On to the Semi-Finals!

The Women's U-20 World Cup continues at a blistering pace as Nigeria edged Mexico by a scoreline of 1-0 in their Quarter-Final showdown. On the same day, hosts Japan put a hurting on the visiting South Korean ladies as their game was 3-1 at the half with surprisingly no more goals in the 2nd half of the game. Onwards now to North Korea's face-off with the United States: After a high-tension but goalless 1st half the two sides were able to strike once each before the end of regulation time for a score of 1-1 before extra-time. That was after the U.S. had led for about 23 minutes after Vanessa Di Bernardo struck in the 52nd while Su Gyong Kim equalized in the 75th. The extra-time breakthrough came from Chioma Ubogagu who slotted home 8 minutes into the 1st half of extra-time. And that wasn't all as the game came to a close sensationally with the North Koreans looking for an equalizer while the U.S. defended while keeping their opponents on their toes. Last but certainly not least we had the Quarter-Final game between Germany and Norway which turned into a massive clobbering for the Germans as they sprinted to a 3-0 lead by the end of the 1st half. Their 4th goal, coming in the 85th minute of the 2nd half merely cemented what was already a foregone conclusion: the Germans are in the Semi-Finals. The journey isn't over yet though! As far as the Semi- Finals are concerned each continent besides South America and Oceania has a representative: Nigeria will be facing the United States, taking care of Africa and North America while Japan will take on Germany, the representatives from Asia and Europe respectively. Enjoy the matches as they are sure to be entertaining!

The Champion's League is in your future!

The draw has been made for the upcoming season's action in Europe's premier club tournament and it is sure to be fantastic: Group A has the likes of perennial Portuguese league winners Porto facing the likes of Dynamo Kiev, always a strong side at home; Paris St Germain who went on a buying binge over the summer before what has been an uninspired opening set of games in the French league. Last but not least we have Dinamo Zagreb who will play the part of the minnows in this group as they hope to partake in some giant-slaying. On to Group B now where Arsenal and Schalke (from England and Germany respectively) will be the favorites as Greek side Olympiacos will hope to work some magic as will in-form Montpellier of France. As for Group C there isn't too much to speak of as far as on-paper concerns go. However, once on the field we'll see how AC Milan, Zenit St. Petersburg, Anderlecht, and Malaga will face-off. And then there is Group D - arguably the most exciting group as four domestic defending champions challenge one another to make it to the next round: Real Madrid (Spain), Manchester City (England), Ajax (the Netherlands), and Dortmund (Germany). The rest of the groups aren't let-downs though! Chelsea will probably face pressure from Juventus and Shaktar Donetsk in Group E though Nordsjaelland shouldn't be under-estimated either although most paint them as the doormat the other clubs will brush their feet on as they move on. I for one hope the Danish side surprise us! Group F will most likely be dominated by Bayern Munich though if they fall apart once more the likes of Valencia, Lille, and BATE will jump on any chance to progress. Group G's match-ups should also be exciting as Barcelona look to reclaim both their domestic and international honor while their Portuguese neighbors Benfica will be similarly conflicted between managing domestic and international pressures. Spartak Moscow will be relying on a lot of home support as they have already set the pace for their domestic season. Last but certainly not least we have Celtic who are looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as they should not struggle domestically (following their rivals Rangers' demotion to the 3rd division) meaning (hopefully) for bhoys fans that the international stage beckons. We'll have to wait and see! And finally there is Group H! Manchester United are clear favorites to win while Braga, Galatasaray, and Cluj will mostly likely compete over the second progression slot. Hope you are looking forward to the action as much as I am!

Action from around Europe.

