Summer is just around the corner and the NBA Playoffs are in full tilt as Jimmy Cavanaugh returns to dive into Pacers-Heat. In part one, Jimmy goes one-on-one with Jorge Sedano and the pair discuss what the Heat need to do to reassert themselves; ask what’s wrong with Dwayne Wade; wonder if the Miami role players can make a contribution and ask if the end is in sight for the Big Three.

Then, Tim Donahue of 8points9seconds.com makes his HSS debut in part two. Together, he and Jimmy delve into the background of this Pacer team; reveal what a massive impact David West has had on his young teammates and ask what Roy Hibbert and George Hill may be worth to Indiana.

Can LeBron and D-Wade muster a comeback? Is Game 4 a must win for both teams? Tune in and find out!

The Spurs finished off their round one series against the Utah Jazz with a sweep that was completed eight days ago. There was worry that, although the rest would be good for the veteran led team, there would be some rust coming out to start the game. San Antonio quickly erased that thought as they came out and knocked down 13 threes to tie a franchise record set in 2007. Kawhi Leonard, Daniel Green, and Manu Ginobili all knocked down three each.

Tim Duncan was also a huge piece of the victory on Tuesday night. He recorded yet another double-double with 26 points and 10 boards giving him his 57^th game of 25 points and 10 rebounds, first place among active players and seventh all time.

It wasn’t just the offense that got it done for the Spurs, they played very well on the defensive end as well containing Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. They held Paul to just six points, and he was scoreless after the first quarter. Griffin only scored 15 points and “Lob city” was never really able to get off the ground for the larger part of the game. Griffin, like in game seven against the Grizzlies, sat most of the fourth quarter with perhaps a still ailing knee injury.

The Spurs were far from perfect on the night though. The team had nine turnovers and finished 18 on the game, leading to 24 points for the Clippers. Tony Parker struggled on offense as well, but he did end the game with 11 assists. They gave up 23 points to Eric Bledsoe off the bench as he led the Clippers in scoring.

The positives far outweighed the negatives on the night though as the Spurs won by a final score of 108-92. The largest lead for the Spurs was 18 at several points throughout the game. The closest the Clippers got to the Spurs was after a 10 and 0 run with just under nine minutes remaining in the game to get the lead down to eight.

San Antonio will try to keep their streak going when game two will takes place in San Antonio on Thursday at 9:30.

IUSC’s John Bauernfeind explains why sometimes it can be just as reasonable to root against rather than for a certain team.

As an avid Chicago Bulls fan, it was difficult to see them exit the NBA playoffs after the first round, yet even tougher to witness two of the franchises’ cornerstones, all-star point guard Derrick Rose and center Joakim Noah, have to miss the majority of the series with injuries. As is well known in the realm of sports, Noah suffered a high ankle sprain in game three and, sadly, Rose went down in the waning seconds of game one with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

As disheartening as these injuries were, I’m still a crazed sports fan at heart, and have begun rooting for a different team in these 2012 playoffs. Though this team is quite popular, they were a putrid 20-46 in the regular season and lost in the first round of this year’s playoffs. How does a team with a .303 winning percentage make the playoffs, and for that matter, how is that team still competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy after succumbing to a first round defeat? Well, it’s because I’m not cheering for an actual team. Rather, I’m hoping, praying, even trying to will the Miami Heat to futility.

The Miami Heat might be the least likable team in the NBA Image courtesy of CBSSports

Rooting against Lebron and co. has become more of a job than actual enjoyment, something I force upon myself so as not to misplace my animosity towards them. I can say with confidence that I am not the only person who watches Heat games just to cheer for the other team, and it happens more often than not in sports. Do Red Sox fans sit idle during a Yankees meltdown? Do Redskins fans sympathize with Tony Romo after yet another late-game collapse?

Absolutely not!

Sports elicit strong emotions amongst amateur and professional athletes, as well as fans, which often identify themselves through their favorite teams. That’s why when Lebron James opted to sign with the Miami Heat instead of returning to Cleveland to play for his hometown Cavaliers, both cities’ fan bases experienced the most extreme sides of the sports spectrum: Fans in Miami held a showcase for its trio of superstars, where James and his new teammates, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, danced in their work attire, albeit conceding the idea that they would be the villains of the NBA.

Cleveland, opposite of Miami’s ecstasy, was a little angry that its favorite son left, and proceeded to burn number twenty-three jerseys in the heart of town.

