Early games of 10/15/11!

Well, it has already been quite an exciting day as Malmo were able to edge Djurgarden in Sweden thanks to a stoppage time goal from Wilton Figueiredo  in the 1st half for the home side. With the 3 points from this win, Malmo have now solidified their control of 5th place in the Swedish Allsvenskan League. Meanwhile, in Germany, Mainz were level 0-0 with Augsburg as I posted this. Back up north in Scotland, Kilmarnock v.s. Celtic was a surprisingly intense game! Kilmarnock were at home and they controlled the early part of the game with Dean Shiels opening the scoring account in the 26th. Paul Heffernan added a 2nd in the 40th to make it 2-0. Celtic were admittedly not looking very good. Things only got worse though as James Fowler struck Kilmarnock's 3rd in the 45th minute to end a half that gave the home side what would appear to be an impregnable lead. Well, never leave Celtic in that kind of a situation. Beginning in the 73rd minute of the 2nd half, Anthony Stokes and his Celtic teammates went on the warpath. Stokes struck twice, in the 73rd and 76th minutes to bring Celtic back to a 3-2 position. Charlie Mulgrew then scored a 3rd in the 80th to complete quite a comeback. While Celtic probably wanted a win from this game, they deserved the draw after Kilmarnock played a great game and the Glasgow side were good enough to equalize. Down in England, the big match between Liverpool and Manchester United was poised 1-1 after Steven Gerrard had given Liverpool the lead in the 68th minute. Javier Hernandez was on the scene to equalize for United though, in the 81st. United have definitely been getting the bigger share of the bookings though, registering 3 between the 43rd and the 65th minutes. Lucas Leiva was the only Liverpool player to be booked and that was in the 28th minute. Last but not least, in Russia, CSKA Moskva finished level with Terek after the home side gave up a 2-0 lead. Vagner Love and Seydou Doumbia were the men to give CSKA the lead with goals in the 39th and 47th minutes. The 2nd half was largely Terek's though, with Alexander Pavlenko striking in the 67th and Mauricio slotting home in the next minute to bring the away-side level. CSKA were left without a response as the 11th-placed side shared the points with the 2nd-placed one. Meanwhile, Krasnodar led Rostov 2-0 as I posted this with goals from Yevgeni Shipitsin in the 1st minute of extra time of the 1st half; and Joaozinho's 57th minute strike.

Domestic League updates!

Well, I'd like to start up in the North of Europe, in Scotland. Rangers are currently leading the table having played 10 games and earned 28 points from them. Motherwell is actually in 2nd place with 19 points from 10 games. Meanwhile, Celtic are in 3rd but have only played 8 games! Having said that, they have 18 points so even if they win their 2 games in hand, they will still be 4 points behind their rivals Rangers. Saint Johnstone have earned 15 points from 10 matches and reside in 4th while Heart of Mithlothian sit in 5th having only played 9 matches: earning 12 points from them. In the Netherlands, AZ Alkmaar are actually in control of the table after taking 21 points from their first 8 games. PSV Eindhoven occupy 2nd place with 17 points from 8 games. Twente have kept up their good form from last year and hold 3rd place with a 2 point lead over 4th place Ajax after earning 17 points from 8 games. Feyenoord are a point behind Ajax with 14 from their first 8 matches. In Germany, Bayern are back on top after winning 19 points from 8 games. While it isn't a perfect start by any stretch of the imagination, they do hold a 3 point lead over Werder Bremen who occupy 2nd place. Monchengladbach are surprise 3rd place holders with 16 points from 8 games as well. Schalke are a point behind them in 4th while Hannover are level with them in 5th due to goal difference. The national league of France is led by PSG who have collected 20 points from their first 9 matches. Montpellier Herault are the surprises off the mark with 17 points from 9 matches, equal with Lyon and Toulouse but with better results than either of their competitors. Lille Metropole are then in 5th with 16 points from their first 9. FC Lorient are tied with them but don't have as good a list of results. Russia meanwhile is 26 games into their season and Zenit St. Petersburg are looking strong up top with 53 points. However, CSKA Moskva are just 2 points behind them while Dinamo Moskva have 50 in 3rd. Two other Moscow teams, Spartak and Lokomotiv, make up 4th and 5th positions with 46 points each. In Italy, Juventus are joint leaders with 11 points from 5 games. They have been greatly helped by the addition of Andrea Pirlo into their midfield from AC Milan. Meanwhile, Udinese Calcio are the surprise package in Italy: they hold 2nd place with 11 points but not quite the same results, but they still sit above regular powerhouses Roma (6th), AC (15th) and Inter (17th) Milan. Napoli are in 3rd place with 10 points from 5; Palermo are in 4th with the same record but different results; and Cagliari Calcio also have 10 from 5 giving them 5th. Lazio are in 7th with 8 points taken from 5 games - similar to Roma. Over in Spain, Barcelona have 14 points from 6 matches while Levante are the early surprises with a similar record. Real Madrid have 13 from 6 giving them 3rd while Malaga and Valencia share the same record in 4th and 5th respectively. Sevilla are just a point behind this group in 6th with 12 from their first 6 games. In concluding this post, I'd like to visit England where two Manchester clubs: United and City share the apex of the league with 19 points from 7 games each. Chelsea are in 3rd with a 3 point gap between themselves and the top 2. Newcastle have actually done well for themselves grabbing 4th with 15 points from 7 games played. Liverpool are 2 points behind them in 5th. Last but not least, Tottenham have only played 6 games, but have earned themselves 12 points which gives them 6th place with a game in hand. Where is Arsenal? Just behind Wolves with 7 points from 7 games: Wolves actually have a better goal difference than the London side! Keep enjoying!

