Yes, you read it correctly. The most important game happening in the world today. Not Champions League qualifying. Not Brazilian Serie A and not the Olympic games. No, it's the first game of the new season for LEEDS UNITED as they take on Guiseley away in their first pre-season friendly!
It's nice to have a bit of good news after my grumble yesterday and the misery of this curfew and lockdown. It looks like it's been broadcasted live so I guess it's going to be the first late night of the season.
's Prediction
I am being so king to you guys today and helping you out. The first big hint is that Guiseley v Leeds is an annual game that is traditionally the first pre-season friendly. Listen carefully. Leeds have never lost!
But first, a little about Guiselely.
Guiseley is a small town about 12 miles North of Leeds and as its quite a 'posh' area has long had close connections with Leeds players living there or, gone to play towards the end of theri careers.
They play in the National League North which is the 6th tier of English football at a ground called Nethermoor which holds a very impressive 4000 spectators and trust me, with Covid regualtions all over in England now, it will be jam packed tonight!
Source
Currently, they only have a couple of professionals playing for them including their captain, Hamza Bencherif with the rest of the squad made up from local amateurs. This is a real grass roots club!
For Leeds, this will be the start of 4 friendlies in 5 days with games against Blackburn, Fleetwood and Real Betis before finishing their pre-season with a huge game in Amsterdam against Dutch champs, AFC Ajax, then it will be just 10 days before the opening Premier League game against Scum at Old Trafford. Exciting times!!
We will be looking forward to seeing new signing Lewis Bate tonight who has just come from Chelsea and it will probably be a mainly U23 team who take on Guiseley but we will have plenty in the tank to get a comprehensive win. Of the seniors, perhaps fringe players Costa and Poveda will start and I'd suspect Caprille in goal as Meslier will be playing in the Blackburn game.
Not who, but by how many?
Prediction: Guiseley 1 : 3 Leeds United - First goal scorer: Joe Gelhardt
Simply write the name of the FIRST GOALSCORER and the CORRECT SCORE as a comment. The competition closes 5 minutes before kick-off which is 19.30 BST. (18.30 UTC)
The Small Print
In the first goal scorer competition, own goals do not count. In the correct score competition, it's the score after 90mins. Extra time and penalties do not count and the pot for each competition will roll over if there is no winner. If more than one person chooses the same first goal scorer or correct score, the prize is shared, and everyone gets a little upvote! It seems I also need to add, one entry per person. Don't forget the new rule that only people with a rep of 50 or above are eligible to enter unless they have been approved. The bonus will be added to any winnings ONLY if Leeds United win and/or Man U lose and all pay-outs will never exceed 50% of post pay-out. Other bonuses are paid out at my discretion.
And the winners were...
All sorted in yesterdays post.