If you are an average American, it is inevitable that your bracket is totally busted right now. If it looked like mine, you would be pulling for Louisville to win it all. I cannot say I saw Syracuse, Michigan, or Wichita State making it this far, but I can say I have liked it.
This year's tournament has been outstanding. I haven't seen parody like this in all my years of watching the dance. I have lived in an era were all four 1 seeds made it to the Final Four and where many Cinderellas don't make it past the Sweet 16. There have been a few years of craziness such as the Butler, George Mason and VCU years, but never anything like this. The fact that we have a nine and two four seeds really makes me happy. It shows that college basketball, unlike it's football counterpart, will and is not dominated by one conference or team. It also shows that anything can happen once you make it to the postseason. i
So what now? We have to the the mystique of this situation fade away and get down to the dirty facts. Honestly, I feel this is Louisville's championship to lose. They are the most complete team and have been the most consistent all year. I find it hard to believe that they will lose tonight. The Wichita State Shockers will come out with a lot of energy and will use there big men like they did against Ohio State. The problem is that Big East teams are built for tournaments. Coaches know they have to make their teams deep and strong if they are going to make it through a rigorous Big East schedule and grueling tourney. That is what will show tonight when Louisville plays Wichita. It will be close in the opening half, but Silva and the rest of the Louisville team will show their superiority late and win 68-60.
On the other side, I believe the Syracuse zone is playing as great as it ever has. Coach Boeheim has his team ready for any offense that comes the Orange's way. Michigan's Trey Burke will not make it easy though. He has been coming alive as of late and the rest of his team is really helping him out. I'm just not sure if the Wolverines are ready for what is going to happen tonight. It will be close and I see it coming down to a final shot by the Orange that allows them to move on the the Championship 49-48.
So on the year of the Big East's swan song, the conference will go out with two teams playing for it all. How fitting!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Champions League Quarter Finals: Leg One
It's April, which signifies the end of March Madness. In Europe, an elite eight still have plenty of madness to endure. The last round saw a hand full of incredible games, some epic match ups and even a few blowouts. Real Madrid's controversial win over Manchester United was only overshadowed by the beating Borussia Dortmund laid on Shakhtar Donetsk and the massive comeback by Barcelona.
Overall, the first round had a little bit of it all and I'm certain all the best teams won. Let's review who made it through:
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Galatasaray
Juventus
Malaga
Paris Saint Germain
Real Madrid
Not too many shockers there, but on March 15th the quarter final draw was made. I felt that there was a good chance we could see all the best teams matched up against each other, but something else happened. Almost all the good teams were drawn with the weaker ones which sets up the possibility for some interesting match ups for the semi finals, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here's what the quarter final draw gave us:
Barcelona vs Paris Saint Germain
Bayern Munich vs Juventus
Real Madrid vs Galatasaray
Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga
Right away, the Bayren - Juve tie stands out. It is the one match up featuring two teams that could really win the whole thing. This tie will be a tough one to watch. Both teams play with a style that isn't always the most visually appealing and can be very methodical. If there is tie that could end with a 0-0 draw and penalties, it would be this one. Both teams play great defense and have senior players that can handle pressure. I have to say Bayern have a better attack and are in better form. They just whipped Hamburg 9-2 this weekend and I think that attacking form will continue going into Tuesday. I think Munich will win the first leg 2-1 after a strong performance. Juve will be toothless for most of the match, but will snag a late away goal.
The next standout match is Barcelona - PSG. This is interesting because of the story lines with PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He used to play for Barca, but had a fall out with the club and blamed midfielder Lionel Messi for it. Now the Swed will to Camp Nou to face his old team. Besides that, I think this will be a pretty boring tie. Barcelona may have had their issues earlier this year, but they are back now. I see a 2-0 for the Spanish side which will put this tie out of reach long before it really begins.
Real Madrid and Galatasaray is another interesting tie. Real Madrid faced the biggest test in the first round and even though they had some help, they were able to do it. This allows me to believe that they will be prepared for what Galatasaray can throw at them. Madrid will over take the Turkish side early in this tie because of their home field advantage. They will take an early 1-0 lead, but Galatasaray will use Champions League legend Didier Drogba to pull level shortly after halftime. By this time, Real Madrid will wake up find two late goals from Cristiano Ronoldo to take the easy 3-1 win going into Turkey.
