OT: Need Help with European Soccer Viewing
I need your collective MGoHelp: I am an admitted novice when it comes to European soccer but have recently become more interested in it. I have a fixed amount of time to spend in the evenings watching games and I'm having trouble deciding even what league to focus on during my time. After reading up a bit, I sense that the UEFA Championship League might be the way to go. But then I read that the British Premier League is the best league overall. And I know that Fox Soccer channel also shows games of the Italian Serie A as well (and probably others too). I guess what I am saying is that I have no f-ing idea what I should be watching. Can anyone help point me in the right direction with respect to the league to focus on? Is the UEFA Championship League the way to go for a late bloomer like me?
(As an aside, I still don't understand how the UEFA Championship League works - how can teams play in it while their regular season is ongoing? For example, how can Arsenal play in it while the Premier League is in-season?)
Thanks in advance.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
I suggest it if only because the two are sectarian rivals in an English speaking country and you don't get that type of rivalry often, not even in the EPL.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:26 PM ^
Racism, secretarianism, violence? What more do we need to make a great sporting event!?
/s
August 24th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
I like the Rangers, but like them more now that they have Bocanegra and Bedoya along with Edu.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
They are in the Scottish Premier League.
Ed: Well my answer pales in comparison to the one above.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:21 PM ^
Four EPL games per weekend on FSC (a few more on delay). One on ESPN (sometimes two) on either Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Champions League games midweek (Tuesday and Wednesday) on FSC with one game live the other on delay shortly after. Various Bundesliga (German) and BBVA (Spanish) games on ESPN3. Whatever you do don't watch Serie A. Watch Bundesliga for free-flowing attacking soccer without defense. Watch BBVA for Barca and Real Madrid (seems like the other top tier teams have become selling clubs). I would reccomend the EPL. There are many differing playing styles, most teams are competetive, and the games have some level of intensity to them. Also tune in to Euro 2012 and international friendlies when the leagues go on international break.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:22 PM ^
Man City has all the money and spending it wisely. Lots of good young talent. If Tevez sticks around, they have Aguero,Silva, Nasri, Dzeko, Toure, and a bunch of good defenders. If they gel, they can be a threat to win a lot this year.
August 24th, 2011 at 3:46 AM ^
I said it above, but they just got Nasri from Arsenal as well. They are just loading up everywhere.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^
This website gives a good explanation of how European soccer works and how it compares to American sports leagues http://www.tompgalvin.com/features/soccer1.htm
As far as which league to follow, I would recommend the Premier League. It seems like it gets the most exposure in the U.S. and I feel like the quality of play is better and there is less diving, time wasting, fouls called, etc. I would also recommend finding a specific team to support and then follow what goes on with that team off the pitch at least a little bit (injuries, new signings, disgruntled players).
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
The English Premier League and the Spanish League are the two best leagues and have the most profitable teams in the land with Manchester United, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. The UEFA Chapions League is great because it's basically a tournament with the top teams of the major European leagues. I would start with the UEFA and watch the biggest games of the top leagues. You can't miss 'El Clasico" (Barcelona v. Real Madrid). I know we're supposed to say that Michigan v. Ohio State is the biggest rivalry in sports but I truly belive that the political and historic divide between those two fan clubs is too big to compare to any other.
If you really want to enjoy the best soccer, just follow Barcelona. They've been the best team, and the most fun to watch, for 4 years now. They play a great passing, attack-minded style and have some of the best polayers in the world at all positions.
Enjoy...
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:43 PM ^
I know we're supposed to say that Michigan v. Ohio State is the biggest rivalry in sports but I truly belive that the political and historic divide between those two fan clubs is too big to compare to any other.If players for those two clubs only had a four-year window to compete (and mostly sat on the bench the first 2-3 of those years) and didn't receive millions in compensation, I'd agree. Part of what's so cool about college football is that a player's chance to make an impact is so limited. A player might only get one chance in his lifetime to step on the field for Michigan-OSU. OTOH, Messi can play Real Madrid 20 more times in his career if he wants.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:35 PM ^
Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Barca is awesome to watch.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:48 PM ^
I'd start with watching the EPL. The Champions League is great, but it doesn't get really good until the spring time. The group stages in the fall can be kind of boring and predictable. Every game in the English league is important. It's also the easiest to follow because of the coverage from ESPN and FSC.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
Don't root for any of the following:
-Manchester United
-Arsenal
-Chelsea
-Liverpool
-Barcelona
-Real Madrid
These are the European equivalents of the Yankees/Red Sox/Cowboys/Lakers- the trendy big-market teams with a bajillion bandwagon followers. They're the "gateway" teams for Americans who want a team to root for but don't want to deal with the pain of losing. Unless you have some personal connection to these cities, rooting for these teams is as lame as say, rooting for Duke
Choose a team with some history but not one of overpowering success. When it wins, it'll mean something.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:55 PM ^
Unfortunately unless you have some connection to a particular soccer team you can't be accused of anything but bandwagoning in cheering for a European soccer teams. You don't have to go against the grain and be a hipster soccer fan if you don't want to. Those teams in general are the easiest to follow for Americans so there's nothing wrong with that.
