U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011!

Most of the teams have played their 1st matches of the tournament by now and here have been some of the results: in Group A South Korea defeated Mali 0-2 while the hosts thrashed France 4-1! Meanwhile, in Group B Cameroon and New Zealand tied 1-1 while Portugal and Uruguay ended their match the way it started: 0-0. In Group C Costa Rica were hammered 1-4 by Spain while Australia and Ecuador are playing as I post this. Group D is also incomplete with Nigeria's 5-0 drubbing of Guatemala on the books but Croatia v.s. Saudi Arabia is still playing out. In Group E there were more draws as Egypt were able to hold the Brazilians to a 1-1 scoreline at the end of the 1st half as well as when the full-time whistle blew. Austria v.s. Panama ended 0-0. England and North Korea finished goalless in Group F but Argentina were able to score in the 2nd half of their match to edge Mexico 1-0. Look for more posts and I encourage you to catch a game or two, they are a lot of fun!

1st day of U-20 World Cup matches TODAY.

The 2011 U-20 World Cup in Colombia starts today! The players present are most likely going to be some of the stars of tomorrow, it is sure to be a great time so try and watch as many games as possible. Cheers!

Men's U-19 European Championship 7/29/2011.

It was a brilliant day of football today as the Czech Republic faced Serbia while Spain and the Republicc of Ireland faced off in the other Semi-Final. Both were goal-filled extravaganzas but only the former was anywhere near to being close. The Czechs got off to a flying start, scoring in the 6th minute through Tomas Prikryl before Tomas Kalas added a 2nd in the 16th. 3 minutes later Tomas Jelecek scored from the spot to make it 3-0 in the Czech Republic's favor. That goal, however, seemed to spur the Serbians in to action. Rather than give up, they proceeded to score 2 goals before half-time! Both came from the deft foot of Djordje Despotović in the 23rd, and 28th minutes. It was thus 3-2 when half-time was called. The 2nd half had just 1 goal, but the Serbians really tried to equalize. They had a total of 10 chances or so throughout the game but only 2 went in. Jiri Skalak struck the Czech Republic's 4th in the 1st minute of stoppage time of the 2nd half to totally keep the Serbs out of the Final. Meanwhile, Spain were busy having their way with the hapless players of the Republic of Ireland. That isn't to say that the Irish didn't give it a good effort, they were simply out-gunned and out-maneuvered. The 4-time winning Spaniards came, they saw they conquered. Gerard Deulofeu opened the account in the 27th minute while Captain Pablo Sarabia tacked on a 2nd to close the half Spain 2 - Ireland 0. The 2nd half started badly for the Irish with Juanmi striking home in the 1st minute while Alvaro Morata added 2 late goals to make it 5-0 when the final whistle blew. To be fair to the Irish though, they didn't turn into a bunch of thugs. They committed just 5 or so more fouls than the Spanish and collected just 2 yellow cards more than Spain's 1. Expect the Final, and the 3rd place match, to be just as exciting as these Semi-Final performances!

Quick post on the U.S. Men's National Team.

Yesterday, U.S. soccer's movers and shakers decided to let Manager Bob Bradley go after 5 years, but a recent run of performances that were not in the direction U.S. soccer wants to be going. Yes, he led the lads well in the 2010 World Cup, but the team crashed and burned in the Gold Cup Final against Mexico. (They blew a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 when the final whistle was blown if you remember.) So, who is the new National Team Coach? It appears that Juergen Klinsmann will be the man to take the helm! You may remember him as the man who helped to revolutionize the way Germany's National Team played in the 2006 World Cup? Look at the strides they've been making. His first match will be a friendly against Mexico in Philadelphia on the 10th of August and I would expect the U.S. team to win. Klinsmann has a talent for quality leadership and as long as higher-ups don't get too controlling, he might be able to work some magic with the likes of Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Steve Cherundolo, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Jozy Altidore. Best of luck to Klinsmann and many thanks for the memories to Bradley!

Women's U-17 European Championships in Switerland and a thank you. 7/28/2011,

Well the Semi-Finals have finished and the results are in! Iceland were defeated 0-4 by Spain while Germany and France were tied 2-2 as they went in to penalties. So then, the first game. As far as Iceland are concerned, they were just happy to be here. True, a win would have been fantastic but this was their first Final. It showed by the end of the match. Marina Garcia opened the scoring for Spain in the 12th minute while Alexia Putellas struck 2 beauties before the half. The first came in the 34th while 2 minutes later her shot ended up in the back of the net again. Glódís Perla Viggosdóttir's own goal in the 67th was unfortunate but as they game was essentially over for the Icelandic side already, she shouldn't feel as bad. As time was called, the Spaniards celebrated their trip to the Final. A couple hours later, Germany took on France to decide who would join the formidable Spanish ladies in the Final. Germany got off to a good start, scoring in the 8th minute through Lina Magull. They held on to their 1-0 lead for the rest of the 1st half, doing well not to allow the talented French side to score. As the 2nd half began, things changed. France's captain Claire Lavogez equalized 4 minutes into the half while Lydia Belkacemi put them ahead in the 60th with a nice shot. Germany then substituted Fabienne Dongus off for Annabel Jäger in the 63rd. Jäger proceeded to equalize 5 minutes after coming on. No more goals came as the game eventually made it to penalties. Both sides made their first 5 before Melanie Leupolz missed her spot kick for Germany. France went on to win the pk's 6-5. It was a great match and the Germans all played well, they were just unlucky at the end. So, we'll see Spain take on France the 31st (while Iceland and Germany face-off in the 3rd place match.) Before I post this, I'd like to say thank you to the more than 2,000 visitors to my blog! Soccer is my passion and I am glad that I can write about it with such success. Thank you for visiting, sharing it with your friends and family, and giving me feedback; I hope you all continue to enjoy reading Some Simple Soccer as much as I enjoy writing it.

