The biggest match of today by far was Spurs v. Chelsea. Not only because these two teams are huge rivals (both are from West London), but also because Spurs’ manager, Andre Villas-Boas, aka AVB, was the manager for Chelsea last season.  So of course, this was the perfect chance for him to get revenge. Only, that’s not exactly what happened.

Chelsea got off to a great start, they scored in the first 20 minutes. They kept the lead throughout the first half. During the beginning of the second half, Gallas equalized for Spurs. Spurs were ahead withing minutes but their lead didn’t last long because Spanish international Juan Mata scored a brace and Sturridge scored the fourth goal in extra time. With the win, Chelsea still sit at the top of the league. I’ma Manchester City fan, but I enjoy watching some of the other EPL teams, i.e. Spurs and Chelsea. However, in this match, I had been rooting for Spurs, not only because it would’ve been great to see AVB win against his old club, bu also because I LOVE Bale and Spurs have an American- Clint Dempsey.

It seems like Manchester City loves drama! They came back yet again, this time against West Brom. The first half had ended scoreless. The only major thing that happened was that James Milner got a red card and City had to play with 10 men for the rest of the match. West Brom scored first, in the 67th minute. It looked like City was going to lose this match. But Mancini decided to pit in Edin Dzeko, his “super sub”. Within a minute of being subbed in, Dzeko equalized for City. A point would’ve been good for City, after all, they had 10 players and had conceded first. In extra time, Dzeko scored YET AGAIN and City took all 3 points. I’m hoping their match on Wednesday, against Ajax in Champions League, isn’t as nerve wrecking!

In other news, Norwich City aka the “Canaries” upset Arsenal and won 1-0.  I watched most of the first half, but it was boring, like most Arsenal matches. Manchester United won 4-2 against Stoke City. The best moment of the game was when Wayne Rooney scored an own goal, they might’ve won, but at least that made me LOL.  Liverpool won their first home match of the season, 1-0 against Reading.

QPR-Everton and Sunderland-Newcastle play Sunday.

Here are all the scores:

I’m gearing up for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s “Olympic Victory Tour,” which kicks off against Costa Rica from Rochester at 2:30pm ET on NBC (yes, actual, real national television!), so today’s headlines will focus mostly on the women’s game.

U.S. Women’s National Team

Today’s USWNT-Costa Rica match could be head coach Pia Sundhage’s swan song on the sidelines. U.S. Soccer announced today that Sundhage will return to her native Sweden “to pursue opportunities” there.

“After the Olympics we had discussions and early in the process it became clear that Pia was very interested in returning home to Sweden,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “It certainly wasn’t an easy decision for U.S. Soccer or Pia. She deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the amazing success the U.S. Women’s National Team had during the past five years. On behalf of U.S. Soccer, we sincerely appreciate Pia’s hard work, dedication and commitment to the organization. We wish her all the best in the future.”

Sundhage finishes her tenure with the U.S.A with 88-6-10 record and 11 tournament titles, including 2 Olympic gold medals over five years.

Grant Wahl tweeted that an early candidate to replace Sundhage is U.S. National Teams’ Development Director Jill Ellis.

In other WNT news announced this week, two more friendly dates have been announced for the U.S. this fall. The team will face 2nd-ranked Germany in back-to-back matches on Oct 20 in Chicago and Oct 23 in Hartford, Conn. Germany failed to qualify for the Olympics after falling to Japan in the quarterfinals of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

After the “Victory Tour” what’s next for the U.S. Women’s National Team?  A responsibility to help grow the women’s professional game, starting with sustainability of next year’s new pro league, writes Equalizer Soccer’s Jeff Kassouf.

English Premier League

Things aren’t off to a great start for Andre Villas-Boas and Tottenham this season. After conceding a lead for the second week in a row, settling for a 1-1 draw with Norwich City, the Spurs are still looking for their first win of the season. The deadline-day acquisition of Clint Dempsey should help up front, but AVB has some serious work to do if this club has hope of being a Champions League contender.

The London club lacked penetration up front and were almost totally devoid of ideas in midfield and on the flanks until the introduction of Dembele and Emmanuel Adebayor and the home support made their feelings known at the final whistle by booing their team off.

