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RESULTS, STANDINGS, FIXTURES, OPINIONS. FEB 5 TH , 2015 • VOL 21 • ISSUE 27 www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 1 LIVE MATCHES 304 Bowery 1st St. Sat 7-Feb Sun 8-Feb EPL 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester City v C Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea City v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool EPL 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd Championship 12PM Wigan Ath. v Bournemouth La Liga 3PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona Tue 10-Feb HAVE YOUR NEXT PARTY AT SLAINTE! GREAT RATES! FOOD AND DRINK PACKAGES/ OPEN BAROPTIONS/SEATING FOR 125 La Liga 10AM Atl Madrid v Real Madrid 12PM Villarreal v Granada FULL IRISH BREAK FAST DURING GAM ES Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan EPL 2:45PM Arsenal v Leicester City 2:45PM Hull City v Aston Villa 2:45PM Sunderland v QPR 3:00PM Liverpool v Spurs Wed 11-Feb Copa del Rey 2PM Barcelona v Villarreal EPL 2:45PM Chelsea v Everton 2:45PM Man Utd v Burnley www.slaintenyc.com Tel. 212 253 7030 Queens Park Rangers’ Robert Green screams in frustration as his side go 2-0 down at Stoke City. Stewart’s Scottish Market Originally Established in 1931 Haggis Angus Steak Pies Angus Scottish Meat Pies S h e p h e r d ’s P i e s Chicken Pot Pies Bean Pies Angus Beef Sausage Links Angus Beef Sliced Sausage Pork Sausage Links Black Puddings Rings White Puddings Rings Potted Head Angus Beef Ham Sausage rolls B r i d i e ’s P a s t i e s Sweet Scones Potato Scones Scottish Pan Loaf Breads And much more.... All products are made on location with no MSG or food preservatives. 338 Kearny Ave. Kearny NJ • 201 991 1436 W W W. S T E WA RT S S C O T T I S H M A R K E T. C O M PAGE 2 www.firsttouchonline.com NS #1 SPORT BA E E R QU Showing all EPL Serving breakfast all weekend! 43-06 43rd St. Sunnyside • (718) 361-3090 • www.bar43.com ALL MATCHES LIVE ON 7 SCREENS GAMES ON TV English Premier league THIS WEEK... Sat 7-Feb Sun 8-Feb Championship 12:00 PM Wigan v Bournemouth beINsports1 Serie A 9:00 AM Cagliari v Roma 9:00 AM Napoli v Udinese EPL 7:45 AM Spurs v Arsenal NBCSN 10:00 AM Aston Villa v Chelsea NBCSN 10:00 AM Leicester Civ C Palace NBCextra 10:00 AM Man City v Hull City NBCextra 10:00 AM QPR v Southampton NBCextra 10:00 AM Swansea v Sunderland NBCextra 12:30 PM Everton v Liverpool NBC EPL 2:45 PM Arsenal v Leicester City 2:45 PM Hull City v Aston Villa 2:45 PM Sunderland v QPR 3:00 PM Liverpool v Spurs Wed 11-Feb Serie A 2:45 PM Juventus v AC Milan Copa del Rey 2:00 PM Barcelona v Villarreal Sun 8-Feb Africa Cup Final 2:00 PM tbd v tbd beINsports1 EPL 7:00 AM Burnley v WBA NBCSN 9:00 AM Newcastle U v Stoke C NBCSN 11:15 AM West Ham U v Man Utd NBCSN France 4:00 PM Lyon v PSG beINsports1 beINsports2 Sat 7-Feb 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester City v Crystal Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea City v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool Tue 10-Feb La Liga 10:00 AM Atl Madrid v R Madrid beINsports1 12:00 PM Villarreal v Granada beINsports2 beINsports1 MENU & DRINK SPECIALS DURING EVERY GAME! NBCextra NBCextra NBCextra NBCSN beINsports1 EPL 2:45 PM Chelsea v Everton NBCSN 2:45 PM Man Utd v Burnley NBCextra 2:45 PM So’ton v West Ham Utd NBCextra 2:45 PM Stoke City v Man City NBCextra 3:00 PM C Palace v Newcastle Utd NBCextra 3:00 PM WBA v Swansea City NBCextra Scottish Premier 2:30 PM Partick Thistle v Celtic FoxSoccerPlus Sun 8-Feb 9AM Newcastle Utd v Stoke City 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd Tue 10-Feb 2:45PM Arsenal v Leicester City 2:45PM Hull City v Aston Villa 2:45PM Sunderland v QPR 3:00PM Liverpool v Spurs Wed 11-Feb 2:45PM Chelsea v Everton 2:45PM Man Utd v Burnley 2:45PM Southampton v West Ham Utd 2:45PM Stoke City v Man City 3PM Crystal Palace v Newcastle Utd 3PM WBA v Swansea City beINsports1 La Liga 11:00 AM Getafe v Sevilla beINsports1 1:00 PM Espanyol v Valencia beINsports2 3:00 PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona beINsports2 This week’s cover: Stanley Matthews, who was born 100 years ago this week, warms up on the pitch, playing for Stoke City in August 1963. Download our FREE mobile app for daily updates 151 BLEECKER ST 212 - 260 - 9797 RE D LIONNYC.COM LIVE MUSIC EVERY NIGHT! SEE SCHEDULE ON PAGE 24 Publisher: David Witchard • Writers: Bill Thomas, Michael Ottolenghi, Tim Hall, Jay Mwamba, Cesar Benoit, Jon Langford, Brian P Dunleavy, Jack Simpkin, Cesar Trelles. Publication Design: Shagari Guity • Photography: Jason Joseph, Press Association • Illustrations: Nick Oldham, Stephen English www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 3 BEERS ON TAP LIVE MUSIC EVERY FRI, SAT, SUN LIVE SATELLITE GAMES THE STARTING GATE DON’T MISS THE ACTION! Sat 7-Feb SHOWING ALL GAA AND RUGBY Sun 8-Feb EPL Africa Cup Final 2PM 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea EPL 10AM Leicester City v C Palace 9AM Newcastle U v Stoke City 10AM Man City v Hull City 11:15AM West Ham U v Man Utd 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea C v Sunderland France 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool 4PM Lyon v PSG Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan La Liga 3PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona 59-10 WOODSIDE AVENUE, WOODSIDE, NY 11377 BEST SPORTS BAR IN WOODSIDE! 718 429 9269 f o o t ba l l f o c u s The regular reader of this column will know that there’s a great regard for the values of tradition and the past here. The past, as they say, is a foreign country, they do things differently there. And, generally, they do them properly. Ok, that’s an exaggeration purely for comic effect – I trust you’re laughing – but there’s a kernel of truth in it, for while many and varied are the advances that we make through the years, sometimes they come at a cost. Personal technology is a particular case in point. The ability to be in contact with your family, your friends, the world, pretty much wherever you are in the world is, of course, a huge positive. But in some ways, although it keeps us in global touch, it takes us out of the moment. We are so busy spending time keeping in touch with others elsewhere that we are no longer living in the here and now. Marshall McLuhan’s view from the ‘60s that “the medium is the message” has never been truer, for as journalist Studs Terkel has noted, “We’re more and more into communications and less and less into communication.” Ironically, this is nowhere more obvious than in the field of live entertainment of any stripe. Take live music. Stand at the back of any concert and you will find that in front of you, there’s a forest of hands holding up little luminous screens ready to capture what’s going on onstage. Then they take their hands down and play back what they’ve recorded, possibly even sending it on to their mates, missing what’s going on now. Football suffers in the same way. Watch a penalty being taken. Behind the goal, among the people watching there are plenty of others filming the events on their phone, ready for sharing across facebook, twitter and the rest. Throughout the rest of the game, twitter is exploding with people celebrating or moaning as each event takes place. Perhaps the time has come to bring the same kind of thinking to bear at football matches because most of us would agree that the atmosphere at games is not what it was. There are all kinds of factors, not least the all-seater stadium which has unquestionably dampened things – the real noise in our stadia these days tends to come from the away fans who, generally, stand up all through the game. But equally, we can all agree that not even safe standing is coming back into our game. ‘The real noise in our stadia these days tends to come from the away fans’ All of that is fine perhaps, grist to the mill of social media, the numbers involved bringing tears of joy to the eyes of Richard Scudamore and the Premier League’s marketeers as they look to spread the message of the product near and far. The bigger the conversation, the greater the money and it is that money that fuels the Premier League’s engine. But the babble of that conversation comes at a cost, and that cost is concentration, just as it is if you go to a music venue. When Kate Bush played her string of comeback concerts at London’s Hammersmith Apollo last year, a request was made prior to the start that the audience refrain from taking film or photos of the show. They complied and you could feel the difference in the quality of concentration that that crowd brought to the shows. After years of digital interference, it was suddenly crystal clear. Clubs have to take a chunk of the blame too. Ever since supporters started to be regarded as “customers”, they’ve started to act that way, less blindly following their team, more inclined to complain about their shortcomings. And if you are paying the healthy ticket prices that Premier League football demands, you can’t blame the ticket buyer for wanting to be entertained, wanting to have their money’s worth. These are elements that are perhaps intractable. But there is something we could look at, taking a leaf out of the book of clubs on mainland Europe who are banning wifi in their BILL THOMAS stadia. PSV Eindhoven introduced wifi only to be told, in no uncertain terms by their supporters, to remove it. Their argument is that you should be spending the 90 minutes focused on your team, on the game, getting behind them, cheering not multitasking, supporting not browsing. