U-17 Women's World Cup: 3/28/2014

Breathtaking is a good word to describe the fixtures that we saw today as Venezuela took on Canada, Ghana faced Italy, Japan fought Mexico, and Spain were paired with Nigeria. As expected, the first of these showdowns was a tight affair as the Latin Americans went ahead in the 6th minute through Deyna Castellanos before the Canadians drew level in the 19th minute. The North Americans then proceeded to make it a 1-2 lead following Marie Levasseur's strike in the 40th minute. Sarah Kinzner was the one who put the maple leaves on even pegging. Fortunately for Venezuela, Yosneidy Zambrano made it 2-2 three minutes after Levasseur's strike meaning the two sides went into the break dead even. It wasn't to last though, as Gabriela Garcia struck a third goal for the Venezuelans, propelling them into the Semi Finals. Canada performed bravely, but despite their stellar effort, they must bow out as the Latin Americans' guns continue to crush all that stand before them.

As for the match-up of Ghana and Italy, the Africans were outplayed yet still managed to force penalties. Striking early through Jane Ayieyam in the 4th minute, Ghana got off to a great start. Ending the game with 58% of possession, you could very well have thought the Italians were the side that would be going out. You would be wrong. Gloria Marinelli equalized in the 8th minute followed closely by a successfully converted penalty off of the foot of Italy's Manuela Giugliano. Honestly, if it had not been for goalkeeper Francesca Durante in particular, the Europeans would be bowing out. While the Italians had 14 shots, Ghana had 20. While each side had more than 50% of these efforts on target, Ghana received 12 corner opportunities - 6 times more than the Italians took from their African opponents. Defensive solidarity, then, saved the Italians. Except Ghana did strike a second, in the 90th minute of play, through Ernestina Abambila. After that, it was down to penalties with the best keeper, and the slightly better team, winning: Italy.

As the last Asian representatives in the competition, you might think that the pressure is on the Japanese ladies to perform. You wouldn't think it after their performance today. Simply put, they blew the Mexicans out of the water. Rather than risking penalty disappointment, the Japanese thankfully charged forward. The two goal cushion that they earned in the 1st half, through Yui Hasegawa in the 12th minute and Hina Sugita in the 44th, was enough to carry them through. Maintaining great pressure, Mexico only occasionally ever looked threatening. Japan averaged 68% of possession and more than quintuple the chances in front of goal as their Latin American competition. A feast of a game, the fact that there were no bookings indicates the caliber of the sides on display: world-class talent playing good clean football.

Last but not least we have Nigeria versus Spain. Fitting with my prediction, the Africans did not go belly up at the sight of the Spaniards. Rather, they conceded in the 14th minute of play before settling down and taking a slight majority of possession. It was to no avail, but it was well-intended. Patri Guijarro was the player to strike the opening and closing goals, on either side of Nahikari Garcia's 58th goal that really got the Nigerian defenses crumbling. While the Nigerians fought hard, it was always a losing battle. Desperation began to seep in, as Ugochi Emenayo and Esther Elijah received yellows. A sore spot for the Spanish was the fact that defender Pilar Garrote received a second yellow in two matches, meaning she will be missed in the match-up with Italy next Monday.

Speaking of the Semi Finals, Venezuela and Japan promises to be an entertaining affair while Spain-Italy will be more tentative. By the goals tally alone, the Latin American-Asian pairing should be differentiated by a one or two point spread. Japan are who I would like to see go through, but if Venezuela can keep the goals fountain flowing, they just might overpower the Asians. Having said that, Japan has refused to conceded thus far in the competition, and I wouldn't put it past the likes of Mamiko Matsumoto in goal and Nana Ichise on the back line to maintain that clean sheet. It will not be easy, but nothing worth having is. As for the all-European encounter, Spain should be able to outplay the Italians, though Italy's goalie Francesca Durante will be a hard nut to crack. I fear the Spanish might just have the right tools in Nahikari Garcia, Pilar Garrote, and Patri Guijarro though. Make sure to check out the games next week!

Europa League Quarter Finals Draw 3/21/2014.

