SB Nation Seattle: All Posts by Aaron Campeau

7,500 to Holte is looking for new contributors

2013-05-22T17:00:03Z

As we close the books on another season, we're taking stock of things here at the blog and the general consensus is that we could use a hand. A lot of stuff happens day-after-day, and we can't cover all of it; we're at a natural disadvantage over here on the west coast of the US, and we're looking for some folks to help us close that gap.

Our greatest need at the moment is for someone to work in a "newsdesk" capacity; there are two or three newsworthy things that break on a daily basis, and in order to give our community an opportunity to weigh in on the latest news, we need someone that can be on top of that breaking news and provide 150+ word updates of the latest Villa news. Have more analysis? Wonderful. We want to hear it, and you'll have the forum to broadcast it. But our primary concern is finding someone that can identify something newsworthy, craft a post that will appeal to our readership. and help us with our mission to become the go-to destination for Aston Villa news and opinion.

To get the awkward stuff out of the way: this is not, at the moment, a paid position. This is a hobby for everyone involved with the site, and it's going to be a hobby for anyone interested. But if writing about football (or sports in general) is your bag, and you like to get some real world experience, this might be the kind of experience that you're looking for. And even if you're looking to make this a hobby of your own, well, you'll be in good company.

So, if you're interested, send a message to 7500toHolte@gmail.com. As I've said, the newsdesk is our highest priority, but if you can provide some longer-form analysis or something else of value, we'd love to talk with you.

Wigan Athletic vs. Aston Villa: Open match thread

2013-05-19T14:08:13Z

Well, here we are. This is the final game of Aston Villa's 2012-13 season. It could have meant something, but we'e all pretty happy that it didn't (probably.) Villa could in theory finish as high as 10th, but more realistically anything above 15th would be swell. Baby steps, and all that.

If you must care about the narrative here, pay attention to how Villa fare without Christian Benteke--because there's an outside chance he's played his last game in a Villa shirt--and hope for a Villa finish as far up the table as possible. Prize money isn't everything, but it's often overlooked, and more of it is clearly better. The £5.3m gap between 10th and 17th would be enough to cover the combined transfer fees of Matt Lowton and Karim El Ahmadi, for example.

But also, hey, it's Villa! These guys are okay. We won't see them for three months. We should enjoy this last go-around.

UTV.

Lineups!

Wigan Starting XI: Al Habsi, Watson, Boyce, McCarthy, Espinoza, Golobart, Scharner, Maloney, McArthur, Gomez, Kone.

Wigan Bench: Robles, Henriquez, Mustoe, Redmond, Campabadal, Di Santo, Fyvie

Villa Starting XI: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar [c], Baker, Bennett, Westwood, Delph, Sylla, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Bent.

Villa Bench: Given, El Ahmadi, Dawkins, Gardner, Bowery, N'Zogbia, Herd.

(yeah, I'm too lazy to fill in first names today. y'all will live. --ks)

Aston Villa to play Wigan Athletic at the DW for some reason

2013-05-19T07:21:21Z

At half time of Wigan's game against Arsenal on Tuesday, it looked very much as though this game was going to be a vitally important one. The Latics were level with the Gunners, and they'd been the better side for much of the first 45 minutes; given the way this season had gone to that point, it was a perfectly reasonable reaction to assume that Wigan would prevail, and that Aston Villa would be playing for their lives in the final week. But then, the weight of the journey caught up to the Latics. They just weren't the same team come the second half, and Arsenal took every advantage. By the time it was said and done the Gunners had prevailed 4-1, and Wigan's Premier League membership was no more.

Erased along with Wigan's hopes of another season in the Premier League were any fears that Villa would be deprived of the same. We're not going down this season, folks, and if current tends hold that could be true for a number of years. So, why even care about this game? Well, the wonkish answer would be that there are millions of dollars worth of difference between 10th and 17th. The prideful take would be that every fan wants to see their team finish as high as possible. The realistic take would be that there isn't really any reason to care much about this result one way or the other, because it won't have much of a tangible impact on anything.