As it stands, Europe's leagues appear to have taken a familiar tone in most respects as Chelsea lead the English Premier League with a game over the competition and 9 points in the bag. Swansea City are actually the holders of 2nd place - winning 6 points from their first 2 games. Everton are tied with the Swansea side for second after their first two games. As for 3rd? Well, West Brom and Manchester City are the two sides sharing that position with two games played apiece. They both won 1 game and tied their a 2nd. 4th position is a 5-way tie with Fulham, Manchester United, Wigan, Newcastle, and West Ham each sharing the spoils with 1 win from each of their 2 games played thus far respectively. And as for 5th? Well Stoke and Arsenal currently sit their with 2 points to their respective names after 2 draws from their first 2 games. Sunderland are the only team who have yet to play their 2nd game which puts them at the top of the line for 6th position. Moving on now, to Spain's La Liga, Barcelona, Real Valladolid, and Rayo Vallecano all sit at the top of the table with 6 points each from their first 2 games. Then, we have quite a few teams with 4 points: Atletico de Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña, Mallorca, Sevilla, and Malaga. Now it'll be down to consolidation for these sides. However, several teams have 3 points - winning 1 though losing their other of their first 2 matches played - Real Betis, Getafe, Real Zaragoza, and Real Sociedad. Valencia have 2 points while one huge name is currently beneath them with just a point: Real Madrid! Granada and Levante also have 1 point to their name respectively. Moving on to France, the league has well-known names at its top though there have been some surprises: Marseille are full-time winners with 9 points from their first 3 games. Olympique Lyon, Valenciennes, Bordeaux, and Toulouse each have 7 points after 2 wins and a draw to their respective tallies. Bastia have been pretty solid with 6 points from their opening 3 games. Lorient and Lille have 5 points each while Nancy are just behind with 4. Disappointingly, PSG - big-signers over the summer - are stuck with a mere 3 points from their first 3 games, registering draws in each one of their games. Admittedly, they are undefeated but not really emphatically. Quickly before my laptop battery dies: the Netherlands' league is currently being lead by FC Twente with 9 points from 3 games. Ajax, Vitesse, Waalwijk, and Feyenoord each have 7 points while PSV have 6 from their first 3 matches played. Last but certainly not least, Scotland is being led by Celtic who hold 7 points after just 3 games while Hibernian also have 7 though from 4 games played. Dundee United are next up with 6 points from their first 3 matches played. Make sure to keep abreast with goings-on around Europe! The leagues are exciting as ever!

U-20 Women's World Cup: onto the Quarter-Finals!

And we have solidified the match-ups that will be taking place in the Quarter-Final round! The last games in each group have been played and the strongest survive: Mexico demolished New Zealand 4-0 despite a half-time score of 0-0 while Japan thrashed the Swiss at the same level in Tokyo. That was Group A, in Group B though, Italy were upset by a talented Nigerian side 0-4 while South Korea dented the Brazilians' confidence in a 2-0 clash which also took place in Tokyo. All of these games took place on the 26th of August. Today, however, we wrapped things up in Group C as Norway crushed Argentina 4-1 while the Canadians were edged 1-2 by the North Koreans. Last but certainly not least we had Group D's fighting between the likes of the United States and Germany which ended 0-3 in favor of the Germans! China's 1-0 edging of Ghana after an early goal may have been the most unexciting game though it was certainly not boring! With the Groups having thus concluded, here are the finishing positions: Group A was commanded by an undefeated Japan with 7 points while Mexico edged the New Zealanders out of 2nd with 2 points: 6 to their 4. Switzerland goes home with nothing in 4th position. What of Group B? Leaders Nigeria once more had 7 points while South Korea were down by just 1. Brazil fail to progress with 2 as do Italy who were able to manage just a solitary point. On to Group C where North Korea absolutely dominated - going unbeaten! Norway finished 2nd with 6 points while Canada go home early with 3 points. Finally, a full 0 points was achieved by the Argentines who seemed completely unable to attack or defend! And then we had Group D: Germany went on a winning streak while the USA and China tied 4-4 on points. They had to be separated on goal difference which the United States proceeded to win: +1 to -3! Unfortunately, Ghana was unable to register even a point as they go home. And where do we stand on the Quarter-Final front? Nigeria and Mexico will face off in Tokyo on the 30th while Japan and South Korea face one another later on the same day again in Tokyo. Then, on August 31st we have the last two games of the Quarter-Final stage, in Saitama. North Korea and the United States play in the first match there while Germany and Norway take one another on later that day. Make sure to watch!

