The Miami Heat have won through to the NBA finals after winning game 5 in Chicago to take the series 4-1. There are plenty of similarities between the progress of the Heat and their opponents, the Dallas Mavericks, in how they made it through their conference play-offs. Both won the series 4-1 after splitting the first two games, both clinched series wins with late rallies, with Dallas inflicting two in a row on Oklahoma City. However, the Heat showed they have plenty of late game tenacity, as they rallied back from a 12 point deficit with just over three minutes remaining to win 83-80.
The Heat outscored the Bulls 26-18 in the last, with all their points coming from the big three. In fact, 69 of 83 on the night came from Wade, James and Bosh, and all of their last 33. Perhaps a reflection of their perceived lack of depth, but just as much a result of having three match-winners on the court. And therein lies the big difference to the Mavericks. While Dirk Nowitzki had a massive series against the Thunder, justifiably winning most of the coverage and the plaudits, there is only one of him. He has some great support, and certainly more depth than the Heat, but the pressure will be intense on the Mavericks as they seek to deal with the triple threat of the Heat. Ultimately, the Bulls were found wanting in that regard, although it didn't help that Derrick Rose shot 9-29 field goals. It was clear by the end of the series that the Bulls were too reliant on Rose to keep pouring in the points, and although Nowitzki is pivotal to Dallas's chances, they also have other scoring options as they have shown throughout the playoffs. Whether they can stoip the big three from scoring more...that is the question.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
NBA: Dallas storm back to take game 5 and series
The Oklahoma City Thunder had done extremely well to stand up and be counted for the first three and a bit quarters, rebounding from their shattering game 4 defeat at home. This time, they hadn't built quite the same cushion, but they led by 8 points in the last and seemed to have enough answers to the Mavericks, with James Harden having an outstanding game in support of Durant and Westbrook. However, once again the Mavericks were able to shut down the Thunder offence in the last five minutes, scoring 14 of the last 18 points to take a 100-96 win and close out the series. Dirk Nowitzki was quieter, but still made crucial baskets, including the three pointer that gave them a late lead, to finish with 26 points, as did Shawn Marion who made some big plays late in the game. The Thunder, who had been so good all night at not turning over the ball, did so repeatedly in the closing minutes as a lack of composure that was evident in game 4's dramatic finale returned to haunt them. And with a few months off now, it will haunt them for a good while yet.
Monday, May 23, 2011
IPL: Australian players disappoint
There weren't too many Australian cricketers who had great Australian summers, and that indifferent form carried over into the IPL. Of 29 Australians who have taken the field, few have had much of an impact on proceedings, and even fewer have done so consistently. The best performer with the bat has been Shaun Marsh, hitting 504 runs at an average of 42, and an impressive strike rate of 146.5. Mike Hussey has done well, hitting 429 at 42.9 and a s/r of 117.5, and Shane Watson had his moments with 330 runs and six wickets. Adam Gilchrist made the only century by an Australian and a couple of fifties, but has been far from dominating, while Dave Warner has struggled for the most part, hitting 324 at 25, with a subdued s/r of 117. Some of the other batsmen have struggled to find runs, and a place, with Cameron White, Callum Ferguson and names likes Blizzard, Finch and David Hussey barely making a mark.
On the bowling side, Shane Warne started the tournament extremely well, and still finished with an economy rate of 6.3 and thirteen wickets to be one of the best. Ryan Harris took 16 wickets but was expensive, while Doug Bollinger took 15 wickets with a mixed bag of performances. Brett Lee and Shaun Tait both disappointed. Brad Hodge finshed with reasonably all-round figures, but was inconsistent with the bat, while James Hopes also had some reasonable performances. Dan Christian too, had his moments, but too few to justify his price tag, while many others had limited game time.
If you had to pick an Australian XI based on form in this tournament, it wouldn't be easy. Two players who would make the cut have retired from international cricket (Gilchrist and Warne) while others seem to have slid out of the selectors' picture (Hodge and Hopes). Watson and Mike Hussey showed their class again, but the next wave offered little encouragement for those hoping for a turn around in Australia's short-term future away from Test cricket. The tour of Zimbabwe may shed some more light on hopes for the Test side, and the teams in both long and shoret forms have just been announced.
