As this season comes to and end, Tottenham is in the race for finishing the year in the top four of the English Premier League table. The team has already secured a spot in European cup football for next year, but it’s still to be determined which cup they’ll compete in. If Tottenham finishes the season third or fourth, they’ll play in the UEFA Champions League. If the team finishes fifth, sixth, or seventh, they’ll compete in the less prestigious Europa League cup. With only three matches remaining on schedule in May, Tottenham still needs a few points to guarantee a trip to the UEFA Champions league.

This season, Tottenham had solid performances in English cups as they came close to bringing home some trophies. In December 2009, they lost to Manchester United 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup. Tottenham’s hopes for a domestic title also ended when they lost to Portsmouth 2-0 in the semifinals of the FA Cup in April 2010.

Tottenham’s success for the 2009-2010 can be attributed to the arrival of several new players such as Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko, and Robbie Keane. These strikers added some real firepower at the front of the pitch, as they combined to score dozens of goals. At the defensive end, veteran Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and young defender Sébastien Bassong played a crucial role. This season the bet on football will be much higher

New York welcomes Chicago for the Season Opener on Saturday, and it’s a game that’s lining up to be very intense as both teams fight for a good start. Last season, Chicago finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference, losing in the Eastern Conference Final to MLS Champions Real Salt Lake. New York struggled to finish with just 5 wins all season and held a firm grip to the bottom of the table.

Last season, the New York Red Bulls suffered two losses to the Chicago Fire, losing both games by a single point.

For Chicago, Juan Pablo Angel is back as well as other well-seasoned professionals like CJ Brown and Brian McBride, who could prove to make an early claim to help The Fire top the Eastern Conference.

For New York, they are currently an in-form side and are coming off of ten straight victories in their pre-season. If their form continues this weekend, it could be the start of a great new season for the Red Bulls.

Manchester United always has the big target on its back, but that target is even larger this season. As the defending European champions, Man U finds itself in a dogfight for the Premier League title, trailing Chelsea 45 points to 43. With Arsenal just four points out of first, the championship doesn’t look to be decided any time soon.

The fourth member of England‘s Big Four hasn’t been as successful so far. With only 33 points, Liverpool is fighting just to make the 2010-11 Champions League, trailing Tottenham by four points for the fourth spot. Tottenham isn’t the only club they have to worry about; they need to leap over Aston Villa and Manchester City (both of whom have 35 points) to grab the league’s final Champions League spot.

Chelsea’s defense can be largely credited for getting them atop the table; their league-low 16 goals allowed has also given them the league’s best goal differential. Arsenal leads with 51 goals scored, led by Francesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie’s combined 16 points. With 21 goals allowed, though, the Gunners will need defensive improvement if they want to be champions.

The Premier League’s scoring title has been even more competitive, as Man U’s Wayne Rooney, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe currently have 14 points each, with Sunderland’s Darren Bent just a point behind them.