This Summer's Football

I was off my rocker on Saturday. In between university revision, I needed some relief. It had already hit, the withdrawal symptoms are even worse in a non-major tournament summer. Thankfully I managed to find a stream of the Conference Play-Off Final on Saturday afternoon. It gave me the drug but this can not continue from Saturday to Saturday.

After Saturday's Champions League Final and the weekend's play-off finals, there appears not much more on offer.

Think again, I have searched the footballing calendar to provide a guide to survive this Summer.

June

First of all, early June sees the Euro 2012 qualifiers re-commence. England play Switzerland at Wembley on 4th June. No second game for England but there are the home nations. It's normally around this time Scotland pick up their regular win against some half-decent before being seen off with relatively ease come September by the eventual group winners. England is live on ITV, 4.45pm.

Day after the England game, the Gold Cup in the United States kicks off. 5th June to 25th June. North America's best face off in numerous dazzling stadia from the Cowboys Stadium to the new Meadowlands Stadium to finishing at the Rose Bowl. The football will go from the better than average to the boring. Most games shown at 11 p.m., 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Televised on Eurosport, game worth watching early on will be June 7th...United States v Canada.

A week into that tournament and something more closer to home, the Under 21 Euro's begin in Denmark. To be fair, this is normally worth watching as England young lads make the same mistakes as the senior crop. However, the previous two tournaments have been near-misses and provided they get through a group of death including Spain, Czech Republic and Ukraine (typically all three of these sides have won tournaments at age groups levels recently), there's an opportunity for success. Live on SKY. England play Spain on 12th June, Ukraine on the 15th and Czech Republic 19th. Normal televised times.

As that finishes, in comes another tournament for one of the English national teams. Women's World Cup staged in Germany with coverage on BBC throughout the tournament, they've been getting some good results of late and a favourable group draw gives them a good chance of progressing. It's sad to say; the football will go from the rather pathetic to the sublime (Brazil are shit hot). Games for England are 27th June Mexico (2pm), 1st July New Zealand (5.15 pm) & 5th July Japan (5.15 pm). Expect decent crowds too the Germans don't have the same *thing* about women's football like the UK.

July

Probably best of lot comes on the 1st July. Copa America, the World's third biggest tournament (could be argued otherwise). High scoring and entertaining, it normally ends in a Brazil v Argentina final (past two editions) but there's plenty worth watching elsewhere as proved by Chile and Uruguay's World Cup performances. The scouts across the world love it. Most games will be on at 11.15 pm and 1.45 am over here and it's also ESPN televised. I would pay attention to the group containing Uruguay, Chile, Peru and Mexico (that's right they are playing two international tournaments in one summer - so are Costa Rica). For stadium buffs, the final is held at River Plate's home, the Monumental and the opening game at the new stadium in La Plata.

24th July, that ends on. We've reached the safety of pre-season friendlies. However, there's more. Eurosport will have the Under 19 Euro Championships, held in Romania on. Now I watched this last year after the World Cup and it's more interesting than thrilling. It's noticeable the difference in footballing culture as last year England looked technically inept to the rest of their group but sheer persistence carried them onto the semi's where they were showed up by a Spain side containing Sergio Canales, Marc Bartra (goalscorer for Barca at the weekend) and Iker Muniain (Basque hero at Bilbao). England haven't qualified yet...well no-one has, the qualifiers start at the end of May and England typically have Spain in their group.

To fill in the final week before it begins again on 6th August, the Under-20 World Cup completes the Summer line-up. England have qualified and normally the Under-20's are used as a bit of a second string for the Under 21's. Difficult group containing Argentina and Mexico (under-20's is the final age group before seniors). Expect an early fall in Colombia but all of England's group games are positioned neatly before the Championship season kicks off (kick-off times of 2030, 0200 and 2300). Eurosport again covers it.

In addition, ESPN show the Russian League over the summer (2 live games a week). Premier Sports the Irish League and the four main competitions of South America are coming to conclusion in time for the Copa America.

No excuse for being bored really.