The last tie of the quarter finals is Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga. These will be the most lopsided matches of the round. Dortmund is a favorite to win it all and I think they will show it early. They just have too much star power and I think Malaga is the weakest team left. It has been a good run for the Spanish side, but their Champions League dreams will die when they lose 2-0 at home to Dortmund.
Thanks for reading!
Overall, the first round had a little bit of it all and I'm certain all the best teams won. Let's review who made it through:
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund
Galatasaray
Juventus
Malaga
Paris Saint Germain
Real Madrid
Not too many shockers there, but on March 15th the quarter final draw was made. I felt that there was a good chance we could see all the best teams matched up against each other, but something else happened. Almost all the good teams were drawn with the weaker ones which sets up the possibility for some interesting match ups for the semi finals, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here's what the quarter final draw gave us:
Barcelona vs Paris Saint Germain
Bayern Munich vs Juventus
Real Madrid vs Galatasaray
Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga
Right away, the Bayren - Juve tie stands out. It is the one match up featuring two teams that could really win the whole thing. This tie will be a tough one to watch. Both teams play with a style that isn't always the most visually appealing and can be very methodical. If there is tie that could end with a 0-0 draw and penalties, it would be this one. Both teams play great defense and have senior players that can handle pressure. I have to say Bayern have a better attack and are in better form. They just whipped Hamburg 9-2 this weekend and I think that attacking form will continue going into Tuesday. I think Munich will win the first leg 2-1 after a strong performance. Juve will be toothless for most of the match, but will snag a late away goal.
The next standout match is Barcelona - PSG. This is interesting because of the story lines with PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He used to play for Barca, but had a fall out with the club and blamed midfielder Lionel Messi for it. Now the Swed will to Camp Nou to face his old team. Besides that, I think this will be a pretty boring tie. Barcelona may have had their issues earlier this year, but they are back now. I see a 2-0 for the Spanish side which will put this tie out of reach long before it really begins.
Real Madrid and Galatasaray is another interesting tie. Real Madrid faced the biggest test in the first round and even though they had some help, they were able to do it. This allows me to believe that they will be prepared for what Galatasaray can throw at them. Madrid will over take the Turkish side early in this tie because of their home field advantage. They will take an early 1-0 lead, but Galatasaray will use Champions League legend Didier Drogba to pull level shortly after halftime. By this time, Real Madrid will wake up find two late goals from Cristiano Ronoldo to take the easy 3-1 win going into Turkey.
The last tie of the quarter finals is Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga. These will be the most lopsided matches of the round. Dortmund is a favorite to win it all and I think they will show it early. They just have too much star power and I think Malaga is the weakest team left. It has been a good run for the Spanish side, but their Champions League dreams will die when they lose 2-0 at home to Dortmund.
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
March Madness 2013
Ahhh! It's that time of year again. Spring is on it's way, the weather starts to let up a bit and the smell of freshly printed brackets looms in the air. Yep, it's definitely March Madness. Unfortunately, due to my work load right now, I couldn't give you some massive bracket picking blowout like I did last year, but I can supply you with my first round picks right now as well as some links to my 9 brackets I made on ESPN's website. Yes, I know I have a problem. From my realistic thoughts, to my coin flip shenanigans you will be able to view both on the blog later today.
Speaking of coin flips, I did one where I flipped every game of the tournament in hopes of proving this year would finally be the year where flipping a coin would be better than actually picking. If there is a year that a coin flip could win a bracket pool, it would be this year. There isn't one team I feel comfortable saying is the favorite, so madness will inevitably ensue. With that, I invite you to enjoy these first round picks and Happy March Madness!
Upset picks are bold and italicized
Mid-West first round winners:
Louisville
Missouri
Oregon
St. Louis
St. Mary's
Michigan State
Creighton
Duke
West first round winners:
Gonzaga
Wichita State
Ole Miss
Kansas State
Belmont
New Mexico
Notre Dame
Ohio State
South first round winners:
Kansas
Villanova
VCU
Michigan
Minnesota
Florida
San Diego State
Georgetown
East first round winners:
Indiana
NC State
California
Syracuse
Butler
Marquette
Illinois
Miami
Speaking of coin flips, I did one where I flipped every game of the tournament in hopes of proving this year would finally be the year where flipping a coin would be better than actually picking. If there is a year that a coin flip could win a bracket pool, it would be this year. There isn't one team I feel comfortable saying is the favorite, so madness will inevitably ensue. With that, I invite you to enjoy these first round picks and Happy March Madness!