Almost as exciting as the Champions League draw, the next round of the Europa League will see giants go head to head alongside minnows hoping to slay some giants. First up is AZ Alkmaar's game with SL Benfica. If the Portuguese side can get keeper Artur back into the line-up and survive without Silvio in defense, they have the scoring talent to put one over their Dutch opponents. As for AZ, the loss through suspension of Jeffrey Gouweleeuw will be a blow to their prospects. Nevertheless, Johann Gudmundsson and Nick Viergever should make life difficult for Benfica in the first leg in the Netherlands. Possibly the tie of the round, Lyon's game with Juventus promises action, suspense, and Andrea Pirlo. The midfield magic-maker was critical in putting the Italian giants past Fiorentina in the Round of 16. If the French side cannot shut him down, they may as well pack up and go home. As for the team news, almost half of Juve's eligible defensive line is out: Andrea Barzagli, Federico Peluso, and Angelo Ogbonna make up that number. Claudio Marchisio is also out in midfield meaning the likes of Pablo Osvaldo and Arturo Vidal will be relied upon heavily. If Andrea Pirlo continues his amazing form, Juve may just make it to the Final in Turin. As for Lyon, they have their share of injuries - defenders Gueida Fofana and Samuel Umtiti in addition to midfielder Clement Grenier - though the depth of their bench does stand as a factor in their favor. If Bafetimbi Gomis and Alexandre Lacazette are not closed down by the Italians, the French very well may win through. It will be though for the Italians in France in the first leg but I think they have the quality to progress so long as Gianluigi Buffon stays sharp and his teammates at the other hand make some fire. While Valencia are an obvious choice to make it through at the expense of Basel of Switzerland, I think the injuries and suspensions list only swing the balance even more in the favor of the Spaniards. The dubious status of Ivan Ivanov, Kay Voser, Fabian Schar, Behrang Safari, Serey Die, Marcelo Diaz, Taulant Xhaka, and Endogan Adili put the Swiss giants in a precarious position. Much depends on 32 year old Marco Streller while Valentin Stocker and Gaston Sauro have to show more consistency if they expect their side to get past Valencia. Everything isn't chocolate and roses for the Spaniards though, with Ricardo Costa and Philippe Senderos injured and Seydou Keita suspended. All the same, the talents of Paco Alcacer, Fede Cartabia, and company should overpower their Swiss opposition unless Yann Sommer - Basel's goalie - performs some magic worthy of sainthood. Last but not least, Porto - Sevilla will be an amazing Iberian encounter with the Portuguese side clear favorites to win after knocking out Napoli in the previous round. The Spanish side will regret the losses of Daniel Carrico, Stephane Mbia, Sebastian Cristoforo, Denis Cheryshev, and (through suspension) Vicente Iborra. Unless Kevin Gameiro or Diego Perotti step up and shoulder some of the load, I'm dubious that Javier Varas will be able to keep the Sevilla goal free of balls. On the other bench, Porto will hope goalkeeper Helton recovers from his ankle injury swiftly or else expect a feast of goals that could go either way. Fabiano is a decent sort but I doubt he can fill the gloves of Helton. Compounding factors include the suspension of Alex Sandro but otherwise, I think the Portuguese are too much for their Spanish neighbors. Putting a good performance in will be critical for Sevilla who travel to northern Portugal for the first leg. Make sure to catch a game or two!

What has happened in the Champions League and what will be taking place in the Europa League

I'd like to start with the Champions League where Dortmund were able to edge Malaga in a white-knuckle thriller that had us all guessing until the final whistle. Despite the fact that the Spanish side were able to get themselves into a strong position for much of the 1st half following Joaquin's 25th minute goal and a strong showing through-out the pitch; the half ended 1-1 following Robert Lewandowski's equalizer in the 45th minute. While many may have thought that Dortmund would then go to work as the 2nd half began, the reality was that Malaga continued to dominate the game for all intents and purposes though failing to convert. Finally, Eliseu slotted home for Malaga in the 82nd minute - providing them with a lead that would have been golden against just about any other team. Not Dortmund though. Not only did Marco Reus level the score at 2-2 in the 1st minute of extra time but Felipe Santana struck a beauty in the 3rd minute that wrapped things up for the Germans as the full-time whistle blew only moments later.

Over in Turkey Real Madrid were able to make things work by the skin of their teeth against a Galatasaray side that for a few minutes looked like they might be able to overturn a crushing deficit. Though Cristiano Ronaldo got things off to a great start in the 7th minute, the game settled into a lull with the Spaniards defending with sporadic forays up the field. It was in the 2nd half when things really turned on for the Turkish side as Emmanuel Eboue brought Galatasary level on the night in the 57th minute. Then, in the 70th and 72nd minutes respectively Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba gave the Spaniards both barrels with a goal apiece. Unfortunately, Madrid managed the game until Ronaldo scored his second in the 2nd minute of extra time in the 2nd half. Though it was 3-2 on the night the aggregate score was a 5-3 affair!