On the bowling side, Shane Warne started the tournament extremely well, and still finished with an economy rate of 6.3 and thirteen wickets to be one of the best. Ryan Harris took 16 wickets but was expensive, while Doug Bollinger took 15 wickets with a mixed bag of performances. Brett Lee and Shaun Tait both disappointed. Brad Hodge finshed with reasonably all-round figures, but was inconsistent with the bat, while James Hopes also had some reasonable performances. Dan Christian too, had his moments, but too few to justify his price tag, while many others had limited game time.
If you had to pick an Australian XI based on form in this tournament, it wouldn't be easy. Two players who would make the cut have retired from international cricket (Gilchrist and Warne) while others seem to have slid out of the selectors' picture (Hodge and Hopes). Watson and Mike Hussey showed their class again, but the next wave offered little encouragement for those hoping for a turn around in Australia's short-term future away from Test cricket. The tour of Zimbabwe may shed some more light on hopes for the Test side, and the teams in both long and shoret forms have just been announced.
Australia A one-day squad: Tim Paine (capt), Callum Ferguson (vice-capt), Luke Butterworth, Trent Copeland, James Faulkner, Ben Hilfenhaus, Aaron Finch, Nathan Lyon, Chris Lynn, Nic Maddison, Mitch Marsh, Mitch Starc, Stephen O'Keefe, David Warner.
Australia A four-day squad: Tim Paine (capt), Callum Ferguson (vice-capt), Michael Beer, Luke Butterworth, Trent Copeland, James Faulkner, Ben Hilfenhaus, Usman Khawaja, Jason Krejza, Phillip Hughes, Nic Maddinson, Mitch Marsh, Mitch Starc, David Warner.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - summary of the season's last round here. Shortly after the season closed, Chelsea announced their manager Carlo Ancelotti would be leaving only a season after he won the double in his first season at the club. A mid-season slump put him in a hole, and despite a late title run, speculation was rife that he was on his way out in recent months.
NBA - On Sunday, the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics behind a strong game from Chris Bosh who hit 13 of his last 15 shots to finish with 34 points. On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded from the second game loss to win at Oklahoma City and take a 2-1 series lead. Dirk Nowitzki had an off night, but made some crucial late baskets to help the Mavericks hold off a last quarter surge from the Thunder.
AFL - top sides Geelong and Collingwood showed their class and composure to get home in matches against Carlton and Adelaide respectively. Geelong did it the hard way, withstanding a late shot for goal from Carlton that could have won the game, whereas Collingwood hit the Crows with an eleven goal fourth quarter burst that turned a handy lead for the Crows into a comfortable victory for the 'Pies. Elsewhere, West Coast humiliated the Bulldogs, Richmond surprised the Bombers, the Hawks were far too good for Sydney, the Saints struggled past Melbourne, Fremantle were too good for Port Adelaide, and the Brisbane Lions defeated North by 14 points for their first of the season. That Brisbane should win their first with Jonathan Brown playing his first game in eight weeks was no coincidence as the captain kicked four of their six second half goals.
IPL - Mumbai scored 23 runs in the last over to steal a win over Kolkata, ensuring that Sunday's final two group games would be repeated in the finals this week. Bangalore and Chennai will have a rematch in the qualifier on Tuesday, followed by the eliminator between Mumbai and Kolkata on Wednesday. Bangalore finished top of the points table after Chris Gayle hit an unbeaten 75 off 50 balls to lead them to a comfortable victory over Chennai.
French Open - the clay courts at Roland Garros opened for business on Sunday as the French Open kicked off with a couple of first round upsets. On the men's side, Marin Cilic (19th seed) lost in straight sets to the 99th ranked Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, while on the women's side, the highest seed to lose was 18th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta who went out to Varvara Lepchenko of the USA. Few seeds were in action on the opening day with the highest seeds in action both winning in staright sets - Sam Stosur (8th) and David Ferrer (7th).
EPL - summary of the season's last round here. Shortly after the season closed, Chelsea announced their manager Carlo Ancelotti would be leaving only a season after he won the double in his first season at the club. A mid-season slump put him in a hole, and despite a late title run, speculation was rife that he was on his way out in recent months.
