A win from the Spurs at White Hart Lane tomorrow would lock up fifth place. Three points would be great, almost a requirement. Three, four goals by our lads in the Lilly White and a clean sheet by whoever starts in the keeper’s kit would be ideal. Spurs are shooting for a spot in the Europa League next season. It’s going to have a bit of a double/split derby feel. The White Hart Lane faithful will be teaming up, in a sense, with the supporters of Aston Villa, who face Liverpool. Villa’s main rival, Birmingham City, will be visiting North London’s White Hart Lane, with relegation worries weighing heavily on their shoulders. Blues are only outside the drop-zone by goal differential. I’m not totally familiar with all the tie-breaking rules, I am subject to the American ignorance of spherical footballs, after all. Liverpool, though I respect and admire the history and aura of the club who have just had their record of top-league championships broken by a bunch of twats from Manchester, are also fighting for fifth place, and Europa League TV money next season. Aston Villa are clear of any relegation worries, and could even move to the top half of the Premiership with a win tomorrow. Wins by Tottenham, Super-Super-Tottenham, from the Lane, and the Claret and Blue of Aston Villa are nearly a must, in this ugly American’s humble opinion.

I have a truck-load of admiration for “King Kenny” Dalglish and what he’s done with the team he used to play for, play/manage, and manage since his mid-season return. Kenny and Harry are friends, from what I’ve heard. I wish we could both play in European tournaments next season. Those chances ended weeks ago, though. Redknapp’s been quite the character to watch on match days, this season. He’s a real “nutter,” to use his term. (Taxi for Wenger? Taxi for Wenger?) Harry even used to play in the states. Harry even played for a side that’s had quite the resurgence in the a last few years. Harry played for the Sounders FC of Seattle. Harry even had his first term at the helm in the emerald city. In the twilight of his playing career, Harry was player/manager for Sounders. He’s the real reason I support the day-glow-lime-green-wearing side from the northwest. (There’s maybe a couple young ladies I used to crush on that think they may be the reason I give Sounders my support. It ain’t you, girls, sorry.) I still have to throw my support behind Villa. I have a customer, Richie, who’s moving to Birmingham for grad-school soon. He started supporting Villa a few years back, when he leared of the grad-school program he’ll soon be entering. Good luck in the England’s second city, Richie. I hope you had a good time in The Second City of our United States, Chicago, while you were here, and may Birmingham treat you well.

So, for those, and other reasons, are the games I’ll be watching live tomorrow. I really hope I find a good stream of the Villa v Scousers game tomorrow. Really hope I can find an Al Jazeera Sport feed. They always seem to bring my teams luck, and are usually quality streams. The game will be on ESPN3.com, but they really stink at streaming to my slow computer on my thin-ish internet pipeline. I’m sure some of my state-side buddies would really love to make fun of me for watching two football matches at the same time, but sorry! Imma havta.

In my defense, I am watching a pretty good baseball game as I write this on a Saturday night (loser). Cubs at Red Sox, first meeting of these clubs at Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series, which some say the Cubbies threw. My Cubbies are looking classy-as-hell in gray uniforms with blue pinstripes, blue numbers, gray with-blue-accent socks, and gray with-blue-pinstripes-and-bill hats (Pat Foley), as the BoSox are looking a little boring in all-white other than red socks and under-shirts. Even their caps are all-white. Cubs are pulling out all the “Stop-the-curse” stops, with Billy “F*****g” Buckner in the radio booth on the color-call, tonight (Final TBD). Speaking of the Red Sox, their ownership group recently acquired Liverpool FC. I hope, at least for tomorrow’s fixture, the “Curse of the Bambino” can make a trip across the Atlantic.

In the other matches on tap for tomorrow, I’ll be supporting a few sides. Everton, I hope you beat the ever-living-crap out of the bastards from the bridge, Chelesa FC. And that’s not just for you, Greg, or for US Soccer Men’s National Team keeper Tim Howard, I hate-HATE-hate Chavski (Chelsea). Everton are out of the running for fifth place, and Chavski are assured of second. A Chelsea loss and a win by Manchester City wouldn’t even do it, unless the two matches have gigantic goal differentials. I’m still, though, pulling for American Stu Holden’s Bolton Wanderers to defeat Manchester City. At least a draw… I really want Arsenal to have a tough road in next years UEFA Champions League. Forth place for Arsenal would mean a slightly tougher road for their European ambitions. Arsenal face Fulham, tomorrow, and American Clint Dempsey. Clint’s shown a lot of strength this season for Fulham FC, despite the extremely-creepy new statue outside Craven Cottage. I almost always pull for our red white and blue boys in the Premiership. I really hope we can steal one away in the summer transfer window (looking at you, Tim Howard).

