International Friendlies 3/5/2014!

Building up the excitement as we approach the 2014 World Cup, France have ended the Netherlands' run of 17 matches unbeaten in competition. Scoring through Karim Benzema and Blaise Matuidi, the 2-0 scoreline was well-deserved after a poor showing from the Dutch side. Meanwhile, Ukraine were able to keep a clean sheet against the United States in addition to scoring twice against the Americans. Courtesy of Andriy Yarmolenko and Marko Devic, the Ukrainians were able to put aside the troubles sweeping their nation for a time and provide a stunning performance in Cyprus against a quality - though defensively questionable - U.S. team. As for Argentina-Romania, the South Americans will be hoping that their performances improve in time for the tournament in Brazil: a 0-0 scoreline was a salute to the Eastern Europeans' defensive solidarity but left many doubts over the Argentine goal-getting capability. England's game with Denmark was a close affair though the British were finally able to get their noses in front through a phenomenal performance by Daniel Sturridge after Denmark's keeper, Kasper Schmeichel, had kept a clean sheet for much of the match single-handedly. Playing in Madrid, Spain were able to notch a 1-0 victory over Italy thanks to Pedro's 2nd half goal. One of the most riveting matches was arguably that between Portugal and Cameroon where the visitors performed admirably in the 1st half only to get clobbered in the 2nd. Vincent Aboubakar gave Cameroon the lead but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized accounts just before the half-time break. Ronaldo went on to score a second while Raul Meireles, Fabio Coentrao, and Edinho each contributed to the 5-1 final score. Two more games now. Germany's date with Chile was an awkward affair, the Europeans winning through with a solitary goal from Mario Gotze in the 1st half. I would like to note that the uniforms the Germans wore seemed a little strange to me, feel free to leave your own comment on them but I prefer the predominately white jersey. Last but not least, Belgium versus Ivory Coast! The hosts went into the half-time break leading due to Marouane Fellaini's goal though I would say the 2nd half is where the action really started. Belgium's midfielder Radja Nainggolan made it two for the Europeans while Didier Drogba reminded us why he is better than many of the younger players with a goal. Max Gradel also scored for the Ivorians making it a 2-2 final score. Great games all around, best of luck to the teams as they continue their preparations for Brazil!

Domestic Round-up: Where the Leagues Stand After a Thrilling Weekend - 3/2/2014

Brilliant games around the world this week as most leaders continued their dominance, increasing their margins over their nearest rivals. Spain was a notable exception to this case as Real Madrid were only able to keep a one point cushion after Atletico Madrid - who sit in third with 61 points - were able to tie with their cross-town rivals 2-2. One point behind Real, in second place, are Barcelona who have 63 points after a 4-1 victory over Almeria this weekend. Besides these three though, the league title appears to be out of the reach of fourth position Athletic Club who have 50 points. Villarreal occupy fifth position with 44 points while Real Sociedad are hot on their heels and seventh position Sevilla have 38 to their name. Over to Portugal where, after many years of dominance by the northern side Porto, Benfica have claimed the top spot with 52 points. Their rivals Sporting Lisbon sit second with 47 while the dragons of Porto hold third with 43. Estoril is still in the title race with 39 points in fourth while it is a slightly longer shot that CD Nacional or Vitoria - in fifth and sixth respectively with 34 and 30 points - could challenge. North now to France where Paris Saint-Germain are eight points clear at the top of the table with 64 points to the good. Monaco are in second with 56 points while LOSC Lille are in third with a lot on their plate: Saint Etienne are in fourth with 48 while Marseille and Lyon have 43 and 42 respectively. Stade de Reims are in seventh with 42 meaning the next round or two of games will go a long way to determining who ends up having a chance at taking a swing at either PSG or Monaco. East now, in Germany, Bayern Munich are twenty points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. Dortmund are the side in second with 45 while Bayer Leverkusen are in third with 43. Schalke meanwhile, who have played a style of football that can only be described as abominable, somehow sit in fourth with Wolfsburg and Mainz particularly close to overtaking them. Down in Italy, Juventus are the side that are looking most likely to win Serie A this time around. While Bayern are without a doubt the team with the largest cushion, Juve have amassed an eleven point gap between themselves and closest pursuers Roma, who have 58 points. Napoli sit third with 52 while Fiorentina, Inter Milan, and Parma sit in the forties. Finally, to the north where England has seen Chelsea cement their position with 63 points. Both Liverpool and Arsenal have 59 while Manchester City have 57 and Spurs hold 53. United are in the top seven though, right under sixth place Everton who have 48 points from 27 matches played. Finally, and I know you are all concerned about this one, Celtic of Scotland have collected a grand total of 75 points from 28 games, losing just once and drawing thrice. Aberdeen and Motherwell are their closest competition - in second and third - though the bhoys should feel secure in their position. Dundee United and Inverness round out the top five with 44 each. Keep following and I hope you got to catch some of the games!

