5-0! We're Going Out To Eat Tonight!

It's easy to get excited about Tottenham's 5-0 victory to kick off their 2011 campaign. Especially when what was supposed to be their inaugural match against Everton was cancelled due to (protesters? / rioters? / hoodlums?) threatening to burn all of London down. Just playing the game seemed like a miracle. But it was just the first match, and it was the lowly Europa League, and it was against a Scottish side called Hearts. The match, which was comfortably in hand within the first half an hour didn't tell us anything about Spurs we didn't already know. However, there were some encouraging things to take away.

Jermain Defoe appears to be fully recovered from his hamstring, groin, ankle, and whichever other injuries were plaguing him last season. Harry Redknapp predicted a breakout from Defoe this year and today's match strengthened his claims. Although take what Redknapp says with a grain of salt. He's the same manager who said he wasn't going to play his main players in the Europa League qualifier because the team needed to concentrate on the Premier League and all that. We see how well he stuck to that script, although his decision was probably aided by the cancellation of the Everton match. Defoe was the most impressive Tottenham player. He scored the second goal, hit the post on what would have been an amazing third goal, and delivered some excellent passes. I can't praise Defoe too much because he beat up on a leaky defense, but his team needs him to return to the goal-scorer of two years ago and he looks like he's becoming that player again.

Oh, how I missed you Gareth Bale. Bale missed the last month of the 2010 season with an ankle injury. Back injuries had been nagging him all year. He scored the fourth goal of the match, and showcased his patented runs on the left side all night. He brought me right back to San Siro, where we, but mostly Maicon, saw him grow up before our eyes. Just seeing him on the pitch was important, and the fact that he played well was only  icing on the cake.

Winning 5-0 in the first leg is an enormous advantage, especially for a team as injury-taxed as Tottenham. Redknapp now has the option to rest his main players in the second leg in preparation for Manchester City at White Hart Lane. Teams like City and Manchester United are deep enough to throw their reserves out their for the early qualifiers and still come away with victories. Tottenham doesn't have that kind of depth, so locking the first qualifying round up after the first leg is extremely beneficial for them. It's going to be interesting to see how Redknapp handles the Europa League matches going forward. Tottenham is currently the best of the lot and will still be one of the top teams after some of the Champions League sides drop down (welcome aboard, enjoy your short stay in Europa, Arsenal). Does Redknapp chase a Europa League trophy and compromise the Premier League season? I doubt it. He probably would have played the reserves tonight had the Everton match not been cancelled. The good thing, at least for the time being, is Tottenham's reserves can beat most of these teams in the early rounds. Despite this, an early exit from Europa and a 5th place Premiership finish seems all-too-Totttenham.

Lost in the overwhelming positive attitude emanating from Scotland is what I like to call the Heurelho Gomes problem. Gomes started in goal and fortunately was only tested four times. Even then he was shaky and looked downright confused on corners. He made numerous bad challenges and wasn't able to hang on to a routine ball that led to a corner. Gomes erratic goalkeeping cost Spurs last year, most notably in the second leg against Real Madrid. Redknapp brought in former Aston Villa and US National Brad Friedel, presumably to start, and still has Carlo Cudicini on the bench. Both seem to be better options at this point. Why Redknapp stuck with Gomes is anyone's guess. His goalkeeping didn't cost Tottenham against an inferior opponent, but it will in the Premier League.

As tempting as it is to fall over in excitement over an early season blowout, it's important to keep things in perspective. Hearts aren't very good. The real test will come Monday against Manchester United. Let's see if Spurs can lose by less than three before scampering to the rooftops and screaming "5-0, 5-0, 5-0," to the people on the streets.

