An absolutely huge deal came about today, as Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho will apparently be off to AC Milan from F.C Barcelona. The deal is said to be worth $33,000,000 for 3 years. The report from Reuters says:

“AC Milan and Barcelona have reached an agreement in principle over the transfer of Ronaldinho,” Milan said in a statement on their website (www.acmilan.com) on Tuesday.

So my April Fools Joke a while back ended up being not too far off. Not surprised Ronaldinho was moved, but goodness AC Milan how many Brazilians do you need?

Manchester City must feel devastated, but as a United supporter, I feel more confident that City won’t be winning at Old Trafford for a while.

Turkey are done. They finally were killed off in a classic game against Germany 3-2 in Basel today.

Germany are the first team in the final, and with the halftime score at 1-1 (Turkey scored first on a Urga Boral goal and then Bastian Schweinsteiger equalized 4 minutes later) and Turkey outplaying the Germans (and shorthanded mind you as far as healthy players), it looked like Turkey could pull this off. But Miroslav Klose’s header gave Germany the lead 2-1. Semih Senturk tied it at 2-2 with just 4 minutes to go, Turkey did it again, came back from the dead to force extra tim……Phillipp Lahm sends Germany through on a brilliant strike in the 90th minute.

Why is this piece nondescript? Because the TV feed was knocked out on several occasions (2 goals were missed as a result) in the 2nd half due to massive storms and lightning strikes.

More on this later, congratulations to Turkey on a great run, horrible way to go out, but congratulations to Germany for pulling through, and they are off to Vienna for the final.

Well, I went 1 of 4 in my picks last time around, so I’m going to be really careful with this one.

Germany vs. Turkey

Basel awaits the favorite team

The other is living out a stunning dream

One side is limping and losing players left and right

The other side is trying to avoid another disappointing night

I think the goals will come few and far between

The favorite side wins 2-0, Lehmann will see a sheet that is clean.

Russia vs. Spain

Have we not seen this before?

Spain dominated the first match and boy did they score

David Villa had a hat trick, scored one goal since

Russia will be better, those are words I will not mince

They are fast, they are strong, they can blast it from long range

Goals will be aplenty, but the Russians win 3-2 (AET) for a change

Turkey are definitely the “Cinderellas” of Euro 2008. Guess how many minutes they’ve lead in this tournament? A total of 4 minutes in 4 games, one of them they lost 2-0. Yet, they are in the semi-finals of the European Championships for the first time ever.

They needed to beat the co-hosts Switzerland to stay alive in the group stage, and after falling 1-0 at the half, they got an equalizer in the 57th minute on a header by Semih Senturk. Just when they were destined for a draw, Arda Turan’s deflected shot hit the back of the net, and in stoppage time, Switzerland were out, and Turkey’s final match against the Czech Republic would still have meaning.

Their 2nd comeback was considered one of the greatest in Euro history. The winner of Czech Republic/Turkey would advance to the quarterfinals, and a draw in the match would’ve meant penalties because all of the tiebreakers had run out. Jan Koller headed the ball home in what would be his final goal in international competition, and Jaroslav Plasil made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute. Looks like it’s game over right? Arda Turan scores in the 75th minute and it looks like Turkey have a chance at penalties. They were pressuring and pressuring and Petr Cech, considered the best goalkeeper in the world, in the rain, made the fatal mistake of failing to catch a simple cross, and Nihat took advantage of an empty net, 2-2 in the 87th minute.

Penalties seemed to be the destiny for these two sides, which was a shame, because it was a classic match. Nihat though was onside in the 89th minute, a wonderful pass found his feet, and he lofted it past Cech for the winner, 3-2, and Turkey pull off a miracle. However, Turkish goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was sent off for stupidly shoving Koller in the back near the end of the game. He will not play again until the final should they advance.

Next came Croatia, the team that won all of their group games, including a stunning upset of Germany. The game had to go to extra time after a stale 90 minutes, and with 3 minutes to go, there was no sign that there would be a goal in this game. In the 119th minute, the Turkish goalkeeper, Rustu, made a poor decision by following the ball near the touchline (his near post), he could not get to it, and the 2nd cross found Ivan Klasnic for the winner….so they thought.