NBA - On Sunday, the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead over the Boston Celtics behind a strong game from Chris Bosh who hit 13 of his last 15 shots to finish with 34 points. On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded from the second game loss to win at Oklahoma City and take a 2-1 series lead. Dirk Nowitzki had an off night, but made some crucial late baskets to help the Mavericks hold off a last quarter surge from the Thunder.
AFL - top sides Geelong and Collingwood showed their class and composure to get home in matches against Carlton and Adelaide respectively. Geelong did it the hard way, withstanding a late shot for goal from Carlton that could have won the game, whereas Collingwood hit the Crows with an eleven goal fourth quarter burst that turned a handy lead for the Crows into a comfortable victory for the 'Pies. Elsewhere, West Coast humiliated the Bulldogs, Richmond surprised the Bombers, the Hawks were far too good for Sydney, the Saints struggled past Melbourne, Fremantle were too good for Port Adelaide, and the Brisbane Lions defeated North by 14 points for their first of the season. That Brisbane should win their first with Jonathan Brown playing his first game in eight weeks was no coincidence as the captain kicked four of their six second half goals.
IPL - Mumbai scored 23 runs in the last over to steal a win over Kolkata, ensuring that Sunday's final two group games would be repeated in the finals this week. Bangalore and Chennai will have a rematch in the qualifier on Tuesday, followed by the eliminator between Mumbai and Kolkata on Wednesday. Bangalore finished top of the points table after Chris Gayle hit an unbeaten 75 off 50 balls to lead them to a comfortable victory over Chennai.
French Open - the clay courts at Roland Garros opened for business on Sunday as the French Open kicked off with a couple of first round upsets. On the men's side, Marin Cilic (19th seed) lost in straight sets to the 99th ranked Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, while on the women's side, the highest seed to lose was 18th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta who went out to Varvara Lepchenko of the USA. Few seeds were in action on the opening day with the highest seeds in action both winning in staright sets - Sam Stosur (8th) and David Ferrer (7th).
EPL: And the losers are...
The final round of the English Premier league season finished in last gasp suvival for Wolves, and disaster for Birmingham and Blackpool as they will join already relegated West Ham in the League Championship next season. With only minutes to go on Sunday, Birmingham looked like they would manage to stay up at the expense of Wolves who were being badly beaten by Blackburn, while Birmingham were level at Tottenham. However, Wolves fought back with two second half goals to only go down 2-3 at home to Blackburn, boosting their goal difference above Birmingham's with the crucial second in the 87th minute. Then Pavluychenko scored a winner in the third minute of injury time for Spurs, and Birmingham's fate was sealed.
Blackpool looked like they might escape as they came back to lead Manchester United 2-1 despite giving up an early goal, but United poured it on in the last half hour to triumph 4-2. Wigan managed to escape the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at Stoke, thanks to Hugo Rodallega's 77th minute winner. Prior to that goal, they looked like they may have gone down narrowly in place of Wolves.
At the other end of the table, Manchester City clinched the last Champion's League automatic spot ahead of Arsenal, with City 2-0 winners at Bolton, while Arsenal twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Fulham. Spurs victory clinched their Europa League place ahead of Liverpool, although Liverpool's loss at Aston Villa made Spurs' victory irrelevant. Thus England's threesome in the Europa League next season will be Spurs, Stoke and relegated Birmingham.
ESPN Soccernet's final table can be seen here.
Blackpool looked like they might escape as they came back to lead Manchester United 2-1 despite giving up an early goal, but United poured it on in the last half hour to triumph 4-2. Wigan managed to escape the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at Stoke, thanks to Hugo Rodallega's 77th minute winner. Prior to that goal, they looked like they may have gone down narrowly in place of Wolves.
At the other end of the table, Manchester City clinched the last Champion's League automatic spot ahead of Arsenal, with City 2-0 winners at Bolton, while Arsenal twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Fulham. Spurs victory clinched their Europa League place ahead of Liverpool, although Liverpool's loss at Aston Villa made Spurs' victory irrelevant. Thus England's threesome in the Europa League next season will be Spurs, Stoke and relegated Birmingham.
ESPN Soccernet's final table can be seen here.