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps the time has come to add mobile phones to the list of prohibited items in football grounds. Perhaps the time has come when all of us simply concluded that if we are coming to a football game, we might as well watch it and concentrate on it while we are here, rather than spending our time looking at everything but the football. And if we do, then at least the post match conversation on the phone-ins might be a bit more informed. Read more Bill Thomas at: www.firsttouchonline.com Ne w York’s Finest English Tavern Private party room available WATCH LIVE FOOTBALL ON OUR 9 HD TVS 208 EAST 58TH ST. (BTWN 2ND & 3RD) 212 308 9400 WWW.BLOOMSNYC.COM WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BLOOMSTAVERN www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 4 The Boot Room at The Irish American P RO U D TO B E THE NEW CLUBH O USE OF TH E N Y KO P I T ES FIXTURES Sat 7-Feb EPL 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester C v Crystal Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea City v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool La Liga 10AM Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan Sun 8-Feb Africa Cup Final 2PM EPL 9AM Newcastle Utd v Stoke City 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd France 4PM Lyon v PSG La Liga 11AM Getafe v Sevilla 1PM Espanyol v Valencia 3PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona Tue 10-Feb EPL 2:45PM Arsenal v Leicester City 2:45PM Hull City v Aston Villa 2:45PM Sunderland v QPR 3:00PM Liverpool v Spurs Wed 11-Feb SHOWING ALL GAMES LIVE ON 20 PLASMA TVs 17 JOHN ST, NEW YORK NY 10038 TEL. 646 414 6223 THEIAPUB Copa del Rey 2PM Barcelona v Villarreal EPL 2:45PM 2:45PM 2:45PM 2:45PM Chelsea v Everton Man Utd v Burnley Southampton v West Ham U Stoke City v Man City IRISHAMERICANPUBNYC.COM IRISHAMERICANPUB www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 5 TIR NA NOG 315 W. 39TH ST. 212 760 0072 TIMES SQUARE THE FULL SCOTTISH WWW.TIRNANOGNYC.COM ‘Celtic should have more than enough to win the league’ BRIAN P. DUNLEAVY No one in and around Celtic needed a win in the Return of the Old Firm—aka the Scottish League Cup semi-final on Sunday—more than Hoops manager Ronny Deila. RESTAUR A On the other side of the Clyde, Rangers can take a lot of positives out of their performance on Sunday. They kept the score line respectable, and held the Hoops in check for much of the second half. Given the club’s shaky financial situation, and their position in second place in the Championship, they were never favored to win and acquitted themselves well. Infused with cash from Newcastle owner Michael Ashley, the club also bolstered their squad with five loan signings from St. James’ Continued on page 7 Welcome to Baker Street pub, one of the finest bars New York has to offer. ET BA KE NT & UB P Sure, Celtic have returned to the top of the Premiership, with a three-point lead and a game at hand on closest challengers Aberdeen, and they remain alive in the two domestic cup competitions as well as the Europa League. However, failure to qualify for the Champions’ League and a series of disappointing results domestically had many among the club’s demanding supporters wondering if the Norwegian was fit for the gaffer post. Sunday’s 2-0 win over Rangers will silence some of those critics—at least for now—but there are challenges ahead. Failure to defeat Dundee this Saturday and advance in the Scottish Cup and to at least compete well in the upcoming Europa League tie versus Inter Milan later this month and there will be rumblings in Paradise once again. With the close of the January transfer window on Monday, Celtic should have more than enough to win the league, if not the League Cup and Scottish Cup. The club retained playmaker Kris Commons, though contract extension talks remain at a stalemate, and defender Virgil Van Dijk, and they added Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong from Dundee United, reportedly, on a combined £2 million fee. Celtic also signed a potential folk hero for the Green Brigade in the form of 20-year-old winger Michael Duffy from Derry City. R STR E LIVE GAMES THIS WEEK Sat 7-Feb Sun 8-Feb Tue 10-Feb EPL 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester C v Cv Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea C v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool African Cup Final 2PM EPL 2:45PM Arsenal v Leicester City 2:45PM Hull City v Aston Villa 2:45PM Sunderland v QPR 3:00PM Liverpool v Spurs La Liga 10AM Atl Madrid v Real Madrid Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan EPL 9AM Newcastle Utd v Stoke City 11:15AM West Ham U v Man U France 4PM Lyon v PSG La Liga 11AM Getafe v Sevilla 1PM Espanyol v Valencia 3PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona Wed 11-Feb Copa del Rey 2PM Barcelona v Villarreal EPL 2:45PM Chelsea v Everton 2:45PM Man Utd v Burnley • 1152 1ST AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10065 • Celtic’s Virgil Van Dijk clears the ball during the QTS Scottish Communities League Cup, Semi Final against Rangers at Hampden Park, Glasgow. • 212 688 9663 [email protected] • PAGE 6 Home of NYC’s #1 Celtic Supporters Club Saturday February 7th Scottish Cup Dundee v Celtic 7:30am Wednesday February 11th Scottish Premiership Partick Thistle v Celtic 2:45pm Saturday February 14th Scottish Premiership St. Johnstone v Celtic 7:45am www.firsttouchonline.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 7 2014-2015 l f c n y HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY FROM 4PM TILL 9PM upcoming games... EPL Sat 7-feb Everton v Liverpool 12:30PM JOIN FIRST TOUCH & CARLSBERG FOR THE DERBY. WIN A LIVERPOOL HOME JERSEY! All games live at 11th St bar From page 5 Park—midfielders Shane Ferguson, Haris Vuckic and Gael Bigirimana as well as defenders Kevin Mbabu and Remie Streete— who will join the Sky Blues for the rest of the season. Championship leaders Hearts, meanwhile, signed Dutch central midfielder Kenny Anderson on deadline day. Back in the Premiership, that Dundee United allowed Armstrong and Mackay-Steven to transfer to a league rival midseason irked the club’s supporters, who are wondering why the Terrors appear to be packing it in for the season despite sitting only six points off the Prem lead and still being in contention for both the League and Scottish cups. United may have let the two young stars walk, but they also added six new players during the January window, including Robbie Muirhead and Paul Dixon at the deadline. Aberdeen, which sits second, added St. Mirren midfielder, and reported Celtic target, Kenny McLean just before the window closed. Whether these additions will be enough for United and the Dons to challenge an emboldened Celtic squad remains to be seen. Deila has made no secret of his desire to become the third Celtic manager—joining Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill—to win the domestic treble. He furthered his cause with the win on Sunday, and the Armstrong and Mackay-Steven signings on Monday. This week, the Norwegian’s stock is on the rise. But it is the nature of being in an Old Firm hot seat that a bull market can quickly become a bear market. And there is plenty of football to be played. MAGGIE REILLY’S PUB & RESTAURANT Irish forward Michael Duffy has completed his £100,000 move to Celtic from Derry City. Read The Full Scottish archives at: www.firsttouchonline.com Kitchen open 7 days 11am- 11pm Serving Lunch and Dinner. EPL 9AM Newcastle Utd v Stoke City 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd Friday night 11pm - DJ HIGMASTA France 4PM Lyon v PSG La Liga 11AM Getafe v Sevilla 1PM Espanyol v Valencia 3PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan Tue 10-Feb/Wed-11 House Shots $4 La Liga 10AM Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid Glass of Merlot or Pinot Grigio $5 Saturday & Sunday Brunch. House Martinis and cosmos $5 African Cup Final 2PM Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-8pm EPL 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester City v Crystal Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea City v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool All Day, Every Day Specials Sun 8-Feb Maggie’s House Lager pint $4 Sat 7-Feb EPL FiXTUES! NFL Package All Live Sports Thurs and Sat Nights @ 11pm Karaoke 340 9th Ave, (btwn 29th & 30th) NYC 646-476 3209 PAGE 8 Food - Drink - Football 138 W25th St. NYC www.smithfieldnyc.com www.firsttouchonline.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 9 QUINN’S BAR & GRILL FIXTU RES JOIN THE NY REAL MADRID SUPPORTERS CLUB FOR THE BIG DERBY MATCH THIS SATURDAY! Sat 7-Feb Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid 10am EPL 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan Sun 8-Feb AFRICAN CUP FINAL 2PM EPL 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd QUINNSNYC epl latest 356 W 44TH ST (BETWEEN 8TH AVE & 9TH AVE) NY, NY 10036 • EMAIL: [email protected] • TEL. 212 445 0131 Last weekend saw the EPL achieve its highest viewing figures on record, while it also served up the fourth managerial departure of the season as the January transfer window slammed shut. Loïc Remy, in for the suspended Diego Costa, gave the hosts the lead four minutes before the break with a tap-in at the back post thanks to a brilliant first-time cross from Eden Hazard, however, City were level before the break as Sergio Aguero’s strong shot from the edge of the area was diverted home by David Silva to earn a point for Manuel Pellegrini’s men. The end result being that the league stands exactly as it did before the game with Chelsea five points clear in pole. Unsurprisingly, TV records were broken by a huge six-pointer that took place at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening where Chelsea and Manchester City drew 1-1. The game was broadcasted in 650 million homes worldwide in 175 countries, an incredible feat. Next for Jose Mourinho’s side is a trip to Aston Villa where new signing Juan Cuadrado could feature in a game the Blues will know they have to win, especially having watched Arsenal thrash Villa 5-0 at the Emirates on Sunday. JACK SIMPKIN FOOTBALL ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE 785 9th Ave (Bet 52nd & 53rd) 212.767.0077 WWW.BRICKYARDNYC.COM The Gunners dominated from start to finish but went into the break with only a one goal lead via the boot of Olivier Giroud but in the second period their pressure told as they ran in four unanswered goals to extend Aston Villa’s goalless run to 612 minutes of EPL football. The second half successes were shared between Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin with his first goal for the club. Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge scores against West Ham on his return to the first team Next for Arsene Wenger is a huge London derby clash this weekend away at Tottenham, a game they will be especially keen to win. brilliant finish across goal and not long later the lead was doubled as van Persie was again in the thick of the action, kicking-off a counter attack. The Dutchman fed the ball to Angel Di Maria whose shot was saved but Radamal Falcao was there to tap in the re-bound. The third came thanks to an own-goal from Foxes defender Wes Morgan who headed into his own net from a corner after Daley Blind slightly diverted the ball’s direction at the front post. Marcin Wasilewski pulled one back for the visitors ten minutes from time with a header of his own but that proved to be only a consolation as Mark Schwarzer’s fourth EPL debut in a row ended in defeat. Manchester United didn’t disappoint their fans this weekend with a routine 3-1 win at home to Leicester City on Saturday. All three of United’s goals came in the first half, firstly from Robin van Persie with a United travel to Upton Park this weekend to face a potential top-four rival West Ham United who lost 2-0 away at Liverpool last weekend. It was a comfortable win for the hosts despite being held 0-0 until half time only for Raheem Stirling to break the dead- lock six minutes into the second period with his first league goal at Anfield since the opening weekend of the season. However, it was Liverpool’s second goalscorer who took the headlines, five months after his last appearance, Daniel Sturridge came off the bench after 70 minutes to the delight of all in red but to make his return even more of a joyous occasion, he doubled Liverpool’s league ten minutes later with a brilliant strike that beat keeper Adrian at his near post. A combination of picking up the three points and having their number one striker back will fill Brendan Rodgers with confidence as he takes his side to Goodison Park this weekend to face Everton is the weekend’s second local derby. Staying in the top half, Tottenham Hotspur won 3-0 away at West Bromwich Albion in their game of the weekend. Christian Eriksen scored yet another fantastic free-kick six minutes into proceedings but then left the club’s PAGE 10 www.firsttouchonline.com NOW OPEN FOR FOOTBALL! Chelsea’s new Colombian signing Juan Cuadrado top scorer this season, Harry Kane, to score the other two. His 19th in all competitions came with just 15 minutes on the clock when he doubled Spurs’ lead and then his 20th came from the penalty spot with just under half and hour to play. New WBA boss Tony Pulis will be looking for a much better result this weekend when his side travel to Burnley, who will go into the game off the back of a 2-0 defeat away at Sunderland. First half goals from Conor Wickham and a first for the club from Jermaine Defoe secured the three points and a first home win for the Black Cats for almost four months. Wickham’s goal incidentally was a header, the 12th headed league goal Burnley have conceded this season, more than any other EPL club. Gus Poyet’s men travel to Swansea this weekend where they might be hopeful of picking up at least a point. Everton secured an important 1-0 win away at high-flying Crystal Palace in their 23nd fixture of the campaign. Romelu Lukaku pounced on the re-bound of Steven Naismith drilled cross two minutes into the game to give the visitors the perfect start with the game’s only goal. Alan Pardew, who had won each of his first four games in charge of Palace, couldn’t find the answer and therefore lost his perfect record as his side tried and failed to equalise. He’ll get his chance to get back to winning ways this weekend however when his side travel to Leicester in a game they will be optimistic of winning. Probably the most unexpected result of the weekend came from Saint Mary’s where Swansea City beat Southampton 1-0 thanks to a wonder-strike from Jonjo Shelvey seven minutes from time. The Saints went into the game in third place and would have been looking for a win to consolidate that position but having suffered this defeat they have now surrendered that place to Man United and they now sit in fourth, only a point ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. Ronald Koeman will know just how important a win for his side this weekend will be if they are to keep their Champions League hopes alive when they travel to QPR. A second 3-0 result from last weekend’s action came from the KC Stadium where Newcastle United overcame Hull City in Saturday’s early kick-off. Goals from Remy Cabella, Sammy Ameobi and Yohan Gouffran secured the for John Carver and his side, the former assistant’s first since taking the helm at the club. Steve Bruce’s side are still in the relegation zone after this defeat and he won’t be expecting to pick up any more points this weekend as his side travel to Manchester City so there are tough times ahead if the Tigers are to be playing EPL football next season. As for Newcastle, they are at home to Stoke City this weekend in another winnable game for the Magpies, despite the Potters beating Queens Park Rangers 3-1 at home last time out. Jonathan Walters’ first EPL hat-rick secured the win for Mark Hughes’ men in a game that proved to be the last at the club for opposite number Harry Redknapp as the 64-year-old quit two days after the loss, Rangers’ 11th defeat on the road this season, out of 11. Niko Kranjcar had given the travelling supporters hope in bringing the score line back to 2-1 after 36 minutes but the goal didn’t spark any sort of a comeback from QPR and they remained in 19th place in the EPL table at full-time. Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood is the early favourite to replace Redknapp at Loftus Road. Read more Jack Simpkin at: www.firsttouchonline.com ...AND EVERYTHING ELSE! kitchen open every day serving Lunch, Dinner and Brunch! 100 3rd Avenue, NYC (btwn 12th & 13th St.) www.nevadasmiths.net www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 11 i GERMAN BIER HAUS A N D R E S TA U R A N T GRILL & GARTEN 652 Franklin Ave. Garden City, NY 516 427 5215 $5 Murphy’s Stout and Krombacher During All Games SOCCER MORNING BREAKFAST AT PROST... 3 Egg Omelette- Served with Mini Potato Pancake Smoked Black Forest Ham & American Cheese Double Smoked Applewood Bacon & Cheddar Cheese Long Island’s Home of the New York Cosmos 3 Sunnyside Eggs w/ Caramelized Mini Potato Pancake Smoked Black Forest Ham or Double Smoked Applewood Bacon Creme Brulee German Toast w/Pure Vermont Maple Syrup Home of the Cross Island Crew Honey Crisp Apple Flapjacks w/Vermont Maple Butter Soon To Be Famous Breakfast Platter Fried Eggs w/ Melted Cheddar, Irish Banger, Bratwurst & Smoked Ham, Black Toast w/ Seasonal Jam & Potato Pancake Unlimited Coffee or Tea All Breakfast Platters Come With A Hofbrau Of Choice $14.95 COSMOS TO PLAY PRESEASON FRIENDLY IN EL SALVADOR The New York Cosmos will travel to El Salvador as part of its preseason schedule to play against C.D. FAS on March 14. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. local time at Cuscatlán Stadium in San Salvador. “We’ve had great support so far from the El Salvador community in New York,” said Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese . “This preseason trip is going to be a great challenge for the squad on the field against FAS and off the field, a chance to establish a mutually beneficial strategic alliance with FESA.” Based in Santa Ana, FAS is one of the most successful professional soccer clubs in El Salvador. The team has won 17 championships in the Primera División of El Salvador, the most of any team, since its establishment in 1947. FAS has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League three of the last four seasons. “All proceeds from the Cosmos game against FAS will be used to fund scholarships and continue to build the FESA High School.” The North American Soccer League (NASL) will be represented by all nine of its U.S.-based clubs: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Indy Eleven, Jacksonville Armada FC, Minnesota United FC, New York Cosmos, San Antonio Scorpions, Tampa Bay Rowdies. The NASL clubs will enter the tournament in the third round, which will kick off on May 27. Each club’s third-round opponent will be determined by the results of the second-round matchups between USL PRO clubs and teams from various amateur leagues. ny cosmos 2015 home schedule Tampa Bay Rowdies | April 18 at 7pm & October 31 at 7pm 2014 head-to-head: Tied 1-1-1 (W-D-L) 2014 Rowdies road record: 2-5-6 (7-9-11 overall, 7th in NASL) Ottawa Fury FC | May 2 at 7pm & September 22 2014 head-to-head: Cosmos won 3-0-0 2014 Fury road record: 4-3-6 (7-6-14 overall, 8th in NASL) FC Edmonton | May 10 at 2pm & October 11 at 5pm 2014 head-to-head: Cosmos won 1-2-0 2014 Eddies road record: 3-5-6 (10-7-10 overall, 6th in NASL) San Antonio Scorpions | May 23 at 7pm and August 15 US Open Cup - new format announced The U.S. Soccer Federation have announced the format for the 102nd edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which will feature a record number of clubs in 2015. WWW.PROSTGRILL.COM FACEBOOK.COM/PROSTGRILLGARTEN Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs will begin Cup play in the fourth round on June 16 or 17. A total of 91 teams will play for the $250,000 prize this year: 17 from MLS, nine from NASL, 21 from USL PRO, 19 from PDL, 12 from NPSL, 11 from USASA, one from U.S. Club Soccer, and one from USSSA. 2014 head-to-head: Scorpions won 3-0-0 2014 Scorpions road record: 8-1-4 (16-4-7 overall, 2nd in NASL - Fall Season champions, postseason champions) Jacksonville Armada FC | June 13 at 7pm and September 12 2014 head-to-head: N/A ( New to NASL in 2015) 2014 Armada road record: N/A Indy Eleven | July 5 at 7pm 2014 head-to-head: Tied 0-3-0 2014 Indy road record: 3-4-6 (6-9-12 overall, 9th in NASL) Fort Lauderdale Strikers | August 2 at 5pm 2014 head-to-head: Cosmos won 2-1-0 2014 Strikers road record: 3-4-7 (11-9-7 overall, 4th in NASL - The Championship runners-up) U.S. Soccer has implemented a new, geographically-based random draw to determine matches in the round of 16. The 16 fourthround winners will be divided geographically (regardless of league affiliation) into groups of four and a random draw, scheduled for June 18, will determine the pairings within each group in the fifth round. Minnesota United FC | August 5 at 7:30pm To view the format in its entirety, visit www.ussoccer.com 2014 head-to-head: Cosmos won 3-0-0 2014 Silverbacks road record: 4-1-9 (6-5-16 overall, 10th in NASL) 2014 head-to-head: Cosmos won 1-2-0 2014 Loons road record: 7-4-3 (16-7-4 overall, 1st in NASL - Spring Season champions, Combined Season champions) Carolina RailHawks | August 30 at 4pm 2014 head-to-head: RailHawks won 3-0-0 2014 RailHawks road record: 4-3-7 (11-5-11 overall, 5th in NASL) Atlanta Silverbacks | October 4 at 5pm PAGE 12 www.firsttouchonline.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 13 F I X T U R E S Sat 7-Feb EPL Fri 26-Dec 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester City v Crystal Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM EPL Swansea City v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool 10AM Burnley v Liverpool La Liga C Palace v Southamp10AM 10AM Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid ton Serie A 10AM Juventus Everton vvAC Stoke 2:45PM Milan City 10AM Leicester City v Spurs Africa Cup Final 2PM 10AM Man U v Newcastle EPL Utd 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd 10AM Sunderland v Hull France City 4PM Lyon v PSG 10AM Swansea v Aston La Liga Villa Getafe v Sevilla 11AM 1PM Espanyol v Valencia 10AM WBA v Man City 12:30PM Arsenal v QPR Sun 8-Feb SUITE 36 #NOTYOURAVERAGESPORTSBAR #SUITE36 Suite36nyc suite36 W W W. S U I T E 3 6 N Y C . C O M suite 36 NYC #suitesports #notyouraveragesportsbar 16 W 36TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10018 TEL. 212.695.0036 THIS WEEK IN LA LIGA CESAR BENOIT 750 Grand St. Williamsburg www.4thdownbrooklyn.com Now showing all soccer matches! 