Just 1 minute (minimum) of stoppage time, Rustu needed to kick the ball as far as possible and hope for a miracle from his teammates. It would be the last kick of the game, and another Turkish miracle.

Turkey won 3-1 on penalties, stunning the Croatia players, fans, and a whole nation. They will face Germany in the semi-final on Wednesday, and with 8 players out with either yellow card accumulation or injury (including Nihat), they are still heavy underdogs, but with the way they are playing, and their magical run, don’t be surprised if they pull off one more shocker in their march to Vienna for the final.

Well, the two teams I thought would finish last in their groups (Russia, Turkey), ended up winning their last 2 games and are in the quarterfinals, while France……finished dead last when I had them in the semi-finals.

Today begins the knockout rounds of Euro 2008! And of course my predictions:

Portugal vs. Germany

Yikes, this almost seems like a mismatch. The Germans have a good defense, but they really have not had much of an offense. Lukas Podolski has scored all the goals in the run of play, while Michael Ballack had the other goal via the free kick against Austria. Oh yeah, German manager Joachim Low will be watching from the stands after bickering with the Austrian manager, so the assistant better be just as effective on the touchline.

Portugal attack at will, they slotted home 3 past Petr Cech (then it was Turkey’s turn) with relative ease. Nuno Gomes and Deco and of course Ronaldo have been the key for Portugal in the group stage, and I think they win this one 3-0.

EDIT: Crap, my team is out because they can’t handle set pieces, 3-2 Germany on to the semis.

Turkey vs. Croatia

It’s a Turkish delight! They’ve come from 1 goal down and 2 goals down to advance to the quarterfinals, but they will now face their toughest test, against the Croats, who have yet to lose and have conceded just one goal. Nihat and Kazim Kazim are definitely the key for the Turks, and falling behind is apparently a good thing.

The backline breaks up plays very well for Croatia, and they really won me over with their dominating display against Germany. I think the defense will be just enough to pull out a cagey 2-0 win.

Netherlands vs. Russia

Guus Hiddink does it again! Every national team he has managed advances to the knockout stage of a major tournament. Russia seemed to totally befuddle the Swedes with their attacking play, and they are one of the youngest sides in the tournament. I think they have the offense to keep up with the Dutch, but attacking too much could lead to counter-attacks for the Netherlands.

What can I say, the Dutch have been the most exciting team to watch in the tournament. They have put up 9 goals and have allowed just 1 goal. Many pundits were doubting the Dutch because of their defending, but they have silenced them now.

Wesley Sneijder and Gio Van Bronckhorst are playing very well, and I think they will both get goals and a 2-1 win over Russia.

Italy vs. Spain

I’m still not convinced with this Italian side. They will be without the services of Andrea Pirlo after receiving his second yellow card in group stage, and while their performance against France was good, a team like Spain plays very much like the Netherlands with good attacking play and a passable midfield and backline.

David Villa is on his way to getting a golden boot with 4 goals already, the best has yet to come from Fernando Torres, I will stick with the side I believe will make it to the finals, with a 2-0 win.

Just shocking news that came at around 1:08 PM PST, Portugal manager Big Phil Scolari has accepted the position of Chelsea manager, effective after Euro 2008 ends. Scolari planned to leave the national side even before the Chelsea job was even in question, but this announcement comes just hours after Portugal beat the Czech Republic 3-1, effectively sealing a quarterfinals position.

This is quite an interesting announcement considering the time of it, but there should be a press release an hour later, ESPN commentator Adrian Healey just announced it. There will be more to come, so Phil Scolari replaces Avram Grant as Chelsea manager.

Group A

1. Portugal - I think there is too much talent for them not to win this group. Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top of his game (isn’t that right Real Madrid?), Deco heads a strong midfield, and they should have this one locked up.

2. Switzerland - They’re the co-hosts, I think they’ll do anything to please their fans, and with the forward play of Frei and Streller, I think they will pull off a surprise.