Though it was the state of Ohio that was wronged by Lebron, when he announced live, via ESPN, that he would be ‘taking his talents to South Beach,’ I couldn’t help but also feel betrayed.

The Big Three's celebration of their union alienated many. Image courtesy of The Miami Herald

By no means am I a fan of any Cleveland sports team (a fate that should never be wished upon any man, I might add), but to an outsider, James’ decision voiced growing concerns over the lack of principle in professional sports.

Here’s what can be deduced by analyzing James’ choice: There is no such thing as loyalty in professional sports anymore.

James thwarted all of the relationships he built during his tenure in Cleveland, choosing to leave for Miami for a greater chance of accomplishing his only goal left of his young NBA career: To win a championship. No one can fault someone for trying to win a championship, although the Cavaliers made it to the NBA finals in 2007 (losing in four games to the San Antonio Spurs) and consistently contended in the Eastern Conference title chase.

James’ decision also shed some light onto how much power players possess in the free agent process. The entire time that he, Wade and Bosh were being courted by prospective teams, they were talking amongst themselves, looking for a way that that all three could play together. They took the ball out of the front offices’ hands.

The Miami Heat didn’t choose them; they chose the Heat.

Lastly, the decision of the three all-stars promoted a system of ‘buddy ball,’ where players want to sign with teams that their friends are on, decreasing the level of competition and rendering the league to pick up games.

These things make me despise the Heat, as their antics could possibly corrupt the NBA and other leagues. Luckily, it doesn’t appear that the NBA is nearing its death, but it doesn’t make rooting against the Heat any harder. They still have the best player and MVP of the league in James, and Wade, who serves as James’ sidekick, is a top five player in the league, and arguably the best at his position.

The Pacers and their leader aren't ready to back down. Image courtesy of Zimbio

The Heat flop, they cry to the referees, they bully other teams (a la Wade’s blatant and unnecessary shove of an unsuspecting Darren Collison), and most discouraging is that they play for an awful fan base in Miami, where the stands don’t fill entirely until the first quarter ends.

The Indiana Pacers are the three seed in the Eastern Conference, playing the Heat — a two seed — in the second round of the playoffs. After two games, the series is tied at one game apiece, after the Pacers inched out a victory in Miami to pull even with the Heat. The Heat are clearly more talented than the Pacers, and seem to get more calls their way than do the Pacers, as the Heat boast two of the games’ best players and the Pacers don’t.

Yet after watching the Pacers defeat the Heat in game two, I’ve come to believe that the Pacers can actually beat the Heat in a seven-game series. Maybe it’s just my blind hope, or my dislike of the Heat, but Indiana fans can take solace in the fact that they’ll have at least one extra fan cheering for their Pacers tonight.

Despite his poor performance in the previous two games, Pau Gasol played a detrimental role in the Lakers 96-87 Game 7 win over the Nuggets. By scoring 23 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and dishing out six assists, Gasol helped lead the Lakers to the second round to a matchup with Oklahoma City Thunder.  In his return from a seven game suspension, Metta World Peace contributed 15 points in the Lakers win.

Metta World Peace’s return will play an important role in the second round against the Thunder.  World Peace’s defense on Kevin Durant will be vital as he gives up height, but is a very physical defender which may counteract this. The size advantage that the Lakers may give the Thunder some issues if they utilize it, however, at sometimes the Lakers take too many jump shots and lose visual on what I believe should be their true offensive identity.

However, the Thunder have so many good players in Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka to name a few which will be a large task for the Lakers to handle. I see this series ending in six games with the Thunder winning 4-2.

In the other game 7, the Clippers picked up a road victory over the Grizzlies 82-72 to solidify their second round berth against the No. 1 seed San Antonio Spurs. Chris Paul led the team with 19 points, but more important contributions came from Kenyon Martin who had 11 points and 10 rebounds which was the difference in the game. Nick Young added 13 points off the bench as well.

The Spurs are playing their basketball of the season and for that reason I believe this series isn’t going to last long. The difference in this series is the second unit bench players. The Spurs have arguably the best second unit in the NBA and this is an area that the Clippers lack in. I see this series over in five game with the victory going to the Spurs 4-1.

During the days that lead up to game one of the Heat and Pacers series, the Pacers were seen as giving the Miami Heat “bulletin board material” with comments they were making.  In fact, Frank Vogel was fined $15,000 by the league for comments that the Heat flopped more than any other team in the league.