Friday, May 20, 2011
IPL: Shane gives Warne a proper send-off
Maybe it was supposed to be about one last Warne-Tendulkar moment, but the Shane Watson show overtook proceedings as Australia's most important current cricketer took the spotlight from the man who can't be replaced. Mumbai's faltering campaign took another misstep as Watson helped restrict them to 133 from their 20 overs, before leading their successful chase with a scintillating unbeaten 89. Watson returned the stunning figures of 3/19 from his four overs, while Warne finished with a more modest 1/30, even as he dismissed top-scorer Rohit Sharma from a beautifully deceitful stumping with his third-last delivery.
The chase was a procession as Watson blasted his runs from just 47 balls with nine fours and six sixes studding a dominating innings. Supported by Rahul Dravid's unbeaten 43 from 32, the pair put on an unbeaten 134 from just 79 balls as they showed what might have been had Rajasthan not lost their way in the middle stages of the tournament. As it is, they will finish mid-table, outside of the play-offs, although they may yet be joined by Mumbai, as unthinkable as that may seem for a team that dominated the first half of the tournament behind strong performances from Tendulkar and Malinga. If the Kings XI Punjab can beat Deccan tomorrow, Mumbai will need to beat Kolkata in the final match to progress. See the current table here.
The chase was a procession as Watson blasted his runs from just 47 balls with nine fours and six sixes studding a dominating innings. Supported by Rahul Dravid's unbeaten 43 from 32, the pair put on an unbeaten 134 from just 79 balls as they showed what might have been had Rajasthan not lost their way in the middle stages of the tournament. As it is, they will finish mid-table, outside of the play-offs, although they may yet be joined by Mumbai, as unthinkable as that may seem for a team that dominated the first half of the tournament behind strong performances from Tendulkar and Malinga. If the Kings XI Punjab can beat Deccan tomorrow, Mumbai will need to beat Kolkata in the final match to progress. See the current table here.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
EPL: Final Round Preview - What's Still at Stake?
The final round of the English Premier League will be played on Sunday May 22nd, with all games played at 4pm. With the Championship clinched by Manchester United, and the FA Cup headed early to Manchester City, attention for many will have shifted elsewhere. However, there is still much at stake, and not just in the crucial relegation matches.
Final Champion's League automatic qualification - United are first, Chelsea second and the third placed finisher will avoid the qualification to which the fourth placed finisher will be subjected. Manchester City have edged a point in front of Arsenal, although Arsenal have the better goal difference, so Arsenal need to better City's result, while a win for City would seal the deal. Both sides are away to teams safe in mid-table, City at Bolton and Arsenal at Fulham.
Final Europa League place - with the other two spots going to the League Cup winner's Birmingham, and FA Cup runner-up Stoke City (winner Man City already off to UCL), Liverpool and Tottenham will contest for fifth spot in the table and the final place in Europe. Tottenham have edged back in front of Liverpool after their surprise win at Anfield, replicating the Arsenal/Man City position with a one point buffer, but inferior goal difference. Tottenham are at home, but pitted against a desperate for survival Birmingham (see below). Liverpool are away to Aston Villa who are safe from the drop despite a disappointing season.
Relegation - given the Premier League riches at stake, the importance of these games is huge to the clubs involved, if somewhat irrelevant to the vast swathes of fans and observers with eyes focused on Europe and the top of the table teams. West Ham's relegation has been confirmed, but the other two spots are still well and truly open. Wigan and Blackpool are 18th and 19th now, level on 39 points with Birmingham. Goal difference is extremely close (W -22, Bl -21, Bi -20), so theoretically Wigan could still lose and stay up. Wigan are away to Stoke, Blackpool away to Manchester United (gulp) and Birmingham away to Spurs (see above). It's easy to imagine a Wigan draw, with the others losing and being relegated. The other two teams involved are Wolves and Blackburn, only one point higher - and they are meeting, with Wolves at home. A draw could see both relegated if the three below them all won, so there's plenty to play for here as well. Blackburn's goal difference would protect them if they lost and the teams below drew - Wolves don't necessarily have that luxury with a -19 differential.
So five teams will be sweating on the relegation outcome, with nine of the 20 teams having plenty to play for on Sunday. When the dust settles on Sunday, there will be still one Premier League related game to come. Reading and Swansea City will battle at Wembley on May 30th for the final promotion spot, with QPR and Norwich City already promoted. QPR were last relegated from the top flight in 1996, Norwich in 2005, Reading in 2008 and Swansea in 1983.