Worryingly for Villas-Boas, Tom Huddlestone was also sent off for a very poor tackle on Bradley Johnson with one minute left.

Had it not been for an excellent performance from Brad Friedel, Spurs could have been 3-0 down by the time Dembele struck.

Follow @AerysSoccer on Twitter for commentary during the USWNT game and check back for a full recap soon after!

They did it!! Not sure how they did it, especially with the way they played today.  But Arsenal defeated West Brom away and finished third in the league.  Final score 2 – 3.

This means Arsenal automatically qualify, along with the Manchester duo, for next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspurs, the other North London contender, won 2 – 0 at home over Fulham.  They finished fourth in the league, the highest they have ever placed in the long history of their team, but still one point and one place below their arch-rivals Arsenal. (add smirk here)

The fourth place Spurs, however, may not automatically qualify for the 2012-13 Champions League.  Chelsea made it to this season’s Champions League final where they will be playing against Bayern Munich.  Winning that tournament, which will be played next weekend, will automatically give Chelsea the league’s fourth place qualifying position, blowing the opportunity for tournament-hopefuls Tottenham.

Back to Arsenal:  To qualify for Europe’s elite tournament was no easy feat for Arsenal this season. The Gunners lost three key players over the summer along with rumor rumblings about other players with one or two years left on their contracts wanting to jump ship.

The team spent 3/4ths of the summer trying to hold on to their star play-making midfielder, Cesc Fabregas, who understandably wanted to return to his home town of Barcelona.  Then the lure of money and trophies took Samir Na$ri and Gael Clichy to Manchester City.

So with three key starting players lost and the summer three quarter shot, Arsene Wenger made some last minute, but key decisions.  Andre Santos and Yossi Benayoun were two of eleven players signed over the summer.  Both made key goals for the Gunners in today’s match.

As we look forward to this summer’s usual antics, let’s see if Arsenal can get Robin van Persie to renew his contract early on.  That key signing combined with  the opportunity to play in Champions League should attract more quality players to the team.

Wenger has to figure out how to re-build the team around the possible introduction of new players but also with returning players from injury.  He should have young Jack Wilshire back in midfield, who has been injured for most of the season.  The right-back Bacary Sagna will hopefully return after his second leg break of the season.  And the promising Emmanuel Frimpong, who got a little experience on loan to Wolves, will perhaps be an option after injuring his knee in the second half of the season.

It’s sad to see the season end, but as a Gunner fan, I’m beyond thrilled with the result .  Plus, I can finally let out the breath I’ve been holding for about 4 weeks now.

Well played Gunners! And what a relief to stay in Champions League and finish higher than last season without Cesc, Samir and Gael.  COYG!

Ciaran Clark plays hero not villain as he opens up the scoring for Villa

Tottenham Hotspurs had so much riding on this match today, but so did Aston Villa.  A single point from the final 1 – 1 score will give each a lift, but Tottenham needed more.

Coming into the match, Villa were only three points clear of the drop so any points gained today would help distance them further from relegation.  The West Midlands team had only won one of their last 14 league matches and have been winless against Tottenham since 2008.

In addition to today’s well-earned point, the Claret and Blue also got a little help from their local West Midland rivals, West Brom.  Albion also earned a draw today when they met up with Bolton, leaving Villa virtually safe from relegation. Even without next week’s results, the Villans have such a superior goal differential, they will most likely remain in the top flight for another season.

As for the Spurs, they are not fighting to remain in the premiership.  Their goal all season has been to qualify for Champions League for the first time in their club’s history. They have shown good form this season and spent most of it in third place.  They would have preferred a win today, but manager Harry Redknapp seemed content with the single point.

Spurs were down one nil at the interval and then early in the second half went down a man as Danny Rose was given a red card.  But Spurs held on and Emmanuel Adebayor made no mistake from the spot after Sandro was brought down by Richard Dunne. All tied up at the hour mark, the 10-man team began to look for a win.  But Villa continued with their impressive defending and clung on to the well-deserved draw.

