First team to beat Manchester City wins. Go!

Matchweek 5 Review:

Bournemouth secured its first win on the year after a disappointing first four. These three points are all thanks to the heroics of 21-year-old Jordan Ibe. After being subbed on in the 65th minute, he assisted goals in the 67th and 73rd minutes to give his squad the lead for good.

Brighton played a quality contest on the road despite losing the possession battle. Pascal Groß grabbed an assist for Solly March’s first PL goal. Both clubs sit in the dungeon through five matches and this is a much needed win for Bournemouth.

Steven Davis scored early and the Saints held onto that lead the whole way. With three points, Southampton is lodged in with six other clubs at eight points. Mario Lemina played an exceptional game, completing 65 of 72 passes, sending five accurate long balls and taking two shots.

Crystal Palace played one of its best matches thus far, but still comes out with no points. Christian Benteke has been abysmal on the campaign, tallying zero shots and assists while averaging less than a 6.00 player rating.

West Ham stole a point in this one, getting yet another result after the poor start. Hammers defender, Jose Fonte, played his best contest on the year and helped keep the Baggies out of the net.

West Brom understandably left this match disappointed. This was a home match against a dungeon club before heading to the Emirates for the Arsenal contest. Losing this one also cost the club a chance at fourth place, but instead the team has settled in at tenth.

Wow. This team is on fire. Needing a win to keep pace with Manchester United, City did more than deliver. It was behind by six goals in the differential column and put up an improbable six to tie the Red Devils in first place.

I was immeasurably wrong here, as well. I put a lot of stock in Watford’s scoring ability and none of it showed. In easily its worst showing in the young season, there are some things to fix. On the bright side, this squad has a good shot at taking six points in its next two matches.

A pair of assists by Matt Ritchie gave Newcastle three points and also vaulted him into my Team of the Week. Newcastle shot up into fourth place after this impressive victory and Jamaal Lascelles’s second goal of the week.

With this loss, Stoke City have an unfortunate result after being the first club to draw Man United. Eric Chuopo-Moting’s exceptional game was followed by no shots on target, but this may not be all his fault: the squad played a 3-4-2-1 formation with Moting as an attacking midfielder instead of his typical front striker spot.

Not getting three points from 35 shots and 85% pass accuracy is certainly a let down, especially at home. Mohamed Salah played a great game and scored the lone goal for Liverpool, but he certainly tried to add on. Four shots on goal and three key passes led to plenty of chances, but Ben Mee and Nick Pope kept it a draw.

The Canadian midfielder, Scott Arfield, got the opening goal for Burnley in a match that didn’t see Sam Vokes until the 87th minute. Starting Chris Wood alone up top was a bold move, but it paid off for Burnley, getting the road point.

Jamie Vardy’s fourth goal on the year came as an equalizing penalty kick in the second half. Budding star Kelechi Iheanacho played an underwhelming game by being dispossessed three times, losing nine duels and not managing a shot on target before being subbed off before the 70th minute.

Sixth place Huddersfield managed more shots and possession in this draw, with midfielder Aaron Mooy looking phenomenal. His seven accurate long balls, three key passes and 14 crosses created many of his team’s 15 chances in this one.

More dropped points at Wembley for Spurs. Eight shots on target and a whopping 75% possession wasn’t enough to down a Swansea side that managed zero shots on frame. The three at the back left Ben Davies and Juan Foyth on the bench, but that didn’t keep the cross count down. Tottenham whipped in a season-high 42 crosses, but couldn’t find the back of the net once.

Swansea played a decent match, but the Swans’ goalkeeper was phenomenal. Lukasz Fabianski made eight saves and kept a clean sheet, pushing his tally to nine on the season. Swansea gets an impressive result on the road and increases its points total to five.

This was quite a surprise considering Arsenal’s recent run of form. It’s just the result the Gunners needed after another bout of calls for Arsene Wenger to be canned. Not only did the squad compete with such a strong Chelsea side, but it had multiple chances to steal all three points at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea ended its winning streak at three games by dropping points at home for the second time this season. David Luiz broke his wrist on a challenge late in the match for which he was also sent off. He’ll serve a two-match suspension and is recovering quickly from the injury.

Manchester United has now won three contests 4-0 and the Red Devils have now scored nine goals after the 80th minute this season. Those nine are over half of the total scored through five matches and if the team continues to score in bunches, it will be nearly impossible to beat.

Everton held United to a lone goal through much of the match and nearly equalized a few different times. However, once the 80th minute passed, the sturdy defense collapsed and gave way to a barrage. With this result, Everton has now been outscored 9-0 in its last three PL matches.

Team of the Week:

Golden Boot Watch:

1. Sergio Aguero – Manchester City (5)
2. Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United (5)
3. Gabriel Jesus – Manchester City (4)
4. Jamie Vardy – Leicester City (4/2)
5. Sadio Mane – Liverpool (3)
6. Anthony Martial – Manchester United (3)
7. Alvaro Morata – Chelsea (3)
8. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (3)
9. Raheem Sterling – Manchester City (3/1)
10. Danny Welbeck – Arsenal (3)
11. Own Goals – All Teams (3)

Week 6 Preview:

Tottenham will win this road contest despite struggling at London Stadium in the past two seasons. In the past, the defense was plagued by Manuel Lanzini up top, but he is still dealing with an injury and will be sidelined. Javier Hernandez has never scored against Tottenham despite this being his fourth season in England and won’t find the net here, either.

Watford, coming off of sheer obliteration at home versus Man City, will get back on the right track against this Swansea side. Tottenham struggled up front against the Swans, but the Hornets will strike twice to get back in form.

