Sunday’s game had zero league significance for Madrid.  They claimed the title of “champions” two weeks ago.  And unless Cristiano Ronaldo scored 6 goals in the game, the coveted Pichichi had been won by Lionel Messi after Messi scored a ridiculous 7 goals in 2 games to take a solid lead.  Messi and Ronaldo shattered records this season and I feel quite fortunate to be watching history in the making as they compete against one another.  Real Madrid’s three strikers as a group made their own history this season.  Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain all scored over 20 goals which is the first time in La Liga history that three players from the same squad reached that scoring mark.  Cristiano Ronaldo also became the first player in La Liga’s history to score against every other team in one season.  Remarkable.

It is an understatement to say that Real Madrid was incredible this season.  Even José Mourinho stated that it was “a great season with numbers impossible to improve on”.  However, in true Mourinho fashion, he only gave the season a score of 9 out of 10.  Ever planning, Mourinho is likely reviewing tapes to try and figure out how to win the Champions League next year and make the season a perfect 10.  It is that incredible work ethic that found Mourinho setting his own records, winning his 7^th title in 4 different leagues (Portugal, Italy, England and Spain), an achievement no other coach has ever managed.  A perfect 10, however, would have him winning it all:  La Liga, the Copa Del Rey AND the Champions League.  He has accomplished two, but clearly has his eye on the trifecta.

There was one final record to be broken on Sunday:  the total points scored in a single season.  There is a total of 114 points available each year in La Liga.  Barcelona held the record at a whopping 99 points.  To reach 99 points is incredible.  As any lover of football knows, in a long season, on any given day, even the worst team can defeat you or hold you to a draw.  Even now-relegated Villarreal was able to hold both Real Madrid and Barcelona to draws in the second half of the season.  But with Mallorca at home, Real Madrid had to know they could break this final record.  When the win was in the books, #100points and #100puntos were trending worldwide on Twitter.  Real Madrid reached a pinnacle that no team in the top 4 European leagues has ever achieved.  32 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses.  100 points.  Stunning!

As a team rich with history and tradition, Real Madrid’s past champions include superstars with names scattered throughout the record books:  Zidane, Beckham, Raúl, Ronaldo, Figo.  The list could go on and on and the list is growing.  Many of this season’s players have already broken enough records to be considered legends:  Casillas, Ronaldo, Ramos, Alonso.  Given the performance of this year’s team, many more names will likely soon be added and it's going to be one he** of a ride!  ¡Hala Madrid!

A.J. Nelson can be found on Twitter @FootieObsessed and counting the days to the start of Euro 2012.

Sunday was the 38^th and final match day of the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League season, and what an unbelievable day it was. All ten games kicked off at the same time and keeping up with all of it was thrilling stuff. There was plenty of drama, and as has been the case this season, it was left late. Here is how the action unfolded.

Chelsea 2-1 Blackburn

The Blues have both their eyes on Munich with the Champions League final coming up, but that didn’t stop them from winning against the hopeless, and already relegated, Blackburn. John Terry and Raul Meireles scored two goals close together to make it 2-0. Yakubu pulled one back for Blackburn but that was all and it ended probably as it should, 2-1.

Everton 3-1 Newcastle

If only Everton could start a season in decent form, then they might be in Newcastle’s place, fighting for a Champions League spot. Their 3-1 win over the 5^th placed side (and breath of fresh air) Newcastle, put a nice exclamation point on a fine second half of the season. Stephen Peinaar and Nikica Jelavic, who have been Everton’s best players in this second half, made it 2-0 before halftime. John Heitinga then made it three with a free header. A Tony Hibbert own goal made it 3-1 but it finished that way and the Goodison Park faithful went home happy.

Norwich 2-0 Aston Villa

The promoted Norwich had a much better season than their veteran opponents on Sunday, so a 2-0 win to the home side was a fitting way to finish off the campaign. Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson got the goals to seal the points.

Stoke 2-2 Bolton

Bolton needed a win to avoid relegation and it looked like they would get it when the Davies boys (Mark and Kevin) turned around a contentious Jonathan Walters goal for Stoke. But then it was Walters again who would bury from the spot to send Bolton down.

Swansea 1-0 Liverpool

This game really didn’t mean much and a late Danny Graham winner for Swansea ended their season off right while Liverpool’s ended, maybe fittingly, with a whimper.

