👋 Welcome..
..to The Tap-Inn. Where you can tap in to the world of soccer with me, your first-gen Irish Tap-Inn bartender, Joe.
Today at The Tap-Inn:
🧐 your buddy’s questionable year abroad
💸 what $4,100 gets you these days
🍸 a banging new cocktail name
You know, the stuff that matters.
Let’s tap in.
🥃 Top Shelf
South America’s biggest rivalry: River Plate vs Boca Juniors (The Superclásico)
What makes a soccer rivalry? 💥
Not all Saturday nights out are created equal. For most of them, you’re just chilling with your boys playing pool on a crusty old table in your local dive bar. But there’s always those momentous few nights out during the year that you simply cannot miss.
Your boy Kev returning from his gap year in Thailand. St Patrick’s Day at The Tap-Inn. Your dog’s birthday. Heading out on these occasions always feels extra spesh.
It’s the same story with rivalries in soccer. These are fixtures that fans always turn up for and the results can leave fans buzzing for days, weeks, or even years.
“So how does a soccer rivalry take shape?”
In many different ways, but mostly:
History & Tradition: England’s biggest rivalry is the ‘North West Derby’ between Manchester United and Liverpool, for example. Decades of iconic clashes and a record 20 top-flight league titles apiece has seen legends rise, records broken, and moments that fans replay for years.
City Pride: Derbies like AC Milan vs Inter Milan (Derby della Madonnina) and Arsenal vs Tottenham (North London Derby) are about bragging rights in your own backyard.
Politics: Every Barcelona vs Real Madrid (El Clásico) game carries massive political weight - Barca is tied to Catalan pride and independence while Real is often seen as the establishment club.
Religion & Identity: Some rivalries carry deeper meaning like Scotland’s Celtic vs Rangers which is deeply rooted in sectarianism and religious identity.
Soccer rivalries aren’t your typical NBA or NFL matchups. They can stretch across leagues, decades, and countries. At their heart though, soccer rivalries are all about people.
Rivalry vs Derby?
In the U.S., we usually say “rivalry” for any heated matchup. In soccer, a “derby” is a type of rivalry between teams from the same city or region. All derbies are rivalries, but not all rivalries are derbies.
Knowledge on tap.
🏆 World Cup Tracker: 174 Days to Go
Manchester United vs Arsenal in a pre-season friendly in July 2023 at Metlife Stadium.
2026 WC Final set for MetLife Stadium 🏟️
New Jersey’s 82,000-seat NFL stadium is normally home to the NY Giants and NY Jets but on July 19th next year it will be host to the most-watched sports event on earth - the WC Final - hopefully featuring the USMNT.
If you’re planning to go and watch the final in person, you may want to start saving though - the cheapest tickets are an eye-watering $4,100. Yikes.
📝 Trivia on Tap
How many TVs are there in MetLife Stadium?
Keep scrolling for the answer ⬇️
📺 This week in soccer
What do we have to look forward to this weekend? ⚽️
Tottenham vs Liverpool
Spurs at home, Liverpool on form. History favors the Reds, but expect this one to be a proper Premier League scrap. Alexander Isak will be hoping to get back among the goals against a leaky Spurs defence.
Newcastle vs Chelsea
Big clash at St. James’ Park. Newcastle want points to stay near the top, Chelsea are hunting form. Keep an eye on the midfield battle between Bruno Guimarães and Moisés Caicedo.
Everton vs Arsenal
The Toffees host the Gunners at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday with Bukayo Saka looking to keep Arsenal’s momentum rolling. A win for Everton could see them go as high as fifth.
🧠 Quickfire
Bournemouth nearly score a last-minute winner in Monday’s 4-4 draw away to Man United.
Stat of the week 📊
Manchester United have never lost a Premier League game at Old Trafford when leading at half-time. They’ve had 295+ wins, 25 draws and 0 losses in that time. Untouchable.
You have to go alllllll the way back to May 1984 for their last loss when winning at half time, losing 1-2 to Ipswich town.
Kit Watch 💰
Man United, along with Adidas, have just released their annual Lunar New Year collection, swapping classic red for a “deep oxblood-and-black palette with gold detailing”.
It’s less matchday, more streetwear - and a very smart play. United have one of the biggest fanbases in Asia, and these drops are as much about cash as it is about culture.
And yes, I am naming my next cocktail Deep Oxblood.
📝 Trivia Answer:
2,000 TVs 📺
Just the 1,999 more than at The Tap-Inn then.
👋 Until Next Time…
Thanks for stopping by The Tap-Inn.
If you enjoyed this, forward it to that friend who knows nothing about soccer and help spread the good word.
I’ll be behind the bar every week, Monday and Friday, serving up soccer. Sláinte.
— Joe