Spurs vs. AC Milan And Other Soccer House Cleaning

I haven't written about soccer in a while now. Contrary to popular belief, I haven't stopped watching. It just took me about five weeks to realize no one wanted to read match by match breakdowns of an EPL team jockeying for a top four seed. What is the EPL anyway? Most people clicked the link expecting the San Antonio Spurs and wondered why they saw pictures of soccer.
Anyway, I've still been watching, and Wayne Rooney's goal to lift Manchester United 2-1 over City is probably the most aesthetically pleasing goal I've ever seen.  I've watched this video 20,000 times, accounting for two thirds of the YouTube views, and am still not sick of it.
"Wayne Rooney is back!" the pundits claimed. I never understood how a player could be "back" after one goal, albeit a spectacular one. But the assertion got me to thinking about all Rooney has been through the last year. He injured his ankle towards the end of the 2009-10 Premier League season, limiting his mobility, and still finished the season with 26 Premier League goals.
The English National Team followed with a poor showing in the World Cup, highlighted by Rooney's ineffectiveness. Citing his injury, some questioned whether he should have been playing at all. Then news of his extramarital affair was leaked, compounding his already sketchy public image.
Rooney returned to United and squabbled with Sir Alex Ferguson over a new contract, threatened to leave the club, and came off immature through out the entire process. All of this from Rooney despite being held goalless in open play for the previous eight months of the Premier League season.
I've tried to come up with a cross-sport equivalent of 2010 Wayne Rooney and there's absolutely no comparison. Rooney made Brett Favre's year look Sportsman of the Year Award worthy by comparison.
But hey, "Wayne Rooney is back, baby!" Unfortunately, it took his "return" to realize I liked the struggling, considerably less rich, and womanizing version of Rooney much better.
I've also changed my mind about the EPL schedule. A few months ago I whined about the lack of an end-of-the-year playoff. I thought they should assign seeds to the top eight seeds and let them battle for the league title. I argued that the mini-tournament didn't have to affect Champions League draws, as the top four seeds after the regular season would already clinch berths. I just thought something more needed to be done about crowning an official champion, rather than relying on regular season record.
Turns out that the pursuit of a top four seed is just as fun. Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City are all currently in the hunt for the last two spots. Every game at this point is magnified. Dropping points to inferior teams is especially painful, and scoreboard watching is in full force. It reminds me of the end of the NFL season when teams are more concerned with making the playoffs, rather than what seed they are. I take playoff plead back, this is pretty fun too.

Tottenham's lone goal in their 1-0 victory over AC Milan in San Siro embodied everything that went right Tuesday afternoon. Aaron Lennon broke away from the pack after receiving an intercepted ball. Milan was sloppy with their passes all day, especially in the first half.
Lennon, who routinely beat his defender, was Spurs best playmaker. He made a couple good crosses to Crouch in the first half but they ultimately amounted to nothing. It was only fitting that the two would hook up to put the game away.
In the 80th minute, Lennon made Mario Yepes miss and delivered a perfect pass to Crouch, who tucked the ball inside the left corner. Milan midfielder Gennaro Gatusso attempted to goad Crouch into a fight the entire game, but Crouch left with the last laugh. Gatusso will miss the second leg after picking up a yellow card in the game. He even head butted Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan after the game, and could possibly face suspension. You have to love UEFA for that very reason--a head butt doesn't necessarily warrant a suspension.
I'm proud of Spurs. They went into a hostile environment, came out aggressive, and weren't intimidated by a side playing dirty in the second half. And they did it without Gareth Bale, who is still nursing an ailing back. A draw would have been a good result, but with the win, Spurs have set themselves up nicely to advance to the final eight.
That's the last time I'll talk soccer until March 9th. I promise.

