Five Soccer-Related Things to Watch This Week

As the MLS heads into its 8th week of shutdown, soccer, or sports in general, don’t seem to be returning to the US very soon. With that in mind, we’re compiling a weekly list of soccer-related content to binge to avoid the boredom of a sports-less world. From replays of old games to soccer-themed movies and TV shows, you’ll be covered in getting your soccer fix until the end of quarantine.

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The English Game - Netflix

The English Game is the story of a low-class football club run out of a milling town attempting to win the FA Cup. The club, Darwen FC, illegally brings in two Scottish players to increase their chances of bringing home the Cup, and the players eventually make Darwen their home.

While the show is set in old-timey England and devotes a large part of its time to non-soccer material, The English Game is still a good show for any soccer fan. It shows the rough-house old-fashioned form of the beautiful game and shows how one of the main characters, Fergus, looked to develop the game by revolutionizing how his working-class team played.

Even more impressive than the team’s remodeling is the appreciation that the town of Darwen has for the game. Nothing exists in Darwen outside of soccer and the FA Cup, and the tournament is the only thing that keeps that town alive. Even amidst riots and chaos, the town still turns to its soccer club to give it hope.

There’s only one season of The English Game on Netflix (so far), but it is absolutely worth a little more than five hours of your time.

Sunderland ‘Til I Die - Netflix

The Sunderland ‘Til I Die doc on Netflix also tells the story of a club in a working-class town. The documentary shows Sunderland’s struggles after Relegation from the Premier League in 2017, and their fight for promotion to escape the Championship.

The show doesn’t have the same drama that The English Game does, rather, it uses the in team drama to fuel its storyline. Sunderland ‘Til I Die also does a fantastic job of using fans as material, talking to fans and using fan soundbites constantly as a measuring stick for the team’s performance.

There are currently two seasons of the show available on Netflix, and while there is not expected to be a third, Sunderland’s plight will continue as they attempt to crawl their way out of League One, the English third division.

A side note about the show, there is a fair amount of cursing and language, so those with younger children may want to be prudent.

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MLS Classics

The schedule of MLS Classics continues this week, and while there are no Union games on the calendar, there are a fair share of solid matches for the next few days.

For those looking for an alternative form of commentary (like the Union v. RBNY game broadcast on April 24 with player commentary) the 2019 playoff match between Seattle and Dallas is being broadcast on Wednesday at 4 p.m., and Alan Gordon’s game-winner against the Los Angeles Galaxy is being broadcast Sunday at 4 p.m.

These games can be found on MLSsoccer.com, the MLS App, YouTube, or Facebook. You can also find the full schedule at MLSsoccer.com.

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Relive Tomas Romero’s big moment

Cherry Hill, N.J. native Tomas Romero, a Philadelphia Union Academy and YSC Academy grad who made his USL Championship debut at 16, was the hero on the national stage at the College Cup final back in December.

The final against Virginia will be re-airing on Thursday at 9 p.m. on ESPNU and the ESPNApp.

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Watch “our” teams play live in Belarus

The two Belarus Premier League teams that topped our Twitter poll in our quest to find a team in Belarus to support — Dinamo Minsk and Slutsk — will be playing each other on Saturday at 11 a.m. You can tune in on YouTube.

If you have any ideas for soccer content to watch, send us recommendations at matthew.r.ralph@gmail.com.