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What is the FA Cup?
As Americans fall more in love with soccer, particularly English soccer, we can sometimes get confused by all the different leagues and competitions. So let us explain one of our favorites, the FA Cup. In the U.S., there are just the leagues: the NFL, NBA, NHL, or Major League Baseball. They play, there’s a playoff…
What is the UEFA Europa League?
What is the UEFA Europa League? Briefly, the Europa League is the No. 2 European club competition, after the UEFA Champions League. Here's a bit more on a competition some non-British readers might not know a lot about. (Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning Groundhopper Guides may receive some compensation if…
Why Does Top Four in the Premier League Matter?
If you are fairly new to watching English soccer, you could certainly be forgiven for wondering why on Earth people would care about finishing in the top four in the Premier League. After all, in most sports finishing fourth isn't considered any sort of success. That it is a lofty aspiration for many an English soccer…
What Does it Mean to “Go to Wembley”?
If you are getting into watching English soccer for the first time, you have probably noticed there are a lot of words and phrases you don’t know; it’s like a language and subculture all its own, and one of the key phrases, indeed aspirations of the land, is to “Go to Wembley.” Of course, there…
On The Magic of English Soccer’s FA Cup
One of the best things about watching English soccer is that there are so many games to watch – and some of them are magical just because of who is playing who. Nowhere is this more true than in the FA Cup. In English football, there are several different competitions, even for teams at the…
What is the Football League Trophy, or EFL Trophy?
Here's an introduction to the Football League Trophy, also known as the EFL Trophy. English soccer has many tournaments, including the FA Cup and the League Cup, aka the EFL Cup. Both of those are considered lesser competitions than the actual league season, especially for the clubs in the Premier League and the Championship, which…
