Selection Sunday is one of the best sports days of the year, I am trying to only fill out one bracket this year and it's proving to be easier than I thought. I think overall this is a weak year for college hoops and the tournament results will reflect that in my opinion. That being said, it isn't March Madness without a few upsets and Cinderella Stories so let's take a look at some teams that can potentially move past the first weekend of the tournament and maybe even further:
Minnesota (11 seed in the West Regional): I have Minnesota penciled into the Sweet 16 and that's partly because of their performance in the Big Ten tournament. They are a very balanced team offensively and a good team defensively. Their depth is also a strength to keep guys fresh and Colton Iverson is my player to watch for the Gophers.
Notre Dame (6 seed in the South Regional): Luke Harangody's injury was probably the best thing to happen to the Irish this season. They learned to play without him and were extremely effective. Harangody is going to start the tournament coming off the bench and will provide a deadly weapon for the Irish. Tyrone Nash is my player to watch for the Irish as well as Tim Abromaitis, and I have them advancing to the Elite 8.
Wisconsin (4 seed in the East Regional): A Big Ten team always seems to make a run in the tournament every year and Wisconsin looks like that team this year. Led by Trevon Hughes and Jon Leuer, the Badgers have the ability to shoot 3's and post up. A few clutch three-pointers by Jason Bohannon will certainly keep the Badgers alive in the tournament, a tournament I expect them to make the Final Four.
Texas (8 seed in the East Regional): Texas started off this year strong and hot. They have a very talented and deep roster, but they've played poorly down the stretch which is a concern for them. The talent they have and experienced leaders can and I think will put this team back on track and upset Kentucky in the second round.
Now I've already given one team from my Final Four prediction and the other three teams that will be with Wisconsin are Kansas, Syracuse and Duke. Syracuse does have an injury to Arinze Onuaku and it looks like he will be sitting out the first weekend. If he can get back to the team for the next weekend he will be a major asset. My championship game is Kansas facing off against Duke and Kansas will be crowned National Champion.
Now we all know I'm absolutely horrible at picking games so go ahead take this info and pick the opposite and you'll likely have a solid bracket.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Ozzie vs. Kenny: Good, Bad, or Both?
Major League Baseball was in the process of getting White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to contribute to a website to go along with his Twitter and Facebook accounts. That is until Kenny Williams and the rest of the front office shut it down. Williams has not been fond of the White Sox skipper embracing social media even though there are cameras rolling from MLB Network to document the behind-the-scenes going on with the White Sox. This social media bicker between Guillen and Williams has been getting a lot of publicity in Chicago and some have even suggested this is more than just fighting over social media. I've already talked about why Twitter is a great tool for Guillen to be on, but I want to dive into this fight and see what's good and bad about it.
The Good: Now this is definitely the minority opinion of media members, but I'm leaning on the side of this fight being a good thing. Through this whole time frame that is coming up on a month, have you heard anything on the actual players on the team? I can't think of much besides the occasional piece on Jake Peavy, and that's exactly what Guillen wants. Guillen would rather have the attention on him over his players not because he likes all the attention, but by the media not focusing on his players, the players can go out there and perform their best. There are a ton of stories that could be told about the players going into this season (Carlos Quentin's comeback from injury, Buehrle strengthening his arm, etc.) and now instead of having to answer questions, their play can answer those questions.
Another reason this type of fighting is good is that it keeps everyone in check. As Guillen or Williams, you wouldn't want to be surrounded by people who agree with everything you do all the time. A little disagreement is a great way to keep things in check and prevents people from going crazy with power. It's a great way for people to bounce ideas off of and receive great opinions that are good to hear.
The Bad: While I said disagreement is a great way to keep everyone in check, it is up to a point. When you're constantly disagreeing with someone, you just might not be on the same page. There is no doubt there is questions with the White Sox offense this year. Guillen wants a rotating DH with Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, Mark Kotsay, Paul Konerko, and Carlos Quentin, Williams wanted to go after a big power type hitter to be the full-time DH. As of right now Williams is letting Ozzie's experiment run, but you can bet that if there is no production, Williams will be working the phones to acquire a big hitter. This is bad because this disagreement is coming from two guys who are responsible for winning baseball games and right now they don't have the same view as to how this team will be successful. That is a scary thought and one that might lead to either Williams or Guillen being fired at years end.
In the end I think these disagreements are a combination of good and bad but leaning more towards good. I can't wait for the regular season to start so these types of discussions are put aside by the media, that is unless the Sox start losing and the blame will be looked to be placed on either Guillen or Williams, starting another fight most likely.
The Good: Now this is definitely the minority opinion of media members, but I'm leaning on the side of this fight being a good thing. Through this whole time frame that is coming up on a month, have you heard anything on the actual players on the team? I can't think of much besides the occasional piece on Jake Peavy, and that's exactly what Guillen wants. Guillen would rather have the attention on him over his players not because he likes all the attention, but by the media not focusing on his players, the players can go out there and perform their best. There are a ton of stories that could be told about the players going into this season (Carlos Quentin's comeback from injury, Buehrle strengthening his arm, etc.) and now instead of having to answer questions, their play can answer those questions.
Another reason this type of fighting is good is that it keeps everyone in check. As Guillen or Williams, you wouldn't want to be surrounded by people who agree with everything you do all the time. A little disagreement is a great way to keep things in check and prevents people from going crazy with power. It's a great way for people to bounce ideas off of and receive great opinions that are good to hear.
The Bad: While I said disagreement is a great way to keep everyone in check, it is up to a point. When you're constantly disagreeing with someone, you just might not be on the same page. There is no doubt there is questions with the White Sox offense this year. Guillen wants a rotating DH with Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, Mark Kotsay, Paul Konerko, and Carlos Quentin, Williams wanted to go after a big power type hitter to be the full-time DH. As of right now Williams is letting Ozzie's experiment run, but you can bet that if there is no production, Williams will be working the phones to acquire a big hitter. This is bad because this disagreement is coming from two guys who are responsible for winning baseball games and right now they don't have the same view as to how this team will be successful. That is a scary thought and one that might lead to either Williams or Guillen being fired at years end.
In the end I think these disagreements are a combination of good and bad but leaning more towards good. I can't wait for the regular season to start so these types of discussions are put aside by the media, that is unless the Sox start losing and the blame will be looked to be placed on either Guillen or Williams, starting another fight most likely.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Bradley Sounds Off, Now Time to Shut Up
When I visited ESPNChicago.com tonight I saw an interview with Milton Bradley and as a Sox fan I am finding this whole situation amusing. Here's the interview:
While I enjoy a good ripping of the Cubs, I for one don't enjoy someone criticizing the city of Chicago or the people of Chicago. Bradley is quickly becoming a baby who can't handle a little bit of pressure. He says no African American player can play in Chicago unless they're Superman. Really Milton? Do you perhaps remember a man by the name of Jermaine Dye? A man who White Sox fans love to this day even when he started struggling down the stretch last season, if I remember correctly, he is African American.
You also say that people don't like it when someone doesn't perform "miracles" when they're paid a lot of money. Now you were brought into the Cubs organization to hit for power similar to what you did in Texas the year before, you didn't accomplish that, and in fact you hardly came close to any of your numbers the previous season. The Cub fans weren't asking for you to perform miracles, just to hit for a little bit of power. You also say people don't want to see a guy who is cocky get paid a lot of money, really? Michael Jordan is one of the cockiest athletes to ever play a sport and the man is worshiped in Chicago and he was paid a ton of money (he reportedly laid down $25 million cash to purchase the Bobcats).
Bradley says he received a lot of hate mail while with the Cubs similar to Jacque Jones and LaTroy Hawkins (it hurts to see these names doesn't it Cub fans?). What he also mentions is that he received hate mail in Oakland and LA also. So when does this become an issue about you and not the fans for the teams you play for?
If you think you were a prisoner in your own home, well that's your own fault. You're a professional athlete, scrutiny is sure to follow you wherever you go. You need to be the bigger man and own up to your lack of productivity. Jay Cutler struggled in his first season in Chicago and he owned up to his mistakes and took the blame when it was necessary for him to blame.
I understand that wherever you go as an African American you're likely to face some sort of racism, but to paint the entire city of Chicago as racist is just ignorant on your part, enjoy Seattle where it rains all the time and good luck dealing with more fans who are expecting a power hitter and won't get it.
While I enjoy a good ripping of the Cubs, I for one don't enjoy someone criticizing the city of Chicago or the people of Chicago. Bradley is quickly becoming a baby who can't handle a little bit of pressure. He says no African American player can play in Chicago unless they're Superman. Really Milton? Do you perhaps remember a man by the name of Jermaine Dye? A man who White Sox fans love to this day even when he started struggling down the stretch last season, if I remember correctly, he is African American.
