Egypt Plays Strong, But Chile Out Duels Them

The Pharaohs of Egypt made quite the trek (7,950 Miles) Friday night to play Chile at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile in a FIFa World Cup preparation match. In the 12Th Minute, Ahmed Fathy would test the faulty back line of Chile as he finds a wide open Mohamed Salah who makes a break towards goal and he easily beats Bravo to put the Pharaohs up 1 to 0 early. In the 16TH Minute, Chile would make another mistake and Fathy would make them pay again with his precision passing this time finding Khaled Kamar who chips the ball over the charging Bravo's head for the second goal of the game. You had to think that Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli was a little worried at how his backline was playing in the game. It would take long for Chile though to cut the lead to one as Barcelona man Alexis Sánchez who was cutting up the defense found Marcelo Díaz who roundhouse kicks the ball into the back of the net to make the game 2 to 1. From that point on in the second half, it was non stop action from both teams as they both created chances on goal but like the incredible save Sherif Ekramy made denying Sanchez, it's how the rest of the half went.

In the second half, the chances started to favor Chile as the team were trying their hardest to create chances throughout the game and in the 60TH minute they would get it. Eduardo Vargas would score his first of two goals in the game when he scored a goal similar to the first Egypt scored. He played the backline well enough that he was able to beat the offsides trap and he made them pay as Sanchez find him wide open and he buried the ball past the goalkeeper for the equalizer. They would ultimately get the go ahead goal from vargas in the 78TH minute to secure the lead and the win. It was a scary result for Chile, but I am sure the team is going to get the talking to from their skipper before their next friendly. My player of the game award goes to Alexis Sánchez who may not have scored goal, but his assists brought the team back into the match. For Egypt, this was a decent result that the Pharaohs can build off of for the future because it's a shame a team of this caliber is not in the FIFA World Cup.

Second Half Goal For Iran Secures Draw With Angola

For Iran, it's all about gaining some experience and figuring out what works before the 2014 FIFA World Cup where they are pinned with Argentina, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. So, you have to imagine that Carlos Queiroz planned the match with Angola to get a better feel for African sides considering they'll play Nigeria in the group stage. For Angola, it was a chance to try and gain a win over a team in the world cup considering they failed to make it. The two teams met today in Hartberg, Austria for what was an interesting affair. Angola dominated the first half gaining more chances near the goal while Iran suffered an early loss when Sardar Azmoun had to be substituted in the 24TH minute. Hopefully, it was nothing serious for Iran because you don't want to lose anyone in an exhibition match. Angola would finally strike gold in the 42ND minute when Domingos Silva headed in the free kick to put Angola up 1 to 0.

The second half was a completely different story for both teams as Iran made some smart substitutions that saw the team pressing heavily against Angola as they were looking to equalize. That goal would eventually come for Iran in the 57TH minute when Ehsan Hajsafi found Karim Ansarifard making a run toward the box and when he received the pass, he doesn't miss the back of the net for the equalizer. Iran would continue to press and on many occasions the team would have chances toward the net, but they couldn't capitalize. The game would eventually end in a 1-1 draw which was a decent result for Iran, but fans of the team can only hope the team can figure out a way to win in a group that won't be that easy to advance in. They have a heavy task at hand when they face Argentina in the world cup and the last time Iran was in the world cup they only gained a draw and lost the other games.

Layun Lifts Mexico Over Israel

I was questioning the decision of Mexican head coach Miguel Herrera when he decided to play Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the 41 year old legend in what was dubbed his farewell game. Are we not supposed to be preparing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup which is in 15 days? I thought so, but Herrera went with the idea of playing Blanco for the first 38 minutes of the game as Mexico took on Israel at the Stadio Azteca in Mexico City. I know the announcers were saying he was being creative, but after six or so back heels, I didn't really see any creative, but a 41 year old man who struggled to outbeat the Israeli defense. It wasn't until after Blanco was subbed out that Mexico started to find the net and it was Miguel Layún who would go on to score his first of two goals in the game. In the 44TH minute, Layun would get the ball near the edge of the box and he would score his first ever goal as a member of the national team as it rocketed past Harush for the opening goal.

The team would continue to find their rhythm in the second half as they kept creating chances and the team most importantly was being creative. In the 61ST minute of the game, Layun would get the ball and he rocketed the ball from what seemed like 30 yards out from goal and at first the goalie stopped it, but it would bounce right into the net for the second goal of the game. In the 86TH minute, Javier Hernandez would get the throw in near the net, he would attempt to cross the ball, but it would hit the leg of a defender. As the defender failed to clear the ball, it would find Marco Fabián who blasted the ball past the goalkeeper for the third and final goal of the game. You had to be impressed with how Mexico played in the game and especially that of Miguel Layun who is my player of the game. Mexico travels to Dallas on Saturday to play Ecuador and then it's Bosnia & Herzegovina and Portugal to round out their warm ups. 

Penalty In Extra Time Gives Denmark Win Over Sweden

For Denmark and Sweden, there is no world cup in the future, but that doesn't mean the two teams couldn't play to prepare themselves for Euro qualifiers when those eventually come around in September. For Sweden, it would have been nice to see them in the World Cup, but unfortunately they met a Portugal squad that wanted it more. For Denmark, they are also looking to the future with some young stars and a chance to reignite a scandinavian rivalry that can get ugly between the teams as they met at Parken Stadium today in Copenhagen, Denmark. For most of the first half, it looked like young star Martin Braithwaite was going to outshine the Swedish veteran Zlatan Ibrahimović as Denmark had some chances near the net, but they couldn't muster any real shot. The same could be said for Sweden who started to come to life late in the first half, but they couldn't score.

The second half was much like the first half except for the fact that Zlatan was substituted before the half actually started. Both teams were creating chances and Braithwaite was having an excellent game offesnively as he proved to be dangerous in the late minutes of the game. Going into the 90TH minute, it looked as if the game were going to end in a 0-0 draw, but that would change. Braithwaite started to gain some momentum in extra time and eventually it would pay off as the goalkeeper tackled Braithwaite in the bo forcing the referee to award the penalty to Denmark. Liverpool defender and Denmark captain Daniel Agger would step to the plate to take the penalty and he completely fooled the goalie who went to the left and Daniel buried the ball in the right hand side of the net. Denmark walked off with the 1-0 win, but there is still some work to do for both teams.