The only real reason to care about this game is that there won't be another one for three months. This is the last time this particular incarnation of Aston Villa will take the field, and though it isn't necessarily a chapter in the club's history particularly worth celebrating it is a chapter in the club's history. The 2012-13 season will be over by this time tomorrow, and we'll all get going on transfers and such, but there won't be another game until August. And that will be, to be completely honest, pretty nice for a week or two. But after that it will suck, and you'll miss watching Villa. So, whatever matchday rituals that you have, indulge in them. You wouldn't think that you could possibly miss this team. But you will. So have fun, just this once. We'll be back to freaking out in no time.

Premier League preview and fixtures, Week 38: A final day without much drama

2013-05-18T22:51:57Z

Chelsea vs. Everton

Stamford Bridge; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

This will be the final game with their respective clubs for each of these managers, and it's probably fair to say that the send-off Rafa Benitez receives will be a bit different than that of David Moyes last week. The (reasonable) worst case scenario for Chelsea would be a slide to 4th place, while Everton won't be moving off of 6th; there's more at stake than in a lot of other of this weekend's game, but not by much.

Pick: Chelsea, 2-1

Liverpool vs. Queens Park Rangers

Anfield; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Liverpool will be 7th, QPR will be playing next season in the Championship. In a weekend full of pointless games, this might be the most pointless of all.

Pick: Liverpool, 2-0

Manchester City vs. Norwich City

Etihad Stadium; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

City's got 2nd all sewn up, but Norwich is a part of that great mass of clubs in the middle that could finish anywhere between 10th and 17th. That's certainly less exciting than a final day relegation battle, but the difference in prize money between those two positions is £5.3m. Not bad a day's work.

Pick: Man City, 3-1

Newcastle vs. Arsenal

St. James' Park; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Look at that, it's a game with actual implications! Arsenal will keep their streak of Champions League qualifications alive with a win, but with Spurs just a point behind they're depending on Sunderland with any other result. Depending on Sunderland is a really bad position to be in.

Pick: Arsenal, 2-0

Southampton vs. Stoke City

St. Mary's Stadium; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Another "shuffling the deck" kind of game, with two solidly mid-table sides doing battle to see where exactly they end up. That's not the kind of thing neutrals are likely to care about, but there aren't many of those that don't like to see Stoke lose.

Pick: Draw, 1-1

Swansea City vs. Fulham

Liberty Stadium; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Fulham is another club in the "who knows" zone, but Swansea could potentially find themselves moving into 8th. Wow! Exciting stuff, there.

Pick: Swansea, 2-1

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sunderland

White Hart Lane; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

And there's the other game that matters. Unless they can manage to erase a 15 goal deficit between themselves and Arsenal, Spurs must win to qualify for the Champions League. They also must depend on Newcastle to get a result against the Gunners, and depending on Newcastle is a really bad position to be in.

Pick: Spurs, 2-0

West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester United

The Hawthorns; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Sir Alex Ferguson got his Old Trafford send-off last weekend, but this is actually the end. This is honest-to-god the last time Sir Alex will be on the sideline as the manager of Manchester United. There are a lot of ways to feel about that, and the majority of them are completely reasonable, but I think that pretty much everyone can agree that it's really, really weird.

Pick: United, 2-0

West Ham United vs. Reading

Upton Park; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Reading was picked by many to go right back down before the start of the season, and though they did mount a bit of a charge at the start of the new year, those predictions have looked pretty solid all season long. And yet, they're still more entertaining than anything involving Sam Allardyce.