Tottenham Clinches 'Group A' With Draw

I'm still warming up to the idea of a draw. Should a draw excite me? Is it really something to celebrate? Blame it on all the years of basketball, football, and baseball watching. It's only fitting that Tottenham's Champions League group stage journey ends where it started -- in a tie. A tie that should have been a win nonetheless, but that's besides the point.
It's been a long journey, really long actually. The "six games within the group and one game every two weeks" thing drags on quite a bit. The formula is good because the scheduling essentially builds its own suspense for each game. On the flip side, some fan bases -- Arsenal fans I'm looking at you, have two weeks to think up all of the possible ways your team can blow it.
I have to admit I bought into all the skepticism surrounding Spurs prior to the Champions League. Everyone who seemed to know anything about soccer was basically waiting for them to choke away their first opportunity in 50 years to make a lasting imprint on the national stage. I figured they must know more than me, and what do I really know anyway -- so I equated each moment to familiar Cubs' choke jobs.
First game against Bremen and Spurs jump ahead 1-0 with a gift-wrapped own goal. Fifteen minutes later and they take a 2-0 lead. Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS, Mark DeRosa hits a two run homer in the 4th inning as the Cubs take an early lead, which they eventually surrender. Sure enough, Bremen ties the game just after halftime and doesn't look back. Spurs lose two points and lay the foundation for what looks to be their expected sinking of the ship.
They bounce back in a 4-1 victory at home over Twente. Expected to be the whipping boy of the group, Twente would be heaped with praise at the moment had Spurs not stolen the show and unexpectedly won the Group. At the time, it was a good win for Spurs because they were coming off a Premier League loss, but nothing to get too excited about.

The Inter Milan games sandwiched between the Bremen and Twente rematches were significant because they introduced Gareth Bale to the world. A somewhat obscure name to most soccer fans, Bale burst onto the scene with a three goal performance in the first leg against Inter. He single-handedly carved up Inter's defense and was really the only bright spot in a game that Tottenham had trailed 4-0 at one point. He topped that in the second leg, producing one magnificent run after another and crossed the ball flawlessly to set up two more goals. Bale's play became one of the great stories of the Group Stages, resulting in an onslaught of rumors linking the 21 year-old to a number of big clubs.
A 3-0 blowout at home seemed to be appropriate for a Spurs team that was coming off the high of beating the defending European Champions and a Bremen team that had been shutout at home by Twente. Spurs and Twente both went out in resounding fashion, scoring three times a piece. Both teams already had sealed their fate and played into the wackiness that swirled around this game since the very beginning. I've never seen a goalie whiff like Boschker did...never. Robert Green's mishap looked forgivable compared to that.
Other than Bale, the biggest Champions League story surrounding Tottenham was their home versus road performance. At home they were brilliant, outscoring their opponents 10-2 en route to three wins. On the road, they were outscored 9-8, in two draws and one loss. They need to clear their road woes up. It's been a problem for them all season, including the Premier League. It's not the results that are disappointing, you can live with two draws and a loss on the road, but surrendering nine goals in three games is inexcusable.
But now is not the time to dwell on the negative. This is a historic accomplishment for Spurs. Not only do they advance to the knockout stage, but they earned the top seed in Group A, so they can avoid some of the heavy hitters in the next round.
Let's party like it's 1961. President Kennedy, West Side Story, crumbling US diplomatic relations, but most importantly, quality Spurs football.

Spurs vs. Werder Bremen - Champions League Game 5

In the first leg against Werder, Spurs jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. Towards the end of the first half, they surrendered a goal, then another goal in the opening minutes of the second half, and had to settle for a tie. There would be no such letdown in the second leg.
Spurs came out firing early and were rewarded with a 6th minute goal from Younes Kaboul. The unmarked Kaboul scored easily after a perfect cross from Aaron Lennon. Lennon and Bale both had fantastic games.
A goal lead has been nothing to get excited about this year. Spurs came into the game not having kept a clean sheet in 17 games. They had only shut out their opponent in three games this season, two of those coming in the Champions League. Tottenham has only kept one clean sheet in the Premier League, the very first game, a 0-0 draw against Manchester City.
Thirty seconds into stoppage time, Luka Modric did well to control a Crouch header and stick it into the back of the net to give Spurs a two goal lead. The second goal clinched the game for Spurs as Werder was clearly overmatched and was unlikely to muster more than a goal.
It was important to keep a clean sheet, especially from a psychological standpoint. Tottenham players need to feel confident that they can win scoring only one goal. Too often this season, they've had the game well in hand and conceded a cheap goal, forcing a draw.  They need games like this to prove, mainly to themselves, that they're capable of shutting a team out.
Spurs scored their third goal in the 81st minute, when Lennon collected Bale's rebound and fed Peter Crouch. Bale continued his fantastic play that has made him one of the tournament's most exciting players. In this game, he hit the post twice, once on the aforementioned cross, and earlier on a free kick. He also missed a penalty kick that Werder goalie Tim Wiese guessed right on.
Bale's game has become so beautifully predictable. He receives the ball, kicks the ball past the defender to start his run, and delivers a perfect cross almost every time. Defenses know what he's going to do, they just can't stop him. He's the soccer equivalent of Mariano Rivera. Rivera throws his cutter about 80 percent of the time, and occasionally mixes in a straight fastball. Hitters know what's coming, they just can't hit it.
With the win, Tottenham secured a place in the knockout stages. They currently sit atop Group A, tied with Inter at 10 points, but ahead in goal differential. For a team that many didn't expect to advance, Spurs have looked awfully impressive through out their Champions League campaign. Their last game in group play will be against Twente on the road. They have a chance to top a group that includes the defending European champions, Inter Milan.

