The FA Cup

Courtesy of the New York Reds 

I have slowly come to realize that I only love March because I love Football. The Barclay's Premier League slowly starts to heat up. The League Cup Final is held, which you may remember is between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea F.C. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, The number of clubs playing in the FA Cup start to really shrink. They say that March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb, but in the Football calender it stays lion all the way till May.

The FA Cup (Or the Football Association Cup is you want to sound like a know-it-all) is an annual competition similar to the League Cup. It is the oldest known Football tournament in the world with it's first winner, Wanderer's F.C., taking the trophy in 1872. What makes the FA Cup different from the League Cup are two main components: Which clubs can play and what clubs are playing for. First, entry is granted to all 20 clubs of the Barclay's Premier League, all clubs in the Football League (which contains the Championship, Football League One, and Football League Two) and lastly Steps 1-5 of the National League System. In simple terms you have hundreds of Football Clubs competing; in the 2013-2014 FA Cup 737 clubs participated. This all kicks off in August, with Premier League teams entering the competition in the Third Round Proper which is normally in January.

The Winner of the FA Cup not only gets a shining new trophy to show off, but they also get the right to play in the Community Shield match and the UEFA Europa League. The Community Shield is an annual match played in August between the winner of the Barclay's Premier League and the winner of the FA Cup. The Europa League, on the other hand, consists of Clubs from all over Europe. Clubs can enter based on finishing position in their respective league or by National or League Cup victories, such as the FA Cup. Right now the Europa League is starting to heat up as well so expect so more information on that in the upcoming weeks. Which brings up a large point—England isn't the only country with an Association Cup or League Cup. They go by different names in different countries, there is the DBF Pokal in Germany, the Copa Del Ray in Spain, and the Coppa Italia in Italy. Watching these competitions is a great way to get to know clubs from all over a particular country.

While it may seem like the larger club will always win, you can always expect a few upsets when watching the FA Cup. The weekend of March 8^th and 9^th will have the Quarter Finals of the 2014-2015 FA Cup. The big match everyone is looking forward to is Manchester United against Arsenal FC. Both teams have one 11 FA Cups, they are tied for having the most in its history. Arsenal are the current holders and are looking to keep hold of the trophy another year, while Manchester United have their way with Arsenal the past few seasons. Inside the Smithfield Hall on West 25^th street between 6^th and 7^th Avenues is where you will find the New York Reds. They were in full voice for their come from behind win over Preston North End, which earned them a spot in the Quarter Final. Now they turn their attention towards Arsenal in what should be a classic FA Cup match.

The League Cup Final, the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup, and every fixture in the Premier League. March is certainly all lion. Can it get better than this?