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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

Hammer Radio: UFC on FX and UFC on Fuel

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Its Wednesday Night, so the Hammer Radio show is back, and available in Hamilton on 93.3 CMFU FM.

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with another new episode and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio 113.

“UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot is coming up this Saturday, and the main event looks like a pretty violent heavyweight affair.  It has a lot to live up to to top last weekend’s UFC on Fuel: Struve vs. Miocic though.  We discuss both cards in depth on this week’s episode.

Then we hit up some of the week’s MMA news, the Bellator heavyweight tournament, and close out the show with an interview with UFC Heavyweight Brendan Schaub.”

The Hammer features lastwordonsports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, Rory MacDonald and others. They continue to bring unparallelled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.

Champions League Rundown, Match Day 2

Posted on by Luciano Giuliano

Match Day 2 took place in midweek Champions League action with some shocking results and some not so-shocking. Here are the five most memorable events:

6) Poor attendance at Juventus Stadium in line with sub-par performance

Juventus FC finally hosted a European cup game in over two years and shockingly enough, there were barely any Juve fans in attendance. The club believed that it was due to the game being played on a work night. But the Juve Ultras, a group of Old Lady extremists, refused to attend the match in protest against management for raising the ticket prices for this fixture. If you think about it, it was actually a pretty stupid stunt on Juve’s behalf. At least raise the prices gradually, not all in one shot. I mean, the nation is going through a financial crisis at the moment. Have a heart!

In any case, the supporter absenteeism cost the Bianconeri that extra push with which the fans aid the Old Lady every game since the Juventus Stadium opened seeing that up until Tuesday evening, it has always been sold out.

In regards to the game, Ukrainian side Shaktar Donetsk took it to the home side winning ball possession at 58% which is very unlikely of Juve. The visitors struck first with Brazilian Alex Texeira at the 23 minute from a rebound off Italian defender Andrea Barzagli. However, Juve tied it up two minutes later from a corner as Andrea Pirlo picked out an unmarked Leonardo Bonucci who rifled a powerful shot under the bar. In the second half, Juventus took control for the most part and had a Quagliarella effort palmed away before Shaktar almost bagged the winner when the ball smashed the crossbar. This encounter ended in a 1-1 tie and leaves Juve in third with two points while Shaktar are joint top with Chelsea on four points.

5) AC Milan leave it late against Zenit in Russia

AC Milan put in a valiant effort against the Russians who are coached by fellow countryman Luciano Spalletti. The Rossoneri took the lead with a wicked, yet lucky, deflection from an Urby Emanuelson shot. The Diavoli then doubled their lead with 19 year old Italian-Egyptian Stephan El Shaarawy writing his name on the score sheet in the opening 16 minutes.

Zenit did not surrender though and shortened the lead before half with newly signed Brazilian Hulk popping in his first of the campaign. Four minutes after the restart, Roman Shirokov equalized for the home team who were on their way to collecting their first Champions League point of the season until the Italians benefited from yet another crucial deflection to go one up in Russia off of Tomas Hubocan with 15 minutes left in the game. The visitors were under siege and required ‘keeper Christian Abbiati to make many spectacular saves to maintain the lead. Milan win 3-2 and steal the three points from this match-up. AC Milan are now in second with 4 points while Zenit St. Petersburg sits in last with zero points.

4) Domestic champions battled it out at the Etihad

 EPL champions Manchester City welcomed Bundesliga winners Borussia Dortmund to Manchester in a fixture that ended 1-1. The Citizens do not seem to be on the same page as last year and have not looked convincing since their championship triumph that was a decade in the waiting.

Both goalkeepers dominated this affair as Man City’s number one Joe Hart and Dortmund’s Roman Weidenfeller made unbelievable stops to keep this tie level. As well, both sides desperately wanted the victory and poured forward with Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero edging close to taking the lead. At the other end, Robert Lewandowski caused havoc with a header that just soared over the net. Moments later, Joe Hart finger-tipped Mario Gotze’s effort onto the post after a quick Dortmund counter.

Marco Reus scored the opener for the visitors after the attacker burst forward to hammer the ball to the back of the net benefiting from a Rodwell give-away. Dortmund looked settled and almost doubled their lead with Reus once again but Hart saved with his feet. However, the victory would not be as the ref controversially pointed to the penalty spot for a contentious handball after a very strong Man City spell. Second half sub Mario Balotelli stepped up and converted. It was a fantastic game with end-to-end action and great saves from the ‘keepers. Mancini’s men are in a bit of trouble as they are currently in third with 1 point while Dortmund are in second with four points.

3) Bayern Munich lose first game of season to BATE Borisov

 Belarus side BATE Borisov absolutely ruined the bookies’ pick for this one as BATE surprised Bayern Munich with a stunning performance at home. The Germans went down 2-0 at the 23 minute with Aleksandr Pavlov and Vitali Rodionov on 78 minutes. Munich attempted a late historic comeback when Franck Ribery cut the lead to one very late on at the 91st minute, but the hope for an equalizer ended three minutes later when Renan Bressan restored the two-goal buffer which ultimately gave the Belarus side the three points. Surprisingly enough, BATE is currently in first with a 100% record while Bayern Munich are tied for second with three points. The Germans suffer their first loss of the season.