Yesterday, Barcelona and PSG faced off in what was really an enthralling fixture as the visiting French side grabbed the lead early in the 2nd half through Javier Pastore. While this prompted Lionel Messi's introduction to the game, it should be noted that the Catalans peppered the PSG goal for much of the game without success. Then, in the 71st minute, magic happened. While the finishing shot came from the foot of Pedro Rodriquez, the play began as Messi surgically incised himself into the PSG defense. Laying off to David Villa, the striker passed to Pedro who punished the PSG players with a left-footed effort into the back of the net. Thanks to the 2-2 result in the previous leg, Barca went on to advance by the away goals rule.

As for the last of the Champions League games of the Quarter-Final round, Juventus greeted Bayern Munich in Turin to a match that was remarkably similar to the 1st leg. While both goals came in the 2nd half, Bayern held a significant amount of possession in addition to a modest advantage in chances. Of crucial importance was the fact that they converted their opportunities as Juve actually had a comparable chance tally. Of course, when Mario Mandzukic dove for his header in the 64th minute, the tie may well have been decided. Though Juventus goalie Gianluigi Buffon made a great first save, the ensuing goal sums up the story of his game: he played to the best of his ability but defensive deficiencies in front of him left him vulnerable to Bayern's lethal strikers.

Turning now to the Europa League, Rubin Kazan will host Chelsea in a 2nd leg that comes off of a 3-1 victory for the English side. While the Russians should do better at home, I cannot see them undoing the London side's lead. Their only chance will be if goal-tender Sergei Ryzhikov plays an unbelievable game and the likes of Jose Rondon, Vladimir Dyadyun, and Gokdeniz Karadeniz score at least one each. Otherwise, I anticipate a victory for Chelsea.

Up in England, Newcastle v.s. Benfica will be the game I will be watching as the English side hope to make right a 3-1 deficit. While the home field advantage will certainly assist the Magpies, the important thing will be whether they can score a lot of goals. Papiss Cisse and Shola Ameobi will be the go-to figures for those requirements. My prediction would be that defensive failings on the side of the home team will make it too easy for Benfica to score - putting the game out of the grasp of Newcastle.

As for the Swiss encounter between Basel and Tottenham, if the home side can get even a goal against the English opposition then the odds will increase exponentially in their favor. A great deal of stress will be placed on the Basel defense as a break-out performance by Tann Sommer will translate to attacking efforts from talent such as Marco Streller, Valentin Stocker, and Fabian Schar. Of course, there is also the view that the team from Switzerland gave their best in England and will go down to Spurs having played all of their tricks. This will obviously rely on Hugo Lloris (or Brad Friedel) standing tall in goal - a completely viable option. Then, it will be the responsibility of characters such as Gareth Bale, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jermain Defoe to score and keep doing so until the game ends.

Last but not least, Lazio v.s. Fenerbahce will demonstrate whether or not Lazio are just terrible travelers or legitimately poor. In Turkey, down to 10 men, it was understandable that the Italians get hit at some point or another. Having said that, Lazio know where the goal is and in front of a home crowd they should have the nerve to at least challenge the Turkish side. The pedigree of the Lazio side up to this point should not be discounted as they had not lost in Europe until the 10 man debacle. Additionally, they do remain undefeated at home. Fenerbahce's form also shouldn't be discounted, though, as the Turks have proved themselves formidable adversaries away from home. I'd give my vote to Fenerbahce but that is with the understanding that the Turkish side will give it their all and not take their feet off of the gas. Otherwise, giving Lazio the room to develop will spell disaster for the visitors. Hope you enjoy the games!

Champions and Europa League match-ups for the next round!