An uninspiring loss against Newcastle left Stoke asking questions after such a great draw against Manchester United. Chuopo-Moting’s place up front has been altered multiple times this season, but if he reclaims his spot up top I think he’ll thrive once more. Chelsea will get its second draw in a row before returning to London to face Manchester City.

United has struggled with Southampton in the recent past, losing twice and drawing once since 2015. This contest will be different as the Saints defense won’t be able to hold United’s attack in check, especially in the final 15 minutes. Romelu Lukaku is also looking for his sixth goal in as many games.

Over a month in, these two clubs are as far apart as possible. Perhaps the most exciting club thus far, Manchester City has scored 15 goals in its last three matches (including Champions League). Crystal Palace, however, is the only PL team yet to score a goal on the year. It’ll be more of the same for both sides in this drubbing.

Everton is far better than its record suggests. Having played Manchester City, Chelsea, Spurs and now Manchester United, the Toffies now get a stretch of mediocre teams to gather points. Bournemouth secured its first win last Friday, but will have a tough time maintaining possession against Everton’s impressive midfield.

Still hanging around in sixth place, Huddersfield Town travel to Burnley in search of another draw to keep the campaign in shape. Burnley has yet to win against a team not named Crystal Palace since the opener and are due for three points at home. Welshman Sam Vokes and New Zealander, Chris Wood, will each get their third goal on the season to top this resilient Huddersfield side.

I’m looking at this one as the most exciting contest of the weekend. Liverpool hasn’t won since August and is still looking to find its offensive magic that led to that thrashing of Arsenal last month. Jamie Vardy is back on the scene with four goals thus far and his team will need him to score once more if the Foxes are to win this home contest.

Brighton at Falmer has been miles above Brighton on the road and against fellow promoted side, Newcastle, there will be more continued improvement. The defensive tandem of Dunk and Duffy have kept the Gulls in matches all year and will help keep Joselu out of the net.

Arsenal lost to West Brom 3-1 in March of last season to begin the Gunners’ slide into sixth place. The Gunners are a much-improved squad with both Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac to counter Brom’s sturdy back line. Danny Welbeck has been in great form, as well, with three goals on the campaign.

Tier One: The Elite

1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City

Tier Two: The Contending

3. Chelsea
4. Tottenham
5. Liverpool

Tier Three: The Risers

6. Arsenal
7. Burnley
8. Southampton

Tier Four: The Lacking in Proof

9. Newcastle
10. Stoke City
11. Huddersfield Town
12. Leicester City
13. West Brom
14. Watford
15. Everton
16. Swansea City

Tier Five: The Relegation Candidates

17. Bournemouth
18. Brighton & Hove
19. West Ham
20. Crystal Palace

Stoppage Time:

Manchester City is evolving into the best Premier League team. The Citizens demolished Liverpool and Watford in the league and also crushed Feyenoord 5-0 in the Champions League last week. A team that has been plagued by injuries is finally shaping up with Gabriel Jesus playing the best football of his life alongside David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne. The revamped backline is also holding opposing offenses in check as well as opening up opportunities to score via crosses. The club gets Chelsea in two weeks, which is a huge contest for both sides’ chances at the title.

The post Premier League: Matchweek 6 Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

There was plenty of action across English soccer this week, with the PL resuming and both Champions League and Europa League getting started. Matchweek 4 provided 28 goals in this set of league fixtures, tying the opening weekend for the most thus far.

Matchweek 4 Review:

I couldn’t have been any more wrong about this one. I slotted Liverpool at second on my power rankings, lauding the Reds as one of England’s most talented sides. After Sadio Mane’s controversial red card, things got out of hand quickly.

This is not to say, however, that Manchester City did not play well. The Citizens exploited the loss of such a polarizing player and Sergio Aguero returned to form to lead the charge with a goal and two assists. Exploding for five goals, this is Man City’s largest win over Liverpool since 1937.

As far as much-needed wins, Arsenal are finally returning to form. Beating an undermanned Bournemouth squad at home is just what the doctor ordered after consecutive road losses. Managing nine shots on goal, the Gunners finished the chances they created and Danny Welbeck netted his second and third goals on the year.

Bournemouth’s Harry Arter got the ball into space for attacker Jermain Defoe, who got his second start of the season after this summer’s transfer. This squad still sits in the cellar with no points through four games and is looking ahead to Everton, Tottenham and Chelsea in three of its next five matches.

After what seemed a humdrum start with no goals in three contests, Brighton turned it on against West Brom for its first win. Pascal Groß notched a brace and an assist, working his way into my Team of the Week.

West Brom, after only allowing one goal in its undefeated start, conceded three before James Morrison’s consolation late in the match. Perhaps surprisingly, Ahmed Hegazy was subbed off early in the second half after Groß’s second goal. Hegazy has been a constant in that Baggies back four through the first three matches and his absence led to a third goal five minutes later.

Harry Kane is back! After another slow August from the English captain, Kane managed a brace at Goodison with two exceptional goals. Four days later, the talisman tallied another brace in the Champions League victory at Wembley over Dortmund. Christian Eriksen also added a goal in Spurs’ impressive win over Everton.

The Toffies have a lot to think about. Home ties against top-six clubs must provide points if Everton are to fill in for Arsenal’s absence. Not only is this 3-0 loss weighing the club down, but losing 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League is not a good start on the international trail.

This is not a surprising result, but the big story is former Leicester hero, N’Golo Kante, getting the winner against his former club. After helping the Foxes win their first Premier League title a season after avoiding relegation, Kante headed for Chelsea and won another title.

Chelsea are looking a formidable side since the opening weekend. After leaving all three points by conceding three goals against Burnley, the Blues haven’t allowed an opposition player to score from open play since. Leicester is one again settling into subpar play, finding itself in 17th place through four matches.