For all of the “bulletin board material” the Pacers gave the Heat, the start of the game was not what most probably expected.  The Pacers pounced on the Heat early, and just a few minutes into the game had a nine point lead.  As the Pacers were playing great basketball, ESPN/ABC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico said, “These are the Pacers.  You haven’t seen them, but they’re good.”

Tirico and his partner Hubie Brown were very impressed with the Pacers play early on, and they let it be known.

The Pacers were getting high praise because of their ability to lock the Heat down, and making the extra pass on the offensive end.  The Pacers focus of the series is about making great passes.  During one of the Pacers timeouts, head coach Frank Vogel said “do what the Mavericks did, only do it better.”  Vogel is referring to the Dallas Mavericks team that beat the Heat in the NBA Championship last season.

In the early going, Indiana was doing just that.  Their passes were crisp, the team was unselfish, and they were keeping Lebron James and Dwyane Wade contained.  Chris Bosh had a great first half with 13 points, but he would never see the floor in the second half because of an abdominal strain suffered late in the first half on a dunk.  Bosh connected on the dunk and was fouled, but as he went to the ground, you could see the pain he was feeling immediately by his facial expressions.  Bosh actually made his free throw, ran to the other end, and then realized he had really hurt something.  Bosh checked out of the game, and never checked back in.

At the time, one may have thought the Heat were in trouble.  Of the “Big Three,” Bosh was playing the best in the game.  As the Heat headed to halftime down six, the halftime analysts were starting to wonder if the Heat would battle back, especially with their main interior presence.

Little did anybody know, Lebron James and Dwyane Wade would combine for 42 second half points, four more than the Pacers entire second half output.  One tough shot after another fell for the Heat, and the Pacers offense turned very stagnant.

The crisp, unselfish passes the Pacers were connecting on early were no longer there.  Things headed south for the Pacers, and they went there pretty quick.  Roy Hibbert and David West were no longer owning the paint like the first half, even after the loss of Bosh.  In fact, Miami outscored the Pacers 18-4 in the paint in the third quarter.

As the game headed to the fourth quarter, the teams found themselves tied.  In recent memory the Heat have struggled in the fourth quarter, especially in crucial situations.  However, this game would be far from the “norm.”  Lebron James and Dwyane Wade took over, and the Pacers had no answer.

The Pacers high scorer for the season, Danny Granger, connected on one of ten shots for seven points.  Six players on the Pacers roster scored more points than Granger, and that cannot happen if the Pacers hope to compete with the Heat.

The Pacers starting small forward, Paul George, also did not have a strong game offensively, as he only scored six points himself.

When it was all said and done and the final horn sounded, the Heat found themselves on top with a score of 95 to 86.

Lebron James and Dwyane Wade willed their team to the win, and the Pacers late-game execution was far from stellar.

Game two will be played on Tuesday, May 15th.  All signs are pointing to Chris Bosh being inactive, so look for the Pacers to play through their two big men, David West and Roy Hibbert.

If ever there was a time for Wade and James to prove they are the best duo in the league, the coming games in the  Pacers and Heat series will be that time.

But with a high seed comes lofty playoff expectations and in turn, pressure. After falling to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals last season, the Bulls headed in to this year’s playoffs fully expecting to have a rematch with the big three to see who would represent the conference in the NBA Finals. But as you all know, the landscape of the Bulls’ playoff run would soon be turned out of their favor.

After the Bulls’ opening-game win against the 76ers, the news broke that the Rose injury that hushed Chicago was indeed a serious one, as the former Rookie of the Year and MVP had torn his ACL and would be out for the remainder of the playoffs. Based on lots of articles posted around the web and calls into the Chicago radio station, I’d say the expectation was that the team could still make the Eastern Conference Finals and possibly at least make things interesting against the Heat. So no, there was no concerns that the Bulls wouldn’t be able to get past Philadelphia in the series that they already possessed a 1-0 lead. But the rest, as we like to say, is history.

Chicago went on to drop 4 of the next 5 games, and become the 5^th number 1 seed to be eliminated by an 8 seed in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Yeah, it’s tough executing without your MVP point guard and All Star-caliber center, Joakim Noah, but the Bulls were still the favored team since Philly struggled so mightily this year after getting off to a 20-9 start on for the regular season. But superior in talent or not, the Bulls were not superior with execution the rest of the series, which is why the 76ers were able to pull out all of the low-scoring, closely fought games.