2012 Futsal World Cup Thailand: The Draw.

It happened earlier today and the air of excitement was unmistakeable! Hosts Thailand will face Costa Rica, Paraguay and Ukraine in Group A while Group B is made up of the likes of Spain, Iran, Morocco, and Panama. Brazil, Japan, Libya, and Portugal make up an exciting Group C as Group D will be contested by the likes of Argentina, Mexico, Australia, and Italy. Group E could be anyone's with Egypt, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Kuwait all in the running. Last but certainly not least, Group F has some of the largest and smallest teams: Russia, the Solomon Islands, Guatemala, and Colombia. Make sure you are ready for his sure-to-be-thrilling competition!

U-20 Women's World Cup

As has already been discussed, Switzerland's win-less tournament continues following their defeat at the hands of Mexico, 2-0. Japan and New Zealand meanwhile played out a 2-2 draw though the Lady Kiwis had actually been leading at the half. Also, Brazil and Nigeria finished even with a 1-1 scoreline despite the fact that the Nigerian's had the lead at the half. On the other hand, Italy were thrashed by the South Koreans by a 0-2 margin even though they had held on to a 0-0 scoreline through the first half. On now to Group C where the North Korean women absolutely obliterated their Argentine opposition 9-0. Astoundingly, it was already 7-0 at the half! However, in the other Group C match-up we had Norway upsetting and edging the Canadians despite the fact that the North Americans had led at the have by a 0-1 margin. Indeed, Norway's 2nd half rally was comparable to that of Germany who edged their Ghanaian opponents in Group D action by a 0-1 margin. Last but not least the United States and the Chinese tied after each side struck in the 1st half though neither could find a breakthrough in the 2nd. Hope you are enjoying the games and doubtless you should try to catch some of the upcoming games: on the 26th Group A's final round of games will commence with Mexico challenging New Zealand while hosts Japan take on the hapless Swiss side. Also on the 26th, Group B's last round plays out as bottom-dwellers Italy the Nigerian women challenging for a place in the next round as the undefeated Brazilians (who have also not actually won a game yet!) take on the likes of South Korea.

What you can expect tomorrow.

Besides some amazing contests between some of the best U-20 teams in the world, tomorrow will be another thrilling day in Japan as the second round of group play begins for the U-20 Women's World Cup! What can you expect? Well, the two losers of the opening day of Group A face-off when Mexico and Switzerland meet. Later, Japan and New Zealand fight it out to determine who will sit at the top of the group. The first game of the day though, between Brazil and Nigeria, will pair up the two trend-setters of Group B while Italy will be hoping for victory over a South Korean side who lost their opener. Then, on Thursday we will be treated to some feasts of football as the formidable North Koreans take on an Argentine side that was obliterated 6-0 by the Canadians who will be facing Norway. You wouldn't be faulted for saying that the group looks just about settled despite only the opening round having been played in Group C. Last but not least we'll have Ghana v.s. Germany and the United States playing China in what is sure to be an exciting Group D! Enjoy the show!

U-20 Women's World Cup update!!!!!

So all of the groups have played their opening games and things are looking quite explosive! Hosts Japan and New Zealand currently lead Group A with 3 points a piece while Switzerland and Mexico have yet to register a point. Japan's 4-1 demolition of Mexico will probably be one of the highest-scoring clashes of the tournament. Meanwhile, New Zealand's 2-1 edging of Switzerland bodes well for the lady kiwis! On now to Group B where Nigeria lead after a straightforward 2-0 victory over the South Koreans. Then, Italy and Brazil drew in their opening clash, a 1-1 spectacle that resolved just about nothing. The results, however, leaves everything to be decided in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of group play. As for Group C we saw only extreme scorelines as Canada obliterated Argentina by a scoreline of 6-0 and North Korean and the Norwegian women played out a high-scoring 4-2 affair. Last but certainly not least we have Group D where there were 4-0 games: Germany defeating China by that margin and the United States going on to do the same against Ghana. Make sure to catch some of the next games! They are sure to be exhilarating.