3. Czech Republic - This is the type of team that will underachieve when expected to win, as evidenced in the 2006 World Cup. Another repeat here, and yes, it’s their inconsistent offense that will kill them.

4. Turkey - If they make it I’ll eat my hat.

Group B

1. Germany - I need an explanation?

2. Croatia - The race for 2nd will be very close, and I think Croatia’s backline will make the difference. They weren’t even supposed to be here, but England’s incompetence ensured they would advance. Niko Kranjcar is a very under-appreciated midfielder, and he is one of my key players for this side.

3. Poland - I don’t know why, maybe it’s the first appearance in the European championships, maybe it’s the fact that they’re playing in a very tough group that I think they’ll probably fall short of 2nd.

4. Austria - Are they even ranked? I think they’ll put up a very good effort like Switzerland, but they do not have the talent just yet to get the breakthrough.

Group C

1. France - Henry, Malouda, Thuram, this is a very dangerous French side that’s in the Group of Death, and with their solid attacking play, I believe that even if they lose to Italy, they’ll still beat Romania and the Netherlands and win the group.

2. Netherlands - Robin Van Persie and Dirk Kuyt are world class strikers, Edwin Van Der Sar at the age of 38 is still a solid goalkeeper, I see them nudging out Italy for the 2nd spot.

3. Italy - Losing Fabio Cannavaro really hurt them. The defense is just not the same without them, and this is after all, a very unpredictable tournament, out goes Italy.

4. Romania - The weakest of the strong teams, but I don’t expect them to be humiliated.

Group D

1. Spain - If you have Fernando Torres, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, and David Villa and not win, you have problem. This could be the side that scores the most goals in the tournament.

2. Greece - Why not? They are the defending champions, they want to prove it was not a fluke. I believe them and they will be in the quarterfinals.

3. Sweden - Unfortunately, in a tournament full of young stars like Ronaldo and Torres, the Swedes are old and cannot keep up with the likes of Spain or Greece.

4. Russia - Lucky if they win one game.

Quarterfinals

Portugal 2 Croatia 0

Germany 3 Switzerland 1

France 1 Greece 0

Spain 1 Netherlands 1 (Spain win 5-3 on penalties)

Semifinals

Portugal 2 Germany 1 (AET)

Spain 1 France 0

Final

Portugal 2 (Ronaldo 34, 65)  Spain 1 (Villa 57)

Golden Boot: Cristiano Ronaldo (5 goals)

Have a great time everyone and enjoy the tournament.

Thanks to Timmy B on The506 forums for helping me out (he knows some guys) for the first couple of weeks of some of the Euro 2008 commentating pairs live from glorious BRISTOL, CT, off of a monitor…..

Saturday 6/07
11:50 a.m.- Switzerland vs. Czech Republic A (ESPN Classic) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth

2:30 p.m.- Portugal vs. Turkey A (ESPN Classic) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Sunday 6/08
11:50 a.m.- Austria vs. Croatia B (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Germany vs. Poland B (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Monday 6/09
11:50 a.m.- Romania vs. France C (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Netherlands vs. Italy C (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Tuesday 6/10
11:50 a.m.- Spain vs. Russia D (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Greece vs. Sweden D (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Wednesday 6/11
11:50 a.m.- Czech Republic vs. Portugal A (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Switzerland vs. Turkey A (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Robbie Mustoe

Thursday 6/12
11:50 a.m.- Croatia vs. Germany B (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Austria vs. Poland B (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Friday 6/13
11:50 a.m.- Italy vs. Romania C (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Netherlands vs. France C (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Saturday 6/14
11:50 a.m.- Sweden vs. Spain D (ESPN2) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth
2:30 p.m.- Greece vs. Russia D (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray

Sunday 6/15
2:30 p.m.- Switzerland vs. Portugal A (ESPN2) - Adrian Healey and Andy Gray or Robbie Mustoe
2:30 p.m.- Turkey vs. Czech Republic A (ESPN) - Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth

ESPN

Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth are confirmed to be the first commentating crew. They do a very good job of “off-tube” commentating from ABC Studios and player recognition, and most importantly, no filler nonsense (which has been ESPN’s biggest problem in every sport they cover). Rae is from Scotland, has a very good tone and he and Smyth seem to have intelligent banter, not the nonsense that ESPN gave us in World Cup 2006 with Marcelo Balboa.