You also say that people don't like it when someone doesn't perform "miracles" when they're paid a lot of money. Now you were brought into the Cubs organization to hit for power similar to what you did in Texas the year before, you didn't accomplish that, and in fact you hardly came close to any of your numbers the previous season. The Cub fans weren't asking for you to perform miracles, just to hit for a little bit of power. You also say people don't want to see a guy who is cocky get paid a lot of money, really? Michael Jordan is one of the cockiest athletes to ever play a sport and the man is worshiped in Chicago and he was paid a ton of money (he reportedly laid down $25 million cash to purchase the Bobcats).
Bradley says he received a lot of hate mail while with the Cubs similar to Jacque Jones and LaTroy Hawkins (it hurts to see these names doesn't it Cub fans?). What he also mentions is that he received hate mail in Oakland and LA also. So when does this become an issue about you and not the fans for the teams you play for?
If you think you were a prisoner in your own home, well that's your own fault. You're a professional athlete, scrutiny is sure to follow you wherever you go. You need to be the bigger man and own up to your lack of productivity. Jay Cutler struggled in his first season in Chicago and he owned up to his mistakes and took the blame when it was necessary for him to blame.
I understand that wherever you go as an African American you're likely to face some sort of racism, but to paint the entire city of Chicago as racist is just ignorant on your part, enjoy Seattle where it rains all the time and good luck dealing with more fans who are expecting a power hitter and won't get it.
A Comprehensive Weekly Look at the Top Teams in European Football
Good morning to one and all, and welcome to the latest edition of European Football Rankings Weekly, brought to you by Tom and Blaine. For the most part this week was pretty uneventful, with few upsets and even fewer particularly interesting matches, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have some rankings to publish! The most interesting development this week was probably the flip-flopping of Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of La Liga, with Madrid taking the lead at the top of the table after a 3-2 win vs. Sevilla. Barcelona was only able to manage a draw away at Almeria, which allowed Madrid to take the lead based on goal differential (they each have a whopping 62 points after 25 games, but Madrid’s GD is +47 compared to Barca’s +45). This will undoubtedly increase the importance of the second leg of “El Clasico”, set to be played at the Bernabeu on April 11th. In England it was more of the usual, with Chelsea beating Stoke City 2-0 in their FA Cup quarterfinal match. Portsmouth’s dreadful season was given a glimmer of hope with their advancement to the FA Cup Semifinal with a 2-0 win over mid-table Birmingham. The win was a bit of a flashback to the Pompey of last season, who were able to win the FA Cup and finish 6th in the Premiership, and it gives their long-suffering fans something to cheer about in an otherwise disgraceful, painful season. Manchester United looked decidedly lackluster without their main man Wayne Rooney in a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Paul Scholes (he scores goals) scored his 100th premier league goal in the win, which saw United climb to the top of the table with one more match played than Chelsea. Arsenal continued to roll with an easy win over Burnley. They are now 2 points back of United with the same number of matches played, and even with Chelsea with one more match played. They suffered a significant setback, however, with an injury to Cesc Fabregas. The only other premiership match of note this week was Everton’s 5-1 thrashing of Hull City. Several other matches were postponed due to weather. In Serie A, both AC Milan and Inter Milan were only able to draw, with Juventus pulling off a 2-1 win to give them some bit of respectability. AC Milan’s draw was with Roma, which prevented Roma from climbing further towards the top of the table. Serie A currently sits with Inter at the top, 4 points ahead of AC Milan and 7 points ahead of AS Roma, with 4th place Palermo a distant 13 points back. In the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen lost for the first time all season, which sees them pushed down to 3rd place (granted, they have 11 draws in 25 matches, so their previously unbeaten record was not that impressive). Bayern Munich only managed a draw, which allowed Schalke 04 to creep within 2 points of them at the top of the table. FC Twente climbed to the top of the Eredivisie table after their win and PSV Eindhoven’s loss, while Ajax continues to sit in 3rd. In France, AJ Auxerre, a club that was at the top of the table about 2 months ago, saw an attendance at their home match of 9,114. Last time I checked that’s about Iowa Cubs range, but who am I to judge the French on their football fandom. For the record, they won 1-0. Bordeaux remains at the top of the table along with Montpelier, though Bordeaux has 2 less matches played. Lyon continues to sit back in 3rd, with their chances of another Ligue 1 title fading every week. This week we’re back to Champions’ League action, so expect some shakeups in the rankings next week. Undoubtedly the biggest clashes will be Wednesday, with Manchester United playing AC Milan (first leg Milan 2-3 Manchester United), and Real Madrid vs. Lyon (first leg Lyon 1-0 Madrid). The other 2 matches this week are Fiorentina vs. Bayern Munich (Bayern 2-1 Fiorentina first leg), and Arsenal vs. FC Porto (FC Porto 2-1 Arsenal first leg). It appears that United will be without Wayne Rooney again, which could be a huge blow. However, in order to advance, AC Milan effectively needs to win by 2 based on the away goals rule. Later in the week we have a decent batch of Europa League matches, with the highlights being Juventus-Fulham, Valencia-Werder Bremen, and Lille-Liverpool. That’s about all I can muster to say about this week. As I said, it was pretty uneventful, without many heroic efforts. One match of note as far as a lopsided scoreline would be Newcastle United’s 6-1 win over Barnsley, which more or less clinches the Championship for them (8 point lead with game in hand). Other than that, there wasn’t a whole lot this week, so I suppose I’ll end this before it gets too long (though granted, it already is a bit rambling, so if you’ve made it this far, hats off). Have a good week, and remember, if you’re ever in Singapore, make sure to eat at the Banana Leaf Apolo on Race Course Road! Best Indian food I’ve ever had.
And now here are the rankings! Some of the more interesting ones we’ve had yet. Everton and Panathinaikos debut while me and Blaine show some true variation in our rankings at the top for the first time in a while.
Rank Team Country Points
1. Barcelona (Esp) 49
Barcelona barely scraped out a 2-2 draw at Almeria on the weekend that saw them drop from the top of La Liga. They twice came from a goal down and fought through a Zlatan Ibrahimovic red card and Carles Puyol own goal in a match sprinkled with some puzzling refereeing decisions. Barcelona was almost spared embarrassment but a 90th minute Rafael Van der Vaart goal claimed three points for Real Madrid in their comeback from 2-0 against Sevilla as Madrid placed themselves at the top of the table. Barcelona will look to bounce back with a visit from third-place Valencia next weekend followed by a visit from Stuttgart for the second leg of the Champions League knockout stage just after that.
2. Real Madrid (Esp) 47
T3. Chelsea (Eng) 45
T3. Inter Milan (Ita) 45
5. Manchester United (Eng) 44
Manchester United won a squeaker on the weekend with a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton on the back of Paul Scholes’ 100th Premier League goal. It was a mediocre effort that saw Wolves nearly put away an equalizer in stoppage time and poor performances from Berbatov up front and Nani and Valencia on the wings. The over-reliance on Wayne Rooney was exposed as he sat out the clash after two games on the poor pitch of Wembley Stadium in four days, which apparently gave him a knee injury. Still, United has regained their spot at the top of the table even though they have an extra game on trailers Chelsea. The second leg of the first knockout round of the Champions League looms mid-week as AC Milan visits from Italy. Rooney should be back and should be in top form to defend United’s 3-2 lead from the first leg.
6. AC Milan (Ita) 40
7. Arsenal (Eng) 37
T8. Bayern Munich (Ger) 32
T8. Bordeaux (Fra) 32
10. Manchester City (Eng) 28
T11. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 27
T11. Valencia (Esp) 27
13. Schalke 04 (Ger) 26
14. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 24
15. Twente Enschede (Ned) 23
T16. Aston Villa (Eng) 21
T16. Benfica (Por) 21
18. AS Roma (Ita) 19
T19. Ajax Amsterdam (Ned) 10
T19. Montpellier (Fra) 10
T21. Braga (Por) 7
T21. Marseille (Fra) 7
T23. Everton (Eng) 5
T23. Lyon (Fra) 5
T25. Palermo (Ita) 4
T25. Panathinaikos (Gre) 4
Also Receiving Votes: PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 3, Galatasaray (Tur) 3, Mallorca (Esp) 2, Juventus (Ita) 2, Hamburg SV (Ger) 1
And here's how the voters voted (Sorry, no fancy table this time, I am doing this before my 9 AM class so not enough time!):
Tom
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Manchester United
Chelsea
Inter Milan
AC Milan
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Schalke 04
Bordeaux
Manchester City
Benfica
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
AS Roma
Montpellier
Aston Villa
Valencia
Marseille
Twente Enschede
Lyon
Panathinaikos
PSV Eindhoven
Mallorca
Braga
Blaine:
Barcelona
Inter Milan
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Manchester United
AC Milan
Valencia
Arsenal
Twente Enschede
Bordeaux
Tottenham Hotspur
Bayern Munich
Manchester City
Aston Villa
Bayer Leverkusen
Ajax Amsterdam
Schalke 04
AS Roma
Benfica
Braga
Everton
Palermo
Galatasaray
Juventus
Hamburg SV
And now here are the rankings! Some of the more interesting ones we’ve had yet. Everton and Panathinaikos debut while me and Blaine show some true variation in our rankings at the top for the first time in a while.