August 24th, 2011 at 3:33 PM ^
With the internet, it's pretty easy to follow almost any halfway decent European club. And besides, no one roots for a team because "it's easier to follow." If you're a fan, you'll devour that grainy tape-delayed stream of your team - because it's your team, and you'll make sacrifices to watch them.
If you find it objectionable to root for the Dukes and Yankees of North America, it makes no sense to root for their Euro equivalents.
August 24th, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
That would be good advice if you had given some examples of teams to root for instead. Ruling teams out instead of giving suggestions isn't really helpful.
P.S. Someone new to college basketball couldn't pick a much better school to root for than Duke - it has history, a strong coach, and great fans.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
The lower the level of the club you wind up following, the greater the joy if they ever have any success.
When I moved to Switzerland in '97 the local club had just been promoted out of the top amateur league and was playing their first season against full-time professional players. They were pretty terrible--started the season with two draws and ten losses out of the first 12, if I remember it right. But somehow they stayed up, and eight years later...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/2365276/Thuns-fairy-…
This is an experience you can never have as a Liverpool fan (or any other top club).
August 24th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
as usually there has to be some personal connection. For example, I support Arsenal because when I was over in London in 1996, I was able to go to a game at Highbury, their old stadium. After that experience I was hooked.
My suggestion would be to go to Wikipedia and start reading up on teams that are in the EPL and see which ones suit your fancy.
Two teams that you may want look at would be Fulham and Everton as they both have Americans playing key roles in Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard respectively.
August 24th, 2011 at 3:42 PM ^
I can't tell you what team to adopt. That's a personal thing - you just have to form a bond with one. However, I'd recommend steering clear of the super-rich elite. I don't think it will prove nearly as meaningful to see them succeed. Barça and Real Madrid, for instance, are almost invariably the top two teams in Spain. It's gotten to a point where winning the league title or national cup hardly matters much to them anymore - the main thing they shoot for is the Champion's League. OTOH, if another Spanish club were to win one of those, it'd be a huge, huge deal. The same is true for the English teams outside of the Big Four.
Most teams outside those two countries are more adoptable IMO. Italy has some excellent clubs but they're always on the brink of financial ruin, so they can't quite stockpile talent like the above-mentioned teams, while Germany and France have more restrictive rules about financing that sort of act as salary caps. The smaller countries have the occasional big fish (like Porto in Portugal) but no continent-wide juggernauts.
August 24th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
Thanks jm, I appreciate it.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:55 PM ^
Italy, Spain, Germany, England...each has a distinctive style and I'd recommend you watch a bit of each and decide what you like. My English friends laugh at continental players for falling over all the time (there's remarkably little diving in the EPL); my Italian friends think English football's unwatchable because all the heavy fouling breaks up the flow and there's a lot of (to an Italian) seemingly aimless running and pressing. I can hardly watch Spanish football because it's gone to the opposite extreme.
I'm not so sure the best teams are the best viewing. I get bored watching Barcelona win 5:1 all the time--I'd rather watch a tight battle in the lower rungs of the table than a scrimmage.
I watch the Bundesliga and follow a team in the Swiss Super League (FC Thun). I suspect I'm a minority of one.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:00 AM ^
La Liga has Real and Barca which are reguareded as the two best teams in Europe; however, there is a huge variation in the rest of the league. The bottom teams often have a snow balls chance in hell in beating the teams at the top of the table. Spanish soccer has more influence from Latin America and has a better representation of "the beautiful game" than the rest of Europe. ESPN3 and GolTV show many La Liga games
EPL is the best league top to bottom and is the easiest to watch on tv as Fox Soccer and ESPN show many games. Top to bottom this is the best league to watch as anyone can beat anyone on a given day. The style of soccer is often consided dull in my opinion (I am much more a fan of the beautiful game) but many teams have thier own style.