Spurs vs. Inter Milan - Champions League Game 4

Every so often an athlete comes around that you can't help but marvel at. Let my preface my point by stating there will be very little analysis of the game in this piece. This will be closer to a Gareth Bale love fest. The type of "he can do no wrong" love fest I normally reserve for Derrick Rose. Bear with me.
Like I was saying, every so often an athlete comes around that you can't help but marvel at. Gareth Bale is one of those athletes.
Bale is the type of athlete that demands your attention. Some people watch sports casually. They turn on the TV and do something else. The game is merely background noise. That is, unless one of the aforementioned "special" athletes is playing. Look away and you might miss something.
Michael Jordan, Barry Sanders, and Ken Griffey Jr. all had this effect. Every possession, rush, or at bat seemed important, because, in reality, they were. History was being made, and we were well aware of it.
The 21 year old Bale belongs amongst the ranks of these great individual talents. Every time he touched the ball, it was like time stopped. When the ball was passed to Bale, the crowd cheered, followed by a split second of silence, and then an "ooh" or "ahh" reaction after he made a play. This confirmed what I already believed: fans dropped whatever thought, conversation, or text message they were enamored in and watched Bale's every move. They didn't want to miss something special. While watching the World Cup, Lionel Messi is the only player I can remember that had a similar "time-stopping" effect as Bale did tonight.
The reactions on Twitter to Tottenham's 3-1 win were often comical. The attention was focused almost solely on Inter's Maicon, who was widely regarded as the best right back in the world until Bale torched him in two straight games. Maicon was a trending topic, not Bale. Most tweets were jokes directed at Maicon, and I'm proud to say, I got a few in myself.
The amount of attention focused on Maicon tells me that Bale's dominance this year has been accepted as a common occurrence. It's not even interesting anymore to discuss how great Bale has been. It's more fun to rip on one of his many victims.

Tonight, Maicon played Craig Ehlo to Bale's Michael Jordan. In the deciding Game 5 of the first round of the 1989 playoffs, Jordan hit what would be his first career playoff game winner in a Hall of Fame career filled with clutch moments. Most people aren't even aware that Jordan scored 44 points in that game, or that "The Shot" clinched the series for that matter.
Jordan's dominance was accepted. The lasting image from that shot was Craig Ehlo, a great defender, playing picture perfect defense and then crumbling to the ground because he did everything he could, but still got beat by a superior player.
We talk about Ehlo because he didn't get beat like that. Just like Maicon doesn't get beat like he did today. They're the unfortunate fall-guys. The talking points to reaffirm the greatness of others when ironically, Ehlo and Maicon were/are great in their own right.
Bulls color commentator Stacey King likes to say of Rose, "He's too big, too fast, too strong, too good." Sometimes simplicity works best. Bale was all of those things today.
In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy Bale's development as a world class player. I'm not sure how long he'll be in a Spurs uniform. I imagine this is how Royals fans felt watching Zack Greinke's 2009 Cy Young season.

