Plenty of Nothing

Full Moon Over Kanazawa

Full Moon Over Kanazawa by Hiroshige. Source.

Carlingwood Library Modernism

Source.

Nova Scotia Clippers, 1991

The Nova Scotia Clippers were members of the old Canadian Soccer League for one season, 1991. Their home ground was Beazley Park in Dartmouth. Source.

HFX Wanderers host York 9 FC. The Wanderers are looking for their second league win of the season, and York 9 are looking for their first.

York 9 have the only former Greenock Morton player in the league, Luca Gasparotto.

The 9 in York 9 refers to the nine municipalities that make up York Region. They are: the Town of Aurora, the Town of East Gwillimbury, the Town of Georgina, the Township of King, the City of Markham, the Town of Newmarket, the Town of Richmond Hill, the City of Vaughan, and the Town of Whitechurch-Stouffville. The name is totally copied off Tokyo 23 FC of the Kanto Soccer League.

They play their home games at York Lions Stadium at York University, in Toronto. They plan to build a stadium in York Region at some point. Their green and white kit is apparently lifted from the Franco-Ontarien flag.

[HFX Wanderers 1 - 1 York 9. Wanderers goal by Schaale.]

Also today: Forge [2 - 0] Edmonton

Gripes: I've complained already about the CPL's 28-game schedule, the apertura/clausura system, and the three-team CONCACAF League qualification. Now how about these quibbles:

It looks very likely that Cavalry FC will win the Apertura. If they do they should be the ones to go to the CONCACAF League, not Edmonton, Valour or Forge.

What happens if the same club gets into the CONCACAF League and then wins the Voyageurs Cup? Who gets the second spot? Does it even go to a Canadian team?

The format of the championship in October between the Apertura and Clausura winners hasn't been announced. Is it one game, is it two, or best of seven, or what?

Fun fact: Despite having a perfect record Cavalry FC have the worst average attendance. Source.

What are the mascots of the Canadian Premier League?

HFX Wanderers: Rover, a Nova Scotia Duck Toller

York 9 FC: Yorky, an android from the future

Forge FC: Sparx, a dragon

Valour FC: Vic, a lion

Cavalry FC: Sarge, a horse

FC Edmonton: Kicks, a soccer ball

Pacific FC: Stewie the Starfish

I'm torn between Sparx and Stewie.

What are the airport codes of the CPL cities?

YHZ    Halifax

YYZ    Toronto

YHM    Hamilton

YWG    Winnipeg

YYC    Calgary

YEG    Edmonton (Edmontonians actually call their city YEG.)

YYJ    Victoria

FC Edmonton in the Canadian Championship:

2011/4/27      SF      Edmonton 0 - 3 Toronto

2011/5/4        SF      Toronto 1 - 0 Edmonton

2012/5/2        SF      Edmonton 0 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps

2012/5/9        SF      Vancouver Whitecaps 3 - 1 Edmonton

2013/4/24      SF      Edmonton 2 - 3 Vancouver Whitecaps

2013/5/1        SF      Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 0 Edmonton

2014/4/23      PR      Ottawa Fury 0 - 0 Edmonton

2014/4/30      PR      Edmonton 3 - 1 Ottawa Fury

2014/5/7        SF      Edmonton 2 - 1 Montreal Impact

2014/5/14      SF      Montreal Impact 4 - 2 Edmonton

2015/4/22      PR      Ottawa Fury 1 - 3 Edmonton

2015/4/29      PR      Edmonton 3 - 1 Ottawa Fury

2015/5/13      SF      Vancouver Whitecaps 1 - 1 Edmonton

2015/5/20      SF      Edmonton 1 - 2 Vancouver Whitecaps

2016/5/11      PR      Edmonton 0 - 3 Ottawa Fury

2016/5/18      PR      Ottawa Fury 0 - 2 Edmonton

2017/5/3        PR      Ottawa Fury 1 - 0 Edmonton

2017/5/10      PR      Edmonton 2 - 3 Ottawa Fury

Mortonalia: Chris Millar and Bob McHugh have signed on for another year. The dugouts at Cappielow are getting modernised. Morton's opponents in the League Cup group stage will be Motherwell, Queen of the South, Annan Athletic and Dumbarton.