Second Half Substitutes Play Big For US Against Azerbaijan

We witnessed what Landon Donovan did in response to not being named a part of the 23 man roster for the US National Team, but now it was time to see what the US had. It's hard to believe that this was the first time the United States had ever played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and sadly it's the last time as well as the team took on Azerbaijan. There was a little drama before the game started for Jurgen Klinsmann who had Clint Dempsey in the starting lineup, but due to a groin injury, Chris Wondolowski received the starting nod and he made it look like it was the right decision as he had an unbelievable chance off a free kick as Graham Zusi delivered a perfect ball into the box, but the Goalkeeper was there to deny him. The team would have a couple of more chances on net, but to no avail, Azerbaijan held on to the 0-0 draw going into halftime.

After six substitutions and 75 minutes into the game, the United States who were looking flat for a while finally got themselves on the scoreboard. The very last substitute for the US Mikkel Diskerud would make Azerbaijan pay. Off of the free kick, the ball would find Michael Bradley who fired toward the net, but the ball would deflect off of a defender and Diskerud was in the right place at the right time to knock in the rebound for the first goal of the game. The game would open up for the United States as the bench were earning their stripes on the field. In the 80TH minute, Brad Davis would deliver a corner into the box and it would find the head of second half substitute Aron Jóhannsson for the second goal of the game. In the end, the two goals were all the United States needed to win, but I still have some questions left for the team. Was Azerbaijan the proper test of the US as they mainly played with 11 men back and that is something you will not see from Portugal, Germany, and Ghana. The United States next game will be against Nigeria in June so we'll see how the team does against them.

Landon Donovan Breaks MLS Record As LA Easily Handles Philadelphia

I'm not so sure that all the dust has cleared since Jurgen Klinsmann's controversial choice to keep Landon Donovan off the US National Team. But I know one thing is for sure and that is US fans everywhere appreciate everything that he has done for the nation. Landon showed up to the StubHub Center in Carson, California ready to move on and help his team move up in the standings as they sat at number seven in the western conference against eastern conference foe Philadelphia Union. After an early goal from Leonardo put LA up 1 to 0, it was a matter of time before Landon or Robbie Keane were going to strike on net. In the 49TH Minute, Robbie Keane was driving the ball on the right side of the goal when he found a charging Donovan on the left. He fed Landon the ball and Landon buried it in the back of the net to give him the record for most goals in MLS history. You could tell that the goal lifted Donovan's spirits and it definitely lifted the spirits of the fans at the game as Philadelphia struggled with chances on net.

In the 64TH Minute of the game, Robbie Keane would score what would be the nail in the coffin as he rocketed one past the Union goalkeeper for the third goal of the game. But it's the connection Robbie has on the field with Landon that is simply brilliant and beautiful. On another give and go situation, Keane would find Landon once more for Landon's second goal of the game and what would be his curtain call as he left the field to a much deserved standing ovation. Maurice Edu would get a gift in the 89TH minute when he was awarded a penalty shot for what would Philadelphia's lone goal of the game. The final in Carson was 4 to 1 and you have to believe that Landon is moving forward and that he has etched his name in football history whether it be the fact that he is the all time leader in goals for the US National Team and the MLS. I just hope that it's not a decision that is going to backfire for us in the coming future. We'll just have to wait to see what happens next.

Ramos Goal In Extra Time Led The Way For Real Madrid

It's an all Spanish affair and a Madrid rivalry in the capital city of Lisbon, Portugal as Real Madrid took on neighbor Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final in the Estadio De Luz. For Real Madrid they had won 9 of their 12 appearances in the finals while Atletico Madrid's only appearance ended in a loss to Bayern Munich. For Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone, it's a chance to lead his squad to victory in what would end as the ultimate seasons as Atletico has already won the La Liga crown. For Cristiano Ronaldo, it was all about cementing his name in history as he was looking to win his first Champions League title since 2008 (which he won with Manchester United). One of the other questions going into the game was whether or not Diego Costa would start the game. Atletico Madrid fans were happy because he did start, but strangely in the tenth minute of play he was substituted out of the game and he headed straight into the locker room. It was an odd mood, but it wouldn't matter much as Atletico soldiered on holding any attack from Ronaldo and company for most of the first half.

In the 36TH minute, Diego Godín would head the ball toward net, but Iker Casillas would make the mistake of coming out of the net as the ball bounced right into the net for the first goal of the game. They would head into halftime with the 1 to 0 lead and in the second half Atletico's defense was the star for the most part. Gareth Bale had a bevy of chances on net as he missed every single shot that he took in the game. When everything looked bleak for Real Madrid who were down a goal with five minutes of stoppage, they surprised us all. In the 93RD minute off of a Real madrid corner kick, Sergio Ramos would head the equalizer for Los Galacticos to send the game into extra time. In overtime, you started to notice that fatigue was starting to kick in for both teams. In the 110TH minute of the game Atletico's worst nightmare would happen as Gareth Bale headed home the go ahead 100TH million dollar goal. In the 117TH Minute, Marcelo would rocket what would be the goal that sealed the fate for Real Madrid as they celebrate their tenth European/Champions League title. In the 119Th Minute, to add insult to injury Ronaldo would get a penalty and he would score his 17TH goal in the Champions League.

Zamora's Goal Lifts Queens Park Rangers Over Derby County

It's the Football League Playoff Championship where one lucky team will be promoted to the Barclays Premier League while the other will have to endure another season in the second division of English football. For Queens Park Rangers, they are playing with the dire need of advancing due to all the financial problems that plagued them since they were relegated to the Football League from the Premier League. The winner of this championship game would essentially receive 200 million (100 million for advancing and another 100 million over four years if they are relegated after the first season) so you can see why Queens Park would want this. For Derby County, it's a chance to make it back to the Barclays Premier League after they had won this same championship game back in 2007 when the New Wembley Stadium had just opened. The first half of the game featured little to no real chances as both teams were struggling to get a real substantial shot on net, but Derby County were the better team overall.

The second half was much of the same where Derby County were just outplaying Queens Park who feature more players with Premier league experience than Derby County. In the 60TH minute, things would get a lot worse for Queens Park as midfielder Gary O'Neil would give up a careless foul outside of the box that should have been a straight yellow card, but the referee elected to give him a straight red card. Things would look absolutely bleak for Queens Park Rangers as they faced tons of pressure from Derby County, but luck would eventually fall on their side. In the 90TH minute of play, Junior Hoilett was able to win the ball need the goal line where he would cross back towards the front of the box where Derby County's Richard Keogh would be there to intercept, but he failed to clear the ball and Bobby Zamora would make them pay his he rocketed the ball past the Derby County goalkeeper for what would be the loan goal of the game. Queens Park Rangers playing with a man down were able to take advantage of the one opportunity they were given in the second half to win the promotion to the Barclays Premier League. My man of the match award goes to defender Richard Dunn who stepped up big time in this game especially when his team was down a man so congratulations to him and the Queens Park Rangers.