Rank Team Country Points
1. Barcelona (Esp) 49
Barcelona barely scraped out a 2-2 draw at Almeria on the weekend that saw them drop from the top of La Liga. They twice came from a goal down and fought through a Zlatan Ibrahimovic red card and Carles Puyol own goal in a match sprinkled with some puzzling refereeing decisions. Barcelona was almost spared embarrassment but a 90th minute Rafael Van der Vaart goal claimed three points for Real Madrid in their comeback from 2-0 against Sevilla as Madrid placed themselves at the top of the table. Barcelona will look to bounce back with a visit from third-place Valencia next weekend followed by a visit from Stuttgart for the second leg of the Champions League knockout stage just after that.
2. Real Madrid (Esp) 47
T3. Chelsea (Eng) 45
T3. Inter Milan (Ita) 45
5. Manchester United (Eng) 44
Manchester United won a squeaker on the weekend with a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton on the back of Paul Scholes’ 100th Premier League goal. It was a mediocre effort that saw Wolves nearly put away an equalizer in stoppage time and poor performances from Berbatov up front and Nani and Valencia on the wings. The over-reliance on Wayne Rooney was exposed as he sat out the clash after two games on the poor pitch of Wembley Stadium in four days, which apparently gave him a knee injury. Still, United has regained their spot at the top of the table even though they have an extra game on trailers Chelsea. The second leg of the first knockout round of the Champions League looms mid-week as AC Milan visits from Italy. Rooney should be back and should be in top form to defend United’s 3-2 lead from the first leg.
6. AC Milan (Ita) 40
7. Arsenal (Eng) 37
T8. Bayern Munich (Ger) 32
T8. Bordeaux (Fra) 32
10. Manchester City (Eng) 28
T11. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 27
T11. Valencia (Esp) 27
13. Schalke 04 (Ger) 26
14. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 24
15. Twente Enschede (Ned) 23
T16. Aston Villa (Eng) 21
T16. Benfica (Por) 21
18. AS Roma (Ita) 19
T19. Ajax Amsterdam (Ned) 10
T19. Montpellier (Fra) 10
T21. Braga (Por) 7
T21. Marseille (Fra) 7
T23. Everton (Eng) 5
T23. Lyon (Fra) 5
T25. Palermo (Ita) 4
T25. Panathinaikos (Gre) 4
Also Receiving Votes: PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 3, Galatasaray (Tur) 3, Mallorca (Esp) 2, Juventus (Ita) 2, Hamburg SV (Ger) 1
And here's how the voters voted (Sorry, no fancy table this time, I am doing this before my 9 AM class so not enough time!):
Tom
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Manchester United
Chelsea
Inter Milan
AC Milan
Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Schalke 04
Bordeaux
Manchester City
Benfica
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
AS Roma
Montpellier
Aston Villa
Valencia
Marseille
Twente Enschede
Lyon
Panathinaikos
PSV Eindhoven
Mallorca
Braga
Blaine:
Barcelona
Inter Milan
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Manchester United
AC Milan
Valencia
Arsenal
Twente Enschede
Bordeaux
Tottenham Hotspur
Bayern Munich
Manchester City
Aston Villa
Bayer Leverkusen
Ajax Amsterdam
Schalke 04
AS Roma
Benfica
Braga
Everton
Palermo
Galatasaray
Juventus
Hamburg SV
Friday, March 5, 2010
Weekend Soccer Preview
Another edition of the Weekend Soccer Preview!
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.
Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
14:45 ET Saturday (Italy’s Serie A)
(15) AS Roma v (6) AC Milan
This is a battle for second place in Italy. AC Milan currently occupies that second spot, 3 points ahead of third-place AS Roma. In the first match-up between these squads in October, AC Milan scored a nervy 2-1 on the back of a Ronaldinho penalty and Alexandre Pato goal after an early strike by Roma's Jeremy Menez. For Milan, this is the start of a vital two game stretch, as they look to take a step towards the championship in this game and then must go to Old Trafford mid-week to come back from a 3-2 first leg deficit in the Champions League. With just 11 games left in the campaign after this one, a loss for Milan would be crippling, as they could be 7 points back with no matches left against Inter to make up the points quick. A win for Roma puts them in prime position to overtake the AC Milan and make a run at the second spot in the league.
Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
16:00 ET Saturday (Spain’s La Liga)
(2) Real Madrid v (21) Sevilla
Real Madrid is on a scorching hot tear in La Liga in an attempt to overtake leaders and rivals Barcelona, who sit on top by 2 points. Real Madrid has won their last 6 matches in the league by a combined 22-4, including 6-2 and 5-1 their last two games. Sevilla has own two of their last three in the league and is in fourth 18 poitns off the pace after a difficult mid-season rut. Still, Sevilla beat Madrid 2-1 at home earlier in the season and are always a difficult test. Madrid will be without Karim Benzema and could miss the services of Guti, while Sevilla is without striker Luis Fabiano. Real Madrid is in search of their 13th consecutive home win and will certainly be tested by the solid Sevilla squad.
15:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Top of the Table Clashes
15:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Bordeaux has not played a match since February 23rd because of rescheduling of their league slate due to Champions League fixtures and weather concerns. This leads to a bit of fixture congestion for the club and they have played 2 less games than most other teams in the league. This kicks off a brutal stretch of 5 games in 14 days, including 3 in 6 days leading up to the Champions League clash against Olympiakos on the 17th. However Bordeaux has a cushion on top as Montpellier is still just tied with them on points and Bordeaux has two games in hand. Montpellier has won 6 of their last 7 games in their climb to the top and a win for them would only heighten the level of panic in the Bordeaux camp in this crucial two-week stretch. On the other hand, a Bordeaux win lengthens the gap at the top, allowing them to breathe easy in the face of constant top-flight competition.
Big Games in Small Leagues
10:00 ET Saturday (English Championship)
Nottingham Forest v Swansea City
Nottingham forest currently occupy third position in the Championship, just 5 points ahead of fourth-place Swansea City, who has a game in hand. Forest is a scant two points behind second-place West Bromwich Albion and the automatic qualifying spot. Still, both sides are fairly comfortably in position to participate in the playoff to make it into the Premier League. This will be a vital game in determining position in that all-important season ending playoff.
English Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
(7) Arsenal v Burnley
West Ham v Bolton
12:30 ET Saturday
Wolverhampton v (4) Manchester United
11:00 ET Sunday
Everton v Hull City
15:00 ET Monday
Wigan v (22) Liverpool
English FA Cup Quarterfinals
7:30 ET Saturday
Portsmouth v Birmingham
12:20 ET Saturday
Fulham v (10) Tottenham Hotspur
8:45 ET Sunday
Reading v (25) Aston Villa
11:00 ET Sunday
(5) Chelsea v Stoke City
Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v St. Mirren
8:15 ET Sunday
Falkirk v Celtic
Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Deportivo La Coruna v Tenerife
14:00 ET Saturday
Almeria v (1) Barcelona
16:00 ET Saturday
(2) Real Madrid v (21) Sevilla
11:00 ET Sunday
Espanyol v Villarreal
Malaga v Xerez
Mallorca v Sporting Gijon
Osasuna v Getafe
13:00 ET Sunday
Athletic Bilbao v Valladolid
15:00 ET Sunday
Real Zaragoza v Atletico Madrid
15:00 ET Monday
(14) Valencia v Racing Santander
Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Fiorentina v Juventus
14:45 ET Saturday
(15) AS Roma v (6) AC Milan
9:00 ET Sunday
Atalanta v Udinese
Bari v Chievo Verona
Bologna v Napoli
Cagliari v Catania
Palermo v Livorno
Sampdoria v Lazio
Siena v Parma
14:45 ET Sunday
(2) Inter Milan v Genoa
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Satuday
Eintracht Frankfurt v (13) Schalke 04
Cologne v (7) Bayern Munich
Hamburg SV v Hertha Berlin
Freiburg v Hannover 96
Wolfsburg v Bochum
Werder Bremen v Stuttgart
12:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Monchengladbach
9:30 ET Sunday
Nurnberg v (10) Bayer Leverkusen
11:30 ET Sunday
TSG Hoffenheim v Mainz
French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
AJ Auxerre v Valenciennes
Boulogne v (19) Lyon
Lens v Paris Saint-Germain
Nice v AS Nancy Lorriane
Sochaux v Toulouse
Stade Rennes v AS Monaco
15:00 ET Saturday
St. Etienne v Lille
11:00 ET Sunday
Grenoble v Le Mans
Marseille v Lorient
15:00 ET Sunday
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Dutch Eredivisie
12:45 ET Saturday
AZ Alkmaar v Heerenveen
14:45 ET Saturday
NAC Breda v (15) PSV Eindhoven
6:30 ET Sunday
Sparta Rotterdam v (19) Ajax Amsterdam
8:30 ET Sunday
RKC Waalwijk v (18) Twente Enschede
Portuguese Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
FC Porto v Olhanense
16:15 ET Saturday
Vitoria Setubal v (22) Braga
13:00 ET Sunday
Beleneses v Sporting Lisbon
15:15 ET Sunday
(15) Benfica v Pacos de Ferreira
Turkish Super League
7:00 ET Sunday
Besiktas v Akaraspor
12:00 ET Sunday
Fenerbahce v Antalyaspor
13:00 ET Monday
Eskisehirspor v Galatasaray
Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
Larissa v AEK Athens
9:45 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Levadiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Iraklis v Olympiakos
Ukrainian Premier League
8:00 ET Saturday
Illychivets Mariupil v Dynamo Kyiv
7:30 ET Sunday
Metalurh Donetsk v Shakhtar Donestk
Belgian Jupiler League
12:00 ET Saturday
Royal Charleroi v Anderlecht
Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v LASK Linz
SK Sturm Graz v SV Josko Ried
SV Salzburg v FC Magna Wr. Neustadt
9:30 ET Sunday
Kapfenberg SV v Rapid Vienna
Danish Super League
11:00 ET Saturday
Midtjylland v Odense BK
12:00 ET Sunday
Copenhagen v Aarhus
13:00 ET Monday
Aalborg v Nordsjaelland
Swiss Super League
11:45 ET Saturday
FC Basel v Grasshoppers
10:00 ET Sunday
FC Zurich v Lucerne
Neuchatel Xamax v Young Boys
As always, home team listed first, all times Eastern.