The 2nd pair is Adrian Healey and Andy Gray or Robbie Mustoe. I don’t need an opinion, just a time to faint in shock that ESPN grabbed a great analyst like Gray.

International Feed

The international feed requires just one commentator….which makes me sad, because I think we could do without some analysts covering the NFL or the NBA in favor of one guy. Note that although TSN is like a sister station of ESPN in Canada, TSN grabs this feed for any international competition.

Tony Jones: Boring, dull, ditchwater dull, horrible voice, dull, boring, boring, dull, dreary. By the way, he is boring.

John Helm: This video describes him perfectly, Mr. Helm at his er…finest in 2006.

Dave Woods: Heard him for the first time watching the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Very good tone, good goal calling, mind doesn’t wander off into the woods (unlike the 2 folks I mentioned above) not the best commentator out there but he is miles ahead of Jones and Helm.

Steve Banyard: We’ve got a winner! Best young football (soccer) commentator out there! He tries really hard to get those player pronunciations correct, even designed a website for commentators as well. Lets the crowd get involved quite often, his goal calls usually go like “It’s Cristiano RONALDO!!!!!!!! STUNNING FREE KICK!”. Enthusiastic, articulates himself well, too bad Helm gets the final.

BBC

Admittedly I haven’t been to England but I’ve watched some games that have been broadcast via BBC feed. They have done a great job throughout, let’s see what happens this time…..please note the commentator pairings vary throughout.

Play By Play

John Motson (the man pictured at top of the post): This is his last tournament for the BBC before retirement. He is 62, considered to be one of the best commentators ever, has nearly a perfect voice, but recently he has just been horrible. Player recognition is bad, he messed up the goal call in the 2008 FA Cup Final, and I think the Beeb notices this, he has been used rarely on their famed Match of the Day (Premier League coverage) program.

Guy Mowbray: Have to say I’ve heard him once and he is primed to take over the #1 spot that is currently being held by Motty. He doesn’t work with a co-commentator that often so this is a big tournament for him to impress the boss.

Jonathan Pearce: Screechy, yelling, I think he used a Harry Potter reference a while ago and it was awful. Just not a good commentator and is not ready for big matches.

Steve Wilson: Haven’t heard of him, can’t put notes on that one. I’ve been watching World Cup highlights and two of them involved Lawro and Wilson. No screeching like Pearce and captures the excitement quite well. This is his chance to showcase his commentary skills to the boss to take over Motty’s #1 spot.

Co-Commentator

Mark Lawrenson: Useless. I think that’s why Motson has been so poor.

Gavin Peacock: Haven’t heard him at all.

Mark Bright: See Peacock.

It has been confirmed though that Motson and Lawrenson will call the final.

ITV

Well after England bombed, they lost about $20,000,000 because they were going to have joint coverage of the final with the BBC. Instead they will air evening highlights. There have been 3 confirmed commentators, analysts have not yet been mentioned.

Play By Play

Clive Tyldesley: One of the best. So what if he is biased towards Manchester United? If you want a sample of one of his most famous games, go here.

Peter Drury: Human dictionary, over the top, voice has a horrible screech….heard him call Premier League games and he drives me up the wall. He literally yells things at random and it makes me want to listen to nails on a chalkboard.

Jon Champion: ITV should be paying this guy to come back to ITV full time. Setanta Sports yanked him away to do Premier League games and now Champion only does UEFA Cup games and Championship (1 tier below Premiership) highlights. He was made for big matches, he is the commentator for Pro Evo Soccer 2008, I think he can become a #1 commentator for BBC or Setanta.