Tottenham 2-0 Fulham

Spurs needed to win and hope for an Arsenal draw or loss to get third and they did their part. Emmanuel Adebayor put the home side in front very early after some nice passing straight from the kickoff. Moussa Dembele rattled the woodwork for Fulham in the second half but it was Jermaine Defoe who would double the lead and make sure Spurs finished in the top four.

West Brom 2-3 Arsenal

An Arsenal win assured them third place and a spot in the Champions League next season. It started off brightly when Yossi Benayoun poked home a Martin Fulop mistake to give them the Gunners the lead very early on. But, Shane Long made it 1-1 with a nice finish. Graham Dorrans one-upped his teammate with an even better finish to give West Brom the lead. Just a few minutes later it was level again when Andre Santos powered in a shot from outside the box. After four goals inside of 30 minutes there was a little bit of a break until the 55^th minute when Laurent Koscielny took advantage of another mistake from Fulop and got the winner to make sure Arsenal finished in third.

Wigan 3-2 Wolves

Wigan was safe and Wolves were down, but that didn’t stop a decent game breaking out. Matt Jarvis got the opener while Franco di Santo equalized for Wigan. Emmerson Boyce scored two more for Roberto Martinez’s men, the second a Papiss Cisse-esque strike, to make it 3-1. Steven Fletcher got one for Wolves but their season would end with yet another loss.

Sunderland 0-1 Manchester United

Whatever result United got directly impacted what Manchester City needed and vice versa. Which is why when Wayne Rooney scored in the first quarter of the game it made things a little more tense for their Manc neighbors. It ended up being the only goal of the match and United thought it was enough when their final whistle blew, until of course…

Manchester City 3-2 QPR

Wow, this was a simply stunning finish at the Etihad as Manchester City was crowned champions of England for the first time since 1968. QPR came out with a defensive mindset and City came at them in waves. A tension-relieving goal finally came when Pablo Zabaleta’s shot overpowered QPR keeper, Paddy Kenny, and gave City the lead a few minutes before the break. Then, early in the second half, something happened that wasn’t supposed to, Djibril Cisse scored thanks to a Joleon Lescott error that made it 1-1. The City players were somewhat surprised but kept on attacking and things were made easier when the deplorable Joey Barton elbowed Carlos Tevez in the face, saw red, then kneed Sergio Aguero in the back on his way out. He is a disgrace at times, but anyway, instead of exploding against ten men, City let in another goal. This time it was a perfect diving header from Jamie Mackie after a nice counter attack that left Joe Hart with no chance. Roberto Mancini and the City fans were distraught and it looked like the title was slipping away. They kept attacking though and Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli were brought on for Gareth Barry and Tevez. Thanks to all of the crap with Barton, along with the subs and goals, there was 5 minutes of stoppage time. So, 90 seconds into that stoppage time, Dzeko scored on a David Silva corner to make it 2-2 and give the home side a chance. Two minutes later, and now just 90 seconds to play, Balotelli played in Aguero who made a move to free himself and let fly. Goal, and then bedlam around the Etihad. I have to admit I’m not a City fan, but I leapt up and started punching the air like the players just at the sheer incredible nature of the goal. It was Aguero’s 30^th of the season and the biggest of his life. This was the most spectacular finish to a season of all time and I will never forget where I was when it happened. Fair play to City, they are worthy champions, and I couldn’t be happier for their older fans as you could see how much it meant to them.

This hasn’t been the highest quality of seasons in the Premier League but the excitement and stories have been outstanding. I have Robin van Persie as my player of the season for keeping Arsenal alive and delivering when they needed it most. Manchester City is my team of the season for their great defense and resiliency in the face of another title push from their neighbors, Manchester United. There have been some fantastic goals and even better matches but I will remember Aguero’s the most on that final day. After all the games and highlights, I sometimes ask myself why do I love it so much, and then a finish to the season like Sunday happens, and I remember, oh yeah…that’s why.

The penultimate weekend in the Premier League was an exciting one that saw a couple places get locked up and a couple more up for grabs. Blackburn joined Wolves in the Championship while the Manchester clubs stayed level at the top after City’s impressive win over Newcastle at St. James’ Park. Here is how the 10 games played out plus a recap of the FA Cup Final.

