MLS: What to Expect and the Second Half

     The MLS is an undervalued league. I don't think I have been the first one to say this nor will I be the last, but I truly mean it. There is so much potential I can't stand it. I am here once again to say that you should watch the MLS. I know it's soccer and that it isn't even the best brand in the world, but it's fun. . I recently joined a supporters group for the Seattle Sounders and it's incredible. Never before in any other sport have a felt a closer connection to a team or fans. That isn't the purpose of this post though.
   
     Anyway, I'll get off my soap box and back to what I wanted to write about, and that's what to expect from the second half of the MLS Season.

1. It's never over until it's over! - This is true for any game anywhere, but the MLS has been filled with late goals and comebacks. It seems like every week there are two teams that score in the last 10 minutes to seal a comeback or take the lead. These kind of wins are almost always the best. A lot of the time, one team has been dominating the game and have scored a single goal. You think your team is going to lose the match, but then BAM! The star forward puts in a scrappy shot from about 12 yards out and your team salvages a point.  It gets even better sometimes because that same star forward also engineers the winner five minutes later and now your time has won it. Though it took 85 minutes to see any action from your team, the last 10 made it all worth it.

2. There will be miscues - The MLS is notorious for it's terrible defense and keeper play. This isn't going to change overnight. An MLS back line can be about as goofy as a Three Stooges Movie. "Oh wait, I thought you had him!" "Naw man I was watching the ref! Nuk, Nuk, Nuk!" It doesn't help when teams import forward from other countries that have been playing for years and can totally outclass plenty of defenders.

3. Wondo the Magnificent - Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes has been incredible this year. The can't seem to stop scoring. He has scored 17 goals this season in just only 21 games. He's on pace to break the old time record of 27 set by Roy Lassiter back in 1996. I guess you could call this soccer's version of the home run record. Though there is not as much history, it would still be pretty incredible if it happened. If he were to, he would undoubtedly become a new face of MLS to the public and would really open up a great market in San Jose.

4. Erratic play - If you watch the MLS this season, get ready fro action outbursts. What usually happens is that two teams will duke it out for a while and there aren't many opportunities. Then all of the sudden, there will literally be a good solid five minutes of chances, saves, and goals from both teams. The it will go back to nothing. Though it may seem frustrating at first, it get's pretty entertaining after a while.

5. Goals will come in all shapes and sizes - Though this is true for any soccer league, I feel that the MLS has the highest ratio of most incredible goals to scrappy tap ins of any league. From Marco Pappa's glorious strike to a fluke goal like Eddie Johnson's in the MLS All Star Game, the MLS has them all. In the end, they all count and in the MLS there are usually a lot of them (by soccer standards).

That's what you'll see in MLS games this year! Hopefully you will watch at least a bit of a game. They have been on ESPN a lot this summer and you can also find them on NBC Sports Network. Now it's time to look at how I think the MLS will finish this season. Remember sports fans, the top five in each division are in the playoffs.

East
1. New York Red Bulls - A lot of imported talent along side some of the best in the US = East best record.
2. Sporting Kansas City- A Great crop of MLS'ers. Kie Kamara will be big down the stretch.
3. Houston Dynamo- A recent surge has pushed them to second, but they will eventually cool down.
4. DC United- They have goals in hand coming down the stretch and Chris Pontius continues to be huge.
5. Columbus Crew- They have played the least so far and should be able to pick up some ground.
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6. Chicago Fire- Their goalie Sean Johnson will really carry them, but it wont be enough.
7. Philadelphia Union- The coaching change will do them some good, but still a disappointing 2nd season.
8. Montreal Impact - A good year for the newest team. They stayed competitive and have some young talent.
9. New England Revolution- They look like a team that doesn't want to get better. They will be staying here if they don't change something.
10. Toronto FC -They had a bad start that defines this season. They will need some big moves this off season.