Klinsmann Names Roster, Leaves Landon Donovan Behind

Jurgen Klinsmann had a tough call to make when it came to picking his final 23 man roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil which included leaving US National Team legend Landon Donovan behind. Klinsmann in an interview said, "It's an exciting moment when you have narrowed the roster down as a coaching staff, and these 23 players that you've chosen can focus now purely on Brazil. We can go into more specific things about technical approaches, and about the opponents. For the players, it's very important to know that they are now part of it and they can relax and know they are on the list going to Brazil and taking it from there. After almost 10 days of work right now, we thought the point has come to make the decision." Whatever the case may be, Jurgen must have seen something we didn't see to not pick Landon for the 23 man squad. Clint Dempsey has the chance to be the first American to score in three world cups as he heads to Brazil alongside Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley (who is the first American to play in four world cups), Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, and so many newbies. Check out the roster below:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Portugal Beats Chile 3 to 1 In Second Toulon Tournament Match

The Toulon Tournament is an invitational tournament for the stars of the future to play in and to be exact it's a sub-21 tournament. This match featured three time Toulon Tournament winners Portugal who opened up their campaign with a 2 to 0 win over Mexico earlier in the week against Chile who started there tournament with a 3 to 0 loss to host country France. It was imperative for Chile to try and gain a win over Portugal because no one wants to start a tournament with two losses, but Portugal would prove to be a tough foe for the Chileans. Chile pressed hard against the Portuguese in the first half as they were on top of them for the first part of the half, not allowing the Portuguese to really have a substantial shot at goal. In the 29TH minute, Portugal would get their first chance of the game when Chilean forward Nicolas Castillo gave up a costly penalty. Porto player Leandro Silva would take the penalty and even though he didn't miss, Alvaro Salazar almost made the save.

Heading into the second half, it was much of the same as Portugal held on to their 1 to 0 lead until a mistake in the midfield lead to a second goal for the Portuguese in the 65TH minute. Helder Costa would receive the ball off of a mistake and he would turn on the jets beating out all the defenders and then he slips the ball past Salazar for the second goal. A couple of minutes later, Chile's defense would give away a costly ball to Bruno Fernandes who drove the ball towards goal and fired away what would be Portugal's third goal of the game. Then out of the blue, Chile caught the Portuguese defense sleeping as Nicolas Castillo was in the right place at the right time near the net to easily knock in Chile's first goal of the tournament. Unfortunately for Chile, they wouldn't get a second goal and now the team has to work harder as they have two games left to try and create a comeback. For Portugal, the team awaits China on the 27TH of May as the team tries to advance to the knockout stage.

World Cup Preview: Group D

I have to catch up because I forgot to post a world cup preview last week and so here is the other one of this week. We are looking at Group D which is a hard group to choose from and in my opinion is a close second to a group of death. The group features Uruguay, Italy, England, and Costa Rica. In 2010, Uruguay had a dream run through the competition as the team finished in fourth place (which it's done two other times 1954 and 1970). The team desperately wants to achieve glory like they did in 1930 and 1950 when they upset host nation Brazil. It's 64 years later and the team wants to repeat that magic again in Brazil, but its going to be a tough road ahead for a team that features ageing legend Diego Forlan, the 2011 player of the tournament in the Copa America in Luis Suarez, and Diego Lugano. It's not going to be easy for the team, but they have a good chance of doing it more than Costa Rica. Their toughest test of the tournament will be against the Italians who Uruguay last faced in the Confederations Cup in a game that ended 2 to 2. The rematch between the  two teams should be one heck of a thrill ride as the two teams will probably be jockeying for first place.

The last time Costa Rica did any significant damage in a world cup was back in their very first one in 1990 where they were eliminated in the round of 16. Since then, the team has either failed to qualify or hasn't been able to escape the group stage which could be in their future this year. Keylor Navas was a big part of the reason Costa Rica qualified for the world cup so he is going to have to have a big tournament and hope that Bryan Ruiz has a big tournament as well. I think their best chance at a win will come against the English as Costa Rica's defense will be sure to halt the English offensive blitzkrieg.

I am not a firm believer in the English national team because this is a squad that is going to have to rely on a lot of young players. I don't think this team is ready to move on yet or they could have a coming out party. It can go either way. Joe Hart is going to have to have a huge tournament in goal and prove that his Manchester City coach was telling the truth about him when he said he was the most talented goalkeeper. Wayne Rooney has won every honor possible expect for a world cup and a lot of his tournament appearances have not ended the way he would have liked it to. To me, England may have drawn one of the toughest groups, but they were shaky in a qualifying group that they should have easily handled.

Italy is a team that some are calling possible contenders for the World Cup title and why not, they must be one of the oldest teams in the competition. Gianluigi Buffon is arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world with 138 caps for the Italian team. He wants to help erase the embarrassing exit Italy had in the last world cup when they were defending champs. He is going to need help if Italy hopes to move on in the tournament especially from Mario Balotelli. Balotelli in my opinion hasn't really come out yet for the team even though he has shown us in the past that he has it within himself to be "Super Mario". His teamwork with Pablo Osvaldo is going to be key for Italy's success in this tournament and that two headed monster may be enough.

Italy 7 points
Uruguay 5 points
England 4 points
Costa Rica 0 points

Paulo Bento Names 23 Man Squad For Portugal

Portuguese national team coach Paulo Bento has finally named his squad after months of trying to figure out who he was going to pick. A couple of months ago, it looked as if he was leaving out Rui Patricio (Sporting CL) and Helder Postiga (Lazio), but one of the names that was definitely snubbed from the lineup is that of Porto's Ricardo Quaresma who didn't make the cut along with Eduardo Silvio. The usuals are there like Ronaldo, Moutinho, but Rafa and Éder of Sporting Braga are new editions to the National Team lineup. Check it out below for yourselves. 

