Where we stand after the latest round of games.

So the Champions League group stage has just one more match to go and what a roller coaster ride it has been! Beginning in Group A, following Manchester United's demolition of a hapless Bayer Leverkusen side, and Shakhtar Donetsk's victory over Real Sociedad the table stands with United assured of a spot in the knock-out round with 11 points. Meanwhile Shakhtar and Bayer are left to fight over the scraps of 2nd place with 8 and 7 points respectively. Bottom of the table and playing for pride at this point, Real Sociedad have earned 1 point over 5 matches and don't look like earning any more. With that in mind, so long as Bayer improve from their dismal performance against United, they should earn the three points when they visit Spain while Shakhtar will count themselves very lucky if they can get even one when they face Manchester United next.
Over to Group B now where things are also close besides the poll position: Real Madrid are assured of qualification with 13 points to their name as Juventus occupy 2nd with 6 and Galatasaray and Kobenhavn each have 4 with the same goal differentials. As the final fixtures in place and Juve travel to Turkey while Kobenhavn host Real Madrid, I think the Turks might well be favored since they were able to draw the Italians in Turin 2-2 the last time the two sides faced off. A great deal will rely on Pirlo and company though Madrid will probably find victory in Denmark with even a B-Team.
Group C is also tight between 2nd and 3rd: PSG are through with 13 while Olympiacos and Benfica have 7 apiece. Anderlecht are down and out with just a point to their name. Olympiacos will likely seal the deal given that they play at home, welcoming Anderlecht, while Benfica will likely face sterner opposition in PSG although they do play in Portugal which may give them the lift they need. I'd like to see it but I doubt it'll happen.
The most divided group, Group D has Bayern in front with 15 points although Manchester City are just 3 behind the Germans. CSKA Moskva have 3 while Viktoria Plzen have 0. The last round of games will still be interesting though as Bayern host Manchester City and Plzen face CSKA Moskva. I think Bayern will at least draw if not claim victory over the English outfit while CSKA should hold onto their Europa League spot - given that there is a 4 point differential between the two sides in terms of goals scored and conceded.
Any of the top 3 can still win Group E on the other hand as Chelsea have 9 in 1st, Basel have 8 in 2nd, and Schalke have 7 in 3rd. Steaua Bucuresti have picked up 3 points, from 3 draws, but they travel to England for the last game of the group meaning Chelsea will most likely make it through. Between Schalke and Basel though, I am not sure. While the Germans will be at home in Gelsenkirchen, their recent performances both at home and abroad have been less than impressive. On the other side of the coin, Basel have been imperfect but magnificent - specifically against Chelsea. It all depends then on which side shows up for the Swiss: the one that has on two occasions defeated the Blues, or the one who lost at home to Schlake earlier in the group. We'll have to wait and see but I assure you it will be extraordinary!
Onwards to Group F. Strangely, depending on how the results go, a team with 12 points may not be making it to the knock-out round. Presently, Arsenal sit at top with 12 while Dortmund and Napoli have 9. Marseille continue their run of awful form with 0 points. In the unlikely event that Napoli destroy Arsenal in Italy by, say, 5-0, then the Gunners will be out so long as Dortmund don't mess things up in France. However, if Napoli are only able to edge the game in their favor - a far more likely scenario - they will go out with 12 points! Be ready to be amazed.
Groups G and H round out the affair with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona the teams leading the respective groups with 13 and 10. In the former, Zenit and Porto are left to fight over 2nd with 6 and 5. Austria Wien have 2 and should not prove too much of a challenge for the Russians in their last game of Group G. For Porto, they may well feel hard done by the draw which sees them travel to Madrid hoping for 3 points and a miracle. I would pick Madrid and Zenit to go through. As for Group H, Barcelona are not quite free and clear yet. 2nd place AC Milan have 8 while Ajax are on 7 and Celtic have 3. Given that Milan host Ajax while Barca welcome Celtic, I would say the Spaniards and the Italians would be the ones to progress. In fact, even a draw for the Dutch would be a great result, though not enough to get them into the next round.
Hope you've enjoyed the games and keep your eyes open for Europa League action! Names to look for include: Valencia, Ludogorets Razgrad, Salzburg, Rubin Kazan, Fiorentina, Eintracht Frankfurt, Genk, Sevilla, Lyon, Trabzonspor, Tottenham Hotspur, and AZ Alkmaar each of whom either drew or won today putting them at the top of their respective groups.

Champions League 11/26/2013

What a brilliant round of fixtures we saw today! With goals in all but one of the match-ups, let's get right down to business! In the first game of the day, Zenit St. Petersburg were able to tie Atletico Madrid 1-1 in a tight affair in Russia that saw the hosts dominate their guests in terms of possession with 62% of the ball. Zenit also had more opportunities than Atletico though all in all it was a very good game. Atletico continue their unbeaten run as Zenit must wait until the final match of the group-stage to achieve their qualification hopes. Probably the most surprising result was Basel's 1-0 victory in Switzerland over Chelsea to deny the English side a place in the knock-out round at least for today. The hosts waited until the dying minutes of the match to strike through Mohamed Salah in the 87th minute setting up a nail-biting final minutes as the Blues tried to equalize unsuccessfully. The 0-0 draw between Steaua and Schalke in Romania, however, means that any of the top three teams in Group E can make it to the next round depending on the results of the final group games which will poise Schalke against Basel and Chelsea welcoming Steaua to England. Wrapping up Group G really quickly, Porto tied 1-1 with Austria Wien meaning the Austrians have no hope of progressing while Zenit and Porto will be eying one another for the 2nd position spot into the next round. Up in Scotland, Celtic essentially banged their head into a wall for 90 minutes as attempt after attempt went wanting and AC Milan struck three times to sink the B'hoys. In the other Group H fixture, Ajax were surprising victors over Barcelona in an affair in Amsterdam that ended 2-1 for the Dutch. In the process, Ajax knocked Celtic out of contention and set-up a mouth-watering final match with Milan-Barca and Ajax-Celtic deciding who will make it out of this contentious group. Last but certainly not least: Group F. With the likes of Arsenal, Dortmund, and Napoli, it was always going to be a close one and it has proved nothing less! As Marseille continued their dismal form, going 5 games without securing a single point in the table, Arsenal completed a 2-0 match-up against the French side. In the other match-up, Dortmund and Napoli put on a grand display with the Germans securing a 3-1 victory over their Italian competitors. The result means that Arsenal take poll position at 12 points as Dortmund and Napoli each have 9. Depending on how the last set of games go, any of the three teams may well make it through. Given their terrible form thus far, Dortmund should feel confident going to Marseille on December 11th while Napoli will hope that they perform better at home when they host Arsenal on the same day. Keep an eye out for the games coming tomorrow!