West
1. San Jose Earthquakes - Great players that are playing like there is no tomorrow. They won't be caught!
2. Real Salt Lake- They will slide into second with some great play, but they will feel the heat from Seattle.
3. Seattle Sounders- They made some great transfers and now they have Gspurning back in goal. Yikes!
4. LA Galaxy- They have the talent and experience to correct for their early season woes.
5. Vancover White Caps- They will falter slightly in the second half, but will stay in the playoff race.
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6. Chivas USA- Kennedy will keep them in the race, but their flaws will catch up to them.
7. Colorado Rapids- They will get 7th only due to the fact that Dallas is terrible this year. Not much more I can say.
8. FC Dallas- Brec Shea has been terrible this season and besides that, FC Dallas doesn't have a lot going for them.
9. Portland Timbers- Awful season. They can't give up next year though. This team has potential.
 
And last, but not least, I have a couple of picks for you this weekend Enjoy!

New York 3 - Houston Dynamo 1 ~ Great game atop the table. Kenny Cooper is heating up and he will lead the Red Bulls to victory.

DC United 1 - Columbus Crew 1 ~ A well fought draw, but Columbus rises to the occasion and steals a point.

LA Galaxy 2 - Seattle Sounders 2 ~ It will be hard for LA to get a win up in Seattle, but the Sounders play a CONCACAF Champions League game this week and will not be rested.

Thanks for reading!  

The MLS Stop The Blues

     The MLS reached it's half way point with a shocker of a game last night. The 2012 All-Star game was billed like the rest of them. In one corner you had the scrappy, unappreciated MLS squad and in the other a huge English Premier League team looking to wipe the pitch with them. Surprisingly, I've always liked this All -Star game over all the rest. It always had something just a little bit different than the rest: meaning. There is no bigger meaning than the message that was sent last night.

     Coming into the game there was a little more excitement. Chelsea were the Champions of Europe in transition; never before had the MLS played such a meaningful game. Through it was just the pre-season for the English giants, this would still be a great step forward for the MLS. I didn't have much hope for the MLS'ers. All I had to reference was the 4-2 beat down of the Sounders. Sure, the Blues didn't seem to sharp in that match, but they pulled away  when they needed to and that's all that mattered. When Chris Wondolowski's 21st minute hard fought goal went in, my mind was changed. 

     Wondo's goal will forever be remembered in my mind as the moment that the MLS stuck it to the world. 

I know that it wasn't the game winner, but it was still just as powerful. The lead up to that goal was brilliant as well. The MLS never seemed to be star stuck because they were playing the European champions. The back four looked solid in deterring strong attacks from the rising star Lukaku and Marin. 

     After Wondo's goal I knew that the Blues would be fighting back and sure enough they did. The Blues called upon the old timers John Terry and Frank Lampard to salvage the match. Terry scored on a not so glamorous corner kick and Lampard scored a low, sizzling shot that was produced after a fine cross from Ramires. Though at first it seemed like the goal from Lampard was a world class effort, it truly wasn't. There were about four players from the MLS that should have gotten to the cross, but just didn't. 

     The game continued to wind down into the final stages and I was sure that Chelsea had another goal in them. That goal never came and the exact opposite of my expectations game to reality with two goals from the MLS. Chris Pontius' made a great run into the box and slotted away a great feed from De Rosario and Eddie Johnson's almost fluke goal in stoppage time was almost a microcosm of the game. 

     I was in shock after the game. The MLS All-stars had done it! I was very excited and knew that it was a great step forward for the League, but for some reason I still can't shake the doubt. There are a lot of factors that go into this game. Chelsea was instituting a lot of new parts and were only playing their third semi-competitive match. In short, this was not the best version of Chelsea. At the same time though, I have to take into account that this was an All-star team that had only been playing together for less than a week. So in turn, this was not the best version of the MLS team. I don't think I would truly be satisfied unless an MLS All-star team was created at the end of the season and then toured Europe. That would give us a real gauge on the competitiveness of the league. 

     All in all, I have to be excited as an MLS fan. This was a great win for the league and a great win for American soccer, but we have to keep it in perspective. US soccer fans have a tendency of over reacting (Remember how our national team was the best after a 5-1 win over Scotland? How did that turn out for us?) and they will over react here. The MLS still isn't an elite league and still won't be for a few years, but after last night I have to believe we are heading in the right direction. 