Goalkeepers: Beto (Sevilla), Eduardo (Braga), Rui Patrício (Sporting)

Defenders: André Almeida (Benfica), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahçe), Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid), João Pereira (Valencia), Neto (Zenit), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valencia)

Midfielders: João Moutinho (Monaco), Miguel Veloso (D. Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahçe), Rúben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting)

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Éder (Braga), Hélder Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Nani (Manchester United), Rafa (Braga), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg)

World Cup Preview: Group C

I was supposed to give you this group last week, but it totally slipped my mind with all that was going on in club play. We are previewing Group C which in my opinion is a group that could go anyway with Columbia, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, and Japan. We'll start with the Los Cafeteros of Columbia who I am predicting should advance out of the group stage depending on a certain factor. If Radamel Falcao is healthy enough to play in the World Cup, then I think Columbia has a good chance of advancing in a tournament they haven't qualified for since 1998. The team finished second in qualifying behind the brilliance of Falcao, James Rodriguez, and Teófilo Gutiérrez who had six goals in qualifying. In my opinion, the team should have no problem beating Greece, but things could get interesting against Japan and Cote d'Ivoire. They'll have to rely on their physical presence to defeat some of the teams while having to match their skill with that of The Ivory Coast. They really need Falcao to be healthy enough to play because he's an important part of their attack. If he's healthy then I feel Columbia finishes atop of their group, but if not then I think they'll finish in second.

I never liked the style of football that Greece plays when it came to big competitions because I love attacking football. Greece famously won their only big competition in 2004 all by playing defense while relying on the counter attack. The team only conceded four goals in qualifying all based on their defensive style of football, but their going to have to have a hope and a prayer when they lock up with Columbia and Cote d'Ivoire. Kostas Mitroglou is going to have to prove that he is a goal scoring machine after his impressive play against Romania in the playoff round. As you see from the last sentence, the team finished in second in their group behind Bosnia and Herzegovina because of goal differential. Goal differential could play a big factor in whether they move on in the world cup if they find themselves tied for second place. The fact that Greece starts their world cup campaign against Columbia will tell a lot about how well the team will do moving forward from that game. Orestis Karnezis is going to have be dynamite in goal because Greece is certainly going to need it.

For Cote d'Ivoire (or The Ivory Coast), this could spell the end of an era for what they are calling their Golden Generation considering Didier Drogba is 36 years old heading into the world cup. The only two other times they qualified, they didn't advance past the group stage so I feel there is a sense of urgency with this team to advance and they just might. Salomon Kalou, Yaya Touré, and Kolo Touré are going to have to work their hardest for the Les Elephants to have hopes of moving on in a group that I think they should. The team's defense has been known to get soft late in games as most of their goals they allowed were late in the games and we all know that every game is 90 minutes. I think they'll be one of those teams that gets into a goal differential battle with Greece or Japan.

For The Blue Samurai's of Japan, if history has that rare moment where it repeats it's patterns then Japan shouldn't even make it out of the group stage. In 1998, they were eliminated in the group stage, 2002 it was the round of 16, 2006 they were again eliminated in the group stage, and in 2010 they were eliminated in the round of 16. Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa, and Shinji Okazaki are going to have to hope that the team is hitting it off on all cylinders because when they do, Japan is a very dangerous team. Their first match in Brazil against the Cote d'Ivoire should seal the fate for Japan where a win is huge and a loss is doom. Hopefully during this time, the team will practice their defense against set pieces cause that could come back to haunt them in the tournament.

Group C
1. Columbia 9 PTS
2. Cote d'Ivoire 4 PTS
3. Japan 2 PTS
4 Greece 1 PTS

Columbia gets eliminated in the quarterfinals
Cote d'Ivoire gets eliminated in the round of 16

Cristiano Ronaldo Poses Nude

This is only soccer (football) related because it features one of the world's best players in Real Madrid forward and Portuguese International Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is going to be one of the busiest guys around as he prepares for the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday and the World Cup in Brazil that follows that, but he is also managing to stay busy on a different front. It's a different front that is sure to drive all the women in Spain and around the world crazy as Ronaldo has posed nude for Vogue Spain magazine alongside his fiance Irina Shayk. Vogue Spain director Yolanda Sacristan shared her thoughts on the cover which is very reminiscent of the Kanye West/Kim Kardashian pre-wedding pose by saying, "The most surprising thing will be the cover: to have Cristiano and Irina together with a spectacular photo with the energy and magic of Mario Testino -- that light and color and that relationship -- because Mario knows how to pretty much capture the soul of those he photographs. The magazine I believe is out now considering it is the June 2014 issue, check out the cover below:

How The Leagues Finished: The German Bundesliga

The German Bundesliga is a league that I wish I had more access to, but the channel I have only shows Bayern Munich games and why not? Bayern Munich  won the Bundesliga for a record 24 times back in April with their new coach Pep Guardiola. Borussia Dortmund finished the league in 2ND while Schalke 04 claimed the last champions league automatic bid finishing in third. Bayer Leverkusen finished in 4Th meaning they'll have to play in the champions league playoff round while VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and FSV Mainz 05 all claimed Europa League spots. 1. FC Nürnberg and Eintracht Braunschweig were relegated to the second division while Hamburger SV avoided relegation by winning their relegation playoff match against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Check out the rest of the standings below courtesy of Wikipedia:

How The Leagues Finished: La Liga

There was a lot of drama in the 2013-14 La Liga regular season as the winner had to be determined in the very last game of the season. It looked as if Barcelona was never going to have a shot for the La Liga title, but they quickly climbed back in the race only to face Atletico Madrid in the final week of the season to determine the champion and as we all know Atletico Madrid won their 10TH title (first since 1996) with a draw with Barcelona. Real Madrid surprisingly finished the league in third to gran the last Champions League automatic bid while Athletic Bilbao win try to qualify in the Champions League playoff round. Sevilla, Villarreal, and Real Sociedad all earned Europa League spots while Osasuna, Valladolid, and Real Betis were all relegated to the second division. Check out the standings below courtesy of Wikipedia:

Jan Oblak Is Superb As Benfica Claims 25TH Taca De Portugal

For Benfica, today's game was all about capping a season that saw them win the Liga Zon Sagres title for a 33RD time, a Taca De Liga, and they almost won the Europa League title if it wasn't for the referee's. So, it's safe to say that the team wanted to cap off a very long season that saw Benfica play more games this season than any other Portuguese league team with a win in the Taca De Portugal which was being held at it's usual grounds at Estadio Nacional in Oeiras, Portugal. Benfica was facing a familiar foe as they were going up against Rio Ave for the fourth time this season which included a win over the team in the Taca De Liga a couple of weeks ago. Rio Ave were looking to upset the Portuguese giants and maybe gain some revenge by handing Benfica a second straight loss, but I have to say that goalkeeper Jan Oblak was up to the task today. He just may be the best goalkeeper the team has. Two of the suspended players from the Europa League match were in the lineup including Enzo Pérez.