And the leagues are back!

Well, after all of this exciting summer action we are back and the same as always: Fulham, Swansea City, West Brom, Chelsea, Manchester City as well as Newcastle and West Ham all started off the English Premier League with wins while Reading, Stoke, Arsenal, and Sunderland drew their respective matches. However, both of these groups are better off than the likes of Southampton, Spurs, Aston Villa, Wigan, Liverpool, Norwich City and QPR who lost their opening matches. Last but not least Manchester United and Everton have not begun their league campaigns yet. On to the Spanish La Liga where Barcelona opened their league efforts with a 5-1 victory over Real Sociedad. Real Betis,  Deportivo la Coruna, Mallorca, Sevilla, and Malaga also got off to winning starts as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Levante, and Valencia faced draws with one another. Granada, Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, Real Valladolid, and Real Zaragoza have yet to have the music while Espanyol, Getafe, Celta de Vigo, Athletic Club, Osasuna, and Real Sociedad failed to impress on their first showings. Enjoy!

U-20 Women's World Cup 2012 - Japan!

You can be sure that it will be a thrilling tournament as the hosts, Japan, face stiff competition from the likes of Mexico, New Zealand, and Switzerland in Group A. Meanwhile, always competitive Brazil will take on challenging Group B opposition in Italy, Nigeria, and South Korea! As for Group C, anyone really could win it as the likes of North Korea, Norway, Argentina, and Canada face-off in what each of them will hope will be their first round of games among many. Last but certainly not least we have Group D where Ghana and China will have the mountains of the United States and Germany to climb if they are to progress out of the group stages! Taking place between the 19th of August and the 8th of September, the games are sure to bring a lot of excitement and fierce competition so I certainly encourage you to watch a game or two. There will be no teams new to the scene however this is only Ghana's second appearance at a U-20 Women's World Cup so they will feel as though they still have a lot to prove to the world. I would expect, at the very least, the United States and one of the Asian representatives (maybe Japan for their first time?) to make it to the Semi-Finals. The reigning champion German women are also looking like strong contenders to make a title run while the Swiss may have a reason to look at this tournament with some apprehension: they haven't won a match in the U-20 World Cup competition in 6 matches! Enjoy!

The Women's Gold and Bronze Medal Games!

What a brilliant tournament it has been! Absolutely enchanting as the two best teams in the world, the United States and Japan faced off in an enthralling Gold Medal. Things got off to a flying start with Carli Lloyd striking in the 8th minute for the U.S. That was the first sign that this game might not be a repeat of the Women's World Cup Final between the two sides. However, the game proceeded after the first goal with much passion but little headway for either side. By the half, the Americans looked secure though underestimating the Japanese side would have been deadly. Instead, the U.S. secured their lead through Lloyd once more in the 54th minute! At 2-0  many seemed to think it was over for Japan. Instead of rolling over though, the Asians brought themselves one back through Yuki Ogimi in the 63rd minute. There was a renewed sense of expectancy after the goal, however no more came as the U.S. defense clamped down and they cemented their gold medal victory. Earlier in the day though, in the Bronze Medal match between Canada and France there was a nail-biting conclusion with neither side able to break the deadlock until the 2nd minute of stoppage time of the 2nd half! Diana Matheson was the one who put it away, making her name one that will go down in the Canadian sports history. They'll only wish she could have done the same thing in a Gold Medal game. Nevertheless, it was a sensational conclusion to a game that could have truly gone either way. I hope you enjoy the women's Olympic soccer and congratulations to all the teams for making it a memorable experience!

And now for the men's Semi-Finals!

