For whatever the reason it's hard for me to get a good take on the UEFA Cup. The idea of a second tier tournament doesn't seem to jive with my American mindset -- witness the NCAA Tournament compared to the NIT. Anyway, while it's intricacies are lost on me, the final of the last ever UEFA Cup will be contested between Germany's Werder Bremen and Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk in Istanbul on May 20. After the final the competition will adopt the Europa League name.

