Arsenal 3-3 Norwich

I have to admit; I did not see this one coming. Yossi Benayoun gave Arsenal a quick lead just over a minute into the contest and it looked like they would be off and running. Norwich had other ideas, however. Their attacking play was rewarded with Wes Hoolahan and Grant Holt goals, both of which were deflected in. Norwich should have had a penalty but that would even out later. In the second half it was Arsenal who pressed and Robin van Persie came alive. The Dutchman had a couple of chances before burying two, the second of which was another “alley-oop” from Alex Song, to make it 3-2 Arsenal. There was another twist in the tale as Steve Morrison clinically finished to level it a three all. RVP had another chance saved and a penalty claim denied as this wild finish came to a close. 

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (FA Cup Final)

It was Cup Final day at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and the matchup was a classic winner, Liverpool, against a recent powerhouse in the competition, Chelsea. Ramires and Branislav Ivanovic, two players who are ineligible for the Champions League Final, were given the start for Chelsea as well as Didier Drogba over Fernando Torres. For Liverpool it was their second Cup Final of the season and they fielded an experienced team with Luis Suarez acting as the lone striker and Andy Carroll on the bench. The match started as a tense affair but Chelsea started to gain some momentum and the lead through Ramires just 11 minutes in. Neither side created very many chances and we would go into halftime with just the lone Chelsea goal. Early in the second half, the 52^nd minute to be exact, Drogba added to his list of Wembley goals as he became the first person ever to score in four different FA Cup Finals. His low, left footed shot left Kenny Dalglish with no option but to bring Andy Carroll on and try to get something back. It turned out to be a great move as Carroll was outstanding and got a goal in the 64^th minute to make it 2-1. Liverpool mounted more and more pressure on Chelsea and eventually looked like they had tied it when Carroll headed a Luis Suarez cross towards goal. It was not given, however, and replays suggest that the whole of the ball did not cross the whole of the line. It was gut wrenching for Liverpool but a fantastic save by Petr Cech as his Blues held out for the remaining minutes to take home the trophy. One cup down, one to go?

Newcastle 0-2 Manchester City

Yaya Toure came through again for City as his two goals all but wrapped up the title for the blue side of Manchester. The first half was pretty entertaining and both sides created a couple of chances, but it was 0-0 at the break. It stayed scoreless as the match wore on and the City fans had to be feeling incredibly tense. But then, the substitution happened: Nigel de Jong for Samir Nasri. It sounds defensive, yes, but it allowed Yaya Toure to get further forward, which paid off mightily as Toure and the outstanding David Silva linked up for the Ivorian to curl it in. It wasn’t over though as Newcastle kept coming. Sergio Aguero and Toure both had chances to double the lead but eventually Toure did so on a swift counter attack that left the Newcastle defenders no chance. 2-0 to City and the title is almost, almost theirs.

Aston Villa 1-1 Tottenham

With Arsenal drawing on Saturday, this was a golden opportunity for Spurs to jump them in the table and have the inside track on third place. They did not take that opportunity and a disappointing draw was all they could conjure up. The first chance fell to Villa but Emile Heskey couldn’t get away from the defense and Tottenham were safe, but only for a couple minutes. In the 35^th minute Ciaran Clark’s shot took a huge deflection off William Gallas and gave the home side a lead. The job was made harder in the second half when young Danny Rose was sent off for a very high and reckless tackle. Ten minutes later, though, Spurs were given a penalty that Emmanuel Adebayor put away. Tottenham pushed but a winner never came.

Bolton 2-2 West Brom

West Brom is playing for a manager who is about to take a much higher profile job and Bolton are trying desperately to stay in the Premier League. Bolton struck first, on a penalty after Mark Davies was knocked down and Martin Petrov put the spot kick away. It was 1-0 at halftime and the second half saw both teams go for it. It was then 2-0 to Bolton after a ridiculous own goal. Chris Brunt got West Brom back in the match with a great finish. The away side continued their good play and leveled when James Morrison poked home in the 90^th minute. It was heartbreaking for Bolton as three points were turned into just one.

Fulham 2-1 Sunderland

An early Clint Dempsey free kick gave Fulham the lead, but a powerful Phil Bardsley strike made it 1-1. Just a minute later Fulham were back in front after a great run and shot from Moussa Dembele made it 2-1. That was the score at halftime and at full time as Fulham, and their star Dempsey, continued their impressive run.

QPR 1-0 Stoke

A late, late Djibril Cisse goal may have saved QPR’s Premier League lives as he tapped in a flicked on header from Anton Ferdinand. Loftus Road went nuts as these three points lifted QPR out of the drop zone.