2) PSG lose to FC Porto

Paris Saint-Germain have lost their unbeaten status with a loss in Portugal to Porto. The Portuguese made it two wins out of two with a 1-0 victory signed by a James Rodriguez curler that went past PSG ‘keeper Sirigu from 12 yards. PSG performed very well and frustrated Porto as Sirigu made some fantastic saves to deny the Portuguese several times. Porto lead the way in Group A with six points while PSG follow in second with three points.

Paris head coach Carlo Ancelotti will take this result as a lesson and will certainly build on from it. The up-coming Ligue 1 match day will see top spot Marseille take on PSG, so Ibra and Co. will need to rebound quickly if they are to keep confidence levels high. A loss will certainly take its toll on the team.

 1) Real Madrid embarrass Ajax in Amsterdam with yet another Ronaldo hat-trick

 If Cristiano Ronaldo can perform the way he does with depression, then every soccer player should make it their goal to follow in his footsteps. Just days after scoring three goals against Deportivo La Coruna, CR7 was merciless against an Ajax side that, well, tried its best.

Los Merengues were determined for the win and aimed an incredible 12 shots on target. The goals pretty much occurred in quick succession as slightly before half time, Ronaldo tapped in from a Benzema cross. Quickly after the restart, the Frenchman added the second with a superb bicycle kick. Niklas Moisander brought it back within a goal for the home side until the 79th and 81st minute when CR7 smashed home his second before chipping the Dutch goalkeeper to complete the 4-1 drubbing. It was an amazing display and this win will certainly boost their confidence and morale before taking on Barcelona in El Clasico at the weekend. Real Madrid are first with six points while Ajax are in last with zero points.

TONIGHT!!! LWOS Launches Wednesday Night Hockey Radio Show – "Puckheads"

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

LastWordOnSports and the Last Word Radio Network are pleased to announce the expansion of our sports talk radio line-up to include a new one-hour hockey show “Puckheads”.

This show will feature phenomenal hosts including Ben Kerr (Top Shelf Prospects), Maksim Vasilyev (NHL Happy Hour), as well as guest spots from your favourite LWOS hockey personalities!  Future editions may even feature calls from you, our fans, these calls will certainly be appreciated!

The show will air every Wednesday night from 10-11pm and can be found at Last Word Radio Network.  If you can’t tune-in live, not to worry, our shows are easily accessible at our radio station’s home as well as in the LWOS sidebar.

Cheers,

The LWOS Admin

Top Four: Essential Notes on the Current Top Four

Posted on by Mike Neilson

Chelsea (This Week #1, Last Week #1)

In what was their sternest test so far; league leaders Chelsea came away from the Emirates with a 2-1 win. Fernando Torres muscled his way around Laurent Koscielny with a tidy finish before Koscielny was involved again, scoring into his own net with an equally tidy finish. Juan Mata with his second successive man of the match performance; was the playmaker behind both goals, with pinpoint dead ball delivery that Arsenal could not deal with.

Arsenal in a creative context has always had an amazing midfield, which made the performance in the middle of the park that much more impressive. Ramires and Obi Mikel played their roles in front of the defence incredibly well with Arsenal rarely getting the better of the two. The eighty million partnership behind Torres were given another start together as Oscar and Hazard showed glimpses of brilliance alongside Mata. The constantly growing partnership between the three could leave Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on the outer. The Leagues all time highest scoring midfielder is now 34, with his best years behind him one can only imagine what’s next for the former West Ham man? He will still find be called upon for the big games but I can hardly see him constantly getting picked over the more dynamic and harder working players that are the future of the club. With the MLS interested Lampard could soon be playing alongside David Beckham in the twilight of his career.

After getting thumped 5-2 by Liverpool, Norwich come to Stamford Bridge for what could be a high scoring game. I expect to see Hazard and Mata control the game from the beginning and an easy win by a few goals.

My Prediction: Chelsea 4 – Norwich 0

Everton ( This Week #2 Last Week #3)

Everton’s astonishing early season form continues as they overtake United into second place after a commanding 3-1 win over Southampton . Nikica Jelavic scored two well taken goals playing his target man role to perfection.

With Nikica Jelavic developing his eye for goal, fans are forgetting that new signing Kevin Mirallas is a striker. At past club Olympiacos the Belgian International had an impressive scoring record of 34 league goals in 52 games. So far Mirallas has found himself playing a deeper role to cater Felliani in his advanced position behind Jelavic. However, a player with the potential and record Mirallas has can offer something new up front while his record surely cannot be ignored much longer. His speed running behind the taller Felliani and Jelavic would stretch many top league defences even more than what Everton are currently doing. Hopefully we see Mirallas given an opportunity in his preferred role this weekend, but only David Moyes knows his own clubs tactics.

Everton hope to continue sitting on the right end of the table after the weekend game with Wigan. Everton should be too strong here, various players have impressed on different occasions, but as we saw at the tail end of last season Wigan can play football.

My Prediction : Wigan 1 – Everton 3

Manchester United (This Week #3 Last Week #2)

“The first half against Southampton, the first half against Liverpool and the first half on Saturday — we have some work to do in that respect. It’s not planned but I think it will be the last. You have to be concerned losing goals the way we did against Tottenham. We were well off the pace of the game. I don’t think we won a tackle in the first half. Fortunately you saw Manchester United in the second half. It was probably our best performance of the season in the second half.” – Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex here sums up United’s start of the season better that anyone else can after the clubs first loss to Tottenham in 23 years. A game where the Red Devils had 74% possession in the second half and hit the post twice in the final fifteen minutes will have United fans asking themselves why does our club only start playing at halftime?