Watford is looking good. This road win puts the Hornets in fourth place, trailing only Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. They’ll have a great opportunity to gain even more ground when this impressive squad play host to Man City on Saturday.

Defender Christian Kabasele earned his way onto my Team of the Week with some wonderful defending to keep Southampton out of the back of the net. The Saints lost a valuable opportunity here at home to go fourth and Manchester United loom after next week’s match with Crystal Palace.

Manchester United is no longer perfect after dropping points to Stoke City. Trading goals back and forth, Eric Chuopo-Moting netted a brace to get the draw for Stoke. Romelu Lukaku added to his tally and now leads the league in goals (4).

United still sit atop the league in first, but only on goal differential. Man City is coming off of a tremendous 5-0 victory and the two don’t play until December. There’s plenty of time for either club to gain a substantial lead, but that contest should be quite exciting in a few months.

Burnley gets its first league win in nearly a month with the early goal from Chris Wood. Crystal Palace has now begun this campaign goalless through four contest. After West Ham’s win, only Bournemouth join Palace at the bottom with no points.

Sam Vokes and Chris Wood are fueling the surprising offense this season with Burnley sitting in seventh place. Palace, however, is looking worse every single outing and will get Man City, Man United and Chelsea by mid-October.

Renato Sanches’s debut for Swansea was less than stellar, losing an astounding 12 of 16 duels. Dispossessed six times, Sanches was subbed off two-thirds of the way into the match. Swansea dominated possession, but Newcastle led the way with eight shots. It seemed the two would call it even, but Jamaal Lascelles, the center back, got the late winner.

Swansea has started this campaign better than I expected and the addition of Sanches should eventually pan out for the Swans. Newcastle snagged its second consecutive win and will get Stoke next.

West Ham, a team I had destined for a comeback and top-ten finish, has secured its first points of the season. The team had conceded 10 goals in three contests, but newcomer Joe Hart kept the clean sheet in this one.

Huddersfield began this campaign in stellar fashion, allowing no goals and finding its way into the top four. This result knocks the team down a few pegs to sixth, but there are certainly many bright spots to look to for motivation.

Team of the Week:

Golden Boot Watch:

1. Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United (4)
2. Gabriel Jesus – Manchester City (3)
3. Sadio Mane – Liverpool (3)
4. Alvaro Morata – Chelsea (3)
5. Jamie Vardy – Leicester City (3)
6. Danny Welbeck – Arsenal (3)
7. Own Goals – All Teams (3)

Week 5 Preview:

Bournemouth will get this victory, but only due to the heroics of Jermain Defoe. I like Brighton’s chances in this one, but Bournemouth is desperate for points. Anthony Knockaert has proven especially effective for Brighton, but won’t be able to stop Defoe in the final third.

Southampton dropped points for the second match in a row against mid-tier opposition, so the Saints will have to get a win from the worst team in the league. The midfield of this club will dominate Palace’s undermanned middle and own possession in this contest, en route to a win.

After getting its first three points of the new season, West Ham is taking a step in the right direction. Andre Ayew had an exceptional match, coming on in the second half to life the Hammers to their first victory. This positive trend will lead to a road draw against a tough Brom side.

This may be wishful thinking, but I really favor Watford’s offensive threat against Man City’s pacy back line. City is on a good run of form and fresh off of a Liverpool smash, however, the team lucked out in their last away match, needing a controversial stoppage time victory. Watford will make a statement to the league by getting a draw against another top club.

This match will prove much more intriguing than many may think. I like both teams in the attacking midfield and each side will push the tempo. Both sides have done well to keep the goals allowed tally low, so I’m very excited for how this one shapes up.

Liverpool is a club that was on the rise prior to the Man City thumping. The club will have to alter its tactics with starlet Sadio Mane out with a three-match ban, but shouldn’t have trouble at home versus Burnley. The away side got a win against Huddersfield, but has struggled in the midfield – an area that the Reds excel. Mane’s absence may even free up some space for newcomer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the center.

Jamie Vardy is up to three goals in four contests and he’ll get another in this one. Huddersfield still has a lot to look forward to, but its offense is not up to par with the Foxes. Leicester fared well against Chelsea and the side, but isn’t quite up to the standard that the top tier are. These teams, however, are clubs that Leicester should feed upon.

Spurs have impressed within the past week. Winning 3-0 on the road against Everton was followed up by a 3-1 win over Dortmund at Wembley. Swansea added Renato Sanches, but Tottenham has its own central midfielder in Victor Wanyama to control the match. This one won’t be close; Tottenham is getting back into form and the positive league record at Wembley will start here.

Arsenal ended up taking all three points in an impressive showing against Bournemouth with Alexandre Lacazette getting back into shape. If he can exploit Chelsea’s three at the back, this scoreline may be a tad different, but Chelsea is just getting started with this impressive campaign.

United dropped its first points of the season against Stoke, but are still tops in the rankings. This club is proving with each match that scoring isn’t going to be a problem this season. Everton have perhaps the toughest opening schedule of the Premier League, so take its first four results with a grain of salt, however, Rooney’s return to Old Trafford won’t be a happy one once the whistle blows.

Tier One: The Elite

1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City

Tier Two: The Contending

3. Chelsea
4. Tottenham
5. Liverpool

Tier Three: The Europa League Challengers

6. Watford
7. Everton
8. Burnley
9. Arsenal

Tier Four: The Underdogs

10. Stoke City
11. West Brom
12. Southampton
13. Huddersfield Town
14. Leicester City

Tier Five: The Long Way Off

15. Brighton and Hove
16. Newcastle
17. Swansea

Tier Six: The Relegation Candidates

18. West Ham
19. Bournemouth
20. Crystal Palace

Stoppage Time:

Maybe Brighton is really deserving of this promotion. After no goals in three matches, I was worried for the Gulls and their chances at staying afloat in this league. However, a statement win over West Brom was the perfect way to realign this campaign. I’ve spoken of his efforts recently, but Anthony Knockaert deserves much of the credit for this win. He didn’t stuff the stat sheet like Pascal Groß, but he did deliver some key passes to set up many important chances. Groß is the MVP of Brighton’s first win, but Knockaert will push this squad forward in matches they may not otherwise show a chance.

