A Season In Review

Another great Premier League season has come to an end, and it ended in heartbreak and agony for Blackpool and Birmingham, who were relegated on a hectic last day of the season along with West Ham. It was an interesting season, one that is sure to stay in memory for a while.

The Champions
Manchester United re-claimed the Barclays Premier League last week when they drew away at Blackburn. The champions finished with only 80 points, which was 5 less than they finished with last year when they were runners-up behind Chelsea. Although Sir Alex Ferguson didn't field his strongest lineup against visiting Blackpool, United still won 4-2. This year defender Nemanja won the Barclays Premier League Player of the Year Award. Ferguson took the managerial award, his 10th time winning the honor. Manchester United also surpassed Liverpool for most Premier League titles, with 19.

Funny Facts
-Manchester United's 80 points were the lowest total for a championship team since the 2001/2002 season, when United won with 80 points. That year, Chelsea's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank lead the league in scoring with 23 goals, David Beckham still played for United, and Leeds (now in the championship/2nd tier) finished 4th.
- Three stoppage-time goals were scored on Saturday, which brought the season goal total to 1,063. This is a new Premier League record.
- Manchester united has won 15 consecutive home matches in the league, which is a new record.
-Birmingham failed to keep one clean sheet in their last 7 games, a statistic that surely lead them to relegation.
- West Ham's 33 points were the highest for a 20th place team since the 2003/2004 season, when Wolves finished last with 33. Last year, the Hammers finished 17th with 35 points.

Team of the Year
My team of the year is:
GK: Joe Hart (Man. City)
RB: Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
CB: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
CB: Brede Hangleand (Fulham)
LB: Leighton Baines (Everton)
RM: Nani (Manchester United)
CM: Charlie Adam (Blackpool)
CM: Raul Meireles (Liverpool)
LM: Gareth Bale (Tottenham)
ST: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
ST: Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United)

Share your team of the year by commenting below.

Philadelphia Union To Host Real Madrid

The Philadelphia Union have announced a friendly with Spanish giants Real Madrid that will be played on July 23rd at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (home of the Philadelphia Eagles). The game is part of Real Madrid's Herbalife World Football Challenge. "Hosting Real Madrid provides another opportunity to showcase Philadelphia to the world. Philadelphia is a global tourist destination, thanks in part to the success of excellent city venues such as Lincoln Financial Field. We could not be more excited for our city," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Other teams the Union have played/will play are Manchester United and Everton (game on July 20th at PPL Park). The Union are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 14 points through 9 games.

Paolo Di Canio Wants Job In England; Particularly West Ham

Former West Ham striker and fan favorite Paolo Di Canio believes he will find a managing job in England within the next few days, hoping that West Ham will be a club who is interested in him. Di Canio, 42, says he would "give everything" if he ended up at West Ham. The Hammers are the only club who are already mathematically relegated from the Premier League. They fired their now former manager Avram Grant after a 3-2 defeat to Wigan last Saturday at the DW Stadium. Di Canio, who even has a West Ham tattoo said, "I am very saddened by West Ham's relegation. This team has always been in my heart." The Italian might have to wait a few more years (if the job is available) though, because West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan has seemed to "shoot down" any speculation involving Di Canio and the open position. Sullivan's problem seems to be that Di Canio has never been a manager before. He said, "My heart would say Paolo and the fans would say Paolo. But with someone who's a complete novice as a manger, with no experience, you just can't go with it." Di Canio scored 57 career goals for the Hammers. So, what do you think West Ham should do? Leave your opinions by commenting.

Welcome

Welcome to Soccer In The States. This blog will include posts from the MLS, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, national teams and other leagues/teams. Topics will range from transfers, game previews and reviews, tactics, previews, and others. I will be posting frequently (at least once a day), so please visit often. Also, please feel free to join in conversation by commenting on posts. I will occasionally have polls on the blog so readers can interact and voice their opinion. Enjoy.