Chelsea vs. Manchester United: 5 Things We Learned

Dear America,

Merry Super Sunday! We wish you and yours the best on this holiest of days. We hope you kicked it off with equal parts good cheer and the tailgating beverage of your choosing. That's how we roll, too.

See, we're not all that different. Here in the Outer Rim, we had a big game today, too, and we can't help but wonder if you were watching.

Because, you know, it's coming. The other football, that is. After Sunday's big match on live, big-network American TV—a thrilling 3-3 draw between Chelsea and Manchester United; and that's Manchester, United Kingdom, by the way, not New Hampshire—you can bet that, once again, the British (and others) are coming.

This time, it was on Fox. Not Fox Soccer Channel. Not Fox Sports Net. Not Fox News (definitely not there). And not Fox Sports Outer Rim (OK, so we made that one up). Just good-ol' Fox—the one that beams into almost all American homes for free. And this time, it was even better than the first time, when Manchester United beat Arsenal a few weeks ago.

Granted, the games aren't always this good, and, sure our "other" football sometimes produces games that are, how do you say, light on goals. But you're no stranger to that. By the way, how'd that Game of the Century—Part I and Part II—work out?

Fine, so that was a cheap shot. But it's alright, because we're all in this together. We'll all be watching tonight when the Super Bowl kicks off, and if it's half as good as our game was, we'll be going nuts right there with you.

Just like y'all will be soon, but for our football. Yes, even the 0-0 games. OK, maybe not the 0-0 games.

But trust us. You're gonna love it.

Sincerely,

The World

P.S. You can have Piers Morgan, though.

1. The Title Race (And the Race for Fourth Place) Continues to Thrill

Five minutes into the second half, the script seemed settled.

For Manchester United, a run of bad luck and worse defending meant a loss and a three-point deficit at the top of the table.

For Chelsea, an El Niño cross, a magical Mata finish and a Sideshow Bob flick-on header meant a win and a three-point cushion in the race for fourth place.

But the script was wrong, it came back for rewrites. It needed more drama and less credibility, they said. Only two penalties and a three-goal comeback would do.

That's what they got, and now, this is how the various English Premier League races are unfolding: Manchester City still lead the table, but by two points instead of three. And despite that lead, it's second-placed Manchester United who will have the momentum after an all-time comeback.

A few spots back, Chelsea still has the inside track to fourth place and the league's lucrative final Champions League berth. But after throwing away two points against the team of United's caliber, Chelsea has as many questions to answer as any of the three teams—Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool—immediately beneath them.

Those questions will be answered between now and May. And between now and then, one of the "Manchester Two" will win the league—unless Spurs can conjure a magical run.

Whatever happens, it promises to entertain. And Sunday might only be the beginning.

Hello, World

Much like the famous tradition from the world of programming, Sunday's thrilling match could serve as a gateway for throngs of American neophytes into a parallel new world. And if not, at least this much is true: Sunday was a great advertisement, on live American network television, for the world's game.

And it didn't even cost the reported $3.5 million the average company had to pony up for a 30-second slot during the Super Bowl.

Make no mistake: This ad was better than the excellent match between Manchester United and Arsenal two weeks ago. It had excitement and goals. It had a comeback. It had stars and it had drama. And from a footballing perspective, even considering the rich history of both clubs, it stretched belief and provoked wonder.

Chelsea took a shocking lead into halftime thanks to a lucky own goal off United's Jonathan Evans. Even so, the Blues earned their next two.

First, Fernando "El Niño" Torres whipped in a sick cross from the right wing and Juan Mata lashed home first-time on the volley. Then, David Luiz, better known for his resemblance to Sideshow Bob and his spastic playing style, nodded the Blues' third in off the side of Rio Ferdinand's duck-billed face.

United stormed back behind two Wayne Rooney penalties and Chicharito's trippy, levitating header. But improbable as the game already seemed, it wasn't over. Mata nearly won it with an outrageously gorgeous direct free kick that David De Gea desperately swatted away from the top corner.

And then, almost as if right on script, central defender (!) Gary Cahill—making his first start for Chelsea after his transfer from Bolton—uncorked a swerving, dipping, long-distance shot that De Gea did well to barely tip over.

Had Cahill scored and delivered Chelsea the win after all that, Sir Alex Ferguson's head would have exploded, Jose Mourinho would have flown in from Madrid to personally depose Andre Villas-Boas on the spot, and Fox would have declared America open for footballing business.

So close, really.

And yet, there's still work to be done. As a counterpart to the game's runaway on-field success, Fox's studio coverage left much to be desired.

After a 30-minute pregame show, Fox switched to the game feed literally seconds before kickoff. It was abrupt and jarring—but not nearly as much as the presence of Piers Morgan alongside Eric Wynalda and Rob Stone in the studio.

Morgan appeared in place of the normally solid Warren Barton, and the move made little sense. Morgan, as you'll recall, is an Arsenal supporter and newsman who left the British press under a cloud of controversy and now has a show on CNN.

How that combination qualified him for studio work in a football match between Chelsea and Manchester United is something only Fox will know.

Morgan, by the way, picked United to win 2-0 (and the Giants by 10).

Chelsea Fans: Fail

Update

So, it turns out Chelsea's fans were booing Rio Ferdinand for his comments about John Terry.

That means there wasn't a racial element behind the booing. But it was still dumb.

* * * * *

You have to hand it to Chelsea's fans. They perpetually find new ways to embarrass themselves.

Late last year they prompted an investigation by reportedly directing monkey chants at one of their own players. On Sunday they reportedly booed Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

Big deal? Well, actually, yes. Ferdinand's brother Anton was allegedly subjected to racial abuse by Chelsea defender John Terry during a match earlier this season.

Epic fail, Chelsea fans. That sort of thing has no place in either a football match or civilized society. And in an English football season that's been rocked by too much of that sort of thing, Sunday's latest outburst warrants action from the authorities—whether it's the police or the FA.

El Niño: The Legend Rambles On

Poor El Niño. The boo-birds will be out in force again this week.

In the first half, he scuffed a speculative shot well wide of the far post, and in the second he refused to take a shot when clean in on goal.

As the first incident showed, the Fernando Torres of Chelsea is not the Fernando Torres of Liverpool. And as the second demonstrated, a lot of that has to do with the fact that he's lost the killer instinct.

Torres did make up for it somewhat with his inch-perfect cross on Juan Mata's goal. But he's now gone 13 league games since scoring.

And at a cost of £50 million, that's one heck of an expensive drought.

Odds and Ends

Manchester United fans will be delighted to see Alex Ferguson work the substitute's bench so expertly in the second half.

After falling behind 3-0, Fergie subbed in Chicharito for Ashley Young—which raised the question of why Chicharito didn't start in the first place—and bridged the generational gap (or two) by switching Rafael for Paul Scholes.

Both moves paid off. Scholes controlled the tempo for much of his time on the pitch. Chicharito, of course, scored the equalizer.

Chelsea, meanwhile, had an up-and-down day. In addition to building and blowing a three-goal lead, two Blues made notable appearances. Midfielder Michael Essien started for the first time since returning from a long-term injury, and defender Gary Cahill started for the first time since completing his transfer from Bolton.

Both had good moments and bad. Both looked nervous early but steadied themselves late. Both produced goal-scoring chances in the second half.

Both should prove valuable down the stretch, but it might take time to bring them up to speed.