Game of the Week (Rankings from Poll)
14:45 ET Saturday (Italy’s Serie A)
(15) AS Roma v (6) AC Milan
This is a battle for second place in Italy. AC Milan currently occupies that second spot, 3 points ahead of third-place AS Roma. In the first match-up between these squads in October, AC Milan scored a nervy 2-1 on the back of a Ronaldinho penalty and Alexandre Pato goal after an early strike by Roma's Jeremy Menez. For Milan, this is the start of a vital two game stretch, as they look to take a step towards the championship in this game and then must go to Old Trafford mid-week to come back from a 3-2 first leg deficit in the Champions League. With just 11 games left in the campaign after this one, a loss for Milan would be crippling, as they could be 7 points back with no matches left against Inter to make up the points quick. A win for Roma puts them in prime position to overtake the AC Milan and make a run at the second spot in the league.
Other Games Between Two Ranked Teams
16:00 ET Saturday (Spain’s La Liga)
(2) Real Madrid v (21) Sevilla
Real Madrid is on a scorching hot tear in La Liga in an attempt to overtake leaders and rivals Barcelona, who sit on top by 2 points. Real Madrid has won their last 6 matches in the league by a combined 22-4, including 6-2 and 5-1 their last two games. Sevilla has own two of their last three in the league and is in fourth 18 poitns off the pace after a difficult mid-season rut. Still, Sevilla beat Madrid 2-1 at home earlier in the season and are always a difficult test. Madrid will be without Karim Benzema and could miss the services of Guti, while Sevilla is without striker Luis Fabiano. Real Madrid is in search of their 13th consecutive home win and will certainly be tested by the solid Sevilla squad.
15:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Top of the Table Clashes
15:00 ET Sunday (French Ligue 1)
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Bordeaux has not played a match since February 23rd because of rescheduling of their league slate due to Champions League fixtures and weather concerns. This leads to a bit of fixture congestion for the club and they have played 2 less games than most other teams in the league. This kicks off a brutal stretch of 5 games in 14 days, including 3 in 6 days leading up to the Champions League clash against Olympiakos on the 17th. However Bordeaux has a cushion on top as Montpellier is still just tied with them on points and Bordeaux has two games in hand. Montpellier has won 6 of their last 7 games in their climb to the top and a win for them would only heighten the level of panic in the Bordeaux camp in this crucial two-week stretch. On the other hand, a Bordeaux win lengthens the gap at the top, allowing them to breathe easy in the face of constant top-flight competition.
Big Games in Small Leagues
10:00 ET Saturday (English Championship)
Nottingham Forest v Swansea City
Nottingham forest currently occupy third position in the Championship, just 5 points ahead of fourth-place Swansea City, who has a game in hand. Forest is a scant two points behind second-place West Bromwich Albion and the automatic qualifying spot. Still, both sides are fairly comfortably in position to participate in the playoff to make it into the Premier League. This will be a vital game in determining position in that all-important season ending playoff.
English Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
(7) Arsenal v Burnley
West Ham v Bolton
12:30 ET Saturday
Wolverhampton v (4) Manchester United
11:00 ET Sunday
Everton v Hull City
15:00 ET Monday
Wigan v (22) Liverpool
English FA Cup Quarterfinals
7:30 ET Saturday
Portsmouth v Birmingham
12:20 ET Saturday
Fulham v (10) Tottenham Hotspur
8:45 ET Sunday
Reading v (25) Aston Villa
11:00 ET Sunday
(5) Chelsea v Stoke City
Scottish Premier League
10:00 ET Saturday
Rangers v St. Mirren
8:15 ET Sunday
Falkirk v Celtic
Spain’s La Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
Deportivo La Coruna v Tenerife
14:00 ET Saturday
Almeria v (1) Barcelona
16:00 ET Saturday
(2) Real Madrid v (21) Sevilla
11:00 ET Sunday
Espanyol v Villarreal
Malaga v Xerez
Mallorca v Sporting Gijon
Osasuna v Getafe
13:00 ET Sunday
Athletic Bilbao v Valladolid
15:00 ET Sunday
Real Zaragoza v Atletico Madrid
15:00 ET Monday
(14) Valencia v Racing Santander
Italy’s Serie A
12:00 ET Saturday
Fiorentina v Juventus
14:45 ET Saturday
(15) AS Roma v (6) AC Milan
9:00 ET Sunday
Atalanta v Udinese
Bari v Chievo Verona
Bologna v Napoli
Cagliari v Catania
Palermo v Livorno
Sampdoria v Lazio
Siena v Parma
14:45 ET Sunday
(2) Inter Milan v Genoa
German Bundesliga
9:30 ET Satuday
Eintracht Frankfurt v (13) Schalke 04
Cologne v (7) Bayern Munich
Hamburg SV v Hertha Berlin
Freiburg v Hannover 96
Wolfsburg v Bochum
Werder Bremen v Stuttgart
12:30 ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Borussia Monchengladbach
9:30 ET Sunday
Nurnberg v (10) Bayer Leverkusen
11:30 ET Sunday
TSG Hoffenheim v Mainz
French Ligue 1
13:00 ET Saturday
AJ Auxerre v Valenciennes
Boulogne v (19) Lyon
Lens v Paris Saint-Germain
Nice v AS Nancy Lorriane
Sochaux v Toulouse
Stade Rennes v AS Monaco
15:00 ET Saturday
St. Etienne v Lille
11:00 ET Sunday
Grenoble v Le Mans
Marseille v Lorient
15:00 ET Sunday
(7) Bordeaux v (24) Montpellier
Dutch Eredivisie
12:45 ET Saturday
AZ Alkmaar v Heerenveen
14:45 ET Saturday
NAC Breda v (15) PSV Eindhoven
6:30 ET Sunday
Sparta Rotterdam v (19) Ajax Amsterdam
8:30 ET Sunday
RKC Waalwijk v (18) Twente Enschede
Portuguese Liga
12:00 ET Saturday
FC Porto v Olhanense
16:15 ET Saturday
Vitoria Setubal v (22) Braga
13:00 ET Sunday
Beleneses v Sporting Lisbon
15:15 ET Sunday
(15) Benfica v Pacos de Ferreira
Turkish Super League
7:00 ET Sunday
Besiktas v Akaraspor
12:00 ET Sunday
Fenerbahce v Antalyaspor
13:00 ET Monday
Eskisehirspor v Galatasaray
Greek Super League
12:00 ET Saturday
Larissa v AEK Athens
9:45 ET Sunday
Panathinaikos v Levadiakos
12:00 ET Sunday
Iraklis v Olympiakos
Ukrainian Premier League
8:00 ET Saturday
Illychivets Mariupil v Dynamo Kyiv
7:30 ET Sunday
Metalurh Donetsk v Shakhtar Donestk
Belgian Jupiler League
12:00 ET Saturday
Royal Charleroi v Anderlecht
Austrian Bundesliga
12:00 ET Saturday
Austria Vienna v LASK Linz
SK Sturm Graz v SV Josko Ried
SV Salzburg v FC Magna Wr. Neustadt
9:30 ET Sunday
Kapfenberg SV v Rapid Vienna
Danish Super League
11:00 ET Saturday
Midtjylland v Odense BK
12:00 ET Sunday
Copenhagen v Aarhus
13:00 ET Monday
Aalborg v Nordsjaelland
Swiss Super League
11:45 ET Saturday
FC Basel v Grasshoppers
10:00 ET Sunday
FC Zurich v Lucerne
Neuchatel Xamax v Young Boys
Thursday, March 4, 2010
2010 AL West Preview
With Spring Training games getting underway this week, Tom and I thought it would be a good time to get started on previewing the 2010 season. I will be previewing the AL divisions and Tom will take care of the NL. Teams will appear in order of expected finish, and we'll highlight one new player on the team, the key player for that team, and one player who might breakout. Let's get started!