Champions League Leading Up to Thanksgiving! (11/25/2013)

After all of the exciting international action, we return to the club level with the latest round of the Champions League taking place tomorrow, Tuesday the 26th. The match-ups are thrilling as always and have the potential of deciding who we'll see in the knock-out rounds. Russia's Zenit St. Petersburg greet Atletico Madrid of Spain in a match-up between Group G's top two. Having said that, the 7 point gap between Madrid who are up top and Zenit who presently hold 2nd contributes to the must-win nature of the match: Portugal's Porto will be hosting Austria Wein in a game that should go the way of the Portuguese. If that is the case and the Spaniards claim victory in Russia, the table would have Madrid untouchable with 15 points and Porto in 2nd with 7. Austria Wein are playing for pride at this point with just a point to their name as a loss for Zenit would drop them to 3rd with just 5 points and a game to play.
Over in Group E, Switzerland's Basel host England's giants Chelsea. Despite the imperfect nature of Chelsea's qualification campaign up to this point, they sit top of the group with 3 points over 2nd place Schalke. Basel, in 3rd, have 5 while 4th position Steaua Bucuresti have 2. The home field advantage should help the Swiss side, though I cannot see them overpowering the Blues. Over in Romania, Steaua will hope for a better performance against Germany's Schalke at home though the latter side are arguably the favorites.
Group H's bottom of the table Celtic will hope to put on a show in Glasgow when they face Italy's AC Milan. Though typically better at home, I can't help but feel the Scots will fall to the power of the Italians. Nevertheless, the hope of qualification may spur Celtic to victory - 3 points and a Barcelona victory against Ajax would position Celtic in 2nd a point above Milan. I doubt it'll happen but I'll be cheering for them! Group leaders Barcelona sit tidy with 10 points and should play well in Holland when they face-off against 3rd position Ajax who have 4.
Rounding up the action tomorrow, Group F has co-leaders Arsenal taking on bottom-of-the-table Marseille at home in England. With 0 points up to this point, I think the French side would be incredibly lucky to get through the 90 minutes with a draw. The other side with 9 points, Napoli, travel to Germany as they face 3rd place Dortmund who have 6. Victory for the Germans would move them up to at least 2nd thanks to a superior goal difference than their Italian counterparts. With that in mind, the performance over the weekend by the Gelsenkirchen side was not confidence-inspiring: losing 3-0 at home to Bayern Munich! I would not say that Napoli are quite at Bayern's level, and their recent performances have been less than ideal. Based on the team-sheets, the continued losses of Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, and Neven Subotic will hurt the Germans - particularly defensively. At the same time, Marek Hamsik's injury on the Napoli side decreases their goal-scoring options. In the end, the Italians arguably have a greater depth in terms of goal-scoring, but the match will be decided by the defenses. Enjoy the games and look for more tomorrow!

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!

Rounding up in Africa Qualifying: 11/16/2013

Amidst all of the excitement of European and South American qualification, it is important not to forget the African nations that faced off for the right to be represented in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Sealing their fates today were Nigeria and Ethiopia as well as Senegal and the Ivory Coast. In the first match-up, Nigeria smoothly saw off their opponents by 2-0 in the second leg following a 2-1 victory by the Nigerians in Ethiopia. While there is certainly a great deal of necessary improvements that will have to be put into effect if Nigeria are to get anywhere in South America, they may celebrate tonight over a job well done. As for the match between Senegal and Ivory Coast, the 1-3 scoreline in the first leg positioned the Elephants perfectly to make it through to the World stage. All that was required of them was that they see off the challenges of Senegal in the match that took place in Morocco's city of Casablanca. While the 1st half went by relatively uneventful, there was pause for concern following substitute Moussa Sow's 77th minute penalty conversion gave the Senegalese the lead. Despite the motivation to press on and grab a second, it was actually Ivory Coast who scored, in the 4th minute of stoppage time in the 2nd half, to sink Senegal's chances of qualifying and ensure their own advance to next year's World Cup!

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!

Under-17 Final: November 9th 2013

Following a tense second half that followed the pattern of the previous post, Nigeria were able to secure their position in the game against Mexico through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 56th minute and Musa Muhammed in the 81st. 3-0 at the death. Was it the best game ever? Well, it was certainly a good one as the Africans became the 4-time winners of the U-17 tournament against, at the time, holders Mexico who were arguably somewhat depleted. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful game to watch and a great tournament in the United Arab Emirates. Hope you all enjoyed it!