Euro 2012 Final

My pick for who wins it all in the Euro 2012 Final!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PM2DS_0QWM

Note: I state that the Final is on Monday when it is really at 2:30 today! So go watch it!

Thanks for watching!

Euro 2012 Semi Finals

My Semi Final video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_m8tAx3W88
Thanks for watching!

Bitter Sweet for the Heat

     The Heat's recent criticized and despised run the the Larry O'Brien Trophy has been nothing like a bed of  roses. There has not been a more hated team over the past two years in all of professional sports. At the center of all the hate and criticism there is Lebron James, whose controversial move to South Beach created the whole fiasco in the first place. As hated as the Heat are, nothing mattered when the clock hit zero.

     I had always been a fan of Lebron. He was going to be a great star in Cleveland and bring a miserable franchise a lot of relief. I never could have imagined what he could do to the state of basketball. I cheered him through his Finals loss against the Spurs and always hoped he would make it back every year afterwords. After the decision though, I was like the rest of the nation.

     The joy that last year's Finals brought me was incredible. My Mavs had finally been able to put the ghost the 2006 was to rest and they had knocked off the hated Heat. I believed at this time the LBJ would be cursed and would never win a ring. 

    But oh what a difference a year makes. I could barely stomach watching the 20 point blow-out that was game five. Honestly, I don't know why I watched it at all. There was just this weird fascination of the possibility of James getting a ring. Soon enough, the celebration started and I found myself happy as I watched LeBron jump for joy. "The man has finally done it", I said to myself, but almost instantly I found myself in a world of rage."I can't believe it happened". 

    So there I sat, torn between myself.  My analytic side side was telling me to be happy. LBJ is the best player in the league and he deserved to win. This whole mess was actually going to be great for the NBA. While my fan side told me to be angry. He had to go to Miami to win it! He didn't deserve it at all. What really pushed me over the edge was the post game interview with the King. When asked about what went through his mind once the game was over, James responded with, "It's about damn time." 

Shunk. 

That was the sound of my TV being turned off. I could not believe this guy. How cocky! How stupid! He expected to win? HA! I was furious with the showboat-iness, but then I remembered the Mavs. Dirk walking off the court before the game was over, Jason Terry's plane moves, his tattoo, and of course the "Hey LeBron! How's my Dirk taste?" shirt. I quickly got over the cockiness one could say. 

     Now that the Finals have been over for a couple days I've cooled down. I can be happy for Lebron, but it is tainted. I will never be truly happy for him in Miami. He could have stuck around Cleveland and tried to grind out success, but he didn't. He took the easy way out. Even if he wins 10 championships I won't consider him the greatest of all time. I may just have to backhand the 16 year old kid 20 years from now who says LBJ is better than MJ. Unless James can beat the 72-10 mark, he won't come close. Don't get me wrong. LeBron James is a great player and will forever be once of the tops on my list, but in Miami? No way. 

     As happy as I am for LeBron, he better not get used to it. I honestly hope he never wins again, but I'm almost sure I'm going to have to face this feeling many more times in my life.

Congratulations to the Miami Heat from Sports According to Neil, but get ready for next year because D-Rose is coming for you.

Thanks for reading!

Euro 2012 Quarter-Finals Predictions

Here's the link for all my Euro 2012 Quarter-Finals predictions!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkUMr9-vUjM

Thanks for watching!

The 2012 NBA Finals

     The NBA postseason has finally arrived at it's greatest moment: The Finals (cue overused NBA piano music). Over the past few years the Finals have been graced with classic rivalries, revenge, and new teams finding their way. Sadly, we have been deprived of a duel featuring the top stars in the league. This year, that all changes. 

     This Finals match up had to be what the league wanted. In one corner, you have the Heat. Miami is not only  the most hated, talked about, and scrutinized team in the league, they are also one of the most talented. In the other corner, there is the Thunder. OKC is the future of the league with many players who want to prove themselves. However you look at it though, this championship match up will be boiled down to one story line: Durant vs James. Just the thought of pitting arguably the two best players in the league against each other in a best of seven series gives me chills.