Wrapping up the Futsal European Championship: 2/8/2014.

Scenes of jubilation were common throughout a tense Final match of the Futsal European Championship. But let's take a step back to the Semi-Finals where Portugal faced Italy and Russia took on Spain. In the first of the two, the Portuguese put up a good fight against the Italians. While Gabriel Lima put the Italians in the lead before the end of the first minute, Ricardinho and Arnaldo Pereira struck once each for the Iberians to make it 2-1. Romano equalized in the 22nd minute for the Italians before Gabriel Lima struck his second and Fortino made it 2-4 by the 34th minute. Despite the Portuguese getting the last goal in the 34th minute, making it 3-4, Joel Queiros' goal made for an exhilarating final few minutes but it was to no avail as the Italians booked their Final ticket leaving Portugal to contest the third place spot with the loser of the Russia-Spain match. Over to the other Semi-Final now, the Spaniards got off to a fine start with the opening goal in the 16th minute through Pola. However, Russia reacted powerfully with Sergeev and Lyskov making it 2-1 in the 22nd and 26th minutes respectively. Rafael Usin brought the Iberians level in the 26th minute though Fukin kept the eastern Europeans in the lead before the 26th minute had run out. Nevertheless, Miguelin brought the sides level 3-3 in the 37th minute. Keeping the sides level for the last three minutes of regulation time, one five minute period of extra time went by without a breakthrough. Finally, in the second period of extra time, Robinho struck the Russians ahead in the 48th minute meaning they just had to hold the line for two minutes. Despite intense pressure, they were able to do just that, pitting them against Italy in the Final while Spain and Portugal faced off in the 3rd Place match. As for that match for third, Portugal and Spain treated the world to a feast of football: Fernandao, Jose Ruiz, and Lozano struck for Spain three times before the 7th minute, making it 0-3 for the Spaniards. Ricardinho and Pedro Cary gave the Portuguese a chance with two goals before the twelfth minute though two more goals - from Miguelin and Rafael Usin - secured Spain's victory. 2-5, Raul Campos struck in the 19th minute for Spain before Pedro Costa and Joel Queiros made it 4-6. To add insult to injury, the defending futsal world champions struck twice more, through Fernandao and Pola, making the third-place match the highest-scoring in the competition's history! As for the Final, Italy and Russia gave us a tremendous contest with Gabriel Lima putting the southern Europeans in the lead for a little over three minutes until Eder Lima equalized in the ninth minute. The match could well have gone either way, but it was the Italians who pushed on to victory, striking twice between the 13th and 18th minutes through Murilo and Giasson to take a firm lead before the halftime break. Despite 42 efforts, 9 more than the Italians, the Russians were unable to crack Italy's defenses and in fact lost Cirilo to a second yellow card in the 33rd minute making the last seven minutes of the game a rubber stamp as the southern Europeans won their first title since 2003. Hope you enjoyed the matches!

Predictions for the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. 12/7/2013.