Benfica were playing with a sense of urgency in the beginning of the game as the team created some dangerous chances in the beginning of the match. It wouldn't take very long for Benfica to get on the scoreboard in the 20TH minute. Benfica were driving the ball towards the box when Perez would pass the ball to Nicolás Gaitán to what looked like was going to be a give and go, but Perez would get tripped up. So, Nicolás Gaitán decided to take a shot at the goal from outside the box and he didn't miss as he scored what would be the lone goal of the game. As the game progressed, it looked as if fatigue was starting to set in for Benfica because the chances for Rio Ave started to multiply, but as I said before Jan Oblak played one of the most spectacular games I have seen the young goalkeeper play all season long. In the end, that was all it would take as Benfica claimed their 25TH Taca De Portugal trophy which is still better than any other team in Portugal. There are still questions remaining as far as what the offseason will bring for Benfica like will Jorge Jesus remain the coach of Benfica or will he be lured away to a team with the capabilities of paying more money for his services? For Rio Ave, they have a chance in next season's Europa League just because of the fact that they made it to the finals of the Taca De Portugal. All I know is some of the Benfica players get a much needed rest until some have to report for World Cup duties.

Diego Godín's Equalizer Gives Atletico Madrid La Liga Title

When it comes to the La Liga title, it has all come down to this very game between powerhouse Barcelona and the other team from Madrid in Atletico Madrid. For most of the season, Atletico Madrid had almost been perfect allowing the fewest goals and being in first place for most of the season. For Barcelona, this has easily been considered an off season where Lionel Messi hasn't been the Messi of old and the team had struggled to the point where a La Liga title was out of sight for the most part. That was until the powers that be started to lose, then all of a sudden Barcelona had found a way to get back into the race with help from other teams. That brings us to the very last game of the year at Camp Nou where with a win, barcelona would win the La Liga crown due to having the most goals. There is a big but in this equation because a tie will not suffice for Barcelona, they had to win this battle with the number one team in the league and one of the Champions League finalists. When the game started both teams were on the hunt as both created chances towards the others net and they both played with a sense of urgency.

You could tell however that after a certain amount of time, barcelona started to bring the pressure even though Atletico's defense held Messi to almost no space or chances. In the 34TH minute, Cesc Fàbregas lobbied the ball into the box where it found Messi. Messi tried to chest the ball down for what we assume was a chance for him, but instead it found Chilean international Alexis Sánchez who rockets it past Thibaut Courtois for the go ahead goal for Barcelona. From that point on until halftime, it looked as if the destiny was in Barcelona's hands as to if they were going to win. Diego Simeone must have given a great speech at Halftime because his team came out ready to strike like a cobra and it would pay dividends for them. In the 49TH Minute, Koke would send in a perfect curling corner kick that would find defender and my MVP of the game Diego Godín who headed home the equalizer. That equalizer was all it took as Atletico's stingy defense shut down any chance from Barcelona for the rest of the game as Atletico claimed their first La Liga title since 1996 and their 10TH title overall.

Sevilla Take Europa League In Penalties

For Benfica, it's been 52 years since they last claimed European glory and seven straight (make that eight now) losses in big European competition finals. They were a team that worked so hard to make it to the Europa League final in Turin for the second straight year and for the second straight year, Benfica fans are left heartbroken. Sevilla were the comeback kings this year as they had to overcome a 3 to 0 deficit in the semifinals just to make it to Turin today. Sevilla has now claimed their third Europa league title in the last ten years over a Benfica side that was missing three players from the lineup due to card suspensions. When the two teams hit the field, you knew they was going to be excitement as Benfica had an early chance on goal in the second minute of play while Sevilla's Carlos Bacca had a chance several minutes later, but for the most part that was all they were in the first half of play.

In the second half, Benfica turned up the engines and started to attack Sevilla more while Sevilla waited and became more patient trying to pick their spots on the counter attack, but still after 90 minutes of play the game remained scoreless. It was frustrating to watch Lima who many occasions would elect not to shoot the ball towards the net on the several chances he had. You could see the fatigue in the players from bit squads, but Benfica continued to attack until the extra 30 minutes were over. Penalty kicks are a method that will make any fan nervous because it could go either way. Lima and Bacca were the firsts to shoot and both of the men made their shots. Extra time substitute Oscar Cardozo would miss his shot while Stéphane Mbia didn't miss his. Rodrigo would be the next to shoot and he missed for Benfica. The rest wouldn't matter after the next two shooters for Sevilla didn't miss winning 4 to 2 in Penalty kicks. My players of the game from both sides is Maxi Pereira for Benifca who was an absolute workhorse creating chances and Beto from Sevilla who was dynamite in the net. Benfica still has the Tace De Portugal to play while the season is over for Sevilla which this is not a bad way to end your season.

How The Leagues Finished: Liga Zon Sagres

For those of you that don't know what the Liga Zon Sagres is, it's the premier league for Portuguese soccer. Benfica claimed their 33RD title this year besting the other members of the big three by significant gaps. They bested second place Sporting by seven points and Porto by 13 which made the first time since 1982 that Porto finished in third in the manner that they did. Estoril was the surprise team finishing in fourth place earning them a spot in next season's Europa League as well as Nacional De Madeira (finished in 5TH with 45 points). The biggest disappoint of the year in the league was Pacos De Ferreira who started the season in the qualifying spot for the Champions League and now they face relegation. See how the league finished below courtesy of Wikipedia:

Deschamps Names French Side For Brazil 2014

Didier Deschamps has just named his 23 man roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and he has done it with a little bit of controversy. You see Deschamps has left someone out of the lineup and it's Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri who is coming off a championship season with City which begs the question why? Deschamps explains, "He has an important status with City, where he starts, which is not the case today in the France team. When he is substituted, he is not happy. It is for these reasons that I decided not to retain him." This wouldn't be the first time that Nasri has missed a world cup which he has come and said, "I missed a World Cup in 2010 and I am still alive and stronger than ever. I am going to watch it on TV while I am on holiday and I will be fine." Here is the 23 man roster for France:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Mikael Landreau (Bordeaux).

Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle), Bacary  Sagna (Arsenal), Laurent  Koscielny (Arsenal), Mamdou Sakho (Liverpool), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Lucas Digne (PSG)

Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (PSG), Clement Grenier (Lyon), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).

Strikers: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier  Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Loic Remy (QPR).