Spurs vs. Inter Milan - Champions League Game 3

"Inter needed only ten minutes to beat Tottenham."
That's what I tweeted as half-time approached, Spurs were down 4-0. At the ten minute mark, Javier Zanetti had scored within two minutes, goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was sent off, and Samuel Eto'o stutter stepped home a penalty kick, the first of his two goals in the match. Eto'o currently leads all Champions League scorers with six.
Playing with ten men, Spurs were unable to stop Inter's controlled attack. Dejan Stankovic put the game out of reach in the 14th minute, putting his side up three. Twenty minutes later, Eto's second goal of the game only added insult to injury.
At halftime, it looked like Inter could easily push across seven or eight goals by the end of the game. Spurs certainly did not look up to the Champions League challenge, in what was probably their most meaningful game since 1962.
Not only were they going to lose, but screw their goal differential up in the process.
Thankfully, Werder and Twente drew, preserving second place for Tottenham in Group A. Tottenham played better defensively in the second half, and were able to narrow the scoring gap.
Gareth Bale was the lone bright spot in a game that desperately needed a bright spot for the visitors. Bale's speed overwhelmed Inter's defense the entire game. Although it wasn't until the 52nd minute that he was able to break through with his first goal. Bale would score two more almost identical goals, but it just wasn't enough.
Tottenham was doomed from the start, as they elected to send off Luka Modric for Gomes' red card. Spurs were already weak in the middle because Rafael van der Vaart was unable to play because of his red card last game against Twente.
The lack of a presence in the middle was evident. Bale and Lennon both played very well on the outside, but found themselves either crossing the ball to no one, or without a playmaker to create for them.
The flow of the offense should be much better with van der Vaart back for the rematch at White Hart Lane. This team lacks creativity without him.

To put things into perspective, this was a match Spurs were unlikely to win anyway. The result wasn't the issue, the fact that they looked utterly confused in the first half was. This was a game that they needed to at least show they could compete with the elite European clubs, and in the first half they couldn't.
Many fans left the game with a warm feeling because of Bale's spectacular performance, and the margin of defeat being cut to only one goal. Both feelings are fool's gold.
A loss is a loss. As long as Spurs take care of business in their remaining games against Werder and Twente, the goal differential won't come into play anyway. There's such a thing as playing well and getting beat by a better team. Spurs didn't play well.
Bale's three goals were all the result of fantastic individual efforts. One player can't beat a great team. If Spurs had scored three team oriented goals then that would have been great. Bale instead had to carry the rest of his team, and that won't get it done in the Champions League.
Hopefully eleven men, the return of van der Vaart, and a change of scenery can make a difference for Spurs in their next meeting with Inter. Either that or Bale may need to score four goals.

Spurs vs. Twente - Champions League Game 2

Rafael van der Vaart accomplished about as much as any player could in 60 minutes of action. His last 15 minutes were particularly eventful. He went from low, to lower, to high, to "I can't believe I just picked up my second yellow card this early in the second half."
Van der Vaart started the match on the right side of the midfield in place of the ineffective Aaron Lennon. While more accustomed to playing in the center of the field, the combination of van der Vaart and Bale on the wings proved to be incredibly effective, and at this point, gives Spurs the best chance to win. Both van der Vaart and Bale dominated the first half with their play.
While Spurs controlled almost 60 percent of the possession in the first half, they weren't able to create a scoring opportunity for the majority of the first 45 minutes.
It wasn't until the 40th minute when Peter Crouch was tackled to the ground by Peter Wisgerhof in the box. Fresh off a yellow card for delaying the penalty kick, Twente goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov made a brilliant diving save to deny van der Vaart.
The missed opportunity was a major blow for the home side that fought off an early game surge from Twente to take control of the first half, but still headed to the locker room with a scoreless draw.
Determined to make up for his miss, van der Vaart gave Spurs the lead less than two minutes into the second half.
Spurs would double their lead shortly after when Roman Pavlyuchenko put home a penalty kick given after Bale was tackled inside the box.
Normally a 2-0 lead seems comfortable, but that was far from the case in this match. Substitute Nacer Chadli cut the lead in half shortly after Pavyluchenko's goal after a surprising series of offensive surges from Twente. Minutes later, van der Vaart was sent off after picking up his second yellow.
With an extra man and down only a goal, it seemed like the momentum was starting to swing in the visitor's favor. But Spurs were able to hold it together. Faced with the disadvantage, they took care of the ball better and made crisper passes.
They were so crisp, they scored two shorthanded goals. Pavyluchenko scored his second penalty kick of the game, awarded for a controversial handball, and Bale made a fantastic run to put the game out of reach in the 85th minute.
Wednesday's match also marked the return of goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. His impact was felt immediately, as he made a brilliant one handed save while running forward. The save came early in the first half. Had he allowed a goal, it could have changed the dynamic of the match.
With the win, Tottenham joined Inter Milan atop Group A with four points each. They will face an uphill challenge when they meet Inter on the road without van der Vaart a month from now.
Regardless, starting group play with four points, Spurs have put themselves in an excellent position to advance to the knockout stages. 