Upset picks are bold and italicized
Mid-West first round winners:
Louisville
Missouri
Oregon
St. Louis
St. Mary's
Michigan State
Creighton
Duke
West first round winners:
Gonzaga
Wichita State
Ole Miss
Kansas State
Belmont
New Mexico
Notre Dame
Ohio State
South first round winners:
Kansas
Villanova
VCU
Michigan
Minnesota
Florida
San Diego State
Georgetown
East first round winners:
Indiana
NC State
California
Syracuse
Butler
Marquette
Illinois
Miami
Friday, March 1, 2013
My 2013 MLS Preview
It's official, we've completed the 'March to Soccer'. Spring is just around the corner, all the new jerseys have been unveiled and most importantly, MLS training camps are over. A lot has changed in the league since the 2012 campaign. MLS figure head David Beckham left for PSG, Landon Donovan took some time off and there were a whole bunch of moves. That being said, all the changes have made this season one of the more open ones in recent memory. I think every club has a chance of making it to the postseason and I'm confident the US Open Cup landscape will change a fair amount. With MLS games starting tomorrow, let's take a look at my five bold predictions and how I think the league will finish this season.
Neil Rosan's five bold MLS predictions
5. The West will be totally wide open - Let's face it. Nearly every team that made the playoffs in the West last season lost a huge chunk of their team in the off season. LA lost Beckham, Salt Lake lost huge components and Seattle lost Montero. This undoubtedly opens the door for teams like Dallas and Portland to make some noise this season. Don't be surprised if Salt Lake or Seattle miss the playoffs this year because of what they lost.
4. Toronto FC will not finish last in the East - That's right, I said it. TFC had a terrible start last year and they went on to loss 21 matches in total. I credit some of that to losing Captain Torsten Frings at the start of the year. Frings is no longer with the team, but I have a feeling with the amount of youth this team has they will come out of the gate stronger and have fewer injuries. That combined with how bad the Revolution are, I think they will finish a good 5 points above the Revs.
3. Caleb Porter will look really good at Portland - Portland didn't have a great season, but now that they have head coach Caleb Porter, I think they will improve tremendously. He has made a lot of good looking off season moves. Valencia will prove to be the biggest move, but defender Mikael Silvestre will also play a key role as a new signing. I think Porter will bring a good coaching style to the Timbers and they will defend the Cascadia Cup while they make it a race for the fifth playoff spot out West.
2. There will be two new teams in the US Open Cup Final - Sporting Kansas City and Seattle squared off for this piece of silverware this past year, but I don't think either will make it back. Though the US Open Cup has been an after thought for some time now, I feel that the new found popularity in the league will put more stress on a club winning a trophy. Since winning a league is so hard, more teams will focus their efforts on this competition which means less repeats in my book. Does this open the door for the Redbulls to finally win something? I won't go that far.
1. Houston will make it to a third straight MLS Cup... and win - I wasn't going to make a prediction about a Champion, but I guess it kind of came out anyway. This club, coached by Dominic Kinnear, have been almost unstoppable in the playoffs and I think that continues this year. I also think after two years of finishing runner up, the Dynamo are going to come out with a new fire and want to show the league they have what it takes. They may not have the best record when all is said and done, but this team gets dangerous in the Fall and everyone should watch out.
How the MLS will finish:
East
1. Sporting Kansas City - They lost Kei Kamara, but they still got the players to lead this conference. It will be close, but Sporting will pull it out in the end.
2. Houston Dynamo - These guys will continue on their form and get hot late. They will have a better start than last year and will be near the top all year.
3. Chicago Fire - After the addition of Fernandez last year, they became a much better team. I also think Nyarko comes into fruition this year which makes this team very different.
4. New York Red Bulls - They will be cursed by streaks once again. At times they will look like the best team in the league, but under perform a few games later. They will once again to enough to stay in the playoff race.
