Okay soccer fans-- help please

[Sharon A.]

I'm an American who's gotten really into the Premiership games since I've found them on Fox Sports World, but I'm really confused about all the cups there are out there. Can anyone explain what the different championships are. I've heard these things mentioned:
The FA Cup
UEFA Cup
Barclay ?
Championship League

And even a Yank knows what the World Cup is. I just watched our national team play a friendly three days ago.

I'm so jealous you get to watch all that really good soccer in the premiership in person. To see strikers like Owen, Henry, and van Nistelroy play would be incredible, not to mention the outstanding playmakers. :sigh:

 

[Aprilimgoing]

Hi sharon.

Fa cup....... Is our national cup played for by all those teams who belong to the Football association. This can be anyone from Man Utd down to our local teams ie lewes (who you will never of heard of). It is a knock out competition. The WInners of which eventually play in the uefa cup in europe the following season.

The League cup (sponsered by worthington ) is for teams in the football league only. Again it is a knock out cup. The winners also go into the Uefa cup the next season. Winners this year were Blackburn Rovers who beat Tottenham Hotspur.

The UEFA cup is played by the above teams plus other teams from europe who won thier appropriate domestic cup competitions. Plus the fourth or fifth team in the premiership league. Each country in europe has a set allocation as to how many teams can enter.

Barclays This is the sponser of the premiership "barclaycard"

The Champions league is played the teams who came within the top three in the individual countries premiership ie italy's premiership is called series a and spain is the premier leagua.

This is played on a league basis in groups. The top 2 each group eventually go through to s second round again in a league basis. Then the last 8 teams go into a home and away knockout competition. Where and English team should Win (LOL)!!!!!!!!


Hope this helps, any other questions feel free to ask. Can direct you to sites that you mind find intersting.

We girls are also big Football fans here.

In our house support is as follows

DH Chelsea
DD Liverpoool
Me Spurs


Tanya

 

[Loftus]

Domestic competitions in the UK
----------------------------------------------

Premiership (or Premier League) - sponsored by Barclaycard.

This is the main domestic league competition, normally won by Manchester United although some bunch of amateurs from North London look like putting up a fight this year.

FA Cup.

Major knockout competition - possibly the most famous cup competition in the world - sposnored by AXA Insurance. The North London team with the red card problem also has a chance with this.

Worthington Cup.

Minor domestic cup competition. Won this year by Blackburn Rovers. The major clubs no longer take this cup competition seriously and tend to field weakened sides.

European Compeition
------------------------------

Champions League.

The major European competition. After a qualifying round to weed out teams from smaller European nations and Scotland this is played over two group phases and then reverts to a knockout competition for the quarter-finals thru to the finals. A French guy based in North London thinks his team may do well in this this season. Used to be open only to teams winning their national league championship (ie the Premier League) but this was not enough for the greedy bigger clubs in Europe who wanted their access to this pot of gold guaranteed and so now up to 4 clubs from a single country can qualify.

UEFA Cup

Secondary European competition for which teams finishing lower down in their national leagues and cup winners qualify. Up to 4 teams from a single nation can qualify. Played on a knock-out basis and teams that are knocked out of the earlier phases of the Champions League also drop down into this competition.

Any more questions please ask away.

 

[Janice]

Hi Sharon and ~~*Welcome to the UK Boards*~~

Where are the men when you need them?

I think - and of course, I stand to be corrected that The FA Cup is an abbreviation for the Football Association which is one of the major Footballing Bodies of the UK. This cup is played for by all teams starting at a very low (non league) level, then as the non league teams knock each other out of the competition (I think maybe until 32 non league teams are left in) the major leagues join in, ie: 3rd, 2nd, 1st and Premiership teams. At this point it is usually quite exciting if you have one of the lesser teams (under dog) drawn against one of the top teams.

Here is a link to the official website of the

The UEFA Cup is (I think) a competition throughout Europe for the top clubs of the Premier League in each Country. I am not too sure about this but here is another website [URL=http://www.uefa.com/index.html]UEFA Cup Website

I think I better leave it at that as I could be giving you the wrong info - in which case my son and husband will probably shoot me!

However - if I am right so far, then I could have just scored tons of brownie points

Hope this helps and please feel free to ask any other questions - I am sure our chaps will be along to answer fairly soon

 

[Sharon A.]

Thanks for the great descriptions! I think I understand now, as long as there isn't an exam or anything.

My favorite line:
After a qualifying round to weed out teams from smaller European nations and Scotland this is played

DH plays on an indoor team with a bunch of transplanted Scots. They even named their team the Thistles. I'm going to have to share that description with him.

Since I only have a season or so of watching the EPL I am a complete band-wagonner (yes, I just made up a word). I like Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Leeds and Chelsea.

I also like the teams that have an American on them (all two of them, only one which sees any playing time).

 

[Sharon A.]

I just browsed around a bit and I saw that your board went kaput! I'm sorry -- I remember a few times when that happened on the US boards. I hope you get back everything that was lost.

 

[Loftus]

You have 2 players playing regularly - Brad Friedl with Blackburn Rovers and Claudio Reyna with Sunderland. Additionally there is Kasey Keller - reserve keeper with Tottenham Hotspur (or Spurs) and Joe-Max Moore at Everton.
As regards the teams you like - don't worry, a few years of intensive therapy will help

 

[Sharon A.]

Which teams do you like Loftus?

I forgot about Reyna because he was injured in the last game Sunderland game I watched. He's been getting injured a lot lately.

I'd like to see Keller get some playing time somewhere. He's an outstanding keeper. That seems to be the only position we get right over here.

I'm surprised Joe Max-Moore is playing there. IMO he's not one of our best forwards. McBride, Donovan, Wolff and Mathis are all better.

 

[Loftus]

I'm stuck supporting a team playing in one of the lower divisions (QPR). They used to be in the Premier League but have fallen on hard times.

They play at Loftus Road Stadium hence Loftus.

 

[Sharon A.]

Your name makes sense now.

I don't think I'll get to see a Loftus game over here. It's fun to root for the local team though. I don't have a local soccer team unfortunately.