The North London side is now tied with Arsenal while Newcastle is a point behind after losing to Manchester City earlier in the day. It will all come down to next week, the final week of the season.  Newcastle will play Everton away, Arsenal travel to West Brom and Tottenham host Fulham.

For additional information about Champions League qualifications and the teams fighting for those positions, yesterday’s Arsenal v Norwich City match report can explain the significance of at least the EPL’s third and fourth place positions for this season.

Arsenal defender Laurent Kosielny is in agony over his team's draw with Norwich today

Arsene Wenger was hoping to celebrate his 900th match as manager for Arsenal with a win over Norwich today at Emirates Stadium.  But the North London team failed to get the results they were seeking, gaining only a single point with a draw in a game they were expected and desperately needed to win.

With title hopes lost long ago, Arsenal’s primary objective has been to qualify for Champions League.  After today, the Gunners have 67 points and remain in third place.  Tottenham and Newcastle United trail the Gunners by only two points and will play some deciding  matches tomorrow.  The results from Tottenham at Aston Villa and Newcastle United against Manchester City may very well decide which team gets a Champions League berth.

Normally the league’s top four teams advance, but this season, third place is the coveted position being sought by Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham.  The three teams are focusing on the spot  because of Chelsea’s stellar performance in Champions League this year.

Chelsea is currently too far back in the league to finish in the top four, but they may be able to sidestep their way to next season’s CL.  On May 19th, they play Bayern Munich in the Finals of Europe’s elite tournament.  Should the Blues win, they  automatically qualify for next year’s CL , leaving only the EPL’s top three teams to advance.

The significance of Arsenal’s loss today – ok it was a draw, but they needed three points to solidify third place – is immense, devastating and just plain frustrating.  This was a team that were being discounted as finished in January.  Fans were asking for Wenger’s resignation and a general feeling of despair amongst the players was apparent despite the phenomenal performance by Robin van Persie.

The injection of Thierry Henry in late January sparked feelings of hope and confidence into a team riddled with injuries and poor defense.  After his departure, it was uncertain how the team would perform, but the squad seemed to gel.  Arsenal started winning, and not always at the hands, or should I say foot, of RVP.

The red and white North London team came back from the middle of the table and overtook their arch rivals, Tottenham, who seemed quite comfortable in third place for much of the season.  The Gunners have been on fire for most of the latter part of the season, that is, until the last few weeks.

Arsenal are missing Mikel Arteta’s play-making abilities in the middle and to be fair, van Persie has not been scoring a goal a game as he usually does.  It isn’t fair to be dependant on their Captain to consistently bail out the team, but the players couldn’t have done it without him this season and it shows.

Ironically, van Persie did score today.  He smashed in his 30th goal of the season, equaling Henry’s record with the club.  It looked to be the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute as his run met Alex Song’s clever pass.  The Dutchman side-footed a volley across goalkeeper John Ruddy but the 3-2 lead didn’t last long.

Five minutes later, Norwich’s Steve Morison leveled the game.  And in the final minutes, the Gunner’s couldn’t get past Ruddy.  He made a fine close-range block, denying van Persie who was looking to tap in the ball at the far post.

During today’s match, there were questionable pushes and possible penalty kicks that should  have been awarded on both sides, but the result remains the same.  Now we cross our fingers for tomorrow’s matches, of which the one involving Spurs seems most threatening.

The Spurs have never finished above Arsenal in the league and have never qualified for Champions League.  It will be a rough day for Gunners and Gooners alike if the Spurs win tomorrow and take third place.

As “a Gunner til I die”, I never give up hope so we shall see.

When Bolton player Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch at Tottenham Saturday, the entire soccer world suddenly united as one. For the last two days, it hasn’t mattered what team you cheer for: we all came together to support Muamba and his family, friends and teammates. After a few terrifying minutes, followed by days of worry, we have a positive update for you on his condition. Despite the somber mood of the soccer world this weekend, there were some amazing moments throughout MLS, and I’ll highlight those for you as well. Here’s your Daily Kick Around.

Fabrice Muamba

If you were like me, you spent the past couple of days scouring the news and Twitter for updates on Fabrice Muamba’s condition. News broke today that his condition is slowly but steadily improving, as his heart is now beating without medication, and he is moving his arms and legs.