Firstly, the comeback of Wayne Rooney in the second half off the bench paid off almost immediately as his influence changed the game and created a goal. Rooney has a passion and drive that nobody else in the team carries and even though RVP is alongside him, it is still his club and the England striker showed he is still the clubs talisman. What however is the main issue is the clubs back four. Rio Ferdinand was left in Gareth Bales dust after his goal, sure Bale is an incredibly fast and talented winger but Rio was not even close to the Welshman by the time the ball was in the net. Ferdinand is now thirty three and won’t have much longer at the top but after the younger defenders are back from injury. I would hope to see Rio step aside and into a role similar to Jamie Carragher where he is called upon when needed but primarily used for his experience which can only benefit the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. However, it is fair to comment on how poor the rest of the backline was also. Evans and co were off the pace and the wide backs were frequently out of position so Ferdinand is not alone in regards to criticism.

Sir Alex would have given his side a grilling after that first half, so I expect to see United out in the first half determined to prove a point and play ninety minutes instead of forty five this week against Newcastle.

My Prediction: Manchester United 2 – Newcastle United 1

Manchester City (This Week #4 Last Week#7)

A team packed full of world class players like Cities should never be out of the top four but return this week after a gritty 2-1 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The poor penalty call early in the game did not sway the defending champions as they went on to comfortably take the three points. City dominated the game, with 71% of the possession and Edin Dzeko was the game changer on the 87th minute.

As the champions start to climb up the table, one must wonder what could derail their charge this year. Last season the Tevez saga and the constant (yet entertaining) antics of Mario Ballotelli illustrated Mancini’s poor man management skills. Yes, they did win the title but only on goal differential over a Manchester United team that at times were not impressive themselves. Issues this season could come with issues over player time. Look at the attacking options for example, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Mario Ballotelli. These four could walk into most teams in Europe, yet some more than others find themselves on the bench frequently. Time will tell whether Mancini can keep egos in check and control his star studded team, if his players play for the club and not themselves it’s hard to see anyone catching them.

Sunderland are next for the champions, with Fletcher on hot scoring form Kompany will be the most important player on the field. Closing down Fletcher will likely win the game for his club.

My Prediction: Manchester City 3 – Sunderland 0

 

Adam Greenberg: Feel-Good Story or Publicity Stunt?

Posted on by Max Warner

Seven years after his only Major League at-bat ended in tragedy, Miami Marlin Adam Greenberg recorded his first official at-bat in the Big Leagues when he struck out on three pitches from R.A. Dickey of the Mets tonight.

Greenberg’s story is, by now, well-known.  In his first Major League at-bat on July 9, 2005 in Miami, Greenberg was struck in the head by a pitch from Marlins’ hurler Valerio de los Santos.  Greenberg had to be helped off the field and never appeared in the Majors again until tonight.  Greenberg returned to play the next three seasons in Double-A ball in the Cubs, Dodgers, Royals and Angels systems, but was not signed by a Major League club after the 2008 season.  He went to play independent baseball in the Atlantic League between 2009 and 2011.  He certainly wasn’t the only former Major Leaguer grinding it out in Independent Baseball.

His only baseball experience in 2012 was a single plate appearance for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament last month.  An online petition was started this year seeking to get Greenberg another at bat in MLB, and gathered over 25,000 signatures.  After receiving special permission from the Commissioner, the Marlins signed Greenberg to a one day contract last week.

At first glance, it’s hard to criticize any aspect of this story.  Greenberg got a chance to swing a bat in the Majors, and everyone stood and applauded the Marlins for letting him do it.  But the burning question is why was it necessary for Adam Greenberg to get one “official” at bat?

It certainly was not necessary for the Marlins to sign Greenberg to a contract.  De los Santos did not intentionally hit Greenberg and the Marlins did not, therefore, have to “right a wrong”.  As Miami manager Ozzie Guillen pointed out earlier this week, the Marlins play every game to win.  The fact that the Marlins only guaranteed and provided Greenberg with a single at-bat in a meaningless part of a meaningless game shows that Miami did not sign Greenberg to help them win a ballgame.  Greenberg had almost no competitive game experience in 2012 to justify a contract based on performance, and no matter what happened in his at bat, Greenberg was done with the Marlins after tonight. Therefore, the only plausible reasons for the Marlins to hand out the contract to Greenberg were because they felt sympathy for him or wanted the positive attention that his plate appearance brought.  Neither reason is a particularly good one, and the latter reason seems more likely given the way the 2012 season has gone for the Marlins, and given the fact that the Marlins only offered Greenberg a contract to play in a home game in Miami.

Greenberg’s at bat has morphed into one of the biggest feel-good stories of the season and drew a lot of media coverage to the Marlins, and may have even brought more people to Marlins Park tonight.  The big question is why did the Marlins give Greenberg the opportunity now, after seven years?  Why not invite him to spring training this season, or any of the past six seasons when he was still playing baseball regularly?  Why not offer him a full-term minor league contract?  Other than the petition, what about Greenberg changed this year from the Marlins’ perspective?

