My Euro 2016 Prediction Reactions

Euro 2016 has surprised many so far. France, the host nation, have failed to take their chances, but came through as winners of group A. Gareth Bale has been one of the rare stars to take chances, as Wales won group B despite England’s comeback. Germany were strong throughout their group, cruising to group C. Croatia, who I said I expected big things from, came back to beat Spain to win group D. Italy played with unison and power, besting Belgium and Sweden to group E winners. Hungary came in with underdog intentions, and bossed the competition winning group F. I made my predictions before the group stages, now it’s time to re-visit them, to see how wrong I really was.

GROUP A PREDICTIONS/ACTUAL RESULTS:

1 France, 9 points                                                     1 France, 7 points, +3

2 Switzerland, 6 points                                             2 Switzerland, 5 points, +1

3 Romania, 3 points                                                  3 Albania, 3 points, -2

4 Albania, 0 points                                                    4 Romania, 1 point, -2

Okay, thinking France could go undefeated was close, I thought Giroud was going to provide more of an impact than he did. Pogba seriously disappointed, he had so many chances to score. The Swiss guess I was close, however, I said Burki would start over Sommer, so my bad there. Albania didn’t deserve to be eliminated, I thought, they played so well against Switzerland but couldn’t find an equalizer, and they held out for so long against France. Romania had virtually no attack going all tournament, which was their downfall, plus some questionable goalkeeping by Tatarasanu against Olivier Giroud cost them a point.

GROUP B PREDICTIONS/ACTUAL RESULTS:

1 Russia, 7 points                                                      1 Wales, 6 points, +3

2 England, 5 points                                                   2 England, 5 points, +1

3 Wales, 4 points                                                       3 Slovakia, 4 points, 0

4 Slovakia, 1 point                                                     4 Russia, 1 point, -4

I was well off here, and I know exactly why. I thought Russia’s attack of Artem Dzyuba and Oleg Shatov, despite having great Russian League seasons, didn’t show in Euro 2016. Plus I didn’t love their defending, the veterans just couldn’t keep up with the speed of Wales and Slovakia. England I nailed on the money, Harry Kane isn’t being used well, on corners, on free kicks, it’s not his specialty. Wayne Rooney has played very well in the midfield with Dele Alli and Eric Dier, and Roy Hodgson saw what happened when he made early subs, bringing on Vardy and Sturridge won the game versus Wales. Wales were very good, unlike Aaron Ramsey’s hair, but Gareth Bale is the one of two players with 3 goals in the competition and is living up to his stardom, even though his free kick against England really should’ve been saved. Slovakia looked like a one-man team to me, but despite his shaky start, Martin Skrtel found his form, and Marek Hamsik showed how dangerous he is with a great game against Russia.

GROUP C PREDICTIONS/ACTUAL RESULTS:

1. Germany, 9 points 1 Germany, 7 points, +3
2. Poland, 4 points 2. Poland, 6 points, +2
3. Ukraine, 2 points 3. Northern Ireland, 3 points, 0
4. Northern Ireland, 1 point 4. Ukraine, 0 points, -5

Germany preformed up to my expectations, no major let-downs or problems, though Thomas Müller really has struggled. The Poles have found life with Robert Lewandowski with 0 goals, through Artem Milik and a very strong back line, having not conceded the entire tournament, are proving the doubters wrong. Northern Ireland don’t need Will Grigg to be on fire, because McGovern and McAuley are. Poor Ukraine, Andriy Yarmalenko and Yehven Konoplyanka really haven’t lived up to their potentials.

GROUP D PREDICTIONS/ACTUAL RESULTS:

1 Spain, 7 points                                                       1 Croatia, 7 points, +2

2 Turkey, 5 points                                                     2 Spain, 6 points, +3

3 Croatia, 4 points                                                     3 Turkey, 3 points, -2

4 Czech Republic, 0 points                                       4 Czech Republic, 1 point, -3

Spain impressed me, David Silva and Andres Iniesta have controlled the midfield and Alvaro Morata has really shown his value to Chelsea, him and Bale are the only two players with 3 goals, and they were just a penalty away from winning the group, Sergio Ramos, that’s karma for all the red cards you may have picked up this year (I actually think Ramos is the best defender in Europe right now, despite Boateng being a lot younger). Turkey failed to show their firepower against the bigger teams in the group, and it’s come back to haunt them. Croatia, I knew they would be good, to quote myself from my last article, “I have no doubt this team can do big things”, now I’m kicking myself I didn’t pick them at second. The Czechs were a problem for me, shaky defense, shaky attack, and it showed, sorry Petr.

GROUP E PREDICTIONS/ACTUAL RESULTS:

1 Belgium, 9 points                                                   1 Italy, 6 points +2(won vs BEL)

2 Italy, 4 points                                                         2 Belgium, 6 points +2

3 Sweden, 2 points                                                   3 Ireland, 4 points, 0

4 Ireland, 2 points                                                    4 Sweden, 1 point, -4

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku had a lot on his mind to try to force a move away from Goodison Park, but despite his two-goal game against Ireland, his game against Italy may have convinced him and his agent that a move away may not be the right call, as his agent has said that Lukaku may now stay in an Everton shirt for Ronald Koeman’s inaugural season. Belgium’s Eden Hazard has had a very good start, as the attack seems to flow through him, while the midfield of Kevin De Bryune and Radja Nainngolan bossing. Italy’s first game put them under the spotlight, but they stuttered against Sweden and Ireland, though they didn’t play most of their starters versus the Irish. Sweden’s attack could only muster up one goal, but that, unfortunately, came as an own goal of Ciaran Clark, a poor way for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to retire. Ireland’s defense seemed leaky when it came to the counterattack against Belgium, but only conceded 1 goal against Italy and Sweden combined. Going to play France, the Irish have their heads held high.

GROUP G PREDICTIONS/ ACTUAL RESULTS

1 Portugal, 6 points                                                  1 Hungary, 5 points, +2

2 Austria, 4 points                                                     2 Iceland, 5 points , +1

3 Iceland, 3 points                                                    3 Portugal, 3 points, 0

4 Hungary, 2 points                                                  4 Austria, 2 points, -3

Oh, Cristiano, Portugal were just two misses away from winning the group, but as world-class as he is, Ronaldo struggled to find the net from about anything, headers, free kicks, volleys, and most importantly, penalties. Austria never found their goal scorer, as Marko Arnautovic and company failed to find the back of the net. Iceland, everyone’s favorite, or at least my favorite, underdogs came out with their hearts on their sleeves and moved on in literally, the most dramatic fashion. If it weren’t for their 94th-minute goal versus Austria, Iceland would’ve finished on 3 points and a 0 goal differential, having to play Croatia rather than England, which goes both ways on whether it was better or worse. Hungary surprised us all, as the joint-top scoring team(with Wales) in the entire tournament as Balász Dzsudzsák, you could say, balled out, with a big performance against Portugal, looking like a deadly team going forward.

So, if you couldn’t tell, my predictions did not go well. Now that I have a good idea of how the teams are, I will make one last effort at predictions, during the quarterfinals. For now, my picks to win in the round of 16 are Poland, Croatia, Wales, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Iceland. Hope those eight are correct and I will hope for the best, see you in the last eight!

