CINCINNATI -- The soccer craze officially has hit the Queen City.
FC Cincinnati continues to draw massive crowds in its second United Soccer League season, as its 20,466 average attendance fares better than 13 Major League Soccer teams, and it’s likely drumming up more interest overall in the world’s most popular sport.
That means as the top-level English Premier League kicked off Friday, there might be some new local fans taking an interest -- and perhaps feeling a little lost.
So for those new to the game, how do you go about picking an EPL team to follow? WCPO.com has you covered. Take a look at some things to consider before hitching your wagon to the wrong horse.
A few things to know first:
There are 20 teams in the league.
There is a big gap between the haves and have nots in the Premier League. There are six juggernauts -- Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.
The transfer market doesn’t end until Aug. 31, so it’s tough to know exactly what teams will look like, as some players still could end up making moves after the season gets underway.
The bottom three teams at the end of the season are dropped (relegated) to the Championship League, which is England’s second division. The top three teams from the Championship are also promoted.
Hull City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland all fell after the 2016-17 season.
Brighton and Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town and Newcastle all moved up this year.
Factors to consider:
Do you like to follow underdogs? If so, just be careful not to pick a team too low on the totem pole, unless you don’t mind losing it to a lower division.
Or are you more interested in “jumping on the bandwagon” with the more popular teams?
Do you tend to stick with big spenders? (i.e the Yankees)
Do you plan to double this new love as a potential vacation spot? (Gravitate toward London)
Is there a certain style of play you like to watch?
Click below and scroll through to find out more about which Premier League team you could throw your support behind. We've even recommended good jerseys to buy for each side so you can look legit at soccer bars on Saturday mornings.