Wolves 0-0 Everton

This was a match that meant very little, if anything, in the table and the score line showed it. Everton did put it in once, but was ruled offside.

Manchester United 2-0 Swansea

Due to Manchester City’s win earlier in the day, United knew that they not only had to win, but win big. They did not do so and only a 2-0 win, thanks to Paul Scholes and Ashley Young, was all that was in the cards. They are still level on points but eight back in goal differential.

Blackburn 0-1 Wigan

It was a wet Monday night at Ewood Park and the home fans used the occasion to vent their frustration with just about everyone involved with the club. There were signs, chants, and protests, but most of all just bad play. Antonin Alcaraz got the lone goal late in the match for Wigan, which sealed their place in the league next season. I have to say that I feel bad for Steve Kean as he looked like a helpless figure on the sidelines. Blackburn is going down and I am going to guess that Kean will not be going with them.

Liverpool Chelsea

This was a Tuesday league rematch of the Saturday Cup Final ironically, and this game really didn’t mean much as fourth place was fairly unattainable for Chelsea before the match and impossible after the match. Liverpool can actually look good at times and the first half of this match was one of those times. The Reds took the lead after a great run from Luis Suarez and his pass bounced off of Michael Essien and into the net. It was 2-0 just minutes later after Jordan Henderson took advantage of a John Terry slip and slotted the ball home. Daniel Agger made it three on a corner and it could’ve been four but Stuart Downing missed a penalty that probably never should’ve been. In the second half Chelsea pulled one back through Ramires but Liverpool regained their three goal lead in the 61^st minute when Jonjo Shelvey took advantage of a terrible clearance from Ross Turnbull and powered a shot home. It finished 4-1 and Chelsea’s immediate future as a club now rests solely on the Champions League Final. 

Two players doing themselves no harm whatsoever as far as Euro 2012 Odds are concerned are Peter Crouch and Grant Holt.

Peter Crouch does have plenty of international experience and a fantastic record in an England shirt, something which he has not been given enough credit for.

The Stoke striker has scored 22 goals in just 44 appearances for his national side so certainly is more than capable at the highest level.

Crouch has also been in good form for the Potters this campaign, finding the net ten times, including one of the goals of the season against Manchester City where he showed technique that some people would have doubted he had in his locker.

The former Liverpool striker is obviously a massive threat in the air and his attributes are something that international sides fear. Hodgson should take players that are appearing week in week out for their club’s and playing well. Crouch has been doing both of these.

One of the Premier League’s surprise packages this season has been Grant Holt. The Norwich captain has been colossal leading the line for his side, playing a big part in a successful campaign for The Canaries.

Those focusing on England Euro 2012 Odds should note that Holt has now scored 14 goals in the league, making him the second highest English scorer in the top flight. Considering his is not at one of the so called big clubs, this is a great achievement.

The 31-year-old is certainly a presence up front and is another striker that international teams would not be used too. Holt is not the kind of player that could play 90 minutes in every game during a tournament. However, he is an ideal substitute.

If you are taking players on form, then Norwich’s number nine deserves his place, at the age he is it would also probably be his only chance so he would be desperate to impress and prove himself.

Both Crouch and Holt have had impressive seasons and most certainly deserve their place on the plane to Poland and Ukraine this summer.

The moment of ecstasy that would flush Andy Carroll's seasons woes down the drain, and perhaps being the moment that would justify Liverpool's sub-par season fizzled as quick as it came. Running away from the Chelsea goal in celebration after having thought he scored the tying goal in the FA Cup Final, a goal that would surely send it to extra time, was disallowed by the officials. It typified Liverpool's season in one second. A team that have hit the post more times  than any other, once again suffered from the curse of the wood work. This kept the game 2-1 in Chelsea's favor, after second half substitute Andy Carroll scored for the Reds, shifting momentum, and showing the watching world the potential he bares. He thought he did it again, a goal that would equalize the game, but a smart save from Petr Cech slapped Carroll's header off the bar and out. A huge cry from the Liverpool players, fans and Manager Kenny Dalglish pleading that the ball went over the line cascaded around Wembley, but this was waved away by the officials. I still believe the angles leave some ambiguity in it, but by the letter of the law, the whole ball must go over the line, and according to the cameras set up at Wembley, it didn't. 