Well, last round was as exciting and ever but if looks are anything we can expect much of the same in the just-announced next stages. I'll start with the Europa League where Chelsea face Rubin Kazan, Tottenham host FC Basel, Fenerbahce greet Lazio, and Benfica welcome Newcastle. As far as Chelsea v.s. Kazan is concerned, the Russian side actually have a better goal tally in addition to remaining unbeaten thus far in the competition! Alongside this, Rubin have created more opportunities though as far as goals per game is concerned the sides are pretty level. As for Spurs v.s. Basel, the English side have a slight advantage as far as goals scored are concerned but honestly by statistics the two sides are hard to separate. Turning to the game between Fenerbahce and Lazio now, the Italians have proven themselves deadly in front of goal though the Turkish side have managed a better record leading into the game. Last but not least, Benfica have a perfect record compared to Newcastle's mixed one while goal-scoring between the two sides hasn't been a problem though it isn't explosive.
With all of this in mind, Rubin will be hoping that the talented Jose Rondon can keep them in the game against Chelsea because otherwise they will probably be overwhelmed by the English giants. As for the other London clubs' chances, Tottenham will hope for continued performance by Jermain Defoe, Gareth Bale and their other big names. Otherwise, they risk elimination at the hands of Swiss side Basel who have the likes of Marco Streller and Fabian Schar at their disposal and Mohamed Salah providing set-ups. Having said that, the odds are probably with Spurs. As for Fenerbahce, the only chance they will have is if they close down the prolific Libor Kozak and the only slightly less-sharp Sergio Flocarri who have been simply on fire for Lazio. At the same time, the Turks will hope Cristian can start converting more of his chances because thus far Dirk Kuyt, Alex, and Caner Erkin haven't really been pulling their weight. Due to all of these factors, the nod probably goes to Lazio to win unless Fenerbahce pull themselves together both defensively and offensively. And then there is Benfica v.s. Newcastle. Honestly I am looking forward to this pairing the most despite the fact that Benfica only has one real striker that has been performing: Oscar Cardozo. While there is always the chance that Nicolas Gaitan, Luisao, and Ola John will start firing, there haven't been too many encouraging signs. On the other hand, Newcastle have Papiss Cisse and Shola Ameobi to turn to. In addition to these two, Moussa Sissoko is a good bet to convert as are Gabirel Obertan and Hatem Ben Arfa. In the end, then, I suppose I will give Newcastle a slender advantage though it depends on how Benfica perform at home in Portugal. If they do not concede and manage to get a goal or two they will be on the right path however this isn't an easy ask.
Over to the Champions League now as Malaga have Dortmund to contend with while Real Madrid face Galatasaray. PSG will test their strength against Barcelona at the same time as Bayern have a showdown with Juventus. In the match-up between giant-slayers Malaga and the surprise package Dortmund, a prediction of German victory might be called for except for the fact that the Spaniards have surprised again and again. At the same time, the magic might be considered to have run its course - particularly if Dortmund pull off what Porto and others couldn't: victory in the 1st leg in Spain. While Dortmund have a slightly better record and goal tally, such statistics aren't much when talking about real life. The home support has really carried Malaga in the past and I wouldn't be too surprised if it did so again. Having said that, the number of attempts Dortmund have racked up in the past points to the likelihood of heartbreak for the Spanish side. With Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, and Mario Gotze topping the list of scorers for the Germans, I'll predict Dortmund making it through. Onwards now to Real Madrid v.s. Galatasaray which will see the team with the least goals scored (of the sides remaining) and the joint top goal scorer Burak Yilmaz face-off against the team with the joint top most goals scored and goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. While both sides have produced a number of opportunities, the fact that Galatasaray only have Burak Yilmaz performing with any kind of consistency seems problematic for the Turkish side. Nevertheless, Aydin Yilmaz, Umut Bulut, and Hamit Altimtop have stepped it up of late so there may be a change in the winds. Even if their strike force performs though, Galatasaray will have to be strong defensively - against a side which includes the formidable opposition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Jose Callejon, Marcello, Kaka, Luka Modric, and Mesut Ozil amongst others. I think this may be too much of an ask for Galatasaray but who doesn't like to see an upset? PSG v.s. Barca meanwhile serves as an illustration of some of the bigger money sides in the game these days. With the big names of Lionel Messi and Ezequiel Lavezzi showcasing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, we are sure to have a wonderful occasion on our hands so long as everyone is on form. One issue that I could see manifesting itself is the fact that as far as secondary strikers with the ability (more importantly previously displayed) to carry the respective teams are concerned, Barca seem to lack options while PSG have Jeremy Menez, Javier Pastore, Alex, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Thiago Silva. This is illustrated by the fact that PSG have actually scored more goals at this point than Barcelona as well as keeping a cleaner record. Seeing as how this is coming out of a relatively equal number of chances, which Barcelona actually have an advantage in, I would posit that PSG will make it through unless Barcelona do two things. First of all, they have to shore up their defenses. Secondly, they must make sure that their strikers and mid-fielders are on form. A great deal of possession is great, but it has to result in the ball in the back of the net. Finally, Bayern v.s. Juventus will be a similarly exciting game as they have each made possibilities though Bayern have a very slight edge both on average and absolutely. Each side has a player with 4 goals to their name - Fabio Quagliarella for Juve and Thomas Muller for Bayern - and both have a number of secondary strikers capable of leading the teams (Toni Kroos, Claudio Pizarro, Arturo Vidal, Sebastian Giovinco, the list goes on and on). In the end though, I must give Juve the edge in this battle as they have Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Matri, Claudio Marchisio, and Mauricio Isla who are all capable play-setters. That isn't to say it will be easy, rather, I think Juventus just have the fortitude to beat out the result. Make sure to catch the games!