1. FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls – U.S. Open Cup
Cinci’s magical run continues to the semifinals. The way they pull fans, this is an future MLS team if they have the stadium and want to. Odd that they are outside looking in for the USL playoffs.
B. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim vs. Liverpool – UEFA Champions League
The bigger league boys are coming out to play in this round, if the ones who barely qualified. Germany. England. Fiiight! Oh wait. Don’t. History. Loud noises…
3. Young Boys vs. CSKA Moscow – UEFA Champions League
YB is from Bern. This should be the most competitive of today’s selected Champions League matches.
4. Sporting CP vs. FCSB – UEFA Champions League
Portuguese vs. Romanian sides in a battle. Sporting CP is typically known in English-speaking countries as Sporting Lisbon to avoid confusion regarding other clubs with the name Sporting. Portugal, I was confused long before your football came into my life.
5. APOEL Nicosia vs. Slavia Prague – UEFA Champions League
The Cypriot team name just looks prettier, and one should put their euros or koruny on “The Legend”, as it is known.
6. FK Qarabag vs. FC Copenhagen – UEFA Champions League
The Azerbaijani squad has the best crest I’ve seen yet, simply elegant! Copehagen is rated higher, but has been off too a rough start early in their league season.
Post script: Maybe those horses are being a little too frisky with the circle emblem.
7. Queretaro vs. Pachuca – Copa MX
This event is still in the group stage, and nether of these teams is likely to advance farther than the next round.
8. Leeds United vs. Fulham – English Championship League
These are two of the better sides to not have gotten promoted to the Premiere last year.
9. Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Chapacoense – Suruga Bank Championship
This feels like a mid-tier NCAA college bowl game-level event to the Noob. This annual game features the previous season’s J1 (Japanese) League champions versus last year’s Copa Sudamericana (2nd best South American tournament) winner.
The Management and I enjoy Urawa immensely. Not the town, as it no longer exists in name, being absorbed by Saitama (Saaaaiiiiitamaaaaaah!). The Management has described this part of the Greater Tokyo area as being akin to the New Jersey portion of NYC. Noob immediately wanted to adopt the “gym-tan-sushi!” lifestyle he imagines, and so this is our adopted J1 team.
We agree, The Situation. Too much puppy can be a bad thing. They’d chase those cute kitties away.
10. Shanghai Shenhua vs. Shanghai Shenxin – Chinese FA Cup
Shenxin is the FC Cincinnati of China right now. They should, however, get throttled by this very good Super League side.
