GM, Free Agents.

Welcome to the The Free Transfer— the 5-min daily newsletter making you smarter about football.

Ah Sunday, the day of rest…

…or sheer terror if you are an Everton, Leicester City, or Leeds United fan.

What’s on tap:

• Dortmund blow their chance to win first Bundesliga title in a decade 🍼

• Luton Town win dramatic playoff final to qualify for Premier League 🔼 

• Premier League final day— relegation race will be a photo finish 📸 

DORTMUND DRAW VS. MAINZ AT HOME TO LOSE TITLE 🍼 

Thanks to Bayern’s loss at home to RB Leipzig last weekend, Dortmund were sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga table after a win over Augsburg just a week ago.

All Dortmund had to do to guarantee the title was win at home vs. mid-table Mainz.

And that’s where things started to get hairy for BVB…

Dortmund vs. Mainz— TLDR;

MATCH BEGINS

Mainz score to go up 1-0 in the 15’

Dortmund earn a penalty, but Haller misses it in the 19'

Minutes later, Mainz score a second to go up 2-0 in the 24’

HALFTIME

SECOND HALF BEGINS

Mainz miss 2 big chances to go up 3-0 in the first 15’ of the second half

Dortmund get a goal back. 1-2 in the 69’— Guerreiro assisted by Reyna

Dortmund pour men forward for the last 20’

• Multiple chances missed/call back for offside

Dortmund score a second in the 6th minute of stoppage time 90+6’, but there is no time left.

END: Dortmund 2-2 Mainz.

What was Bayern up to throughout all of this?

Reminder: Bayern HAD to win vs. Koln to have a chance at winning the title.

Bayern went up 1-0 early.

Koln then equalized in the 81’ which looked to have saved Dortmund from themselves.

Then Jamal Musiala scored a beautiful goal from the top of the box in the 89’ to win the match 2-1 for Bayern.

After Dortmund failed to win their match, Bayern won the title on goal difference.

The aftermath

After failing to win against Mainz (who didn’t have anything to play for) at home on the final day, Dortmund have nobody to blame but themselves.

Who knows how long until this opportunity may present itself again…

What makes it so disappointing is that they didn’t lose to an extremely difficult opponent in dramatic fashion…They just came out flat.

On a day where everything is on the line in front of your home fans, one would expect a better performance. There is nothing much else to say. 🤷 

LUTON TOWN MAKE HISTORY & ARE PROMOTED TO PREMIER LEAGUE 🔼 

The Championship Playoff Final was a roller coaster, but in the end, Luton Town secured victory & will play in the Premier League next season.

This is their stadium ⤵️ 

Playoff final, Luton vs. Coventry— TLDR;

MATCH BEGINS

Luton Town start the match with lots of energy, but in the 12’ their captain Tom Lockyer collapses on the field, & is stretchered off. (Positive update later 🤞 👇️ )

Luton Town scores in the 23’ through Jordan Clark to go up 1-0 after a crazy dribble by Adebayo.

HALFTIME

The first 20’ of the second half belonged to Coventry, who made many chances.

Coventry’s pressure culminated with the equalizer from a counterattack in the 66’ by Hamer to make it 1-1. Assist Gyokeres.

END OF REGULATION— Luton 1-1 Coventry

EXTRA TIME BEGINS

Both teams trade blows to no avail in extra time.

Penalties to decide who plays in the Premier League next season.

PENALTIES BEGIN

Both teams make all 5 to start— 5-5.

Luton score their 6th to go up 6-5.

Dabo for Coventry skies his penalty over the bar.

FINAL— LUTON WIN 6-5 ON PENALTY KICKS!

UPDATE: Tom Lockyer looks to be alright, as the captain he watched his team win the playoff final on penalties to be promoted to the Premier League. 👇️ 

What does this mean?

First of all, it means Luton are in the Premier League for the first time ever.

It also means that they (& Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu who has been with them the whole way) are the first team in history to be promoted from non-league football (5th division or lower) to the Premier League!

Luton Town’s stadium, Kenilworth Road, holds about 10,000 spectators. That means teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, & Arsenal will be playing there next year. That will be quite the sight to behold. 🍿 

How will VAR operate at Kenilworth Road next season? 😂 ☠️ 👇️ 

There is a lot to love about this club, which faced liquidation not long ago after floundering in the fifth division. They will be everyone’s second favorite team in the Premier League next season for sure. Here is their story in their own words, from non-league football to Premier League. A must watch ⤵️ 

PREMIER LEAGUE FINAL DAY— RELEGATION RACE PHOTO FINISH 📸 

Everton, Leicester City, & Leeds United— three Premier League clubs with huge fanbases & histories— look to avoid relegation on the final day.

Here’s a look at the table ⤵️ 

How can each team survive relegation?

Everton 🍬 

Leicester 🦊 

Leeds ⬜️ 

Gaffer’s Bet 🃏 

Leicester stay up. Everton & Leeds are relegated. 🦊 

Anything else on the line?

Top 6 is locked up.

Aston Villa (7th, 58pts), Spurs (8th, 57pts), & Brentford (9th 56pts) are all set to battle it out for the Europa Conference League spot today. May the best team win.

Oddly enough, West Ham (14th, 40pts) can still qualify for the Europa League by winning the Europa Conference League final next month!

That’s it for today. Say a prayer for your friends who are Dortmund, Everton, Leicester, Leeds, or Coventry fans.

Cheers,

—The Gaffer

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