After three years of watching Manchester United lift the English Premier League title, Chelsea has returned to the top.
The Blues took care of their business on Sunday, drubbing Wigan, 8-0, to secure the league title and set off celebrations four years in the making.
Didier Drogba finished as the top scorer in the league, edging out Wayne Rooney with a late hat-trick to give him 29 goals on the season.
Manchester United fell one point short of its fourth straight title, with its 4-0 win against Stoke City on Sunday not enough to catch Chelsea.
Here are the highlights of Chelsea's title-winning rout (followed by more stories to get your Monday going):
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SOUNDERS ISSUE REFUNDS AFTER LOSS
After suffering an embarrassing 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy in front of a packed house at Qwest Field, Seattle Sounders ownership decided the team's performance wasn't worth their fans having to pay for. Their response? Issuing refunds to season-ticket holders who had to sit through the debacle.
"We don't plan on giving people money back every time we have a bad game," Sounders co-owner and GM Adrian Hanauer told the Seattle Times. "But as the owners of the club, we reserve the right to do whatever we think we need to do to treat our fans the way they've treated us."
ROONEY LIMPS OFF
Manchester United star and England striker Wayne Rooney limped off during his team's 4-0 win on Sunday with a groin injury, an injury his club insists won't interfere with his World Cup plans.
ASH CLOUD THREATENS EUROPA PLANS
The return of the infamous volcanic ash cloud to European skies could lead to problems for the Europa League Final, which is set to feature Fulham and Atletico Madrid in Hamburg on Wednesday.
It wouldn't be the first time the ash cloud caused problems for Fulham. The Cottagers were forced to travel 895 miles by bus to play Hamburg in the Europa League semifinals, a match they tied 0-0.
NEW ZEALAND NAMES WORLD CUP SQUAD
The World Cup is still a month away, but New Zealand didn't waste any more time picking its squad. The Kiwis named their 23-man World Cup roster on Monday, with New York Red Bulls defender Andrew Boyens among the selections.
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What did you think of Chelsea's performance? Think Seattle's refund is a good idea? Worried about Rooney being hurt, or hoping it's serious?
Share your thoughts below.
I don’t think there’s anything “backhanded” about it. I personally think you’re making something out of nothing. It’s just common courtesy and part of offering congratulations to the victor. It’s part of the culture of the sport and has been for a long time. That’s part of the reason why I love this game so much… the culture is different than pretty much any other. And not that I’m trying to be arrogant with this question, I’m actually just curious… what do you think is a more appropriate gesture?
Ok, I have been unable to figure this out using the internet, but if Fulham wins the Europa League final, do they get to play in the Europa League next year?
I know it’s done a lot. I’m saying it’s pointless and often backhanded.
Just to further illustrate my point. In 6 games against the other “Big Four” teams (Man U, Arsenal, and Liverpool), Drogba scored 6 goals, 4 of which were game winners, and assisted 3 others. I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of “clutch performer.”
I agree Drogba should have been considered a little more then he was, but at the time of the award, Rooney did have more goals, and while I don’t have any official numbers, I would wager that Rooney won more games with his goals then Drogba. Chelsea won many games by blowouts, Sunday included, where Drogba scored 3 goals that didn’t matter whatsoever, and those of course gave him the golden boot. If Rooney was gone from United, they would struggle heavily for goals, whereas Chelsea have Anelka, Malouda and Lampard to contribute. United have no midfielder to score as many goals as Lampard does on a regular basis. It is interesting though how Drogba gets overlooked though, the year Ronaldo won Player of the Year the first time, he had 17 league goals, whereas Drogba had over 30 I think, and Ronaldo was hands down voted Player of the Year. No doubt Drogba has scored many important goals though and Chelsea of course would struggle without him. At least as a United fan, I’m glad he’s getting older and soon he won’t be in his prime anymore…
Wait wait, Chelsea won the league? News to me!
Opinions (yours and mine) as to the foul.
I may have played, coached, and refereed for about 35 years so I do have some idea about fouls in the box.
I think (again, opinion) that diving is epidemic and really bad for the game. And I think that diving is an intent to deceive and cheating (again, my opinion).
All that really matters is that the ref thought that it was a foul after all.
Don’t care about Wigan or their feelings. They should have defended better but I think they should been at 11 men.
If you’re referring to Owen, then I certainly agree, although I don’t think he was brought in to replace Rooney if he got injured. He was free and is a proven goal scorer when he’s healthy, which obviously is not very often. Bottom line, yes, if United had someone more dependable then Berbatov, they would have won the title for sure I think…
Drogba: 29 goals and 10 assists in 31 games played.
Rooney: 26 goals and 3 assists in 32 games played.
Yes, I’m aware there’s more to the game than stats alone, but it’s a little funny to me that there was no debate about the player of the year in England. I think people let personal feelings about Drogba get in the way of making a sound decision. I’m not saying Drogba was necessarily the player of the year, but it should have, at the very least, been a close race.
I also remember macheda’s handball in that sane match, not to mention the endless added time given in the first united city match. So stop making excuses. We won, you lost.