Serie A is unique as there is strong Italian influence, but its changing. Finding game on TV is often difficult and games are limited to many of the top teams. Compared to the rest of Europe the teams are not as dominate, with a few exceptions a la Inter two years ago, but within hte league there is a fair amount of equality.
Bundesliga is a solid league, but many of the best players play abroad (ex Ozil at Real Madrid). Games are sometimes challenging to view but the table often varies from year to year.
Over all La Liga and the EPL are the easiest to view from the states, but with the internet nearly any game can be viewed with the right website. My advice is to find the league that best plays the style you want to view and get to know that league quite well. Research the teams, watch a few games, and become a fan of one team. Then after you have a team you like then view other leagues as to not overwelm yourself initially.
Hope this helps and isnt to much info.
HALA MADRID
August 24th, 2011 at 12:11 AM ^
is definitely a good way to go. As many have said, it is the best of the best. Personally, I follow Olympique Lyonnais in the French Ligue 1. The league is good, but nowhere near as deep as the EPL, La Liga, etc. The top teams can compete though, as Lyon knocked Real Madrid out of Champions League 2 straight years before RM won last year.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:43 AM ^
Choose an EPL team - by far the easiest league to watch in the states.
Don't choose some random team like QPR at the bottom of the table just to be cool and different - you're running the chance of having them relegated and you won't see them again on tv for 10 years. Do you really want to choose a team like the Baltimore Orioles who have everything going against them and need to rely on a whole lot of luck to ever have a chance at being competitive?
Choose from this list: Man U, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa, or Fulham
Man U is like choosing the Yankees and you're a supreme bandwagon jumper.
Chelsea is owned by a Russian billionaire who loves throwing his money at talent. You will also be called Chelski and I'd rather not be associated with the Russians.
Man City is like the Mets if the Mets were good and they look like they could do some damage this year. They're owned by a billionaire who throws his money around as well.
Tottenham is shit and if you like rioting and killing your neighbors choose them.
Liverpool recently got taken over by the group that runs the Red Sox. They have some of the best history and have spent a lot of money to get better this year.
Everton, Aston Villa, and Fulham are all interchangeable to me but maybe you will like someone's style of play on their squad.
As an Arsenal fan, I would advise you to stay away from the Gunners this year unless you want to somewhat relive the entire RichRod saga all over again. Arsenal used to be the cream of the crop, but hasn't won anything in 6 years and they will break your heart with the ways they find to drop points. There has also been a mass exodus of talent from the team and there is talk that the manager and board are not seeing eye to eye.
If you are free at 2:30 tomorrow, Arsenal are playing an Italian side on FSC in what is more or less a make or break game for their entire season. If they lose by 2, they are basically out of the BCS (aka Champions League) for the year. This means they lose all the revenue from being in the Champions League, making it that much harder to replace the talent that has been lost and the top players do not want to join a side that is not in the Champions League. Arsenal also has many key players injured or suspended for the match, and UEFA seems to have a personal vendetta against the manager, Arsene Wenger.
All in all, watch as much EPL as you can and see what top teams catch your eye.
August 24th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^
Those analogies are awesome. Thanks for posting!
Actually, I just set the DVR to tape that Arsenal game - looking forward to watching it.
August 24th, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^
I would add Newcastle to the list as they are a competitve club, though they have not challenged for the title in a few years.
As an Arsenal supporter as well, this has been a supremely difficult offseason. At some point they have to stop being a feeder club and bring in some talent in their prime, much like they did with Bergkamp and Henry. Which also saw them winning trophies.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:06 AM ^
While the best team in europe is in the Spanish league, the EPL is the by far the deepest and in my opinion the most exciting to watch. Champions league is basically March Madness, controlled throughout the year. After tomorrow, the remaining teams will be split into groups of 4 where every team plays eachother home and away, so the games could be very cautious until the next stage, and the games are far less frequent.