 On the whole the match was well fought by the Liverpool squad, looking for their domestic cup double, having knocked Chelsea out of the Carling Cup earlier this season on their way to winning silverware. It was a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde performance from the Reds, as they started the game as I suspected, not as I hoped, with Suarez the loan striker, Gerrard, Henderson and Spearing behind him. Downing and Bellamy operating on the wings, with Carroll on the bench. Liverpool were slow out the gates, allowing Chelsea to press upon them, as they sat deep and seemed to lack options when trying to break upfield. Downing and Jose Enrique on the right side both started off bag's of nerves, sloppy in passing and disconnected in their thinking. Their tempo was slow, much like Chelsea under Andre Villa Boas, with unnecessary passing in their own half, that ultimately lead to nothing. I didn't take long for the sloppy play to cost them as Ramieres capitalized on Enrique defending to tight, making it easy for the Brazilian to tun him, skin him for pace and crack a rocket shot off Pepe Reina and into his near post. Clever keeping by Reina backfired, as the Spaniard showed Ramieres his far post, only to have his momentum take him away from the shot at the near. It pains me to say that I was glad Liverpool conceded, but I knew now that they would have to open up and stick the game to the Blues. This is exactly what they did.

 Towards the end of the half Liverpool enjoyed some promising forays forward, yet their talisman Luis Suarez remained anonymous. Coming out after the half the excitement and tension of Wembley harnessed itself in my back, and I wondered what changes in mentality and tactics Dalglish instilled at half time. Right from the off I knew more expansive football would be in the offing as a long searching ball was hit by Midfield maestro Gerrard, something non-existent in the first half. 

 Hope sprung eternal, until a pocket opened up between Johnson and Skrtel in the back line, just wide enough for Lampard to slide a pass  to the Wembley specialist himself Drogba, whose one touch then smack trimmed the grass on its way into Reina's far-post, making it 2-0. Just like the first half Liverpool conceded early, but with 40 odd minutes left to play, the game was far from over. The introduction of Andy Carroll turned the game on it's head, and Liverpool grew some teeth in attack. So much criticism has been shot the  big Geordie striker this 

season, yet in this match he put all the critic's to rest. His hold up play, superb. Inspired by the presence of Drogba, Carroll won numerous headers against anything no slouches, Terry and Ivanovich. It was a loose ball that fell to his feet, and where some would smash it in a panic, Carroll shifted it onto his left and hammered it into the roof of the net past an outstretched Cech, personifying cool. 

 His scream of joy said it all, knowing he just gave his side a way back into the game. It was his last minute header in the semi-final against Everton that got them to Wembley, and now he did it again. After this Chelsea started to crumble, and the urgency from Liverpool brought out their best stuff. If you look back on their play this season, the times  they looked a dangerous side always came when they were down by a goal. Even back to the Rafa Benitez days, Liverpool have always been a "do or die"  kind of club, often leaving it late to take their chances, and always a team for the big occasion. At first their play reflected a side unconfident in this match, but growing into it they looked much a better side, one capable of sustaining a challenge for a european place next season. It's no secret that the project didn't work this season, and I fully expect whole-sale changes this summer. 

Another goal for Liverpool looked inevitable, as Carroll threw his weight about, Downing started cutting in- and- out getting crosses into the box, and Suarez started to pull strings around the arch. It was Suarez who presented the chance that could have changed the outcome, when tidy work from right-back Glen Johnson put him past Ashley Cole, and into the box. The onrushing Suarez took over the ball, looked up and dinkted a cross to the back post where the poaching Carroll loomed with intent. A violent whip from his pony-tail shot the ball towards the net, where a quick reflexed Cech parried it off the cross bar and out. At first glance it looked to have crossed the line as the keeper arrived late. With Liverpool's No. 9 running away arms outstretched in celebration, the whistle blew and a shake of the head from match official Phil Dowd squashed the celebratory Carroll's exhalations instantaneously. If you look at the shot below, it's really any ones guess if it's a goal or not. It looks as though the ball is over the line, but you cannot tell  if all of it is or not. If it didn't, it really is a fantastic reflex save from Cech, who knew it to add, as he wagged his finger in denial at the onrushing Carroll. The debate for goal line technology will rage on, as Liverpool fans will feel argreaved that once again there team was denied by the post.

 This decided the match, as Chelsea held on for the remainder and Liverpool lost the opportunity of a domestic cup double. The players can hold their heads high, as they made a valiant effort, but sometimes the luck is not with you, and it has been that way for the whole season. In a positive outlook, Carroll looked fantastic during his spell on the field, and when Liverpool face Chelsea in their next  league game on May 8th, he'll be a shoe-in to start. 