The post Premier League: Matchweek 5 Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The international break is complete and players across the globe are making their way back to work. With the September round of the World Cup 2018 Qualifiers wrapped up, we can now delve into the thick of the Premier League season.

Matchweek 4 Preview:

After a thrashing of Arsenal at Anfield two weeks ago, Liverpool sit atop my PL Power Rankings. This may come as a surprise, pushing the Reds above 3-0-0 Manchester United, but Liverpool look the part. A 4-0 victory over league heavyweights Arsenal featuring exceptionally inspiring play between Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino from storesselectscanada.

I’m giving Manchester City one goal in this tie, but after seeing out an undeserved win versus a winless Bournemouth side, City have some questions to answer up front following Raheem Sterling’s red card. I see Sadio Mane continuing his exceptional form by netting yet another goal, but the winner comes from newcomer, Salah.

The Gunners need this more than ever. The consistent call for Wenger’s job is growing ever louder and, after shipping out Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, something needs to be done. Of course, this is a match Arsenal should win with relative ease, especially due to the midfield. Bournemouth, coming off of an optimistic appearance against Man City, could play spoiler and officially get the Gunners boss canned.

We’ll see what Wenger does, but to grab all three points I feel that Alexandre Lacazette will need a much larger role. Entering the Liverpool contest – if you even want to call it a contest – in the 62nd minute was far too late for any damage to be done. Already down 3-0, Lacazette could only manage one shot; he’ll need a full 90 to push Arsenal past the finish line in this one.

Now named ‘The American Express Community Stadium’, Brighton has followed many clubs in the PL in selling off its stadium’s naming rights. Supporters will forever call the Gulls’ home ‘Falmer’, so I see little point in disagreeing. After managing a point on the road against Watford, Brighton come home to a surging, fifth-placed West Brom side. The Baggies, undefeated thus far, have conceded once in three tries.

However, a less than stellar match against Stoke leads me to a draw in this contest. Brighton hasn’t looked exceptional by any means, but Anthony Knockaert has fared well through his first three appearances, getting his first start and seizing it at Watford. After posting four shots, three key passes and 86% overall pass success, he’ll have a big impact on this home draw against a formidable Brom squad.

Known for slow starts, Spurs have now lost and drawn at Wembley after the opening road win against Newcastle. Everton were completely outclassed against Chelsea last match, but looked very promising in a win over Stoke and draw against Man City prior to the defeat. Now retired from international football, Wayne Rooney is showing glimpses of his old self with two goals in three games.

Tottenham will score twice for the first time since Aug. 13, but it still isn’t enough for all three points. Everton, with its multitude of midfielding acquisitions (see: Davy Klaassen, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Nikola Vlasic, etc.), will also find the back of the net twice, courtesy of Sigurdsson and Aaron Lennon – both former Spurs. Tottenham won’t statistically dominate like it did in the Burnley match, but Christian Eriksen will translate his Danish success to his club by scoring and assisting against Everton.

Leicester pushed Manchester United far into the match, but lost in inevitable fashion. The 2-0 match was United’s lowest margin of victory thus far, if that’s any solace for the Foxes to take into this tough home match. Chelsea allowed zero shots on goal against a determined Everton squad, so if Leicester can notch a goal versus the Blues, it’s all the more impressive.

The Blues are getting hot again. After the 2-3 stunner at home in the opener, Chelsea hasn’t allowed a goal scored by an opposing player since. Leicester lost a heartbreaker in its opener to Arsenal and will lose here despite an impressive showing.

Southampton has played three matches, scoring three and conceding two. Interestingly enough, all five of those goals came in its second match versus West Ham. Two disappointing draws to Swansea and Huddersfield leave much to be desired. Ironically, Watford has the same line of a win and two draws, yet the club looks to be in much better form. A 3-3 draw against Liverpool and a scoreless tie, while a man down, versus Brighton puts the Hornets in optimistic position for this one.

Five goals coming from five different players for Watford leads me to believe that goals can be scored when in dire straits. Southampton will put this team to the test with its high-pressure attacking midfield tandem, but Watford will respond with its imposing front three.

Two goals in three contests, Stoke leans on its stout defense to garner points. Manchester United is not weak in the back by any means, but it certainly doesn’t rely on it. A fiery attack has led to 10 goals in three matches and this contest doesn’t look good for the Potters.

The Red Devils will muster another three goals for their riot and, while they may not break the 103-goals record (they’re on pace for 127), it’ll take a battle-tested defense to keep the ball out of the net. Stoke will be outmatched in the midfield and the match will get out of hand if it can’t maintain possession at a reasonable rate.

Collecting three points on the road against Chelsea was a coming out party of sorts for Burnley. Managing a draw against Spurs was impressive as well, but if the club wants to compete it needs to clean house in these lower matches. Crystal Palace sits in the red with no points thus far and will need a tighter back line if it wants a chance in this one.

Burnley will notch its first home win while Palace will notch its first goal. These teams are trending in opposite directions and Burnley will capitalize on its goalscoring chances, unlike in the West Brom loss. Crystal Palace has played well in spurts, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Managing a goal is a good start, but with Southampton, Man City, Man United and Chelsea looming, things are looking bleak.