It was not necessary for Adam Greenberg to record an official at bat in order to prove anything to himself or anyone else.  He proved that he was a good ballplayer when he earned his first trip to the Majors in 2005.  The fact that he was hit by the only pitch he saw did not diminish his accomplishment of making the best baseball league in the world.  Greenberg’s reputation was not built on his beaning or his strikeout tonight at Marlins Park, it was built in the six seasons following his injury when he fought through his pain, nausea and vertigo to continue his professional baseball career.  Those six seasons proved that his determination and character are nothing less than admirable.

Greenberg has stated that he wants to attend Major League spring training in 2013 with the hope of sticking in the Show or at least played affiliated minor league baseball.  Like most young ball players, Greenberg’s dream was not to make fleeting appearances in MLB but rather to stay in the Big Leagues.  If the Marlins truly care about giving Adam Greenberg a chance to resume his Big League career, they would offer him an invitation to spring training next year.  The prevailing sentiment in the media and amongst some of the Marlins is that Greenberg’s at bat is proof positive that perseverance pays off.  If Greenberg isn’t given an invite to spring training, the real message will be that perseverance may only get you one fleeting, hollow chance to follow your dreams.

I am very happy for Adam Greenberg and I wish him continued success in his quest to become a permanent Big Leaguer, but the timing of his latest Big League appearance reeks of a publicity stunt by the Marlins.  Yes, Greenberg can say that he got to swing the bat in the Big Leagues, but his on base percentage just dropped from .1000 to .500.

Follow me on Twiter: @MaxWarnerMLB

The Nazem Kadri Dilemma

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Training camps recently opened across the AHL, and with the opening of camp comes the days of physicals and fitness testing.  It seems that highly hyped Maple Leafs’ prospect Nazem Kadri came to Marlies camp in something less than the best of shape.  He was said to have a high body fat percentage, and to perform poorly in the team’s fitness testing and early on ice skating drills.

Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins was not impressed and didn’t just throw Kadri under the proverbial bus when he spoke to the media, he got behind the wheel and made sure he backed the thing over Kadri a few times before he was done.

Eakins ripped into Kadri saying, “His body fat today is probably in the bottom three to five guys in our whole camp and that’s unacceptable. That’s the easiest part of coming into camp is eating correctly and training correctly. There’s just no coming off if you’re an athlete, it’s no different than the normal person. You make your choice. You can either go sit on the couch, put your feet up and have a bag of potato chips or you can go on the couch and put your feet up and grab some carrots and some apples.”

A harsh critique of the young Kadri.  A 22 year old forward who was drafted 7th overall by the Leafs at the 2009 Entry Draft, and was once seen as a key future piece to the Leafs forward core.  Since that time, his development has somewhat stalled, and I think some of the blame for this needs to be placed at the feet of those in the Leafs organization.

Since being drafted the Leafs have repeatedly treated Kadri with “tough love”.

In 2009 Kadri dazzled at Leafs training camp, and was the team’s best player in preseason.  Instead of giving the young forward a nine-game NHL tryout in regular season action, the club quickly dispatched him to London of the OHL and told Kadri to work on his defensive game.  I’m sure the Leafs couldn’t have used a young sparkplug like Kadri to put up some offence early in the season, with Phil Kessel on the shelf.  The Leafs would start the season with 1 win in their first 11 games.

In 2010-11 Kadri started with the Marlies.  The Leafs meanwhile had a good start before falling on tough times and having a terrible month of November.  Kadri was producing at near a PPG pace playing for the Marlies in the AHL, while the Leaf team was desperate for offence.  The debate for calling up Kadri raged in the Toronto media.  Then head coach Ron Wilson ripped Kadri publically, basically saying that he couldn’t play a responsible  game in the neutral zone and that the Leafs weren’t going to call him up despite the points.  It was the first of many public criticisms of Kadri’s game that would come from Wilson, GM Brian Burke, and now Marlies coach Dallas Eakins.

A few weeks later, with the Leafs season going further down the tubes, Kadri was eventually called up and he would score 3 goals and 12 points in 29 games as a rookie.  Kadri also dazzled in NHL shootouts, scoring some highlight reel goals and getting the team some much needed wins in this session.  Sure he didn’t light the league on fire, but it was a good start for a 20 year old in the NHL.

Last season, Kadri was again criticized for his offseason work out routine as the team felt he was too skinny and didn’t come into camp with enough muscle on his frame.  He once again started the year with the Marlies.  He did get a few callups and scored 5 goals for the Leafs in 21 games, despite limited top 6 ice time and powerplay time.  Once again the critiques from Coach Wilson were strong after games.  And the Leafs’ tough love approach continued.

Despite that, Kadri was returned to the Marlies where he was among their best and most productive players down the stretch and into the playoffs.  Despite all the criticism he just keeps producing, but one must question how the constant critiques are effecting Kadri.

How has Kadri responded to the latest criticism? It seems he is defending himself, and not taking responsibility for the issues, saying the following.  “It definitely maybe could’ve been a little better, but it’s definitely not bad. I think the way I’m carrying myself out on the ice, I feel stronger, I think my wind is way better than it was last year [and] I think that body fat did drop down from last year too.”  It seems Kadri believes he has improved his fitness over previous years, but I think Eakins would beg to differ.

I understand the Leafs are upset with Kadri, and I understand that coaches want him to get himself into shape, and also want to see him play a more responsible game on the ice.  However, the question needs to be asked, is showing a player like Kadri “tough love” the way to do it?  Is repeatedly openly criticizing a 22 year old kid in the media the best way to motivate him?  I’m not sure it is.