Manchester United v.s. All-Stars.

Well, it was never going to be easy for the MLS All-Stars against the English Champions. While the All-Stars did have some opportunities, United almost danced their way to victory with Wayne Rooney setting-up 2 goals, Park Ji-Sung played around a defender to score once, and another coming from Danny Welbeck. The MLS looked good at first, having several chances which came to nothing. Anderson started the game rolling though, collecting a ball from Rooney in the 20th and finishing smoothly out of the reach of goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon. David Beckham actually did well for himself, nearly equalizing 2 minutes later but it came to nothing as Manchester's goalie Ander Lindegaard parried the shot away. It was in the 45th when the next goal came, this time from the dangerous foot of Park Ji-Sung. Running on to a pass from Patrice Evra, he then danced around MLS defender Sean Franklin before launching a ball into the top-right corner of the net. 2-0 for the English. Into the second half, Rooney again came up with an assist again as he swung a ball in to Dimitar Berbatov who effortlessly chipped the ball over the All-Stars' back-up goalie Tally Hall. It was denied by the wood-work. No matter, Berbatov simply controlled it down before cannoning the ball into the back of the net. So, 3-0 in the 52nd minute. Last but not least came Danny Welbeck's 68th minute strike from outside of the box. It took a wicked deflection from defender Geoff Cameron which left goalkeeper Hall hanging out to dry as the ball landed in the net. Beckham and the other All-Stars tried some other times, but to no avail. 4-0 was the scoreline when time was called. An exciting match, unless you wanted the All-Stars to win.

Manchester United v.s. the MLS All-Stars is today!

Before last year, the MLS All-Stars had done rather well for themselves against English opposition. However, that all changed last year when Manchester United wiped the field with the home side, scoring 5 times while conceding 2. This year, the Americans obviously hope it will play out a little differently. True, Landon Donovan will not be present as he has some injury issues, but either Kasey Keller or Faryd Mondragon are up for goal-keeping duties. David Beckham will be in the side as well, but I'd keep an eye out for Thierry Henry who can always pull off a piece of brilliance. Also on the All-Star team will be Red Bulls Juan Agudelo, Joel Lindpere and Tim Ream. While Rafa Marquez looked a starter, injuries count him out too. On the other side of the pitch, Manchester United don't appear to be holding anything back. Yes, Javier Hernandez might not play after playing for Mexico recently in the Gold Cup but we'll see if he decides to make an appearance. Rooney, Nani, Owen, Ferdinand, and Vidic all look like they will make appearances though. The fact that Man U have crushed all U.S. opposition thus far in their tour does not bode well for the Americans: First came the New England Revolution. The game ended 4-1 to the British. The Seattle Sounders were left out to dry as well, falling 7-0. Last but not least was Chicago who fared the best, but still lost 3-1. No matter which way it goes, it is sure to be a good game so enjoy it!

The Audi Cup.