West Ham has already been punched this season, but a 3-0 loss to Newcastle was just a kick while it’s already down. The Magpies collected three well-deserved points in that contest and will look to bring some momentum into this one. Swansea took three from Palace Aug. 26, but something much bigger has happened since. Renato Sanches, Portuguese wonderkid and Bayern Munich benchwarmer, has been loaned to the Swans for the remainder of the season. He’ll likely get his first start against Newcastle and this completely alters the trajectory of Swansea’s campaign.

I doubt he’ll score, though that would be a storybook start for the 20-year-old, but Renato Sanches will command respect in the midfield against Newcastle. In doing so, he’ll open passing lanes for playmakers like Jordan Ayew and Leroy Fer. If Newcastle is to steal a point or three at Liberty, it’ll need more of the same magic from Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie.

Seeing the Hammers’ additions in the transfer window and looking down the schedule, I chalked this one up as an automatic three points. The script has been completely flipped, with Huddersfield in third place having allowed no goals and West Ham in dead last with 10 goals conceded.

West Ham welcomed plenty of new faces in the transfer window, perhaps most notably Chicharito. Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer tallied a brace in the loss to Southampton and he’ll get a third in this draw. Huddersfield, the Prem’s surprise through three matchweeks, will stay undefeated with this road point.

Power Rankings:

These rankings are intended to convey my opinion on how well a team is performing at the given moment. Not only is it the club’s form, but also how well the players are playing together, the level of competition they’ve played and the performance they gave despite the result.

Tier One: The Elite

1. Liverpool
2. Manchester United

Tier Two: The Contending

3. Manchester City
4. Chelsea
5. Tottenham

Tier Three: The Few Steps Away

6. Everton
7. Watford
8. West Brom

Tier Four: The Prove-Its

9. Huddersfield
10. Southampton
11. Burnley
12. Stoke City

Tier Five: The Fallen from Greatness

13. Arsenal
14. Leicester City

Tier Six: The Long Way Off

15. Newcastle
16. Swansea City

Tier Seven: The Relegation Candidates

17. Brighton and Hove
18. Bournemouth
19. Crystal Palace
20. West Ham

Free Kicks:

1. Champions League games begin next Wednesday and I went into more detail last week. Premier League teams in action feature Manchester United playing host to Basel, Chelsea hosting Qarabag, Liverpool hosting Sevilla, Manchester City visiting Feyenoord and Tottenham welcoming Dortmund to Wembley.
2. After a wild weekend of World Cup Qualifiers, some clear winners are Saudi Arabia, Syria, Costa Rica, Peru and Serbia. Thus far, there are eight nations that are directly qualified: Russia via hosting, Brazil via CONMEBOL, Belgium via UEFA, Mexico via CONCACAF and Iran, Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia via AFC.
3. The United States seems to be limping toward the finish line at this point, amassing one single point in the two games this matchweek. The Yanks followed up their first home loss to Costa Rica since 1975 with an uninspiring, yet somehow fortunate, draw in Honduras. Currently in the inter-confederation playoff spot of the Hex, USMNT has matches against Panama and Trinidad & Tobago remaining. Due to a massive goal differential, two wins in those matches would guarantee a berth in the world cup. However unlikely, slipping up could lead to a fourth place finish and a berth in the playoff against the winner of Australia and Syria; or, even worse, a collapse to fifth and the first World Cup absence since 1986.

Stoppage Time:

West Brom is off to a solid start with wins over Bournemouth and Burnley and, most recently, a draw against Stoke. The defense is looking exceptionally impressive, especially due to the fact that it was the Baggies’ biggest question mark opening the year. The team sits in fifth after three matches and has a favorable opening schedule. It faces two bottom-tier clubs in Brighton and West Ham to start the month of September before coming against Manchester City on Sep. 20. I see the club grabbing four more points before that pivotal City match and, if the club can hang around the top third of the table before that contest, it will enter the Europa League conversation.

The post Premier League: Matchweek 4 Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“Dynasty” is term loosely tossed around to describe successful teams after championship runs. In most modern sports, the talent pool has proven too deep to have a classic, 20^th-century, dynasty such as the 50s Yankees, 60s Celtics or 90s Cowboys. Those squads dominated and left little question as to which team was the best in their respective eras. While that same scenario may not exist in all major United States sports, we can garner at least a debate.

In this piece we will dive into the top dynasties since the first season post-2000 started of each major sport between the college and professional levels and decide which recent squad has had dominated its respective sport the most. There are rules that will be followed.

1. There will be a qualified team picked out of each individual sport before jumping to a final debate on who is the king of kings.
2. One team must be chosen out of each major sport – college football, men’s/women’s basketball, baseball, wrestling, volleyball, MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.
3. Seasons that are currently in progress (2014-15 college hoops, NBA, NHL) are not included. For example, Kentucky’s current undefeated record in college hoops cannot be applied to their opportunity to be considered college basketball’s top dynasty on the men’s side.
4. Dynasty is a term used far too often. Are the Seahawks a dynasty because of how great their defense is in the past two years? No, because Seattle struggled through a lot of down seasons beforehand. In this piece, a dynasty will be defined as “Dominating a respective sport, while simultaneously competing for championships to the tune of being the greatest team in the discussed era.”
5. A team must consistently be in championship contention, but in order to be a dynasty in this span – a team must have won at least a single title.
6. I cannot compare teams between sports, as that will happen in the follow up article, where I will rank the selections from each league.

Let the games begin.

NBA

The NBA has always had a lack of parity.  We may no longer be limited to just the Lakers and Celtics, but the situation is still heavily lopsided.

Starting in the 2000-01 season, just three out of 14 Western Conference champions haven’t been named either the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs. The Dallas Mavericks made two Finals appearances, and the Oklahoma City Thunder briefly showed up before being ousted in five by the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.