Texas Rangers
Same Face, New Place: Rich Harden. Now I could have easily chosen Vlad Guerrero, but any success Harden has will be more important than any success Guerrero may have. The Rangers are realizing how important pitching is and are finally addressing that area, and Harden is an interesting choice. Harden may be one of the most talented pitchers in the game, the problem is that he is either hurt or ineffective. If Harden can consistently pitch 7+ innings while staying healthy this year, he'll be a big reason why the Rangers contend in 2010.
Key Player: Josh Hamilton. By now, most people know about Hamilton's amazing story involving drugs and alcohol and his comeback to baseball. When it comes down to it, Hamilton is the key for the Rangers this year. Coming off an injury-filled 2009 and starting this year with a shoulder injury, it's important for Hamilton to remain healthy and produce like he did in 2008. The Rangers have an incredible offense, but Hamilton makes it even better and they'll need offense to bail out their pitching this season.
Player to Watch: Julio Borbon. Borbon is taking over centerfield from Hamilton and will also be batting leadoff and with good reason. In 46 games, Borbon batted .312, had a .376 OBP, and stole 19 bases, if he can build on that success in 2010, it'll give a new wrinkle to the usually high-powered Rangers offense.
Conclusion: I know this pick is a surprise for most people, but I'm really high on the Rangers this year. The offense is known for being homer-happy and producing a lot of runs, but the pitching will be the story for the Rangers this season. They'll have their rough patches, but the pitching will be improved and the Rangers will be the surprise team this season.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Same Face, New Place: Hideki Matsui. Matsui had a very productive season for the Yankees last season and he'll have to produce similar numbers for the Angels this season. Matsui was one of many players who enjoyed the short porch in right field in Yankee Stadium, so it'll be interesting to see if the resurgence from Matsui was strictly because of the stadium he played in or if he was fully healthy and back to performing like it was 2004. The thing to watch from Matsui is health, something that has been a problem for Matsui lately.
Key Player: Kendry Morales. Morales experienced an unbelievable season where he hit 34 home runs and drove in 108 runs with an OPS of .924. He's the key player for the Angels this season because he'll have to put up similar numbers yet again to allow the Angels to contend. The Angels have good offensive weapons, but no one besides Morales that strikes fear into opposing pitchers. If Morales can't duplicate his 2009 season the Angels may be in a little trouble.
Player to Watch: Brandon Wood. In the fantasy baseball world, not many prospect have been as hyped ad Wood has been through his career. While failing to live up to the insane amount of hype so far, the hype has cooled, which could be exactly what Wood needs to break out. He'll have no one watching him, a strong veteran presence around him, and a somewhat permanent job at 3B this season. All signs point to Wood being more comfortable this season and when a guy is comfortable he may just bust out in a big way.
Conclusion: The Angels are really the only other team I see in this division that has a shot at winning the division. The pitching is outstanding and the offense is definitely good enough to get the job done. If Morales can have similar success to last year combined with what should be stellar pitching the Angels will be right there for either the wild card or the division.
Seattle Mariners
Same Face, New Place: Chone Figgins. Figgins took his speed and bolted (you decide if I intended this pun) for Seattle who offered a ton of money. Figgins will lose his leadoff spot to Ichiro but will definitely provide for an interesting 1-2 punch at the top of the Mariners lineup.
Key Player: Erik Bedard. Bedard rejoined the Mariners but will be starting the year on the DL. So why is a guy on the DL a key player, well that's because he's going to be extremely important for them when he comes back. After Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee the pitching for the Mariners is suspect and Bedard's presence will be a boost to a team that has high expectations.
Player to Watch: Milton Bradley. I'm trying to keep this section to young players but I can't pass up the opportunity to talk about Bradley. The Mariners will seemingly lack a strong offense this season so it'll be key for Bradley to rediscover the power that he had in Texas two seasons ago. If he doesn't have that power anymore, well, he'll still be a player to watch because he'll undoubtedly provide a good quote or two during the season.
Conclusion: The Mariners have a lot of pre-season hype surrounding them and that means one thing. They won't match the hype. The pitching and offense are good at the 1 and 2 holes but after that there are a ton of question marks. Two solid starters is great for the playoffs but you have to win enough to get there to enjoy that pleasure and I just don't see how the Mariners will win enough games to contend this season.
Oakland A's
Same Face, New Place: Ben Sheets. Sheets didn't pitch in 2009 due to surgery on his pitching arm, but he's back and looks to be ready for 2010. Sheets is very similar to Rich Harden in the fact that he's really talented when healthy, but he's never healthy. He'll likely be the ace of the A's staff to start off the season and if he has a good first half you can almost guarantee that he'll be traded to a contender for the usual prospects that Billy Beane loves to acquire.
Key Player: Kurt Suzuki. It's really hard to find a key player for the A's, they really aren't playing for much this season so this season doesn't hinge on only one player. Suzuki is just superb catcher who should continue to improve and garner attention nationally. He hit 15 home runs last year and drove in 88 runs while stealing 8 bases as a catcher. He'll be a key player in terms of keeping fans coming to games and possibly keeping the A's in Oakland.
Player to Watch: Brett Anderson. Anderson won 11 games last year so you're probably asking why I have him on here this year. The simple answer is that he could have won even more games last year. Anderson was victim to Matt Cain Syndrome where he just simply didn't get enough run support last year. He has a ton of potential and given a little support could become a top pitcher in baseball.
Conclusion: Oh Billy Beane and his love of getting on-base. It's really starting to hurt the A's, and I don't really see a way for them to contend this season. A team full of young guys isn't the greatest way to win, but my god you have to credit Beane for continuing to trot out teams like that year in and year out. They have a few nice pieces but not nearly enough to compete.
Texas Rangers
Same Face, New Place: Rich Harden. Now I could have easily chosen Vlad Guerrero, but any success Harden has will be more important than any success Guerrero may have. The Rangers are realizing how important pitching is and are finally addressing that area, and Harden is an interesting choice. Harden may be one of the most talented pitchers in the game, the problem is that he is either hurt or ineffective. If Harden can consistently pitch 7+ innings while staying healthy this year, he'll be a big reason why the Rangers contend in 2010.
Key Player: Josh Hamilton. By now, most people know about Hamilton's amazing story involving drugs and alcohol and his comeback to baseball. When it comes down to it, Hamilton is the key for the Rangers this year. Coming off an injury-filled 2009 and starting this year with a shoulder injury, it's important for Hamilton to remain healthy and produce like he did in 2008. The Rangers have an incredible offense, but Hamilton makes it even better and they'll need offense to bail out their pitching this season.
Player to Watch: Julio Borbon. Borbon is taking over centerfield from Hamilton and will also be batting leadoff and with good reason. In 46 games, Borbon batted .312, had a .376 OBP, and stole 19 bases, if he can build on that success in 2010, it'll give a new wrinkle to the usually high-powered Rangers offense.
Conclusion: I know this pick is a surprise for most people, but I'm really high on the Rangers this year. The offense is known for being homer-happy and producing a lot of runs, but the pitching will be the story for the Rangers this season. They'll have their rough patches, but the pitching will be improved and the Rangers will be the surprise team this season.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Same Face, New Place: Hideki Matsui. Matsui had a very productive season for the Yankees last season and he'll have to produce similar numbers for the Angels this season. Matsui was one of many players who enjoyed the short porch in right field in Yankee Stadium, so it'll be interesting to see if the resurgence from Matsui was strictly because of the stadium he played in or if he was fully healthy and back to performing like it was 2004. The thing to watch from Matsui is health, something that has been a problem for Matsui lately.
Key Player: Kendry Morales. Morales experienced an unbelievable season where he hit 34 home runs and drove in 108 runs with an OPS of .924. He's the key player for the Angels this season because he'll have to put up similar numbers yet again to allow the Angels to contend. The Angels have good offensive weapons, but no one besides Morales that strikes fear into opposing pitchers. If Morales can't duplicate his 2009 season the Angels may be in a little trouble.