The Audi Cup. This year's edition will be the 2nd outing for this tournament which is taking place in Munich, Germany and has a lot of promise. The 4 teams that are competing for the title are Bayern Munich, the hosts; AC Milan of Italy; Internacional Porto Alegere of Brazil; and last but least, Spanish, European, and World-Champions Barcelona. Well the Final of this warm-up tournament has been set-up, and if the Semi's are any indicator, it is going to be fantastic. Today the Semi-finals took place and the team on top of the World, Barcelona, defeated Brazil's Internacional Porto Alegere 4-2 on penalties to book their place in the Final. That was after the semi-final was poised 2-2 at the end of regulation time. Needless to say, it was quite a game with the South Americans refusing to bow to the Spanish giants. Thiago Alcantara opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a sweet shot that Internacional's goalie could not stop. The Brazilians were not able to respond until the 2nd half, but better late than never right? Inter's defender Nei was the one to convert, in the 55th minute. So, 1-1. Barcelona didn't like that and Inter wanted another. Barca were able to strike themselves into the lead again though, this time through Jonathan dos Santos in the 62nd minute. Internacional were set back by this, but they pushed on and, 6 minutes before time they equalized thanks to Leandro Damiao. So the next big thing was penalties. David Villa, dos Santos, Carlos Carmona Bonet, and Armando Lozano each converted for Barcelona with only Jeffren Suarez unsuccessful. On the other side of the coin, Inter's Kléber de Carvalho Corrêa finished his, but Damiao and Jose Mario de Bona were unable to convert. Joao Paulo Mior's goal was not enough either as that only tallied up to 2 against Barcelona's 4. So, the Brazilians will compete in the 3rd place match while Barcelona move on to the Final. And who will they meet? In Bayern v.s. AC Milan, one got the feeling that this was the game of dueling giants. True, both haven't hit the same marks they are used to, but they are each respected domestically and internationally. So to the game! The Italians drew first blood very early on, through Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 4th minute! Bayern weren't to be intimidated though, equalizing in the 34th minute thanks to a brilliant Toni Kroos goal. 1-1 into half-time and 1-1 at the end of the 2nd half. After such a great start, things started slowing down despite the fact that both sides created chances. So just like the Barca v.s. Inter match, it was to be decided by penalties. Bayern were perfect here while Milan were... less than perfect. David Alaba scored for Bayern, Robinho did the same for Milan. Mario Gomez slotted home for the Germans while the Italians were not let down by Massimo Oddo. Thomas Muller scored  a 3rd for Bayern while Thiago Silva did the same for AC. Toni Kroos made it 4 for the hosts while AC's Paloschi did not score. Bastian Schweinsteiger wrapped things up for Bayern when he scored the 5th. There was no longer any way that Milan could win it. The Germans couldn't have been happier. So then, we will see Bayern take on Barcelona tomorrow in the Final of the Audi Cup while Internacional and Milan play in the 3rd place match. Best of luck to all of the sides!

U-19 European Championships update: The close of the group stage.

We had close games and blowouts today as both groups A and B finished up today. In Group A the Republic of Ireland faced, and drew 0-0 with, Romania. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic edged the Greeks 1-0 thanks to a 70th minute wonder goal from Tomas Prikryl. These results put the Czechs at the top of Group A with an undefeated record while the Republic of Ireland are in 2nd with 4 points. Just like the game today, the Greeks were edged by a point in the group table, bowing out with 3 points while the hosts of this tournament, Romania, are out as well, having amassed just 1 point from 3 games and so finishing 4th. Over in Group B, things were slightly more exciting with Serbia v.s. Belgium ending 1-1. The match in Buftea started early enough, Serbia's Andrej Mrkela struck his nation ahead in the 6th minute. However, that was about all the magic the team had as they held on to the 1-0 lead into half-time, but lost it in the 73rd minute when Marnick Vermijl struck Belgium level. Though both sides could have tallied a few more goals, it was still a heart-racing finish as the teams attacked and defended without a breakthrough. Had Belgium scored just 1 more they would have qualified for the next round. They knew that, but couldn't convert and so Serbia qualified. Last but not least was Spain's match with Turkey which surprisingly finished 3-0 to the Turks! It was a dismal game for the 4-time Champion Spaniards as they scored 2 own goals and allowed another without reply. First was Jonas Ramalho's 31st minute goal in the wrong net. Spain pulled it together and were down just 1-0 when the referee blew for half-time. The Spanish folded under pressure in the 51st minute though, allowing Turkey's Kamil Corekci to strike into the back of the net and putting themselves 2-0 down. The game wasn't done their though, rather, Sergi Gomez then put the ball into his own net making it a terrible 3-0 scoreline when the end of regulation time was called. Despite making the Spanish look like insecure jokes, Turkey did not qualify for the next round as Serbia had better averages. They do, however, take home quite a conciliation prize! Enjoy the Semi-finals!

U-20 World Cup in Colombia! Just a peek.