Analysts

David Pleat: Not often does a guy come around like Pleat. He is bar none the worst analyst as far as player pronunciation of even something simple as Nani (he called him Nano). Really adds nothing to the game and with his usual “I think the grass is very green today Clive” inane babbling, ITV should haul him out of there.

Jim Beglin: Gets a lot of good reviews I hear….

Oceania Feed

Australia, New Zealand, etc.

Martin Tyler: ….LEGEND! That’s all I have to say about him, fantastic commentator, raises his voice when he needs to, actually played for the University of East Anglia so he should know the game very well. Great for him to work on yet another tournament to add to his wonderful achievements.

A big match right here in Seattle as the Brazilians faced Canada in a friendly. Why this wasn’t televised locally or nationally in the US is beyond me, but for those who showed up they were treated to a great match. Although Ronaldinho, Kaka, and Ronaldo were not there, the Brazilians fought off the pesky Canadians for a 3-2 win at Qwest Field.

It was probably unfair to Dale Mitchell’s side after Julian De Guzman’s worst backpass ever, leading to the winning goal. While Brazil is having a tour so to speak, Canada really needs some offense as they head into World Cup qualification. Here are the highlights from ESPN Deportes….

The defending World Cup champion Italian side just lost center-half and former FIFA World Player of the Year, Fabio Cannavaro for Euro 2008 after an ankle injury suffered in training. Via Sky Sports:

Cannavaro suffered the injury after a training ground collision with team-mate Giorgio Chiellini on Monday.

The influential centre-half lay on the turf for 20 minutes before being carried away on a stretcher and taken to hospital.

The Italian medical staff had been hopeful that Cannavaro’s injury was not serious, but scans have shown up ankle ligament damage.

He will now be forced to sit out the upcoming European Championship, with the length of his absence yet to be determined.

Though the Italian Football Federation has yet to confirm Cannavaro’s absence, the 34-year-old told reporters: “I’m going home.”

This is a crucial blow for Italy, who open their group play on June 9th. Add Cannavaro to the list of notable players like Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky that won’t be in Austria/Switzerland.

Out

Unsurprisingly Sven has been sacked and is the 11th Premier League manager casualty now. Manchester City will try for manager #3, as Eriksson’s tenure lasts just 1 season. His accomplishments included a season sweep of Manchester United, but after a 3rd place position heading into 2008, it all collapsed and they fell 8-1 on the final day to Boro and dropped to 9th. The sacking was likely not warranted considering there were minor relegation fears, but I’m quite sure he did not meet expectations of the owner and will be job searching again.

Roberto Mancini was sacked by Inter Milan recently. The interesting thing is that he just won another Serie A title, but he had plans to quit anyway before changing his mind the following day. It did not matter, he left anyway, which leads me to…..

In

Well we may be seeing a swap in the future shall we?

Canada has to find a way to get into the CONCACAF Champions League, and the Canadian Soccer Association has found it! It’s the inaugural Nutrilite Canadian Champions League that will for now feature 3 teams (Toronto FC, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps) that play home and away games and the top 2 in standings will play each other in a home and away stand to see who qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions League.

The wonderful CBC has the rights to all the games and they broadcast the first game last night in Montreal. Toronto FC edged the Impact 1-0 on a Marco Velez goal (except to Nigel Reed, the usually good commentator said Carlos Velez). It was a great day for TFC, as they shook off that horrible 3-2 loss to DC United, and won another game on the road. Oh yes, it also helps when Montreal was down to 10 men. Here is the goal with Nigel Reed and Jason DeVos on the call.

I think this was a warranted sacking. He basically took over what Mourinho started and couldn’t win, and that upset some people who head the club. What’s even worse is that unless they had a 3 point lead in the final week of play they would’ve lost it to Bolton anyway. Just 8 months, he did what he could, but when it came down to the last step, he couldn’t finish.

The rule I guess for Chelski Chelsea is:

Runner up in Carling Cup + runner up in FA Community Shield + runner up in Premier League + runner up in Champions League + humiliation against Barnsley =

BYE BYE AVRAM!!!!!!!!!