Final Champion's League automatic qualification - United are first, Chelsea second and the third placed finisher will avoid the qualification to which the fourth placed finisher will be subjected. Manchester City have edged a point in front of Arsenal, although Arsenal have the better goal difference, so Arsenal need to better City's result, while a win for City would seal the deal. Both sides are away to teams safe in mid-table, City at Bolton and Arsenal at Fulham.
Final Europa League place - with the other two spots going to the League Cup winner's Birmingham, and FA Cup runner-up Stoke City (winner Man City already off to UCL), Liverpool and Tottenham will contest for fifth spot in the table and the final place in Europe. Tottenham have edged back in front of Liverpool after their surprise win at Anfield, replicating the Arsenal/Man City position with a one point buffer, but inferior goal difference. Tottenham are at home, but pitted against a desperate for survival Birmingham (see below). Liverpool are away to Aston Villa who are safe from the drop despite a disappointing season.
Relegation - given the Premier League riches at stake, the importance of these games is huge to the clubs involved, if somewhat irrelevant to the vast swathes of fans and observers with eyes focused on Europe and the top of the table teams. West Ham's relegation has been confirmed, but the other two spots are still well and truly open. Wigan and Blackpool are 18th and 19th now, level on 39 points with Birmingham. Goal difference is extremely close (W -22, Bl -21, Bi -20), so theoretically Wigan could still lose and stay up. Wigan are away to Stoke, Blackpool away to Manchester United (gulp) and Birmingham away to Spurs (see above). It's easy to imagine a Wigan draw, with the others losing and being relegated. The other two teams involved are Wolves and Blackburn, only one point higher - and they are meeting, with Wolves at home. A draw could see both relegated if the three below them all won, so there's plenty to play for here as well. Blackburn's goal difference would protect them if they lost and the teams below drew - Wolves don't necessarily have that luxury with a -19 differential.
So five teams will be sweating on the relegation outcome, with nine of the 20 teams having plenty to play for on Sunday. When the dust settles on Sunday, there will be still one Premier League related game to come. Reading and Swansea City will battle at Wembley on May 30th for the final promotion spot, with QPR and Norwich City already promoted. QPR were last relegated from the top flight in 1996, Norwich in 2005, Reading in 2008 and Swansea in 1983.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
IPL: Gilchrist smacks hundred as Punjab crush Bangalore
As for many of the Australians in the IPL4, Adam Gilchrist had been below par in the tournament, but he came alive on Tuesday with a blistering century as Punjab defeated Bangalore by 111 runs. Gilchrist got away very slowly, in fact he was only on two after six overs. Shaun Marsh was also struggling and the pair had a combined six runs off 19 balls at this stage. However, Gilchrist cut losse after hitting his first six in the seventh over, reaching his 50 from 25 balls with his third consecutive six from Langeveldt. Marsh wasn't prepared to take a back seat, hitting van der Wath for thirty in the fifteenth over, as he finished unbeaten on 79. By the time Gilchrist was dismissed for 106 off the penultimate ball of the innings, the pair had added 206 from 96 balls.
Bangalore needed some Chris Gayle fireworks, but he played out a first up maiden to Praveen Kumar, and then departed to his first ball from Ryan Harris. De Villiers was the only Bangalore batsman to reach 20, as the Punjab bowlers routed their opponents. The contest was well and truly over long before De Villiers' dismissal for 34 in the 13th over, as Chawla ripped through the middle order to finish with 4/17, supported by Harris with three wickets.
Bangalore remain top for now, but Chennai and Mumbai could go past them, both with a match in hand now, while Punjab's win keeps up their hopes for a finals berth with their final match against Deccan on Saturday.
Bangalore needed some Chris Gayle fireworks, but he played out a first up maiden to Praveen Kumar, and then departed to his first ball from Ryan Harris. De Villiers was the only Bangalore batsman to reach 20, as the Punjab bowlers routed their opponents. The contest was well and truly over long before De Villiers' dismissal for 34 in the 13th over, as Chawla ripped through the middle order to finish with 4/17, supported by Harris with three wickets.
Bangalore remain top for now, but Chennai and Mumbai could go past them, both with a match in hand now, while Punjab's win keeps up their hopes for a finals berth with their final match against Deccan on Saturday.