5. Columbus Crew- The Crew will do just enough to get into the playoffs. Striker Federico Higuain and Goalie Andy Gruenebaum will take this team to the next level and could continue to rise next year.
**************
PLAYOFFS
**************
6. DC United - For some reason, I don't have a lot of faith in this team. I know they came close to going to MLS Cup last year, but I think the teams around them have gotten better.
7. Philadelphia Union - This is kind of a risk pxutting this club this high, but I think the coaching staff will get it together and this team will have a bit of success.
8. Montreal Impact - After a stellar Inaugural season, Montreal will have a slump in the second. They will compete, but won't be good enough to finish games.
9. Toronto FC - Like I said before, the youth will lead this team to a better season than last year's.
10. New England Revolution - I don't like a single thing about this team.Maybe that dislike is bleeding over, but I don't think they have what it takes to do a lot this season.
West
1. San Jose Eathquakes - This team lost the least in the off season Chris Wondoloski will continue his scoring run as the rest of his teammates replicate a season close to last year's.
2. Seattle Sounders - This team lost some players, but I think they gained what they needed in the off season. It won't be a strong second place finish, but it will happen.
3. Los Angeles Galaxy - They will have trouble finding their bearings at the beginning of the season, but it will come together down the stretch.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps - They made it to the playoffs last year and I think they will do enough this year. They had a lot of good talent show up and I think the likes of Jay Demerit lead the team to glory.
5. FC Dallas- Brek Shea may be gone, but this team is sticking around. Players like David Ferreira and Kenny Cooper will put this team in the playoffs.
************
PLAYOFFS
************
6. Portland Timbers - They will come close with Caleb Porter, but this team still isn't ready. Just give the Timbers a year and they will be ready to be a club that makes it to the playoffs annually.
7. Real Salt Lake - I know this is a little harsh, but this team lost so much and the rest of the conference is is getting better. By the looks of it, Salt Lake won't be the same for a while.
8. Colorado Rapids - Not much going for the Rapids this year. I feel like they will be in the race early, but they won't be able to score enough goals to stay in it.
9. Chivas USA - Do I even have to explain myself? This club is a mess!
Thanks for reading!
Neil Rosan's five bold MLS predictions
5. The West will be totally wide open - Let's face it. Nearly every team that made the playoffs in the West last season lost a huge chunk of their team in the off season. LA lost Beckham, Salt Lake lost huge components and Seattle lost Montero. This undoubtedly opens the door for teams like Dallas and Portland to make some noise this season. Don't be surprised if Salt Lake or Seattle miss the playoffs this year because of what they lost.
4. Toronto FC will not finish last in the East - That's right, I said it. TFC had a terrible start last year and they went on to loss 21 matches in total. I credit some of that to losing Captain Torsten Frings at the start of the year. Frings is no longer with the team, but I have a feeling with the amount of youth this team has they will come out of the gate stronger and have fewer injuries. That combined with how bad the Revolution are, I think they will finish a good 5 points above the Revs.
3. Caleb Porter will look really good at Portland - Portland didn't have a great season, but now that they have head coach Caleb Porter, I think they will improve tremendously. He has made a lot of good looking off season moves. Valencia will prove to be the biggest move, but defender Mikael Silvestre will also play a key role as a new signing. I think Porter will bring a good coaching style to the Timbers and they will defend the Cascadia Cup while they make it a race for the fifth playoff spot out West.
2. There will be two new teams in the US Open Cup Final - Sporting Kansas City and Seattle squared off for this piece of silverware this past year, but I don't think either will make it back. Though the US Open Cup has been an after thought for some time now, I feel that the new found popularity in the league will put more stress on a club winning a trophy. Since winning a league is so hard, more teams will focus their efforts on this competition which means less repeats in my book. Does this open the door for the Redbulls to finally win something? I won't go that far.
1. Houston will make it to a third straight MLS Cup... and win - I wasn't going to make a prediction about a Champion, but I guess it kind of came out anyway. This club, coached by Dominic Kinnear, have been almost unstoppable in the playoffs and I think that continues this year. I also think after two years of finishing runner up, the Dynamo are going to come out with a new fire and want to show the league they have what it takes. They may not have the best record when all is said and done, but this team gets dangerous in the Fall and everyone should watch out.