On second thought, nevermind.

Cue music, cue fans, cue stadium, cue commentators, we’re hours away from the first ever all-English final in UEFA Champions League history. Manchester United are looking for a cup double, while Chelsea are looking for instant success in their first ever final. Oops, and Avram Grant is also hoping that he isn’t thrown out if Chelsea lose again.

Manchester United

The Red Devils have had a great run in their first final since 1999 (the treble season). They have outscored their opponents 19-5, and just 1 goal was conceded in the knockout stage. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney will be the forwards today and they will have to find a way to get past Petr Cech. Both have scored against Chelsea this season, with Tevez getting his first ever Man Utd goal at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo, player of the year, one of the best in the game, need I say more? He leads all scorers in the Champions League with 7 goals, and we know what he can do to set up his teammates, or bend in a free kick from 30 yards away.

The midfield has been strong for the most part for United, Paul Scholes scored the winner for them against Barcelona to send them to the final, Ryan Giggs is going to surpass Bobby Charlton’s club record for caps, and Michael Carrick….well I said most part right?

United’s defense has been brilliant in this Champions League run, as mentioned, they’ve conceded just 5 goals in 14 matches. The goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar has been inconsistent at times, and he will have an important role in his first ever final.

Chelsea

Well, it hasn’t been as pretty but they are in! Things were quite bumpy after a 1-1 draw with Norwegian minnows Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho resigned and things were in peril for the club. They had to rally to beat Valencia away 2-1. Although they won their group rather easily, their goal scoring form was poor, just 9 goals and even 2 scoreless draws.

However, they blew past Olympianakos, survived a massive scare from Fenerbahce, and that set up another round of Chelsea vs. Liverpool. They were essentially saved from elimination all because of John Arne Riise’s own goal in stoppage time at Anfield, as that got them an away goal and a draw heading back to Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard, who lost his mother just 1 week before, stepped up and scored the go-ahead penalty in extra time with the score tied 1-1 in an emotional moment for the midfielder. They led 2-1, Didier Drogba scored to make it 3-1 and they held on to win 3-2 and 4-3 on aggregate.

For Chelsea to win this game, they need strong attacking play. Drogba has been in less than stellar form, Nicolas Anelka has been just about useless since being transferred from Bolton, and Andriy Schevchenko is just about the worst signing for the Blues this decade. They are in need of more chances to be created to frustrate Van Der Sar and company.

Michael Ballack has been much improved, the midfield seems to be dragging the Blues out of the dumpster, with Lampard and the German international leading the way. They will be very dangerous, especially when given an opportunity near the penalty area to smack in a free kick.

John Terry was injured 10 days ago against Bolton and that will be a major affect on this game, he will play, but whether or not he is healthy is the key. Petr Cech is considered by many to be one of the top goalkeepers in the world, and I find it hard to disagree.

Prediction

It’s going to be a tough one, a close game that will be dominated by defense, but I see Manchester United earning a cup double. We may even need extra time to decide this.

Man United 2 (Ronaldo 25, Tevez 103) Chelsea 1 (Lampard 33) (A.E.T)

For those in England, enjoy David Pleat butchering the names of Drogba and Beletti.

He’s done it again! Not a pretty goal, not a pretty game (actually the game was not entertaining at all…), but Kanu has sent Pompey to FA Cup glory over Cardiff City. Harry Redknapp two years ago rescued the south coast side from relegation, and now they are FA Cup champions. They will be playing in the UEFA Cup next season, congrats to them, and congrats to Cardiff, who made quite the stunning run to the final.

As much as it pains me to see Fulham stay in the Premier League (this means that FSC will air at least 25 of their games in place of Chelsea vs. Blackburn), I cannot believe the escape act they have pulled. Via The Beautiful Game, here is Fulham’s escape.

Very good week for Russia eh? Win the UEFA Cup if you’re Zenit St. Petersberg, crash the chances of Rangers unprecedented cup quadruple, and Moscow hosts the UEFA Champions League final!

Photo from UK Reuters

Good times in Russia, they will be celebrating through the night!

