U.S. ownership. The Bucs and the Red Devils are both owned by the Glazer family (giving them the unique distinction of being Super Bowl, EPL and UEFA Champions League winning owners), the Cleveland Browns and Aston Villa are part of Randy Lerner's sports portfolio and Stan Kroenke owns large stakes in both the St. Louis Rams and Arsenal. Kroenke, like Patriots owner Robert Kraft, also owns an MLS club (the Colorado Rapids) as well as an NFL team. As, of course, does the Hunt family with the Columbus Crew and the Kansas City Chiefs. But Kraft is the first MLS-NFL owner to head down "Wembley Way," and if his head coach, Bill Belichick, needs advise on pitching a shutout in England's national stadium then he should have a chat with another member of the Kraft coaching tree, former Revs head coach Walter Zenga.
Before Spiderman's memorable time with the Revs, Zenga set a World Cup shutout streak at Italia '90, a tournament he prepped for by stoning England in a goalless draw at Wembley on Nov. 15, 1989. But should the Pats' coaching mastermind need tips on winning at Wembley (be it old or new version, it's still Wembley Stadium), there are a pair of other Revs head coaches he would do well to consult -- Frank Stapleton and Steve Nicol.
Stapleton led the Revolution in MLS's 1996 inaugural season, but he is best known for a stellar playing career that featured successful spells at Arsenal and Manchester United as well as with the Ireland national team. And Wembley was a very happy hunting ground for the Irish striker, going 3-0 in FA Cup Finals (one with Arsenal in 1979 and two with Manchester United in 1983 and 1985).
Nicol, of course, is more accessible to Belichick being the Revs' current long-time head coach. Like Stapleton, Nicol is a three-time FA Cup winner on the Wembley sod, lifting the trophy with Liverpool in 1986, 1989 and 1992. But the Reds legend can also tell the three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach about losing at Wembley. In one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history, Nicol was a member of the mighty Liverpool team that lost 1-0 to the Wimbledon "Crazy Gang" in 1988.
And if Belichick has time while he's in England, he might head down to Plymouth for a quick chat with Paul Mariner. The recently departed Revs assistant coach is another member of the Kraft football family that knows Wembley success, winning the 1978 FA Cup with Ipswich and scoring some important goals for the Three Lions there during his England career.
So how do the 0-6 Buccaneers counter the Kraft Wembley football fraternity? Well, the Glazers could give Sir Alex Ferguson's phone number to Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris. Now that might seem an unfair advantage, but before you throw the challenge flag, just remember, on Sunday, the Pats have Tom Brady.
Mark C. Young is an Emmy Award-winning freelance writer/TV producer who has covered several FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games. He is a contributor to Goal.com and also writes for the blog "No Mas."