How the MLS will finish:
East
1. Sporting Kansas City - They lost Kei Kamara, but they still got the players to lead this conference. It will be close, but Sporting will pull it out in the end.
2. Houston Dynamo - These guys will continue on their form and get hot late. They will have a better start than last year and will be near the top all year.
3. Chicago Fire - After the addition of Fernandez last year, they became a much better team. I also think Nyarko comes into fruition this year which makes this team very different.
4. New York Red Bulls - They will be cursed by streaks once again. At times they will look like the best team in the league, but under perform a few games later. They will once again to enough to stay in the playoff race.
5. Columbus Crew- The Crew will do just enough to get into the playoffs. Striker Federico Higuain and Goalie Andy Gruenebaum will take this team to the next level and could continue to rise next year.
**************
PLAYOFFS
**************
6. DC United - For some reason, I don't have a lot of faith in this team. I know they came close to going to MLS Cup last year, but I think the teams around them have gotten better.
7. Philadelphia Union - This is kind of a risk pxutting this club this high, but I think the coaching staff will get it together and this team will have a bit of success.
8. Montreal Impact - After a stellar Inaugural season, Montreal will have a slump in the second. They will compete, but won't be good enough to finish games.
9. Toronto FC - Like I said before, the youth will lead this team to a better season than last year's.
10. New England Revolution - I don't like a single thing about this team.Maybe that dislike is bleeding over, but I don't think they have what it takes to do a lot this season.
West
1. San Jose Eathquakes - This team lost the least in the off season Chris Wondoloski will continue his scoring run as the rest of his teammates replicate a season close to last year's.
2. Seattle Sounders - This team lost some players, but I think they gained what they needed in the off season. It won't be a strong second place finish, but it will happen.
3. Los Angeles Galaxy - They will have trouble finding their bearings at the beginning of the season, but it will come together down the stretch.
4. Vancouver Whitecaps - They made it to the playoffs last year and I think they will do enough this year. They had a lot of good talent show up and I think the likes of Jay Demerit lead the team to glory.
5. FC Dallas- Brek Shea may be gone, but this team is sticking around. Players like David Ferreira and Kenny Cooper will put this team in the playoffs.
************
PLAYOFFS
************
6. Portland Timbers - They will come close with Caleb Porter, but this team still isn't ready. Just give the Timbers a year and they will be ready to be a club that makes it to the playoffs annually.
7. Real Salt Lake - I know this is a little harsh, but this team lost so much and the rest of the conference is is getting better. By the looks of it, Salt Lake won't be the same for a while.
8. Colorado Rapids - Not much going for the Rapids this year. I feel like they will be in the race early, but they won't be able to score enough goals to stay in it.
9. Chivas USA - Do I even have to explain myself? This club is a mess!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Champions League Round of 16: Part two
After a week that saw Celtic downed in Scotland and Real Madrid battle Manchester United to a 1-1 draw, the Champions League round of sixteen still has much to offer in it's second week.
Though there may not be a match up with the same weight or interest as the Real-United tie, there are still some juicy pairings.
Tuesday pits the bipolar Arsenal against the Bundesliga leading Bayern Munich and Spanish Club Malaga against Porto from Portugal.
Arsenal Bayern is the match of the day as it sees two very poplar clubs fighting it out and has many great story lines. One of those story lines is the one of Lucas Podolski. Podolski had a long history with Bayern and came to Arsenal in the off season. His return to Germany is only overshadowed by Ronaldo's return to Manchester.
Another big story line will be the one of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Pressure has been mounting on the man that has been the brains for over a decade at the historic London club. After this past week's FA Cup loss to Blackburn many are calling for his head. A big win against Bayern could fix that.
The Porto-Malaga tie should be an interesting one as well. The Portugal-Sapin rivalry is always interesting and both clubs have a huge opportunity to get to the next round.
As for Wednesday, the matches are just a little more interesting. First, there is the classic matchup of AC Milan and Barcelona. The two have formed a 'rivalry' in the Champions League because of their frequent meetings.
Barcelona has seen the upper hand of many of the most recent meetings, but Milan's new found form could change that. It will be a sight to see Balotelli and Messi on the same field. I'm a huge fan of both players and I'm eager to see what they can do for their respective sides.