We Did It! Spurs Advance To Champions League Group Play

After a less than stellar performance on the artificial turf of Stade de Suisse, Spurs came back with a vengeance to secure a 4-0 win at home. Despite the heavy rainfall and a goaltending switch after halftime, Tottenham continued to impressive through out.
Peter Crouch stole the show, scoring three goals, two off of set pieces. At the five minute mark, Crouch headed in a corner from Gareth Bale. The goal was Crouch's first of the season, and put his side at ease going forward.
Crouch scored again in the 61st minute, heading in another corner from Bale. Crouch calmly approached a penalty kick twenty minutes later and completed his hat trick by sticking the ball in the bottom left of the goal.
Striker Jermain Defoe postponed surgery to help his team advance to the group stage. He scored Spurs' second goal on a controversial non-hand ball call. Defoe received the pass off his arm, continued with the play while the defender complained, and scored with his left foot. Despite Young Boys' protests, none of the referees saw the hand ball and the goal was upheld.
Although overshadowed by Crouch's hat trick, Gareth Bale continued his excellent play. He recorded four assists in the game, and would have scored if he wasn't tackled inside the box. Bale was brought down by defender Senad Lulic, who was ejected from the game after his second yellow card.
Towards the end of the first half, Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes asked to be removed from the game after suffering a leg injury. Redknapp stuck with him through the first half before sending out Carlo Cudicini as his replacement.
Cudicini was only challenged once and made the save easily.
The announcer summed it up best when he said Spurs played with "Pride, Privilege, and Achievement." That's what I love about English announcers and England in general. Can you imagine a scenario where an American announcer would utter those three words in succession to describe a sporting event? Absolutely not. Only the English.
Spurs will find out which group they are drawn into tomorrow. I'll be anxiously awaiting, researching, and will come back tomorrow prepared to provide updates.