Well I will promise you all right now: I will not cite the Confederations Cup as a source of information on how the teams participating will do next year. Additionally, I'll say that travel and climate will be an issue for some of the teams playing in the tournament - but this is professional football, not a pick-up game so I expect the sides to compensate for any of these concerns if they have any hope of progressing through the stages to the showpiece event. Injuries may well be an issue, and I'll post closer to the tournament with any updates on that front. As for now, let's get into the predictions! In Group A, Brazil are certainly favorites to win with Mexico and Croatia the two sides fighting for the second position slot. I'd tip Mexico to make it through as Cameroon finish rock bottom and Croatia will not quite have enough. The opening match will set the tone for the Eastern Europeans as they face Brazil in the kick-off for the whole tournament. Depending on how poorly that first match goes, Croatia may well have the stuffing knocked out of them when they face Cameroon 6 days later. On to Group B now where Spain and the Netherlands should be the two to make it through although Chile will not make life easy for either side. Australia will probably not have booked hotels beyond the group-stage dates as a swift exit is on the cards for them. Again, though, the opening match in this group may determine a great deal as Spain take on Netherlands in a match-up that should stir a great deal of emotion from the last time around. If Holland loses their cool, and some players for disciplinary reasons, expect an abrupt South American vacation. As for Group C, Colombia should find their way through however Japan, Greece, and even Ivory Coast will have reason to believe that they can progress to the knock-out round. I'll say Greece might clinch it because of their typical defensive prowess though Japan shouldn't count themselves out of the race. Much will decide on whether Colombia can break down the gate when they face Greece in the group's opening fixture Ivory Coast's match with Japan should prove much more entertaining. Group D meanwhile may be seen as having a three-way race on the other side of the table: Italy and Uruguay are my favorites to proceed - in first and second respectively - however England will not give much to them easily. Costa Rica on the other hand is almost guaranteed a three-and-out affair with little hope of even tying any of the other three. If Italy can defeat the English in their opening fixture, they should win the group; otherwise it'll be Uruguay in first and Italy in second. Onwards to Group E where France and Switzerland are the notable - if imperfect - favorites and Ecuador and Honduras are left fighting for honor. Having said that, if the Swiss don't perform in the opening fixture against Ecuador, they'll be out while France's first match against Honduras should be a nice introduction to the continent. Group F will likely see Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina go through despite Nigeria's best efforts. Iran should enjoy their time on the world stage and play to the best of their ability - this is the culmination of all the work that they have put into the side and it would be disappointing, though not unexpected to go out without a point. Group G. For many of those of you who follow this blog, you'll likely feel hard done by the draw for the United States. It is true, Germany and Portugal are the undeniable favorites to win the group and contenders for the tournament title. It is also true that Ghana are a well put together side and possibly the strongest African side (after Ivory Coast) in the tournament this year. Despite these facts, when the U.S. plays Ghana in their first match, they will give it their all and the two sides really are just about equal on paper. At the very least I would expect the U.S. to draw that game and give the European sides a run for their money before bowing out with their heads held high. Finally, Group H: where Belgium, Russia, South Korea, and Algeria face-off and the Europeans are once more the favorites to make it through. There is honestly little chance that either the Koreans or the Algerians will mount much of a challenge against the Belgians and the Russians though I could see the Russians making life difficult for themselves when they face South Korea in the opener. Algeria will likely bow out in 4th with South Korea above them and Belgium deserved leaders. Again, look for an updated post closer to the tournament about any injuries and such that may alter these predictions. May the best side win!

World Cup 2014 draw! 12/6/2013

And the results are out! After the drawing for the group-stage of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, we have hosts Brazil in Group A against Croatia, Mexico, and Cameroon. In Group B, Spain, the Netherlands, Chile, and Australia will face-off for the right to make it into the knock-out round. Group C is full of dark horses with Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, and Japan promising for an exciting opening set of matches. Group D is arguably the opposite with Uruguay, England, Italy, and Costa Rica competing for just two places in the next round. Group E should be relatively straightforward with Switzerland, Ecuador, France, and Honduras fighting for the right to lift the World Cup. Group F should be relatively open as Argentina must contend with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Nigeria. Group G on the other hand will likely be incredibly tight as Germany, Portugal, Ghana, and the United States must fight with only two sides progressing to the next round. Last but certainly not least, Belgium, Algeria, Russia, and South Korea make up Group H. Look for a predictions post in the very near future!