The other Wednesday game features the Turkish club Galatasaray and the German club Schalke 04. Both can be considered dark horses for the semi-finals and I'm sure many clubs see them as a huge threat.
Schalke has the German tenacity and fight to get through and players like Klaas Jan Huntelaar will surely supply some spark.
Galatasaray loaded up on star power during the transfer window. Signings like Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba will be eager to show their worth to the club.
With all that said, here are my picks.
Arsenal vs Bayern - The German side will be too much from start to finish. Arsenal will create a few goals, but ultimately they will be out maned and lose 6-2 on aggregate.
Porto vs Malaga - Porto look to be back in shape for a deep run. They will take an early lead and keep it to the end. I got Porto 3-1 on aggregate.
Barcelona vs AC Milan - Milan will make it interesting early, but Messi and the passing offense of Barcelona will be too much. Barca win 5-2 on aggregate.
Galatasaray vs Schalke 04 - The Germans take care of business at home, but the start power will show it's worth for the Turkish. Gala win 3-2 on aggregate.
Monday, February 11, 2013
UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Part One
To a commoner, February is a month filled with love and gifts for many people. For soccer fans, February marks the return of the Champions League. Since December's match draw, millions have been drooling over eight of the best soccer games you will see all year.
The first two days of the knock out round are filled with match ups that are sure to thrill any sports fan. On Tuesday, the hard nosed Scottish club Celtic takes on the high flying Italian club Juventus and the big spending French club Paris St. Germain takes on the forgotten Spanish club Valencia. Wednesday is the big day because Manchester United and Real Madrid face off in an epic pairing while Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine takes on the upstart Borussia Dortmund from Germany. As many of you may know, these matches will take place over two legs (a home and home series if you will) with the winner being determined by the aggregate score.
On the eve of these huge games, I will give you my predictions of both legs and who will be moving on to the quarter finals.
Celtic vs Juventus
This is an interesting match up between two teams dominating at the domestic league level. Celtic fought through a group that included Barcelona and had success against them in Scotland. The Bhoys are currently leading the Scottish Premier League by 18 points. They play a tough style of soccer and get some scrappy goals at times. They will rely heavily on striker Gary Hooper for goals. He has scored 13 times in the SPL and usually comes up big for the Hoops. Juventus got through a group that included Chelsea the reigning European Champions. Juve currently leads Serie A by 5 points. They use a more spread out style on play than Celtic and have many scoring options.
In the end, I think these two legs will come down to the Celtic defense. They allow an average of 1.33 goals per game, but only allow .67 at home. If they can stand up and play their physical style against Juve, I think they will grind out the win. They will take the lead early in the legs and take a 2-0 lead going to Italy because of their great home crowd. In the second leg, they will fall behind 0-2 early, but score an aggregate winning goal in the final 15 minutes.
Celtic 3-2 (agg.)
PSG vs Valencia
PSG did a lot of big spending in the off season and January transfer window. They brought in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva and everything has turned around from there. After a rough start in Ligue 1, the mega spenders find themselves up 6 points and on a hot streak. The only issue for the club from Paris is that they live and die by Ibrahimovic. He has scored 21 goals in Ligue one this year and is their only frighting attacker. Valencia is not the same team that earned the Champions League spot last year. They are in 5th place in La Liga and are 9 points behind third place. They allow more goals than they have scored and have a hard time scoring on the road. This spells death in the two leg system.
I think PSG earns a 2-1 win in Spain and demolishes Valenica in France 4-0. As a side note, Ibrahimovic will score 4 of PSG's goals.
PSG 6-1 (agg.)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Borussia Dortmund
Donetsk is not well known even by soccer fans. Though they have been one of the top Ukrainian clubs for most of the 21st century, the Ukrainian Premier League is not respected as well as others. They are currently dominating the UPL and have won 4 out of their last 5 matches. To be honest, I don't know much about them. I do know they made things hard on Chelsea, so this team has what it takes. Borussia Dortmund won back to back Bundesliga titles and are currently sitting in second place. They are a young team with a lot of promise. Striker Robert Lewandowski will be the man to watch. He has 14 goals in the Bundesliga and has created chances for others.