It's the Europa League final in Baku: Chelsea [4 - 1] Arsenal.

Jolly Tar was not selected to be HFX Wanderers mascot. Source.

Androides, c. 1800

This is a handbill for an exhibition of automatons put on in London about the year 1800. Go here for a voomable version.

Ichinohe Sod House

When Ichinohe, Iwate broke ground for an industrial park in 1989 they discovered a prehistoric Jōmon settlement site. Read an archaeological report on the houses those people built.

99th Emperor's Cup, Round One

The first Emperor's Cup was staged in Hibiya Park in downtown Tokyo in 1921. This map shows the park's layout in 1907. Source.

Matches No. 2, 3, 5, 7, 12, 16, 18, 22 and 23 were played yesterday.

Match No. 1: Blaublitz Akita (J3) [0 - 3] Meiji University

Match No. 2: Honda Lock (JFL) 5 - 1 FC Tokushima

Match No. 3: Tochigi City (Kanto 1) 0 - 2 Vanraure Hachinohe (J3)

Match No. 4: Nagano Parceiro (J3) [1 - 0] Niigata University of Health and Welfare

Match No. 5: Matsue City (JFL) 2 - 2 Kamatamare Sanuki (J3) (Sanuki win on PK.)

Match No . 6: Briobecca Urayasu (Kanto 1) [0 - 1] Hosei University

Hosei University are here as 67th All Japan university football champions. They're from Machida City in Tokyo.

Match No. 7: Fukui United (Hokushinetsu) 2 - 4 Honda FC (JFL)

Match No. 8: Veertien Mie (JFL) [3 - 2] Kwansei Gakuin University

Match No. 9: MD Nagasaki [0 - 1] Kochi United (Shikoku)

Match No. 10: Hokkaido University of Education Iwamizawa [0 - 2] Ryutsu Keizai University (Kanto 1)

Match No. 11: Nara Club (JFL) [1 - 2] Ritsumeikan University

Match No. 12: Iwaki FC (Tohoku 1) 2 - 3 Sendai University

Match No. 13: Matsuyama University [0 - 2] Okinawa SV (Kyushu)

Match No. 14: SRC Hiroshima (Chigoku) [1 - 2] Kanoya Sports University

Match No. 15: Gainare Tottori (J3) [2 - 2] Pacific Rim University [Gainare win on PK.]

Match No. 16: Arterivo Wakayama (Kansai) 3 - 0 Saga Lixil (Kyushu)

What is Lixil? Saga Lixil started out in 1991 as Kyushu Inax, the company team for a ceramic toilet manufacturer. In 2011 the company changed its name to Lixil.

Match No. 17: Giravanz Kitakyushu (J3) [6 - 0] Tokuyama University

Match No. 18: Thespakusatsu Gunma (J3) 1 - 0 Tokyo International University

Match No. 19: Gifu Kyoritsu University [2 - 4] Hokuriku University

Match No. 20: Roasso Kumamoto (J3) [2 - 0] Verspah Oita (JFL)

Match No. 21: Iwate Grulla Morioka (J3) [1 - 0] Yamanashi Gakuin University Pegasus

Match No. 22: Toin University of Yokohama 8 - 0 Yamagata University School of Medicine

Match No. 23: MIO Biwako Shiga (JFL) 0 - 2 FC Osaka (JFL)

Match No. 24: Kataller Toyama (J3) [2 - 0] FC Kariya (Tokai)

Eighteen out of forty-eight entrants are university teams.

Is there a difference between gakuin and gakuen? Yes. Gakuin translates as academy, and gakuen translates as campus.

Nara Club in the Emperor's Cup:

89回    R1    Nara Club 1 - 0 Sauros Fukui

            R2    Nara Club 0 - 3 Albirex Niigata

90回    R1    SP Kyoto 3 - 1 Nara Club

91回    R1    Nara Club 1 - 3 Sanyo Electric Sumoto SC

92回    R1    Nara Club 2 - 1 Amitie SC

            R2    Cerezo Osaka 4 - 0 Nara Club

93回    R1    Nara Club 3 - 2 Kwansei Gakuin University

            R2    Vissel Kobe 3 - 1 Nara Club

94回    R1    Nara Club 3 - 1 Fukushima United

            R2    Vegalta Sendai 1 - 2 Nara Club

            R3    Júbilo Iwata 5 - 0 Nara Club

95回    R1    Nara Club 0 - 0 Fujieda MYFC (MYFC won on PK.)