This isn’t the first time a team has tried the tough love approach with Kadri.  In the OHL Kadri started his career with the Kitchener Rangers.  In Kitchener he would openly clash with coach Pete DeBoer in his second season, and despite scoring 65 points in 68 games that year, Kadri was shipped off to division rival London when the season concluded.  The young Kadri rebelled against DeBoer’s “tough love” approach.

In London Dale Hunter took a more nurturing approach to Kadri (bet you wouldn’t see Dale Hunter and nurturing in a sentence) and it paid off, big time.  Kadri blossomed into the player who would score 78 points in 56 games and be drafted 7th overall by Toronto. The next year, he was a legitimate OHL superstar with 93 points in just 56 games.

Perhaps the Leafs should try a more nurturing approach with Kadri.  Obviously there are issues with his fitness and his game that need to be addressed, but maybe they should be addressed behind closed doors, and not in the full glare of the Toronto Media.  Because the approach the Leafs have taken over the last 3 years is not working and Kadri is too talented a prospect to run out of town.  The team needs him to become a productive forward if they are ever going to end the cycle of perpetual rebuilding.

It would be a shame if the Leafs were to go the way of the Kitchener Rangers, and trade Kadri, only to see him blossom and fulfill his potential elsewhere.

For a review of Kadri’s game, and other Leafs Prospects, click here.   For a full list of NHL team prospects, click here.

LWOS is pleased to bring you a one-hour hockey radio show, accessed at Last Word Radio Network, to be aired on Wednesday nights at 10-11pm.

Feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @LastWordBKerr.

Euro Football Weekend Rundown

Posted on by Luciano Giuliano

Another exciting week of Euro football action has come and gone, but of course is nothing compared to the excitement awaiting all football fanatics next weekend when three derbies will take place, one in Ligue 1, Serie A, and La Liga.

5) PSG sweeps past Sochaux while Valenciennes upset league leaders Marseille

After a decent start to their campaign, Paris Saint-Germain are now firing on all cylinders winning four consecutive matches and mountain climbing to second place with a 2-0 victory over Sochaux. France international Kevin Gameiro bagged a brace, but it was a team effort as Javier Pastore, Maxwell, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Salvatore Sirigu all came together to guide the team to their winning ways.

Next weekend is the battle at the top of La Ligue 1 with Marseille welcoming PSG to the Stade Velodrome. Top spot Marseille are coming off a shocking 4-1 defeat to seventh placed Valenciennes and will need to quickly get back to their good form as Carlo Ancelotti’s side are motivated to catch them on points. The next match day will most likely be the most viewed in France.

4) CR7 hat-trick guides Real Madrid to 5-1 rout, Barcelona come from behind to maintain perfect record

Real Madrid have been on fire of late winning five straight games including the Champions League tug-of-war with Manchester City. Sunday, Los Merengues slapped Deportiva La Coruna severely with a 5-1bruising at the Bernabeu. ‘Depressed’ superstar (uncertainty surrounds his depression now), Cristiano Ronaldo, scored trice with a pair of penalties and a sitter from six yards. Argentine international Angel Di Maria as well as Portuguese defender, Pepe, bagged goals of their own to make it five on the night. Deportivo had taken the lead on 16 minutes which sparked Madrid’s fierce comeback. Real Madrid climb to sixth place with 10 points.

Down two goals away to Sevilla, Barcelona completed an electric comeback win of their own with two goals from Cesc Fabregas and David Villa launching in the winner in second half stoppages. The Blaugrana remain undefeated with a 100% record having gone six-for-six on the trot and continue to lead La Liga with 18 points, 17 goals scored with only five conceded.

Both sides’ fine form cannot come at a better time seeing that ‘El Clasico’ will take place next weekend at the Camp Nou. All eyes will be on Spain next weekend as the two juggernauts of La Liga, Real Madrid will travel to Catalonia to take on Barcelona in the biggest derby in soccer today. The last time these two sides met was in the Spanish Super Cup where Los Blancos defeated their rivals over a two-leg fixture to raise the trophy. This fixture will certainly not disappoint so stay tuned!

3) Bayern Munich keep hold of 100% record for another week  

Only a couple of teams have been able to keep a perfect undefeated record intact in the major European leagues and Jupp Heynckes’ side is one of them. After six rounds of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich are still undefeated without having lost a single game. Recently, the Bavarians disposed of Werder Bremen with a 2-0 scoreline thanks to late goals scored by 25 year-old Brazilian midfielder Luis Gustavo and new Croatian arrival striker Mario Mandzukic at the 81st and 83rd minute respectively. With a +17 goal differential so far (19 goals scored, two goals conceded), it’s safe to say that the German league has been dominated by Bayern and will most likely continue this way. BM is comfortably sitting in first with 18 points followed by Eintracht Frankfurt with 16. The 2011-2012 Bundesliga champions, Borussia Dortmund, are currently occupying third place tied with Schalke 04 with 11 points.