I think the refund is an accumulation of bad results at home. The management down to the players talk about loving to play at home and wanting to build a great home record but they haven’t. I think the 4-0 loss was the straw that broke the camels back. When it came to rewarding the crowd.
Also it was a player, Zakuani, who first said the fans shouldn’t have had to pay for that. And then Adrian took it and ran.
Also the other mls owners cant complain, the sounders already probably already out drew a number of teams for the year.
I’m not sure I understand your point Omar? It’s customary to do so because you’re giving credit where credit is due and shows a bit of class, as well as respect for the game. Obviously when you state “they deserve it” in reference to a full season, it’s pretty hard to argue those facts and seems rather obvious. But this is also done a lot during post-match interviews with managers. Aside from a usually delusional Sam Allardyce, most managers are usually pretty honest when assessing their team’s performance on the day. I’d rather have that mentality then have a bunch of classless whining and moaning from every angle.
They’re taking a page from Europe where management does this on the off chance they get punished.
But 4-0??? That’s nothing and at least it was entertaining!
I just don’t think it’s a coincidence that Seattle is the only team in MLS that is more dangerous on the road than they are at home. I think the pressure inhibits performance. If that is in fact the case then doing something like this only throws gasoline on the fire.
Love what the Sounders did.
Again that’s why they’re the best owned franchise in the MLS, they care about their fans….and I’m a huge Crew fan.
I’m saying it’s redundant. “Team X deserved to win”? No, “Team X won,” plain and simple. Winning assumes deserving. And now I’ve confused myself…what are we talking about? 😉
“lets go line by line and just eliminate all goals that Ian says are unjust”
Yes, please do that and get back to me with your results. Also, as a side project, don’t get your panties in a wad and learn to recognize a joke when you see one.
“you do know that an ‘offsides goal’ is nothing more than a goal right, right, you do know this.”
Are you telling me I know that, or asking? I will agree that yes I do know that, albeit the goals in question will always be remembered as offsides/handballs/etc.
So you admit that they deserve it, then? You are being picky.
Cheating to go a man up? You think Lampard told Caldwell to climb on his back like that? Also, I suppose Lamps hypnotized the ref into producing a red card for it? If you want to complain about Chelsea going a man up, complain about the ref. Maybe then you’ve got an argument. If you want to throw one of the most classy professionals in the league under the bus because you haven’t got any idea what actually constitutes a foul in the box, then keep it to yourself. As for excessive scoring? Do you really think that any team on the planet who is about to celebrate a title on their home ground wants to shut up shop and bore the crowd to death for half an hour jut so Wigan won’t feel bad about themselves?
The Sounder fans would be better served by spending the $700,000+ on player salaries to improve the quality of the team. So, too, for the rest of the league.
I’m just saying I hear this a lot more frequently from soccer managers/players than from those of other sports, and it often strikes me as a back-handed compliment (not in your case…but from Ferguson/Wenger/et al. it comes across that way).
How could a team win fair and square and not deserve it?
I think the English FA need to schedule the final week matches with the traditional top teams playing each other. Imagine how big a game it would have been yesterday if Chelsea had to travel to Old Trafford. It’s also amazing Everton were only 3 points out of a European spot after their horrendous start. Landon is surely proud of the resurgence he took a part of at Goodison. I can’t wait to see what Tottenham does in Europe next season.
We can’t underestimate just how bad New Zealand is.
The camp roster will be a little different from the 30-man provisional roster that needs to be submitted to FIFA tomorrow. Bradley has stated he’s bringing 26-28 guys into camp, not the full provisional roster. Once we see the provisional roster, we can all infer who is attending camp. And we’ll probably be coming to this website for Ives’ insight. US camp is closed to the public.
Somewhere off in the distance you can hear Tom Petty’s “Freeeeeeee…. freefalling” as the right theme music for a suddenly old, tired, and woefull Sounders FC.
Those fans ought to have been paid money to sit through that stuff this week!
we’re not saying “Blue,” we’re saying “boooooo.” : )
three months till the next season starts. here’s hoping we get some support for Rooney.
Maybe if ManU had bought a forward who wasn’t known for getting injured then they would have fared better when Rooney was out.
Interesting about Seattle, but not sure it’s very smart. However, since it’s tied into buying season tickets NEXT year, it could be an awesome way to gin up support for the organization as a whole.
Sometimes your team doesn’t perform though – so hopefully this doesn’t set a precedent that will follow them in every bad result.
Don’t think it’s a good sign when 2 of your 23 man roster is listed as “unattached”.
There is a revealing comparison in FoxSoccer,com as how one handles adversity in the comments of two EPL managers, Zola and Mancini. What stands out to me immediately is both managers defended their players and accepted some responsibility. Now compare that with the vindictive diatribe from Hanauer & Co. Who would you want to play for?