Standby: Remy Cabella (Montpellier), Maxime Gonalons (Lyon), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Loic Perrin (Saint-Etienne), Stephane Ruffier (Saint-Etienne), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Benoit Tremoulinas (Dynamo Kiev).

Jurgen Klinsmann Names 30 Man Roster for Brazil 2014

Jurgen Klinsmann is no stranger to the world cup as well all know and this time he has the task of trying to figure out who he is going to bring to Brazil for the world cup. Jurgen has named the preliminary 30 man roster which will eventually be whittled down to a 23 man roster on June 2ND. The usual suspects have been named in Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Jozi Altidore, Michael Bradley, and Clint Dempsey who will captain the team in Brazil 2014. He has also added some youth to squad as he named DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks tot he 30 man squad as well. The team will begin training on May 14 in Southern California while they'll have scrimmages against Azerbaijan in San Francisco on May 27, Turkey on June 1 at Red Bull Arena and the final game against Nigeria in Jacksonville on June 7. Check out the roster below:

GOALKEEPERS (3) :Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (11) : DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

MIDFIELDERS (10) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS (6) : Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

LA Blows Lead In Extra Time Against Portland

This is a game that is turning into something special in Major League Soccer as the Portland Timbers looked to get a win at home against four time MLS champions Los Angeles Galaxy at Providence Park. For Landon Donovan, he was looking to surpass Jeff Cunningham as the leading scorer in MLS history as he sits tied with Jeff at 134 goals scored in his career. Unfortunately for Landon, that lucrative 135TH goal wouldn't come for him as Landon and company tried their hardest to score, but former LA goalkeeper and Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts was up to the task stopping their best chances as well as Robbie Keane's as well. Jaime Penedo of LA was also up to the task as he also stopped everything that came his way in the first half as both teams went into the half deadlocked at 0.

In the second half, it was much of the same as both teams trued their best to break the 0-0 tie, but both goalkeepers were being very stingy. To be perfectly honest, it was 90 minutes of frustration for MLS fans as the game went all the way to 90 still deadlocked at 0, but with five minutes of stoppage time, something was sure to happen and it did. In the second minute of stoppage time, Portland's defense looked absolutely horrific as they allowed Robbie Keane to beat them out and head the ball past Ricketts for the goal ahead goal. In the 94TH minute of play, Juninho had stolen the ball and he was off on a breakaway before he was tackled at the top of the box, but the referee didn't give them the foul. It was a legitimate foul, but one minute later, Will Johnson was able to find his teammate Diego Valeri to his right who rocketed the shot past Penedo for the equalizer.The game ended at 1 goal a piece and Robbie Keane was furious as he gave the referees a piece of his mind afterwards. Now as it stands, LA sits in a three way tie for 7TH in the west with Chivas USA and Portland all with nine points.

How The Leagues Finished: Barclays Premier League

What an up and down season in the Barclay's Premier League where for a little while it looked like Arsenal were going to claim the title and then Liverpool and Chelsea become favorites only to drop it to the champion Manchester City. What a drop for last year's champion Manchester United who ended up firing Sir Alex Ferguson's successor in David Moyes. There was plenty of drama in the BPL and I have the standings for you below thanks to Wikipedia

Two Goals In Two Minutes Lift Liverpool Over Newcastle

The object of today's game on championship Sunday for Liverpool was to hopefully gain a result over Newcastle United and hope that West Ham United were going to defeat Manchester City. Both teams entered the day with Manchester City at top of the standings with 83 points while Liverpool sat in second place with 81 points so a draw for Manchester City wouldn't do for Liverpool and their title hopes. Newcastle United weren't about to lie down either or make it easy for Liverpool to win. Newcastle were able to find lanes on the counter attacks while Liverpool had a hard time finding a lane towards the net. In the 21ST minute of play, things were about to look ugly for Liverpool when Newcastle's Yoan Gouffran's shot was deflected into the net by Martin Škrtel for an own goal. From that point on Newcastle tried everything in their power to slow down the game as they were purposely wasting time.

Both teams would head into halftime with newcastle up a goal, but you knew that Liverpool's Brendan Rogers was going to make some changes and adjustments. It was his second half substitute Philippe Coutinho who would enter the game in the 60TH minute that made the most impact. He created chances and frustrated the Newcastle defense to the point that they gave up two straight fouls near the box. In the 63RD Minute, Steve Gerard would send the ball into box that found Daniel Agger who kicked it into the back of the net for the equalizer. In the 65TH minute, Gerard would launch another ball into the box that found the foot of Daniel Sturridge for the go ahead goal. Newcastle completely fell apart after the goal seeing not one, but two players get sent off with red cards leaving the team depleted and only with nine men on the pitch. Those two goals were all the team needed anyways for the win, but unfortunately for them, Manchester City won their game making Man City the champions of the Barclays Premier League. The fact that Liverpool made it in second place was nothing to be ashamed about either cause the team went from finishing in seventh last year to second this season.

Defending Champions Guangzhou Evergrande On Their Way To Repeat

If it wasn't for all the futbol channels I have, I probably wouldn't have the chance to catch great games like this one in the Asian Football Champions League between Cerezo Osaka and defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan. The team that walks away with the AFC Champions League crown will move on to the Fifa Club World Cup where they'll take on every continental champions. For the defending champions, there is only one thing on their minds and that was to advance with a big win in the first leg of their round of 16 match where they were taking on Japanese J-League Cerezo Osaka which features Uruguayan legend Diego Forlan. Both teams started off the game playing hard as they tried to create chances on net, but it was the defending champions that would strike first blood. On the counter attack, Alessandro Diamanti will thread a ball through the Osaka defense that finds Muriqui who beats the goalkeeper for the first goal of the game.

The 1 goal lead however wouldn't last long when Diego Forlan was able to create a chance for his Osaka side to strike when he finds Aria Jasuru Hasegawa on the left side of the box who drives it home for the equalizer. That one goal lead would disappear three minutes later after a foolish challenge from Osaka's Yuta Someya gave away a penalty. Elkeson wouldn't miss the penalty and three minutes later from that he would drive home a header off of a beautiful cross on a free kick from Diamanti to give the defending champs a 3 to 1 lead over Osaka going into half time. Guangzhou had a great 3 away goal lead heading into the second half of the game and the team would add two more goals from Gao Lin and Muriqui to give themselves a 5 to 1 win and five away goals heading into the second leg next week when the two sides meet once again in Guangdong, China. You have to believe that Italian legend Marcello Lippi feels confident his side will prevail in the second leg and continue to find themselves moving further in the Champions League competition. My last thought on the game is that Guangzhou plays some very impressive football and I see the team moving far in this competition and if they make the FIFA Club World Cup, they'll move far in that.