A huge factor is commentating, as FSCs coverage of the Serie A makes it hard at times to put up with the less than steller english commentary, but the EPL has the best english speaking commentators in the world, and highlights and game recaps are easier. Also, start recording the EPL review show on FSC, which in an hour breaks down everything of note that happened in the week in EPL, and is a huge advantage for following. I recommend watching the show and some games, and as a novice, I recommend picking a team that plays exciting football. I personally feel like rooting for Man U or Man City is like a new baseball fan rooting for the Yankees or Red Sox or a new football fan rooting for Auburn or Alabama, while Chelsea is much of the same. I would suggest Tottenham or Liverpool, who both play exciting styles of play.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:22 AM ^
I would say that the most competitive major league is the Bundesliga and even in the UK some argue it is the most exciting league. The EPL is always going to be won by one of 5 teams (Arsenal, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea), so either you get behind one of these teams and support them loudly or you support a team who you are hoping can sneak into the Europa League, which is accomplished by finishing in the top 8 of the EPL. The Europa League is the second tier international club cup, whereas the Champions League is the top tier international club cup (the usual contenders for these Europa League spots include Tottenham, Everton - not this year, Aston Villa, Stoke, Fulham - probably not this year, Bolton, Sunderland). Then all other teams and some of these teams listed for the Europa League will also flirt with demotion. But the point is that teams that are not amongst the top 5 will play quite negatively (defensively) when they play against one of the top 5, so you will see teams bunker into defense like you saw in the Champions League game you watched, particularly when they are on the road against the top 5 just trying to get a point for a draw as that point could be the one that keeps them from being relegated at the end of the season. This happens in most leagues though.
The two best teams in the world play in Spain in Real Madrid and Barcelona, but that league is on strike right now and it seems like it may drag on for some while, as both sides are saying really nasty things about one another in the papers.
Italian football is riddled by match fixing etc on a regular basis and even when it is not, I do not much care for it.
But in short my advice would be to choose a team in the league you can see most regularly and easiest, as it is no fun to support a team you cannot watch. Then watch them in all of the league and cup games across the season -- each country has at least 2 national cups (the English ones have huge tradition and history) that teams will play for during the season in addition to the regular league games and then if you choose one of the top teams you will be able to watch them in the Champions or Europa League (i don't know if Europa League is shown in the States or not but it is a fun competition as well, if you have a team to support). Also, I would suggest finding a bar to go watch the games, particularly if you live in a city in America where there will be immigrants watching the games live as soccer is all about the fan atmosphere.
Then in the summers there are always the international competitions to get sucked into either the World Cup, Gold Cup, European Championships, African Nations, ... And here you will be able to cheer on the players you begin to enjoy watch playing in the league you choose to support.
August 24th, 2011 at 2:01 AM ^
It's hard to really suggest a club for you without knowing more about what you are looking for. So I've found a simple survey to help narrow it down. Answer as detailed as possible.
1) Does the team you support actually have to have a realistic chance of winning the championship in a given year?
2) Do you care what country the club is in? If so, which country/countries do you prefer?
3) Do you care whether your club has any American players on it?
4) Do you care whether your club has majority local (ie English players in England) players on it?
5) Do you want a club with a rich history of winning?
6) Do you want a club with a history of being a scrappy underdog?
7) Would you rather have a club that plays well and loses or plays ugly and wins?
8) Do you care if your club has any superstar-level players?
9) Do you care if your club is extremely rich?
10) Do you really want to be able to see your club on TV every week? (Note that illegal streaming feeds are available for basically every game in the world.)
August 24th, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^
This is great! Here are my answers:
1) I don't really care if the team has a chance of winning a championship. I want to pay attention to a team that is on TV frequently and plays "real" soccer - no flopping, etc.
2) I don't really care about the country/location of the team. English-speaking commentary is preferred, of course.
3) I don't really have any affiliation with the American teams/players so that is not an important factor.
4) I think I'd rather support a team that does not throw money at foreign players. Maybe one or two superstars but Real Madrid and Barcelona don't seem all that interesting to me as far as learning about "real" soccer.
5) I think I'd like to watch a team that has great fans (not sure if that requires a history of winning or not). I'm looking more for the experience of soccer rather than wins-losses.
6) See #5 above.
7) See #s 1, 4, and 5 above.
8) See # 4 above.
9) See # 4 above. I guess I'd like to watch a team that has money and can pay some good players but not a team like the Yankees. Somewhere between the Yankees and the Blue Jays, for example.
10) My viewing will only occur at night and I'll DVR games so a regular schedule is not necessary. Maybe there are two teams that I can follow??
August 24th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
Your answer to #1 rules out Italy and Spain. Ajax is a great club with a great history of doing things the right way, but the shift over the past twenty years towards a sport more dominated by money has ensured that no club from the smaller countries (Scotland, Netherlands, Portugal etc) has a real shot at European success. Hell, even OL in France doesn't have much of a chance of going past the CL quarters. So if I were you, I would focus on Germany and England.