NBA: Nowitzki leads Dallas to opening win over Oklahoma City
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a dirk as "a long, straight-bladed dagger". The seven-foot German Dirk Nowitzki is certainly long, and in straight shot after straight shot from the free-throw line on Tuesday night, he knifed the hopes of the Thunder. By the time the game finished, he had put in an NBA playoff record 24 straight free throws - 13 in the third quarter - to finish with 48 points, rarely missing at all with 12 of 15 field goals. Kevin Durant had a stellar gamefor Oklahoma City , hitting 18 of 19 from the line, and finishing with 40 points, but all he could do was keep his side in with a chance. Russell Westbrook had an off-night, hitting only 3 of 15 field goal attempts for the Thunder, whereas Nowitzki had great help from the Dallas bench, with Barea scoring 21 in just 16 minutes of play, while Jason Terry scored 24 points.
Oklahoma rarely looked in the game in the second half, getting as far behind as 16, before an unlikely rally to within 5 points in the last minutes of the game as Dallas briefly went cold. However, they picked things back up when required, with Nowitzki continuing to sink free throws, and they closed out the first game of the conference final 121-112.
Oklahoma rarely looked in the game in the second half, getting as far behind as 16, before an unlikely rally to within 5 points in the last minutes of the game as Dallas briefly went cold. However, they picked things back up when required, with Nowitzki continuing to sink free throws, and they closed out the first game of the conference final 121-112.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - for Saturday's action, see the update here. On Sunday, West Ham became the first relegated side when they went down 3-2 to Wigan in a game they needed to win to stay in with a chance of survival. That they lost after leading 2-0 at half time can't have helped the case of Avram Grant, who was sacked as manager shortly after relegation was confirmed. With one game remaining, Wigan and Blackpool sit in the danger spots, both tied with Birmingham on points, with Wolves and Blackburn just one point ahead. Blackpool and Birmingham have the toughest assignements, away to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively. Spurs still have a lot to play for, after surprising Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday to take a one point lead over the Reds for the Europa League place. Arsenal also have work to do, as Manchester City could overtake them for the automatic qualifying spot for the Champion's League, after the Gunners' loss at home to Aston Villa. (See here for table.)
IPL - the league table in the IPL continued to flatten out as the top teams continued to drop games, and a couple of teams who look finished stayed alive. Mumbai fell to Deccan, despite having a modest total to chase, while Kochi and Punjab kept their faint hopes of qualification alive. See the table here. Elsewhere in cricket, the first test in four months saw the West Indies triumph over Pakistan in a low scoring but gripping encounter. Debutant Devendra Bishoo had a fine match, taking four wickets in the first innings and making two gritty number eleven knocks, although he couldn't replicate his bowling form in the fourth innings. However, captain Darren Sammy took 5/29 and Rampaul again bowled superbly as they both finished with seven wickets apiece for the match.
NBA - Oklahoma City bounced back in game 7 to take the series 4-3 over the Memphis Grizzlies, and will move on to play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Final. Kevin Durant stepped up bigtime for the Thunder, finishing with 39 points. Later on Sunday, the Chicago Bulls withstood a powerful first half from Chris Bosh to eventually subdue the Miami Heat as they took game one of the Eastern Conference final 103-82, with Derrick Rose scoring 28, while Luol Deng scored 21 and kept LeBron James to just 15. Bosh finished with 30, while Wade finished with 18.
AFL - in the possible, if not probable Grand Final preview, Geelong handed Collingwood their first loss since late in the 2010 season in a tense, low-scoring match on Friday night, despite some inaccurate kicking. Halfway through the last quarter the Magpies led by 10, but eventually Geelong snuck home by three points to take top spot on the ladder. Much of the rest of the round went according to script, although West Coast overcame some late key player losses to run down Fremantle in the local derby. Gold Coast got off to a flyer against Adelaide with the first four goals, but the visitors couldn't keep it up and went down eventually by 57 points. Hawthorn continued their improved form, and continued Saint Kilda's woes with a comfortable 30 point win.