My Euro 2016 Group Stage Guide and Predictions

The major domestic leagues of the world are over, and the transfer window is in full bloom. Luckily for us, we actually have some meaningful international tournaments this year, Copa America, which is off to a slow start for both the Americans and all of the other matches, and Euro 2016! The Euros, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is the competition for the best teams in Europe throughout the qualification rounds. The competition is exactly like the world cup, three group stage games, top two go on, then a knockout round, however, there are some third placed teams who make it through. So today I am going to break down the squads of all of the nations involved and make my predictions for the group stages of Euro 2016, hosted by France. So, as they say in Paris, commençons!

GROUP A

France: The host nation boasts one of the better teams when it comes to players who played for their clubs this season. In net will likely be Spurs’ Hugo Lloris, who boasted 13 shutouts this year in a strong year for Spurs. The back line has some strong players like Lyon’s Samuel Umtiti, Lloris’ London rival Laurent Koscielny, ex-Arsenal man Bacary Sagna, and either Roma’s Lucas Digne or Juventus’ Patrice Evra. The formation the French run is a 4-3-3, and their three midfielders are some of the best, PSG’s Blaise Matuidi, Leicester City’s N’golo Kante, and Juventus’ Paul Pogba. The front line will be changing often, but the three who probably will be up front will be West Ham’s Dimitri Payet on the left, Atlético Madrid’s Antione Griezmann, and, with no Karim Benzema, either Man United’s Anthony Martial or Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud. It’s a team with a lot of depth, with players like Mangala, Coman, Cabaye, Gignac, and Mandanda who may all play key roles. KEY PLAYER: Antione Griezmann.

Switzerland: The Swiss team looks like a team who could surprise a lot of people, with many underrated or underlooked talents. Like France, Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic is prone to running a 4-3-3. In goal will be a toss up between two Borussians, Dortmund’s Roman Bürki and Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer, though it looks as though it will be Bürki. The defense is headlined by Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodríguez and Juventus’ Stephan Lichtsteiner, with average center-backs Johan Djourou and Fabian Schär. The midfield is a strong one, with Arsenal’s new midfielder Granit Xhaka, Mainz’s Fabian Frei, and either Watford’s Valon Behrami or Everton’s loaned-out Shani Tarashaj. The front line looks shaky, but Xherdan Shaqiri is set to make another big impact internationally alongside Bayer Leverkusen’s Admir Mehmedi and Basel’s young star Breel Embolo. KEY PLAYER: Johan Djourou

Albania: Albania are new to the Euros, and look to become everyone’s lovable upset. Pure underdogs, led by Lazio keeper Etrit Berisha and Napoli fullback Elseid Hysaj to control the back line. Ermir Lenjani of Nantes will have a big task at hand to control the Albanian midfield, and in the attack, watch for rising star Armando Sadiku, who is hitting his prime for FC Zürich, scoring 16 goals in all competitions. KEY PLAYER: Ermir Lenjani

Romania: The Romanians performed well in the qualifiers and look to outlast the Swiss for the number two spot. Romania run a very common 4-2-3-1, which helps them play from the back. The defense starts with Fiorentina’s GK Ciprian Tatarusanu, and the big defenders are Napoli’s Vlad Chiriches and Vallecano’s Razvan Rat. The midfield is led by veteran Ovidiu Hoban, playmaker Gabriel Torje, and Alexandru Chipciu. The lone man up front will be Cordoba’s Florin Andone, after a very strong year in Liga Adelante. It will be a challenge, but if these men string together, they could overtake Switzerland. KEY PLAYER: Ciprian Tatarusanu

PREDICTIONS

1. France, 9 points
2. Switzerland, 6 points
3. Romania, 3 points
4. Albania, 0 points

 

Group B:

Wales: The Welsh really stepped up their play, storming into a Euro spot. Welsh boss Chris Coleman runs a different style formation of 3-4-2-1. Crystal Palace’s Wayne Hennessey is Coleman’s #1, with the three central defenders as Swansea’s Ashley Williams, West Brom’s James Chester, and West Ham’s James Collins. The two midfielders may adjust to wing backs in mere seconds, watch out for Ben Davies and young talent Jazz Richards. The two central midfielders will be “Welsh Xavi” Joe Allen and Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, with two Palace players, Joe Ledley or “Jonniesta” Johnathan Williams as the other midfielder. If Ledley plays, Ramsey will likely go up to the attacking mid, but Williams in the starting XI means he’s the attacker. Upfront, Burnley’s Sam Vokes, who was instrumental to their promotion back into the BPL, and Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale. In one of the most wide open groups, I wouldn’t count the Welsh out of winning it. KEY PLAYER: Ashley Williams.

Slovakia: The Slovakians enter Euro 2016 with hope after missing out on Euro 2012. Slovakia’s stars are mostly veterans stretching into their 30s. In goal is Matús Kozácik, and hopefully protecting him from the lethal attacking lineups of other nations are soon-to-be Fenerbache defender Martin Skrtel, Hertha’s instrumental fullback Peter Pekarík, and the 6’2” Jan Durica. A five man midfield will be dominated by Fenerbache’s Miroslav Stoch and Napoli’s best midfielder this year, Marek Hamsik. Up top is the experienced Adam Nemec, looking to increase the goals in his international career, which stands at six. KEY PLAYER: Marek Hamsik

Russia: The Russians come in looking as strong as they have to a big tournament as ever. After ex-England boss Fabio Capello was dropped for CSKA’s Leonid Slutsky (feel free to put your jokes about Slutsky wherever), Russia stormed to the Euros. Slutsky will have a fair share of CSKA players around him, including Igor Akinfeev in goal, with the two Berezutskis, Aleksi and Vasili at the centerbacks, with Zenit’s Igor Smolnikov and Lokomotiv’s flex Roman Shishkin at the fullbacks. Into the five man midfield that will miss Alan Dzagoev to injury, Oleg Shatov, Zenit’s star on the wing and Krasnodar’s Pavel Mamev will have to step up and be the impact players. Up front will likely be Zenit’s Artyom Dzyuba, but Aleksandr Kokorin could be a prolific backup. Russia will come in overlooked, but with good enough play, the team could be destined for a good run. KEY PLAYER: Oleg Shatov

England: England’s friendly wins over Germany and Turkey gave supporters confidence, but as soon as they saw their team, fans went right back to doubting Roy Hodgson. England’s #1 GK is still Joe Hart, with a backline led by Man United’s Chris Smalling, Spurs’ Danny Rose, Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne, and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill. A very flexible three man midfield will appear to be Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and James Milner, who really stepped it up after January, and captain Wayne Rooney. The front line has it’s doubts, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy will move to the wing to make room for target man Harry Kane as the main striker, and after that, it will be a battle between Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Dele Alli. There also is some notable players on the bench, John Stones, Ross Barkley, Alli(if he doesn’t start), and Eric Dier. On paper, this team could make a big run, but knowing England, you never know what this team will bring. KEY PLAYER: James Milner

PREDICTIONS:

1 Russia, 7 points

2 England, 5 points

3 Wales, 4 points

4 Slovakia, 1 point

GROUP C

Germany: The world champions are looking to continue their dominance in what appears to be a very easy group. This team look like clear favorites on paper, with FIFA’s Team of the Year GK Manuel Neuer fresh off 28 shutouts in all competitions. In front of him are the Bayern pairing of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels with Shkodran Musatfi and Antonio Rüdiger also looking to break into the team. There are multiple setbacks in Joachim Löw’s midfield, with Ilkay Gündogan and Marco Reus injured, but the midfield is still stacked with the emegance of Mesut Özil, Toni Kroos, and Julian Draxler all looking to boss the German midfield trio. Up front, watch out for the speedy star from Schalke, Sané (say that five times fast), Besiktas’ Mario Gomez, and World Cup 2nd leading scorer Thomas Müller. Scary team nowhere where you look, will they rout favorites again, or will they collapse like the Spaniards in Brazil? KEY PLAYER: Mats Hummels