16 high def TV’s from 50 in to 120 in Happy hour specials during all matches. $4 craft Draft Beer and $4 shots of Bushmills and Fireball ! Open M-F 2pm Sat 9am - Sun 11am. 4thDownSportsBar @4thdownbrooklyn Spain’s La Liga is often accused of being a two-team league. Real Madrid and Barcelona have reigned supreme for so long, it seems strange to even think of another club challenging the hegemony. Last year, Atletico Madrid upset the balance and vaulted to the championship. But it was SPAIN - LA LIGA # Team 1Real Madrid 2Barcelona 3Atletico Madrid 4Sevilla 5Valencia 6Villarreal 7Malaga 8Eibar 9Espanyol 10Celta Vigo 11Athletic Bilbao 12Rayo Vallecano 13Real Sociedad 14 Deportivo La Coruna 15Getafe 16Almeria 17Cordoba 18Granada 19Elche 20Levante Pl WD L F A Pts 211803701854 211623571150 211524432047 211335352442 211254381941 211155352038 211056242135 21768252927 21759273226 21669202324 216 5 10182623 21 7 2 1222 38 23 21579212822 21 5 6 10 18 34 21 215 5 11162920 21 5 4 1218 33 19 21399163118 21399143318 21 4 5 1218 42 17 213 7 11133716 +/52 46 23 11 19 15 3 -4 -5 -3 -8 -16 -7 -16 -13 -15 -15 -19 -24 -24 the first time since 2004 that someone outside the Big 2 won the title. Was it an aberration? We’re not sure. What is for certain is that the context of the league is more complex than just the Spanish Old Firm and the 18 other clubs. Yes, Barca/Madrid have a strangle hold on fan loyalty, news media and money. But they don’t exist in a vacuum. Barca and Madrid wouldn’t exist without the Other 18. And while it’s not a symbiotic relationship, it’s still interdependent. There are really 3 distinct leagues in Spain’s first division. Take a look at the standings and they jump out at you. At the bottom lie the relegation fodder, the clubs Barca and Madrid feast on (most of the time). This year, Granada, Elche and Levante occupy the bottom spots. Continued on page 15 PAGE 14 www.firsttouchonline.com Featuring discounted pints of Carlsberg & EPL Club Tee shirts WIN A Liverpool Jersey at The 11th St Bar Saturday, February 7th Everton v Liverpool 12:30pm Quinns 356 W44th St. quinnsnyc.com Nevada Smiths 100 3rd ave nevadasmiths.net Legends 6 West 33rd Street footballfactoryny.com The Monro 481 5th Ave BK monropub.com Josie Woods 11 Waverly Place josiewoods.com Tir Na Nog 315 W39th St. tirnanognyc.com Baker Street 1152 1st Avenue (@63rd St.) bakerstreetnyc.com 11th St. Bar 510 E11th St. 11thstbar.com The Irish American 17 John St. irishamericanpubnyc.com Kelly’s Sports bar 12 Ave A (1st&2nd) kellysnyc.com Mulligans 159 1st St. Hoboken mulligansonfirst.com The Churchill Tavern 45 E28th St. thechurchillny.com Fitzgeralds 336 3rd Ave. (25th St.) fitzgeraldspubnyc.com Bar 43 43-06 43rd St. Queens bar43.com Black Horse Pub 16th St (5th Ave) Brooklyn blackhorsebrooklyn.com The Montrose 47 5th Ave. BK themontrosebk.com Banter 132 Havemeyer St. Bklyn banterbrooklyn.com Highbury Pub 1002 Cortelyou Rd. BK highburypub.com NOW SERVING! Full English Breakfast! The kind you wish your mother used to make www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 15 PINTS, PIES & FOOTBALL 481 5TH AVE. PARK SLOPE, BK (@11TH STREET) 718 499 2005 WWW.MONROPUB.COM Watch the big game with us Everton Vs Liverpool Saturday 12:30pm Levante has held it together with strings for the better part of 3 seasons but it looks like the threads are finally disintegrating. Elche are their Valencia state rivals and have the dubious honor of losing to Barcelona in both the league and Copa del Rey, both by 9-0 aggregate. Granada have been in the first division since the 2011 season, but the strain is showing and their time may be short. There’s a cluster of clubs just waiting to join this triumvirate at the precipice of the Segunda. Cordoba and Almeria are right above the three while Getafe and Deportivo La Coruna lie two and three points clear, respectively. Who remembers the classic Super Depor teams of the early ‘00’s? They were high flyers with names like Diego Tristan, Roy Makaay and Mauro Silva. They won the league in 2000 and had some great matches in Europe, including a win at Old Trafford against Manchester United and a classic comeback against AC Milan. Now? Mismanagement and a cash problem has them dangling with a return to the second division. David Moyes’ Real Sociedad are in 13th, just 4 points above relegation and while the Scot has made a difference, he’s going to find it tough going without main man Carlos Vela, who’s out for the next 2 months with knee issues. They should stay up but with no winter reinforcements, it won’t be easy. Athletic Bilbao are above their Basque rivals in 12th and while many expected a renaissance under coach Ernesto Valverde, the season’s been a dud. They sold star Ander Herrera and were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage. The brights lights haven’t been kind to Los Leones this year. Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo and Espanyol round out the top of the ‘first’ league, clubs struggling to stay in the first division. We’d be remiss not to mention the top club of this first league, Eibar, who are 8th. Tiny Eibar, who play in a 5,250 seat stadium in their Basque town, were almost denied entry into La Liga even though they’d won straight promotion last season. After promotion in late May, Eibar faced a race against the clock to raise 1.72 million euros, or $2.32 million, to meet archaic regulations on how much capital a top-division club should have. Only in La Liga, folks. They raised the money and have raised pulses with their inspirational play. It’s a heartwarming story and we only hope it continues. Now we’re onto the 2nd league, the cluster of clubs hoping to make next season’s Champions League. The usual suspects like Valencia and Villarreal are here but there are surprises. Malaga seemed destined for obscurity once their oil rich owners grew bored with their investment a few years back. Instead, the club’s looked decent and although they’ve had some bumps in the road, a 1-0 victory over Valencia Monday has them on the brink of a European place. Sevilla have looked the real deal all season, the likes of Carlos Bacca propelling the defending Europa League titlists ever so close to the top tier. They lost 2-1 to Real Madrid midweek but remain in 4th, a point above Valencia. And we end here, the top three clubs in Spain. The La Liga penthouse. It’s always about them. Real Madrid, Barcelona and the new kid in town, Atletico Madrid. You know their story. The Other 17 need theirs told, too. www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 16 THE TRIPLE CROWN SHOWING ALL GAMES LIVE E PL CHAM PIONS L E AG UE L A L IG A SE RIE A & MOR E 3 30 7T H AVE, NYC 2 1 2 7 3 6 1575 battle for second place hots up MICHAEL OTTOLENGHI WWW.T R I PLE C ROW N N YC . C OM Pogba, high pressing and a solid defence. On paper Milan should have the personnel to match Udinese’s players, but it is the psychological aspect that Inzaghi will have to work on with his team. That is particularly true of Milan’s main man this season, French striker Jeremy Menez, who appears incapable of stringing together two convincing performances. Juventus can therefore probably be comforted by the fact that Menez scored two goals in a man of the match display against Parma last weekend. There are certain games in Serie A that always command a disproportionate amount of attention, regardless of the fortunes of the teams involved. The Milan and Rome derbies are classic examples, as is the derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus. This Saturday’s game between Juventus and Milan at the Juventus Stadium falls into the same category, even though there are far more exciting developments to talk about in the league, most notably a possible race for second place. Food. Drinks. Pool. Darts So let’s deal with the big game first. The history is undeniable, as is the rivalry: these are two of Italy’s most successful clubs, at least one of which is usually fighting for the scudetto. The games between the two are tense, colourful affairs, but not as hostile as when either of these teams face Inter. And this year, like last, the clubs are in very different places, with Juve top of the table and in the ascendancy after three consecutive scudettos and their 1-0 win against Milan at San Siro earlier this season. Milan continue to be erratic, although manager Filippo Inzaghi managed to save his job with a 3-1 home win against bottom club Parma last Sunday, a result which sees the rossoneri consolidate their lowly 8th place in the table. But the more interesting story this week involves the potential race for second place. Juventus are by now shoe-ins for the title, but while many had assumed that Roma would automatically come in second place, Rafael Benitez’s Napoli are (finally) mounting a worthy challenge. Although Napoli have played well in the past two months (losing only to Juventus), their 2-1 away win at Chievo last Sunday was the first time they had managed to win three league games in a row this season. Hardly top of the table stuff. Except that Roma’s dwindling form has allowed Napoli to capitalise on their mini-revival. 6 games ago Roma were 1 point behind Juventus and 11 ahead of Napoli Right now Rudi Garcia’s Roma are 7 points behind the leaders and only four ahead of Napoli. Juventus will therefore be the overwhelming favourites, although Inzaghi may take heed of the questions posed of Juventus by Udinese in last weekend’s 0-0 draw. Led by another young manager, ex-Inter coach Andrea Strammaccioni, Udinese defused the threat posed by Juventus by clever tactical marking of Paul Roma have not managed a win in their past 4 Serie A games, and have not done particularly well in the transfer market (although the arrival of Colombian striker Victor Ibarbo from Cagliari may help Roma score some goals). But the emerging race for second place is not solely due to Roma’s collapse. Napoli seem to have clicked at the right time. ALL DAY EVERYDAY CARLSBERG PINTS $5 11 Waverly Place, NYC 212 228-9909 w w w. j o s i e w o o d s . c o m ‘The more interesting story this week involves the potential race for second place.’ Gonzalo Higuain has scored 5 in his last 6 and is the league’s second top scorer. The arrival of Manolo Gabbiadini from Sampdoria has given Benitez an extra attacking weapon (as he proved with his winning goal against Chievo last weekend). So with plenty of football still to play, and the only remaining league clash between these two to be played in Rome in April, Napoli have to make up some ground on the giallorossi. Benitez’s team have the slightly harder schedule, playing most of their difficult games away from home. This weekend will see them face a tricky Udinese side at the San Paolo, although the absence of Toto Di Natale through suspension should mean that Napoli secure all three points and continue their momentum. Roma will travel to Cagliari to face a side in the midst of a relegation battle, starting the long showdown for a second place finish and direct qualification to the Champions League. SERIE A # Team 1Juventus 2Roma 3Napoli 4Lazio 5Sampdoria 6Fiorentina 7Palermo 8Genoa 9AC Milan 10Sassuolo 11Torino 12Udinese 13Inter Milan 14Verona 15Atalanta 16Empoli 17Cagliari 18Chievo 19Cesena 20Parma Pl WD L F A Pts 211551449 50 211272341643 211164382639 211047372534 218103272334 21885292032 21795343330 21786292629 21786312629 21 6 105 27 29 28 21777222228 21777252728 21687302926 21669233424 21588172623 213 117 192620 21 4 7 1028 40 19 214 6 11152618 21 3 6 1221 41 15 21 3 1 1720 46 10 Read more Michael Ottolenghi at: www.firsttouchonline.com +/35 18 12 12 4 9 1 3 5 -2 0 -2 1 -11 -9 -7 -12 -11 -20 -26 PAGE 17 who shopped wisely in the championship window? BY PAULA MARCUS With the excessive number of managerial changes that have occurred in the division since the last window shut in September, it is hardly surprising that Championship clubs were the busiest in January. But are the deals being done really likely to help the teams making them, and is it really possible to predict their success? As the summer transfer window shut, it really seemed that Nottingham Forest fans had plenty of reasons to be happy. Not only had they managed to keep the core of a good squad together, but they had invested significantly in improving it as well, leading many people (myself included) to suggest they would be pushing for promotion come May. Instead, Forest have dropped down to 12th in the table and have ended January with just two loan players and a new manager to bolster a struggling squad. The real key for Forest was their marquee signing Britt Assombalogna. By the end of September he had scored eight goals and was looking to be worth every bit of the $7million plus fee he commanded. However, like many strikers he couldn’t maintain that form long term, and he has managed only six goals in Stephen Warnock joined Derby County from Leeds United www.firsttouchonline.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 18 47 5th Ave. Park Slope TheMontroseBK.com 347 763 0010 THE MONTROSE Official Home for LFCNY in Brooklyn Located only two blocks from Barclays Center 15 Craft Beers on Draft Now with full brunch and dinner menus for all games Extensive Scotch Collection Open Windows TheMontroseBK SHOWING ALL GAMES LIVE LIVE IRISH MUSIC EVERY SUNDAY! TH EM EANFI D D LERNYC . C O M club so near the bottom of the table to drastically overhaul their squad at this point in the season. Manager Stuart Pearce was sacked by Nottingham Forest this week. the four months since. The decrease in goals after mid-October from their two new strikers meant their average goals scored dropped by almost half as they moved out of the playoff places. Forest’s expensive signings over the previous season also led to a transfer ban after it was deemed they breached last season’s financial fair play rules (a feat that seems likely to be repeated again this year). It may not stop Forest from signing players (as their loan signings show) but it does make things difficult. Add in a manager whose playing style has been heavily criticised and the eighth worst defence in the division and you start to see why they are mid-table and why it is so difficult to predict at the start of the Championship season which teams have made the best deals. Sure, all the players they signed have done well, in part, but that isn’t enough in the Championship. The manager and tactics selected are equally as important in a division where squad cost rarely equates to finishing position in the table. If you can’t get the best out of your players, you won’t stay in a job, as many have found out this season. When it comes to the January transfer window, picking the teams that have made good signings may be a little easier. You already know something of a team’s form and squad strength to assess what they need to improve. It also helps that the vast majority of the players involved have joined clubs situated in the lower parts of the table looking for a specific player. The teams at the top have either signed players to strengthen their squad, allowing for injuries, or opted for players that may offer a plan B for the later parts of the season. With this in mind it makes sense that two of the busiest clubs in January are at the wrong end of the table. Both Leeds United and Wigan Athletic have been very active this window, although maybe not in the right way. Wigan, currently situated in the relegation zone, have seen seven players leave the club, including the highly rated Callum McManaman who left for West Brom. Whilst they may have replaced some of these players, it’s a big gamble for a Leeds United, like Notts forest, are currently under a transfer embargo caused by breaching FFP last year, but they weren’t going to let that stop them from being active in the market. There are certain loopholes in the transfer ban that allow clubs to sign free players as long as they do not exceed a certain squad size or wage. This has resulted in Leeds doing what they currently do best; heading to Italy in search of new talent. Loaning players from Italian clubs hasn’t really worked so far for Leeds, so is somewhat surprising that they didn’t look at the home market for some experience (although one of the players signed has played in England before). The window has also seen Leeds sell two of their most experienced players Jason Pearce and Stephen Warnock, both of whom have captained the side this season. Letting Warnock leave may reduce the wage bill considerably, but it also leaves the side without one of their most experienced defenders whilst in the middle of a relegation scrap. Warnock’s new side Derby County, on the other hand, have done exactly what a team pushing for promotion should do. By signing Warnock and loaning Darren Bent from Aston Villa, they have increased their squad depth without spending excessive amounts. Of course you can’t talk about transfers without mentioning Blackpool, who seem to be attempting to break a record for most play- EAST VILLAGE | NEW YORK CITY 61 2nd Ave (3rd & 4th St.) (212) 388-0662 dempseysnyc.com ers registered in a year. Having already transferred 30 players into the club since June, they didn’t want to be left out adding another ten players since the turn of the year. Combine that with the 13 players they have released and you really have to wonder if the fans actually bother getting players names on the back of their shirts. With squads now set (at least till the loan window opens next week), it will be interesting to see who will be deemed the transfer window winners come May. Listen to Paula’s podcast at: premierpunditry.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 19 BEST SOCCER BAR IN NYC AS VOTED BY YOU! FULL IRISH BREAKFAST FULL BRUNCH MENU! PROUD HOME OF MR. DENNEHY’S FOOTBALL CLUB TWO BLOCKS FROM PIER 40! HOME OF THE NEW YORK EVERTON FC SUPPORTERS CLUB BRING IN YOUR TEAM AND ASK US ABOUT OUR SPORTS GROUP DISCOUNT! AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES FOOTBALL ON THE WEST SIDE 63 CARMINE ST. NYC 212 414 1223 WWW.MRDENNEHYS.COM LATEST RESULTS Wednesday February 4th Tuesday February 3rd African Nations Cup semi final Congo DR 1-3 Ivory Coast D Mbokani pen 24 Y Toure 21 Gervinho 41 W Kanon 68 English FA Cup 4th rd replay Fulham 1-3 Sunderland H Rodallega 28 M Bettinelli og 61 R Alvarez 75 J Gomez pen 90 English FA Cup 4th rd replay Bolton W 1-2 Liverpool E Gudjohnsen pen 59 R Sterling 86 P Coutinho 90 Spanish Primera División Real Madrid 2-1 Sevilla FC J Rodriguez 12 I Aspas 80 Jese 36 Man United J Mata 25 M Rojo 32 J Wilson 73 3-0 Cambridge United Sheffield United 1-3 J Murphy 38 Preston North End P Gallagher 63 pen 73 P Huntington 69 German Bundesliga Bayern Munich 1-1 A Robben 68 Schalke 04 B Howedes 75 German Bundesliga B Dortmund 0-1 FC Augsburg R Bobadilla 51 BMgladbach P Herrmann 24 FC Cologne 0-0 Hertha Berlin 0-1 VfB Stuttgart Bayer Leverkusen S Kiessling 50 E Frankfurt 1-1 S Aigner 59 VfL Wolfsburg K De Bruyne 89 SC Paderborn 0-3 Hamburg SV R van der Vaart pen 3 M Jansen 73 Z Stieber 90 Hannover 96 1-1 J Briand 27 Mainz E Soto 78 Italian Coppa Italia AS Roma 0-2 Fiorentina TSG Hoffenheim 1-2 E Bicakcic 35 Werder Bremen F Di Santo 9 P Bargfrede 53 Italian Coppa Italia Napoli 1-0 Internazionale French Coupe de la Ligue AS Monaco 0-0 Bastia (Shoot-out) 1-0 SC Freiburg French Coupe de la Ligue Lille 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain English League One Barnsley 1-0 K Hemmings 12 Scottish Championship Livingston 0-0 Oldham Athletic Alloa Athletic Monday February 2nd Spanish Primera División Malaga 1-0 Valencia S Castillejo 25 THE NEW HOME OF LIVERPOOL FC IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM PENN STATION FOLLOW THE REDS AT LIVERPOOL’S NEW HQ TEMPEST 407 8th Ave (between 30th & 31st) (212) 643-1502 www.tempestbarnyc.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 20 HOME OF THE NYC STOKE CITY SUPPORTERS Closest bar to Madison Square Garden 212 630 0249 5 Penn Plaza, 8th Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets Join us for all the live matches! 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(25TH ST) 212-679-6931 www.fitzgeraldspubnyc.net Saturday Feb 7th Saturday Feb 7th Sunday Feb 8th Tuesday Feb 10th African Nations Cup 1:00 PM Semi-Final 1 Loser vs Semi-Final 2 Loser English League One 10:00 AM Swindon Town vs Barnsley 10:00 AM Yeovil Town vs Crawley Town German Bundesliga 9:30 AM Werder Bremen vs Bayer Leverkusen 11:30 AM FC Augsburg vs Eintracht Frankfurt English League Two 10:00 AM AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County 10:00 AM Bury vs Exeter City 10:00 AM Cambridge United vs Wycombe Wanderers 10:00 AM Cheltenham Town vs Burton Albion 10:00 AM Mansfield Town vs Stevenage 10:00 AM Northampton Town vs Morecambe 10:00 AM Oxford United vs Luton Town 10:00 AM Plymouth Argyle vs Accrington Stanley 10:00 AM Portsmouth vs Hartlepool United 10:00 AM Shrewsbury Town vs Southend United 10:00 AM Tranmere Rovers vs Carlisle United 10:00 AM York City vs Dagenham & Redbridge Italian Serie A 6:30 AM Fiorentina vs Atalanta 9:00 AM Cagliari vs AS Roma 9:00 AM Empoli vs Cesena 9:00 AM Napoli vs Udinese 9:00 AM Parma vs Chievo Verona 9:00 AM Sampdoria vs Sassuolo 2:45 PM Internazionale vs Palermo English League One 2:45 PM Barnsley vs Fleetwood Town 2:45 PM Bristol City vs Port Vale 2:45 PM Chesterfield vs Preston North End 2:45 PM Coventry City vs Scunthorpe United 2:45 PM Crawley Town vs Doncaster Rovers 2:45 PM Crewe Alexandra vs Yeovil Town 2:45 PM Leyton Orient vs Notts County 2:45 PM Oldham Athletic vs Swindon Town 2:45 PM Peterborough United vs Gillingham 2:45 PM Sheffield United vs Colchester United 2:45 PM Walsall vs Rochdale English Conference 10:00 AM Aldershot Town vs Halifax 10:00 AM Alfreton Town vs Southport 10:00 AM Barnet vs Woking 10:00 AM Bristol Rovers vs Lincoln City 10:00 AM Chester City vs Dartford 10:00 AM Eastleigh vs AFC Telford United 10:00 AM Forest Green Rovers vs Grimsby Town 10:00 AM Gateshead vs Kidderminster