While everyone in America is enjoying the NCAA Tournament, the UEFA Champions League started its quarterfinals this week. The Champions League takes the top teams from all the European soccer leagues, such as in England, Germany, Spain and Italy and pits them together. The best comparison for America would be if the NFL and CFL champions actually played off for football supremacy. So the Champions League provides European fans something that American sports lack and that is the opportunity to compete against the best of the best across the board.
Just like the NCAA Tournament, the Champions League tournament features upsets of its own. In the round of 16, Italian club Internazionale upset the favorite from England, Chelsea FC. If you thought KU falling to UNI was big, it doesn't compare when you factor in the passion of European soccer fans.
While the NCAA Tournament winds down and Major League Baseball is just getting started, take some time to check out soccer, which is in its important stretch of the season over in England. There's still a lot to play for and if you're bored and looking for something new, there's plenty of opportunities to learn the rules and enjoy "the beautiful game".
I also wanted to post this story from ESPN to follow up on a blog post I did earlier about NCAA Tournament expansion. This is the latest news with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany calling expansion "probable" when the NCAA Board of Directors meets on April 29. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on.
No comments:
Post a Comment