World Soccer

Previewing Mens Soccer at Rio Olympics

Leave a comment

When: August 4-20

How to Watch: All games will be broadcast on the NBC family of networks

Overview: Teams are comprised of players under 23 years of age, however, three players may be over that age threshold. Sixteen teams are placed into four groups and the top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage. Due to the age requirement several teams consist of unknown players as well as players with very little experience. This allows for more parity in matches and often makes this tournament very difficult to predict.

Group A:

Brazil: Brazil is in a familiar position as host nation of a major international tournament and everyone remembers the disastrous end to their 2014 World Cup campaign. They come into this tournament as a favorite considering they have the best player in the tournament, Neymar, on their side. They also have relatively experienced young players on the squad with Barcelona midfielder, Rafinha and Paris Saint Germain defender, Marquinhos, who has made 75 appearances for the French side. Brazil will have no issue advancing to the group stage.

Denmark: The red and white come into these Olympics with a unknown roster with few players who play their club football outside of Denmark.. With a roster with no names of recognition there most interesting aspect is their coach Niels Frederiksen. Fredericksen worked at a bank until 2009 when the youth team he worked for part time rewarded him with a contract. In 2015 he became the Dens U-21 coach, unfortunately for him I don’t think Denmark will manage to escape the group stage in Rio.

Iraq: Continuing the theme of unknown teams, next up is the Iraqi side. Iraq, a stranger to international competition is competing in its first Olympic game since 2004 where they finished fourth. They will be captained by the most experienced player Saad Abdul- Amir who has found the back of the net once in his 55 appearances for his country.

South Africa: While South Africa is not known for its soccer history, I believe this Olympics will be different. Due to the relatively light group South Africa is in a good position to go through to the knockout stage by finishing second. Goalkeeping is their greatest strength heading into the tournament with Itumeleng Khune in net. Khune is most known for tripping Luis Suarez in the 2010 World Cup and receiving a red card. If Khune plays strong this South African side may turn a couple of heads in Brazil.

Group B

Colombia: The Colombians head into these games as the favorites to win Group B. Led by Teofilo Gutierrez who has scored 15 goals for his country, including one in the teams 2014 World Cup opener against Greece and Monterrey midfielder Dorlan Pabon, El Tricolor should be a lock to advance to knockout stages.

Japan: The Japanese are looking to improve on a fourth place finish from four years ago in London. While the Japanese are full of unknowns there is one player who should capture your attention. Takuma Asano, a talented 21 year old forward who recently signed with Arsenal is a young player who could flourish in the spotlight.

Nigeria: Just like a lot of teams in this tournament, the Super Eagles roster is filled with players who have yet to capture the public’s attention. That couldn’t be said for John Obi Mikel who has been with Chelsea since 2006. The 29 year old midfielder will be the catalyst for any Nigerian attacks, however, It won’t be enough and the Nigerians will be packing their bags after the group stage.

Sweden: The Swedes come into the tournament following a disappointing Euro 2016 that ended with star Zlatan Ibrahimovic announcing his retirement from the national side. With that being said, this roster is full of players who won the Euro Under 21 Championships last summer and I expect that success to continue with a second place finish in Group B.

Group C

Fiji: Fiji is by far the biggest underdog of the tournament. There chances of success are very similar to Iceland potential success prior to this year’s Euros. With only one player on the squad who plays their club football outside of Fiji, their chances of a Cinderella story seem doubtful.   

Germany: The Germans come into this tournament looking to groom there next stars. With no doubt the German young guns are extremely talented, but perhaps the most interesting story-line for them is they are led by two 27 years old twins, Sven and Lars Bender. Regardless of their inexperience Germany will go through to the knockout stages.

Mexico: The reigning gold medalists will be looking to defend their title in Rio this summer. They have an interesting balance of young stars as well as veteran leadership. The youth is well represented by Houston Dynamo forward Erick Torres, whose quick pace will allow him to combine with veteran Oribe Peralta to make Mexico attack strong. Mexico will win group C.

South Korea: Four years ago in London the South Koreans was able to grab a Bronze Medal at the expense of Asian Rivals Japan. Unfortunately this time around it will be much more difficult. With Germany and Mexico in their group I just don’t see the Koreans getting another chance at grabbing a medal.

Group D:

Argentina: The Argentines are coming off of a heartbreaking loss in the Copa America final to Chile and will look to rebound in Rio. With the senior team in disarray with the recent news of Messi’s retirement, Argentine supporters will try and follow young phenom, 21 year old Angel Correa to gold.  