EPL Week 2 - Stoke vs. Spurs

Saturday's match up in Brittania Stadium had all the makings of a trap game for Spurs. An inferior opponent, sandwiched in between Championship League games seemed like it would be an easy match to look over. As it turns out, Spurs were lucky to escape with the victory.
Despite Gareth Bale's two goals, a controversial disallowed goal in the remaining minutes became the highlight of the match and will only further the argument that instant replay should be utilized in the EPL.
Stoke's Jon Walters secured a header from short range that appeared to have gone over the goal line after it bounced off a defender's chest back into the field of play. I didn't have the best picture quality, but it certainly looked like the entire ball crossed the goal line. The goal would have tied the game up for a Stoke side that played much better in the second half.
Bale struck first for Spurs on a somewhat lucky goal. Peter Crouch collected Bale's rebound and weakly headed the ball to the goalkeeper. When Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen tried to clear the header, it bounced off Bale's head and found its way into the goal.
However, Bale's second goal was anything but cheap. He perfectly struck a volley from Aaron Lennon into the upper right hand corner of the net. The goal was technically one of the best we'll see all year.
In between Bale's goals, Stoke struck off a set piece. Ricardo Fuller found the ball in front of the net off of a corner and easily scored in the 25th minute.
Set pieces were a problem for Spurs the entire game. Stoke had plenty of scoring opportunities off set pieces due in combination to an inconsistent back line of defense and poor goalkeeping decisions. Spurs' performance, especially in the second half, didn't bode well for the second leg of their match up against Young Boys on Wednesday. They need to get that together or will be eliminated early from the Champions League.
Jermain Defoe missed this week's game after pulling a groin muscle while playing on the artificial turf against Young Boys. Robbie Keane, Giovani dos Santos, and Roman Pavyluchenko also suffered injuries in that game and were left out of the lineup for Saturday's match.
To advance in the Champions League, Spurs need to defeat Young Boys by two goals or more on Wednesday. They will need their strikers to get healthy to have a chance at advancement, but don't expect manager Harry Redknapp to rush anyone back. He knows it is a long EPL season and is intent on contending for the title.

EPL Season Opener - Spurs vs. City

To describe my demeanor as 'excited' for the beginning of this morning's Spurs game would be an understatement. I don't think I can adequately describe how great it feels to have a team playing that can take my mind off the Cubs. Spurs and the start of the Bears season next month should improve my mood considerably. At least I hope.
Back to the excitement. It was the type of sports related excitement I will only experience once. This will mark the first EPL season I follow. There's nothing like following a new sport or a new league for the first time. Everything is new, everything is interesting.
Of course, the unfamiliarity contributes to what amounts to 'growing pains' for a fan. For instance, I don't know each team's roster, not even Tottenham's. I have an idea of who was good last year, but I assume there will be a shakeup based on off season acquisitions.
There's also the danger of assuming what you see in one or a few games applies to the league as a whole. I experienced one of these moments during today's game. I couldn't help but notice there was only two offsides calls the entire game. During the World Cup, I'd see four or five a half. I'd have to assume the lack of offsides calls can be chalked up to each team being more familiar with each other than World Cup rosters would be.
The game was also more wide open than most World Cup games I saw. This would make sense, each World Cup game has higher stakes than the EPL season opener. While both of these observations seem to be factual, only time will tell. It's all part of the learning experience.

Speaking of learning experience, I got my first look at two great players today. The first was Joe Hart. Supposedly he will be England's goalkeeper in 2014, and from what I saw today, I see no reason to dispute that. In fact, Hart earned the draw today single-handed. Even a slightly above average goalie would have allowed at leat two goals in the first half.
Hart reminds me of Tom Brady in a way. I want to hate him, but I can't because he's just that good. Watching Hart smile before the game and while making saves made me think of how Tom Brady smiled after winning his first Super Bowl. It's just the look of those guys that make you hate them. Unless of course either plays for the team you root for.
The second player I was impressed with was Gareth Bale. As a new Spurs fan I'm ashamed that I hadn't read up on him before. Bale was the best Spurs player today, dominating the left side of the field. It's such a huge advantage to play on that side and be left footed. Of course, his dependence on his left foot may have cost Spurs the win. Bale had the best chance of the game to score in the 86th minute with a wide open net off a rebound but couldn't find the net with his right foot.

The last player I'd like to discuss is Peter Crouch. I've made fun of him in the past, but I'd like to quote Alexi Lalas from the pregame show, "[Crouch] looks like a dork out there. But you got to love him. He just scores goals."
After watching him, I do love him. His size will be invaluable this season. In the 11th minute he headed a ball to Defoe, that against a human goalie would have set up a goal. Crouch can win any ball in the air because he's bigger than everyone he'll be going up against. The front line of Crouch and Defoe work well together and have a knack for finding the net. They combined for 36 goals last season.
Hopefully the first game of the season isn't a bad omen for Spurs. Even though they drew, it feels like a loss because of all the opportunities they wasted in the first half. When you haven't won the league in 50 years, these type of games happen.