International Deciders Tomorrow: 11/18/2013

Tomorrow we'll get the latest qualification results for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Excited? You should be! With the likes of Egypt facing Ghana, France taking on Ukraine, Sweden and Portugal playing after Croatia and Iceland kick-off; Romania vs. Greece and Algeria against Burkina Faso round out the fixtures. In the first of the games, Egypt look incredibly unlikely to progress following a disastrous performance in Ghana saw them lose 6-1! Even if Ghana get cocky and Egypt excel in the home field atmosphere, both of which are unlikely, I just can't see the Pharaohs powering 5 goals in unanswered. If they somehow manage it, it'll be a miracle of epic proportions to say the least.
As for the France-Ukraine game, the Eastern Europeans put in a good shift at home. While that is true, if they lose any of their intensity, panache, and fighting spirit, it will mean the end for their World Cup hopes. A 2-0 lead is great to have, it's true. But the chances of France just rolling over are slim to none. So long as the defense coalesces and the likes of Ribery, Giroud, Benzema, and (hopefully) Mathieu Valbuena are in form, Les Bleus should be able to pull away with a result.
Returning to Africa, Algeria's match with Burkina Faso in Algeria should be a proper affair with the home side needing 2 goals unanswered to seal their way to the next round. Burkina Faso have performed admirably thus far but I would love to see a North African side make it to the World Cup next year.
Romania's hosting of their match with Greece may only bring more pain as improvements have been few and far between for the Eastern Europeans after their 3-1 defeat in Greece. The fighting intensity that we saw from the Greeks, led by Mitroglou and Samaras, will likely be even more evident given that Romania have a deficit to make up.
While many will be watching the Sweden-Portugal game, I would like to focus on the Croatia vs. Iceland game momentarily. Not because I think it will have the star-studded talents and so on but because I enjoy watching two sides with nothing to lose and few preconceived notions muddling their supporters' minds. The home field advantage will probably give the likes of Modric, Mandzukic, and Srna the inspiration to excel. Having said that, the Icelanders are undefeated going back to their friendly against the Faroe Islands which ended 1-0 in their favor (going back to August 14, 2013). Croatia's competition has arguably been sterner with the likes of Belgium and Scotland leaving a sour taste in their mouths. While my heart wants Iceland to win, I have to tip my hat to the Croatians: individual prowess should come together at home for the good of the nation.
Last but certainly not least, Sweden vs. Portugal. Is it bad that I am not excited for this match? That's not to say that I don't think it'll be worth watching. I do, however, find the chronic diving underwhelming. Sweden at home have not lost (except to Germany, but come on, a 5-3 scoreline?) extending back to June 11th at least. With Portugal's defensive frailty and the likes of Ibrahimovic, Elmander, and Kallstrom on-form; I don't mind suggesting the Northern Europeans sink the Portuguese. Except for that Cristiano Ronaldo problem. Raul Meireles will undoubtedly be influential, but Ronaldo and all of his tricks and talent will decide whether Portugal make it or not. Hopefully the officials don't let him get away with all of the farcical antics this time around - but I also hope the Swedes button down on him much as they did the first leg. Enjoy the games!

International Showdowns! November 15th 2013

Today we have a full slate of games with the likes of Iceland v.s. Croatia opening the afternoon. Arguably the most anticipated match, between Portugal and Sweden, begins shortly thereafter. Ukraine will then welcome France as Greece and Romania play as well. As far as my thoughts on the match-ups are concerned, I would love nothing more than to see Iceland make it through with a solid performance at home. Both sides have quality striking talent and the Northern Europeans will be hoping to notch their first victory against the Croatians in what is sure to be a hard-fought match. The pedigree of the Croatians, and the experience of their defensive line, may be too much for the Icelanders.
On to the game between Portugal and Sweden where the latter side have historically managed well against their hosts this time around. The Swedish defense will have to put in a double shift if they are to have any hope of seeing of their Southern European competition. At the same time, the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Johan Elmander, and Anders Svensson will test the Portuguese who are notoriously fickle in their performances. I think Portugal will take the lead at home but it'll be a whole different contest in Sweden.
Ukraine-France meanwhile will likely be more straightforward with the French favorites in progressing to the tournament in Brazil. The lack of consistent goal-scoring talent in the Ukrainian side may be their downfall - having said that many of the players are very familiar with one another domestically. Be that as it may, if Olivier Giroud and Franck Ribery are "on," France should have the contest in the bag. My only concern is over France's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who took quite a knock recently. If he is in form, France's goal should be secure. Otherwise, Ukraine might get lucky!
Last but not least, Greece v.s. Romania showcases two of the dark-horses when it comes to the World Cup next year. Neither side are well-known for their goal-scoring, and with Greece holding the home field advantage in the first leg, I could see them getting their noses in front. Defensively, Greece arguably have the advantage and with options in front of goal including Giorgos Karagounis, Theofanis Gekas, and Dimitris Salpingidis; I'll tip them to claim the spot though it'll be tight. Enjoy the games!