Sep 5, 2013; San Jose, COSTA RICA; General view of Nike soccer balls at United States training session at Estadio Nacional in advance of the FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Suffering from a UEFA Champions League hangover? There is the UEFA Europa League today to fill that soccer void your feeling today. For those unfamiliar with the UEFA Europa League, it’s set up is similar to Champions League. There is group play before the knock out phase.
The best way for an American to understand the two tournaments is to compare it to men’s college basketball. Think of the Europa League as the NIT tournament and the Champions League as the NCAA National Championship Tournament. At one point, loses from the Champions League shift over to the Europa League tournament.
There are still notable teams and games worth watching in the tournament. Wigan Athletic, Swansea City, and Tottenham Spurs are all clubs you’ll recognize from the English Premier Leage. Wigan Athletic was relegated from the league this summer, but they won the FA Cup.