Harriers 10:00 AM Macclesfield Town vs Welling 10:00 AM Nuneaton Town vs Wrexham Scottish Cup 7:30 AM Stranraer vs Dundee United 10:00 AM Rangers vs Raith Rovers Scottish Premiership 10:00 AM Aberdeen vs Ross County 10:00 AM Hamilton Academical vs Kilmarnock English League One 2:45 PM Bradford City vs Milton Keynes Dons Scottish Cup 7:30 AM Dundee vs Celtic 10:00 AM Falkirk vs Brechin City 10:00 AM Hibernian vs Arbroath 10:00 AM Partick Thistle vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle 10:00 AM Queen of the South vs St Johnstone 10:00 AM Spartans vs Berwick Rangers Tuesday Feb 10th Scottish Championship 10:00 AM Livingston vs Heart of Midlothian French Coupe de France 12:00 PM Boulogne vs US Quevilly 1:00 PM Le Poire SV vs AJ Auxerre 2:00 PM IC Croix vs Concarneau Postponed - Metz P-P Brest Postponed - Stade Rennes P-P AS Monaco 3:00 PM Red Star FC 93 vs St Etienne Barclays Premier League 7:45 AM Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal 10:00 AM Aston Villa vs Chelsea 10:00 AM Leicester City vs Crystal Palace 10:00 AM Manchester City vs Hull City 10:00 AM Queens Park Rangers vs Southampton 10:00 AM Swansea City vs Sunderland 12:30 PM Everton vs Liverpool Spanish Primera División 10:00 AM Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid 12:00 PM Villarreal vs Granada 2:00 PM Levante vs Malaga 4:00 PM Real Sociedad vs Celta Vigo German Bundesliga 9:30 AM FC Cologne vs SC Paderborn 07 9:30 AM Mainz vs Hertha Berlin 9:30 AM SC Freiburg vs Borussia Dortmund 9:30 AM VfB Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich 9:30 AM VfL Wolfsburg vs TSG Hoffenheim 12:30 PM Hamburg SV vs Hannover 96 Italian Serie A 12:00 PM Hellas Verona vs Torino 2:45 PM Juventus vs AC Milan French Ligue 1 10:00 AM Stade Rennes vs Marseille 2:00 PM Bastia vs Metz 2:00 PM Caen vs Toulouse 2:00 PM Evian Thonon Gaillard vs Bordeaux 2:00 PM Montpellier vs Lille 2:00 PM Stade de Reims vs Lorient English League Championship 10:00 AM Brighton & Hove Albion vs Nottingham Forest 10:00 AM Derby County vs Bolton Wanderers 10:00 AM Fulham vs Birmingham City 10:00 AM Leeds United vs Brentford 10:00 AM Middlesbrough vs Charlton Athletic 10:00 AM Millwall vs Huddersfield Town 10:00 AM Norwich City vs Blackpool 10:00 AM Rotherham United vs Ipswich Town 10:00 AM Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff City 10:00 AM Watford vs Blackburn Rovers 10:00 AM Wigan Athletic vs AFC Bournemouth 10:00 AM Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Reading English League One 10:00 AM Colchester United vs Crewe Alexandra 10:00 AM Doncaster Rovers vs Walsall 10:00 AM Fleetwood Town vs Peterborough United 10:00 AM Gillingham vs Sheffield United 10:00 AM Milton Keynes Dons vs Bristol City 10:00 AM Notts County vs Chesterfield 10:00 AM Port Vale vs Bradford City 10:00 AM Preston North End vs Coventry City 10:00 AM Rochdale vs Leyton Orient 10:00 AM Scunthorpe United vs Oldham Athletic 3 Huge TVs Sunday Feb 8th African Nations Cup 2:00 PM Semi-Final 1 Winner vs Semi-Final 2 Winner International Friendly 4:00 PM United States vs Panama Barclays Premier League 7:00 AM Burnley vs West Bromwich Albion 9:05 AM Newcastle United vs Stoke City 11:15 AM West Ham United vs Manchester United Spanish Primera División 6:00 AM Cordoba vs Almeria 11:00 AM Getafe vs Sevilla FC 1:00 PM Espanyol vs Valencia 3:00 PM Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona French Ligue 1 8:00 AM Guingamp vs AS Monaco 11:00 AM Nice vs Nantes 3:00 PM Lyon vs Paris Saint-Germain Monday Feb 9th Spanish Primera División 2:45 PM Elche vs Rayo Vallecano Italian Serie A 2:45 PM Lazio vs Genoa Barclays Premier League 2:45 PM Arsenal vs Leicester City 2:45 PM Hull City vs Aston Villa 2:45 PM Sunderland vs Queens Park Rangers 3:00 PM Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur English League Championship 2:45 PM AFC Bournemouth vs Derby County 2:45 PM Birmingham City vs Millwall 2:45 PM Blackburn Rovers vs Rotherham United 2:45 PM Blackpool vs Middlesbrough 2:45 PM Brentford vs Watford 2:45 PM Cardiff City vs Brighton & Hove Albion 2:45 PM Charlton Athletic vs Norwich City 2:45 PM Huddersfield Town vs Wolverhampton Wanderers 2:45 PM Ipswich Town vs Sheffield Wednesday 3:00 PM Bolton Wanderers vs Fulham 3:00 PM Reading vs Leeds United Home of the Brooklyn Gunners “Ditmas Park’s Football Bar” www.highburypub.com 1002 Cortelyou Rd, BK • 718.908.1342 English League Two 2:45 PM Accrington Stanley vs Oxford United 2:45 PM Burton Albion vs AFC Wimbledon 2:45 PM Carlisle United vs Shrewsbury Town 2:45 PM Dagenham & Redbridge vs Portsmouth 2:45 PM Exeter City vs Cambridge United 2:45 PM Hartlepool United vs Northampton Town 2:45 PM Luton Town vs York City 2:45 PM Morecambe vs Mansfield Town 2:45 PM Newport County vs Tranmere Rovers 2:45 PM Southend United vs Cheltenham Town 2:45 PM Stevenage vs Bury 2:45 PM Wycombe Wanderers vs Plymouth Argyle English Conference 2:45 PM Alfreton Town vs Forest Green Rovers 2:45 PM Halifax vs Gateshead 2:45 PM Macclesfield Town vs Altrincham 2:45 PM Southport vs Eastleigh Wednesday Feb 11th Barclays Premier League 2:45 PM Chelsea vs Everton 2:45 PM Manchester United vs Burnley 2:45 PM Southampton vs West Ham United 2:45 PM Stoke City vs Manchester City 3:00 PM Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United 3:00 PM West Bromwich Albion vs Swansea City Spanish Copa del Rey 2:00 PM Barcelona vs Villarreal 4:00 PM Athletic Bilbao vs Espanyol French Coupe de France 11:00 AM Yzeure vs Guingamp 1:00 PM AS Monaco vs Stade Rennes 3:00 PM Paris Saint-Germain vs Nantes English League Championship 2:45 PM Nottingham Forest vs Wigan Athletic Scottish Premiership 2:45 PM Partick Thistle vs Celtic Pies & Pints www.firsttouchonline.com E K HORS E BROOKLYN’S #1 SOCCER BAR P B H AC BL U T PAGE 21 FULL MENU AVAILABLE 568 5th Avenue (at 16th Street), Brooklyn THE VIEW FROM 101 With Tim Hall This week, Australian international Tim Cahill left the New York Red Bulls “by mutual agreement”. That’s a very nice term, isn’t it? One step below the newspeak of “conscious uncoupling.” Try that one next time you’re in for a job interview. Explain that the reason you left your last place of employment after drunkenly punching the boss at the Christmas party is “by mutual agreement.” You may have noticed, or noticed by omission, that there was a lack of flowing tributes to the man by the awed and grateful supporters of the Metros. No flailing of arms or beating of chests, no crying, no one latched on to Cahill’s ankle begging him to stay. Certainly not when compared to the other recently departed designated player from Red Bull Arena, Thierry Henry. Henry was flown off to football heaven by golden angels singing hosanna. Cahill caught a cab to Newark Airport. How did it get this way? Wasn’t Cahill supposed to be the dogged, workhorse everyman while Henry was the aloof arrogant megastar? Tim Cahill joined the New York Red Bulls from Everton in 2012. When he did, the move was widely lauded by the local fans and media types alike as a shrewd move. Cahill was not a name that drew headlines or billboards like Henry (then again, who is?), but was exactly the sort of player you wanted on your team if you wanted to win. Stellar in the air even for a shorter player, always capable of giving 90 minutes. It was believed he could be a big step towards curing the team’s woes on set pieces and stabilizing the midfield. And, to Cahill’s credit, he did just that. After arriving in summer of 2012 and going through that half-season slump that all players coming over from Europe tend to do, Cahill came out firing on all cylinders in 2013, and what a season he had in the red and white, both in the micro and macro. Eleven goals in twenty-seven regular season appearances doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, 718 788 1975 www.blackhorsebrooklyn.com but for a midfielder only really expected to score on set plays, it’s massive. And the method and timing of those goals, each seeming bigger than the last. Stoppage time at home to beat LA Galaxy, a massive three points in the middle of the season. In the rain, on the road in loud raucous Seattle, a place near impossible for visitors to get points, without Thierry Henry or Bradley Wright-Phillips in the lineup, to steal a crucial game late in the year. In the 97th minute at home against New England, a floating header over everyone and in for the draw and to clinch a playoff spot. Away to Houston, scoring the fastest goal in Major League Soccer history. Against Chicago, final game of the 2013 regular season, needing a win to clinch the league and the first major trophy in the franchise’s history. Level at 1 in the second half, scramble in front of the net, and even though we’ve seen the replay a dozen times, it’s still not quite clear who gets the last touch between Cahill and Ibrahim Sekagya (the latter is credited with the goal officially), but it was off and running from there. Cahill grabs the ball from the net, slides near the corner flag and spikes the ball before being mobbed by teammates. St. Dymphna’s Bar & Restaurant even Cahill the former Millwall man. As was the clothing line he was trying to get over, the child’s music career he wanted to support, the meme he wanted to become on social media, the reality show he was a part of back home. But in all of that, New York didn’t seem to factor in. Even after returning post-World Cup, it didn’t ever really seem like Cahill was a Red Bull first or even fifth. And so Cahill fell out of favor and found himself pouting on the bench while the lineup that was sent out sailed along smoothly. It became clear that Cahill wasn’t necessary to pull off what this team was capable of, and with his high salary was expendable. ‘Henry was flown off to football heaven by golden angels singing hosanna. Cahill caught a cab to Newark Airport.’ And then when Jonny Steele scored to make it 5-1, there was Cahill running over and leaping into Mike Petke’s arms on the sideline. That’s the sort of moment that makes heroes, that they build statues to commemorate. Tim Cahill was the team’s most valuable player that season, and should have been league MVP as well. But in 2014 that all changed. Tim Cahill didn’t get off to a good start here in New York, and before he could get his feet under him, he was off with the Australian national team preparing for the World Cup. Blasting a player for making that club vs. country decision is always tricky. Certainly there can be no greater honor than representing your country on the biggest stage. But somewhere along the way, Tim Cahill became a brand. Cahill as arguably the greatest Australian footballer ever was a part of it, as was Cahill the Everton legend, and But then came perhaps the strangest case. With Wright-Phillips suspended, Cahill came off the bench with a chance to pull himself out of supporter purgatory in the 2014 playoffs, and very nearly did. Scored a goal to keep the Metros in the series and very nearly scored the winner. But after the game, Cahill spoke not about how hard it was to fall just short or what a great effort the squad showed, but about himself: “I’ve had an unbelievable two and a half years. It’s been amazing, but the main thing for me is to concentrate on the Asian Cup. There’s no more Red Bulls missing out on Tim Cahill going on international duty now. I’ve helped bring some sort of success to the club, When I was first here there was 5,000 people in the crowd if not less. I’ve helped bring fan activation, that’s the main thing. Everywhere I go the fans love me and I love them.” CONTEMPORARY IRISH CUISINE 118 ST MARKS PLACE (1ST & A) 212 254 6636 First of all, never refer to yourself in the third person. But more importantly, there are two and only two things you should ever say about the fans: “the fans were great” and “we have the best fans in the world.” That’s it. Anything else opens you up to a world of hurt, especially when you start claiming that you grew attendance presumably single-handedly. And the term “activation” is giving “selfie” a run for its money as the reigning champion of unfortunate and despised words. So Cahill is off to China, because that is best for his brand to expand into an emerging market and activate with key demographics. Here, there are no dirges or stooped shoulders, more a sense of “good riddance.” Tim Cahill will always have a good spot in the memory for being a part of that team that won Supporters’ Shield. But how he fell from that grace so far, so fast. How this fanbase spun on him like a tornado. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Just not for very long, it seems. Follow Tim Hall on twitter: @timtheredmenace www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 22 KELLY’S SPORT BAR WITH HD SCREENS WALL TO WALL, KELLYS SPORTS BAR IS THE IDEAL PLACE TO GRAB A PINT AND WATCH THE GAME. OPEN WEEKENDS 10AM 12 Ave. A, New York, NY 10009 212.388.1464 WWW.KELLYSN YC.COM SOCCER SPECIALS! Select Drafts $3, $4, $5 • Well drinks $3 during midweek games Kelly’s will sponsor your team - Ask about our great packages! OPEN 12pm - 4am EVERYDAY! FOOTY QUIZ LEAGUE TABLES ENGLSH PREMIER LEAGUE # Team 1Chelsea 2Manchester City 3Manchester United 4Southampton 5Arsenal 6Tottenham Hotspur 7Liverpool 8West Ham United 9Swansea City 10Stoke City 11Newcastle United 12Everton 13Crystal Palace 14Sunderland 15West Bromwich Albion 16Aston Villa 17Burnley 18Hull City 19 Queens Park Rangers 20Leicester City Pl WD L F A Pts 231652522053 231463462348 231274392243 231337371742 231265442542 231247353040 231157332738 231067352736 23968273033 23959262832 23869293530 23689313426 23 5 8 1025 34 23 234 118 213323 235 7 11203222 235 7 11113022 234 8 11213820 23 4 7 1220 33 19 23 5 4 14 24 42 19 23 4 5 1421 37 17 +/32 23 17 20 19 5 6 8 -3 -2 -6 -3 -9 -12 -12 -19 -17 -13 -18 -16 ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP # Team Pl WD L F A Pts 1Bournemouth 281666592854 2Derby County 281666522554 3Middlesbrough 281585431853 4Ipswich Town 281495462751 5Brentford 281549443749 6Watford 281459563347 7Wolverhampton W 281297333545 8Norwich City 281288503444 9Blackburn Rovers 281099383839 10 Sheffield Wednesday 28 9 11 8 21 25 38 11Birmingham City 289 109 313937 12Nottingham Forest 28 8 101037 40 34 13Cardiff City 28 9 7 1236 42 34 14Bolton Wanderers 28 9 7 1233 39 34 15Fulham 28 104 1441 49 34 16Reading 28 9 7 1233 42 34 17 Huddersfield Town 28 9 7 12 36 47 34 18Charlton Athletic 28 6 157 25 35 33 19Leeds United 28 8 8 1230 39 32 20Rotherham United 28 6 121026 36 30 21 Brighton and Hove Albion 28 6 11 11 30 36 29 22Millwall 28 6 9 1326 44 27 23Wigan Athletic 28 4 101426 36 22 24Blackpool 28 4 8 1622 50 20 +/31 27 25 19 7 23 -2 16 0 -4 -8 -3 -6 -6 -8 -9 -11 -10 -9 -10 -6 -18 -10 -28 SCOTTISH PREMIER # Team 1Celtic 2Aberdeen 3Inverness CT 4Dundee United 5Hamilton Academical 6 St Johnstone 7Dundee 8Kilmarnock 9Partick Thistle 10St Mirren 11Motherwell 12Ross County Pl WD L F A Pts 221633431251 231535372148 241536352248 231436463045 251249393240 24 104 1021 25 34 25898373833 238411233028 236710322825 25 5 3 1720 41 18 245 3 16164618 23 2 6 1521 45 12 +/31 16 13 16 7 -4 -1 -7 4 -21 -30 -24 SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP #Team 1Hearts 2Rangers 3Hibernian 4Queen Of The South 5Falkirk 6Raith Rovers 7Dumbarton 8Alloa Athletic 9Cowdenbeath 10Livingston PlW 2101736 221831581457 201325422041 231175452340 221066402736 23986343235 22859243829 236512265423 233614173515 224315195315 22 4 5 1323 32 12 14 44 22 22 13 2 -14 -28 -18 -34 -9 ENGLISH LEAGUE ONE # Team 1Bristol City 2Milton Keynes Dons 3Swindon Town 4Preston North End 5 Chesterfield 6 Sheffield United 7 Rochdale 8Bradford City 9 Peterborough United 10Oldham Athletic 11Fleetwood Town 12Doncaster Rovers 13Barnsley 14Notts County 15Port Vale 16Walsall 17Scunthorpe United 18Gillingham 19Coventry City 20Crewe Alexandra 21Colchester United 22Crawley Town 23Leyton Orient 24Yeovil Town Pl WD L F A Pts 261763502257 271674592555 271665522754 271386412847 27 10 9 8 41 36 39 25 11 6 8 32 28 39 26115 10473538 261079333037 27114 12343437 27 9 108 38 39 37 28 107 1127 28 37 26998283136 27 105 1237 39 35 27 9 8 1030 34 35 28 105 1334 40 35 27 8 109 27 29 34 25 9 6 1037 41 33 28 8 8 1236 44 32 28 7 101129 39 31 27 8 5 1425 49 29 27 7 7 1332 43 28 28 6 9 1326 47 27 27 6 8 1335 43 26 28 6 7 1521 40 25 +/28 34 25 13 5 4 12 3 0 -1 -1 -3 -2 -4 -6 -2 -4 -8 -10 -24 -11 -21 -8 -19 ENGLISH LEAGUE TWO # Team 1Shrewsbury Town 2Burton Albion 3 Wycombe Wanderers 4Luton Town 5Southend United 6Newport County AFC 7 Bury 8 Stevenage 9 Exeter City 10Plymouth Argyle 11Morecambe 12Northampton Town 13AFC Wimbledon 14Cambridge United 15Oxford United 16Accrington Stanley 17Tranmere Rovers 18Portsmouth 19 Dagenham & Redbridge 20Carlisle United 21Cheltenham Town 22York City 23 Mansfield Town 24Hartlepool United Pl WD L F A Pts 281666401854 281666382654 2814113 402153 271485332050 281486302350 281378363346 28 135 1039 33 44 28125 11393741 29118 10394141 28 117 1032 22 40 28 108 1028 26 38 28 114 1345 39 37 27 107 1038 38 37 27 106 1142 33 36 288 9 11323633 27 103 1436 48 33 277 9 11293230 277 9 11283330 28 8 6 14 30 39 30 28 9 3 1635 50 30 28 7 9 1225 40 30 28 5 131027 33 28 27 7 7 13 22 35 28 28 5 6 1722 49 21 +/22 12 19 13 7 3 6 2 -2 10 2 6 0 9 -4 -12 -3 -5 -9 -15 -15 -6 -13 -27 ENGLISH CONFERENCE # Team 1Barnet 2 Bristol Rovers 3 Macclesfield Town 4Grimsby Town 5 Forest Green Rovers 6 Woking 7 Kidderminster Harriers 8FC Halifax 9 Lincoln City 10Eastleigh 11Gateshead 12Dover 13Chester FC 14Torquay United 15Altrincham 16Braintree Town 17Wrexham 18Aldershot Town 19Welling United 20Southport 21Alfreton Town 22Dartford 23Nuneaton 24AFC Telford United Pl WD L F A Pts 322057703365 32 15134 42 26 58 31 16 9 6 43 27 57 311687502656 31 14 11 6 48 35 50 32 13109 49 34 49 32147 11423749 291469433148 32 146 1253 54 48 29 138 8 53 40 47 29 12116 46 37 47 31 137 1151 40 46 33 144 1545 53 46 32 11101149 42 43 31 126 1339 49 42 30 123 1536 35 39 29 108 1131 36 38 31 9 6 1631 42 33 32 8 9 1536 50 33 29 8 7 1428 45 31 30 8 3 1931 61 27 31 5 9 1731 56 24 33 6 5 2226 62 23 30 5 7 1841 63 22 +/37 16 16 24 13 15 5 12 -1 13 9 11 -8 7 -10 1 -5 -11 -14 -17 -30 -25 -36 -22 PORTUGAL - LIGA # Team 1 Benfica 2FC Porto 3Sporting Lisbon 4Vitoria de Guimaraes 5Braga 6Rio Ave 7Belenenses 8Pacos Ferreira 9Estoril 10Maritimo 11Moreirense 12Nacional 13Boavista 14 Vitoria Setubal 15Arouca 16Academica 17 Penafiel 18Gil Vicente Pl WD L F A Pts 19 16 1 2 44 8 49 191342471043 191261381542 191063331636 191045301334 19766262527 19766182027 19757242926 19676232825 19739232524 19667171924 19739212624 19 6 1 1215 34 19 19 5 3 11 16 32 18 19 4 3 1211 29 15 19 1 108 12 27 13 19 3 4 12 14 36 13 19 1 8 1014 34 11 +/36 37 23 17 17 1 -2 -5 -5 -2 -2 -5 -19 -16 -18 -15 -22 -20 FRANCE - LIGUE 1 # Team 1Lyon 2Marseille 3Paris St Germain 4St Etienne 5Monaco 6Montpellier 7Bordeaux 8Nice 9Nantes 10Rennes 11Guingamp 12Reims 13Lille 14Toulouse 15Caen 16Bastia 17Lorient 18Evian Thonon Gaillar 19RC Lens 20Metz Pl WD L F A Pts 231544471749 231526432247 231382401947 231175241540 231175251840 231067302236 23977283034 23959282932 23887202332 23869233030 239 2 12273629 23 8 5 1027 37 29 23779182028 23 7 4 1224 34 25 236 6 11313524 23599222724 23 7 3 1325 32 24 23 7 2 1424 39 23 23 5 6 1221 29 21 23 5 6 1219 32 21 +/30 21 21 9 7 8 -2 -1 -3 -7 -9 -10 -2 -10 -4 -5 -7 -15 -8 -13 GERMANY - BUNDESLIGA # Team 1Bayern Munich 2Wolfsburg 3B Monchengladbach 4FC Augsburg 5Bayer Leverkusen 6Schalke 7Hoffenheim 8Hannover 96 9Eintracht Frankfurt 10Cologne 11Werder Bremen 12Mainz 13Hamburg 14SC Paderborn 07 15SC Freiburg 16Stuttgart 17Hertha Berlin 18Borussia Dortmund Pl WD L F A Pts 191441439 46 191153381938 19964271633 191108262233 19883292032 19946302231 19757313026 19748222825 19667363924 19658192323 19658304023 19 4 105 25 24 22 19559122120 19478213419 19397212718 19469203318 195 3 11243818 194 4 11182716 +/34 19 11 4 9 8 1 -6 -3 -4 -10 1 -9 -13 -6 -13 -14 -9 GREAT SCOTS 1. Won the league title with Tottenham Hotspur as a player in Derby County as manager and made 22 national appearances between 1957 and 1965. 2. One of the ‘Lisbon Lions’ who won the 1967 European Cup, this 5’2” outside-right played 515 times for Celtic and scored 129 goals. He was capped 23 times for Scotland. 3. Scored 30 goals in 55 appearances for Scotland and won two league titles and the European Cup with Manchester United. 4. A winger with Rangers and Motherwell who played 22 times for Scotland between 1979 and 1990 and scored a crucial penalty against Wales in the 1986 World Cup qualifying campaign. 