There are less fashionable English soccer teams than Barnsley, but not many. Barnsley was fashionable briefly in 1997, when the Tykes (as the club is called) managed to gain promotion to England's top league for the first time in their roughly 100-year history. That year, Barnsley fans saluted their team by singing "It's Just Like Watching Brazil." Unfortunately, the club was promptly relegated after only one year in the Premier League. That summer, following Brazil’s 3-0 loss to France in the World Cup final, one wag wrote, “it was just like watching Barnsley.”

Before long, Barnsley had slid to its normal level, the third tier of English football. However, they gained promotion in 2006 and currently, under manager Simon Davey, a life-long Everton fan fan and disciple of Everton’s David Moyes, they are entrenched in the middle of the table of England’s second tier league.

As such, Barnsley journeyed to Merseyside Saturday afternoon 29 places below their FA Cup opponent, Liverpool, in the English soccer pecking order. Yet Barnsley managed a stunning 2-1 victory. Liverpool out shot Barnsley 30 (20 on goal) to 11 (7 on goal). But goalkeeper Luke Steele, who was only just loaned to Barnsley on Thursday, held Liverpool at bay and captain Brian Howard won it for the Tykes at the death

Liverpool’s exit from the FA Cup actually hurts Everton. The fewer competitions Liverpool is involved with, the more they can concentrate on league play, and their battle with us for a spot in next year’s Champions League competition. Nonetheless, Evertonians everywhere had to enjoy Barnsley’s victory.

Meanwhile, first place Arsenal must have felt like they really were playing Brazil today in their FA Cup encounter with second place Manchester United. Led by Wayne Rooney and reserve midfielder Darren Fletcher, Man U took the Gunners apart with a dazzling display of attacking football. The final score was 4-0.

What about Everton? We had the day off. Oldham Athletic, a team that’s worse than Barnsley and arguably as unfashionable, eliminated us from the FA Cup a month ago in Liverpool.

Posted by Paul at 12:20 AM  |    |