Euro 2012 Qualifying Playoff Draw.

Well, the draw for the first round of two-legged ties has been announced and the list of exciting ties includes Portugal v.s. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ireland was drawn to play away first against Estonia who are hoping to make it to their first Finals Tournament. While Ireland returns to a major playoff two years after a controversial World Cup qualifying defeat to France, and drew the lowest-ranked unseeded opponent: Estonia. Having said that, while Estonia did fall 2-0 to the Faroe Islands, but they showed a great tenacity to make it this far so look out for this tough game. Meanwhile, debutantes Montenegro will host the second leg against the Czech Republic. Last but not least Turkey will face the fierce Croatians in Istanbul to get their qualification going. Enjoy!

Euro Qualifying. 10/12/11.

Well, we have teams that are in, teams that are out, and teams that still have to fight for their right to be at the European football party. Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and Sweden have all been assured of qualification with Germany and Spain the only teams to remain undefeated throughout qualifying (with 10 for 10 and 8 for 8 records respectively). Interestingly, it was the first time that Germany have gone through qualifying with a perfect record. Those that still have to go through the play-off round include the likes of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Montenegro, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, and Turkey. Make sure to watch for the draws of these matches and try to catch at least one!

Euro 2012 Enjoy!

Well, Group A has completed with Germany remaining perfect after a 3-1 victory over Belgium. 2nd place was captured by Turkey who defeated Kazakhstan 1-0 to get the vital 3 points and earn qualification. Belgium were held to 3rd place since they lost to Germany in their last game. Austria had a poor qualification attempt as they finished behind Belgium in 4th. They were, however, above Azerbaijan who amassed 7 points and Kazakhstan, a team that had 4 points in 6th place. In Group B, things have also concluded with the Russians taking the highest honors as the Republic of Ireland grabbed 2nd. They had 23 and 21 points respectively. Armenia were left in 3rd after a good run while Slovakia were left in 4th with 15 points: 2 beneath Armenia. Macedonia didn't do too badly, grabbing 8 points while Andorra had a quite dismal qualification attempt: 0 points leaving them 6th in the Group. Group C has also concluded with Italy remaining undefeated though they did draw twice. Estonia actually surprised Serbia and Slovenia by pipping them to take 2nd place. The Estonians were lucky to conclude their campaign against the likes of Northern Ireland as they defeated them home and away 4-1 and 1-2 respectively. They also edged the Slovenians in Slovenia 1-2 to cement their position. Serbia were left in 3rd place with 15 points while Slovenia were just a point and a place behind them. The hapless team from Northern Ireland finished in 5th with 9 points above the Faroe Islands who actually collected 4 points including 3 from a 2-0 win over Estonia at home. That was never going to be enough though as they remained in 6th. Group D ended today as well and France kept a point between themselves and Bosnia and Herzegovina ( who finished in 2nd place) to finish at the top of the group with 21 points. Romania were left in 3rd with 14 points while 4th place was occupied by Belarus who ended just a point behind the Romanians. Albania concluded their attempt at qualification with 9 points  in 5th place while Luxembourg were at the bottom of the table with 4 points. Group E was largely dominated by the Netherlands except for the fact that Sweden one-upped them in the last group game: 3-2 for Sweden! Nonetheless, Holland were good enough to remain at the top while Sweden reside in 2nd. Hungary gave it a good try, but they remain in 3rd with 19 points. Finland finished in 4th with a not-quite perfect 10 points from 10 games. Moldova finished a point behind in 5th while San Marino were left in the doldrums yet again: 10 loses, 0 goals scored, and 53 scored against. 