And now for the men's competition! Winning the Semi-Final matches today puts two teams in the position to win the gold, a first time for each of them! And Mexico v.s. Japan was the first game of the day with the South Americans triumphing over the Asians by a tremendous margin of 3-1 despite the fact that the Japanese had opened the scoring in the 12th minute through the talented Yuki Otsu. Nevertheless, Mexico's rally took until the 2nd half to materialize with the 1st half ending at a 1-1 stand-still after Marco Fabian equalized for the Mexicans in the 31st minute. By the end of regulation time Mexico had displayed their dominance with goals in the 65th and 3rd minute of stoppage time - the latter coming from 90th minute substitute Javier Cortes! Meanwhile South Korea's match against Brazil was even more one-sided: Despite leading possession earlier in the game the Koreans proceeded to get hammered by a margin of 0-3 as the Brazilians ran away winners and will be facing Mexico in the Gold Medal Final! The South Koreans and the Japanese will then be playing in the Bronze Medal game to determine who is the better of the two sides. Make sure to watch!

Women's Semi-Finals!!!

What a thrilling day today! Canada v.s. the United States concluded regulation time with the sides level at 3-3 despite the fact that the Canadians continually put themselves into the lead through the phenomenal Christine Sinclair. The U.S. proceeded to get themselves back into the game each time though, showing a true spirit that drove them to find something deep within themselves. It finally materialized though: the U.S. finally captured a goal of their own to get into the lead for the first time in the game: in the 3rd minute of stoppage time of the 2nd period of extra time. It was a lead that they wouldn't surrender and a win that puts the United States into the gold medal performance. Meanwhile in the other leg France faced Japan in what was a thoroughly one-sided performance through the 75th minute. Up until that point, Japan was in the lead by an outstanding 0-2 margin. However, France did make the scoreline a bit more respectable as Eugenie le Sommer slotted home in the 76th minute to cement a 1-2 victory for the Japanese. Thus, they'll be facing the Americans in the Final! Make sure to watch!

Olympic Soccer: Men's Quarter-Finals.

Today was another day of goals with every game averaging more than two goals! (In fact, for the most part they well exceeded this average!) Japan's match with Egypt was probably the most one-sided of the contests as the game kicked off early in the morning and the Japanese went on a 3-0 trouncing of their African opponents. The last of the African delegation, Senegal, went on to the field a little later as they faced Mexico in a wonderful, free-flowing game that ended 2-4 in favor of the Mexicans. While Mexico probably should have wrapped things up after a half-time score of 0-2 in their advantage, the Senegalese fought their way back into the game making it 2-2 by the end of regulation time. As the game progressed into extra time the Mexicans were the side that took things into their own hands with one goal and then another making it 2-4 by the time the referee brought an end to the two periods of extra time. As for the noon-time game between Brazil and Honduras, it was a drawn-out affair despite the fact that the Hondurans went a man down around the half-hour mark following a defender's rash challenge. In fact, before the unfortunate incident where the Hondurans went a man down they were actually in the lead following an opener in the 12th minute. Nevertheless, following the sending off the Brazilians drew level through the man who would go on to score a total of two goals in the game: Leandro Damiao. However, not to get too far ahead of myself the first half ended 1-1. As for the second half it started much as the first one did: the Hondurans managed to get their noses in front before the Brazilians equalized three minutes later. Then, at the hour mark, Leandro Damiao gave his team a lead that they never relinquished: 3-2 the final score as the South American giants held on for a win. As for the last game of the day between Team Great Britain and South Korea,the Team GB men followed the way of the women as they couldn't pull ahead of the South Koreans after the Asians opened the account with a goal from Ji Dong-Won in the 29th minute. While they were able to equalize from the penalty spot through Aaron Ramsey a few minutes later they squandered any other chances through regulation and extra time before the teams arrived at penalties! As the teams lined up, either side could have won it with both going perfect through the 4th shots. Then, after Daniel Sturridge missed England's last effort, Ki Sungyueng struck Korea's 5th to leave the hosts out of the next round. What will the Semi-Finals look like though? Well, the South Koreans will face the Brazilians in what is sure to be a heavily contested game while the teams from Mexico and Japan face-off in the other Semi-Final leg! Make sure to watch both the men and the women's Semi-Finals!