Let's start at the beginning, as that is normally the best place to start, in Group A. Hosts Colombia will be facing France, Mali, and South Korea in this group. Based on history, I'd just like to look at the teams. It has been about 8 years since Colombia were last able to place, and that was 3rd in 2003. That was the first and last time. France meanwhile haven't even been that successful. Mali meanwhile are in the same boat, only making 3rd, but that was in 1999. Last but not least, South Korea have made 4th, but for that you have to go back all the way to 1983! So what about the last U-20 World Cup? Well, Colombia didn't make it to Egypt in 2009. And France? Well, they didn't make it either. Mali too. South Korea however, were there. And they did very well for themselves, making it to the Quarter-finals. On to Group B! Here we have 2-time winning Portugal, Uruguay, Cameroon, and New Zealand. The Portuguese U-20's won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1991 and made it to 3rd place in 1995. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to qualify in 2009. But they are back and it may be that they are seeking revenge for their disappointment in not making it to Egypt in 2009. Uruguay meanwhile have been runners-up once (1997), 3rd-place finishers once (1979), and twice have they been 4th-place finishers (1977 and '99). In 2009, Uruguay made it to the Round of 16 before being eliminated. The African delegation in Group B, Cameroon, have not been all that successful in U-20 action since their first appearance in Australia in 1981. 2009 wasn't all that good for them either, winning only 1 game while losing to the U.S. and Germany quite convincingly. They lost to Argentina in the Quarter-finals in Qatar in 1995 and that's about the best the Cameroonians have been able to manage. In qualifying for Colombia 2011 though, they were very convincing being beaten only by Nigeria in the Final. Last but not least, we have New Zealand who have only qualified for 1 World Cup tournament, 4 years ago in that beautiful nation north of America: Canada. While they earned no points, they did give themselves a good name, fighting it out with powerful and talented sides such as Portugal, Mexico, as well as Gambia. We will have to see how they do in the coming days. In Group C we have the former standard bearer of Oceania and now formidable Asian contender Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Spain. Australia have finished 4th twice, in 1991 and '93 and, less impressively, they were knocked out in the 1st round of the Egyptian U-20 World Cup 2 years ago. And how about the Costa Ricans? They did quite well for themselves at the last World Cup, fighting their way to 4th place but in Colombia they will begin with a tough match against Spain. However, they've defeated Ecuador before and a match with Australia will be a challenge but let the best team win! Speaking of Ecuador, the last time they were at a U-20 World Cup was 10 years ago (has it really been that long since 2001?) in Argentina. That time however, they made it all the way to the Round of 16 before being beaten by a Michael Essien fueled Ghana. The Ecuadorians have had an up-take of fortunes of late including striking gold in 2007 in the Pan American Games, we'll have to see if all that promise pays off! Last but not least we have the highly-talented, much-lauded Spanish side. Their counterparts in both the senior men's and women's sides have taken the highest honors in Europe and the World. Surely the Spaniards of the U-20 side have the same goal in mind for this World Cup. Why not? Spain were victorious in Nigeria 1999, runners-up in 1985 and 2003, and came in 4th place in 1995: they have the pedigree. Let's see if they can extend their European performances to the World stage. Halfway done now! Group D awaits. Here we have Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Guatemala. Of these sides, Nigeria probably have the largest trophy cabinet, but that isn't really saying much. Croatia have only appeared at 1 U-20 World Cup, at Nigeria 1999 when they reached the Round of 16, falling to the powerful Brazilians. Saudi Arabia's history is somewhat less impressive: representing Asia 5 times at U-20 World Cups, the Saudi Arabians have never progressed beyond the group stage. They have, however, an imposing Asian track record which consists of 2 U-19 AFC Championship titles. Now then, Nigeria. They've been stumped at the final hurdle twice, in 1989 and 2005 while taking 3rd place in 1985. They are probably the best African side, though they have never won a U-20 World Cup title. Last but not least is Guatemala: this is their 1st U-20 World Cup expedition. Though they have finished runners-up twice in CONCACAF U-20 competitions, they will probably just try to not get beaten too badly on the world stage. Of Group E there is a lot to be excited about: Brazil, the hosts of the previous U-20 World Cup edition Egypt, Austria, and Panama. Brazil are just behind Argentina in number of titles won with 4 (winning in 1983, again in 1985, 1993, and 2003.) They've also finished runners-up 3 times, in 1991, 1995, and last World Cup. They have also finished in 3rd 3 times: in 1977, 1989, and 2005. Egypt finished 3rd in 2001 but that has been their high point, even when they hosted the World Cup, they only made it to the Knockout Stage. Austria meanwhile have finished in 4th once, but that has been about the best of their performances. Panama are probably the most unaccomplished of this Group, but they have so much potential! Though making it to 3 U-20 World Cups, the Panamanians have never been able to win a match. That said, they have regularly been at the youth competitions of both the Americas and the World (this makes 4 out of the last 5 attempts at the U-20 level alone.) To wrap this up, we have Group F. F has the potential of deciding who will be the Champion. I say this only because the Group is composed of Argentina, Mexico, England, and North Korea. Argentina have won the U-20 World Cup a record 6 times making 2nd only once, in 1983. 4th place was held by the Argentines in 2003. Mexico meanwhile were 2nd in 1977 though they did not qualify for Egypt 2009. England are along the same lines as the Mexicans, collecting 3rd-place in 1993 and 4th in 1981. In 2009 however, they left with just a draw against Uzbekistan to their name. As for North Korea? Though they are giants in Asia, winning the AFC U-19 Championship twice and making several other good showings, they have only appeared at the Canada 2007 U-20 World Cup before this. They almost pulled off quite an upset there, though they were ousted after a hard-fought defeat to Argentina. They won their 3rd Asian title this year on the way to this World Cup. Best of luck to all of the sides and look for more updates. I promise though, they'll be shorter than this one!

Copa America Final Uruguay v.s. Paraguay.