Dammit, I used the word “words” twice, I apologize…
Perhaps saying a team deserved it is a bit redundant, but I don’t really see the need to point it out. Please bestow upon me the appropriate words words to use when acknowledging another team’s victory. And anyway, just because you win something, you don’t necessarily deserve it. Are you saying that every winner who’s ever won anything deserved it completely? Give me a break…
It’s definitely an odd move by the Sounders to do what they’re doing, but at the same time, how many other MLS teams would even consider doing something like this? You have to give the organization credit for continuing to think outside the box. Also, there’s a connection between the team and the supporters here in Seattle that few other pro sports franchises have. The Sounders realize how important their fans are to MLS being successful here, and if this gesture goes a long way to showing that appreciation, then it’s worth it.
Disclaimer, I am not a Man U or Chelsea fan, but to thump in 8 goals IS a bit classless. I play on a team where we routed a weaker team and by 6-0 we just started passing the ball around. However, one of our newer forwards decided to dribble, run the field, round the keeper (who gave up) and then proceed to get on his hands and knees and slowly head the ball into the net while the ball was on the ground.
He didn’t play for us again.
Saying that, this is a big boy sport and what happens happens. Chelsea fully deserved the title… As boring as the EPL has become.
I think it’s interesting how many players in New Zealand’s World Cup squad have MLS experience. Lochhead, Boyens, Elliot, and Nelsen all have played in MLS at some point in their careers. Shows how our league can even help other countries develop their national teams as well.
I don’t think that is a smart move by the Seattle FO at all. The team was terrible but in the grand scheme they are only 4 points out of 2nd place. This kind of reaction from the FO may have a positive impact but I think the chances are greater that it has a negative impact in the locker room. And what happens if they go lay a stinker now this week? Or lose in the next home game? It’s just way too early to freak out. As a fan, if my team did that I wouldn’t accept a rebate. When you sign on to support your club you do it when they suck and you do it when they raise championship trophies. Also, after all the success last year, Sigi has jacked with his lineup, formation, and strategy every time out this season. It’s no wonder the team looks out of sync and confused. I think the whole atmosphere up there might be having a negative impact on the field.
Ya, don’t forget to mention that, and then mention the Macheda handball goal right after, in fact, lets go line by line and just eliminate all goals that Ian says are unjust, and use these as a basis to how a team is going to do next season.
what the hell are you talking about, you do know that an ‘offsides goal’ is nothing more than a goal right, right, you do know this.
Crazy that someone like Boyens is going to the World Cup. He was terrible in the Confederations Cup
Where, in what I wrote, would you infer that I was a Man United fan?
I am a fan of the Austin Aztex, Houston Dynamo, USMNT, and soccer generally.
I watch what I can and therefor wathed Chelsea-Wigan because that is what FSC chose to broadcast.
I was commenting on what I thought was excessive scoring after cheating to go a man up.
And, FWIW, of course Chelsea deserved to win after gaining the most points over 39 weeks.
Always cracks me up to hear a runner-up talk about how the other team “deserved” to win the league or “deserved” to win a game. Of course they did! The earned more points, or scored more goals!
In no other sport has it become so habitual to say the other team DIDN’T deserve to win, that it’s customary to be gracious and admit that, yes, the team that scored more goals/points deserved to win.
Drives me crazy.
Simply put…I loathe Chelsea…
However, they’ve assembled a great squad and let’s give credit where credit is due.
One thing that irks me is the “play acting” that goes on. Not that it would have mattered, but Lampard’s fall to earn the PK (and red card) was ridiculous. Sure he was fouled, but he tumbled like he was shot by a 12 gauge from close range. I think video review after the games needs to be instituted and those that have been judged to have “play acted” need to be given fines and / or yellow cards.
1 point — which is what RM are losing by, as well, yet I’m sure there will be wholesale changes at RM because no trophies were won. I wouldn’t change too much on either team — sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.
Let’s face it, the Sounders were pathetic on a few of those goals. Easily the worst smackdown they’ve ever had. It might be setting a bad precedent, but at the same time its nice to know that the ownership recognizes and obviously doesn’t want this bull plop on the field. A lot of fans tear on Jaqua, but I don’t think any fan can argue that the Sounders are missing his willingness to get stuck in there and distribute from that position.
Any word on if the US camp roster is going to be released today or tomorrow?
The table never lies Ian.
This post is way better than that whiny ManU fan from yesterday saying that Chelsea were classless for winning 8-0. I hated seeing ManU lift the trophy for the past 3 years, but you have to give credit where credit is due. Now hopefully Chelsea make some quality purchases in the summer and we repeat as champions for the 10/11 season!
Well said. Don’t forget to mention the offsides goal from Drogba against United to win the title.
That’s a crazy but awesome move by Seattle.
As a United fan, I congratulate Chelsea, since they did deserve to win the title this season. The thing that bothers me though is how a lot of soccer writers and fans are saying that United had an off year. I mean, they lost the title by one point. What’s an on year, winning the league by 10 points? Given all their injuries, especially in defense, and their reliance on Rooney for goals, I think United had one hell of a season, and if they buy the right players next season, they can roll to the league title in my opinion, especially with Chelsea getting older…