Ukraine: The Ukranians come in to this Euro after disappointment hosting Euro 2012, in a hard group nonetheless, losing to France and England. The team hasn’t changed too much, Andriy Pyatov remains Shakhtar and Ukraine’s goalie, with Yevhen Khacheridi and Yaroslav Rakitskyi holding down Mykhaylo Fomenko’s back line. A midfield with 2 holding midfielders led by leader Ruslan Rotan and Taras Stepaneko, who helped Shakhtar reach the semis of the Europa League, being knocked out by Sevilla, who have Ukraine’s playmaker on the wing, Yevhen Konoplyanka. Up top is a man looking to really show his worth, Andriy Yarmolenko, who has drawn the interest of Arsenal and Everton in the past, and he could attract even more if he plays like he did with Dynamo Kyiv this year. Even if their Euro 2016 is cut short, I think this team could be a force to be reckoned with in two years time at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. KEY PLAYER: Yevhen Konoplyanka

Poland: The Polish squad is a team that may change multiple times throughout this tournament, as for me, there is no safety in the starting lineup. Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski beat out Wojciech Szczesny for the number one spot, funny, he never could do that at Arsenal. The defenders aren’t the strongest, but Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek and Torino’s Kamil Glik are the notable ones. The midfield will rely heavily on Fiorentina’s loanee Jakub Blaszczykowski, Warsaw’s Tomasz Jodlowiec, and Sevilla’s bulldog Grzegorz Krychowiak. The strikers are dangerous, one of the bigger up-and-coming stars, Artem Milik of Ajax, and IMO, the best European striker in the game right now, Robert Lewandowski of Bayern (I don’t consider Ronaldo a striker, he’s always been a winger). If the role players in this team preform well, Poland could be in for a good run. KEY PLAYER: Lukasz Fabianski

Northern Ireland: The Northern Irish team appear like clear knockouts, but Michael O’Neill’s boys may be about as unpredictable as what formation O’Neill will run, they ran three in the qualifiers! Goalie is weak, lead by 31-year-old Michael McGovern, with some half-decent defenders hoping to limit the strong strikers of their group foes, West Brom’s Jonny Evans and Gareth McAuley, as well as Derby’s Chris Baird and Watford’s Craig Cathcart. The midfield is bossed by Southampton’s Steven Davis, who had a great year under Ronald Koemann. Up front appears to be Kyle Lafferty of Norwich, but some would love to see Wigan’s Will Grigg to make the jump up front, maybe due to his chant, “Will Grigg’s on fire, your defense is terrified!” KEY PLAYER: Steven Davis

Predictions:

1 Germany, 9 points

2 Poland, 4 points

3 Ukraine, 2 point

4 Northern Ireland, 1 point

GROUP D

Czech Republic: The Czechs have fallen from galacticos to rare performers, but this could be their time to turn around as a nation. Petr Cech, arguably the best BPL keeper in net, with Theodor Gebre Selassie, Tomas Sivok, and Marek Suchy the main players in the defense. Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky could be making his final appearance as captain, but he is still banged up and won’t be fully fit for game one, but he may still play. The forwards are the real nerves of this team, but Tomas Necid, hitting his prime could emerge for this team to try to get out of the group. KEY PLAYER: Marek Suchy

Turkey: Not many Turks go abroad from the Super League, but those who do are those who may lead Turkey to a strong tournament this year. Volkan Babacan has earned Volkan Demirel’s trust in net, and with a great back line consisting of Erkin, Gonul, and veteran Balta. The midfield is mostly abroad, Leverkusen’s Hakan Çalhanoglu, Mainz’s Yunus Malli, Dortmund’s Nuri Sahin, and Barcelona’s Arda Turan, all stars. Galatasaray’s Buruk Yilmaz will start up front, also abroad, in the Chinese Super League, this will be a good journey and a good test for the Turks. KEY PLAYER: Hakan Çalhanoglu

Croatia: I consider the Croats very possible underdogs, as a lot of their players aren’t just good, but have the potential to be world-class in France. Monaco’s Danijel Subasic is the keeper, with young talent Tin Jedvaj, and veterans Darijo Srna and Vedran Corluka as the big name defenders. The midfield is where this team looks like one of the best in this tournament, with talents like Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic of Inter, Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, and Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic and Team of the Year member Luka Modric. Up front, Mario Mandzukic, who had a good World Cup, always seems to shine for Croatia when they need him. The group will test them, but I have no doubt this team can do big things. KEY PLAYER: Vedran Corluka

Spain: Spain had the biggest World Cup letdown of any team, even if they had to play Chile and Netherlands/Holland. The talent level isn’t different, but we will see if play is. David de Gea, Louis van Gaal’s savior, until after the FA Cup, will replace Spanish legend Iker Casillas. The best, or at least top three, defenders, consisting of Team of the Year’s Sergio Ramos, Barcelona’s Gerard Pique, Champions League choker Juanfran, and likely Barca’s Jordi Alba over Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta. It will appear Cesc Fabregas won’t get his shadow striker role, but he will still start with world-class Spaniards Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Koke, and Sergio Busquets. Up front, no Diego Costa, but a battle between BBVA big man Artiz Aduriz and Juventus’ Álvaro Morata, I’d bet Aritz gets the start game one. I think 2014 is a thing of the past, and Spain can return to one of the top teams now. KEY PLAYER: Andres Iniesta

PREDICTIONS:

1 Spain, 7 ponts

2 Turkey, 5 points

3 Croatia, 4 points

4 Czech Republic, 0 points

Group E

Sweden: Sweden failed to qualify for the World Cup and it looks this may be Zlatan’s swan song, so a good tournament is a must. Andreas Isaksson remains in goal, and he will have his 130^th cap after game one. The defense is lead by Krasnodar’s Andreas Granqvist, Norwich’s Martin Olsson, and Torino’s Pontus Jansson, who IMO, shouldn’t have beat West Brom’s Jonas Olsson, but I don’t watch too much Serie A, so I trust Erik Harmen’s decision making. Kim Kallstrom won’t play, so the midfield will be dominated by CSKA’s Pontus Wernbloom and Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson. There should be two strikers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic obviously, but the second spot will be a battle between Panathinaikos’ Marcus Berg and Celta Vigo’s newbie John Guidetti. Sweden could surprise a couple if they remain relaxed and try not to force too much, because this is no Leicester, they won’t run fast-pace. KEY PLAYER: Andreas Granqvist

Italy: Antonio Conte will debut at Chelsea after losing his Juve job in August, but for now, his mind is set on winning Euro 2016. Legend Gianluigi Buffon will have his swan song at 38, he has a 2-year deal at Juve, but this will be his last Euro. He will be behind likely three Juventus centerbacks, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, and Leonardo Bonucci. We will likely see more of a wing-back setup with Alessandro Florenzi and Mattia De Sciglio, with a three-man midfield of bulldog Thiago Motta, well-rounded Marco Parolo, and defensive-minded Daniele De Rossi, with PSG’s Marco Veratti and Juventus’ Claudio Marchisio out of the team with injury. Up front is where the competition really starts, as Graziano Pelle, Antonio Candreva, Lorenzo Insigne and Stephan El Shaarawy will compete for two striker roles. It all depends on Conte, we may not see wing-backs and see Insigne and Candreva as wingers, but for now, I think Insigne and Candreva will get the forward spots. All in all, these vicious veterans could go all the way. KEY PLAYER: Daniele De Rossi