But the feeling around the Bulls’ fan base was that the loss was inevitable and served as sort of a mercy-killing, since it was believed the Bulls wouldn’t be able to contend for a Championship any longer. In a chat I had with ESPN Chicago Bulls beat writer, Nick Friedell, you could hear the lack of optimism in his voice. He said something along the lines of “Yeah, we certainly can win this series but, well, I don’t know, maybe.” It was that kind of precautious optimism that was the pattern from the Bulls’ faithful throughout the past week and a half, or so.

So when the Bulls playoff run was doused on Thursday evening, the first thing on fans mind was “Really? It’s over? Like that?” and quickly shifted to “Well do our chances extend into the future?” And just like that, the focus shifted to the Bulls’ immediate future.

So now what you all want broken down, here’s the outlook for your Bulls the next couple of seasons…

Next year, the Bulls will battle injuries yet again. Derrick Rose will probably miss about half of the season due to the torn ACL, and Deng could very likely miss time after he gets surgery to repair the torn ligament in his wrist, which he previously opted to wait on. Not to mention, who knows if Noah’s injury from this past weekend will have any lingering effects.

Outside of the core players, the shape of the team could look pretty different next year. The team is not in a great position financially, and may have to watch as some very valuable role players head elsewhere. To put it simply, if the Bulls want to add a scorer or any proven player with a big contract, they’ll have to part ways with role players Omer Asik, Ronnie Brewer, and Kyle Korver, or at least two of the three. Lots of people like myself are confident that youngster Jimmy Butler can take over Brewer’s role and that the team can easily replace a spot up shooter in Korver.

With that being said, the Bulls did prove that they can win an impressive amount of regular season games behind Thibs even when significant players are out of the lineup, so if the club opts to stay with those guys instead of adding anyone else major, the Bulls may have a very similar lineup next year.

But fast forward to the latter half of the regular season next year when teams’ playoff spots start shaping up, I still look for the Bulls to be in the top 3 seeds of the Eastern Conference, with Miami not going anywhere and Indiana looking like they’re only going to keep getting better with experience. So if that is indeed the case, there’s still a solid shot that the Bulls will get their chance at the Heat in the playoffs yet again.

And while it gets much more complicated, the Bulls are in a good situation after next year. But it involves long explanations about things like the luxury tax, amnesty players, and so forth. So that discussion is for another time.

So Bulls fans, rejoice in the fact that the team will be in contention for a championship next year. We’re not going to face that big of a drop off. But it may be a long, tedious process to get there. So bare with the team come next winter, it’ll turn out all right. And in the words of Stacey King, “If you’re scared, buy a dog!”

Ultimately, the Heat are the overwhelming favorites.  Since the injury sustained to the Bulls’ Derrick Rose in their game one match-up against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Eastern Conference has been the Heat’s conference championship to lose.  After all, the Heat are the defending Eastern Conference Champions, and they have arguably three of the best players in the league on their roster.

As mentioned above, this series pairs two teams that are vastly different.  The Heat are a team that saw more games on national television than any other team in the entire nation.  On the other end, the Pacers played exactly one game during the regular season on national TV.  That game was a victory in early March over the Philadelphia 76ers.  The Pacers also only had two of their five first round games against the Magic played on national television.

With all of that said, the media coverage is understandable.  The Heat are a team that is full of superstars and flashy play, while the Pacers are a team that prides themselves on teamwork, defense, and a deep bench.  People want to watch Chris Bosh set a screen for Dwyane Wade, who then finds a slashing Lebron James for an emphatic dunk rather than watch Lou Amundson set a cross screen for Roy Hibbert, who received the ball on a pass from Leandro Barbosa.  I get it, I really do.

However, what I do not get, is that nobody has really seen the Pacers play, yet everybody wants to write them off.  Many forget that the Pacers were the third seed in the East, boasting a record of 42-24.  They also forget (or possibly did not know) that the Pacers beat the likes of the Bulls, Heat, Knicks, Lakers, Thunder, Clippers, and Celtics.  And last, they are coming off four straight playoff wins over the Magic, with their last win possibly being their most impressive.

Lebron James and Dwyane Wade are clearly the two best players in the series, hands down.  You could argue that Chris Bosh is a difference maker for the Heat, but the Pacers frontline duo of Roy Hibbert and David West neutralized Bosh during the regular season.  In the four games Bosh played against the Pacers this season, he averaged 15.5 points per game, two and a half below his average.  He also only shot 37 percent from the field, more than 11 percentage points lower than his season average.