EPL - for Saturday's action, see the update here. On Sunday, West Ham became the first relegated side when they went down 3-2 to Wigan in a game they needed to win to stay in with a chance of survival. That they lost after leading 2-0 at half time can't have helped the case of Avram Grant, who was sacked as manager shortly after relegation was confirmed. With one game remaining, Wigan and Blackpool sit in the danger spots, both tied with Birmingham on points, with Wolves and Blackburn just one point ahead. Blackpool and Birmingham have the toughest assignements, away to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively. Spurs still have a lot to play for, after surprising Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday to take a one point lead over the Reds for the Europa League place. Arsenal also have work to do, as Manchester City could overtake them for the automatic qualifying spot for the Champion's League, after the Gunners' loss at home to Aston Villa. (See here for table.)
IPL - the league table in the IPL continued to flatten out as the top teams continued to drop games, and a couple of teams who look finished stayed alive. Mumbai fell to Deccan, despite having a modest total to chase, while Kochi and Punjab kept their faint hopes of qualification alive. See the table here. Elsewhere in cricket, the first test in four months saw the West Indies triumph over Pakistan in a low scoring but gripping encounter. Debutant Devendra Bishoo had a fine match, taking four wickets in the first innings and making two gritty number eleven knocks, although he couldn't replicate his bowling form in the fourth innings. However, captain Darren Sammy took 5/29 and Rampaul again bowled superbly as they both finished with seven wickets apiece for the match.
NBA - Oklahoma City bounced back in game 7 to take the series 4-3 over the Memphis Grizzlies, and will move on to play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Final. Kevin Durant stepped up bigtime for the Thunder, finishing with 39 points. Later on Sunday, the Chicago Bulls withstood a powerful first half from Chris Bosh to eventually subdue the Miami Heat as they took game one of the Eastern Conference final 103-82, with Derrick Rose scoring 28, while Luol Deng scored 21 and kept LeBron James to just 15. Bosh finished with 30, while Wade finished with 18.
AFL - in the possible, if not probable Grand Final preview, Geelong handed Collingwood their first loss since late in the 2010 season in a tense, low-scoring match on Friday night, despite some inaccurate kicking. Halfway through the last quarter the Magpies led by 10, but eventually Geelong snuck home by three points to take top spot on the ladder. Much of the rest of the round went according to script, although West Coast overcame some late key player losses to run down Fremantle in the local derby. Gold Coast got off to a flyer against Adelaide with the first four goals, but the visitors couldn't keep it up and went down eventually by 57 points. Hawthorn continued their improved form, and continued Saint Kilda's woes with a comfortable 30 point win.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The FA Get Lucky: Double Manchester Celebration
Both halves of Manchester were celebrating on Saturday as the Football Association got lucky with their controversial scheduling of the FA Cup final on the same day as Premiership matches. And not just any matches - Manchester united clinched their record 19th title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn. Fortunately for the FA, it was Chelsea who lost their chance to win the title, rather than the 4th placed Manchester City - who started their bid for FA Cup glory only moments after the final whistle at Ewood Park confirmed the title. As Manchester City went on to win their first FA Cup, or any trophy, since 1969, all of Manchester were left celebrating for a change.
However, what was once the glamour day of the English football season, was left with a somewhat of an anti-climactic feel following the earlier Premiership events, although it could have been much worse. Had the final featured say Chelsea and West Ham, it could have seen one finalist miss out on the title, while the other was all but relegated. (Wins for Wolves and Blackpool does spell big trouble for the Hammers). While Wembley's hosting of the Champion's League final was behind this year's FA Cup change, the FA has already foreshadowed a repeat next year due to Euro 2012 scheduling. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before the FA Cup and the League Cup are merged to 'make room' in the schedule. Not too much is sacred these days, and the Champion's League has certainly taken a lot away from the FA Cup.
For what it's worth, Yaya Toure scored the winner in the 73rd minute for City as they defeated Stoke 1-0 in a game they dominated, racking up fourteen shots on goal to just one for Stoke. Earlier in the day, Brett Emerton gave Blackburn the early lead, giving Chelsea some hope, but Wayne Rooney scored a second half penalty to clinch the vital point. Wolves scored a vital 3-1 win at Sunderland, while Blackpool also registered three crucial points with a thrilling 4-3 win over Bolton.