Ireland: The luck of the Irish is a must for Martin O’Neill’s men in the group of death. Some surprising calls, including West Ham’s Darren Randolph in net over Shay Given and Keiren Westwood. A 4-man backline boasted by Seamus Coleman of Everton, Aston Villa’s Ciaran Clark, and Norwich’s Robbie Brady. Into the 5-man midfield Everton’s skiller Aiden McGeady and West Brom’s James McClean will start on the wing, with another Everton player, James McCarthy and Stoke’s Glenn Whelan are the holding midfielders with Norwich’s playmaker Wes Hoolahan at the attacking midfielder, with LA Galaxy’s skipper Robbie Keane as the lone striker. It is a team that I think would make it out of any other group comfortably, we’ll see how it plays out. KEY PLAYER: Ciaran Clark

Belgium: The world’s second best team according to FIFA isn’t that for nothing, their squad is a very strong one, capable of big things now and for many years. Thibaut Courtois is the clear number one, and an inexperienced back line, with no Vincent Kompany, who is injured, again, led by Spurs’ Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, but Jason Denayer and Thomas Vermaerlin are big liabilities. A dominant midfield of stars will be Belgium’s biggest assets, Roma’s Radja Nainggolan, Spurs’ Moussa Dembélé, Atletico’s Yannick Carassco, Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne, and the man with the most stress on him to have a big tourney, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, who went from the PFA player of the year to scoring no BPL goals until April. Up front will be one of the bigger players in the team, literally, Everton’s record holder for most goals in a season, Romelu Lukaku, who is grinning at Chelsea, who sold him to make room for Costa, they could’ve needed him when he single-handedly knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup. This is a definite contender if everything falls into place. KEY PLAYER: Toby Alderweireld

PREDICTIONS:

1 Belgium, 9 points

2 Italy, 4 points

3 Sweden, 2 points (goal differential breaks tie)

4 Ireland, 2 points

GROUP F

Iceland: One of the newest teams in the fray, the Icelandic team may have a chance, as their group is the easiest in the competition. Hannus Halldórsson is the goalie, with four defenders who you may not have heard of, led by Krasnodar’s Ragnar Sigurdsson. The midfield may feature a diamond, with big players such as captain Aron Gunnarsson, Udinese’s Emil Hallfredsson, and Swansea’s free-kick genius Gylfi Sigurdsson. A two-man strike force will likely be Real Sociedad’s Alfred Finnbogason and Nantes Kolbeinn Sigthórsson. It’s not the flashiest side, but it could get the job done. KEY PLAYER: Gylfi Sigurdsson

Hungary: Another less flashy team, the Hungarians will hope for some luck to get past the group stage. 40-year-old Gábor Király will lead the way in goal with Lech Poznan’s Tamás Kádár, an ex-Newcastle player the standout defender. The 5-man midfield will be led by Hamburg’s Zoltán Stieber and Turkish League and Hungarian star Balázs Dzsudzsák who will look to create chances. The lone forward will be Hoffenheim’s Ádám Szalai, a target man who can score goals with ease in the air. It looks a harder challenge than it is for Hungary, but who knows what will happen? KEY PLAYER: Balázs Dzsudzsák

Portugal: From one of the least flashy to one of the most flashy, Portugal will look to finally bring Cristiano Ronaldo international glory, and this may be his only shot, as rival Lionel Messi is looking to capture his 6^th Ballon d’or, and if Ronaldo can be an impact at the Euros plus his Champions League trophy under his belt, he may win his 4^th. Ballon D’ors aside, Portugal will go with Sporting Lisbon’s Rui Patricio over Lyon’s Anthony Lopes in net, experience over youth it seems. The 4-man back line includes Southampton’s Cedric and Jose Fonte, Fenerbache’s Bruno Alves, and Real Madrid’s Pepe. A deep three-man midfield consists of Valencia’s Andre Gomes, Monaco’s Joao Moutinho, Sporting’s William Carvalho, Porto’s Danilo Pereria, and possibly, Bayern Münich’s new young star Renato Sanches, but based on the selection of Patricio, I’m willing to bet Sanches and Pereria will miss out on the first game. The front three are pretty explainable, a skillful trio of Ricardo Quaresma, Nani, and of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. This team looks full of stars who could shine this coming week. KEY PLAYER: Cristiano Ronaldo

Austria: The Austrians are very underrated and not talked about a lot, but they have talent in the right places. Robert Almer will lead the charge in goal, with a very strong, mostly BPL backline led by Leicester’s Christian Fuchs, Spurs’ Kevin Wimmer, and Watford’s Sebastian Prödl. The midfield, which is mostly Bundesliga, is Mainz’s Julian Baumgartlinger, Bayern Münich’s David Alaba, and Bremen’s Zlatko Junuzovic, with the exception of Stoke’s key player Marko Arnautovic lead the creation of Austria’s play, and in attack is Basel’s Marc Janko. I think this is a very strong team, definitely one to make it out of the group, maybe to make a run. KEY PLAYER: Marko Arnautovic

PREDICTIONS:

1 Portugal, 6 points

2 Austria, 4 points

3 Iceland, 3 points

4 Hungary, 2 points

So that concludes my Euro 2016 group stage predictions, I’ll be covering this tournament like the back of my hand, so I’ll try to make an article every day, but no promises. I wish everyone’s nation of choice good luck, and I will see you soon!

 

 

Should the Celtics pursue Kevin Durant?

Much has been said about Kevin Durant and his free agency. Multiple teams have reportedly made Durant their primary off-season target. The Lakers, Wizards, Warriors, Celtics and now even the Spurs have all been linked to Durant in some way. Each team having their own valid reasons for going after Durant – although, who wouldn’t want a 27-year-old 7-time all-star who’s still in the prime of his career? In my opinion, Boston should just stay out of this race.

I am not a die-hard Boston Celtics fan, nor have I ever claimed to be. However, I have absolutely caught on with this team since Brad Stevens has taken over. If you take a look at the team from top to bottom, it is clearly the team of misfits. Nobodies. Some of these guys were sent to the d-league (such as Terry Rozier, James Young). Some were traded from other teams simply to cut cap space (Amir Johnson). Others were draft picks that had not fully matured (Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller). Put them all together, couple two undersized but scrappy guards in Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas in the backcourt, and leave it up to the young wizard in Brad Stevens to find a way make it work.

Why mess this up? Brad Stevens’ system is about ball movement, team play, and ridiculously stiff perimeter defense. Not that Durant is not a team player, or that he is a demanding ball hog. You would be hard-pressed to find an NBA GM who would pay that kind of money for a talent of Durant’s caliber – only to have Jared Sullinger taking more shots than Durant. Durant does not play great perimeter defense, and he is not meant to play in the post for long periods of time, either.

True, the NBA championship formula almost requires that there be at least two hall-of-fame caliber players on the team in order to win a ring. Look back in history, and there are less than a handful of championship teams that buck this trend. But in my opinion, Danny Ainge would be better set to go after Dwight Howard for interior presence or simply continue to build through the draft. Kevin Durant doesn’t bring that same kind of scrappy, no-nonsense, chip-on-the-shoulder kind of tough attitude that the Celtics now have and should not want to get rid of anytime soon.