Portugal: The Portuguese look to cap off an impressive summer with gold following their triumph in France at the European Championships. The Portuguese squad, like the rest of the field, consist of largely unknown players, but do have several who were on the squad that finished runner up at last summers under 21 European Championships. Look for the Portuguese to finish second in Group D.

Honduras: Honduras stands nearly no shot considering they are the playing in the toughest group in the tournament. If anything, they are led by Jorge Luis Pinto who led Costa Rica to the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup against all odds.

Algeria: Algeria like Honduras is on the outside looking in when it comes to qualifying for the knockout stages. The “Desert Warriors” will need to rely on the unpredictability of the tournament if they are looking to advance.  

NFL, Tyler Englander

Analyzing the Most Interesting Teams Heading into NFL Free Agency

Leave a comment

By: Tyler Englander

With the new NFL league year beginning tomorrow, so too does free agency. All thirty-two teams have a plan in mind and we outline the most interesting teams heading into free agency.

Denver Broncos: We begin with the Super Bowl Champion Broncos. Coming off a championship year, the Broncos are in a peculiar position. With Peyton Manning announcing his retirement yesterday, the Broncos offseason plan depends on Brock Osweiler. The former Arizona State Sun Devil is entering free agency for the first time with a plethora of teams interested and a return to the mile-high city is in question. If Osweiler returns to Denver, the Broncos are in a pretty good shape considering that Osweiler isn’t a downgrade to Manning. However, if Osweiler leaves, the Broncos are in a position similar to that of the Texans and Rams who we will talk about later, a team with a great roster and no quarterback. The Denver defense has already lost a pair of key players with Malik Jackson heading to Jacksonville and Danny Trevathan expected to go to the Bears. While these are key players I wouldn’t expect John Elway to make a big move on the defensive side of the football to replace them.

Carolina Panthers: Next on our list is the team the Broncos beat last month in Santa Clara, the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers like the Broncos are in a good position heading into next season. The two areas where the NFC Champions may look to improve is the receiving corps and their secondary. With one-thousand-yard receiver Kelvin Benjamin set to return from an ACL injury, Carolina may look to add a supplementary receiver such as Travis Benjamin of the Browns or Marvin Jones form the Cincinnati Bengals. The secondary is another story. The Panthers could use another corner and one I would expect them to target is Adam Jones. Another area where the Panthers should look is a depth safety, and they should have another Bengal in mind, veteran Leon Hall.

New England Patriots: Depending on Denver’s quarterback situation, the case could be made that the Patriots are currently the best team in the AFC. With that being said, New England is still in need of some important pieces. The Patriots will undoubtedly be looking for a deep threat for Tom Brady to work with. A name like Mohammed Sanu comes to mind, however a dark horse candidate New England could look at is Percy Harvin. Although Harvin has bounced around a lot and struggled last year, he is still a young, talented player and could thrive in the right place. The Patriots will also look to grab a running back to take some of the load off of their thirty-eight-year-old quarterback. Names like Matt Forte and Chris Ivory come to mind and would be the Patriots preferred option, they could be out of their price range. A name that could interest the Pats at the right price is former Redskin Alfred Morris. Morris is a two-time pro bowler and has been above average since coming into the league.

Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans: The Texans and Rams are in a very similar spot heading into the new league year. They are teams with good young talent, especially on defense, but don’t have a quarterback. The Texans saw what Brian Hoyer could do and what he did was throw four picks in the wild card round. The Rams aren’t in better hands with Case Keenum. The name that comes to mind for both teams is the aforementioned Brock Osweiler. Although, Osweiler only played in eight games last year he showed the ability to be a good playmaker and it will only get better with experience. Plus, learning from Peyton Manning can’t hurt.

Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars: I bet you didn’t expect to see these two teams on this list. The reason they are is because they are two young, promising teams, with a ton of cap space. You have seen it already as the Jags have a deal in principle with Malik Jackson and the Raiders have the same with Kelechi Osemele. Both these teams are similar given there promising young quarterbacks, Blake Bortles for the Jags and Derek Carr for the Raiders and their young playmakers, Allen Robinson and Amari Copper. Both these teams need upgrades on the defensive end, specifically the secondary. With tons of cap space, both these teams can explore names like Eric Weddle, Sean Smith and Prince Amukamara. Although the Dolphins placed the transition tag on Olivier Vernon, meaning they can match any offer made by other teams, I could see one of these teams taking a shot at one of the game’s best pass rushers.

With the league’s new “legal tampering” period beginning Monday, the free agency frenzy has already begun and it’s only going to get more intense come three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon.

All thirty two teams have one goal and that’s to play in Super Bowl 51 and that process starts now.

 

 

 

 

Jeffrey Siegler, MLB

Could 2015 be Christian Yelich’s Breakout Year?