Pick: Draw, 1-1

Wigan Athletic vs. Aston Villa

DW Stadium; 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Until the start of the second half on Tuesday, it looked like this game could provide some of the final day drama that so many love. Wigan was level with Arsenal at the break, and a pretty convincing case could be made that they'd been the better side. And then the Latics hit the wall, the Gunners poured it on, and Wigan's unlikely run in the Premier League came to its end. If Roberto Martinez finally moves on--which seems all but a given at this point--it really will be the end of an era. Winning an FA Cup isn't too bad of a way to go out.

Pick: Draw, 2-2

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Aston Villa vs. Chelsea, open match thread

2013-05-11T11:30:06Z

Two games left, everyone! And unless Villa manage to win this game, we aren't going to know for sure whether or not Villa is safe until Tuesday at the very earliest. Me? Well, obviously I'm rooting for a Villa win. But if that doesn't go down, I'm hoping for a Wigan victory in the FA Cup later today. After extra time. In a very wide-open game. With lots of running. Lots and lots of running. I want Wigan to be tired before they play Arsenal on Tuesday, is the point that I'm trying to make.

This is the only Premier League game of the day thanks to the FA Cup final, which explains why this post is going up at 4:30 AM in the damned morning. There's some pretty important stuff going on tomorrow though, with Southampton facing Sunderland, Norwich taking on West Brom and Newcastle traveling to QPR. I'm not going to do a breakdown of what those games mean, though. I decided that the second Gabby's second goal hit the back of the net last week. The big one is on Tuesday with Wigan heading to the Emirates to face Arsenal, but I'm going to hold off on talking about that one because I'm hoping Villa can win this game and allow me to root openly for Wigan.

By the way, jokes on you suckers. I'm still in my cozy, cozy bed. Thank god for DVRs. I'd say they're the best thing since sliced bread, but I've never had to wake up at 4:45 AM to slice some damned bread, so clearly they're far better. Hope you're enjoying watching your grandparents jogging past your front windows in their JC Penney sweatsuits.

Aston Villa look to secure safety - and revenge - in match against Chelsea

2013-05-11T05:00:04Z

With Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over Norwich City last Saturday, they moved into that rather uncomfortable zone of "probably safe but not mathematically safe and still close enough to feel a sense of dread." That's certainly an improvement over where they were a month or two back, when relegation was a very real possibility, but it's still not as good as "not in danger of relegation." Saturday, Villa have their first chance to move into that zone. Unfortunately, getting there involves beating Chelsea.

It's arguable, but there's a case to be made that Villa never would have fallen so close to the edge of the cliff if not for their last meeting with the reigning Champions of Europe. Things were looking as though they'd turned a corner until Villa's trip to Stamford Bridge, and the hangover from that 8-0 humiliation turned into two more heavy losses and eventually an eight game winless streak. Runs like that happen to teams without suffering thrashings such as the one the Blues put on Villa, but it's fair to assume that the result did have a significant impact on the team's psyche. The confidence that Villa's shown over the past few months was also evident in the weeks leading up to their trip to the Bridge (and arguably contributed to the game getting so completely away from them) and it was then gone for the better part of two months.

Were there other factors at play? Certainly. That miserable run of games began to feed off of itself, and it took some significant changes and ground-out results to get things back on track. But it's what set the stage, at the very least. It almost cost Villa their Premier League status--it still could to be fair, though the odds are certainly against it at this point--and it was a tremendously unpleasant fall back to Earth after such a promising result at Anfield just one week prior. But it was also a learning experience. Pundits love to talk about the importance of character when insinuating that Paul Lambert's plans for Villa are naive, and if becoming the butt of jokes for the better part of a month thanks to being on the receiving end of that manner of clock-cleaning doesn't build character, there's probably not much in this game that will.

And there are some signs that it did just that. Villa's lost since that run of misery ended, but only once have they lost by more than one goal. That game--a 3-0 loss to Manchester United--looked very much like it could spiral out of control and knock the wind out of Villa's sails once again, but it didn't. A team that looked hopeless and confused against Chelsea when things got ugly instead seemed to recognize what was happening, and they did what they needed to do in order to stop it. It wasn't pretty, but it was tolerable, and the next week out Villa destroyed Sunderland 6-1. That's not to say that all of this is perfectly linked in a cause-and-effect relationship, but there's something to it. This team's grown up, and as they've grown up they've gotten better. Better at playing the game, but also better at dealing with adversity when things go wrong. And that's important.

