You'll Be Happy to Know...

...that the mighty Chels (that would be Chelsea FC of London) just squeaked by to win their FA Cup game against Huddersfield, in a matchup of the top team Premiership (the top soccer/football league in England) with a League 1 champion hopeful (after some rejiggering of names this year, League 1 is actually the third league, behind the Premiership at the top and the Championship below that). It ended with a score of 2-1, with Eidur Gudjohnsen scoring the winning goal over in the 82nd minute. (Young striker Carlton Cole, pictured right, scored the first. Certainly exciting, but the game of the day was Liverpool versus minnow Luton, who overcame a 3-1 deficit to win 5-3.

If you're not familiar with the English FA Cup (which stands for Football Association, not Friendship Appreciation), it's like an extracurricular competition to regular league play, and the winner gets a shiny cup to hold over their heads. But what makes it quite fun is it's like the first two rounds of the NCAA basketball tournament, where small teams from weaker divisions can come away with an exciting upset every so often. I could go on with more explanation, but I fear Mrs. F would be yawning and turning to another page, so I'll just clam up now.

[UPDATE - 1pm Sunday] Today brought some more stunners with lower division Leicester coming back from a 2-nil deficit to Tottenham Hotspur (whom Facade Friends DGA and SCA support) to win 3-2 and--even huger--non-league Burton drawing nil-nil with perennial powerhouse Manchester United. (For non-soccer fans, that would be like a 15 seed in the NCAA basketball tourney knocking off the 2 seed in the opening round. Well, kind of like that, since there will be another game played to determine the winner, but that's a rough translation.)