Leave a comment

After two full years in the majors, has Christian Yelich’s  time come to be a household name in baseball?

Yelich’s first two seasons weren’t bad for such a young player. Last season Yelich hit .284 and had 9 HRs. These are average numbers for a starting left fielder in the majors. Yelich is a part of arguably the league’s best outfield with Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton. The name that stands out in this group is obviously Stanton’s but who else contributes to being the best outfield in baseball? It’s Yelich who has has been playing like he has been in the league for years.

Although Yelich doesn’t have much power he can still be an everyday starter because he makes up for this by getting on base frequently, not striking out often. This makes up for Stanton and Ozuna who were both in the top ten for strikeouts in the MLB. In addition to his consistent fielding Yelich was also statistically the best left fielder in baseball. He had only one error at a position where defense isn’t always stellar. All of this great defense contributed to him being awarded a Gold Glove last year. The last time a Marlin won this award was Mark Buehrle in 2012.

If Yelich continues to play the way he has for the rest of his career then he will be comparable to players like J.D. Drew an average left fielder. Both don’t hit many home runs but get on base. The other scenario is that Yelich improves his power and starts to hit homeruns like J.D. Martinez did this past year. Both did not hit for much power earlier in there career. Also similarly Martinez had his breakout year in his third season.

Whether or not Yelich improves his power he is still a very valuable part of the team. He won four games last season for the fish based on WAR. It will be very exciting to see how is career plays out.

NHL, Tyler Englander

Monday’s NHL Matchup to Watch (Flames at Kings)

1 Comment

Flames at Kings

 

Preview:

Tonight the Calgary Flames will travel to Los Angeles  to take on the Kings, in the League’s most intriguing matchup on this Monday. This game could ultimately determine who gets into the playoffs and who doesn’t with the Kings holding onto the eighth and final playoff spot while the Flames are on the outside looking in, holding onto the nine seed. The Flames got off to a fast start this season, but have struggled recently, losing eight straight games. The Flames have to get back on track as they are in danger of falling considerably in the very tough Western Conference. The good news for the Flames is they won three of their last five against the Kings. Speaking of the Kings, they come into this one in the middle of a four game home stand that will conclude Saturday against the Sharks. The Kings have won the first two one their home stand and look to stay hot and get a win heading into the Christmas break.

Prediction:

With the Flames struggling, it makes me believe that they were pretenders earlier in the season and I don’t see a way that they go on the road to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Team Leaders:

Goals:

CAL- Jiri Hudler (13)

LAK- Tanner Pearson (11)

Points:

CAL- Mark Giordano (32)

LAK- Jeff Carter (32)

Plus/Minus (+/-)

CAL- T.J. Brodie (+15)

LAK- Tyler Toffoli (+14)

NBA, Tanner Horelick

Sunday’s NBA Matchup to Watch (Thunder vs Pelicans)

Leave a comment

Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans

(13-14)                                   (13-13)

Start Time: 7:00 PM EST

TV Channel: Local/League Pass

Preview: This is going to be a big test for New Orleans as they will go up against a strong Pelicans squad who recently beat the Rockets on Friday night behind yet another huge game from young star, Anthony Davis. Davis, who was the 1st overall pick just two years ago, has been an absolute beast this year and is averaging 24.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 2.9 BPG (Blocks Per Game). If the Thunder want to have any chance of taming Davis tonight, then they are going to need their NBA All-Defensive First Team member, Serge Ibaka, to do what he does best and block anything that comes his way in the paint. Next, the Thunder are also going to need a big game from Russell Westbrook because without reigning MVP, Kevin Durant, OKC is going to be lacking a major scoring presence if Westbrook is unable to produce.

Prediction: I believe that the New Orleans Pelicans will come away with the victory tonight behind a monster game from the future of the NBA, Anthony Davis. Davis has looked supreme on both sides of the court this year and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. His wingspan of 7’4” gives him a ridiculous advantage in all aspects of the game and especially helps him to block shots which all has added up to make the Pelicans serious playoff contenders.