5. Nottingham Forest and Derby County left-winger who won two European Cups with Forest and was capped 28 times by Scotland. Ad Rates & Info: 212 995 2964 ANSWERS ON PAGE 24 www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 23 csl winter standings JAY MWAMBA GP W L T GF GA GD Pts 22 20 16 15 11 4 Metro Division 1 East 1. Central Park Rangers Reds 2. Lansdowne Bhoys Metro 3. Ridgewood Romac SC 4. Brishna 5. NYC Vllaznia 6. Missile FC 10 9 10 10 10 10 8 7 5 4 3 1 0 1 4 3 6 8 2 1 1 3 1 1 48 37 21 21 20 15 7 12 25 22 30 54 41 25 -4 -1 -10 -39 26 22 16 15 10 4 26 22 11 10 6 4 West 1. NY Ittihad FC 2. FC Gwardia PLNY 3. Mr Dennehey’s FC 4. Gotham Argo 5. Dynamo SC 6. Gotham City FC 10 10 10 9 9 9 6 6 4 2 2 1 1 3 4 5 6 8 3 1 2 2 1 0 27 42 25 11 21 17 13 19 25 17 45 36 14 23 0 -6 -24 -19 21 19 14 8 7 3 Metro Division 2 1. Mola SC 2. FC Spring Valley Huerto U 3. Barnstonworth Rvrs Metro 4. NYC Metro Stars 5. FC NY Bravehearts 6. AO Brooklyn 7. NYFC Iliria 8. Williamsburg Int. FC 9. Grenadier Zenith 10. SC Eintracht 11. Metro City Fury Ath. FC 12. FC Partizani NY 13. NY Galicia GP 10 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 9 9 9 W 7 7 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 0 L 1 1 2 2 3 4 3 4 4 6 7 7 9 T 2 0 1 2 1 0 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 GF 38 46 41 29 32 24 19 43 24 18 17 22 8 GA GD 21 17 9 37 18 23 14 15 28 4 18 6 29 -10 29 14 22 2 24 -6 61 -44 42 -20 46 -38 Pts 23 21 19 17 16 15 14 13 13 10 6 4 0 Over-30 Division 1 GP W L T GF GA GD Pts Division 1 East 1. NY Athletic Club 2. Lansdowne Bhoys 3. United FC 4. NYC Rovers 5. NY Croatia 6. Hoboken FC 1912 GP W L T GF GA GD Pts 9 10 10 10 9 9 7 6 5 5 3 1 1 2 4 5 4 7 1 2 1 0 2 1 16 30 22 24 17 6 8 12 16 23 23 31 8 18 6 1 -6 -25 West 1. NY Pancyprian Freedoms 2. NY Greek Americans 3. Manhattan Celtic 4. Clarkstown SC Eagles 5. Central Park R’gers Whites 6. Stal Mielec NY 10 10 10 10 9 10 8 7 3 3 2 1 0 2 5 6 7 8 2 1 2 1 0 1 30 30 18 20 10 8 8 7 22 31 23 27 22 23 -4 -11 -13 -19 Division 1 - Reserve GP W L T GF GA GD Pts East 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 9 10 10 10 9 9 6 6 6 4 2 2 0 2 2 2 5 7 3 2 2 4 2 0 29 24 25 23 8 11 8 13 13 15 19 30 21 11 12 8 -11 -19 21 20 20 16 8 6 West 1. NY Greek Americans 2. NY Pancyprian Freedoms 3. Central Park R’gers Whites 4. Manhattan Celtic 5. Stal Mielec NY 6. Clarkstown SC Eagles 10 10 9 10 10 10 5 5 4 3 2 1 2 5 3 5 5 8 3 0 2 2 3 1 22 15 16 13 10 14 17 16 12 20 17 30 5 -1 4 -7 -7 -16 18 15 14 11 9 4 Division 2 1. NY Ukrainians 2. Shamrock SC 3. Polonia NY 4. Doxa FC 5. CD Iberia 6. NYPD FC 7. NY Supreme 8. Manhattan Kickers 9. Sporting Astoria SC 10. FC Japan 11. New Amsterdam United FC GP 9 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 W 7 7 5 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 0 L 1 2 1 2 2 3 4 3 5 6 7 T 1 1 3 4 4 3 2 4 2 2 2 GF 30 41 25 16 16 14 23 12 12 12 14 GA GD 10 20 16 25 10 15 14 2 16 0 22 -8 17 6 11 1 26 -14 39 -27 34 -20 Pts 22 22 18 13 13 12 11 10 8 5 2 Division 2 - Reserve 1. Shamrock SC 2. NYPD FC 3. NY Supreme 4. NY Ukrainians 5. Sporting Astoria SC 6. Polonia NY 7. CD Iberia 8. FC Japan 9. Doxa FC 10. New Amsterdam U 11. Manhattan Kickers GP 10 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 W 8 5 6 5 5 4 3 2 2 1 1 L 0 1 3 3 4 2 4 6 7 6 6 T 2 3 0 1 0 3 2 1 0 2 2 GF 37 20 24 24 31 17 20 7 9 12 10 GA GD 8 29 9 11 13 11 10 14 20 11 17 0 20 0 33 -26 21 -12 31 -19 29 -19 Pts 26 18 18 16 15 15 11 7 6 5 5 NY Athletic Club NYC Rovers United FC Lansdowne Bhoys Hoboken FC 1912 NY Croatia East 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Shamrock SC Over-30 10 NY Dinamo 10 Manhattan Celtic Legends 10 Central Park Rangers Grays 10 Megas Alexandros 10 Barnstonworth Rvrs Old Boys 10 8 6 5 5 2 1 1 4 3 4 8 9 1 0 2 1 0 0 23 27 23 21 13 11 13 24 24 13 36 36 10 3 -1 8 -23 -25 25 18 17 16 6 3 West 1. Manhattan Kickers Over-30 2. Central Park Rgrs Old Boys 3. Manhattan Kickers PREM 4. NY Greek Am Over-30 5. Barnstonworth Rvrs PREM 6. BW Gottschee Over-30 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 5 5 5 4 1 1 2 3 4 4 9 4 3 2 1 2 0 26 23 29 19 31 17 15 12 13 15 19 43 11 11 16 4 12 -26 19 18 17 16 14 3 Over-30 Division 2 1. Manhattan Celtic Bhoys 2. Guyana Veterans 3. Hoboken FC 1912 Over-30 4. Nieuw Amsterdam 5. Brooklyn Gunners 6. Argo Silver 7. NYPD FC Over-30 GP 9 8 9 9 8 8 9 W 8 6 6 5 2 1 1 L 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 T 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 GF 19 38 20 17 14 9 5 GA GD 5 14 12 26 13 7 14 3 26 -12 22 -13 30 -25 Pts 24 18 18 15 7 4 3 Over-35 Division GP 1. SC Gjoa 10 2. SC Eintracht Over-30 10 3. Barnstonworth Rves Over-3510 4. Central Park Rgrs Legends 10 5. Banatul SC 10 6. Hoboken FC 1912 Veterans 10 W 8 7 5 4 3 0 L 1 3 5 3 6 9 T 1 0 0 3 1 1 GF 36 35 28 22 16 6 GA GD 14 22 25 10 22 6 18 4 29 -13 35 -29 Pts 25 21 15 15 10 1 Read Jay Mwamba’s reports at: www.firsttouchonline.com www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 24 LIVE FOOTBALL AT OUR BEER GARDEN IS OPEN! Watch all the games live on our outdoor screen We accept reservations for parties and groups in the garden and/or the bar 180 Grand Street, Brooklyn • (718) 384-5008 • www.ionabrooklyn.com MAD HATTER SALOON & BEER GARDEN 360 3RD AVENUE (CORNER OF 26TH ST) 212 696 2122 LIVE MUSIC THIS WEEK Thursday, Feb 5th 7pm The Jam NYC incl No Mersey & Rolling Bones 1am Jason Duo Friday, Feb 6th 7pm Daddy No Bux 10pm City of Six 1am Breakdown Saturday, Feb 7th 7pm Country Club 9.30pm The DC 9′s 1am No Standards Sunday, Feb 8th 4pm Silbin 7pm Steve Reilly 11pm Dugger Brothers Monday, Feb 9th 8pm Big Ed’s Blues Jam 11pm Jason Mo Soul Tuesday, Feb 10th 7pm Martins Campfire 10pm Stingers 1am Michael Brunnock Wednesday, Feb 11th 7pm Jeff Tuohy 10pm Gus & Deep C Revival 1am Silbin LIVE MUSIC EVERY NIGHT! 151 Bleecker St 212 - 260 - 9797 w w w. m a d h a t t e r s a l o o n nyc . c o m QUIZ ANSWERS FROM PAGE 22: w ww. red li on n yc.c om 1. Dave Mackay 2. Jimmy Johnstone 3. Denis Law 4. David Cooper 5. John Robertson www.firsttouchonline.com PAGE 25 “The Mick Balds Live4ever Music Page” Festival No.6 headlined by Grace Jones and Belle & Sebastian Grace Jones and Belle & Sebastian will be headlining Festival No.6 when it returns for another year in September. “We’re tremendously excited about this year’s festival. Our first wave of artists and DJ’s is stronger than ever and there’s a lot more to come including our third main stage headline act, another headline DJ and a big second wave of live acts,” director Luke Huxham has said. “We have a huge amount to announce on the culture, arts and food side of the festival which is an increasingly important part of the No.6 experience. There are also a few surprises up our sleeves – I think it’s safe to say it’s going to be our best festival yet.” Joining those headliners is the Mercury winning Young Fathers, Kate Tempest, Ghostpoet, Rae Morris, Shura, Stornoway, The Bohicas and Fryars. Festival No.6 boasts a range of activities across its weekend, and is held in Portmeirion, Wales. Dry The River announce US tour dates before SXSW Dry The River will launch into a full tour of the States ahead of their previously announced appearance at this year’s South By Southwest Festival. The short tour opens on March 7th at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, and concludes in Atlanta, Georgia just a few days before their visit to Texas. Dry The River are out with their 2014 album ‘Alarms In The Heart‘, of which our review ended: “Classically themed intellectual content, stemming from a university based education in medicine and anthropology, makes for a cathartic exploration of the human form under a mingled overlay of classic pop rock, operatic tinged gospel leanings on ‘Shallow Bed‘ have taken somewhat of a backseat here in favour This week’s selection includes Southend’s Asylums and London teenagers Little Grim. Jamie Hewlett is apparently on board with a return for Gorillaz after posting a series of visuals on his Instagram feed over the weekend. Asylums release their debut EP ‘Wet Dream Fanzine’ on February 23rd via their own Cool Thing label having found support from the likes of Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy recently. The man behind the cartoon band’s artwork signalled his return with a picture of Murdoc, and later simply declared: “Yes. Gorillaz Returns.” This comes after Damon Albarn told the Sydney Morning Herald last October that he was ‘in the process of reactivating’ the band which last released an album in 2011. It also puts to bed any possibility of Albarn working on new Gorillaz material without the artistic exploits of Hewlett – Coldplay to headline glastonbury 2015? “It was very much Jamie did the visuals and I did the music,” he said. “The music won’t change, so there could be another Gorillaz record tomorrow. It wouldn’t necessarily have Murdoc – the cartoon aspect to it – but musically no, nothing’s changed whatsoever.” “Jamie wants to do other things and I understand. But you never know, in a few years he might have a burning desire to draw those pictures again, and as soon as he does that, as far as I’m concerned, there could be another Gorillaz album.” Coldplay are being strongly tipped by the eFestivals site for another Glastonbury headline date this coming June. Speculation, as always, has been rife surrounding the identities of the three main Pyramid Stage acts for this year since the event sold out in record time last October. The likes of Fleetwood Mac, AC/ DC, Muse and even a reunion for East Coast Tour dates: MARCH Bklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (7) Washington DC – Rock & Roll Hotel (8) this week’s live4ever picks of the week Jamie Hewlett confirms involvement in Gorillaz return something which he discussed with Shortlist back in 2012. of a move towards a budding post-punk sound.” London’s Little Grim are fresh out of the box with their first single ‘Vice’, also released on February 23rd. These and six other picks of the week can be found by scrolling through our latest collection. Find out much more about this week’s featured artists by clicking on Oasis have all been mentioned in despatches, but Coldplay have now emerged as one of the leading candidates by eFestivals, who aren’t usually far wrong. Indeed, it would seem like an obvious place for Coldplay to revisit if they are to go on a long hiatus or even split in the near future, given that their 2002 headline gig at Worthy Farm is seen as one of the sparks which catapulted them to worldwide fame. their individual names, and you can catch up with all our previous editions direct through the New Tunes Guide at www. live4ever.uk.com “It’s our seventh thing, and the way we look at it, it’s like the last Harry Potter book or something like that,” Chris Martin has told Zane Lowe of the band’s uncertain future. “Not to say that there might not be another thing one day, but this is the completion of something. I have to think of it as the final thing we’re doing. Otherwise we wouldn’t put everything into it.” ‘Music, Beer & Football. The very stuff of life itself’ John Peel www.live4ever.uk.com PAGE 26 LIVE FOOTBALL ALL YEAR ROUND! FEATURING: IRISH BREAKFAST FISH & CHIPS CHICKEN MADRAS SOCCER PIES MULLIGANS NEW JERSEY’S PREMIER FOOTBALL VENUE www.firsttouchonline.com UPCOMING GAMES Sat 7-Feb EPL 7:45AM Spurs v Arsenal 10AM Aston Villa v Chelsea 10AM Leicester City v Crystal Palace 10AM Man City v Hull City 10AM QPR v Southampton 10AM Swansea City v Sunderland 12:30PM Everton v Liverpool Championship 12PM Wigan Ath. v Bournemouth La Liga 10AM Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid 12PM Villarreal v Granada Serie A 2:45PM Juventus v AC Milan Sun 8-Feb Africa Cup Final 2PM tbd v tbd EPL 7AM Burnley v WBA 9AM Newcastle Utd v Stoke City 11:15AM West Ham Utd v Man Utd France 4PM Lyon v PSG SEE OUR FULL MENU AT WWW.MULLIGANSONFIRST.COM 159 FIRST STREET, HOBOKEN 201.876.4101 La Liga 11AM Getafe v Sevilla 1PM Espanyol v Valencia 3PM Ath. Bilbao v Barcelona PAGE 27 www.firsttouchonline.com FOOTBALL FACTORY NYC STAND YOUR GROUND! WWW.FOOTBALLFACTORYNY.COM
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