Olympic Quarter-Finals Part I

It was a fascinating day with plenty of goals on this wonderful August 3rd as Sweden and France faced off in the early morning hours with the result a tight 1-2 thriller with the French women making it through to the Semi-Finals. The other morning game saw the United States take on New Zealand with the result in no doubt: with a goal in each half, the U.S. women were assured of their place in the next round. As for the noon-time game between the Brazilians and the Japanese things were surprisingly one-sided: Japan illustrated once more why thet are the greatest nation in the women's game at the moment with a comprehensive 0-2 victory over the South Americans. Last but certainly not least we had the afternoon game between Team Great Britain and Canada: let's just say that the commonwealth upset the Queen as the Canadians pushed for a 0-2 victory putting an end to a wonderful display from the hosts - in the women's competition at least. As for later today/tomorrow (August 4th) we have the men's competition returning in their rendition of the Quarter-Finals stage! Japan will open things against Egypt while Mexico and Senegal face-off a little later in the day. Then, at noon, it's two South American powers playing one another as Brazil and Honduras exchange blows with Team Great Britain wrapping things up against South Korea in the afternoon. Before I post this, here is the line-up for the women's Semi-Finals! France will face Japan at noon while the North American rivalry between Canada and the United States flares up in the afternoon leg. Make sure to watch and enjoy!

Last Days of Olympic Soccer Group Play!

Well there were two draws in the women's Group F yesterday as Japan and South Africa played out a 0-0 draw and Canada met Sweden in a 2-2 contest. With those results Sweden and Japan managed to progress to the next round at the expense of the Canadians who missed out of the top two by just a point as the table was completed thus: Sweden - 5, Japan - 5, Canada - 4, and South Africa - 1. On to Group G where the U.S. fended off the challenge of the North Koreans in a 1-0 encounter. At the same time, France defeated Colombia by the same scoreline. After this last round, the group wrapped-up with the table poised as follows: the United States - 9, France - 6, North Korea - 3, and the Colombians - 0. Completing the women's group games we had Group E in the afternoon of July 31st: New Zealand bested Cameroon by a scoreline of 3-1 while Great Britain upset the Brazilians by edging them 1-0. Despite the last game's respective results Great Britain and Brazil will be the teams qualifying with the group positioned in the following manner: Great Britain - 9, Brazil - 6, New Zealand - 3, and Cameroon - 0. And what of the Quarter-Finals? Great Britain will face Canada while the United States and New Zealand challenge one another in the next. Sweden and France are the next pairing while Brazil and Japan round-up the Quarter-Finals bracket. As for the men's teams matches taking place today (August 1st) Brazil trounced the New Zealanders 3-0 while Belarus were similarly abused by the Egyptians in their 1-3 contest. After the morning games though, the other games were far from high-scoring: Group D's last round ended entirely goalless with Japan and Honduras ending 0-0 as did Spain's match with Morocco. Mexico were able to undo the Swiss in a 1-0 encounter while South Korea v.s. Gabon reached the final whistle without a goal between them. As such, groups B, C, and D are arrayed as follows: Mexico and South Korea each have 4 points in Group B while Switzerland and Gabon have a point to their names respectively. In Group C Brazil conquered with a perfect 9 points from 3 games while Egypt finished in second with 4. Belarus managed 3 while the Kiwis were left with a mere point. Last but not least, Group D was resolved with an air of surprise as Japan triumphed with 7 points, Honduras fixed in second position with 5, Morocco managed 2 points while Spain left disappointed with merely a point to their name. As for Group A, the games are taking place as I post this with Great Britain leading Uruguay by a score of 1-0 at the end of the first half while the United Arab Emirates are in a similar position over the men of Senegal. Should the games resolve as they currently stand Great Britain and Senegal would take the top slots with 7 and 4 points respectively while Uruguay and the United Arab Emirates would be tied with 3 points a piece. We'll have to see how things actually end! Enjoy!