Points Per Game Leaders:

OKC – Russell Westbrook (27.2 PPG) NOP – Anthony Davis (24.1 PPG)

Rebounds Per Game Leaders:

OKC – Steven Adams (7.0 RPG) NOP – Omar Asik (10.5 RPG)

Assists Per Game Leaders:

OKC – Russell Westbrook (7.2 APG) NOP – Jrue Holiday (7.0 APG)

NHL, Tyler Englander

Sunday’s NHL Matchup to Watch (Maple Leafs at Blackhawks)

Leave a comment

Preview:

In the NHL’s most interesting matchup on this final Sunday before Christmas, the Toronto Maple Leafs will travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. Both clubs are coming off losses yesterday, but the Leafs especially after giving up seven goals to depleted Flyers team. The Leafs are currently sitting in the first wild card spot of the Eastern Conference playoffs while the Blackhawks are sitting comfortably in second spot in the Western Conference. The Hawks come into this one with one of the league’s best offenses, but have played .500 hockey over their last ten games. Expect James Reimer to be in goal tonight for the Leafs as Jonathan Bernier gave up seven goals last night. On the Hawks side it is unlikely that Corey Crawford will play both ends of a back to back as he just recently returned from a leg injury. If Crawford doesn’t go it will be Antti Raanta in net.

Prediction:

Both these clubs are coming off a game last night so I would expect a sloppy game. With both these teams high powered offenses I would expect their to be a surplus of goals. With that being said I would expect the Blackhawks to rebound behind their stat duo of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

Team Leaders:

Goals:

TOR- Phil Kessel (17)

CHI- Patrick Kane (15)

Points:

TOR- Phil Kessel (36)

CHI- Patrick Kane (33)

Plus/Minus (+/-)

TOR- Mike Santorelli (+15)

CHI- Kris Versteeg (+15)

Jeffrey Siegler, NCAA, NFL

Jim Harbaugh Coaching Possibilities for the 2015 Season

3 Comments

Jim Harbaugh is a part of the select group of people in this world who have the privilege of working where they want to. There is a high demand for a coach like him in all levels of football. He has been very successful in turning a losing team into a winning team. Harbaugh has done this at Stanford from 2007- 2010 and for the 49ers since 2011. Currently there are are a new wave of teams that want him to coach and rebuild their organization.

At this point Harbaugh’s Alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines are making the biggest effort in acquiring him. They have offered him $48 million dollars over six years. The Wolverines haven’t had the success that they have seen in the past, their last bowl win was the 2012 Sugar Bowl. They are one of the few collegiate teams that still hasn’t decided on a coach. Every day they don’t have a coach they are losing recruits to other teams. Harbaugh has shown a lot of interest in the job and some sources are even saying that a deal is already in place and he will be making his announcement to move after the 49ers season comes to a conclusion. Although these sources claims may not be accurate Harbaugh has recently said that he is torn between going to Michigan and staying in the NFL.

Staying in the NFL could have many meanings. He could remain in San Francisco and continue working toward a championship or become the coach of the struggling Raiders or any other of the bottom tier of teams. Many of these teams have the opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback that can be the cornerstone to building a successful team. Harbaugh has done this successfully twice in his past tenures.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to switching to a college program. As I mentioned earlier every single day of the year is important in recruiting high schoolers. Harbaugh doesn’t currently have this responsibility in the NFL. He has a general manager and owner to work on acquiring players. All he has to worry about is coaching on field. In college he would now hold the responsibility of recruiting, coaching, and all other football operation. In some ways this could be something that he likes because he is in the position of fielding a team that he would be coaching. This responsibility requires him to follow all recruiting rules and attend events that boosters attend. Here the school raises the money that they need to run the program.

I think that it will all come down to what is best for him and his family. At this point his family wants him to go home to Michigan where he can be close to everyone and be a part of a familiar organization . It will be hard for him to turn down Michigan’s offer because of this.

NBA, Tanner Horelick

Saturday’s NBA Matchup to Watch (Spurs vs Mavericks)

Leave a comment

Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs

(19-8)                            (17-10)

Start Time: 8:30 PM EST

TV Channel: Local/League Pass

Preview: After recently acquiring Rajon Rondo from Boston, the Dallas Mavericks have moved up from a ‘good team’ to now an ‘elite team’. Rondo is as good as they come in terms of Point Guards in the NBA, and will automatically help the Mavericks win. So far this season, Rajon is averaging 8.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, & 10.8 APG and will join a Dallas line-up which already includes an elite scorer in Monta Ellis, a terrific rebounder in Tyson Chandler, and of course a future Hall of Famer with Dirk Nowitzki. Right now San Antonio hasn’t looked strong and are coming off a game last night which included their second straight game that lasted three overtimes which will obviously play into some fatigue for the defending champs. Also, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker are once again doubtful for tonight’s game after missing the last few due to various injuries. If the Spurs want to shock the Mavs in Monta’s first game with a Dallas jersey, they are going to need guys like Boris Diaw to step up and produce big numbers in a much needed victory for San Antonio.

