All soccer eyes on England for month of May

Manchester United faces Chelsea in UEFA Champions League final

By: Kellen Holtzman

Posted: 5/21/08

Many Americans believe the NFL's Super Bowl to be the premier sporting event in the world when it comes to professional clubs or teams.

A brief glance at today's UEFA Champions League Final should prove otherwise. This year's final matches two of the world's most powerful clubs together: Manchester United and Chelsea (London). This will be the first-ever meeting of two English teams in the European final, making this Moscow, Russia-hosted event a unique one.

On May 28th, The United States Men's National Team will square off against England at storied Wembley Stadium in London. To England, it is just another friendly game but this is one of the most important games of the year to fans that follow U.S. Soccer.

As for the Champions League final, Manchester United will be aiming for its third European title and its first since 1999 when David Beckham starred for the Red Devils. Stateside, United is often considered the "New York Yankees" of English football, having secured 17 English Premier League (EPL) titles since 1908.

If United are the New York Yankees, then consider 23 year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to be Alex Rodriguez.

Ronaldo, a native of Portugal, is now widely considered the best soccer player in the world. The winger's 31 goals this season easily topped the EPL.

Forward Wayne Rooney, only 22, joins Ronaldo in the United attack and has already proved himself as an accomplished goal-scorer in the English game. Argentine sensation Carlos Tevez completes the three-headed monster that is the Red Devil attack. The three combined for 57 goals in the EPL this season and have tallied 15 goals so far in the Champions League.

The youth up front is balanced by an experienced midfield featuring two United living legends: Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Scholes scored the game-winner in the semi-finals against Barcelona to lift United to victory.

Chelsea has three English titles to its name and claimed two in back-to-back seasons in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.

Chelsea does not quite possess the same mystique as United, but have earned a reputation as a more than formidable opponent in recent years.

The Blues have stars of their own, led by midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack. Lampard led Chelsea in goals during the regular season but Ivorian forward Didier Drogba has six Champions League goals thus far. Drogba, however, is listed as questionable for the match due to injury.

Chelsea knocked off fellow Londoners, Arsenal in its semi-final matchup.

The two teams' recent history is making the grand stage even more compelling. Chelsea had a chance to complete a remarkable comeback and win the league on the final day after trailing United in the standings for most of the season. Instead, Chelsea failed to defeat a lowly Bolton side while United triumphed against Wigan to finish with a narrow two-point edge on the Blues.

Unfortunately, owners play a much bigger role in European football than they should. The New York Yankees comparison fits even better in this regard than on the playing field.

Like the Yankees, Manchester United and Chelsea spend their way to championships. In American sports, it isn't uncommon for low-payroll teams to win championships (a la the Florida Marlins circa 1997, 2003).

No such parody exists in English football; the most prestigious teams will win nearly every season.

Americans may be familiar with the ownership on Manchester United's side. American Malcolm Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, took over controlling interest in 2005. Glazer's team has been successful on the pitch, but financial woes have supporters calling for a takeover.

Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich, guides Chelsea. When Abramovich sees a player he wants, he gets him. Money is no object in west London. It is no coincidence than in 2005, Abramovich brought Chelsea its first domestic title since 1955.

After dueling it out on the field in Moscow, a number of United and Chelsea players will set their differences aside and suit up for England in a friendly against the United States. The U.S. MNT is entering a brutal stretch of games to prepare for World Cup qualifying this summer. The other two dates include matches with Spain and the world's number one ranked team, Argentina.

The Americans have yet to prove themselves on this level, so the games should serve as a measuring stick for just how much progress has been made since a disappointing finish in the 2006 World Cup.

The U.S. MNT has not defeated England since 1993 while the only other victory came in 1950. The Yanks have never beaten the Brits on English soil.

Next Wednesday's ESPN Classic broadcast will hype up the "David Beckham factor." American pundits are likely to build this match as David Beckham and his "old country" versus his "new country."

Watching Beckham and his L.A. Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan battle it out in the midfield should be fascinating.

Given England's failure to qualify for this summer's European championship, a loss to the U.S. would be downright embarrassing.

Wembley will not be quite as festive as the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, but the two games are "must see" for any sports fans.

The atmosphere and passion surrounding these matches, especially the UCL final, transcend anything the NBA, NHL, or MLB have to offer.

How could you not tune in?

The match between Manchester United and Chelsea airs today at 3 P.M. on ESPN 2.

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com