Within the past hour, the Associate Press reported that Muamba is now speaking again. A friend of his said Muamba has spoken minimal words, in both English and French. Incredibly uplifting news. We at Aerys Soccer wish him all the best in his recovery.

Another piece to add to this developing story, a sports cardiologist that was supposed to test one or two Tottenham players today for potential heart defects has said he will now be testing the entire Spurs squad.  He said the players demanded to to all have a cardiac screening today. The players who saw Muamba collapse  Saturday taking a good precautionary measure, and honestly, I don’t see why every player doesn’t get a screening like this.

Major League Soccer

It was a great weekend of action in MLS, and if you missed any of it, our own Trista Lutgring has a recap for you here. Now that the games are over, it’s time to vote! There are some fantastic goals up for Goal of the Week. Check them out and vote here. In my opinion, it’s Ryan Johnson’s to lose. What. A. Goal.

Not only were there some fantastic goals, there were great celebrations. The best of the weekend had to be Kei Kamara and C.J. Sapong doing an Irish jig.

Finally, the LA Galaxy received their MLS Cup Championship rings before they beat DC United 3-1 Sunday afternoon. And my goodness, are they pretty.

Tomas Rosicky celebrates his contribution to a 5-2 thrashing of North London Derby Rival Tottenham Hotspur

When Arsenal and Tottenham meet, it is always a competitive exchange.  The North London derby is undoubtedly one of the biggest rivalries in the Premiership.  The stadium’s of the two teams are only separated by a few miles,  and the neighboring clubs have had a bitter relationship for over a century.  Arsenal has dominated the large majority of that time, but this year, Tottenham have the upper hand.

For much of the season, Tottenham have been comfortably seated in third place in the table.  Having soundly beat their rivals at White Hart Lane earlier this season, a win today at Emirates would be a sweet follow-up to that earlier victory. 

That seemed the likely outcome considering Arsenal’s poor form as of late.  That is why today’s win was so important.  Today’s decisive result could be considered the victory of Arsenal’s season.  It offers renewed hope and gives the club the confidence they they deserve that fourth place position or better.

As the game began, both teams knew the stakes were high. As the game began, both teams looked well matched but things quickly went south for the Gunners.  Arsenal’s usual Achilles’ heel, their defense, was their own downfall and allowed Tottenham to score an early first goal.

Emmanuel Adebayedor broke out and ran down the touch line.   He passed to Louis Saha who casually sprinted right between the Arsenal center-half and full back.  Facing the keeper, Saha struck the ball, which deflected off a defender and found the net.   Totteham opened up the scoring in the fourth minute.

Another Tottenham goal came 30 minutes later.  Left-back Kieran Gibbs tackled Adebayor in the box and the despised former Gunner was happy to take the penalty kick.  Another Tottenham goal from the spot made it 2 nil to Spurs.

Today’s match was about mental strength.  Under normal circumstances, when Arsenal are down two goals to none in the first half, they collapse.  Usually they lack the confidence to persevere, but today it was different.  Even when down two goals to none – to the Spurs, at the Emirates, and as the crowd turned mutinous — the Gunners showed no signs of letting up.

For a team certainly not known for their come-back victories, they scored the first goal of five and began to claw their way back into the match.  

Midfield playmaker Mikel Arteta chipped his pass from just inside the box. The unmarked defender, Bacary Sagna, sent a bullet header into the net, making it 1-2.

Then, with only a few minutes remaining in the first half, it was Robin van Persie’s turn.  After shooting wide twice earlier this match, the skipper gave new meaning to the phrase “third times a charm.” With three Spurs players all over him, he calmly dribbled the ball until he saw his opportunity.  Just as Scott Parker went in for a slide tackle, the Dutch striker made his third attempt count.  His magical left foot curled the ball around Parker and scored goal number two for Arsenal and van Persie’s 23rd in league play.  The game was level at two all going into the half.

The second half “show” was all Arsenal.  I was in awe as I watched the transformation of a team, which only last weekend, was knocked out of the FA Cup by an embarrassing display against Sunderland.  And just prior to that miserable loss, Arsenal took a thrashing by AC Milan in the first leg of the Champions League final 16.

