Of all the things I expected to observe this weekend, in the meeting between the 20th-ranked Cottagers and the 19th-ranked Bluebirds, a stadium of dead silent fans was not one of them. I'm not kidding when I tell you that in my confusion I checked the television volume with my remote. But everything was in order.
I was not expecting the silence at the start of this match, but after a moment I understood it. I knew what was happening because I was feeling the same tension as the 26,796 fans sitting in that stadium. This match was not a must win for Fulham or for Cardiff City. It was a MUST, must win.
And you know what? For the first time since February 1st, the Bluebirds did just that. They won.
Cardiff City 3 - Fulham 1
- Caulker (CAR) 45'
- Holtby (FUL) 59'
- Caulker (CAR) 67'
- Riether (FUL, own goal) 71'
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| (Image Credit: Getty Images) |
A few minutes after kickoff, the tension in the stadium eased and the Cardiff City fans found their voices. The Bluebirds looked like a team in control. Even a brief scare, when Cottager Ashkan Dejagah hit the side of the net, wasn't enough to shake the sense that there was nothing about which to worry.
In fact, but for an impressive save by Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, Cardiff City should have taken the lead after only 16 minutes. Instead, the goal that had eluded the Bluebirds for 445 minutes of Premier League play was finally delivered by Cardiff City captain Steven Caulker.
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| (Image Credit: Getty Images) |
If we're being honest with each other, I don't think I could say that the performance of either squad was stellar. But with as much objectivity as I'm capable of exercising, I can tell you that the Bluebirds wanted this win more than the Cottagers.
Ok earlier I said I had the sense that their was nothing about which to worry. But perhaps I did sweat a bit when Lewis Holtby scored his goal early in the second half...
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| (Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images) |
...nonetheless, I still felt like Cardiff City were there to ruin Fulham's black tie affair. Please excuse the metaphysics, but this weekend, I truly believe that Steven Caulker willed the Bluebirds to win...
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| (Image Credit: Huw Evans Picture Agency) |
With just over 20 minutes left to play, and with the only team in the league they could hope to beat ahead two goals to one, the Cottagers threw in the towel.
I've sat through so many matches where Cardiff City were on the receiving end of a beating and it sucks. I felt bad for Fulham this past weekend, but no one more so than Sascha Reither...
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| (Image Credit: Getty Images) |
The above picture was taken just before the ball bounced off of Reither and leisurely rolled into the Cottagers goal.
Sorry bud.
I should clarify and say that I feel bad for the players of Fulham. The lazy chump that was sitting in their manager's chair for the ENTIRE match deserved this loss.
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| Felix Magath...Fulham Manager and Lazy Chump (Image Credit: London Evening Standard) |
You know what happened the last time a manager sat on their ass for an entire match against Cardiff City? We beat Manchester City. Here's hoping that the managers of the Bluebirds' remaining nine opponents sit on their asses. Ass.
With this win, the Bluebirds are in 18th place with 6 wins, 7 draws, and 16 losses. The table below captures the full Premier League standings as of 03/11/14. The table columns are: Current Position (POS), Last Position (LP), Club Name (CLUB), Matches Played (P), Wins (W), Draws (D), Losses (L), Goals Fielded (GF), Goals Allowed (GA), Goal Differential (GD), and Rankings Points (PTS).
It's time to start analyzing the table a little more closely for relegation scenarios. I think the best way to do this is to break it into two parts. First, what clubs cannot be relegated:
- Chelsea
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- Manchester City
Second, since Cardiff City can no longer guarantee survival even by winning all of their remaining matches, we must look at key matchups of other relegation candidates. Next week, these are the results we need:
- Newcastle to beat Fulham
- Crystal Palace to beat Sunderland
- Swansea City to beat West Bromwich Albion
If those outcomes take place, the Bluebirds need only draw against Everton next week to be free from the relegation zone.
In summary, if Cardiff City are to survive they're going to need some help from friends in low places.
OK, that's this week's match. Now let's "Meet a US Bluebird!"
Meet Megan Moore (@OnlyMadeFor1D, 03/09/14)
Where do you live and where are you from originally?: I've lived in Virginia all of my life, and even going to college now I still live in Virginia, but just farther into the mountains.
How long have you been following the Bluebirds and how did you become a fan?: Just for about six months now. For the past couple of years, my friend would always make me watch the Premier League with her. Her favorite club is Liverpool, so for awhile I just liked them, but then I wanted to seriously get into the Premier League. I started watching every team play, and then one week I watched Cardiff. They were the only team that could get me yelling at the TV with excitement. It was meant to be.
What is your most favorite Cardiff City memory and why?: Probably the first time I saw them, which was in December against Liverpool. We didn't win, but even at the beginning of the game, I could tell there was something special about Cardiff City. I fell in love.
Who is your most favorite current Cardiff City player?: It's got to be David Marshall. We'd be nowhere without him.
What makes Cardiff City important to you?: I think their attitude on the pitch is super important. Sportsmanship is a big deal to me and I feel like they handle themselves very well.
What is your favorite US sport and team? Do you follow any MLS clubs?: The only other sport I watch is tennis; my favorite player is Rafael Nadal. Not exactly a US sport. Unfortunately, I don't watch any of the MLS.
Do you think Premier League is growing in popularity in the US? What can NBC or the League itself do to grow its popularity in the US?: I think through NBC Sports and games like FIFA, the Premier League is getting more coverage in the US. I know a lot of people at my college that are obsessed with it. The only bad thing is that most US fans only know the big name clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United. I think NBC does a fantastic job with their coverage, but it would be nice to show some other matches. Most weeks they just show one of the big name clubs playing.
Thanks, Megan! David Marshall is a great pick; he's the only reason we're not 10 points behind Fulham right now. Regarding NBC, I think it would have been awesome over the summer if they had done a "so you like an underdog" segment and introduced fans to the newly-promoted teams. Hopefully, Cardiff City will survive and US fans like you, me, and others I've met can help build the following.
It's an embarrassment of riches this week on Dragon and Bluebird. Not only do I get to write about a Bluebirds win, but my fantasy team also dominated the competition...
- Rank (Last Week): 1,089,255
- Rank (This Week): 893,668
- Total Players: 3,193,536
I have to note that this is a particularly impressive performance (pats self on back) because only eight of my fifteen players were eligible to play this week and I somehow managed to hit my second highest score of the season. Go figure.
Well that's it for this week, readers. Cardiff City's next Premier League match is on March 15th away against Everton. I think this one will be shown live on NBC Sports, but keep a watch on my Twitter feed for confirmation.
Thank you as always for reading. You can follow me on Twitter @dragon_bluebird. And feel free to leave some comments on my posts via Blogger or Twitter. Would love to hear your thoughts on the season so far and I'm always open to suggestions for features or topics you'd like to see on this blog.
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