Player to Watch: Brandon Wood. In the fantasy baseball world, not many prospect have been as hyped ad Wood has been through his career. While failing to live up to the insane amount of hype so far, the hype has cooled, which could be exactly what Wood needs to break out. He'll have no one watching him, a strong veteran presence around him, and a somewhat permanent job at 3B this season. All signs point to Wood being more comfortable this season and when a guy is comfortable he may just bust out in a big way.
Conclusion: The Angels are really the only other team I see in this division that has a shot at winning the division. The pitching is outstanding and the offense is definitely good enough to get the job done. If Morales can have similar success to last year combined with what should be stellar pitching the Angels will be right there for either the wild card or the division.
Seattle Mariners
Same Face, New Place: Chone Figgins. Figgins took his speed and bolted (you decide if I intended this pun) for Seattle who offered a ton of money. Figgins will lose his leadoff spot to Ichiro but will definitely provide for an interesting 1-2 punch at the top of the Mariners lineup.
Key Player: Erik Bedard. Bedard rejoined the Mariners but will be starting the year on the DL. So why is a guy on the DL a key player, well that's because he's going to be extremely important for them when he comes back. After Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee the pitching for the Mariners is suspect and Bedard's presence will be a boost to a team that has high expectations.
Player to Watch: Milton Bradley. I'm trying to keep this section to young players but I can't pass up the opportunity to talk about Bradley. The Mariners will seemingly lack a strong offense this season so it'll be key for Bradley to rediscover the power that he had in Texas two seasons ago. If he doesn't have that power anymore, well, he'll still be a player to watch because he'll undoubtedly provide a good quote or two during the season.
Conclusion: The Mariners have a lot of pre-season hype surrounding them and that means one thing. They won't match the hype. The pitching and offense are good at the 1 and 2 holes but after that there are a ton of question marks. Two solid starters is great for the playoffs but you have to win enough to get there to enjoy that pleasure and I just don't see how the Mariners will win enough games to contend this season.
Oakland A's
Same Face, New Place: Ben Sheets. Sheets didn't pitch in 2009 due to surgery on his pitching arm, but he's back and looks to be ready for 2010. Sheets is very similar to Rich Harden in the fact that he's really talented when healthy, but he's never healthy. He'll likely be the ace of the A's staff to start off the season and if he has a good first half you can almost guarantee that he'll be traded to a contender for the usual prospects that Billy Beane loves to acquire.
Key Player: Kurt Suzuki. It's really hard to find a key player for the A's, they really aren't playing for much this season so this season doesn't hinge on only one player. Suzuki is just superb catcher who should continue to improve and garner attention nationally. He hit 15 home runs last year and drove in 88 runs while stealing 8 bases as a catcher. He'll be a key player in terms of keeping fans coming to games and possibly keeping the A's in Oakland.
Player to Watch: Brett Anderson. Anderson won 11 games last year so you're probably asking why I have him on here this year. The simple answer is that he could have won even more games last year. Anderson was victim to Matt Cain Syndrome where he just simply didn't get enough run support last year. He has a ton of potential and given a little support could become a top pitcher in baseball.
Conclusion: Oh Billy Beane and his love of getting on-base. It's really starting to hurt the A's, and I don't really see a way for them to contend this season. A team full of young guys isn't the greatest way to win, but my god you have to credit Beane for continuing to trot out teams like that year in and year out. They have a few nice pieces but not nearly enough to compete.
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Comprehensive Weekly Look at the Top Teams in European Soccer
This week saw another round of mid-week European matches! Blaine is finally back into the swing of things in Hong Kong and was therefore able to once again contribute to these rankings. He has been over there for about two months now so it will be interesting to see how our rankings start to independently develop without us talking about soccer on a daily basis in the US.
First up on Tuesday there was a good 1-0 win for Bordeaux at Olympiakos with a Michael Ciani goal right before the half. The last thing the Greek side wanted to do was give up a goal at home so red-hot Bordeaux will have a nice lead to take back home to France. Barcelona came from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart, and with the valuable away goal should find a way to advance to the next round. A fantastic Mark Gonzalez strike in the 66th minute drew CSKA Moscow level with Sevilla at home and gives them a chance going into the second leg as the match finished 1-1. The massive match-up of the week came with Inter Milan hosting Chelsea on Wednesday. Alberto Diego Milito scored in the 3rd minute for Inter, but Salomon Kalou equalized in the 51st with the valuable away goal. However, an Esteban Cambiasso goal 4 minutes later gave the Italian leaders the lead again, leaving Chelsea with work to do in the return leg.
The Europa League saw all of its Round of 32 second legs played. Benfica smashed Hertha Berlin 4-0, the first of their 4-0 wins for the week, and they will be moving on to the next round, 5-1 on aggregate. Panathinaikos stunned AS Roma with a 3-2 win at Roma to advance to the Round of16 on a 6-4 aggregate win. Their three goals came in a 5 minute span to end the first half, two from Djibril Cisse (notorious for playing incredibly well against me in FIFA) and one from Sotiris Ninis. PSV Eindhoven beat Hamburg SV 3-2 but were still knocked out indifficult fashion on the away goals rule. Fulham held off Shakhtar Donetsk with a 1-1 result in Ukraine to advance to the next round 3-2 on aggregate. Liverpool bounced back from an early deficit to beat Unirea Urziceni 3-1 and 4-1 on aggregate. Everton was not able to hold onto their 2-1 lead from leg 1 as they lost 3-0 at Sporting Lisbon to end their European run. German sides Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen both won their games 4-1 against Villarreal and Twente respectively to propel themselves on in the competition. The rest of the scores mid-week were Galatasaray 1-2 Atletico Madrid (2-3 on aggregate), Marsielle 3-1 Copenhagen (6-2), Fenerbahce 1-1 Lille (2-3), Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0-0 FK Rubin Kazan (0-3), Juventus 0-0 Ajax Amsterdam (2-1), SV Salzburg 0-0 Standard Liege (2-3), Valencia 3-0 Club Brugge (3-1).
On the weekend, Manchester United won the first trophy in England this year with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium in the Carling Cup final. James Milner took an early lead for Villa on a fair penalty call but Michael Owen equalized for United just 7 minutes later. Red-hot substitute Wayne Rooney won it for Manchester United with a goal in the 74th minute. In the Premier League, the big game for the weekend was the first game of the weekend when Manchester City waltzed into Stamford Bridge and came out with a 4-2 win on the heels of a brace for both Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy. Arsenal handled Stoke City with a 3-1 win on the road after an early Danny Pugh goal for Stoke. Arsenal scored twice in second half extra time to take the victory, which was marred by a horrific injury to Aaron Ramsey in the second half. Tottenham held off streaking Everton with a 2-1 victory at home. American Landon Donovan missed a big chance in this game that would have pulled Everton even. Liverpool held off Blackburn at home with goals from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in a 2-1 win. After this weekend’s action, Chelsea sits only one point ahead of Manchester United, while Arsenal is just three points back of the leaders. Tottenham occupies the last Champions League qualifying spot in fourth but is 12 points off the pace. Manchester City is lurking in fifth, even with Tottenham points and well behind in goal differential, but with a game in hand. Liverpool is a point behind City in sixth, while Aston Villa is just three points behind Liverpool with two games in hand, still very much in the hunt for the final Champions League qualifying spot.
In Spain, Barcelona kept their lead in La Liga with a 2-1 win at home over Malaga. Real Madrid remains two points back with their 5-1 thrashing of relegation-threatened Tenerife on the road. Third-place Valencia lost in grand fashion, 4-1 at Atletico Madrid, who may be turning it around a bit as they use their momentum from their advance in the Europa League. Luckily for Valencia, Sevilla was unable to capitalize with a 0-0 draw at home to seventh-place Athletic Bilbao, so Sevilla is three points back of third. Mallorca took advantage of these dropped points and jumped to fifth with a 2-1 win at Valladolid as Deportivo La Coruna lost 1-0 at Villarreal.
Inter Milan remained in first in Serie A with a win after three straight draws. Inter held off a desperate Udinese side 3-2 on the road. AC Milan remains just 4 points back with a 3-1 win over visiting Atalanta, while AS Roma is now 7 points back after a 2-2 draw at sixth-place Napoli. In a huge match, Palermo surprised Juventus 2-0 at Juventus to pull into the fourth and final Champions League spot in Serie A. Palermo is now two points ahead of both Juventus and Napoli. Sampdoria failed to take advantage of the lost points in this section of the table as their hot streak cooled off with a 1-0 loss at mid-table Parma. Sampdoria is still lurking one back of Juventus and Napoli.