None of that's to say that Villa are going to be likely winners in this game. In fact, nothing in the four paragraphs above has much to do with anything that's going to happen in this game. Chelsea is a much, much more talented team, and though it's not out of the realm of possibility that Villa can pull out a win, it's certainly not especially likely. What's important is, that's okay. It's okay because Villa's gotten better, and done (mostly--I'm still not quite ready to tempt fate) what's necessary to stay in the league. And at this point, that's really the only important thing. Next season will be different. The expectations will be rightfully higher, and merely surviving won't be enough. But given the enormity of the task facing the club at the start of the season, staying in the league this time around is plenty.

I'm talking about this now, because one way or another that loss at Stamford Bridge was going to be a defining moment of Villa's season. If the slide had continued and Villa had fallen into oblivion, it would be the moment everything fell apart. If Villa manage to stay up, it's going to be the adversity that they had to overcome in order to prove themselves. I like to make fun of sports narratives, so it's probably hypocritical of me to push this one. But as tired as they may become, there's often some level of truth to them, and this is one that I think is pretty legitimate. And it would be pretty fantastic to finish off said narrative with a win.

The way I look at it, Chelsea put a pretty enormous damper on a few months of my life. I don't really have much of a problem with Villa doing the same to their entire season.

Premier League week 37, preview and fixtures: Wigan and Spurs look to stay in the hunt for another week

2013-05-11T01:03:43Z

Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
Villa Park; Saturday, 12:45 GMT/7:45 AM ET

Chelsea’s mid-week draw with Tottenham was a disappointment for both sides involved in this contest. Chelsea would have all but secured a Champions League place with a win, and though they’re still in a favorable position to finish in the top four there’s enough doubt left that they’re likely to approach this game as a must-win. That’s bad news for Villa, who are achingly close to safety but still not out of the woods entirely. Paul Lambert’s side has shown drastic improvement in recent weeks, but a thrashing the likes of which they suffered at the hands of Chelsea back in December could put them right back into the muck.

Pick: Chelsea, 3-1

Stoke City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Britannia Stadium; Sunday, 13:30 GMT/8:30 AM ET

Spurs is another side that won’t be entirely pleased with Wednesday night’s result, and they now find themselves in a position where there’s little hope for a top four finish without consecutive wins to close out the season. With Stoke and Sunderland the remaining competition that’s an achievable task, but they’ll need help from Chelsea and/or Arsenal’s less than imposing opposition as well.

Pick: Spurs, 2-0

Everton vs. West Ham United
Goodison Park; Sunday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

David Moyes’ final game at Goodison Park--at least as Everton manager--should be quite the emotional experience. Though it’s certain that some will hold his decision to join United against him, but one would imagine that the majority of the Toffees faithful will give him quite a sendoff. Both team’s seasons are functionally done, with Everton still in the Europa League mix but unlikely to do anything that directly harms or improves their chances, but there’s little doubt Moyers would like to go out with a bang. There’s similarly little doubt that Sam Allardyce would like to prevent that, because Sam Allardyce is a thief of joy.

Pick: Everton, 3-1

Fulham vs. Liverpool
Craven Cottage; Sunday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

Fulham: still technically within reach of the bottom three. Liverpool: still technically in reach of a Europa League place. Should you care: probably not.

Pick: Liverpool, 2-1

Norwich City vs. West Bromwich Albion
Carrow Road; Sunday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

Now, this is where things start to get interesting with regards to the bottom three. As of now, Wigan is the favorite to go down. The Latics’ game-in-hand turned out to be a loss, meaning that they’re three points back with everyone in the league having played 36. Of the teams on 38 points, Norwich is barely better off than Newcastle in terms of goal difference, so they can’t afford to come out of this game without a point. Wigan’s still got a hill to climb, but it isn’t as if they’ve not managed such things in the past; the Canaries are still vulnerable, and this isn’t really the time to leave things to chance.