World Cup Preview: Group B

To continue our theme of looking at all the different groups and analyzing them, we move on to Group B which features the defending champion and the runners up. The group which is made up of Spain, Netherlands (Holland), Chile, and Australia. On the surface, this should be one of the easiest groups to decide who is going to move on and who will go home. You should consider Spain to be the heavy favorites to move on as the group winners considering they are considered the greatest generation. They'll be looking to repeat success with the return of all the major players still being there like Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Andrés Iniesta, and they hope that Gerard Piqué will be healthy enough to return in time for the world cup. Who the standout star of this tournament for the team remains to be seen, but I see them gaining victories potentially over all the teams, but a tie with Holland could occur. They will probably win the group on goal differential if that occurs.

The other team that I see moving on in the group is the Netherlands (or Holland as some call it) and I think it's crucial for them to move on considering the disaster that was the Euro's in 2012. Holland went undefeated in qualifying (finishing with 28 points) with the only draw being a 2-2 finish with Estonia. Nevertheless, the team needs big games out of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, and Wesley Sneijder. If this team doesn't get results in this tournament than what a downward spiral they would have in their legacies. It would almost be as embarrassing as the 2010 French National Team. I see this team potentially finishing in second place and meeting Brazil in the first game of the second round.

I am pooling this two teams together because one team will walk away with a win coming against the other. Australia and Chile are not moving past Spain or Holland. Before 2006, Australia hadn't made a world cup since 1974 and they were eliminated in the group stage. I felt they were screwed against Italy in 2006 and 2010 was just disastrous. Their run to the world cup was almost a disastrous one too, but with the higher of a new coach they were able to make it. For Chile, the road to the world cup was a decent one as the team finished in 3rd when it came to qualifying behind Columbia and Argentina. The last time Chile had made it to a world cup (2010) they made it as far as the round of 16, but there's going to be no miracles here for them.

1. Spain 7 Points GD winner
2. Holland 7 Points
3. Chile 3 Points
4. Australia 0 Points

Benfica Claims Second Trophy With Win Over Rio Ave

Last season, we saw Benfica drop three different championships in fifteen days in what would be a cataclysmic fall. This season it was a different story for Portugal's most storied club as they have already claimed the number one spot in their domestic league competition to make it it's 33RD title and now they've claimed the Taca De Liga title with a 2-0 win over Rio Ave. They still have the Europa League title and Taca De Portugal to claim later this month. If Benfica continues to play the way they do, then there is no doubt they have a chance to win all of the trophies this year for the purposes of redemption. Jorge Jesus had his lineup that he would love to see the Europa League final, but due to either culminations of yellow cards and red cards, Salvio, Perez, and Lazar Marković will not be there. The best chance of the game for Rio Ave came in the 5TH minute of the game and then that was really it for them as Benfica controlled most of the tempo.

In the 40TH minute of play, Benfica would strike first when Rodrigo was able to control a ball that was sent into the box on a corner kick and he blasted it into the back of the net. From that point on, Benifca were in firm control of their own destiny creating chances whenever possible. In the 78TH minute of play after the free kick was launched into the box, it would find the head of Luisao who was able to beat out the Rio Ave goalkeeper before he could get to the ball for the second and final goal of the game. Benfica is playing in a way that is unmatched in Portugal and they proved it tonight on the pitch. The next game for Benfica will be rivals Porto for what will be the fourth time this year and they'll follow that with the big game against Sevilla on May 14TH. Can Benfica finally break the curse of Béla Guttmann and win a European title? Only time will tell, I'll see you then.

Seesaw Battle Sees Lazio and Hellas Verona Game End In A Tie

For SS Lazio and Hellas Veronas, the only thing that they have to play for is a spot for the Europa League. Nevertheless, we were expecting to see a great matchup between the two teams and that is exactly what we got. The game was very open from the start where it looked as if there could be a strike from any team at any time. In the 30TH minute of the game you watched a play unfold that you just knew right from the start that there was going to be a goal and sure enough on the counter attack there was. The ball would ultimately find the foot of Spanish international Keita Baldé Diao who didn't miss the back of th enet for the very first goal of the game. Well seven minutes later, Hellas Verona would end up tying the game after Icelandic international Emil Hallfreðsson was able to manage a pass to Marquinho who rocketed it past the goalkeeper for the equalizer. Both of the teams would go into halftime tied up at one.

In the second half, the theme of one team getting a go ahead goal followed by an equalizer would continue as both teams were fighting for an advantage. In the 60TH minute, Lazio tried the give and go near the box which would fail ,but Senad Lulić would get his own pass and he beats Rafael for the second Lazio goal. Then nine minutes later, Hellas Verona would get the equalizer after Jacopo Sala was able to pick out the fast Juan Iturbe who rockets it past the Lazio goalkeeper for the equalizer. In the 83RD minute of play, Hellas Verona were the ones who would go out in front on the scoreboard when Hallfreðsson crossed the ball into the box that Luca Toni missed, but Rômulo was waiting in the wings as he essentially scored on an open net. Then in the 92ND minute, the referee would award Lazio a chance to equalize after he unfairly gave Albertazzi Michelangelo a red card for a foul he didn't commit. Miroslav Klose in my opinion went down way too easily, but nevertheless Stefano Mauri was there to take the shot. Mauri would shoot the ball right to the goalkeeper, but he would get his rebound and he didn't miss the back of the net as the game ended tied at 3.

Olhanense Stun FC Porto

I should have titled this article How the mighty have fallen, but I already used it to describe the Manchester United loss yesterday. You see in the Liga Zon Sagres, it's not very rare for a team on the bottom to stun one of the big three as it is a shock in the Barclays Premier League. Anyways, after dropping the Champions League and losses to Sporting CL and a couple of losses to Benfica (Taca De Liga and Taca De Portugal), Porto find themselves in trouble as they traveled to Estadio Jose Arcanjo in Ohlao to take on SC Olhanense in a league match. This match was also one of replacement coaches as Porto was dealing with new boss Luis Castro while Olhanense was on their third manager this season in Italian Giuseppe Galderisi. Porto also find themselves in third place behind the other members of the big three for the first time since 1982 while SC Olhanense find themselves in a relegation playoff situation.