Once you take away the Heat’s “Big Three”, Indiana outmatches the Heat from players four through ten.  The difference between the two teams is that the Heat will not play ten guys, while the Pacers are almost guaranteed to play AT LEAST ten.  During a shortened season, and grueling playoffs, a deep bench and guys that can step up are very important.

The key for the Pacers will be their frontline.  The David West the Heat played against during the regular season is a much different David West who has played extraordinarily well over the past few weeks.  In fact, the Pacers actually ran their offense through David West during the Magic series, and I would expect to see the same during their series with the Heat.  In the paint alongside West will be all-star center Roy Hibbert.

If the duo of David West and Roy Hibbert can get their offense going early for the Pacers, the Heat may be forced to focus more attention on the duo down low, which can only benefit the Pacers guards.  With the Heat collapsing in the paint, and the Pacers extraordinary ball movement, the Pacers guards may find wide open perimeter shots.

It will be no cakewalk for the Pacers in their upcoming series, but the same could be said for the Heat.  I expect the Heat to ultimately win the series, but I expect a lot of people nationally to be very impressed with the Pacers win or lose.  They say to be the best, you have to beat the best, and Frank Vogel and company are up for the challenge.

Perhaps a bit premature, but the booing will be a continued trend throughout his destined-for-stardom major league career.

Harper is the 19 year-old super prospect of the Washington Nationals who was called up on Saturday to help out a depleted Washington outfield for their series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2010 first overall pick has had the hype meter set exceptionally high since he was a 16 year-old featured on a 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated dubbing him “The Chosen One: Baseball’s LeBron.” In the feature, Harper, in addition to his feat of hitting a baseball over 500 feet, was described as one of the best prospects of this generation, comparing favorably to once super prospects and major league superstars Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez. His skill set is so high, that he’s even been compared to have careers of the same caliber or better than both players.

Talk about living up to the hype.

Harper dropped out of his Las Vegas, Nevada high school during his sophomore year and enrolled at a Junior College to apply for his GED, which would make him eligible for the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft at age 17. He was the youngest player ever taken first overall in the draft, and received a whopping 5-year, $9.9 million contract from the Nationals, the highest contract given out to an amateur position player ever. While growing up, Harper was a devout New York Yankees fan. Last postseason, Harper’s twitter account contained tweets cheering for the Yankees. As well, Harper wears #34 because 3 + 4 = 7, the number of his favorite player: Mickey Mantle. During his first season in the minor leagues last season, Harper also blew a kiss to a pitcher that he hit a home run off of, giving off an obnoxious vibe.

Let’s recap:

Be dubbed a baseball prodigy. Drop out of high school at 17. Get the largest draft signing contract ever. Root for the Yankees. Annoy the opposition.

Yeah, that’s enough to make you Public Enemy No. 1.

While he’s only been in the major leagues for two games officially, Harper has already impressed. Currently, he’s batting .333 with an RBI, but along with that, he’s made one spectacular catch in the outfield and showed off his cannon of an arm. Big League pitchers are showing him respect as well, throwing their best pitches at him consistently. Perhaps Harper’s call-up was purely a panic move by the Nationals, who are off to their best start in franchise history at 14-8 – leading the NL East, due to the ineffectiveness of their rotation of Left Fielders and Ryan Zimmerman’s recent DL stint. However, since Spring Training, Nationals’ manager Davey Johnson has long been a fan of Harper, even publicly saying that he wanted him to start the year with the big league squad. That certainly says a lot about a player that, at the time, hadn’t even played a game in AAA. If not for an injury late into spring, Harper may have started the 2012 campaign with the Nationals.

Keep this in mind as well:

The surging Nationals are in first-place, and have the best pitching rotation in the majors with an ERA of 2.33. They also have two back-to-back first overall picks on their roster in Harper (2010) and ace Stephen Strasburg (2009). Washington has a surplus of young players in the minor leagues, including star third baseman and 2011 first-round pick, Anthony Rendon. The Nationals already have a good, young nucleus in the infield that consists of Zimmerman, shortstop Ian Desmond, second baseman Danny Espinosa, first baseman Adam LaRoche (filling in until regular 1B Mike Morse returns), and catcher Wilson Ramos – one that is almost certain to improve as each player hits their prime. As mentioned above, they have the best pitching in the majors, and one of the best rotations, headlined by Strasburg and followed by Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson, and Ross Detwiler. The Nationals are slowing emerging as a powerhouse, and soon will be a location that stars will want to venture to. With Harper now in the picture, and with his ceiling getting higher and higher, the Nationals could be one of the best teams in baseball sooner rather than later.

