EPL title on the line on 'Championship Sunday'
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, May 4, 2014
MONDAY, May 5:
Washington University in St. Louis is hosting a panel discussion titled “Is The USA Becoming a Soccer Country?” The panel includes Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, Clark Hunt, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, Dan Flynn, general secretary of U.S. Soccer, and ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman. Michael J. MacCambridge, adjunct instructor in communications and journalism, will serve as moderator. It will take place at 7 p.m. ET at Graham Chapel.
TUESDAY, May 6:
ESPN Films’ "30 for 30: Soccer Stories" series continues on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET with two films airing back-to-back: “Mysteries of the Rimet Trophy” and “Barbosa: The Man Who Made Brazil Cry.” The Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the World Cup champion, is the sports prize shrouded in the most intrigue -- with the whereabouts of the original trophy unknown to this day. This film focuses on the great prize’s first brush with crime -- a Nazi plan to steal the Rimet Trophy from Italy during World War II. Goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa was widely considered one of the world’s best goalkeepers, but everything changed during the 1950 World Cup, played for the first time in Brazil. The blame for the 2-1 loss to Uruguay that cost Brazil the World Cup was mostly pinned on Barbosa.
WEDNESDAY, May 7:
Three MLS games are on tap, including a meeting between the Seattle Sounders, who have the best record in MLS, and FC Dallas. The Toronto FC and Vancouver play the first leg of the 2014 Amway Canadian Championship semifinals. FC Edmonton hosts the Montreal Impact in the other game.
-- The 101st edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off with eight games, all involving amateur teams from the PDL, USASA, NPSL, U.S. Club Soccer and USSSA
THURSDAY, May 8:
-- The U.S. women's national team travels to Winnipeg to face Canada in an international friendly. It will be Jill Ellis' second game in charge since taking over as U.S. interim head coach following the dismissal of Tom Sermanni. Ellis is believed to be one of two finalists for the head coaching job along with Swede Tony Gustavsson, who is the head coach of UEFA Women's Champions League finalist Tyreso.
SATURDAY, May 10:
The final weekend before MLS players report to World Cup training camps features nine MLS matches -- five on Saturday and four on Sunday, Mother's Day. Eastern Conference leader Sporting Kansas City is at Montreal on Saturday, while Seattle, the overall leader, is at New England on Sunday.
-- The Pacific Northwest is also a hotbed for women's soccer, and a large crowd is expected at Providence Park for the NWSL defending champion Portland Thorns' match with the Seattle Reign, which is perfect after five games.
SUNDAY, May 11:
The English Premier League concludes with "Championship Sunday," all 10 games kicking off at 10 a.m. ET. Ten different NBCUniversal networks will each be carrying a different match. Three teams still have a shot at winning the title, and three other teams face the prospect of being relegated.