When the match started it looked as if Porto was just going to dominate possession for the whole entire game as they kept most of the possession, but Olhanense started to gain some momentum as time went on. In the 14TH minute of play after a free kick was sent into the box, it would find Danish international Per Kroldrup who get it past Fabiano for the first goal of the game. From that point on, Porto dominated the possession game, but Olhanense never allowed Porto to do anything substantial. Olhanense was constantly on the counter attack and it would pay off in the 66TH minute when Italian international Federico Dionisi was able to get the ball past Fabiano for the second goal of the game. It was a shock to Porto who found themselves down and unable to do anything until the 82ND minute of the game. Porto had a corner kick that was sent in, but it would be deflected out of the box, but Porto's Héctor Herrera rocketed the ball for Porto's first and only goal of the game. After four minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle would blow and Porto found themselves digging a deeper hole for themselves.

Despite Violence Coppa Italia Delivers

Despite the reports of violence outside the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the site of this years Coppa Italia final and the 45 minute delay, the match between Fiorentina and Napoli was amazing. For Rafael Benitez, it was a day of joy as he celebrated his first Coppa Italia win as the boss of Napoli seeing his side finish the game 3 to 1. For Fiorentina, injuries had plagued the team and so the team took the field with no strikers and it was evident for the beginning half of the game as Napoli was dominating the play on the field. Lorenzo Insigne would score his first of two goals right from the get go in the 11TH minute when on the counter attack, captain Marek Hamšík found Insigne wide open. Insigne buried the ball with his left foot into the back of the net and the delay all of sudden seemed a thing of the past. He would score his second goal in the 16TH minute after Gonzalo Higuaín crossed the ball across the whole entire box and it found Insigne's left foot again.

The game wasn't far from over just because Napoli had an early 2 to 0 lead because Fiorentina had a wake up call after the second goal and they started to find momentum. In the 28Th minute of play, Fiorentina made it a game after the ball was lobbied over the whole entire Napoli defense as Juan Vargas was off to the races. When he shot the ball he didn't miss as he beat Pepe Reina to cut the lead in half. For the rest of the game, Fiorentina tried everything they could to get an equalizer, but Napoli's defense was just too good for the team from the north of Rome. It wouldn't matter much as all hopes of a equalizer were thrown out the window in extra time when Belgium international Dries Mertens was able to beat Fiorentina's Neto to secure the 3 to 1 win. My MVP of the game award definitely goes to Lorenzo Insigne who despite only scoring two goals this season in Serie A was able to step up big time when the team needed it the most. This was definitely a battle of two of the top 4 teams in Italy and it was extremely fun to watch.

Gunshots Delay Coppa Italia Game

I was getting ready to watch the Coppa Italia as we speak to only discover that the game had been delayed due to something. I was hearing conflicting reports of bombs or gunshots being fired outside the Stadio Olimpico in Rome as Fiorentina was to take on Napoli in the final. One report that I read according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport was that gunshots were fired by who they believe are Roma Ultra fans against Napoli and Fiorentina fans. Four people were hurt which includes one plain clothes police officer and a Napoli fan (who has now been announced as being murdered). So, the match that was suppsoed to happen at 8PM their time has been delayed. Napoli captain Marek Hamsik was even seen talking to Napoli Ultras to try and resolve the problem from escalating. Hopefully I Will have the Coppa Italia results later for you guys. Stay tuned here for more info as it becomes available to me.

How The Mighty Have Fallen: Sunderland Beats Manchester United

Going into this matchup, Sunderland was facing the possibility of relegation to championship football while Manchester United are trying to save a season and a spot in the Europa League. Sunderland had a won a match at Old Trafford since their win in 1968 and they weren't worried about the legend of Manchester United considering the team had a scored a victory of Chelsea a couple of weeks back. Ryan Giggs took over the fired David Moyes a week ago and came into this game with a victory in hand so you know he was trying to prove to the bosses that he deserves to get the title of manager in the future, but Sunderland had other plans. Manchester played most of the game without any real doggedness and any real form in the game as a lot of their play was sloppy. Juan Mata was a real non-factor in the game as he made lots of poor passes and decisions.

In the 30TH minute of the game, Sunderland had been gaining some momentum and it was their latest hero Connor Wickham was able to create some magic. He had the ball near the corner flag in what seemed to be a play that was going nowhere until he volleyed it into the box and it found the foot of Sebastian Larsson who one timed it past David de Gea for the first and only goal of the game. The rest of the game Manchester United could never muster a real threat against Sunderland as the defense which was led by former Man UTD legend John O'Shea made sure that Man UTD were ineffective in the offensive side of things. Manchester United were actually pretty lucky that things didn't get out of hand because the crossbar was the savior of that team otherwise it would have been 3 to 0 in favor of Sunderland. After the final whistle blew, you had to believe that some stock was bought in Sunderland boss Gus Moyet moving forward. Due to the win, Fulham and Cardiff City were automatically relegated to the second division.

History Does Not Repeat; Juventus and Referee's lose to Benfica

I titled this article the way that I did because this was definitely one of the ugliest games I have ever seen thanks to some very bad refereeing that took place at the Stadio Città del Tricolore in Turin as Benfica visited Juventus in the second leg of their Europa League match. Five yellow cards and three red cards were handed out in a game that English referee Mark Clattenburg let get out of hand. FIFA should review this game because Clattenburg was very inconsistent in all of his calls, but if Juventus is to blame anyone of their exit after the game finished tied at zero it's themselves. At one point, they had five straight offsides calls that could've resulted in five goals, but due to the outstanding defensive play by Benfica catching them with the offsides trap, Benfica is the one moving forward. They talked about the last time these two teams met in such a competitive game with Benfica winning the first leg 2 to 1 in 1993 followed by a loss in Turin, but not today.

As I had said above, it was a very ugly game, but Benfica is one step closer to breaking the curse of Béla Guttmann since 1962 was the last time Benfica won a European championship. Juventus may have controlled 63% of the possession throughout the game, but Benfica's stingy defense were the real story of this game and particularly Luisão who had the match saving moment of the game when he headed away what would've been the game changer. Enzo Pérez was the first Benfica player to get the exit when he received two yellow cards within six minutes of each other and it left Benfica down to ten men for most of the match. Then in the 89TH minute, Mirko Vučinić and Lazar Marković would receive red cards for a bench clearing confrontation. Then one of the most unfortunate things would happen to Benfica as one of their players would catch a Paul Pogba boot to the face that left him bleeding and in the locker rooms. That left Benfica down to nine men, but they weren't worried as they held Juventus through eight minutes of stoppage time with no goals. Benfica will go on to the finals which will be held in Turin as they face the Spanish side of Sevilla.