Allgau Comets Hire Kyle Wantland as Offensive Coordinator

The following Press Release was translated from German to English

Via Allgau Comets

Looking for an offensive coordinator the Allgäu Comets have found it in Kyle Wantland.
The US-born comes from Fisher, Illinois and was until now at the Methodist University, in Division III, as JV offensive coordinator / wide receiver coach hired. He previously coached at Monmouth College and Fisher High School, Illinois and at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.

“I have decided for the Comets, as Coach Carter and the Organization gives me the chance as offensive coordinator. I enjoyed it as a position coach to, but now I’m ready for the post OC. The school where I am currently, has a great offensive coordinator and I appreciate it very much. Therefore, it is now time to go my way, “said the 28-year-old.

“What I expect in Kempten? To be honest, I expect great. Germany is a beautiful country. I look forward to the people there and the city itself. But of course I come over here to win football games. The Comets have given me a chance and I will not let them down. Currently I prepare everything. From my strategy game plans to language. And I’m going every second in Germany, enjoy in Kempten,” Coach Wantland  reported very pleased.

HC Brian Caler about his new OC: “In Coach Wantland we found a very hungry football coach who is very excited about the opportunity to lead an offense. Kyle has college coaching experience as Wide Receiver Coach and Passing Game Coordinator. I am very happy that we have found Kyle and expect him a very good job, so that we keep our offense goals in mind and he leads our attack back to a successful season. “

UEFA Champions League: The Miracle in Munich

The Champions League round of sixteen is finally over after five weeks time. With last week’s winners, Benfica, Real Madrid, PSG, and Wolfsburg moving on, four more winners needed to be decided on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now, there were four big games, as PSV and Atletí took a 0-0 aggregate to Spain, whilst across Spain Arsenal looked for a miracle in Camp Nou, Kyiv looked for a comeback in Manchester, and one of the best matches from any league, an awesome game at Allianz.

First, we start from the greater Manchester area, as Manchester City hosted Dynamo Kyiv. Kyiv lost the home leg 3-1, with Yaya Toure playing a rare great game, with an assist to Aguero and a goal. City didn’t need to play their entire first team, placing Jesus Navas, Fernando, and Pablo Zabaleta into the team. City maintained their dominant center back pair to hold it down, unfortunately, Manuel Pellegrini made a poor call. Seven minutes in Vincent Kompany went down after pulling up for the second time this year after challenging Kyiv’s Oleh Husyev. Kompany’s last injury kept him out nearly two months from December to February, as well as missing almost all of November. Kompany’s injury update for this injury is more than a month, such a shame for the injury-prone defender, who scored two goals in two games to start the BPL season. It didn’t get any worse in terms of score, but soon after another center back went down, Nicolás Otamendi, after pulling something delivering a long through ball, two center defenders out before the end of the first half. City held out, and had their best chance in the 61^st minute when Toure found Navas, but the Spaniard hit the post on a shot destined for the opposite post. That was about it, City moving onto their first club Quarterfinals, winning 3-1 on aggregate, Man of the Match goes to Joe Hart for his clean sheet.

The other Tuesday game came from Estadio Vincente Calderon, as Atletico Madrid and PSV faced off in the only first leg that was scoreless. It was a winner-take-all game, and Atletico seemed up to the challenge. The La Liga side started off well, when Juanfran played Koké, who set up Antoine Greizmann in front of goal, and the Frenchman really should have done better, shot right at keeper Jeroen Zoet. PSV soon had a chance, when Luuk de Jong redirected a through ball to Andres Guardado, who sent a low cross, forcing Jan Oblak to weakly punch it, just out of the way of de Jong. Atletico soon had their best chance, when Gabi cross to Yannick Ferreira Carrasco was headed by the Belgian to Greizmann, who was denied by Zoet, even though Greizmann was offsides. PSV had a great chance to go up 1-0 in the second half, when Guardado found Jurgen Locadia, who hit it for the opposite post, but Oblak deflected it onto the post, and de Jong’s rebound was blocked by defender Diego Godín. Atletí’s final first half chance came when Fernando Torres hit one off Zoet on to the post. Added time produced nothing, the only surprise was to see de Jong come off for Luciano Narsingh two minutes before penalties. After seven rounds of converted penalties, Narsingh stepped up, but his shot cannoned off the crossbar, giving Atletico Madrid the chance to move on, which Juanfran sealed, giving Atletico Madrid a Quarterfinal place, poor choice by Phillip Cocu to bring off his striker, and he paid the price, Man of the Match goes to Juanfran.

Wednesday’s first game came from across Spain, where Barcelona, with a 2-0 aggregate in their favor, hosted Arsenal. Barcelona were not trying too hard to score, but scored when Luis Suarez played Neymar through and the Brazilian, living up to his reputation, for his 26^th in all competitions, giving Barca the 3-0 aggregate lead. Arsenal showed they could score some good goals too, in the second half, Arsene Wenger’s lone January signing, Mohammed Elneny, who had struggled with shooting, buried one top-shelf past Marc-Andre ter Stegen giving Arsenal a lifeline. That lifeline was soon snapped four minutes later when Dani Alves found Luis Suarez with an awesome finish, on the volley top shelf, freezing David Ospina, 2-1, 4-1 on aggregate. Arsenal had a great chance with ten to go, when Mesut Ozil cannoned a shot off a set piece, but ter Stegen denied him, and then Olivier Giroud from the rebound. Barcelona got one more when Neymar laid it to Messi, who chipped over Ospina, giving each MSN player a goal, 3-1, 5-1 on aggregate, Man of the Match goes to Suarez.

Finally, it was a huge matchup between two contenders, semifinalist versus finalist, Juventus at Bayern. Juve came back from 2-0 down in Turin in the home leg, and started out rolling on all cylinders, scoring seven minutes in when Manuel Neuer charged Stephan Lichsteiner making the save, but the ball deflected off Neuer to Paul Pogba, placing it home with the open net, giving Juventus the lead. Bayern had a good chance in the 27^th, when Douglas Costa found Franck Ribery, but the back post header saved by Gianluigi Buffon, but Bayern were exposed on a Juve counterattack, and Alvaro Morata found Juan Cuadrado, who slipped it past Neuer, giving Massimiliano Allegri’s side the insurance goal. Bayern’s dreams seemed to be crushed, but Pep Guardiola wasn’t ready to finish his last game, and 71 minutes in, Bayern finally put one past Buffon with a header by the Polish star Robert Lewandowski, set up by Coman 2-1 with 17 to play. Then Bayern got their equalizer before stoppage time, with a cross to the back post thumped in by Thomas Muller to send it to added time, again set up by Coman. Bayern then completed the comeback when after a good one-two with Muller, Thiago Alcantara, fresh off a two-goal game, gave Bayern their lead. Bayern then wrapped it up off a wonderful strike from Man of the Match, Kingsley Coman, 4-2, 6-4 on aggregate.

So after a suspenseful round of 16, the Champions League is narrowed to eight, Benfica, Real and Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern, Wolfsburg, and PSG.

Danien Sietmann Moves from Feldkirchen Lions to Allgau Comets

The following press release was translated from German into English

Via Allgau Comets

Danien Sietmann, another defensive player for the Allgäu Comets adjoins. The 110kg-man played in Feldkirchen Lions positions Defense end and linebacker.

Danien Sietmann, another defensive player for the Allgäu Comets adjoins. The 110kg-man played in Feldkirchen Lions positions Defense end and linebacker.

In Kempten, he wants to prove himself now: “I for the comets decided, because I think that I was there the best ways have personally and football technically to develop myself further. I would also like a be part of the family of comets and with them the season contest. The general high level of the team is also a strong incentive for me, because the best get it best of you out!”