2)  Andrea Pirlo silences critics helping Juve humiliate non-existent Roma 4-1

Italian 33-year-old deep-lying playmaker, Andrea Pirlo, answered his critics Saturday as Juventus taught AS Roma, and controversial coach Zdenek Zeman, a lesson in football with a 4-1 demolition at the Juventus Stadium in Turin. Not only did the magician orchestrate the perfect victory but he contributed by opening the score with a magnificently tricky free kick from the edge of the box that fooled the Roma defenders as the ball curled hard and low into the bottom left corner surprising Giallorossi ‘keeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Juve went on a rampage taking complete control of the game and scored two more goals with an Arturo Vidal penalty and an Alessandro Matri solo effort; it was 3-0 inside of 20 minutes! In the second half, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo converted a penalty of his own to cut the lead down to two goals. But again, the Bianconeri were simply too much class to handle, restoring the three-goal cushion before the final whistle with Sebastian Giovinco getting around past Stekelenburg and angling his shot to the back of the net. Pure dominance 4-1!

Juve were coming off a very tough match in midweek against Fiorentina where the Viola were incredible and were unfortunate not to get the victory against the reigning champions. Pirlo, for the first time in a long while, did not put in the ideal ‘Pirlo’ performance and was criticised by former Juve midfielder, Alessio Tacchinardi, for being too tired and stated that he should relinquish some of his duties such as playing for the National side so that he could regain his energy for a busy season up ahead. Well, he certainly silenced his critics in this match-up. Being a Juve supporter and all, I hope he continues this trend to respond to unnecessary criticism all season long. The Old Lady continue to lead the way in the Serie A on level with Napoli with 16 points.

1) Tottenham get first Old Trafford win in 23 years

Hotspurs manager Andre Villas-Boas is ecstatic after his side ran out of Old Trafford with a 3-2 victory over Manchester United, a feat that has not occurred since 1989. The Portuguese coach was very pleased with his side’s performance in which Tottenham displayed a great amount of concentration, composure, and desire to resist the Red Devils’ pressure to equalize in the closing stages of the game.

Jan Vertonghen gave the Spurs the lead before Gareth Bale added a second just after the 30-minute mark. Man United cut the lead in half with Portuguese winger Nani getting on the scoreboard, but it must have been written in the stars because the gods were certainly not agreeing with the Red Devils Saturday as Clint Dempsey restored the two-goal lead. Man United did not go down easily though and fought back with newly signed Japanese forward Shinji Kagawa who gave Manchester United hope with an angled drive that shortened the lead to one goal. However, as mentioned above, it was not the night for Red Devil’s hopefuls as Wayne Rooney hit the post with a free-kick and former Gunner star Robin van Persie wasted several chances to equalize the encounter. Manchester United are currently tied for third place with city-rivals Manchester City, both teams with 12 points. Tottenham follows closely in fifth, just a single point behind.

In other news, the city of London was painted blue Saturday as Chelsea collected the three points up for grabs against Arsenal in a hard-fought match-up that ended 2-1 for the Blues. Fernando Torres fired Chelsea ahead before the on-form Ivorian forward Gervinho brought the match back up to par just before half time. The European Champions bagged the winner with a spectacular Juan Mata free kick that squirmed in to secure the victory. Chelsea continue to lead the EPL with 16 points. Arsenal is in seventh with nine points.

Nine Things I Learned from the 2012 Miami Marlins

Posted on by Max Warner

In sports as in cinema, even the worst debacles can be portals of discovery.  For example, the epically awful 1996 summer blockbuster Twister taught us the following notable lessons: Tornadoes can sneak-up on drive in movie theaters without warning, wind or sound, and one can survive a tornado (and avoid the massive amounts of flying debris which accompany it) by tying oneself to a metal bar and hanging-on as the tornado passes directly through one’s location.

The 2012 Miami Marlins were the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie: colossal hype, all style, no substance, and irrelevant by the end of August.  The Marlins began 2012 with a new stadium, new uniforms and logo, a new manager, a boosted payroll that eclipsed $100 million, and the expectation that the club would contend for the N.L. East Division crown.  Unfortunately, everything went wrong and the Marlins are limping to a last place finish with a 67-92 record.

Despite these colossal failures, there are nine things I learned from the 2012 Miami Marlins:

1.  When re-launching your team’s logo and colour scheme, draw your inspiration from the wardrobe department of Scarface.  It also helps if you choose colours which have absolutely no connection to your team name.  Nothing says “the Fish” better than red, orange and yellow.

2.  When deciding whether or not to spend $54 million on an overrated, 33 year-old pitcher like Mark Buerhle, focus on meaningless statistics like career win-loss record (174-132) and ignore real stats like career ERA (3.83), WHIP (1.28) and K/9 (5.1).

3.  A fire sale can be a fun way to rekindle some nostalgia amongst your fans!  When the Fish traded their franchise third baseman (Hanley Ramirez) and four other players in a $33 million salary dump this summer, it brought back warm memories of ye old Marlins’ fire sales of 1998 and 2005.  The Marlins don’t have many traditions, but I’m glad to see that this one is still alive.

4.  Deceitful art dealers who own baseball clubs are excellent interior decorators of new baseball stadiums.  And if you think that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria made a mistake using putrid green as the main colour for the interior of Marlins Park, you don’t appreciate the contemporary appeal of Spanish colour palettes.

5.  In a struggling baseball market, the manager should employ the “any publicity is good publicity” strategy to win over a disinterested fan base.  How else can one justify the behaviour of Ozzie Guillen, who had the following adventures in 2012: suspended five games for publicly praising Fidel Castro when Miami’s new stadium is built in “Little Havana” district and when many of Miami’s residents are Cuban refugees, compared Marlins rookie players to adult film stars, used profane tweets to defend his ball club to a reporter, publicly feuded with closer Heath Bell, and challenged/dared owner Jeffrey Loria not to fire him at the end of the season.

