Goooal! Experience Premier League Soccer in Boston This Weekend
NBC Sports hosts Premier League Mornings Live event near Fenway Park
NBC Sports is hosting its first Boston Premier League Mornings Live event this weekend. Photo by Devan Schulte, NBC Sports Group
If you think New England fans get rowdy during the Super Bowl or the World Series, you have no idea what rowdy is until you’ve watched the English Premier League. This weekend you can experience the fandom firsthand. NBC Sports is hosting its Premier League Mornings Live fan festival in Boston this weekend, over by Fenway Park (the first two were in New York City and Washington, D.C.). The festivities begin at 7:30 am on Saturday, March 30, at Cask ‘n Flagon sports bar, 62 Brookline Ave., Boston, and the two-day event continues there on Sunday, March 31.
Outside of the United States, soccer—or football, as it’s known elsewhere—is the dominant sport.
Consistently one of the most viewed soccer leagues around the world, the Premier League draws on average over 13 million viewers per game from the more than 200 countries where it’s broadcast (by contrast, if the Red Sox get a million viewers on NESN for a game, it’s huge). Now in Week 31, the Premier League is in its final quarter of its 38-week season. With 20 teams competing for the title, Liverpool (76 points) and Manchester City (74 points) are currently on the top of the table.
If you swing by the fan festival, just remember, we’re talking football here—you may call it soccer. But if you are going, at least know some basics.
Here’s what you need to know about the Premier League and how to talk soccer—sorry, football—like a true fan.
Know the lingo:
Sports have their own phrases, and soccer, particularly Premier League soccer, is no exception.
A sitter: An easy chance to score a goal—one that the player misses.
The box: The 18-yard-deep rectangle that surrounds the goal. The goalkeeper can handle the ball in this area. Players will often be encouraged to “stick it in the box” (or “the mixer”) to increase their team’s chances of scoring.
Dummy: When an attacking player moves to receive a ball, but lets it slide to a teammate, fooling the opposition.
Nutmeg: When an attacking player taps the ball through a defender’s legs rather than running it around the defender.
Chip: A delicate kick that lofts the ball high into the air and over an opposing player, typically the goalkeeper, when scoring a goal.
Man on!: A common cry from the terraces when a player is about to be tackled from behind.
Agricultural tackle: When a defensive player scythes down an opponent.
Lino: One of two assistant referees, responsible for offside calls (it’s not “offsides” in soccer) and flagging when the ball goes out of bounds.
Route one football: Skipping intricate passing in favor of a big kick to advance the ball up the field. Often derogatory—and often used in times of desperation by losing teams.
Differences between US pro leagues:
Promotion/relegation system
One of the biggest differences between most international soccer leagues and US sports is the promotion and relegation system. The Premier League works with other football leagues in England, and at the end of each season, the three lowest placed teams are relegated to the EFL Championship (England’s second-tier league). In turn, the three best EFL Championship teams are promoted to the Premier League. (Picture the Baltimore Orioles getting bumped to double A and the Trenton Thunder taking its place.)
Advancement to international competition
As the top league in the country, the Premier League can’t promote its best teams. Instead, the top-four Premier League teams compete in the Champions League, an annual tournament among the best top-division clubs around Europe—and arguably the biggest stage for club teams around the world.
No playoffs
You read that correctly. There are no playoffs in the Premier League. The winner of the league is determined by whoever is sitting at the top of the standings at the end of a season. You might think this is robbing fans of a closely contested playoff series, but it also means each game counts even more. History has shown that the system allows for plenty of wire-to-wire finishes, like this one
Players to watch:
Harry Kane, forward, Tottenham Hotspur
England’s national team captain, Kane steered his country to the semifinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Tottenham Hotspur forward has led the Premier League in scoring twice, in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The two-time league leader in goals is looking for his third Golden Boot (given to the top goal scorer) in four seasons.
Mohamed “Mo” Salah, forward, Liverpool
The reigning Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, Salah has been a key to Liverpool’s recent success. Since joining the club in 2017, the Egyptian forward has won a Golden Boot and pushed his team to a Champions League final.
Sergio Agüero, forward, Manchester City
The leading goal scorer in the league, with 18 goals under his belt, Agüero has been one of the Premier League’s most prolific scorers since joining Manchester City in 2011. Manchester City has claimed three league titles since the Argentine’s addition, including one just last season.
Raheem Sterling, forward, Manchester City
Since winning the 2014 Golden Boy award, given to the best young player in Europe, Sterling has lived up to the hype that prompted Manchester City to sign him from Liverpool in a $64 million deal in 2015. As well as winning the Premier League with Manchester City, Sterling has become a star on the international stage—most recently scoring his first international hat trick (three goals) in a 5-0 win over the Czech Republic March 22.
Virgil van Dijk, back, Liverpool
One of the best defenders in the world, van Dijk is arguably the front-runner for this season’s player of the year award. While Salah is a key contributor to Liverpool’s title contention, van Dijk has been the driving force. No defender has won the footballer of the year award since 1989 winner Steve Nicol, who also starred for Liverpool and later coached the New England Revolution for nine years. The Dutch defender has captained the Netherlands national team since 2018.
The best players, according to FIFA 19
Soccer might not be the most popular sport in America, but plenty of us are familiar with the video game series FIFA. Here are the players with the five highest overall ratings in the Premier League, according to FIFA 19’s latest update:
- Eden Hazard (Chelsea, forward)—Overall Rating: 91
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, midfielder)—Overall Rating: 91
- David De Gea (Manchester United, goalkeeper)—Overall Rating: 91
- David Silva (Manchester City, midfielder)—Overall Rating: 90
- Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur, forward)—Overall Rating: 90
Choosing a team to follow:
If you’re not sure which team to follow, check out the NBC Sports guide to finding your favorite Premier League club.
RSVP here for the event. The event is free. You must be at least 18 years old to RSVP.
Senior Jonathan Chang (COM) can be reached at jchang19@bu.edu; follow him on Twitter at @jonathanychang.
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