“I hope a successful season with the comets for 2016. I also hope my skills improve and to deny my first season in the GFL’ football, would Subash be already on GFL debut.

“I hope that in 2016 I have a successful season with the Comets. I also hope to improve my football skills and my first season in the GFL to deny” Danien looking forward to GFL debut.

“Danien is a big, strong and athletic boy with a lot of potential. He is our assist defensive line and he will certainly get some opportunities to as defensive end and playing on special teams. Each coach is enthusiastic, a player as Danien to have on its roster, “said coach Caler pleased about the new appointment.

National Professional FastPitch Mock Draft Rounds Three and Four

#13 Scrap Yard Dawgs- Chelsea Wilkinson, P, Georgia

Having a great pitching staff is the most important part of being a successful team. Kevin Shelton knows that as he developed a solid staff last year with the Dallas Charge. Fortunately for the Dawgs one of the best pitchers in the SEC fell to them. The University of Georgia has a great track record of developing successful players and Wilkinson shouldn’t be any different. The highly accomplished pitcher from Georgia would immediately be able to come in and contribute right away.

#14 Pennsylvania Rebellion- Haylie McCleney, OF, Alabama

The only reason McCleney fell this far in the draft is because of her Team USA commitment. But her .465/.444/.436 hit line speaks for itself and it would be a welcome sight for the Rebellion. Although she will spend most of the year with Team USA we may see her for parts of the season. If she doesn’t show up to Pennsylvania the Rebellion have her rights and would be wise to try to sign her later. She also has the potential to be long term depth in helping the Rebellion rebuild.

#15 Dallas Charge- Bianka Bell, SS, LSU

Last season the Dallas Charge didn’t seem to have a lot of power. Drafting Bell would not only give them more power but it would give them the best shortstop in the draft. Bell does have a Team USA national team commitment but could still play part of the year. That is the only reason why a talented player like her would drop this far. If she doesn’t play this season the Charge would want to try to sign her next season. Her .347/.337/.415 hit line would be too good to pass up.

#16 Pennsylvania Rebellion (Acquired from the Racers) – Heather Stearns, P, Baylor

Allyson Fournier retired in the offseason. It would be smart of the Rebellion to get more pitching depth. Stearns should fit the bill, she would not only bring great depth to a solid Charge pitching staff but she would bring a great clubhouse presence. For the past two seasons she has been the leader of a young Baylor pitching staff. Her off-speed pitches would bring a new tempo to the Rebellion pitching staff as well.

#17 Chicago Bandits- Lilly Fecho, P, Purdue

The Bandits have had lots of success with local talent. Kirsten Verdun appears to not be returning since she wasn’t resigned and the Bandits need an arm to replace her. Fecho would give the Bandits a second left handed starter next to Monica Abbott (If and when they resign her). Fecho is the best strikeout pitcher in the draft and would fill the spot left by Verdun. Given the Bandits track record with local talent this has the potential to be a home run pick for them.

#18 USSSA Pride- Emily Carosone, 2B, Auburn

This pick is merely for depth purposes. This year’s second base class is way too deep for the Pride to skip the position. The Pride have Courtney Ceo and rookie of the year Shelby Pendley saw time over at second base as well. She may get a few looks at that position but she might be the designated player depending on how she does batting.

#19 Scrap Yard Dawgs- Stephanie Canfield, OF, Arkansas

Judging by her .381/.348/.320 she is a terrific hitter for average. That is something the Dawgs are going to need in order to be competitive this season. Canfield has the potential to help make the Dawgs outfield depth very deep.

#20 Akron Racers (Acquired from the Scrap Yard Dawgs)- Lexie Elkins, C, Louisiana-Lafayette

With Haley Outon’s future up in the air catching has become a need. Even though they have second year player Griffin Joiner they still need the depth. Fortunately for the Racers the best catcher in the draft has fallen into the fourth round. Joiner is good defensively but she struggled mightily with the bat hitting only .129. The Racers struggled to get the big hit and it plagued them all season and in the NPF championships. Elkins hit line of .288 /.388/.426 is going to be way too good for the Racers to pass her up. She would complement the line up well. Even if she doesn’t start at catcher she would be a great bat coming off the bench.

#21 Pennsylvania Rebellion- Koral Costa, OF, Oregon

The Rebellion are looking to add more pop to their lineup. Costa would solidify the depth in the outfield. Her .207/.355/.356 shows you she could be a good bat coming off the bench.

#22 Chicago Bandits (Acquired from the Charge) – Tiffany Howard, OF, Auburn

The Bandits have a need for more outfield depth. Howard would fit in because she brings a speed element to the lineup. Also, her .310/.277/.415 hit line is too good to pass up. Great contact hitter and her RBI total has gone up each season from eight and six to twenty five. This season her RBI total will surpass last year’s career high. She also hasn’t committed an error since 2014. Howard would help make an already fast Bandit line up even faster.

#23 Akron Racers- Andrea Hawkins, OF, Alabama

The Racers need a fourth outfielder. Hawkins would not only be a good one to have but she provides more speed. The Racers didn’t have any speed last year and Hawkins would help solve that problem. Hawkins would be great to use as a pinch hitter and runner to manufacture more runs.

#24 Chicago Bandits- Sami Fagan, INF, Missouri

The Bandits are going to need some more infield depth. Fagan is very versatile and she brings a great bat to the lineup. I see the Bandits using her at third base since Amber Patton retired. Although veteran Natalie Hernandez has played over there a little bit it wouldn’t hurt to have a completion for the position. It also wouldn’t hurt for the Bandits to add another power bat coming off the bench.

 

#25 USSSA Pride- Alaynie Page, OF, South Carolina

To solidify the outfield depth the Pride are going to go with Alaynie Page. Page was a major factor in turning the Gamecocks softball program around. Page would help replace the speed that the Pride are losing since Natasha Wately retired. She would be someone good to have come off the bench.

#26 Scrap Yard Dawgs- Rainey Gaffin, P/UT, Tennessee

Gaffin is the most versatile player in the draft. Not only can she play in the field but she can pitch as well. The Dawgs would be getting a “Lauren Haeger” like player if they draft her. Although she does have a Team USA commitment it wouldn’t be for the national team. Gaffin would have the opportunity to play most of the year. The Weekly’s have always developed great professional softball players I wouldn’t expect Gaffin to be any different.

BPL Matchday 29: Five Teams See Red

This weekend was a big week for the Premier League, and teams were willing to do anything to get results. Unfortunately, “anything” doesn’t apply to anything legal. This weekend there were five red cards given out by referees, which changed the pace of every game. This matchday was turned inside out by last second goals, huge arguments, and tough games to swallow for some teams.

If you start a weekend that has a lot of bookings, why not start at one of the most hated derbies in the land, as Arsenal headed across North London to take on Tottenham. Spurs lost their most recent London Derby at West Ham, allowing a Leicester draw to extend their lead. Petr Cech was injured, leaving keeper David Ospina to start, nervousness for the Gunners after Ospina’s howler versus Olympiakos in the Champions League. Ospina started well, however, in the 25^th minute, Ospina denied Erik Lamela out in front from point-blank range. Arsenal had a poor first half, but it was pulled back when Hector Bellerin found Aaron Ramsey, and with the skillful backheel, Arsenal was out in front just 8 minutes before the break. As I said earlier, it was a physical game, with three bookings in the first half. The next booking came as a red, as Francis Coquelin took out Harry Kane on the wing, sending Coquelin off after a second yellow. This gave Spurs the momentum to get back. On a corner, Erik Lamela found Kane at the back post, but Ospina somehow kept it out, with goal line decision ruling it not fully over the line. Spurs did get one when Gabriel accidentally headed it back to Toby Alderweireld, giving Spurs their equalizer. Spurs got another one two minutes later when Dele Alli saved a ball from going out of play, and Kane made Arsenal pay, curling it all the way across the box to give Spurs the lead with just under 20 to play. Four minutes later, Arsenal pulled it back, when Bellerin found Sanchez for his first goal in the BPL in 2016, and it was 2-2. That would be the final, Arsenal pull back the game with 10 men, which leaves them without a North London derby BPL victory since 2014, Man of the Match goes to Bellerin.

