Premier League: Weekend Review

Last weekend was one of the biggest weekends of the Premier League season. Lots of big news from across the pond. Here's a recap:

• Newcastle Makes Four Goal Comeback: On Saturday we had Arsenal take a 4-0 lead on Newcastle in the first half in front of 51,561 at St. James Park. Then with a goal from both Leon Best and Ismael Chiek Tioté, and two goals from Joey Barton, Newcastle United successfully came and tied the game in the 87th minute on a volley from Tioté. This is one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history.
• Dempsey Scores for Fulham: In a game that could have been Michael Bradley's debut, Fulham and Aston Villa tied 2-2. In the 78th minute, Clint Dempsey found net off a corner from Danny Murphy. Dempsey's 10th goal of the campagin drew Fulham level. Bradley did not play. The goals for Villa came from a John Pantsil own goal, and Kyle Walker. While Fulham's other goal came from Andrew Johnson in the 52nd minute.
• Manchester United FINALLY Loses: Also on Saturday Man U lost for the first time this Premier League season. The 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers comes after United being undefeated in 24 straight games. Though they dominated possession and shots, Man U couldn't stop goals from Elokobi and Kevin Doyle. Manchester United have gone onto the list of title contenders, along with Manchester City and Chelsea, who have lost to Wolverhampton at Molineux Stadium.
• Torres and Chelsea Can't Handle Liverpool: On Sunday, in one of the most anticipated matches of the year, Chelsea faced Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. This was Fernando Torres' debut as a Blue and was disappointing for Torres and Chelsea. After so much anticipation, Torres' performance was subpar at best, and he was pulled in the 66th minute for Salomon Kalou. Raul Meireles spoiled the party in the 69th minute. Steven Gerrard crossed the ball in from the right for Meireles who after a nice bounce, put the ball in the back of the net. Chelsea never really recovered, and Liverpool finished off the game and go home with a 1-0 victory.

Updates From the Past Week.

Alright. Slow week news wise, besides the unveiling of the USL Pro Playoff format so here's some updates on some players that any SC Soccer fan should care about:

• Ricardo Clark out for 4 Weeks- The former Furman player, who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, fractured his cheekbone in a training session. He will undergo surgery.
• Oguchi Onyewu to FC Twente, Hurt in Cup Game- Onyewu is on loan to FC Twente from Milan. In a KNVB Cup win over PSV Eindhoven, the former Clemson defender sustained a back injury. The US International left in the 26th minute. 
• Clint Dempsey is On Fire- Dempsey, who played with Clark for Furman, has been a star lately for Fulham. He scored two goals against Stoke, and was the only real threat to score in the club's game against Liverpool on Tuesday.
• Brad Guzan Extends Loan- Brad Guzan, who formerly played at South Carolina, extended his loan from Aston Villa to Hull City for another month. Guzan is 2-1-1 at Hull City.
• Stuart Holden and Bolton Annihilated by Chelsea- Former Clemson player, Holden, has not scored in a while, and Bolton is suffering. They sit eleventh in the table and only eight points out of the relegation zone. They lost 4-0 to Chelsea on the 24th.

Just a quick recap of the weeks events. Any questions? E-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com.

The Status of College Soccer in South Carolina

With soccer on the rise in the whole of the United States, South Carolina can be quickly left in the dust. With the lack of an MLS side within a 500 mile radius, soccer is not seeming like a priority to most sports fans in South Carolina. But then again, we should take a closer look. Where is the goldmine for soccer in the Palmetto State?

Colleges. The state has had some of the most prominent programs in the South. Many of the colleges have had players that went on to play at a professional level, not only in the U.S., but in Europe. The University of South Carolina has had former U.S. national team players Clint Mathis, Josh Wolff, and the backup keeper to Tim Howard, Brad Guzan. Clemson University, has current U.S. national team players, defender Oguchi Onyewu and midfielder, Stuart Holden. Furman University had two players that were on the United States World Cup Roster in Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark. 

Though many of the college sides in SC have had a down time in the late 2000's, this year was a solid one for college soccer in the state. South Carolina won the Conference USA championship for the first time since 2005 and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament. Furman lost to UNC Greensboro in the Southern Conference Championship. The College of Charleston attained an at large bid to the NCAA tournament and lost to eventual runners up, Louisville, in the second round. Clemson had a mediocre season, with the highlight being a win over 18th ranked Duke.

As soccer grows in South Carolina, an integral part is college soccer. Most European nations do not have intercollegiate soccer and it could be special part of American soccer that the Palmetto State has the ability to dominate.

Former Furman Star Clint Dempsey Tearing Up the EPL

Former Furman University standout Clint Dempsey is becoming a strong force for his English Premier League side, Fulham. Dempsey is quickly turning into a fan favorite and star for the English club, and is on the way to setting his own personal record of goals in a season for Fulham (9).

Dempsey played three seasons for the Furman Paladins and started in 61 of 62 games. He scored 17 goals in all of his appearances. He played alongside his United States National team teammate, Ricardo Clark in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. This could be considered one of the greatest college soccer teams in the history of the state of South Carolina, taking into account it had two future national team players. The two have combined for 21 goals for the USMNT.

Fulham is on the brink of relegation, and Dempsey is trying to lead them through their eighth season in the top level of English football and on to their ninth. Fulham is currently 17th in the Premier league, and therefore safe from relegation for now. The club has held this streak of eight consecutive seasons in the Premier League since the 2001-2002 season, and hopes to carry this out for many years to come. Fulham gained top flight status for the first time since 1968 in 2001. Dempsey has scored 6 goals in 17 appearances for Fulham this season, which is first on the team. Not only is he leading in goals, but he is third on the team in assists with 2.

It would be not only devastating for the club to be dropped Football League Championship, but for U.S. soccer itself. Clint Dempsey is one of the top players in U.S. soccer, and to keep form we need to have our top players playing against the best players in the entire world, in one of the top leagues in the world. Let's face it, playing against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United is better than playing Leeds United, Queens Park Rangers, and Cardiff City.

With other United States players, like Stuart Holden, Tim Howard, Jonathan Spector, and Dempsey's teammate Eddie Johnson playing in the English Premier League, the U.S. can only improve. You know what they say, to be the best, you have to beat the best.