While he may not be here long (there’s been rumors that he may only be up until Zimmerman returns, unless he impresses) we should really cherish what we see in Bryce Harper. This kid, still only a teenager, is going to be baseball’s savior –  it’s next superstar, and its first since the steroid era. Harper is going to produce, and meet the expectations and hype that come with the baggage he’s been carrying around since he was a 16 year-old high schooler on the cover of SI. He’ll be the next Alex Rodriguez or Ken Griffey Jr. or whatever other comparison that can be thrown out there. With the skill set he has, and the lightning-quick bat speed he possesses, he’ll flash greatness. It’s very easy to boo a star player because of their skill, we’ve seen it with players like Rodriguez, Griffey Jr. and Albert Pujols, but Bryce Harper is no where near that level right now.

So don’t boo him just yet, he’s only two games into his career.

Wait until he gets good, something that you can expect to see really soon.

In 2008, a book was written about the biggest soccer rivalries in the world.

The rivalries mostly began because of religion, class, or quality of play. The book had the usual matchups like Celtic vs. Rangers, A.C. Milan vs. Inter Milan, and of course El Clasico (Barca vs. Madrid).

However, the book missed a notable skirmish: Manchester United vs. Manchester City. The little blue-haired stepchildren of Manchester were mad when the book designated Liverpool as United’s biggest rival.

However, with United’s one-sided domination of its cross-town rival over the years, it was safe to say Liverpool was the bigger game on United’s schedule. Four years and 200 million Euros later, City has become a legitimate power in the Premier League, and now has a shot at winning the Premier League Title Monday night against United.

This is the game City fans have been waiting decades for, a chance for City fans to relive the glory days of the late 60’s and early 70’s when City enjoyed elite status in Europe and United was in relegation. A chance for City to not only beat its archrival at home to probably win the Premiership title with two games remaining, but to let their Big Brother United and their worldwide fanbase know that a new world power in the soccer world is forming on the other side of the city.

United fans would usually tell City fans that United is not their biggest game just to mess with them, claiming in so many words that they are god’s gift to soccer. Some will even say this game doesn’t matter to United.

They can act like they don’t care, but they know the circumstances surrounding this game. They know titles won’t be a given anymore. It could be the beginning of United having to start acknowledging City as “the” rival.

The classic “The United-Loving media is out to get us!” card is being played all week by City fans to pump them up for the game. Manchester City message boards are flooded with comments over this game. Brite sky blue on mancityfans.net said, “30 plus years of stomaching s*** from this is all to be released in 90 mins of mayhem!”

They remember the days of City playing in Division Two Premier League and only averaging 3,000 fans a night at their stadium. They are tired of playing second fiddle in their own city, and want to move away from their recent past.

The hype for this game has reached NFL Super Bowl levels. Tickets are going up as high as 1,300 Euros ($1,720) to see the game at Etihad Stadium.

City Defender Pablo Zabaleta promises that City will go all out for their home fans.

“We have to play the same as we play every game,” City defender Pablo Zabaleta told City’s official Website. ”We need to be strong mentally, focus on what we have to do and give it our all. We’ve got the talent and we’ve got quality – we’ve got everything.”

Fan favorite Goalie Joe Hart is excited for the game.

“There are only a few games now,” Hart recently said. “We’ve been putting this one off for a long time and people have been talking about it. But now it’s the next game, and the one we are excited about.”

The question remains: Is Manchester City ready to make that return into soccer’s elite status as one of Europe’s top teams? After City won the FA Cup last year against Stoke City and obliterated United 6-1 at Old Trafford back in October, many thought City was ready for the big stage: the Champions League.

But with a quick exit against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and recent losses against Arsenal, Swansea, and Man United, critics question if City is for real or if their previous quality play is just a fluke.

Monday night they have a chance to silence the critics or prove them right. Having not lost since March 11, City is peaking at the right time as they are playing at home where they haven’t lost all year.

The landscape of the Premier League is about to be determined and City fans are glad it will be determined at their place. Who knows? Maybe four years from now there will be a new book about rivalries, and the Manchester Derby will be added with Monday’s game as the foundation.