The 10 o’clock games all were huge to help teams move their season. Swansea pulled away in the second half when Leroy Fer found Gylfi Sigurdsson unmarked to beat Norwich 1-0, Man of the Match goes to Sigurdsson. Chelsea pulled ahead when Bertrand Traore rocketed one from outside the box to get the Blues in front, but Mame Diouf pulled it back when Courtois punched a cross from Shaqiri right to Diouf, giving Stoke their equalizer, Man of the Match goes to Traore.

Manchester City had some first half troubles against Villa, but they pulled away 4-0 thanks to 2 from our Man of the Match, Sergio Aguero.

A must win for Newcastle at the bottom as they hosted Bournemouth, but the Cherries got off to the better start when Max Gradel found Josh King, who’s shot deflected off Steven Taylor past Rob Elliot in the 27^th. Bournemouth got an insurance goal when Matt Ritchie found King, blasting it past Elliot top-shelf, 2-0 with 20 to play. Newcastle pulled one back when Jonjo Shelvey found Ayoze Pérez to cut the lead in half, but Charlie Daniels pulled away from the defense in stoppage time to give Bournemouth the points, Man of the Match goes to King. Jose Fonte was another player sent off after taking out Fabio Borini who was through on goal. Then, substitiute Jermain Defoe found the net after a pass out in front. Southampton took the 3 points away from the Black Cats when Dusan Tadic found Man of the Match Virgil van Dijk to draw level in stoppage time.

Our best game on Saturday came from Goodison Park, where Everton looked to put their season back on track against West Ham. Romelu Lukaku loves playing West Ham and scored again against the Irons after a great setup by Bryan Oviedo to give Lukaku his 8^th in 8 against West Ham. Everton then had Kevin Mirallas sent off with 11 to go before the end of the half, after the Belgian dove for his first and then fouled Aaron Creswell late to cut the Toffees down to 10 men. Even still, Everton played well and got a second when Lukaku found Aaron Lennon for his 5^th. Everton had two chances to go 3-0 up, both times taken by Lukaku, one from the penalty spot, and one from a breakaway, but both times Ádrian came up big for West Ham. This gave them the courage to come back, scoring on two crosses headed home by Michail Antonio for his third in three, then by substitute Diafra Sakho. But then, the Irons had just a bit more left in the tank, as Sakho flicked it for Dimitry Payet to give the Irons the win in stoppage time, Man of the Match goes to Sakho.

The late game came from Vicarage Road, as Watford, who have struggled for form hosted top team Leicester City. The action started early for the high-flying Foxes, as Marc Albrighton found Christian Fuchs from outside the area, but Heurelho Gomes pulled out another big save, and Nathan Aké prevented Shinji Okazaki from tapping in the rebound. Aké nearly came up just as big on the other end, when Ben Watson found Aké in the box, but the header was put just over. At the other side Leicester should have gone 1-0 up, Riyad Mahrez played it to Jamie Vardy, and despite the open net, the top scorer was too off-balance to give the Foxes the advantage. It took Leicester 55 minutes to open the scoring when Fuchs’ cross came as far as our Man of the Match Riyad Mahrez, who smacked it into the top corner past Gomes.

Sunday’s action picked up from South London, where Crystal Palace, in desperate need of a win, hosted Liverpool. Palace is in one of their worst slumps, leaving them from 5^th to 14^th. They got out to a strong start, 10 minutes in Pape Souare found Emmanuel Adebayor, but his header cannoned off the bar. There wasn’t much first half action after that, other than some shots off target. Palace pulled ahead when Yohan Cabaye’s corner took a couple deflections, before finding its way from Mile Jedniak to Joe Ledley, and the Welshman gave the Eagles the lead. Then in the 61^st, things got worse for the Reds, as James Milner fouled Wilfried Zaha, and for his second yellow, Liverpool was trimmed to ten. They soon had a bit of fortune come their way when Alex McCarthy slipped his clearance to Roberto Firmino, an absolute gift for the Brazilian and Liverpool drew level. They nearly went ahead when Alberto Moreno struck one from distance, but it smashed the inside of the iron. Liverpool did get one with almost no time left, Jordan Henderson played substitute Christian Benteke on, and Damien Delaney went for the tackle, pulled out, and to Andre Marriner’s eye, just got too much on Benteke, and Marriner pointed to the spot. Benteke slotted home the penalty soon after, to give Liverpool the win, Man of the Match goes to Firmino. When Palace manager Alan Pardew was asked later, he was sick of the game, and to quote “Let’s not get into it here, you trying to antagonize me, I’m frustrated ‘cause I’ve lost alright? I think the penalty is tough… I think you should accept that, and let me go to the press or elsewhere.” On the other end, Jurgen Klopp was happy with the result. To quote, “we were not clear in the first half… the Penalty, it was bad, unlucky for the defender. But, it was… clear penalty, otherwise [Benteke] is in a very good position to shoot.

The final action came from The Hawthorns, where West Brom, off of a strong last three games, including two wins and a road draw against Leicester, hosted another strong team, Manchester United, where Louis Van Gaal’s men have won their last four in all competitions. The best chance early came when Craig Gardner, in a prime position on a set piece, found Gareth McAuley at the back post, but the defender put it wide, even though he was offside. The game really opened up when Juan Mata stamped on ex-Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, giving him his second yellow, and cutting United down a man. Craig Dawson nearly looped one past David de Gea practically seconds later, but the chip was put just wide of the goal. United’s best chance came when Anthony Martial blazed past a couple of defenders, but after the takeaway, the ball fell to Marcus Rashford, who had time, but instead tried to catch Ben Foster off guard, but put the strike wide. Brom got their match-winner when Sébastien Pocognoli found Salómon Rondon in the box, and Rondon put it near post, past de Gea, giving the Baggies the 1-0 lead. Brom would hang on to that lead, winning 1-0 Man of the Match goes to Rondon.

So another tightly filled weekend in England’s top flight league, leaving Leicester top of the table by 5 points ahead of Spurs. Champions League continues this week, as Real Madrid and Wolfsburg look to see out their leads on aggregate at home Tuesday, whilst Zenit and Chelsea look to rebound from one-goal deficits at home Wednesday. The FA Cup quarterfinals also are this week, as Chelsea head to Everton, Man United host West Ham, Cinderellas Reading host Palace and Arsenal/Hull host Watford. The MLS also started this weekend, so look out for that. BPL action continues on the 12^th, but many games will be suspended.

National Professional FastPitch Mock Draft Rounds One and Two

The National Professional Fastpitch Softball League will be having its senior draft on April 14^th, at 7:00 PM at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. The 90 minute televised event will be broadcasted on the CBS Sports Network. This means the National Professional Fastpitch season is right around the corner. The draft itself is the first big event of the year for the NPF. The league uses it as an opportunity to showcase current and future stars of a sport that is gaining popularity. The six-team league will select 40 seniors from the collegiate level to possibly join the ranks of USSSA Pride, Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion, or the Scrap Yard Dawgs. Unlike most professional sports league the NPF only lets college seniors be drafted.