Five minutes into the second half, another goal gave Arsenal the lead.  Robin van Persie was the playmaker this time as he passed the ball to Tomas Rosicky.  A give-and-go with Bacary Sagna gave Rosicky the opportunity to find an opening.  A great left footed finish gave the midfielder his first goal in two seasons.  The celebrations from the fans and players were probably heard all the way to White Hart Lane, or at least that is what I would like to believe.

Another goal-scoring burst came in the 64th minute.  In the box with defenders all around him, van Persie held up the ball just long enough to play in Theo Walcott, who was streaking down the right.  The winger danced a one-on-one with Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who was far off his line.  Walcott showed rare composure and chipped the ball over the keeper into the center of the goal.  Unbelievably, Arsenal were up four goals to two against their arch-rivals, Tottenham Hotspurs.

Only two minutes later, Alex Song, who earlier in the match had been off the mark with his passing, played in Walcott perfectly.  While goal-side of defender Ledley King, Theo scored a brace by whipping the ball across the face of the goal and into the far corner, making it 5-2.

Even with over 20 minutes left in the  match, Tottenham looked sloppy and desperate.  Tempers were flaring and Scott Parker made a careless tackle on Thomas Vermaelen, sending the Tottenham midfielder off with his second yellow of the day.

Arsenal stayed in control, held possession and played keep-away.  It was music to my ears hearing the fans cheer ‘ole’ each time the ball was passed from one Arsenal player to another. 

Perhaps it was new changes in the line-up.  Yosi Benayoun started in midfield and Kieren Gibbs was well enough to play left back.  The combination of Rosicky and Arteta in the middle made things come alive up front even without Gervinho.  And Walcott finally did a few things right. Whatever it was, Arsene Wenger got it right today.

This could be just what the Gunners need to get their season back on track.  After a performance like that, the thought of a top four finish in the league is well within their reach.  And despite Arsenal needing at least five home goals to advance in Champions League, I am holding out a tiny glimmer of hope for a victory over AC Milan next month.

The soccer action continued again today, though not quite as many matches were played as on Boxing Day. Only three games took place in the English Premier League, but they were all entertaining! In case you missed any of the action, here is a recap of the matches.

Arsenal 1 – Wolves 1

The first match of the day got off to a quick start, with the Gunners jumping out to a quick 1-0 in the 8th minute. Yao Gervinho was assisted by Yossi Benayoun, as he finished the ball into the back of the net from inside the penalty area, giving Arsenal the early lead.

But the Gunners saw their lead disappear before the halftime whistle blew. In the 38th minute, Stephen Hunt took a shot that was blocked by Arsenal’s keeper. Lucky for the Wolves, Stephen Fletcher was in the right place at the right time to head the ball home from close range. The scoreline was level again at 1 goal apiece.

The rest of the match had a flurry of yellow cards, and even a red for the Wolves’ Nenand Milijas in the 75th minute. Despite the Gunners best efforts to score on a 10-man Wolves lineup, they couldn’t find the game winner before the final whistle. Wolves escape with a point, while Arsenal is left frustrated with the draw.

 Norwich 0 – Tottenham 2

The first half of this one didn’t have much to offer, but the second half was the “Gareth Bale show.” The Spurs star was all over the pitch, making things happen and carrying his team. In the 55th minute, Bale got his first goal of the match, assisted by Emmanuel Adebayor. Just 11 minutes later, in the 66th minute, it was Bale again for the Spurs. Bale received the ball from Luka Modric, and then smoked his defenders, dribbling into the box and finishing the ball low into the net.

This put Tottenham up 2-0 with a lot of game left, but Norwich never really had much of a chance. The Spurs picked up all three points, helping solidify their place in the top four of the table, while Norwich added another loss to their record.

Swansea City 1 – QPR 1

Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City had a cracking game today, and despite the final score of 1-1, there were plenty of chances for both sides throughout the match. Our own Sophie Bowen has a full match recap here.

Stay with Aerys Soccer for all of your EPL coverage!

Photo courtesy of Tumblr user secondhand-happiness