Prediction: I believe the Mavericks will pull of the win tonight in front of their home crowd on a night where there should be a very warm welcoming for newly acquired All-Star, Rajon Rondo. The Mavs starting five will be too hard for the Spurs to handle as they are missing some key defenders in Parker and especially Kawhi Leonard who was part of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team last year.

Points Per Game Leaders:

DAL – Monta Ellis (20.6 PPG) SAS – Tony Parker (16.0 PPG)

Rebounds Per Game Leaders:

DAL – Tyson Chandler (11.5 RPG) SAS – Tim Duncan (11.0 RPG)

Assists Per Game Leaders:

DAL – Monta Ellis (4.7 APG) SAS – Tony Parker (5.3 APG)

NFL, Tyler Englander

Saturday’s NFL Action to Watch

Leave a comment

Eagles at Redskins (4:30 ET, NFL Network)

Preview:

In the first and only edition of Saturday Football this regular season, there are certainly some interesting story lines leading up to both of the games. In the early matchup at 4:30 eastern time on NFL Network, Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagle’s take on Jay Gruden’s Washington Redskins. The Eagles come into this one on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs go after a tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are trailing the Cowboys in the East by one game as well as the Seahawks and Packers by one game in the wild card standings. The Redskins come into this game with a lot of question marks regarding the futures of both their coach as well as their quarterback, Robert Griffin III. This game is all about pride for the Skins, with former Eagle Desean Jackson going up against the franchise who traded him last off season.

Prediction:

With all the distractions regarding the Redskins as well as the recent struggles, I find it hard to believe that the Skins will have any chance. Also, with the Eagles needing a win and coming off a tough game, I expect them to come out and play one of their best games in a while. I predict the Eagles will win 31-17.

 

Chargers at 49ers (8:25 ET, NFL Network and CBS)

Preview:

The late game features an potentially interesting matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers. Just like the Redskins, the Niners have some distractions regarding their coach, Jim Harbaugh. It has been rumored throughout the season that Harbaugh would be on his way out, but as the season winds down it seems more and more likely that Harbaugh’s firing will become a reality. On the field the Niners have been struggling as well. They scored only seven points last week and with questions regarding the health of their top two running backs, Frank Gore, and Carlos Hyde I find it difficult that their offense will improve against a tough Chargers defense. Speaking of the Chargers, this is a game they need to have to have a chance at making the playoffs. Although this is not an elimination game, if they lose they would be trailing at least three teams heading into their final game against the Chiefs.

Prediction:

The Niners have struggled all season and I don’t see a reason why that would change tonight. The Chargers will come out strong in a game they must have and win by a score of 21-10.

NBA, Tanner Horelick

Friday’s NBA Matchup to Watch (Spurs vs Trail Blazers)

Leave a comment

San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers

(17-9)                           (20-6)

Start Time: 8:00 PM EST

TV Channel: ESPN

Preview: Both of these teams will be entering tonight’s game without their usual line-ups. For Portland, they will be without Robin Lopez who broke his hand Monday and will be out for several weeks. As for San Antonio, they will be missing two key players, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker, due to minor injuries. Kawhi will be out tonight because of a torn ligament in his hand, but it has been reported that he will not miss extended time and could be back towards the beginning of next week. Tony Parker will be absent from his 4th straight game due to a nagging hamstring injury which will allow Cory Joseph to start another one for the Spurs. Back on Tuesday, when these two teams met for the first time this season, Joseph provided a decently strong showing in the absence of Parker, scoring 12 points and grabbing 5 boards. There main contributor, however, was Leonard who scored 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists but as already stated, he will not be playing here tonight. In their last matchup, San Antonio fell to Portland 108-95 in a game where Parker, Ginobili, and Duncan all did not play. Tonight, they will have Duncan and Ginobili back to hopefully get some revenge on Portland, but it is going to be rather difficult without arguably their best all-around player, Kawhi Leonard, not playing. One other reason that this is going to be a hard one for the Spurs is that Blazers point guard, Damian Lillard, averages about 26+ points per game against the Spurs in his career which could help factor into Portland getting their 21st win.

Prediction: I believe Portland will pick up their 4th straight victory behind which should be a great game from 3rd year Guard, Damian Lillard. Lillard has looked very strong this year, averaging about 20 PPG and leading this Blazers team to an early 20-6 record.

Points Per Game Leaders:

POR – LaMarcus Aldridge (22.2 PPG) SAS – Tony Parker (16.0 PPG)

Rebounds Per Game Leaders:

POR – LaMarcus Aldridge (10.4 RPG) SAS – Tim Duncan (11.0 RPG)

Assists Per Game Leaders:

POR – Damian Lillard (6.2 APG) SAS – Tony Parker (5.3 APG)

Always going for More