#1 Pennsylvania Rebellion – Sierra Romero, 2B, Michigan

As a team last year, the Rebellion managed to hit just .214, the only player who had a decent year hitting was Alisa Goler who hit .270. The second base position was also a platoon between Haruna Sakamoto and Sarah Prezioso. With the first pick, the Rebellion will go for the best player available and that is Romero. Romero holds most of the major offensive records in Michigan’s softball program history and would add way more pop to a weak Pennsylvania offense. There also isn’t a Team USA commitment making Romero and “must get” player for the Rebellion.

#2 USSSA Pride (Acquired from the Charge) – Allexis Bennett, OF, UCLA

Bennett is a very great hitter and solid outfielder from Los Angeles. The only outfielders on the Pride roster are Megan Wiggins and Kelly Kretschman. Those are also the only two players whose starting positions are a lock. Bennett is sharp defensively, has speed on the base paths, and a terrific bat. The other Pride outfielders Emilee Koerner and Bre’jae Washington are now on the expansion Scrap Yard Dawgs making outfield a huge need. Drafting Bennett would add to the Pride’s star-studded lineup, giving them another young future cornerstone player, and would give them much-needed outfield depth. She also has the potential to be long term depth in case Kretschman decides to retire in a season or two.

#3 Akron Racers – Alex Hugo, 2B, Georgia

With the loss of Jill Barrett, the Racers will probably move Ashley Thomas over to shortstop. With Thomas being possibly moved over drafting an everyday second baseman is most likely in Joey Arrietta’s plans. Hugo is a strong power hitter and is alright defensively. She would fit right into the Racers power hitting philosophy.

#4 Akron Racers (Acquired from the Bandits) – Jailyn Ford, P, James Madison

Pitching was the Racers Achilles heel last season. Last season they had a league worst 3.75 earned run average as a staff. Their problems with pitching won’t get any easier since Lisa Norris retired and Rachele Fico’s future is uncertain. This makes pitching more of a bigger need than it was before. Drafting Ford would give them the best left-handed pitcher in the draft. The Racers need a southpaw in that rotation which is filled with all right-handers.

 

 

#5 USSSA Pride – Lindsey Stephens, OF, Texas

Don Dedonatis is going to use this pick on another outfielder to bolster the depth. Stephens has proven to be a great power hitter. Stephens would give the Pride not only even greater outfield depth but another dangerous hitter to their lineup. She’ll have the opportunity to compete for a starting outfield spot.

#6 Scrap Yard Dawgs – Missy Taukeiaho, 3B, Cal State-Fullerton

The Dawgs have a need for a true third baseman. Since transferring from the University of Washington Taukeiaho has become a two time all American. She brings some power and is prolific RBI hitter. She would fill the hot corner need for the Scrap Yard Dawgs.

#7 Scrap Yard Dawgs – Shelby Turnier, P, UCF

Both Jaclyn Traina and Sara Nevins will be spending most of the year with Team USA. This leaves them with only Katie Cotta and Rachel Fox. Turnier would be a great addition because she could immediately fit into the system, and be a major part of getting this team off the ground.

#8 Pennsylvania Rebellion – Kelsey Stewart, SS, Florida

Kelsey Stewart does have a Team USA commitment. But with Team USA and the NPF working together we could possibly see the record-breaking hitter later in the season. In case, we don’t see her it would be worth it for the Rebellion to keep the rights for next year.

#9 Dallas Charge – Shellie Landry, OF, Louisiana-Lafayette

The Charge are in need of some outfield depth. Landry would not only add depth but she would add power to the lineup.

#10 Akron Racers – Kayla Bonstrom, UT, Stanford

The Racers have a huge hole to fill at first base. The great part about drafting Bonstrom is she is very versatile as a player. First base also happens to be her best position as she has been named All-American at that position. Not only can she play first base but she can play anywhere. She also brings a great bat to the lineup. She is stellar defensively and would be a day one starter.

#11 Chicago Bandits – Emily Crane, OF, Missouri

The only outfielders currently on the Bandits roster are Emily Allard and Brenna Moss. This makes drafting an outfielder the defending Cowles Cup champions’ biggest need. Crane is great defensively and would make them even faster on the base paths. With her .376/.389/.363 hit line she would fit in very well to the Bandits lineup.

#12 USSSA Pride – Cheridan Hawkins, P, Oregon

The Pride loves big name players and Cat Osterman retired. Hawkins Team USA commitment caused her drop this far which is great for the Pride. The difference though between her commitment and the national team is it wouldn’t be for as long. She would possibly still get to play for June and a fair amount of July and August. Drafting Hawkins would make an already good Pride pitching staff even better. With the Pride also hiring Lonnie Almeda who is terrific at developing pitchers Hawkins should thrive.

 

NYCFC Starts Off on Right Foot; Defeat Chicago Fire 4-3 in Thriller

New York City FC, a year removed from a 10-7-17 performance in their debut season as an expansion team and the MLS’ 20th team, looked to get off on the right foot against the Chicago Fire in their second season.

They did just that when Thomas McNamara scored the first goal of the 2016 MLS Season in just the 10th minute. May I remind you, this was the Fire’s first game with Matt Lampson in net, but he didn’t fare too well in the team’s season opener against the Bronx natives, allowing four goals.

But Saunders didn’t exactly shine either, as he conceded his first goal of the year to Razvan Cocis just nine minutes later. And when looking back at last year, he was very inconsistent either producing a clean sheet, maybe allowing one goal, or conceding three or more times in a game. And with the scoring problems of the squad in blue last year, the 24 times they either drew or lost came in games like that.

This year, on the other hand, they went off to the races on the Fire, when just ten minutes later, Tony Taylor scored on a great shot, where he pulled a great pause-and-shoot play. Then, in the 36th minute, Khiry Shelton scored to give the Gotham Blues a 3-1 lead. Just like that, City had taken control of the game and had great confidence that they would win their first season opener in just their second year as a team.

Not much would occur from then to Halftime, and the BlueBirds went into the break still up 3-1. Not long after the 2nd Half began, though, Kennedy Igboananike knocked one in to cut the deficit to one.

Ironically, back at the MLS SuperDraft, the Fire and NYC FC swapped picks to give the Gotham Blues the No. 1 pick, which would turn out to be Jack Harrison out of Wake Forest University. Harrison, a young footballer who had been playing at the Manchester United academy since the age of 7 until he moved to the states at 14. Sadly, he would not be able to play against the team that dealt his rights, not because of him being a rookie and the Blues not wanting to play him, but because of a Pelvic injury that held him out of Pre-Season training just a few weeks back. Luckily, he has not been ruled out for the season, so the 19-year-old from Stoke-On-Trent, England could make an appearance later in the season, and hopefully, if all goes right for the team, in a fight for the MLS Cup in the fall.

Mix Diskerud would answer in the 63rd minute to extend City’s lead back to two goals, but once again, Saunders would concede, this time in the 72nd minute on a PK by David Accam. And although the deficit was once again back at one goal and although the boys from the Windy City put some immense pressure in the final minutes, NYC FC held on for the 4-3 win in Chicago, and will have a tough one ahead of them, as they face the reigning MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco, in a game that will be broadcasted on ESPN2 a week from today. Last year, these teams had an intense 4-4 draw when they had an ESPN2 Sunday Showdown.