Bayern Munich finally took the lead in Germany with a solid 1-0 win over visiting fourth-place Hamburg SV. Bayer Leverkusen continued their season-long unbeaten run with a 0-0 draw against Cologne but now sits two points back of leading Bayern. Leverkusen currently has 13 wins with 11 draws, and the exact 50-20 goals for-goals against rate as 15-7-2 Bayern. Schalke 04 picked up some ground on Leverkusen with a 2-1 win against fifth-place Borussia Dortmund and is now just two points back of second place, 8 points ahead of Hamburg, so they are solidly in the third and final Bundesliga Champions League spot.
In France, leaders Bordeaux were idle for what feels like the tenth week in a row (in reality just the second), and they are now level with Montpellier, who defeated Stade Rennes 3-1. Bordeaux has a 13 goal advantage in goal differential and two games in hand so they are still solidly in front of Ligue 1. The battle for the third Champions League spot is still fierce, as third-place Lyon is just two points behind Montpellier, a point ahead of Marseille and two points ahead of Lille. Lyon was vaulted into third with a 2-0 win over Nice as Lille dropped points with a 2-1 loss at AJ Auxerre. Marsille moved into fourth with their 3-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain.
In the classic Old Firm match, Rangers came away with a 1-0 win at home on the back of a stoppage time goal by American Maurice Edu. Rangers now sit 10 points ahead of second place Celtic with a game in hand, in what will surely prove to be an insurmountable lead. The big three won in the Netherlands: First place PSV Eindhoven 5-1 over RKC Wallwijk, second place Ajax Amsterdam 4-0 over FC Utrecht, and third place Twente Enschede 2-1 over NEC Nijmegen after an 85th minute Bryan Ruiz goal. PSV remains one point ahead of Twente and 7 ahead of Ajax. In Portugal, leaders Braga were victorious 3-1 over Olhanese while Benfica remains one point back after a 4-0 win at Leixoes. Fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon easily handled third-place FC Porto 3-0, but Sporting is still a distant fourth, 11 points back of Porto. In the top of the table clash in Austria, leaders Red Bull Salzburg won 1-0 at Rapid Vienna and are now 5 points clear at the top.
Here are the rankings, along with some comments by Blaine, including a Portsmouth rant at the end.
Rank Team Country Points
1. Barcelona (Esp) 50
T2. Inter Milan (Ita) 47
T2. Real Madrid (Esp) 47
4. Manchester United (Eng) 44
5. Chelsea (Eng) 42
6. AC Milan (Ita) 39
T7. Arsenal (Eng) 35
T7. Bordeaux (Fra) 35
T7. Bayern Munich (Ger) 35
I've made it no secret that I think the Bundesliga is garbage. I hate the style of play, the media attention they get despite being a 2nd rate league, and the fact that its in Germany, the most overrated country in the world. That being said, Bayern Munich have been so incredibly impressive thus far in 2010 that I just had to write about them. They're yet to lose a match since the New Year (the Western New Year, that is), and have drawn only once. They have 8 wins. Upon further examination, they haven't lost since a Champions' League fixture November 3rd vs. Bordeaux. Oh by the way: their last Bundesliga loss was September 26th. What?! Yes. September 26th. As in, they haven't lost in the Bundesliga since before my 21st birthday. Are they goddamned serious? Because that's just a ridiculous run. They now sit at the top of the Bundesliga, and I don't see them forfeiting that post any time soon (or ever). Hats off to the boys from Allianz Arena, their run is simply ridiculous, incomprehensible, unprecedented, etc., etc.
T10. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 31
T10. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 31
12. Manchester City (Eng) 30
Watched the City-Chelsea match the other night, and while the final scoreline looked pretty for City, the match was far from so one-sided. Chelsea completely dominated the first half, with City getting incredibly lucky to equalize just before the half on a shot that Petr Cech could have saved in his sleep. City did, however, play a marvelous 2nd half, capitalizing on every mistake Chelsea made. Chelsea's loss was their 3rd in their last 115 matches at The Bridge, which shows how impressive a 4-2 (essentially 4-1, Chelsea were gifted a penalty at the end) win was by City. Overall from this match, despite the fact that City were outplayed in the first half by a wide margin, we can say that they're a legitimate Champions' League threat, and that Mancini has bought himself some time. Also, it should be noted that Tevez continues to look spectacular every time he touches the ball, he's more or less proven to be a top-10 (perhaps top-5) player in the Premiership.
13. Schalke 04 (Ger) 24
14. Valencia (Esp) 21
T15. AS Roma (Ita) 18
T15. Benfica (Por) 18
T15. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 18
18. Twente Enschede (Ned) 13
T19. Ajax Amsterdam (Ned) 11
T19. Lyon (Fra) 11
21. Sevilla FC (Esp) 9
T22. Braga (Por) 8
T22. Liverpool (Eng) 8
24. Montpellier (Fra) 7
25. Aston Villa (Eng) 6
Also Receiving Votes: Galatasaray (Tur) 4, Marseille (Fra) 4, Napoli (Ita) 3, Mallorca (Esp) 1
And here is how the voters voted:
Next five in for Tom, in order of how good I think they are: Ajax Amsterdam (Ned), Twente Enschede (Ned), FC Porto (Por), Panathinaikos (Gre), FK Rubin Kazan (Rus)
Next five in for Blaine, in order from most awesome to least awesome: Wayne Rooney (Eng), Mallorca (Esp), Lyon (Fra), Palermo (Ita), Juventus (Ita)
A special mention goes out to Guadalajara of the Mexican Primera Division, who has started the season 8-0-0. I've watched several of their games so far and they are a very impressive looking team, with a goal differential of 19-6 to start the season. In attack they are led by Javier Balcazar with 8 goals already, and they have a strong supporting cast of Adolfo Bautista, Alberto Medina, Omar Bravo, Hector Reynoso and Xavier Baez. They've been known to break out the 4-2-4 and they use it well.
First up on Tuesday there was a good 1-0 win for Bordeaux at Olympiakos with a Michael Ciani goal right before the half. The last thing the Greek side wanted to do was give up a goal at home so red-hot Bordeaux will have a nice lead to take back home to France. Barcelona came from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart, and with the valuable away goal should find a way to advance to the next round. A fantastic Mark Gonzalez strike in the 66th minute drew CSKA Moscow level with Sevilla at home and gives them a chance going into the second leg as the match finished 1-1. The massive match-up of the week came with Inter Milan hosting Chelsea on Wednesday. Alberto Diego Milito scored in the 3rd minute for Inter, but Salomon Kalou equalized in the 51st with the valuable away goal. However, an Esteban Cambiasso goal 4 minutes later gave the Italian leaders the lead again, leaving Chelsea with work to do in the return leg.
The Europa League saw all of its Round of 32 second legs played. Benfica smashed Hertha Berlin 4-0, the first of their 4-0 wins for the week, and they will be moving on to the next round, 5-1 on aggregate. Panathinaikos stunned AS Roma with a 3-2 win at Roma to advance to the Round of16 on a 6-4 aggregate win. Their three goals came in a 5 minute span to end the first half, two from Djibril Cisse (notorious for playing incredibly well against me in FIFA) and one from Sotiris Ninis. PSV Eindhoven beat Hamburg SV 3-2 but were still knocked out indifficult fashion on the away goals rule. Fulham held off Shakhtar Donetsk with a 1-1 result in Ukraine to advance to the next round 3-2 on aggregate. Liverpool bounced back from an early deficit to beat Unirea Urziceni 3-1 and 4-1 on aggregate. Everton was not able to hold onto their 2-1 lead from leg 1 as they lost 3-0 at Sporting Lisbon to end their European run. German sides Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen both won their games 4-1 against Villarreal and Twente respectively to propel themselves on in the competition. The rest of the scores mid-week were Galatasaray 1-2 Atletico Madrid (2-3 on aggregate), Marsielle 3-1 Copenhagen (6-2), Fenerbahce 1-1 Lille (2-3), Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0-0 FK Rubin Kazan (0-3), Juventus 0-0 Ajax Amsterdam (2-1), SV Salzburg 0-0 Standard Liege (2-3), Valencia 3-0 Club Brugge (3-1).
On the weekend, Manchester United won the first trophy in England this year with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium in the Carling Cup final. James Milner took an early lead for Villa on a fair penalty call but Michael Owen equalized for United just 7 minutes later. Red-hot substitute Wayne Rooney won it for Manchester United with a goal in the 74th minute. In the Premier League, the big game for the weekend was the first game of the weekend when Manchester City waltzed into Stamford Bridge and came out with a 4-2 win on the heels of a brace for both Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy. Arsenal handled Stoke City with a 3-1 win on the road after an early Danny Pugh goal for Stoke. Arsenal scored twice in second half extra time to take the victory, which was marred by a horrific injury to Aaron Ramsey in the second half. Tottenham held off streaking Everton with a 2-1 victory at home. American Landon Donovan missed a big chance in this game that would have pulled Everton even. Liverpool held off Blackburn at home with goals from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in a 2-1 win. After this weekend’s action, Chelsea sits only one point ahead of Manchester United, while Arsenal is just three points back of the leaders. Tottenham occupies the last Champions League qualifying spot in fourth but is 12 points off the pace. Manchester City is lurking in fifth, even with Tottenham points and well behind in goal differential, but with a game in hand. Liverpool is a point behind City in sixth, while Aston Villa is just three points behind Liverpool with two games in hand, still very much in the hunt for the final Champions League qualifying spot.