Germany is by far the most competitve league. Wolfsburg won the German League in 2009, yet last year they were almost relegated. Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund have also won the league in the past 8 or so years. But the real power is Bayern Munchen.
They are almost always the favorite and they spend the most money. One thing that makes them different than Real/Manchester City/Chelsea is that they do have the core of the German National Team. Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Gomez, Muller and Neuer all play for Bayern.
Borussia Dortmund just won the title last year, jumping up from 5th the year before on the strength of a very young core. They play an exciting style and have the best young player in the world in Mario Gotze. Dortmund could be a fun team to follow, but you would need to expect that they won't be able to keep the core together. I wouldn't expect Gotze to play there after this season. Dortmund is known for their awesome fans as well.
The other German team you should consider following is Bayer Leverkusen. This is a team destined to break your heart. In 2002, they went into the end of the season trying to complete an incredible treble. That is, to win the three main competitions that they entered. Unfortunately, they did the wrong type of treble, losing all three compeitions. They lost the league on the last day of the season, the German Cup final to Schalke and the Champions League final to Real Madrid on the famous Zidane Volley. This earned them the name Neverkusen. Levekusen finished 2nd against last year and has never won the Bundesliga. Still, they would be a good choice and won that isn't as "bandwagon-y".
The only drawback with the Bundesliga is that it will be harder to follow. FSC doesn't show much, if any. You can find some matches on ESPN3 but you will often have to watch on an online stream in a different language. (To be honest, the language thing isn't that big of a deal once you learn the game)
The other league I would recommend is the English Premier League. The league is the world's richest and most popular, but it is less competitive. Since 1994, only 4 teams have won the league. There was the one-off Blackburn, who is now a relagation favorite, the great Wenger Arsenal teams up until 2006 and then the Chelsea/Manchester United duo. Arsenal haven't won any competition since the 2006 FA Cup and unfortunately look to be sliding back into somewhat of a rebuilding mode.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all spend exorbitant amounts of money buying players. The one distinction is that Manchester United still does things the right way, giving youth a chance and having the greatest manager of all time too. The problem is that they are still THE bandwagon team. Unless you have some connection to Manchester, you'll never get away from that. I would avoid all three of these.
Liverpool fans like to think of themselves as a tier below those three in spending but that really isn't the case. They spend lots of money too, especially this year as the spent they spent roughly £80 million on average British talent this year. Liverpool fans often suffer from delusions of grandeur and a persecution complex. They haven't won a league title since 1990, giving them 18 overall. They have since watched their biggest rivals (Manchester United) win 12 during that time span to give United 19 total. They also have a tendency to play a Carragher hoof to Carrol style that is incredibly boring.
The teams I would recommend would be Tottenham, Arsenal and Everton. Tottenham have a rivalry with Arsenal called the North London Derby. Arsenal fans celebrate St. Totteringham's Day when it becomes mathematically impossible for Tottenham to finish above Arsenal. This has happened for the past 17 years. Tottenham are the little brother to Arsenal. Also, their manager is a buffoon, their best player wants to leave and their second best player looks like an ape. On the bright side, you won't be accused of being a bandwagon fan. Of course, you can't expect to ever win the league either.
Everton are Liverpool's local rival. They had a great period of success in the 1980s but they haven't been up to those standards since. Everton doesn't have much money any more and hasn't for a while, only the efforts of Manager David Moyes have kept them in the top 7/8. They have a few good players like Cahill, Rodwell and Fellaini and there is a certain nobility in supporting the once-great club, but don't expect any success unless they get bought by someone with money.
Finally we come to Arsenal. They are the other Big 4 team, along with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, though the Big 4 is obsolete now. Arsenal had a history of playing for the 1-0 win or 0-0 draw and winning occasional but infrequent titles. They even accquired the nickname "Boring, Boring Arsenal". Then in 1996, a Frenchman named Arsene Wenger came along and changed everything. Wenger is probably the smartest manager on the planet. He has a degree in electrical engineering, a masters in economics and he speaks 6 languages. Wenger took over and turned the team into an exciting, attacking force that played nice passing football. He brought in foreign players and gave opportunites to his youth. In his first 8 years, Arsenal won the league 3 times and the FA Cup 4 times and finished in the top 2 every year. Since 2006, when Chelsea's billionaire owner arrived and Arsenal built a new stadium which restricted the resources available to Wenger, the club hasn't won anything. They have come close many times but haven't finished the job. In the past month, the club sold its best player to his childhood club (Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona) and sold one of its other top players to Manchester City. Arsenal is in turmoil right now and today's game will be huge for the future of the club. For this reason, you might avoid some of the bangwagon stigma, but they are still a Top 4 club.