6.  Give grossly overpaid, massively under-achieving veterans as much playing time as possible, even in the midst of a lost season.  First baseman Carlos Lee, with his $18.5 million salary, 9 homeruns and .654 OPS deserves to start 140-plus games; First baseman Mike Cervenak, with his minor league contract and .912 OPS in Triple-A in 2012 doesn’t even deserve a call-up!  And why shouldn’t catcher John Buck ($6 million per year), with his .197 Avg. and 0.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) receive over 100 starts behind the plate?

7.  Never retire the seat-covering tarp used in your ball club’s old, frequently empty ballpark.  The tarp can easily be used to cover the much nicer empty seats in your team’s brand new ballpark.  Said tarp is essential when playing in a baseball-crazy city like Miami, where shiny new Marlins Park sold out a total of one time (the home opener) all season and drew the 12th highest attendance in the National League.

8.  When team management is conducting your club’s annual fire sale before the trade deadline, be sure to retain the 34 year-old closer with an ERA above 5.00 and $18 million remaining on his two-year contract.  Relief pitchers like Heath Bell are hard to come by.

9.  Insult local taxpayers, residents and government officials only AFTER the local government agrees to finance most of the cost of your team’s new stadium.  This one is kind of a no-brainer.  Marlins President David Samson actually had the good sense to wait until the new park was constructed before he questioned the intelligence of the government and people of Miami and Miami-Dade County, who chipped in 75% ($508 million) of the construction money for Marlins Park.

What did you learn from the Miami Marlins in 2012?

Follow me on Twitter:  @MaxWarnerMLB

Top Shelf Prospects: 2012-13 WHL Preview; B.C. Division

Posted on by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. Previously I reviewed the prospects of all thirty NHL teams, and we are now reaching the end of our CHL previews. If you missed any of my previous articles you can find a complete listing of my them here. You can also find my extensive 2012 NHL Draft preview here.

Over the last week I’ve been going through the CHL on a division by division basis.  I’ve finally reached the west coast and its time for our last article, previewing the WHL B.C. Division.  This year should see a return to prominence for the Kamloops Blazers, a storied franchise in the 1990s that has fallen on hard times recently.

Top Contenders

Kamloops Blazers: The Blazers are BACK!  After dominating the WHL in the late 80s and 90s the Blazers fell on hard times.  This division has recently been under the control of the Vancouver Giants and Kelowna Rockets, but last year the Blazers re-took the crown.  Expect more of the same this year, as I think the Blazers are even better this season.  Tim Bozon scored 36 goals and 71 points last season, and has served notice that he’s back looking for more this season scoring a hattrick in the Blazers season opener. His linemates J.C. Lipon and Colin Smith also return, and the we can expect big things from the trio again this season. Jordan DePape, Matt Needham and Dylan Willick are also important offensive contributors.  Last year’s leading scorer Brendan Ranford was not offered a contract by the Philadelphia Flyers, and could also return as an overager.  He played in the Blazers first two games, but is now with the Hamilton Bulldogs on an AHL tryout.  If he returns, the Blazers offence will be among the best in the entire WHL.  In goal the Blazers boast Cole Cheveldave who was one of the best goalies in the league last season.  If he plays to a similar level, they should be set in the crease.  The big question is on defence, as the team is icing a bit of a no name group.  Rookie Jordan Thomson (the 4th overall pick in the 2011 WHL Draft) will be heavily relied upon to play a big role.

Kelowna Rockets: The Rockets have been a defencemen factory over the last decade and this year’s team is once again strong on the blueline.  Veterans Myles Bell and Damon Severson lead this group of defencemen.  While Madison Bowey and Mitch Wheaton look to make an impact in their draft years.  The team has a good goaltending tandem even if neither Jordan Cooke nor Jackson Whistle has been a starter before, both have shown ability as backups.  The big question in Kelowna is goal scoring.  Colton Sissons will be asked to lead the offence, but he’ll need to put up more points than last year if the Rockets want to challenge the Blazers.  Ryan Olsen, acquired in the move that sent Shane McColgan to Saskatoon will also be asked to bring offence as will Tyson Baille going into his second season.  I’m just not sure the Rockets have enough scoring to really contend though.

Players To Watch:

Tim Bozon, Left Wing, Kamloops Blazers: Bozon has come out of the gate flying this year with a hat-trick and a goal of the year candidate in overtime of the first game of the season.  With 36 goals and 71 points in his draft year, Bozon impressed the Montreal Canadiens’ scouts enough to take him in the third round. Bozon is a natural goal scorer with an excellent wrist shot and a quick, deceptive release.  Bozon is also a talented playmaker, and he uses his good stickhandling, vision, and ability to thread passes through small openings to set up teammates.  He’s is an excellent skater and a hard worker who gets in quickly on the forecheck and is effective in doing so.  He has a bit of grit and physicality to his game, but isn’t what I would call a “power forward”, however he’s not soft either.  His excellent speed and agility is also apparent when he beats defenders wide on the rush.  Bozon also has a solid defensive game and he can be used in all situations by the Rockets.  Don’t be surprised if the 2011-12 Western Conference Rookie of the Year adds more hardware to his mantle before leaving the WHL.