Well let's get to the part that you all care about: Uruguay have convincingly won their 17th Copa America title thanks to a brilliant performance from the whole team, especially Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan. And Paraguay? Well, having had the opportunity to win a South American title without even winning a game, they fell at the last hurtle and didn't even put up much of a struggle. Yes, their goalie should still be made a saint for essentially getting them this far but it was simply a thrashing in the Final. That said though, nobody could stop Uruguay in this competition. In fact, since appearing in the South African World Cup last year Uruguay have only continued to improve. And yesterday, the beating began almost immediately: Uruguay stuck in the 12th minute through Luis Suarez. Admittedly, a deflection caused Villar to be caught out but on the other hand, where was the defense? So, Paraguay tightened up a bit, beginning to play their game while Uruguay continued to dominate the game. The next goal however, came just before half-time. It pretty much put the game to bed though. After a defensive howler, Arevalo Rios of Uruguay found himself in possession and closing in on the Paraguayan goal. Forlan collected a pass and struck beautifully with his left giving Paraguay's Villar no chance. 2-0 Uruguay as the teams went in for the break. The 2nd half was a lot less eventful, save for the 3rd and final goal in the 90th minute. It was a beautiful counter-attack really, with Cavani collecting after the corner, racing down the left flank before finding Suarez who, deciding not to try it, headed the ball on to Forlan who effortlessly slotted it into the bottom-right corner. Game over. Let the celebrations begin. Congratulations Uruguay and thank you Paraguay for a thrilling Copa America!

Almost forgot the 3rd place game of the Copa America!

That's right, it took place today between Peru and Venezuela and did not disappoint (that is, unless you were hoping to see one of these sides in the Finals.) It was an especially fantastic day for Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero who began by setting up William Chiroque for a goal in the 42nd minute before trying his own luck with the ball, striking a hat-trick with goals in the 64th, 89th, and 92nd minutes! Yes, Venezuela did stem the tide a little when Juan Fernando Arango scored in the 77th minute, and they did have several dangerous chances throughout the match, but that was never going to be enough. After all, they were already a man down after a red card to midfielder Tomas Rincon in the 58th. Despite the fact that this was only the 3rd place match for the two sides, they should remember that they are progressed farther then the hosts Argentina, who have Lionel Messi amongst others, defending champions and giants Brazil, and their own ghosts. Need I remind you that Peru were missing 2 of their best strikers (Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizarro) while also being the worst team in South American World Cup qualifying for the South African addition last year? Thanks to both of the teams for a great tournament!

What a day for U-19 action! 7/23/2011.

So then, the Group stages are nearing a close now. Today, we had several matches including the Czech Republic v.s. the Republic of Ireland; hosts Romania v.s. Greece; Turkey play Belgium; while last but not least, Serbia faced Spain. So, let's get started! The Czechs were able to edge the Irish in their game today, 2-1. Despite going down early to a John O'Sullivan goal for Ireland, the Czechs fought back in the 2nd half scoring first through captain Jakub Brabec in the 69th minute and then again in the 71st minute through substitute Patrik Lacha. With that result, the Czechs took top spot in the group while the Republic of Ireland must deal with being tied for 2nd. And so we move onto the big match for the country hosting the tournament: Romania. They faced Greece today in a match that they really needed to win to keep their chances of progressing alive. They were unsuccessful. It was a close, hard-fought match but the Greeks ended it with the 3 points under their belt. Funny though, how it all turned in the 37th minute when the young Kostas Fortounis struck. You wouldn't figure it to be a death blow, and it might not be if results go the Romanian's way, but in all likelihood, Romania are out of the tournament they are hosting. The Greeks are positioned in 3rd (tied 2nd) with 3 points while Romania have 0. Now then, to Group B where are just as energetic if not more so: Spain replayed their cancelled match against Belgium on the 21st and won convincingly 4-1 which gives them a good start to things. They continued their progress with a 0-4 victory over Serbia today. 3 of the 4 goals came in the 1st half when Alvaro Morata struck 2 of his 3 hat-trick goals: on either side of Juanmi's 15th minute goal. So, Spain have booked their place in the Semi-final leaving Serbia in 2nd with 3 points (which they collected from their 2-0 victory over Turkey on the 20th.) What about the other 2 teams? Well, the tournament isn't looking so nice for either Turkey or Belgium to be honest. They each lost their first matches while a 1-1 draw today saved some pride, but did no one any favors. The Group stage wraps up on the 26th so be sure to tune in for some good games!

Women's U-17 Championships: starting the 28th.