August 24th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
This is why I love MGoBlog. Thank you so much for taking all this time to help. I know it probably helped others too, but I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me.
August 24th, 2011 at 8:04 AM ^
wrong location. disregard.
August 24th, 2011 at 9:58 AM ^
ESPN3 has a fair number of games on it. You could start out watching games there and see which teams and league peak your interest the most. Welcome to the international soccer world!
August 24th, 2011 at 10:19 AM ^
...is to fall in love with a club. Let the club find you by watching and seeing what you like, but in general, you'll see someone who is amazing or find an affinity through the club's history and narrative (they, like Michigan football, all have an "attitude", a story and tradition that their fans hold dear).
For me, it happened in 1994, my final summer in school in Ann Arbor, actually. The US had just hosted the World Cup and I went to a game at the Silverdome (Brazil v Sweden) and really enjoyed the experience. So, I decided to start following soccer. A couple of fortunate events were conspiring to happen at the same time; the internet was coming online and it suddenly became much easier to find information about the game and PPV soccer games were coming on satellite at bars. It used to be that you had to pay $20 to cover the PPV cost and go to the bar for the whole morning to watch games. So, I did that and one of the first games I saw was a game between Arsenal and Liverpool on August 28, 1994. During the match, this happened:
I was galvanized by Robbie Fowler and started learning more about Liverpool FC. There were a lot of things I liked: it was a manufacturing town with a working class history like my own hometown of Flint, MI, they had a lot of history and were coming off of a long run of championships and Champions League trophies, they had a blood rival in Manchester United and a little brother rival in Everton that set up perfectly for my own rivalry history with Ohio State and MSU, and of course, they had Robbie Fowler.
Fowler was not just one of the most special goal scorers of his time, but he was a people's player; when the dock workers went on strike, Fowler wore a Tshirt in support of them that he showed when he scored. 
When Everton fans accused him of drug abuse, he scored against them and then went down and sniffed the touchline as if it were cocaine...
He was an incredible player and a joy to watch. By falling in love with Fowler, I fell in love with Liverpool and I've been smitten ever since, 17 years now. Had I know then that we would not win a title in that time, that we would be bought by two Americans who would almost destroy the club, that the management of the club would send us into a spiral at the EXACT SAME TIME as Michigan struggled against OSU, that we would struggle under Roy Hodgson just as Michigan was struggling under the final days of RR, that we would hire a former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish as manager within days of Michigan hiring Brady Hoke-- it would have been insanity for me to allow myself to suffer like that if it were optional. But like all love, it has been involuntary, an emotional relationship that transcends logic and is full of feeling.
There are also triumphs: Michigan's 1997 Rose Bowl and Liverpool's 2005 Champions League Final remain the two greatest sporting moments of my life, with the CL Final winning out only for sheer drama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BThr1lYuYMQ
Michigan Football and Liverpool FC are my two passions; I never miss a game (the Carling Cup match against Exeter today is set to go on my DVR) and love them both.
As for fans and atmosphere, you'll not beat Anfield and Liverpool fans...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SItko13shM
Anyway, my two cents... don't worry about finding the right team, let the team find you for your own reasons.
One last piece of advice: I HIGHLY suggest joining a Fantasy League as you begin watching. It is a great way to learn which players are good and, if you build a diverse team, gives you a nominal rooting interest in many matches. I play at famtasy.premierleague.com and enjoy it very much.
Good luck finding your passion... it is a highly personal thing.
August 24th, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
Okay that cocaine thing is freakin awesome, nice celebration. Anyway, I agree with your post. If a fan just watches enough soccer, they will naturally find players they love, or even a team like in your case.
It has been kind of similar for me. I love international soccer, and it started with Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane. Today, it's players like Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez.
twhalliii, YNWA. I've always wanted to say that. I don't follow Liverpool closely, but they are definitely my favorite team in EPL.
August 24th, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
Thanks... Suarez has quickly become my favorite as well. What a player!