 For More check out spotkickjournalism.blogspot.com

The "shock" defeat at the hands of Fulham monday came as anything but a shock to me really. In all truth I half expected it. The heads of Liverpool  players already on the Wembley pitch ahead of their FA Cup final against Chelsea Saturday,  a game against Fulham was the l;east of their worries. Dalglish  said "  ease up against Fulham, and risk  your spot in the FA cup final." Easing into mediocrity is what the much changed Liverpool side did,  and an own goal by this seasons defensive stalwart Martin Skrtel, was the deciding factor in the game. It was the Londoners' first win at Anfield in their Premier League history, but it was far from being a classic. Ex Liverpool fullback John Arne Riise made that ol' familiar overlapping run, one familiar to the Anfield faithful, but this time it was the dagger that undid the Liverpool defense. Senior players Gerrard, Agger and Suarez where given the night off, as was keeper Pepe Reina, and the play lacked their creative spark. A result that thoroughly summed up the Reds season, as they look for retribution in this weekends cup clash. Having already won the Carling Cup, Dalglish looks to hit the domestic cup double with a FA cup win. 

Question is can they? 

 They face a  resurgent Chelsea, who have booked  their Champions Final ticket after defeating the mighty Barcelona. Torres looks like he's back to his old shenanigans with a hat trick at the weekend, and all around the Chelsea camp confidence is high. For me this depends on the line-up set loose by Dalglish, for when set up right Liverpool maintain good width, and are cheeky when making forward runs. To add Liverpool have proved to be a bit of a bogey team for Chelsea this season winning 2-0 in the carling cup, and 1-0 when they faced Chelsea in the League earlier this season. The fact that win was away from home, and the fact the FA cup final is at Wembley, and not at Anfield makes me feel as though they have a chance of taking silverware.  Liverpool have secured a mere 24 points this season at Anfield compared to 40 last year, and 42 the year before. What happened..do balls drop off? Liverpool have always been a team for the big game, and they seem to falter against the mid to small level teams in the league. This said their clash with Chelsea this weekend is the biggest game the Reds will participate in this season. With the cards delt this is how the house will be set up.

Reina

Johnson Skrtel Agger  Enrique

Spearing   Gerrard 

Kuyt                           Downing

Suarez   

              Carroll

 This in actual fact is more of a hopeful line-up as Jordan Henderson will probably start and Carroll will sit as Dalglish tries to keep it tight in midfield. This match up has story ties in abounty with most likely Torres lining up against Carroll, and the possibility of Raul Meireles starting against his old club Liverpool. 

In a perfect world both Torres and Carroll would find the net, twice, and the Gerrard vs. Lampard duel in midfield is one of the ages. What I want from Liverpool is to get the wing players involved and get crosses to Carroll if he plays, and to give Suarez the ball at every opportunity. His Fantastic hat-trick against Norwich last weekend will have the Uruguayan flying on jet fuel and the Reds need to harness it like an oar of uranium. 

 This brings me to my next point of gaging success this season for Liverpool. Two words that sounds odd to put together, yet if they do come up trumps this weekend they will have walked away with two trophies this season. The gage for success has always come down to League standing, and the Champions League, yet a domestic cup double is nothing to shrug your shoulders at. If proven to be so, I call it a success. In the recent history Liverpool football club and fans have been used to seeing their club at the top of the EPL, and consistently reaching the latter stages of the Champions League. This is no longer the case, exceptions should change with reality and with I say hold these when you watch the Blues and the Reds march-out onto the Wembley pitch Saturday May 5th at 5:15.

Check out my summarizing thoughts post match at spotkickjournalism.blogspot.com

It is difficult to say that Real Madrid fans went through a lot of lows, but regardless if your team is at the top of the table or the bottom, the lows are there.  For Real Madrid, four years of watching their arch rival, Barcelona, lift the La Liga trophy was a definite low.  That sinking feeling that it could happen again was renewed when Barcelona flexed their muscle winning the Spanish Super Cup before a single game of the La Liga season was even played.  The feeling continued when Barcelona again reminded a flying high Madrid that they could be beat - at the Bernabeu no less.  And last week, the lows were there after 120 minutes of play and penalty kicks ended Madrid’s chances to advance to the Champions League Final. 