In Spain, Barcelona kept their lead in La Liga with a 2-1 win at home over Malaga. Real Madrid remains two points back with their 5-1 thrashing of relegation-threatened Tenerife on the road. Third-place Valencia lost in grand fashion, 4-1 at Atletico Madrid, who may be turning it around a bit as they use their momentum from their advance in the Europa League. Luckily for Valencia, Sevilla was unable to capitalize with a 0-0 draw at home to seventh-place Athletic Bilbao, so Sevilla is three points back of third. Mallorca took advantage of these dropped points and jumped to fifth with a 2-1 win at Valladolid as Deportivo La Coruna lost 1-0 at Villarreal.
Inter Milan remained in first in Serie A with a win after three straight draws. Inter held off a desperate Udinese side 3-2 on the road. AC Milan remains just 4 points back with a 3-1 win over visiting Atalanta, while AS Roma is now 7 points back after a 2-2 draw at sixth-place Napoli. In a huge match, Palermo surprised Juventus 2-0 at Juventus to pull into the fourth and final Champions League spot in Serie A. Palermo is now two points ahead of both Juventus and Napoli. Sampdoria failed to take advantage of the lost points in this section of the table as their hot streak cooled off with a 1-0 loss at mid-table Parma. Sampdoria is still lurking one back of Juventus and Napoli.
Bayern Munich finally took the lead in Germany with a solid 1-0 win over visiting fourth-place Hamburg SV. Bayer Leverkusen continued their season-long unbeaten run with a 0-0 draw against Cologne but now sits two points back of leading Bayern. Leverkusen currently has 13 wins with 11 draws, and the exact 50-20 goals for-goals against rate as 15-7-2 Bayern. Schalke 04 picked up some ground on Leverkusen with a 2-1 win against fifth-place Borussia Dortmund and is now just two points back of second place, 8 points ahead of Hamburg, so they are solidly in the third and final Bundesliga Champions League spot.
In France, leaders Bordeaux were idle for what feels like the tenth week in a row (in reality just the second), and they are now level with Montpellier, who defeated Stade Rennes 3-1. Bordeaux has a 13 goal advantage in goal differential and two games in hand so they are still solidly in front of Ligue 1. The battle for the third Champions League spot is still fierce, as third-place Lyon is just two points behind Montpellier, a point ahead of Marseille and two points ahead of Lille. Lyon was vaulted into third with a 2-0 win over Nice as Lille dropped points with a 2-1 loss at AJ Auxerre. Marsille moved into fourth with their 3-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain.
In the classic Old Firm match, Rangers came away with a 1-0 win at home on the back of a stoppage time goal by American Maurice Edu. Rangers now sit 10 points ahead of second place Celtic with a game in hand, in what will surely prove to be an insurmountable lead. The big three won in the Netherlands: First place PSV Eindhoven 5-1 over RKC Wallwijk, second place Ajax Amsterdam 4-0 over FC Utrecht, and third place Twente Enschede 2-1 over NEC Nijmegen after an 85th minute Bryan Ruiz goal. PSV remains one point ahead of Twente and 7 ahead of Ajax. In Portugal, leaders Braga were victorious 3-1 over Olhanese while Benfica remains one point back after a 4-0 win at Leixoes. Fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon easily handled third-place FC Porto 3-0, but Sporting is still a distant fourth, 11 points back of Porto. In the top of the table clash in Austria, leaders Red Bull Salzburg won 1-0 at Rapid Vienna and are now 5 points clear at the top.
Here are the rankings, along with some comments by Blaine, including a Portsmouth rant at the end.
Rank Team Country Points
1. Barcelona (Esp) 50
T2. Inter Milan (Ita) 47
T2. Real Madrid (Esp) 47
4. Manchester United (Eng) 44
5. Chelsea (Eng) 42
6. AC Milan (Ita) 39
T7. Arsenal (Eng) 35
T7. Bordeaux (Fra) 35
T7. Bayern Munich (Ger) 35
I've made it no secret that I think the Bundesliga is garbage. I hate the style of play, the media attention they get despite being a 2nd rate league, and the fact that its in Germany, the most overrated country in the world. That being said, Bayern Munich have been so incredibly impressive thus far in 2010 that I just had to write about them. They're yet to lose a match since the New Year (the Western New Year, that is), and have drawn only once. They have 8 wins. Upon further examination, they haven't lost since a Champions' League fixture November 3rd vs. Bordeaux. Oh by the way: their last Bundesliga loss was September 26th. What?! Yes. September 26th. As in, they haven't lost in the Bundesliga since before my 21st birthday. Are they goddamned serious? Because that's just a ridiculous run. They now sit at the top of the Bundesliga, and I don't see them forfeiting that post any time soon (or ever). Hats off to the boys from Allianz Arena, their run is simply ridiculous, incomprehensible, unprecedented, etc., etc.
T10. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 31
T10. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) 31
12. Manchester City (Eng) 30
Watched the City-Chelsea match the other night, and while the final scoreline looked pretty for City, the match was far from so one-sided. Chelsea completely dominated the first half, with City getting incredibly lucky to equalize just before the half on a shot that Petr Cech could have saved in his sleep. City did, however, play a marvelous 2nd half, capitalizing on every mistake Chelsea made. Chelsea's loss was their 3rd in their last 115 matches at The Bridge, which shows how impressive a 4-2 (essentially 4-1, Chelsea were gifted a penalty at the end) win was by City. Overall from this match, despite the fact that City were outplayed in the first half by a wide margin, we can say that they're a legitimate Champions' League threat, and that Mancini has bought himself some time. Also, it should be noted that Tevez continues to look spectacular every time he touches the ball, he's more or less proven to be a top-10 (perhaps top-5) player in the Premiership.
13. Schalke 04 (Ger) 24
14. Valencia (Esp) 21
T15. AS Roma (Ita) 18
T15. Benfica (Por) 18
T15. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) 18
18. Twente Enschede (Ned) 13
T19. Ajax Amsterdam (Ned) 11
T19. Lyon (Fra) 11
21. Sevilla FC (Esp) 9
T22. Braga (Por) 8
T22. Liverpool (Eng) 8
24. Montpellier (Fra) 7
25. Aston Villa (Eng) 6
Also Receiving Votes: Galatasaray (Tur) 4, Marseille (Fra) 4, Napoli (Ita) 3, Mallorca (Esp) 1
And here is how the voters voted:
| Rank | Tom | Blaine |
| 1 | Barcelona | Barcelona |
| 2 | Real Madrid | Inter Milan |
| 3 | Inter Milan | Real Madrid |
| 4 | Manchester United | Manchester United |
| 5 | Chelsea | Chelsea |
| 6 | Bayern Munich | AC Milan |
| 7 | AC Milan | Bordeaux |
| 8 | Arsenal | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 9 | Bayer Leverkusen | Arsenal |
| 10 | Bordeaux | Manchester City |
| 11 | Schalke 04 | Bayern Munich |
| 12 | Manchester City | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 13 | Tottenham Hotspur | Twente Enschede |
| 14 | Benfica | Valencia |
| 15 | Lyon | Ajax Amsterdam |
| 16 | AS Roma | PSV Eindhoven |
| 17 | Valencia | Schalke 04 |
| 18 | PSV Eindhoven | AS Roma |
| 19 | Montpellier | Sevilla FC |
| 20 | Liverpool | Benfica |
| 21 | Aston Villa | Braga |
| 22 | Marseille | Galatasaray |
| 23 | Braga | Napoli |
| 24 | Sevilla FC | Liverpool |
| 25 | Mallorca | Aston Villa |
Next five in for Tom, in order of how good I think they are: Ajax Amsterdam (Ned), Twente Enschede (Ned), FC Porto (Por), Panathinaikos (Gre), FK Rubin Kazan (Rus)
Next five in for Blaine, in order from most awesome to least awesome: Wayne Rooney (Eng), Mallorca (Esp), Lyon (Fra), Palermo (Ita), Juventus (Ita)
A special mention goes out to Guadalajara of the Mexican Primera Division, who has started the season 8-0-0. I've watched several of their games so far and they are a very impressive looking team, with a goal differential of 19-6 to start the season. In attack they are led by Javier Balcazar with 8 goals already, and they have a strong supporting cast of Adolfo Bautista, Alberto Medina, Omar Bravo, Hector Reynoso and Xavier Baez. They've been known to break out the 4-2-4 and they use it well.
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