     With all the story lines aside, this will genuinely be a great series. The talent on both sides of the ball will be incredible. Both teams know how to score and usually do a formidable job defending. For a better look at who is going to win this series, let me break it down for you. 

Thunder Pros: 

1. Kevin Durant - The best part about the Thunder is KD. He is an incredible scorer and can really change the feeling of a game in just a few seconds. How he was able to respond in the Western Conference Finals was incredible. He also has the ability to disrupt the Heat in the paint. Over the past 10 games, Durant has been able to average 8.1 rebounds per game. It isn't a terribly high amount, but when you couple it with the scoring, it is a really big contribution. 

2. Stronger supporting cast - There is no doubt that the Thunder have a better supporting cast around their main star. Russel Westbrook has been a beast this post season. His scoring abilities have been a great second punch to KD. OKC also have a great sixth man in James Harden and an experienced veteran in Derek Fisher. The Thunder's ability to have other players produce will really help them down the stretch.

3. Serge Ibaka - Ibaka will be key in this series. His ability to get blocks, rebounds, and create a presence in the paint will be too much for the Heat. If he can shut down Chris Bosh, the Heat will look like they did in games 4 and 5 of the Boston Series. 

4. Rested and Home Court- The Thunder have only lost 3 games this post season and the Heat have lost 6. Miami has played a few more games and may be slightly fatigued. It won't be a huge difference, but it helps. Home court will be a huge advantage though. The fans in OKC are crazy loud and very dedicated. I think they will be able to make the Heat feel uncomfortable and ultimately help the Thunder to some great wins.  

Thunder Con:

1. Inexperience - The Thunder have to have some sort of nerves building. For many players, it will be their first experience with the Finals and they will not play the same. It will come into play early in their first road game as well as some key moments down the stretch. It will ultimately be up to the coaches as well as Derek Fisher to calm these young guys down. If the Thunder can keep their composure in the tough situations, it will be a great Finals for them. 

Heat Pros:

1. Lebron James - Either you love him or hate him, but you still have to respect him. The way he took it to the Celtics in games six and seven was incredible. This guy has the ability to put a team on his back and carry them to the promised land. No matter who he's playing, he is going to have some good games. Don't be surprised if he drops over 30 in almost every game. 

2. D-Wade - Just like Westbrook, Wade is the great second punch to the big star. His ability to go off just like James makes him a huge threat for the Thunder. He also has a way of creating his own fouls almost at will and usually converts the 3 point play. If the Heat want to win, he will need to be just as prominent as James and do whatever he can to get a W. 

3. Experience - The Heat were in this exact same position last season. They will not have the nerves that the Thunder will and will need to attack early in game one to shift the series in their favor. It also helps that Wade has a ring and knows what it takes to be a champion. 

Heat Cons:

1. Lack of Support - Outside the "Big 3", the Heat don't have many great players. When Mario Chalmers is your fourth best player, you know you're in trouble. Either the bench is going to need to come together and score 20-30 or they are going to lose. 

2. Pressure - The Heat are under so much pressure. I feel like it got to them in their last year and that it has the ability to do it again. LBJ may say that he feels better about this year coming into the Finals, but we'll see how he feels if the Thunder win a could straight against him. The Heat will one day break the pressure barrier, but I don't know if it will be this year.   

3. 4th Quarter Misery - I don't have to tell you the stats about the closing power of the Heat. We all know they have problems closing games and that the final shot has always been a problem. That will change one day, but based on their performance in this year's playoffs, the curse is still there. All they can do is keep taking the shots, but who knows if they will fall? 

     With my pros and cons laid out for everyone to see, you can see who I'm leaning towards. Here's some food for thought though. This is the first NBA Finals where neither team's name ends with an s. Isn't that incredible? So it's slightly ironic that I'm going to pick the Thunder in a number that starts with an s. I have the Thunder winning a great series in six games with Kevin Durant as the Finals MVP.