And now we get to the matches I’m far less concerned with. These matches have a lot less bearing on the top of the table. There are some relegation worries for a lot of the following sides, but I’m still not that worried about them. I’m not a betting man. I’ve never done any sports betting outside friends or ponies… I remember the fire at Arlington Park in the early 80′s. It was in my-proverbial-back-yard, after all. I don’t have the money or connections to place those bets, anyway. I live in America, as we’ve established, and we don’t like the sports betting here. At least, the law doesn’t like the sports betting. But here’s my thoughts on rest of the Premiership matches on tap tomorrow:

Newcastle United v. West Bromwich Albion: Don’t really care. Newcastle’s a decent beer, but I don’t have any pull from either of these two sides who sit in mid-table currently. Newcastle’s been a tough side this year, and it’s at their ground. I guess they have the edge. Stoke City v. Wigan Athletic: The Potters should seal Wigan’s relegation. They had a nice, two-year run in the Premiership. I think they need to step aside for some of the more deserving teams of the League Championship. Plus, Stoke’s Britannia Stadium has been a fortress for the side-on-Trent. West Ham United v. Blackburn Rovers: I’ll pull for Rovers in this one. The Hammers sacked their manager less than an hour after they locked up relegation last weekend. Rovers deserve to stay up, purely because they’re the only team outside of the “big four” to take the league title in the Premier League era.

Then we’re left with the last two fixtures on tomorrow’s plate. Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United v. Blackpool. Beginning with Wolves v. Rovers, I’ve got Blackburn’s back tomorrow. Rovers aren’t fully clear of the drop, nor are Wolves, but Wolves snatched a win from Spurs a few weeks ago. It was a match my Spurs should have taken three points from easily. Plus, Wolves have one of the ugliest color schemes in the top flight. I really don’t want to have to watch another match from Molineux. I do, however, look forward to Queens Park Rangers’ run in the Premier League next season. Congrats to them, and good luck against everyone but Spurs.

Finally, let’s talk about Manchester United hosting Blackpool at Old Trafford on Sunday. Blackpool is a real “Cinderella Story” this season, a team from a small market, competing with the big-boys. ‘Pool has had a lot of tough matches this year that went their way, against all odds, some would say. Blackpool even managed a home win and away draw against Tottenham. The match will be televised all over the United States, in “Glorious High Definition,” on ESPN2 and online, ESPN3.com. I will not watch even one second of that fixture. I will be boycotting all things ManUtd for the next few months, at least. I am very unhappy with their sliding into the champion’s spot this year with far too many matches ending in draws and far too many dirty players and far too much drama from the Rooney, the Berba and the like. Sir Alex, a great manager, has announced he’ll be fielding a side with a number of top-level-players left off the starting XI. “Resting the top players,” huh? Dock ‘em some points for that, FA. Can’t wait to have a similar set of academy lads and that little bean on the bumpy, torn-up, sad-excuse-for-a pitch at Chicago’s Soldier Field this summer against a Fire side that will probably feature most of the top XI. Call it a preview? I guess… No thanks, either way. Thanks, Manchester United for giving me a team to truly hate, outside l’Arse and Chavski. It was a tall task, but you nutted up to the challenge and made me hate you. You even made me hate you more than the White Sox, the Yankees, Manchester City, the Cardinals, again, THE CARDINALS, the Packers, the Heat… yeah, I hate you more than the Heatles, ManU… I never knew I could hold so much hatred for one team…

Enough! I can rant no longer. I had an other rant going the other day. It was far less focused and needs a lot more editing, but it’ll make an appearance on this site soon, I’m sure. Let’s change the mood, now, though. Let’s look forward to ninety minutes of two matches that will make or break the ambitions of four teams. Come on You Spurs! To Dare is to DO! Let’s show the Blues what it means to come to the Lane! Sing your hearts out, chant loud and proud, patrons of White Hart!

Ah! And positivity prevails! Just as I wrote that the Chicago Cubs took the lead in the top of the eighth at Fenway. 4-3 Cubbies! Reed Johnson coming through in the clutch, a habit of his we Cubs fans all love him for. Here’s to historic stadia. Here’s to the better uniform! Here’s to the sound of my claps echoing through my house, scaring the piss out of my cat! And here’s to Aston Villa. Here’s to the Claret and Blue (bye-bye, Spammers) of Birmingham! Here’s to the Double/Split Derby! Here’s to the end of an edge-your-seat, white-knuckle season in the Premier League! Here’s to a transfer window opening wide! Come On You Spurs! Come On You Villains!

May Villa Park and White Hart Lane ring loud-and-proud with the screams of the home supporters, and their songs of praise and elation. “Oh When The Spurs! Go Marching In!”

And here’s to the Cubbies! Now up 6-3 after a five-run rally at Fenway! I heard Jake Peavy pitched three innings for the Pale-Hose totaling less than seven minutes. The Cubs have now pushed this inning to over thirty minutes. Red Sox are giving this one to Mah Cubbies! Entertaining baseball on FOX? Oh, no Joe Buck… that’s why… I tweeted earlier this game that the BoSox looked like they were getting ready to paint the Green Monster after the game. Well, the Cubs have put a mark on it this inning! Get the paint ready, boys!

Here’s where I set the laptop aside for a while, to watch the rest of this ballgame… and smoke a damn cigarette, drink a cold beer!

Final at Fenway:
Cubs 9
Red Sox 3

Who says American sports fans don’t know how to sing?
Go Cubbies!
Come on You Spurs!

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