Where the team had highs and lows, the players did as well.  Gonzalo Higuain and Mesut Özil both were heavily criticized during the course of the season.  Higuain showed brilliant play at times, but fell out of favor and allowed Karim Benzema to solidify his position as José Mourinho’s preferred choice, leaving the talented Argentinian on the bench.  In Özil’s case, it was more difficult to pinpoint the issue.  He had games where he excelled on every level, but at other times he was mediocre (by Madrid’s high standards).  In addition, although the German put forth a strong effort in every game, it was rare that he was able to complete a full game. 

Last night, however, the lows for both players and team dissipated.  Gonzalo Higuain reminded everyone in the 16^th minute why he is a superstar.  Moving his feet and taking the ball around multiple defenders, he gave a lesson on how goals are scored and sent a scorcher to the back of the net.  Only 4 minutes later, the clever Özil, not a frequent goal scorer, made it 2-0.  Higuain’s shot would be all Madrid needed, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s 44^th goal of the season made it a comfortable win.  The smiles on the Madridista’s faces got bigger with each passing second.

Having faced the lows, Madrid has now turned to the highs.  The 4 years since Los Blancos claimed the league title seemed endless, but on Wednesday night, the party at Cibeles Fountain would start.  Champions.  Campeones.  The official celebration starts shortly and the team may even feel good enough to let Sergio Ramos hold the trophy.  Maybe.

Even though being league champions for the 32^nd time is enough, Madrid could still break some records.  They have already broken several scoring records, but they have the potential to reach the 100 point mark in the league – an unbelievable achievement which would break the record set last year by Barcelona at 97 points.  And if that isn’t enough to keep watching the La Liga season to its end, there is still the race for the Pichichi Trophy.  Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have already broken the scoring records and a scant 2 goals separate them in that race. 

For the next few days, however, none of that will matter - it is going to be all about singing and dancing and celebrating – Campeones!  Champions!



A.J. Nelson can be found on Twitter @FootieObsessed and counting down the days to September when she will find herself in Madrid.

Every team was in action over the weekend but the big one was on Monday between Manchester United and Manchester City. After that massive game we had the make up matches for the teams involved in the FA Cup semifinals. So 14 matches in all and here is how they played out.

Stoke 1-1 Arsenal

The two clubs’ strikers, Peter Crouch and Robin van Persie, each got a goal in this one. A point at Stoke is never bad, but third place is not guaranteed for Arsenal so these last two games are now more important than they were on Saturday morning.

Wigan 4-0 Newcastle

The Geordie’s are fighting for a Champions League spot but Wigan is trying to seal their place in the Premier League next year. So something had to give, and it was Newcastle who would bend. Wigan went 4-0 up before halftime and all four were wonder goals. The first two came from Victor Moses while Shaun Maloney and Franco di Santo (the best of the group) nabbed the other two. What a stretch this has been for Wigan and they surely are safe now.

Everton 4-0 Fulham

The Toffees are on a brilliant run in the league and Fulham were the most recent victims. Nikica Jelavic scored a penalty for the lead and Marouane Fellaini doubled that lead minutes later. Jelavic got Everton’s third, his second, with a tight angled finish. In the second half it was Steven Peinaar who assisted yet again for Tim Cahill to poke home and round out the 4-0 win. 

Sunderland 2-2 Bolton

It has been a tough run recently for Sunderland, while Bolton is in a scrap to remain in the League. Kevin Davies got the opener with a sweet half volley in the 26^th minute but Nicklas Bendtner leveled with a cool finish before halftime. Ten minutes after the break it was a foul by Davies that led to a Sunderland free kick which James McClean smashed in to make it 2-1. Davies made up for his mistake with a header to tie it up again and get a point out of the match.

Swansea 4-4 Wolves

With Wolves already down in the Championship, and literally nothing to play for, Swansea was licking their chops for another home win. It looked like they would get that when they went 3-0 up after just 15 minutes through Andrea Orlandi, Joe Allen, and Nathan Dyer. A Steven Fletcher header made it 3-1 but just three minutes later it was 4-1 when Danny Graham scored. However, just two minutes after the Graham strike, it was Matt Jarvis who was next on the score sheet for Wolves. So it was 4-2, all before halftime. In the 54^th minute David Edwards was played in by Michael Kightly and finished nicely to really make Swansea sweat. Fifteen minutes later, Jarvis scored again to incredibly make it 4-4. What a match and Wolves deserve credit for fighting back in a game that meant nothing to them.