96回    R1    Nara Club 2 - 0 Kyoto Sangyo University

            R2    Kashiwa Reysol 5 - 2 Nara Club

97回    R1    Nara Club 0 - 1 Vanraure Hachinohe

98回    R1    Nara Club 2 - 0 Kanazawa Seiryo University

            R2    Nagoya Grampus 1 - 1 Nara Club (Grampus won on PK.)

2018-19 Scottish Cup Final

It cost 2/6 to get into Hampden Park the last time Celtic and Hearts met in the Scottish Cup final. Source.

It's Celtic versus Hearts in the Scottish Cup final. An adult ticket into the East Stand is £30.

Celtic are shooting for their third consecutive Scottish treble. Hearts are after their second Scottish Cup of the decade. Celtic got here by beating Airdrieonians, St Johnstone, Hibs and Aberdeen. Hearts got here by beating Livingston, Auchinleck Talbot, Partick Thistle and Inverness CT. The last time Hearts got past Auchinleck Talbot they went on to win the Cup.

In league play this year Celtic took three wins (including one just last weekend) to one for Hearts (which happened last August). Celtic also knocked Hearts out of the League Cup.

If Celtic win, the four Scottish Clubs in 2019-20 UEFA competition will be Celtic, Rangers, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen. If Hearts win they will be Celtic, Hearts, Rangers and Killie.

Celtic vs Hearts in the Scottish Cup final:

1956/4/21        Hearts 3 - 1 Celtic

1907/4/20        Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts

1901/4/6          Hearts 4 - 3 Celtic

This is the eighteenth meeting of a Glasgow club and an Edinburgh club in the Scottish Cup final. Sorted by frequency:

6 times    Celtic/Hibs

4 times    Rangers/Hearts

4 times    Celtic/Hearts

twice        Rangers/Hibs

once        Third Lanark/Hearts

once        Clyde/Hibs

This is the tenth year in a row that Rangers have not won the Scottish Cup.

[Celtic win 2 - 1.]

Kilmarnock's presence in the 2019-20 Europa Cup has an impact on Morton's 2019-20 League Cup group stage (assuming the League Cup is still organized the way it has been in recent years). Without Killie in the group stage, Morton's Pot 1 opponent ought to be one of St Mirren, Motherwell, Hamilton and Livingston.

Premiership playoffs:

Dundee United 0 - 0 St Mirren (May 23)

St Mirren [1 - 1] Dundee United (tomorrow)

If St Mirren prevail the Championship next year will include the Renfrewshire derby. But if Dundee United win it'll be the Dundee derby, which has not been played in tier II since 1995-96.

Which club is better box office at Cappielow?

Dundee United:

2019/5/4      2244

2018/12/8    1916

2018/3/31    2319

2017/12/9    2021

St Mirren:

2018/1/2      4126

2017/8/12    4661

2017/4/11    4609

2016/11/1    3378

Let's hope the Tangerines win.

[Penalty kicks: St Mirren win!]

Tomorrow is the final of the Scottish Amateur Cup: Colville Park [2 - 0] Eastfield. Winner goes into the first preliminary round of the Scottish Cup.

2018-19 Scottish Championship clubs sorted by streakiness (longest run of wins + longest run of draws + longest run of losses, counting league, cup and playoff games):

    Partick Thistle   5W + 2D + 7L = 14

    Inverness CT    4W + 7D + 2L = 13

    Dunfermline      5W + 2D + 5L = 12

    QoS                  3W + 2D + 7L = 12

    Ayr United         5W + 3D + 3L = 11

    Alloa                  4W + 2D + 5L = 11

    Ross County     5W + 2D + 2L =   9

    Dundee Utd      4W + 2D + 3L =   9

    Falkirk               2W + 2D + 5L =   9

    Morton              3W + 2D + 2L =   7

Morton were least streaky.

Mortonalia: None of these players will be back next year: Derek Gaston, Lee Kilday, Charlie Telfer, Denny Johnstone, Gary Oliver, Ben Armour. Loan players Robby McCrorie, Kerr Waddell, Andrew Dallas, Greg Kiltie and Keelan O'Connell have returned to their clubs.

