the Blues equalising after great work from Mikael Forssell saw him square the ball back for Mauro Zarate to slide it home.
Obafemi Martins is coming off to rapturous applause here. I think that they thought that Owen might have come off.
It's 10 v 10 in Blackburn v Wigan now as the Latics' Wilson Palacios gets his marching orders after he chops down David Dunn to earn a second yellow card. Blackburn still lead 3-1.
Ten minutes left for Fulham to pull out a draw. A loss would be a big blow to their hopes of staying up.
GOAL! And Owen redeems himself by nodding home a decent free kick. That's more like the old Mickey. And King Kev might just have his first win for the Magpies now. 2-0!
Reading are back in front at home to Birmingham and it's almost an action replay of the first goal, Andre Bikey again glancing home from a set-piece for his second goal of the game.
There's another massive goal for a north east club as Sunderland are 1-0 up at Aston Villa through Michael Chopra - though Villa have just gone agonisingly close to grabbing an instant equaliser.
Unfortunately for Fulham, those wins for Newcastle, Reading and now Sunderland mean that there is some separation at the bottom. They're best hope is to escape relegation with Brum and Bolton dropping, and that would suit me.
A sad picture of Carlos Bocanegra on the bench behind Roy Hodgson ruefully shaking his head. He knows that this is almost curtains for Fulham and for the American presence in the Premiership.
And that's it - a priceless win for Newcastle.
Yes! Jermaine Beckford has popped in his eighteenth league goal of the season to give us a key lead against Walsall. It's vaulted us up to eighth. Jermaine's been off the pace of late but he's still top of the charts on my hit parade.
Good Afternoon.
I was at my fantasy baseball draft this morning. I just got in.
Well done Leeds being one up at half.
The boys aren't letting me watch Everton's match because they are watching the NCAA Basketball.
Tony was at White Hart Lane today. The landlord of The Walnut Tree(once known as The Checkers) had a ticket for Tony.
"Everton's match"??? Don't you mean, "West Ham's match"? . . . West Ham deserve better at the half. One off the crossbar, another saved by Howard's big toe. . . What's your bball roster look like, Dave? . . . My draft is next Sunday.
Hey John, sorry yes the Hammer's game!!
My roster SUCKS!!!!!!
You and your silly MLB fantasy draft. Honestly, Dave.
Well, the big news for you is that I'm coming to Fredonia!
It came down to the choice between Fredonia and Indiana State. Fredonia had the better offer, with good salary, relo money, and sumptuous NY state benefits package. I also just liked Fredonia and the people there better than Terre Haute, which struck me as a kind of depressing rust belt town that most people are fleeing.
Are you going to welcome me to New York State?
Wotcher, Trev!
It is stunning that West Ham have won only one game recently and they are still tenth!!
WOW, I AM EXCITED!!!!!
When do you get here?
Congratulations, Bob! . . .But, you're almost as close to DC as you are to Scotia . . . Fredonia's right on Lake Erie, no? . . . Dave, post your roster, and how many teams are in your league, is it head to head?
It is five hours away from me
Kathy thinks you're nuts.
Welcome to Siberia!!
Looks like Freddie Sears is coming on!
My league has 9 teams.
We only use the A.L.
Here goes
Catchers
Ivan Rodriguez
Mike Napoli
1B
Carlos Pena
Kevin Youkillis
2B
Dustin Pedoria
Brendon Harriss
SS
Jhonny Peralta
Bobby Crosby
3B
Mike Lowell
Evan Longoria
OF
Jacoby Ellsbury
Gary Matthews Jr.
Travis Buck
Brad Wilkerson
DH
David Ortiz
Pitchers
Josh Beckett
Roy Halladay
Dontrell Willis
Kevin Millwood
Kenny Rogers
Zach Grienke
Jarod Washburn
MY OUTFIELD IS NOT EXISTENT and I have NO closers!!!
Tell me if anything happens, the basketball is on here.
I have the footer on.
Free kick chance for the Hammers
Hopeless
Yeah . . . you need a closer . . . is George Sherill for the Orioles still available? . . . Or Percival for the Rays? . . . What are you doing with all those bloody Red Sox on your team? . . . We have 17 teams, but get AL and NL players.
I ran out of money to bid on the closers!!
I know, I have too many WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!
AND THE HAMMERS SCORE!!!
Is that England's #9?
Should be! Brilliant header!
I think Howard should have done better with it
West Ham could win this
Bob's buggered off to buy his Parka for Upstate New York
Yes, Leeds have scored a second.
Beckford scores another
Into the last ten minutes at Elland Road
Great move and shot by West Ham.
Sears hits the post!!
3 minutes of added time at Goodison
Number 19 for Jermaine Beckford - you beauty! Points in the bag now. A terrific win today that will have us in eighth and within striking distance of our promotion rivals.
You're back.
Congrats, now let's have West Ham get the winner. They deserve it
and that's it.
West Ham looked good.
Now it is game on for tomorrow.
I hope the scores go perfectly for me... a United win at Old Trafford and a draw at the Bridge!!
Leeds have won. Congrats fellow New Yorker!!
I am off to pick up a kid from a birthday in Saratoga.
Cheers,
Dave
We were the better side today . . . Did any of you watch the US U-23's? . . . It was blood awful, Freddy Adu and Jonathan Spector were far and away our best players . . . That's kind of sad.
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Thanks for the congratulations, guys. I don't think I'm nuts, although I'm sure it seems like that. A lot of the people I've been talking to in the last few weeks have expressed the same thing - why on earth would you leave Florida? Well, those people think of Florida as a sunny place that they've enjoyed on holiday, but living here year-round is a different proposition from merely hanging out on a beach or at Disneyworld. But trying to live and work is different in a climate where it's too bloody hot nine months of the year. In the end, it's not D.C. but then Maryland and George Mason cut me and American never even had the decency to get back to me. So, Fredonia will have to work. I'm feeling good because it's my first real academic job and it's the most money I've made in my life. So I hope you guys will be happy for me.
I am thrilled!!!
I like the four seasons
I am thrilled for you too, Gator!
Cheers, mates. Hope to chat with you tomorrow during the Chelski vs. Arse.
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