The Senior-level sides of the Women's game have competed, and we have a new Champion, from Asia! Well, we also have the U-17 competition of Europe which has been taking place between September and April when the qualifying rounds were completed. And now, we have reached the Semi-finals! The 28th of this month, we will see Iceland take on Spain, while Germany and France face-off in the other match. Iceland have defeated all competition up to this point beginning with a 14-0 slaughter of Lithuania. Then came a 10-0 destruction of Bulgaria followed by a 5-1 victory over Italy. With such a breathtaking 1st round, the people of Iceland had reason to be confident as their team went into the 2nd round. They were not disappointed. First came a 2-0 victory over England, then the same result over Poland. All that was left was a match against hapless Sweden and they would be in with an undefeated record. The Icelandic women performed yet again: winning 1-4. But what about the team they face in the Semi-final match, Spain? Well, the Spaniards started off just as powerfully, crushing Georgia 13-0 before fighting for a 2-0 result against Belarus. Then came the Netherlands who bested Spain's results by a goal against each of their respective opponents. Clearly, it did not bode well for the Spanish ladies. Well, somehow they managed it, edging their rivals from the Netherlands 0-1. So, on to the 2nd round for Spain! Things continued along similar lines for the women of Spain with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Belgium first on the list. Then came Italy who the Spaniards absolutely shined against, putting in 6 while allowing only 1 to go into their own net. Last but not least was the Czech Republic who actually managed to upset the boat in a 3-1 display of gritty fighting. And so to the other Semi-final leg and the performances of the 2 teams up to this point: Germany's journey began in the 2nd round. First came Finland who the Germans thrashed 5-0 before moving on to a 9-0 victory over Russia. The Danes were the last opposition for Germany and they were dealt with 0-3. And then France? Well their account opened in the 1st round, where they hit Israel with a 9-0 defeat before moving on to Croatia who were beaten 0-4. However, in the last match of the round came Sweden. Despite being in France, the French women were left disappointed having been edged 2-3. No matter, it was on to the 2nd round! So, to the 2nd qualifying round where France first met Scotland. It ended 1-4 to the French. Then against Switzerland, the scoreline was 0-2 for the French when time was called. Last but not least came Wales, who had fought their way to 2 draws up to this point. The French played the heart-breakers though, winning 2-0 and booking their match with Germany. Let it be said, that Germany have only lost 1 game in the history of the Women's European U-17 Championship, and that was last year in the Semi-final stage after winning the 2 previous titles. Fun fact: Spain were the team to win the title last year. All the best to the 4 remaining teams and look for the matches on Eurosport if you can't make it to the matches themselves!

The return of some domestic leagues! Coming soon.

First of all, we have the Scottish Premier League which is coming back to us this Saturday when last year's champions Rangers take on Hearts of Midlothian. Celtic, who finished a point behind their rivals last year, will open their campaign against Hibernian on Sunday. Moldova's domestic league is also starting back up with the top three title contenders all starting on what should be light notes with FC Dacia Chisinau facing FC Nistru Otaci; FC Sheriff looking to get things off on the right foot against FC CSCA-Rapid Ghidighici; and 8-time champions Zimbru eager to kick-off their own title campaign. Meanwhile, Croatia's national league also began anew this past Tuesday, when HNK Hajduk Split defeated HNK Sibenik 2-1. This weekend, the defending champions Dinamo Zagreb hope to open their account positively against Inter Zapresic as they will be competing internationally, for the league, and the cup. Also in Eastern Europe, we have the Russian league opening with the reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg facing off against heavy-spending Anzhi Makhachkala this Sunday. It'll probably be a tough match for both sides as they each are missing a couple of players. Last but not least, Romania's domestic championship is also set to kick off with the champions Otelul Galati facing an away match against newly-promoted-but-not-to-be-laughed-at Petrolul Ploiesti. Otelul Galati started things off in the right direction in their Super Cup triumph last weekend, best of luck to all of the sides and here's hoping to a wonderful year of football!

U-19 Championships in Romania,

Well in the 2 group stages of the tournament, things have gotten off to quite a start. First of all, in Group A, the Czech Republic defeated Romania 3-1 in their opening match of the tournament. With that result, the Czech Republic have put themselves into the poll position of the Group. 2nd place is held by the Republic of Ireland who defeated Greece 2-1 in their first match. So, 3rd place is held by the Greeks while the hosts Romania are in 4th. Meanwhile, in Group B, Spain have started terrifically, hammering Belgium 4-1 and putting themselves into 1st place. Serbia v.s. Turkey finished 2-0 for the Serbs which is why they are in 2nd place while Turkey occupy 3rd and Belgium are in 4th. The next matches will be on the 23rd of July where the Group A winners thus far (the Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland) face off while the current losers (Romania and Greece) will also be playing. In Group B, Turkey play Belgium while the chance to remain undefeated between Serbia and Spain also takes place. Best of luck to all of the teams and here is hoping for a great tournament!

And the Final match of the Copa America is set!

It's been a fine run of games in the Copa America, and the Final is finally set to go down. Uruguay were already through, and we waited simply on the result from the Paraguay v.s. Venezuela game. And how did it end? Well, all the way to penalties, and Paraguay have made it to their first Copa America Final in 32 years! Most of the team's success is down to the phenomenal goal keeping of Justo Villar. While Paraguay's performances haven't had quite the spark of a great championship-winning side. In fact, the Venezuelans put up a great resistance, having several opportunities but to no avail. Villar had the skill, the luck, and the defenders to keep the Paraguayans in the game. The Paraguay team just hunkered down as the game made its way through extra-time and to penalties. They allowed nothing into their net, but made no forward progress either. However, Paraguay led 3-2 in the shootout when Villar stepped up his game, and won Paraguay theirs. It was a fine save of Franklin Lucena's ball which began the victory celebrations, as Paraguay won 5-3 in penalties and are in the Final! Look for the match the 24th of this month in Buenos Aires while the 3rd place match takes place in La Plata the 23rd. Enjoy!