6th place was really they best they could have done. In Group F Greece actually remained undefeated despite drawing 3 times. They finished with 24 points. Croatia completed their race for 2nd place with 22 points Israel gave it a nice effort but ended their campaign in 3rd with 16 points. Latvia finished with 11 in 4th while Georgia took 5th with a point less. Malta conclude the group with 1 point from 10 games. In Groups G, H, and I, only 8 games have been played. Group G is currently led by England while Montenegro are in 2nd. Respectively, the two sides have 18 and 12 points respectively. Switzerland are in 3rd with 11 while Wales had 9 and Bulgaria had 5. Group H is surprisingly led by Denmark with 19 points from a draw and a loss. Portugal have 16 in 2nd while Norway are in 3rd on goal difference. Iceland are in 4th with 4 while Cyprus bring up the rear. Last but not least, Spain remained undefeated in Group I while the Czech Republic have 2nd. Scotland continue to fight in 3rd, 2 points behind the Czech Republic while Lithuania and Liechtenstein make up 4th and 5th.

EURO 2012 Qualifying Results!

Well, it was a day packed full of action as Group A took one more step to a close with  Azerbaijan defeated 1-4 by Austria. Yes, neither of these teams can qualify any more, but it was still a great result for the Austrians who were coming off of a 3-game losing streak. It's true, Azerbaijan were brought down to 10 men in the 27th minute, but Marc Janko, Austria's captain, struck a brace while Andreas Ivanschitz opened the scoring and Zlatko Junuzovic closed it int the 1st minute of stoppage time of the 2nd half. Meanwhile, challengers for 2nd place Turkey were beaten 1-3 by an on-form and qualified Germany. Despite playing in Istanbul, Germany were already 2-0 up before Turkey scored their first goal. Mario Gomez struck first in the 35th while Thomas Muller added a second in the 66th. Turkey were brought a goal back through Hakan Balta while Bastian Schweinsteiger added Germany's third in the 86th minute. The last game in Group A was between Belgium and Kazakhstan which started totally in Belgium's favor and remained that way throughout. The home field advantage was a good start but the 4-0 lead was even better! Timmy Simons opened the game's goal account in the 40th from the penalty spot with Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany striking once each in the 43rd and 49th minutes respectively. Marvin Ogunijimi scored late in the 84th to make it a show: 4-0! Kairat Nurdauletov converted his penalty in the 86th but that was honestly just a formality as Belgium are in a strong position to qualify while Kazakhstan are out and gone. The Group A table looks as follows: Germany are undefeated and perfect with 27 points from 9 games. Belgium are actually in 2nd with 15 points from 9 matches while Turkey are a point and a place behind them. Austria can no longer qualify with 11 points from 9 matches and holding 4th place. Azerbaijan are in 5th with 7 points from 9 games while Kazakhstan took 3 points from 9 games. So, Belgium v.s. Germany and Turkey v.s. Azerbaijan will be the deciding games of this group, and that's for 2nd place. Meanwhile, Group B Armenia beat Macedonia 4-1, Slovakia were edged 0-1 at home by a visiting Russia. Andorra were defeated by the Republic of Ireland 0-2. More updates coming! Stay tuned!