August 24th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
You may have just sold me with the clip you posted of the Liverpool atmosphere. That was an outstanding clip. I may be a Liverpool fan now? Who should I watch for on that team - what players are the most exciting?
August 24th, 2011 at 11:04 AM ^
That was a big game, but the atmosphere is always great...
The best players at Liverpool are Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard is currently injured and heading into the final years of his career, but on his day, he is one of the best midfielders in the world. If you watched England vs USA in the World Cup, he's the one who scored against us.
Luis Suarez is a Uruguayan striker who just joined the team in January. In January, we sold Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50 million -- which was heartbreaking, beause he was so good for us for so long-- and we used the money from selling him to buy to two players: Suarez (for £22 million from Ajax, the club in Amsterdam) and Andy Carroll, a giant, young English striker who played for Newcastle, for £35 million, the most money ever spent on an English player. In my opinion, Suarez is a much better player-- he is electric on the ball and is alwatys looking to score. His play for Uruguay recently won him the player of the Tournament at the South American Copa America, which Uruguyay won. I hope Carroll comes good, but for now, our game with him in the team is more one dimensional-- kick the ball up to Carroll and hope he bangs one in. With Suarez, we are fluid, pass and move, a very fun side to watch. When Gerrard comes back from injury and if he's healthy, we should be flying.
I should also put in a mention for Pepe Reina, our goalie, who is Spanish and one of the best. He's also a funny guy and has an hilarious personality, a true Liverpool player through and through. Massive fan favorite.
Getting you up to speed: now that the team have been sold to Fenway Sports Group (who own the Red Sox) they've gone about the business of changing the team. We got a new manager, Kenny Dalglish, who used to manage and play for Liverpool back in the 1980's (and won a ton of trophies) and he is in the process of transforming the team; this summer, we've bought 5 new players-- Jordan Hnderson (M, England), Stewart Downing (LW, England), Charlie Adam (M, Scotland), Jose Enrique (LB, Spain), Doni (GK,back up, Italy)-- and may have another Uruguayan, the young central defender Sebastian Coates, on the way.
We are a work in progress and have been for years now, just at the time when our biggest rivals, Manchester United, have been phenomenal. It's been a OSU v Michigan situation all over again; even though we've beaten Man U many times in the past few years, they keep winning titles and we struggle. I think we're on our way back, but it will take time.
Hiistory and tradition are very important to the club. You can find a lot more info on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_F.C.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:10 AM ^
Agreed, definitely watch Suarez.
Profit, Suarez had the smartest soccer play I've ever seen with no time left in overtime of the world cup quarterfinals:
August 24th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
I actually saw this play and at first wondered what the hell he was doing. I laughed my a-- off until I figured it out and then watched them win in the shootout.
That's it, I'm sold. Liverpool it is! Now I have to figure out how to learn the chants/songs . . .
August 24th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
hahahaha... that was easy! welcome!
Our main theme is You'll Never Walk Alone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma3Nax8yyOE
Fans sing it before and after every match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T00x5sRbZrc
Others to know:
Poor Socuser Tommy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqm-c0YYoPk
fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-glvuTZMiEA
Fields Of Anfield Road:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laApMICgKE8
Fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_BGkFYHG5Y
Player songs:
Steven Gerrard (to the tune of Que Sera, Sera)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcuh99sF10
Luis Suarez is Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99DRvMlu8nM
Fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG2-J5XGO6g
That'll get you started... ;)
August 24th, 2011 at 1:01 PM ^
Agree that Suarez is by far the team's most exciting player. He always hustles and has amazing footwork. To me the best moment of the 2010-11 season was when he went into the box and owned 3 Man U players in rapid succession to set Dirk Kuyt up for an easy tap-in. Kuyt is another guy I like to watch because he has a nonstop motor and poaches a lot of goals just by being in the right place at the right time. Among the new guys, Downing and Adam are fun to watch because they are both high-energy guys and good passers (at least when Adam isn't trying something crazy). Jose Enrique will also run up and down the field and plays good defense to boot.
August 24th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
I agree with Stevie G being one of the best during his prime. His play has obviously fallen off as he gets older. He has Tremendous long-range striking ability.
August 24th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
Greatest ever Liverpool player... no doubt!
August 24th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
Robbie Fowler's nickname of "God" might also be the coolest nickname in all of sports
August 24th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
I just read that the Netherlands just passed Spain as the top FIFA team. What about a team in the Dutch league? Ajax? Are these games ever on television?