I think Donetsk will gave Dortmund some issues and that these games will be closer than many fans would like to see. Donetsk will earn a 2-2 tie in Ukraine, but Dortmund will take a 2-1 win at home and win in the aggregate.
Borussia Dortmund 4-3 (agg.)
Manchester United vs Real Madrid
If you get the chance to watch one Champions League match, make sure it's this one. Two historic clubs clashing in the early rounds makes for one huge match. Manchester United, winners of three Champions Leagues, come in with a mighty league in the English Premier League. They are one place to set one of the highest point totals in EPL history, but have been letting in a surprising number of goals. Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez are all guys to watch out for. Rooney and RVP both have double digit goal totals in the EPL and Chicharito isn't far behind. Real Madrid, winners of nine Champions Leagues, come in having a down year. they are essentially out of the La Liga race and are in third place. They play a spread out style of soccer and have plenty of dynamic players. United will have to watch out for Cristiano Ronaldo, who transferred from Manchester in 2009. His quick feet and dazzling footwork will really test the shaky Red Devil defense. United will also have to watch out for Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema. These two supply most of Madrid's assists and are vital in the passing game.
When the smoke clears after this battle, I think Real Madrid will come out on top. United's defense will get torched by the Madrid attack and they won't be able to keep up. I see Real Madrid winning 4-2 at home before going to England and winning 3-2.
Real Madrid 7-4 (agg.)
Thanks for reading!
The first two days of the knock out round are filled with match ups that are sure to thrill any sports fan. On Tuesday, the hard nosed Scottish club Celtic takes on the high flying Italian club Juventus and the big spending French club Paris St. Germain takes on the forgotten Spanish club Valencia. Wednesday is the big day because Manchester United and Real Madrid face off in an epic pairing while Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine takes on the upstart Borussia Dortmund from Germany. As many of you may know, these matches will take place over two legs (a home and home series if you will) with the winner being determined by the aggregate score.
On the eve of these huge games, I will give you my predictions of both legs and who will be moving on to the quarter finals.
Celtic vs Juventus
This is an interesting match up between two teams dominating at the domestic league level. Celtic fought through a group that included Barcelona and had success against them in Scotland. The Bhoys are currently leading the Scottish Premier League by 18 points. They play a tough style of soccer and get some scrappy goals at times. They will rely heavily on striker Gary Hooper for goals. He has scored 13 times in the SPL and usually comes up big for the Hoops. Juventus got through a group that included Chelsea the reigning European Champions. Juve currently leads Serie A by 5 points. They use a more spread out style on play than Celtic and have many scoring options.
In the end, I think these two legs will come down to the Celtic defense. They allow an average of 1.33 goals per game, but only allow .67 at home. If they can stand up and play their physical style against Juve, I think they will grind out the win. They will take the lead early in the legs and take a 2-0 lead going to Italy because of their great home crowd. In the second leg, they will fall behind 0-2 early, but score an aggregate winning goal in the final 15 minutes.
Celtic 3-2 (agg.)
PSG vs Valencia
PSG did a lot of big spending in the off season and January transfer window. They brought in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva and everything has turned around from there. After a rough start in Ligue 1, the mega spenders find themselves up 6 points and on a hot streak. The only issue for the club from Paris is that they live and die by Ibrahimovic. He has scored 21 goals in Ligue one this year and is their only frighting attacker. Valencia is not the same team that earned the Champions League spot last year. They are in 5th place in La Liga and are 9 points behind third place. They allow more goals than they have scored and have a hard time scoring on the road. This spells death in the two leg system.
I think PSG earns a 2-1 win in Spain and demolishes Valenica in France 4-0. As a side note, Ibrahimovic will score 4 of PSG's goals.
PSG 6-1 (agg.)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Borussia Dortmund
Donetsk is not well known even by soccer fans. Though they have been one of the top Ukrainian clubs for most of the 21st century, the Ukrainian Premier League is not respected as well as others. They are currently dominating the UPL and have won 4 out of their last 5 matches. To be honest, I don't know much about them. I do know they made things hard on Chelsea, so this team has what it takes. Borussia Dortmund won back to back Bundesliga titles and are currently sitting in second place. They are a young team with a lot of promise. Striker Robert Lewandowski will be the man to watch. He has 14 goals in the Bundesliga and has created chances for others.