Pick: Draw, 1-1

Queens Park Rangers vs. Newcastle
Loftus Road; Sunday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

Newcastle is in a similar boat to Norwich; safe for now, but still well within Wigan’s reach and in slightly worse shape in terms of goal difference. QPR is of course a more welcome opponent than West Brom, but Newcastle can’t seem to stop tripping over their own feet at the moment. A point wouldn’t in and of itself assure safety here, but it would come pretty close, and though that’s not the way Newcastle tends to try to go about things a more pragmatic may very well be called for.

Pick: Newcastle, 1-0

Sunderland vs. Southampton
Stadium of Light; Sunday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

In terms of games involving teams not in the relegation zone that are still within reach of it, this might be the most important. Sunderland is in the best shape of teams on 38 points, with a relatively decent -12 goal difference. Southampton is on 39 with a 12 goal edge over Wigan, meaning it would take two Latics wins at the very least to bring them down. Still, with so much at stake, no team will feel entirely comfortable until the drop is a mathematical impossibility. Either side will likely take a point from this one, and with that being the case such an outcome seems likely.

Pick: Draw, 1-1

Manchester United vs. Swansea City
Old Trafford; Sunday, 16:00 GMT/11:00 AM ET

Man, talk about your boring, meaningless games. United’s had the title sewn up for weeks, Swansea’s comfortably mid-table; there’s just not one single thing that’s interesting about this game. If only there was some external factor that made this the least bit important, it might be worth paying attention to. As it is, I’d be amazed if anyone even shows up.

Pick: United, 3-0

Arsenal vs. Wigan Athletic
Emirates Stadium; Tuesday, 19:45 GMT/2:45 PM ET

Well, it’s looking increasingly likely that this is the end of the road for Wigan’s somewhat unbelievable uninterrupted run in the Premier League. They’ll need at least three points from these final two games, and it’s more likely that four will be the minimum necessary for survival. A loss to Arsenal-especially a lopsided one-would all but doom them to the drop. That’s likely just fine for the majority of the league’s fans, but for that small subsection of us that have a strange affection for the Latics, it’s bittersweet. A shock FA Cup win on Saturday would send Wigan out on a high note, but there’s little doubt that the Latics would prefer a trophy and another year of Premier League football. If they’re going to manage that, they’re probably going to need to ruin Arsenal’s day.

Pick: Arsenal, 3-1

Reading vs. Manchester City
Madejski Stadium; Tuesday, 20:00 GMT/3:00 PM ET

Sorry guys, but nobody cares.

Pick: City, 3-0

Congratulations to Aston Villa Ladies on their FA Women’s Premier League Cup win

2013-05-06T19:37:32Z

We don't talk about Aston Villa Ladies very much, which isn't by design; I'm a fan of football, not men's football or Premier League football or MLS. Football, period. And if a team is wearing the Villa crest, I support them. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to follow women's football in the UK from Seattle, and that in turn makes it quite difficult to give the Villa Ladies as much coverage as I'd like. But I'd be remiss if I didn't offer sincere congratulations to Aston Villa L.F.C. on a dramatic FA Women's Premier League Cup victory over Leeds United L.F.C. on Sunday.

The game finished both regulation and extra time in a scoreless draw, but Villa keeper and England U19 international Megan Walsh stopped Clare Sykes' attempt before Carly Davies converted to give the claret and blue a 5-4 shootout win. It's the team's first trophy since its affiliation with Aston Villa was formalized in 1996. Here's to many more to come.

There are a few pretty excellent photo galleries over the the official site which you should check out. Congratulations, all. It's very nice to see a team in claret and blue lift a trophy.