Tidser, Strapp, McHugh and Robert Thomson have been offered contracts. But Thomson, who hasn't played much in the last year, is getting out of fulltime football.

Thursday Morton signed midfielder Kyle Jacobs, formerly of Livingston, Kilmarnock and QoS.

Next year's away strip will be yellow and blue.

2019-20 season tickets are on sale. There really is no such thing as the close season anymore.

Read about The Foot-Ball Club, founded 1824.

SWFL2 W/SW: Morton Women [5 - 0] Stranraer Ladies (tomorrow)

West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [4 - 2] Troon

This concludes the West Region Premiership season. Thistle finish 7th out of 16. But they're back next week for the Scottish Junior Cup final.

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [2 - 2] Hvidovre

Fredericia will finish somewhere in the mid-table pack. [Sixth.] So ends the 2018-19 Danish 1st Division schedule.

What did we learn about Danish football?

1) The Danish league's winter break is so long that it's really a fall and spring league.

2) Danish words sound nothing like they're spelled.

Swiss Challenge League:

Rapperswill 1 - 4 Winterthur (May 23)

Winterthur [3 - 2] Schaffhausen (May 26)

This concludes the 2018-19 Swiss Challenge League. [Winterthur finish up fourth.]

AFC Champions League group stage, matchday 6:

Group E: Kashima Antlers 2 - 1 Shandong Luneng

Group F: Melbourne Victory 1 - 3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Group G: Urawa Red Diamonds 3 - 0 Beijing Guoan

Group H: Sydney FC 0 - 4 Kawasaki Frontale

Despite that scoreline, Frontale is the only one of the four Japanese clubs not to advance.

2019 Canadian Championship, Round One, second leg (May 22):

HFX Wanderers 0 - 1 Vaughan Azzurri

Wanderers advance on the away goal rule and will meet Valour FC in the next round.

Cavalry 2 - 1 Pacific

Pacific are the first CPL team eliminated. Cavalry will meet Forge FC.

York 9 (1 - 0) Blainville

York 9 will meet Edmonton FC.

Names with numerals in them are a pain in the ass. But at least York 9 doesn't have a period in it like 1. FC Saarbrücken.

Canadian Premier League:

York 9 [0 - 2] Forge

These two met in the first CPL match not even a month ago.

Cavalry [2 - 0] HFX Wanderers

Wanderers have an opportunity to inflict Cavalry's first loss. [But no.]

About Cavalry FC

Cavalry FC are the Calgary team. The names Cavalry and Calgary are so similar that I will never not type Calvary first and have to backspace.

They wear red and white like the CFL Stampeders, WHA Cowboys and NHL Flames.

The team is owned by the horse-breeding Southern clan. I imagine that the CPL pre-season camp at Los Establos came out of the Southerns' contact book. Cavalry play at Spruce Meadows on a converted showjumping ring. When the horses want their paddock back next month the team will have to go on an extended road trip.

So far this season they have won every match including preseason, league and cup. So I've decided to hate Cavalry FC. However, if they get as far as the third round of the Canadian Championship, where they'd meet Vancouver, I'll support them in that, because I hate the Whitecaps more.

What are the clubs of the 2019 Aomori Soccer League Division 1?

FC Rokkasho (FC六ヶ所), Rokkasho Village.

Angel

AC Hirosaki (AC弘前), Hirosaki.

Oirase FC (おいらせFC), Oirase.

Towada Kickers (十和田キッカーズ), Towada.

Shichinohe SC (七戸サッカークラブ), Shichinohe.

Rasivo* Aomori (ラスィーボ青森), Aomori.

FC Jubei* (FC十兵衛)

Tsuzuki Slope* FC (筒木坂FC), Tsugaru.

Inakadate FC (田舎館FC), Inakadate.

(*I have no confidence in these machine translations.)

Moon Over the Chromium Planet

John T. McCutcheon

From A Boy in Springtime (1903). Influential. You can see Alfred E. Newman and Trots and Bonnie in this cartoon.

Bewick's Swan

Bewick's Swan is a variety of Tundra Swan named for Thomas Bewick the engraver and author of A History of British Birds. His son Robert Bewick made this engraving.

Source.