The Eastern Conference has been more diverse, but less successful. Seven teams (Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Detroit, Miami, Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando) have won the conference, but just three (Detroit, Miami, Boston) have managed to end the postseason with a victory.

The Heat have an impressive five title appearances and three championships to make a case for a potential top-NBA dynasty in the last 14 seasons. However, they fall well short of the Western Conference rivals from California and Texas.

The Spurs have a cumulative regular season record of 804-328 (.710), a postseason tally of 129-80 (.617), and four championships in five appearances since 2000. Their worst record in that span is 50-32 in 2009, and yet they still made it to the Western Conference Semifinals. Gregg Popovich has led this team to being easily the most consistent of all NBA squads in this era.

Los Angeles, albeit currently in its lowest moment in franchise history, also has an argument to be the representative for professional hoops. While their 690-442 (.610) overall regular season mark is well below San Antonio’s, their post season record of 108-66 trumps the Spurs. In six Finals appearances, the Lakers have taken home four titles – equal to the Spurs. If the 1999-2000 season and the first third of the Shaq-Kobe three-peat were included, my final decision may not have been…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, led by a long-time coach and familiar players, have (somehow quietly) been one of the most consistent teams in all of American athletics. Their YMCA-style of play may not captivate casual audiences with oohs and awes, but their record says all that is needed. The Lakers have missed the playoffs as many times (two) as the Spurs have missed the second round. The ability to avoid down years is what makes the difference. San Antonio and Los Angeles have the same highs, but the Spurs have yet to hit a low this century.

Honorable mention: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat

NFL

Baltimore, New England, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants have all won multiple titles since Super Bowl XXXV, thus obviously deserving of recognition in this analysis. Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Green Bay and Seattle will also be included as to compare all Super Bowl victors.

Looking based simply off of this, the answer is penciled in. Let’s engrave it in stone with this next chart. I gave every team a point total for each category – the top team receiving nine points and the bottom receiving one – (regular season win percentage, total postseason wins, postseason win percentage, division titles and Super Bowls). The point total depended on where a team finished in each respective section.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: New England Patriots. New England swept the board in each measurable category. It’s hard to tell if they’re farther ahead of the pack than Tampa Bay is behind. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have created a dynasty and are two absurd catches from having six Super Bowls in this span, including the Brady-Randy Moss 2007 combination that was the best team in NFL history to not win it all.

NHL

The NHL has experienced more parity than its professional counterparts this century. Ten teams have won a Stanley Cup in the last 13 occurrences (plus the 2005 lockout season). The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche have all taken home one championship, while the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings all have a pair of titles. To avoid confusion in the following chart, the NHL did away with ties during this span and therefore the records will be Win-Loss-Overtime Losses-Ties.

  We have seven categories (Stanley Cups, playoff appearances, playoff series victories, postseason wins, postseason win percentage and regular season win percentage and points). The best team in each category will receive 10 points and the worst will pick up just one. In order to put a stronger emphasis on advancing in the postseason, playoff series victories will count as a point for each accumulated. This should counteract disciplining teams for advancing on to tougher rounds just to be swept.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Detroit Red Wings. Outside of postseason win percentage, Detroit swept the board since 2000. Its 17 postseason series victories is even more impressive when factoring in the lockout season and the fact that no other franchise has more than a dozen. Despite parity among Stanley Cup victors, Detroit has easily been the most consistently dominant in all of professional hockey. Not much of an argument can be made for any other squad from this chart, and therefore none are honorable mention worthy.

Men’s college basketball:

After a relatively easy start, we reach what might be the most complicated of all sports we list. College basketball is about as random as they come (see odds of making a perfect bracket). Of course, Kentucky seems like an obvious choice after winning a national title in 2013-14 and going undefeated so far in 2014-15 (void). Don’t let fresh tastes discount distant memories.

Recent impressions can’t influence this decision, but the Wildcats have enough beyond that to make a pretty decisive statement. A 369-124 overall record is tough to argue with. What’s even harder? Twelve NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Sweet Sixteens, three Final Fours and a 1-1 record in the championship. Take away the two seasons Billy Gillispie coached Kentucky to a 40-27 overall record with zero NCAA Tournament victories and an NIT berth, and the Wildcats may blow the competition out of the water.

One team has been so remarkably consistent in its conference that it’s impossible to leave off this list: The Kansas Jayhawks.

After transitioning from a Hall of Fame coach, Kansas found a fate much simpler than Kentucky. Bill Self took over Roy Williams’ squad and didn’t miss a beat.

Williams’ last three seasons resulted in a 42-6 conference record that was overshadowed by a Sweet Sixteen, Final Four and a championship appearance. Since? Self has given the Jayhawks a 325-69 mark with a 151-31 stretch in the Big 12.

Self’s initial tournament resume left much to be desired with two first round exits sandwiched between a pair of Elite Eight showings. That turned around quickly with Kansas’ lone national title during this span in 2008.

Kansas boasts similar marks to Kentucky, with one extra championship loss thrown in, and its down years were first round exits over being completely left out.

So how about ex-Jayhawk coach Williams’ new squad – North Carolina? The Tar Heels have two national titles and another Final Four on their record and they may not even be the best dynasty in their own state.

Recent 1,000 game winner Mike Kryzewski’s Duke Blue Devils are.

Duke has a pair of national titles, has appeared in the tournament in each covered year, and has lost in their opening matchup just three times. Their conference dominance may not be as high as a team such as Kansas, but the competition is relatively stellar each season.

The Blue Devils hold an absurd 412-87 (.826) record in this span. So it has to be them, right?111

Let’s head over to Big Ten country where Tom Izzo is standing by for a quick lecture on postseason play. Michigan State, although missing its 1999-2000 national championship by just one season, has made nine Sweet Sixteens, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours, and has won one title. They haven’t missed the tournament a single time, and have been eliminated before the Round of 32 just four times.