Colton Sissons, Right Wing, Kelowna Rockets:  Sissons is the type of player that every coach dreams about. He oozes intangibles. He’s a great all-around player, who plays hard in all three zones, and who never takes a shift off. Sissons will go through a wall if he thinks it will help his team win. He’s that type of heart and soul type guy. The thing is though, all eyes are on him to lead the Rockets in Offense this year and bring more than just secondary scoring, great defence, and intangibles. He does have some offensive skill with a hard and accurate shot. Sissons is also a good playmaker as he uses good vision to set up teammates. Sissons is a decent stickhandler, but he is far more likely to try and bull his way through a defender and take the puck right to the net, than to try to get around him with fancy moves. He is a strong forechecker and his tireless work ethic helps him to win many board battles. The questions are about his skating  His stride is unorthodox.  His top end speed is average, maybe even a hair above average, but its nothing to right home about.  His agility needs work, and he could also stand to develop a quicker first step and better acceleration.

Brett Kulak, Defence, Vancouver Giants: Last season Kulak emerged as a strong two way defender for the Giants.  He seemed to get better and better as the season went on.  This season he’ll be one of the key returning members of the team and will be expected to lead the club that has lost veterans Brendan Gallagher and Jordan Martinook. Kulak’s biggest asset is his tremendous hockey IQ.  Whether it be offensively or defensively he plays such a calm steady game.  His positioning on the ice is outstanding, as is his decision making.  He always seems to pick the right time to join the rush, make a pinch at the blue line, play it safe and hang back, or make the smart pass.  He’s capable of being used in all situations and expect to see him get big minutes this year including lots of time on both special teams units.

Logan Nelson, Centre, Victoria Royals: In his draft year, 2010-11, Nelson played for Des Moines in the  USHL and really struggled. He was a fourth line player with limited ice time and really didn’t stand out and was not drafted in the 2011 NHL Draft. Last year Nelson moved to the WHL, and played a key role for the Victoria Royals and helped the franchise make the  playoffs in their first season on Vancouver Island.  This got him noticed and drafted in the 5th round of the NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.  Nelson is an effective 2 way centre and the team’s number 1 pivot down the stretch, playing in all situations. Nelson is one of those players who is good at everything.  He is an above average skater, has offensive skill to score goals and make plays, is a decent backchecker, has decent size and is willing to play a physical game.  However Nelson does not possess any elite skills that blow you away either.  What he does have is a great work ethic, and a desire to continue to improve. This season Nelson will be a key face, and be relied upon as a major contributor on a Royals team that will be in the fight for one of the final playoff spots in the conference.

2013 Draft Eligible Players to Watch:

Madison Bowey, Defence, Kelowna Rockets: The Rockets have been an NHL defence factory over the last decade or so, and Madison Bowey looks to continue in the tradition.  Bowey is a strong two way player, who relies on his good speed, acceleration and quickness to define his game in all areas of the ice.  He is an excellent puck mover with the ability to rush the puck or to make a strong first pass.  He is also good defensively as he has high hockey IQ, reads the play very well, and cuts down passing and shooting lanes.  Bowey will play a top 4 role for the Rockets this season, and scouts will once again be off to Kelowna to find the next star defenceman in the NHL.

Mitch Wheaton, Defence, Kelowna Rockets: Continuing our theme of the Kelowna defence factory is Mitch Wheaton.  Wheaton is a 6’5″ monster who the Rockets managed to sign despite the fact he was heavily recrutied by several NCAA schools.  Wheaton is a stay at home type who uses his long reach and big body to cut down on passing and shooting lanes.  He is so big and physically strong at his age that he keeps the crease very clear, and wins a ton of board battles.  Wheaton could stand to become more of a big hitter and develop a mean streak if he really wants to shoot up draft boards, but even as it is he’ll be someone that NHL scouts keep a close eye on.

Alex Forsberg, Centre, Prince George Cougars: Sharing a famous surname, Forsberg is not related to either Peter or even Filip Forsberg.  In fact, he’s not even Swedish, as he was born in Saskatchewan.  Still Alex Forsberg was the 1st overall pick in the 2011 WHL Draft.  Forsberg is a very smart centre with a high hockey IQ.  He seems to always make the smart play in the offensive zone. He is extremely talented with the puck on his stick and has a wide array of nifty moves and dangles to help him beat opponents one on one.  He also has excellent vision and the ability to thread the puck through the eye of a needle.  An all around offensive force, Forsberg also has a hard wrist shot and quick release.  Last season he put up 15 goals and 40 points in 51 games, and Prince George will be looking for even more out of Forsberg this season.  A big season would help the Cougars make the playoffs and also help Forsberg’s draft stock immensely.

Other Rookies to Watch

Joe Hicketts, Defence, Victoria Royals: Hicketts was the 12th overall pick in the recent WHL draft, and its rare to see a 16 year old defenceman drafted in that area come in and have a big impact in the WHL.  However Hicketts has impressed many with his pre-season play, and that has carried over for the first few games of the regular season.  An impressive skater with great vision and passing ability, Hicketts might be Victoria’s best defenceman already and is someone the team will build around going forward.  He looks like a natural on the power play and he will be someone to keep an eye on before the 2014 NHL draft.

As always feel free to leave your comments below, and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr