Thousands of music-curious souls gathered in Indio, Calif., for Coachella at the weekend, where many songs were shared and loved and sung together, and they'll repeat it this weekend. We as people love to convene to sing the same song; it's part of our DNA.

The same happened at the brand-new Minnesota United home in Midway, where a sold-out crowd were thrilled by a 3-3 draw with New York City FC. There are still a few tickets left for United's two next home games: versus the L.A. Galaxy, coming next Wednesday, and versus D.C. United with Wayne Rooney on Sunday. Scarves up, indeed!

Last Sunday, across the Atlantic at Anfield — the home of Liverpool FC, the team I support in the English Premier League — it was a massive game against arch-rivals Chelsea. The match happened the day before the 30th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, which took 96 supporters' lives, and during the best season Liverpool have had for nearly 30 years.

Liverpool's supporters are famous for singing "You'll Never Walk Alone," and on Sunday morning I sat here in Minneapolis with tears streaming down my cheeks listening to the spine-tingling version that those 70,000 people produced for the millions it was being shared with across the globe. When the final whistle blew, Liverpool won 2-0, climbing to the top of the league table. Makes me proud to support the team who are making it the most epic battle for the Premier League championship in many years with reigning champions Manchester City.

Meanwhile, I feel vindicated by the rise of my old fave team, Manchester United, since they've installed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager; everyone says he reinstalled the soul to the club, and the team responded amazingly. But it must be hard for their supporters to watch their two most hated adversaries battle it out at the top, while they struggle to keep in the Top 4. It's been a brilliant season!

My fantasy season, however, has been a shambles! But a big thank you goes out to the 149 others who've made it a very interesting season. We'd love to hear your stories about highs and lows and little bits of know-how, like this:

Mark,
While this may be lost in the volume of participants, I do need to point out that I joined your Fantasy Football league on the second day of the season, which meant I did not score any points for week one. At the end of week 2, I was somewhere around 135th out of 140.
Well, I've worked hard, paid attention and have now achieved my goal. I have risen into the Top 50 and my team "Minnesota Wolves" now appears on the first page of the standings in 49th place overall out of now 159 entrants. So, I doubt there's any way to track it, but I have to be the biggest mover in the standings this season. Thanks for hosting the league,
Jeff

Thanks to Jeff for expressing his passion for the game, and gaining a good points score this week through his "support" of outstanding Liverpool players Mane, Van Dijk and Robertson! He's still only six points behind that 50th place! Can you outdo his amazing run?

My lowly 87th position is balanced by the joy of seeing my oldest footie-loving mate, Gary from St. Paul, who I introduced to fantasy three years ago, rise to the very top of our illustrious league last week. As I chastise myself for several terrible decisions throughout the season, constantly switching things up and making transfers, Gary has discovered that we might all benefit from sticking to it…

So, what would have happened had I set my Fantasy Premier League team the first week and left it alone? No transfers, no captain changes, no team changes? No waffling back and forth early Saturday mornings about whether to go seemingly safe with Salah or punt precariously with Pereira?
Thanks to a little online app that will calculate that, I now know. Instead of being first or second among 150+ players, I'd be in about 7th or 8th. A difference of about 80 points of nearly 2000. It's a sobering thought and quite the broadside to my strategist self-esteem. As if my triple-reliance on the spectacularly failing Brighton and worthless captaincy of Glenn Murray this past game-week wasn't enough to do that.
The season's been so unswervingly maddening that I'm surprised to be anywhere near my immediate table-topping challengers who presumably know what they're doing. But that said, I'll take it and I'm ready for the run-in. Up the Narthex! Good luck to all. And while we're at it, let's get my Sunderland promoted and end this League One business. Ha'way the Lads!

Yes, enjoy the rest of the season, in which Champions League games this week, with an amazing win for Ajax at Juventus and Spurs' thrilling win at Man City, making it hard to remember a better one. Makes even me want to sing, all together now…

"When you walk … through the storm…!"

External Links

Minnesota United FC - official site

MLS - official site

Liverpool FC - official site

Premier League - official site

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