What about UConn’s three title runs? Florida’s star-studded squads? Kentucky’s heated-rival Louisville? We need a way to rank these teams accordingly as to put all bias aside and assign an overall score. Postseason play in college basketball has always taken precedence over any other measurement of success. Here is the scoring chart to decide the top NCAA Tournament team since 2001’s tournament when solely considering those whom have a title to their name in this span:

Round of 64 loss: 0 points
Round of 32 loss: 1 point
Sweet 16 loss: 2 points
Elite Eight loss: 4 points
Final Four Loss: 8 points
Championship loss: 12 points
Championship: 16 points

NCAA Tournament champions results since 2000-01 March Madness: Kansas 68, UConn 67, Duke 59, North Carolina 56, Florida 55, Kentucky 55, Michigan State 51, Louisville 44, Syracuse 37, Maryland 30.

Shockingly, outside of its three titles runs, UConn only scored 19 points on this scale. The Huskies fell just a point shy of claiming this all important statistic in pushing forward to choosing men’s college hoops’ most dominant dynasty of the 21^st century. Despite just one title, consistency overcame roller coaster levels of postseason success and your winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Kansas Jayhawks. Not only has Kansas (almost surprisingly) performed as the top overall team in March Madness, but it also has the most eye-popping accomplishment. I’m going to type this out to make it even more drastic: Kansas has won at least a share of (ahem) back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back regular season Big 12 championships. That’s 10. Read that out loud and you’re likely to need to catch your breath. This isn’t Kansas playing in the Summit League or intramural athletics – this is a major conference with a tough road to the top every season. Ten?! In a row? And just for the record, it’s also 12 of 13, but who’s counting? The Huskies have a legitimate argument when it comes to this discussion due to three incredible runs to the championship, but Kansas has been a more consistently feared team. Welcome to a new postseason tournament, Jayhawks. Let’s see who else is joining you.

Honorable mention: Duke, UConn

Women’s College Basketball

I went from one of the more difficult sports to choose to what might be the easiest. UConn women’s hoops is out of this world. Seven championships since the turn of the century. Average margin of victory in those title-winning contests? 15.4 points. That’s 15 points better than the second best team in the country. Talk about a talent gap. I can’t put into words how unbelievably incredible the Huskies’ overall record has been, so I’ll leave two simple numbers on its own.

486-38.

That’s a .927 winning percentage.

I could play myself in checkers and not win 93 percent of the time.

Connecticut has missed out on the Sweet Sixteen in this span only…well, they haven’t. And just once were they limited to that. On top of the Sweet Sixteen and seven titles, the Huskies have made two Elite Eight appearances along with four Final Fours. Therefore, your clear cut winner without any hesitation is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Connecticut Huskies.

College Wrestling

If the 70s, 80s and 90s were included, this wouldn’t even be a competition. The Iowa Hawkeyes took home 20 titles from 1975-2000. Despite those all being out of the picture, Iowa is still in contention for the 21^st century title post-Dan Gable. The Hawkeyes have three titles to their name, which comes shy of Penn State and Oklahoma State, who put together four each. With the overall team title competition so close, our answer comes from individual championships. The Nittany Lions have nine, Hawkeyes 13 and Cowboys 18.

Oklahoma State’s 2005 season was the best of the era, fielding five individual champions in 10 weight classes, and scoring 153 points – best since the 1997 Hawkeyes scored 170. Therefore the winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cowboys are tied for the lead in titles, have the best overall team of the era and can claim having the most individual titles. They may be fortunate to wrestle outside the Big Ten, but national titles don’t lie.

Honorable Mention: Iowa Hawkeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions

MLB

Four teams have won multiple titles since 2000 – the Red Sox (three), Giants (three), Yankees (two) and Cardinals (two) – to give a clear starting point when trying to declare the top 21^st century dynasty of professional baseball.

It’s clearly visible that this is a dead heat. You know the drill. In order to decide, I assigned a point total to each stat category. The top finisher in each category – World Series victories, division titles, regular season winning percentage, playoff appearances, total playoff wins and postseason playoff winning percentage – receives four points, followed by three for second place and so on. I also gave teams an extra point for each playoff series they won. The final tally came out as followed:

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: St. Louis Cardinals. Any fan of one the final four teams can state a statistic on how their team deserved to be the one represented. New York dominated the AL East. Boston and San Francisco won a third World Series and were more efficient in the postseason when they did make it. None of that jumped out the way this did:

The Cardinals took the cake with 16 postseason series victories.

That’s out of this world consistent. The Yankees came close, carried by consistently owning the division crown, whereas the two teams that take advantage of playoff appearances the most, Boston and San Francisco, found themselves looking up.

Honorable Mention: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants

College Volleyball

Some of these don’t take much time. Penn State has six championships, including two 38-0 seasons. USC, Stanford, Nebraska, Texas and UCLA have had strong programs, but none have approached the dominance by the Nittany Lions. Let’s just get to the point. Without a hint of doubt, your winner is…

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Penn State Nittany Lions.

College Baseball

Unlike most of the other sports in the discussion, the full 2000 season is included since it began post-millennium. Texas, South Carolina and Oregon State all have a pair of titles, with nobody else claiming more than one. Naturally, only those three are in consideration. However, the Beavers have only made four CWS appearances compared to six for South Carolina and eight for Texas. Typically that would lead one to believe that the answer is obviously the Longhorns.

