Spring Break
All soccer eyes on England for month of May
Manchester United faces Chelsea in UEFA Champions League final
Kellen Holtzman
Issue date: 5/21/08 Section: Sports
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.
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.
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