West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa

Naturally this would be the only 0-0 game in a weekend that was full of goals. Aston Villa is simply terrible at the moment and might go down if they aren’t careful.

Norwich 0-3 Liverpool

Luis Suarez scored a hat trick on Saturday to give Liverpool a much-needed win, for confidence’s sake. His first was a powerful left footed strike, second a powerful right footed strike, and third a near midfield shot that had people reminiscing on similar David Beckham and Xabi Alonso strikes. This was the good side of Suarez that we saw on Saturday.

Chelsea 6-1 QPR

The Blues came in fresh off the upset of Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal, and their play revealed the apparent confidence that they gained. Daniel Sturridge scored 46 seconds into the match with a great strike that left Paddy Kenny with no chance. The goals flowed after that with John Terry getting the second, Fernando Torres the third and fourth, and this was all before halftime. In the second half it was Torres who had a couple of chances before getting his hat trick to make it 5-0. Florent Malouda then made it six, but Djibril Cisse got one for QPR to round out the thrashing 6-1.

Tottenham 2-0 Blackburn

This was a professional performance by Tottenham as Rafeal van der Vaart got one in the first half while Kyle Walker stroked home a beautiful free kick in the second half for the three points. And those were a vital three points as it put Spurs back in fourth place.

Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United

This was billed as the Premier League match of the decade. It was a true title decider, or the closest thing to a final that the EPL can have. It was not the goal-scoring classic that some had hoped for, but rather a 1-0 scrap that went to the home side, and it was beautiful. It reminded me of the 2010 NBA Finals game 7 between the Lakers and Celtics. That night didn’t see particularly pretty basketball but the teams fought and scrapped for everything and in the end the Lakers had just a little more, same as City on Monday. Vincent Kompany, the captain, got the lone goal when he rose up and headed home just before halftime. In the second half City continued to dominate and the frustration boiled over when Sir Alex Ferguson started yelling at Roberto Mancini following a challenge by Nigel de Jong on Danny Welbeck. The criticism of Ferguson has already started. Many are saying that starting Ji Sung Park over Antonio Valencia or Ashley Young was a mistake and too defensive. That may be the case, but if it had ended up 1-1 then he would’ve been a genius. City really could have made it 2-0 a couple times, most notably when Samir Nasri failed to score, but one was enough and the Etihad went nuts as the final whistle blew.

Mid-Week Matches

Stoke 1-1 Everton

Stoke scored twice in this match, unfortunately one of them was into their own net. Peter Crouch took the unenviable distinction of own goal scorer in the first half but second half sub, Cameron Jerome, used his pace to get the equalizer for Stoke. That was it, and a draw seemed about right.

Liverpool 0-1 Fulham

This was not a good game at all and the goal was ugly as well. After just five minutes, Fulham were up when a run and cross from John Arne Riise took a bounce off of Martin Skyrtel and went past goalkeeper Doni. That was the only goal of the game and lets just be honest, Liverpool sucks at Anfield.

Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle

Chelsea hosted Champions League hopefuls Newcastle at the Bridge on Wednesday and it became clear that the FA Cup Final and Champions League Final are weighing heavily on their minds. Papiss Cisse gave Newcastle the lead in the first half with a perfect first touch and left footed volley. The away side had the better of the chances for most of the game and eventually added a second, through Cisse again on what might be the strike of the season. Cisse smacked a ball with the outside of his boot and sent a swerving, bending ball past a helpless Peter Cech. Newcastle v. Man City on Sunday: what a match that will be.

Bolton 1-4 Tottenham

This match was held at the Reebok Stadium, where Fabrice Muamba made an emotional return to the stands as tears flowed and cheers rang loud for good reason. It was great to see him back and all the best wishes in his future from me. As for the match, it was a big one for both clubs as Spurs are fighting for Champions League football and Bolton for their Premier League lives. Luka Modric gave Tottenham the lead in the first half with a screamer. In the second half it was Nigel Reo-Coker who would level the match and give Bolton hope. About ten minutes later Rafael van der Vaart regained the lead after a quality counter attack from Spurs. Aaron Lennon then skinned Sam Ricketts before laying on for Emmanuel Adebayor to finish for the third. Adebayor added a second to make it 4-1 and get the three points for Tottenham, this time thanks to a Gareth Bale pass.

As of Wednesday night every Premier League team has played 36 matches and the table looks nearly complete, but only nearly. These last two matches can decide the fate of careers and legacies, so hang and enjoy the climax of the end of the season.