Take a look at overall winning percentage: Texas is 661-294 (.664) in this millennium, lagging considerably behind the Gamecocks at 713-289 (.712). So what do we value? Winning more regular season games against what is typically stronger competition, or taking overall postseason play? The latter carries more weight. Here is how each team fared in NCAA Tournament play with its overall statistics tallied at the bottom.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: Texas Longhorns. In what ended up being the closest contest of any sport so far, Texas prevailed because of one statistic: CWS appearances. South Carolina may hold a relatively significant advantage in regular season record and have a slim lead in postseason record, but they couldn’t get the job done in enough Super Regionals. One could argue that Texas’ lows were below South Carolina’s, but they consistently made the trip to Omaha and that familiarity with getting to the final eight put them over the edge.

College Football

Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, and Florida all have multiple FBS championships to their names, while Appalachian State and North Dakota State have dominated the FCS level well enough to be included in the discussion. USC vacated one of its two national championships and will not be considered. As we’ve come to find out, tables can be really useful when measuring statistics of multiple teams. Unfortunately, college football has more variables than most so let’s compare like it is 2000 (and we’re using WordPad).

Alabama: The Crimson Tide are the only team in this span with three FBS national title victories. Their overall record takes a hit because of 21 vacated wins, but stands at 116-57, including a 6-5 bowl mark – which is also hindered by one vacated victory and two seasons in which ‘Bama was ineligible for the postseason. They have garnered three SEC titles and five SEC West crowns – most of which have come under Nick Saban. The pre-Saban era was somewhat dark for Alabama, which had a (now shocking) 3-8 season in 2000. The loss of 21 victories could really come back to bite the team that is likely the first one on everybody’s college football power shortlist.

Florida: Florida boasts two national titles (thanks, Tebow) complemented by a 137-56 overall record. If Alabama had kept its wins, Florida would be one game ahead in the loss column and tied with the Tide for overall victories. In bowl play, Florida has a lackadaisical 7-6 mark. They have picked up three SEC Titles and have headed the SEC East four times.

LSU: Consistency in a more than tough conference is what could separate LSU from the group. Like every team on this list besides Alabama, the Tigers have a pair of national championships. Their overall record of 151-45 is only topped by Ohio State. They’ve won nine bowl games compared to six losses and have not missed out on the postseason. They’ve picked up four conference titles and five SEC West titles along the way to top both Florida and Alabama in those areas.

Ohio State: Surprised to see a Big Ten team here? You shouldn’t be. Despite a negative stigma built around the conference in recent years, Ohio State has been among the most dominant teams lately. The Buckeyes’ 157-36 overall record is hard to argue with. An 8-7 bowl record with a few postseason embarrassments could be improved on. What really couldn’t be is a sensational seven conference titles – which reasonably would be eight if not for a postseason ban on a 12-0 squad in 2012. The Buckeyes may not have the numbers to claim best of this century now, but with Urban Meyer pulling the strings, it might not be too long until they do.

North Dakota State: If we were only talking about the last four years, the Bison would breeze through the competition. Their 63-3 record with four national titles is, well, absurd. Before that? North Dakota State swiftly comes back to Earth with a more reasonable, but still strong, 74-40 mark. Did you already do the math? That’s an overall record of 137-43

…and I should probably mention they have a 20-2 postseason record.

20 wins. Two losses.

The Bison made the move from Division II to FCS in this time period and were ineligible for postseason play in multiple 10-1 seasons, otherwise they very well could have added to that title total. Which, quite frankly, is a little scary. One thing that isn’t as scary is this game. And this one in the same season. Sometimes you find things while researching that you wish you never did. Those qualify.

Appalachian State: While the Bison were fiddling around with moving up from Division II, another squad was busy winning national championships and knocking off the winningest-program in FBS history. That was the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. Their record of 131-52 is a modest amount below North Dakota State’s. It isn’t the regular season that separates these two FCS programs. The Mountaineers postseason mark, despite a three-peat from 2005-2007, is 19-8, considerably worse than the Bison’s…let me say it again…20-2.

Top Dynasty of the 21^st century: North Dakota State Bison. I get it. Strength of schedule for the Bison isn’t anywhere near what Ohio State, let alone Alabama, Florida and LSU, face on a week-to-week basis. Their national titles are much less publicized and viewed. They don’t have NFL prospects filling up the first round. They weren’t even in the FCS for part of this era. There are a lot of reasons not to pick them.

Go ahead, write an article on why LSU’s consistency in the SEC makes them the best dynasty of this century, or why Alabama’s three titles set it apart, or how Ohio State’s conference dominance make them the frontrunner. They all have strong cases to disprove my choice.

To me, these issues have to be made relative, not directly compared. Of course North Dakota State doesn’t have to play the LSU defense, the Tim Tebow offense or Nick Saban’s game plan on an annual basis, but they ought to be held to the standards of their competition, not of a league above them. North Dakota State has simply dominated about as much as a modern college football team can in this span. 137-43 in the regular season? Incredible – just as incredible as the others on this list, especially considering transition seasons. That doesn’t set them apart.

A .909 winning percentage in the postseason will. When the Bison play the best competition, they don’t just compete – they absolutely own everyone. Alabama doesn’t. Florida doesn’t. LSU and Ohio State don’t. They’re all tremendous teams, but have not set themselves apart at any part this century the way the Bison have.

Conclusion

The aforementioned follow-up article will now include the St. Louis Cardinals, San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots, Detroit Red Wings, Kansas Jayhawks men’s hoops, UConn Huskies women’s basketball, Oklahoma State wrestling, Penn State volleyball, Texas baseball and North Dakota State football. Those ten dominant teams will be ranked to determine an ultimate “dynasty of the 21^st century.”

Be sure to check out Night Stuff on KRUI at the stroke of midnight Wednesday mornings as we discuss topics such as this, other sporting news and a few outrageous topics mixed in with a phone always ready to hear your takes. Did you like the article or happen to disagree with some of the choices? Tweet @TheMainStevent or @KRUISports to share your opinion.

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