Quick update on the Copa America: 7/20/2011.

Just yesterday, we saw the first of the two semi-finals of the Copa America where Peru and Uruguay faced off again after a draw the last time the two sides met, in the group stage. Well, the result was totally different for the Celeste this time around! Luis Suarez had a magnificent game, striking 2 goals within in 5 minutes or so after a 1st half that, while providing some opportunities, left much to be desired. The 2nd 45 minutes was a complete turn around with Suarez showing his skills and bagging the opener in the 52nd minute. He struck 5 minutes later to solidify Uruguay's position in the Final. And Peru? Well, they shared ball possession roughly 50-50, they had a total of 9 shots (3 of which can be said to have been on target) while also collecting 3 yellows and a red. One way or another, we have a winner from the match in La Plata and now Uruguay must wait for the winner of the second semi-final later today taking place in Mendoza. Best of luck to both Paraguay and Venezuela, and I for one am looking forward to a great Final match on the 24th!

Copa America: Wrapping up the Quarter-finals. 7/18/11.

Yesterday we saw several great games around the world as the Women's World Cup was won by Japan in penalties, and the last two games of the quarter final round of the Copa America were played. For those of you who don't remember, Brazil were facing Paraguay while Chile had Venezuela on their plates. So, to the first of these two highly-anticipated matches! Brazil and Paraguay both had several chances throughout the match but unfortunately, it will probably most be remembered for the number of cards given. Interestingly enough, things were relatively quiet on this front in the first half with only Paraguay's Enrique Vera collecting one in the 20th minute. However, in the second 45 minutes, the dams burst and the cards flowed forth. First came Brazil's Andre Santos who received a yellow in the 56th minute, just 3 minutes late Maicon received one too. But Paraguay started feeling left out I suppose, so Edgar Barreto came on in the 63rd, and collected a yellow in the 64th. Elvis Marecos pulled a similar stunt, coming on in the 70th and collecting just a minute later. Now then, at this point not one goal had been scored for either side. In fact, as the end of regulation time was reached, things were still level 0-0. So, to extra time! The 102nd minute was probably the most exciting part of this time as two red cards were shown after an ugly exchange. Brazil's Lucas Leiva and Paraguay's Antolin Alcaraz were the two men sent off. And so, we arrived at penalties. Brazil shot first, and Elano did not convert. Neither did Thiago Silva, Andre Santos, or Fred. For the opposition, Edgar Barreto was unsuccessful, but Marcelo Estigarribia and Christian Riveros both converted for Paraguay, winning them the match 2-0. Meanwhile, in San Juan, Argentina, in the Estadio del Bicentenario, Chile and Venezuela fought it out for the last semi-final position. Oswaldo Vizcarrondo opened the scoring, for Venezuela, in the 34th minute. It was a while in coming, but Chile did equalize in the 69th minute through Humberto Suazo. However, the Venezuelans weren't content with ending regulation time drawn 1-1. So, in the 80th minute, Gabriel Cichero was able to strike one for them, much to the pleasure of their fans; and the dismay of Chile's. Now, then, we have to look at an unfortunate reality of the match: the poor conduct. While the goals did flow in this game, the cards flowed just as much as they had in the Brazil v.s. Paraguay game. In the 26th Chile's Mauricio Isla collected a yellow while the Venezuelan Cesar Eduardo Gonzalez received one 10 minutes later. However, worse was to come as the 1st half drew to a close with Venezuela up 0-1. Brazil collected the first two: Gary Medel took a yellow with 5 minutes left in the half while Pablo Contreras was given one in the first minute of stoppage time of the half. Then, Venezuela's Tomas Rincon actually saw red in the second minute of stoppage time. And so the half ended. The second half was more civil as both sides played their games, each scoring once. Arturo Vidal of Chile collected a yellow in the 79th while Gary Medel received a second yellow and a sending-off 2 minutes after Venezuela scored what would be their winner. And so, onwards to the semi-finals where Peru and Uruguay face-off while the giant-killing duo of Paraguay and Venezuela will play out the other match. Good luck trying to predict who will win these two!

Women's Final update.

Well it was a hard-fought, topsy-turvey match with a ton of opportunities for both sides, but America clearly had more chances. However, it was to no avail as they only scored once in regulation time, the opener through Alex Morgan in the 69th minute. This was after a great threaded pass which Morgan all too happily latched on to. This was good for the U.S. after a ton of chances, right from the off of the match. However, this lead wasn't to hold as Aya Miyama equalized for Japan in the 81st minute. And so, the game went into extra time. Once more, America was struck into the lead, this time through a prolific header by Abby Wambach in the 101st minute. So, all was well and good for the U.S. right? Wrong, Japan once more equalized, this time in the 117th minute. And oh was it a beauty: Homare Sawa's agility served her well as she rushed in a struck a vicious equalizer that stopped the Americans cold. The U.S. carried on though, having an opportunity in the 121st minute stopped illegally by Japan's Iwashimizu which got her a red card. That was essentially it then, as the game proceeded into penalties. The U.S. had 2 saved by Japan's goalie but Abby Wambach did strike hers in. Japan on the other hand, struck all but 1 of theirs in as they went on a warpath, and received the Women's World Cup title in return. Congrats to the Japanese, they deserved it, and thank you to all of the competition, including the U.S., for making this a tournament to never forget!