I think Donetsk will gave Dortmund some issues and that these games will be closer than many fans would like to see. Donetsk will earn a 2-2 tie in Ukraine, but Dortmund will take a 2-1 win at home and win in the aggregate.
Borussia Dortmund 4-3 (agg.)
Manchester United vs Real Madrid
If you get the chance to watch one Champions League match, make sure it's this one. Two historic clubs clashing in the early rounds makes for one huge match. Manchester United, winners of three Champions Leagues, come in with a mighty league in the English Premier League. They are one place to set one of the highest point totals in EPL history, but have been letting in a surprising number of goals. Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez are all guys to watch out for. Rooney and RVP both have double digit goal totals in the EPL and Chicharito isn't far behind. Real Madrid, winners of nine Champions Leagues, come in having a down year. they are essentially out of the La Liga race and are in third place. They play a spread out style of soccer and have plenty of dynamic players. United will have to watch out for Cristiano Ronaldo, who transferred from Manchester in 2009. His quick feet and dazzling footwork will really test the shaky Red Devil defense. United will also have to watch out for Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema. These two supply most of Madrid's assists and are vital in the passing game.
When the smoke clears after this battle, I think Real Madrid will come out on top. United's defense will get torched by the Madrid attack and they won't be able to keep up. I see Real Madrid winning 4-2 at home before going to England and winning 3-2.
Real Madrid 7-4 (agg.)
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Superbowl XLVII: Ray and the Rookie
The high holy day of American sports is almost here. Super Sunday is a day unlike any other and this year we have a match up unlike any other. For some reason, I'm really falling in love with this game. Maybe it's something about how both teams came up just short last year and now they are getting their chance to win it all.
Maybe it's the history of both teams. The San Francisco 49ers have had so much success in the past, but have stumbled for most of my life time. To see them reach the big game once again brings back shades of all the great players embedded in their past. The Baltimore Ravens have had a strong tradition of a great defense, but never seemed to have the offense to make it. I can't count the times I've seen this team get picks to make it to the Superbowl, just to tall short because they don't have any offense.
Maybe it's the fact that the coaches are brothers and I can't help but think of the awkward family reunions for years to come. Though all of those are great reasons to get excited for this game, there is a different reason for my excitement: Ray vs the Rookie.
I am so excited to see Ray Lewis and his Ravens defense take on Colin Kaepernick and his 49ers offense. They are the best two stories of the NFL playoffs and they are meeting in a way no one one could have imagined. Kaepernick is following in the footsteps of Tom Brady by making it to the Superbowl as a rookie. Lewis will be playing in the final game of his NFL career and will be looking to go out like John Elway and Jerome Bettis. Only one of these stories will have a happy ending. Now that's what you call drama.
Superbowl XLVII: The Baltimore Ravens vs The San Francisco 49ers
From an offensive and defensive standpoint, the 49ers have a huge advantage. Despite their 23rd ranking passing attack, the boys from SF have a running game that averages 155.7 points per game. They also have the most dynamic QB playing in the game right now. Kaepernick is on fire and will make a huge impact early and often. The Raven's defense can't just focus on him. TE Vernon Davis and RB Frank Gore are two other players that will need to be covered. They have been making big plays all year. The 49er defense is outstanding as well. They are good at stopping the pass and run though they have been beat up by two great offenses in the Playoffs.
Baltimore will really have their work cut out for them. The Raven offense is not as dynamic as the 49ers and I'm not sure if they can keep up scoring wise. They haven't been able to score over 40 points in the playoffs, but their defense has really kept them in games. Lewis has been an emotional leader and you would be crazy to doubt that this team could rise to the occasion and really put a beat down on the 49ers. I think Joe Flacco will need to be nearly perfect to win this game and RB Ray Rice will need to find space in the running game.
With all of this taken into consideration, it's hard to pick a winner. I want to pick the 49ers because I think they are the better team. At the same time, I can't pick against the Ravens just because of the leadership of Ray Lewis. I know he will have his guys ready for this game and that is a powerful weapon. So with that, I say the Ravens beat the 49ers 31-28 in the first overtime game in Superbowl history.
Thanks for reading!
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