Euro 2012 qualifying. Are you ready?

Look forward to these important and sure to be close-fought matches coming up! Obviously, Greece's clash with Croatia will be hard-fought as the Greeks have only allowed 4 goals in their 8 group games. Yes, they have been a little less than impressive in front of goal, but the home field advantage may be enough for the Greeks to really turn it on. Croatia on the other hand lead Group F with 1 point more than their challengers. Yes, they lost 1-0 to Georgia a couple months ago, but they have been on form past that point. In Group A Germany's match with Turkey in Turkey obviously dominates the list as the Germans have a large amount of control over whether the Turks or the Belgians make it through. Since Germany is one of the teams that has qualified already, some might say they will take their foot off the accelerator, but where is the fun in that? Turkey aren't push overs though, and it'll be a tough game for a sides. Belgium face Kazakhstan in a game that should go in the Belgians' favor as they really need the 3 points while Kazakhstan are playing for pride. Azerbaijan's match with Austria could also prove to be a one-sided affair but be prepared for anything! In Group B, Slovakia's fight with Russia will be a good one as victory for the Slovakians means they would go level with the Russians. Russia needs the points to seal their qualification though. The Republic of Ireland's match with Andorra should enable them to register another 3 points which (depending on the Russia's result) may put them at the top of the table. Armenia v.s. Macedonia will also be an important fixture as the Armenians are arguably still in the race for a qualification birth. Armenia would be expected to win, but it is football so what adds up on paper may not add up on the pitch. Group C meanwhile has Northern Ireland's match with Estonia and the huge face-off between Serbia and Italy. Yes, Italy have already won the group, but they aren't known for packing it up early and letting the other teams walk all over them. Rather, the Serbians will have to fight for their 3 points as they seek to stay above their closest rivals Estonia (who are a point and a place behind them with 13 and 3rd respectively). In Northern Ireland's match, Estonia will have to be careful as the Irish are normally pretty strong at home. It won't be a cake walk to say the least. Group D is actually far from decided though. Bosnia and Herzegovina face Luxembourg in a game which the home side should win. If the depleted French side can only tie or even lose to Albania in their match, the Bosnians would take the pole position going into the meeting of the two sides next Tuesday. Romania v.s. Belarus rounds out the Group D fixture list with what should be an entertaining if not important game. Group E on the other hand is wrapping up. The Netherlands will probably want to keep their undefeated record against Moldova, but when Sweden visit Finland, a lot will be on the line. True, Finland are out of the qualification equation, but currently Sweden is level at 18 points with Hungary having played one less game. The fact is that the Swedes have a superior head-to-head record to the Hungarians and will clinch the play-off slot if they defeat their Nordic rivals. Having thrashed the Finns 5-0 when they visited Sweden, the Swedes have a right to be somewhat prepared for victory the second time around. Group F isn't quite so tantalizing, but Latvia and Malta play. In Group G Wales take on Switzerland while Montenegro play England. Yes, England are 6 points clear of the Montenegrins, but they need at least 1 more point to ensure their progression. Montenegro have to win this game to top the Group. Chances of that happening though? Slim. The Swiss should defeat the Welsh, but it won't be easy and then they will face the team from Montenegro in the last game. Group H holds some interesting games with the Cyprus national side facing Denmark while Portugal play Iceland. Admittedly, these may not seem terribly interesting, but 3 of these 4 teams: Portugal, Denmark, and Norway are tied at the top on 13 points! The Portuguese and the Danes are favored to win and if they do, that leaves Iceland out to dry in the run for 1st place. They could still challenge for 2nd though! Last but not least is the pair of games in Group I: the Czech Republic face Spain while Liechtenstein and Scotland play Saturday. True, the Czech's game with Spain (who are already through) will be difficult but they are currently 2 points above Scotland in 2nd so they are in a good position overall. Yes, Scotland should defeat Liechtenstein, but the Czechs are still likely to finish right behind the Spaniards. Enjoy the games!