Lots of news! 7/16/11.

First off, the third place match of the Women's World Cup in Germany. In it, Sweden and France faced off for the first, and least, of the medals. And? Well Sweden struck first in the 29th minute through Lotta Schelin to get things going before the half. Elodie Thomis was the woman who equalized for France though, in the 56th minute, to the delight of the French supporters.Things were very tense following the equalizer, with both sides having opportunities. Nothing was converted though. Nothing, that is, until the 82nd minute. Then, Marie Hammarstrom settled the ball and unleashed an absolute rocket into the top left corner of the net, just out of reach of France's goalie, Celine Deville. This after Sweden were brought down to 10 men by the sending-off of Josefine Oqvist in the 68th minute. The game stood thus as the full-time whistle blew, 2-1 in Sweden's favor. Meanwhile, in the Copa America competition, Colombia were shocked 2-0 by Peru earlier today despite the favored Colombian side getting off to a better start, and proceeding to waste all their chances. Falcao slotted his spot-kick wide of the goal, Dayro Moreno and Fredy Guarin had their chances for Colombia as well. Peru had their chances too though, with the Colombian goalkeeper (Luis Martinez) having to be at his best to deny Vargas and William Chiroque among others. And so, the game reached the end of regulation time with the two sides level 0-0. You just got the feeling that it would be down to who faltered first to decide the match. And so it happened, in the 101st minute that Colombia's goalie Martinez made a mistake and Carlos Augusto Lobaton struck from inside the penalty area to give Peru a 1-0 advantage. The result was only to be confirmed by Juan Manuel Vargas' 111th minute goal from the penalty spot. Over in the other quarter-final of today, Argentina played Uruguay. It ended in penalties after both regulation and extra time ended 1-1 with both sides having chances to go ahead, but neither side taking them. So, to penalties. Well, Messi and Forlan both converted, and 7 other goals followed. However, you'll notice that doesn't add up to 10. That's right, Uruguay converted all 5 of their chances while Argentina were left 1 shy. The Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was able to save one, and that knocks Argentina out of the competition, a big blow to the nation that is hosting the competition. Thus, it sets up a semi-final clash  between Peru and Uruguay. Tomorrow we have more from both of these competitions with the Final of the Women's World Cup and more Quarter-final action in the Copa America. Enjoy!

Copa America: Quarter-finals.

Well Saturday the 16th, the competition of the Copa America is back with Colombia facing Peru and the huge match between Argentina and Uruguay as well. The next day, Sunday, Brazil and Paraguay face-off once more while Chile and Venezuela do the same. For the Saturday matches, Colombia could be said to have an advantage over Peru as the formers' performances up to this point have been a bit better. Argentina and Uruguay on the other hand will probably be a bigger match and a lot closer. I would tip Uruguay as they had a slightly harder group and still managed the same record as their Argentine opponents. For the Saturday matches, Brazil v.s. Paraguay will be a close match again as the two sides drew the last time they came together. Last but not least, Chile v.s Venezuela should be close too but I would say Chile may lead at the end of the game based on their leading Group C: above Uruguay, Peru, and Mexico. All of which are normally powerful countries if not title contenders. Venezuela on the other hand were second to admittedly Brazil however second is second. Either way, get ready for the matches!

And we are back! 7/13/2011.

First of all, I apologize for the tardiness of this post, I haven't had much computer access of late. Anyway, back to what is important! A ton is going on this summer with the Women's World Cup in Germany, Mexico hosting the U-17 World Cup, and countless other events taking place. So then, on to the Women's World Cup! With the hosts knocked out  it has still been a fantastic tournament with most of the usual suspects and some surprises have all really been performing well. Germany had been playing well, Brazil (especially Marta) were making beautiful football, and Sweden were working the pitch magnificently. Last but not least, the French and the Japanese are doing wonders and have the hearts and minds of many people with them. And you can't forget the Americans who have worked miracles as much as anyone could hope for. What is the Final looking like then? Well, the Japanese beat Sweden in their Semi-final to book their ticket while the U.S.A. were able to defeat the French by a similar scoreline in their match. Meanwhile, over in Central America, in Mexico, after the hosts defeated Germany quite convincingly and Uruguay upset Brazil, the 3rd place match was an intense, goal gorged thriller between Brazil and Germany which saw the Germans leave the tournament on a semi-high. In the Final meanwhile, Mexico essentially had their way with the Uruguayans who just weren't good enough on the day. I look forward to completing all the summer's action at a later point!