A happy day for me, the players, and the other fans of Manchester United as they repeat their success from last season and win the Premier League title. All they needed was a win at the JJB against Wigan in front of their 20,000 faithful traveling fans, or a loss from Chelsea against Bolton. They got the win easily 2-0 on Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty kick and Ryan Giggs 80th minute clincher. Obviously it would not have mattered if they did not win because Chelsea were unable to finish off Bolton Wanderers at the death. Matthew Taylor’s stoppage time equalizer at Stamford Bridge sealed off Chelsea’s title hopes. Adding injury to insult (yeah I know it’s the other way around), John Terry and Didier Drogba both were injured in the process. Terry looks like he dislocated his elbow, while Drogba hurt his knee at the end of the match.

The injuries are huge because Chelsea still have to face the Red Devils in Moscow for the UEFA Champions League final.

It was a wonderful season for United after a dreadful start. Opening game they lost Wayne Rooney to injury and were held to a 0-0 draw against Reading, drew 1-1 midweek at Portsmouth, and lost the Manchester Derby at City. They won all of their games up until their match against Chelsea by a 1-0 line. Their offense was rather mediocre. It was after the Chelsea game did they start scoring at will against the likes of Boro and Newcastle.

Man Utd were also aided late in the season by the collapse of Arsenal, who lost Eduardo to a horrific injury, and lost to both Chelsea and Manchester United (and they were up 1-0 in both before losing 2-1).

After the Arsenal win they were in the driver’s seat for another title, but Chelsea was creeping closer, and United dropped point to Blackburn. The Blues and Red Devils were deadlocked at points after Michael Ballack’s winning penalty at Stamford Bridge, and, after both sides cruised over their opponents, led to this dramatic finale.

Chelsea were not exactly impressive either, and the week in which they were to face United at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho resigned, in the wake of a 1-1 draw with Goteborg. Avram Grant’s side were dominated and fell 2-0.

Chelsea would continue to string wins together but hit a wall when Arsenal beat them 1-0 at the Emirates on a William Gallas goal. In 3rd place and seemingly out of the title race heading into 2008. The Arsenal loss would be their last of the Premier League season.

Kudos to the Blues for a great comeback, but going trophyless could mean curtains for Grant, who has turned the ship around.

Now to the relegation side!

Fulham 1 Pompey 0 - Essentially a must win for Fulham considering Reading faced Derby. Just 15 minutes to go for the Americans, and of all people Danny Murphy scores on a header and they have pulled off a truly great escape.

Reading 4 Derby 0 - Same old, same old for Derby. Can’t score while giving up 4. The Rams finish the season with 1 win, 8 draws, and 29 losses. Reading luckily found their goal scoring touch, but losing to Fulham and then Tottenham were just killers. Last season, they were 1 point away from the UEFA Cup. This season, Steve Coppell’s job is on the line and they are relegated.

Birmingham 4 Blackburn 1- Birmingham needed a miracle to maintain top flight status. They were able to slot 4 past Brad Friedel and part one was complete. Sadly, Reading and Fulham didn’t co-operate and they are the other team to join Derby in the Championship.

Semi-important games!

Everton 3 Newcastle 1 - The result for Everton was great for the home fans, as they secured UEFA Cup status and an impressive 5th place finish. Even if they lost, Aston Villa somehow drew 2-2 with West Ham, so their spot was safe.

Aston Villa 2 West Ham 2 - As mentioned, Villa couldn’t win at Upton Park and finish 6th.

Sven’s finale?

Middlesbrough 8 Manchester City 1- The same team that swept the Manchester Derby have now lost 6-0 to Chelsea, and now 8-1 to Boro. The last team in the whole world you would expect to go on an offensive assault is Gareth Southgate’s side. Alphonso Alves had a hat trick as City put up probably the worst performance in the Premier League in years.

Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 , Arsenal beat Sunderland 1-0, and the Premier League season, one of the most dramatic in years, is complete.

There will be much more to come on this season, hail Manchester United, champions of the Premier League!