However, what was once the glamour day of the English football season, was left with a somewhat of an anti-climactic feel following the earlier Premiership events, although it could have been much worse. Had the final featured say Chelsea and West Ham, it could have seen one finalist miss out on the title, while the other was all but relegated. (Wins for Wolves and Blackpool does spell big trouble for the Hammers). While Wembley's hosting of the Champion's League final was behind this year's FA Cup change, the FA has already foreshadowed a repeat next year due to Euro 2012 scheduling. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before the FA Cup and the League Cup are merged to 'make room' in the schedule. Not too much is sacred these days, and the Champion's League has certainly taken a lot away from the FA Cup.
For what it's worth, Yaya Toure scored the winner in the 73rd minute for City as they defeated Stoke 1-0 in a game they dominated, racking up fourteen shots on goal to just one for Stoke. Earlier in the day, Brett Emerton gave Blackburn the early lead, giving Chelsea some hope, but Wayne Rooney scored a second half penalty to clinch the vital point. Wolves scored a vital 3-1 win at Sunderland, while Blackpool also registered three crucial points with a thrilling 4-3 win over Bolton.
Friday, May 13, 2011
NBA: Memphis Force Game 7 at Oklahoma City
For the first time in twelve post-season series this year we will have a game 7 after the Memphis Grizzlies were able to shut down Oklahoma City in Memphis. The Thunder could only score 29 in the second half, as Memphis turned a 44-54 half-time deficit into a relatively comfortable 95-83 win. Zach Randolph led the way for the Grizzlies, with 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook had 27 points for the visitors. Game 7 will be played in Oklahoma City on Sunday afternoon, with the winner going on to meet the Dallas Mavericks. In the other Eastern Conference finals, the Chicago Bulls will go in as underdogs against the Miami Heat despite being the top-ranked side. The first game in the series will be played in Chicago on Sunday night.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
EPL: Manchester City Clinch Champion's League Spot, Stoke Rejoice
A year ago, Tottenham forward Peter Crouch scored the goal that put Tottenham into the Champion's League (UCL) at Manchester City's expense. He repeated the goal today, from near the same spot on the City of Manchester Stadium pitch. To Spurs' chagrin, it was a half too early, and it was an own goal that ensured City would finish fourth after they held on to win 1-0. The loss may well condemn Tottenham to miss European football altogether next season, as they may now need to win at Anfield to make fifth spot and its Europa League place.
Manchester City's win was a boost for Stoke ahead of the FA Cup final - now, even as loser of the final, Stoke would be off to the Europa League as City as winner is already in a higher competition. With England giving their second and third Europa League places to the winners of the two knock-out trophies, Birmingham (as winner of the League Cup) and Stoke will be in Europe next season. (At least Stoke will definitely be in the Premier League, Birmingham could yet be relegated.) While the footballing royalty of either Liverpool or Tottenham watch on in frustration, those not so glamorous teams will be battling in the Europa League.
Manchester City's win was a boost for Stoke ahead of the FA Cup final - now, even as loser of the final, Stoke would be off to the Europa League as City as winner is already in a higher competition. With England giving their second and third Europa League places to the winners of the two knock-out trophies, Birmingham (as winner of the League Cup) and Stoke will be in Europe next season. (At least Stoke will definitely be in the Premier League, Birmingham could yet be relegated.) While the footballing royalty of either Liverpool or Tottenham watch on in frustration, those not so glamorous teams will be battling in the Europa League.
Monday, May 9, 2011
NBA: Heat Take 3-1 Lead, Oklahoma Tie Grizzlies 2-2
In two tense overtime games, triple overtime in Memphis, the Miami Heat ran down the Celtics behind a huge performance from the Big Three. LeBron James stepped up with 35 points, as did Chris Bosh (20), while Wade added another 28 points as Miami ultimately prevailed 98-90 with a 12-4 overtime rout. Rajon Rondo played, and had his moments, but wasn't the force he needed to be to keep the Heat at bay.
In Memphis, the home fans had plenty to cheer about early, but the Grizzlies eventually ran out of gas. They lost the third period of overtime 14-4 to go down 133-123, despite big games from Gasol and Randolph as Oklahoma City were able to make the key plays as fatigue set in. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 40, while Kevin Durant scored 35, with six crucial points in triple overtime.
In Memphis, the home fans had plenty to cheer about early, but the Grizzlies eventually ran out of gas. They lost the third period of overtime 14-4 to go down 133-123, despite big games from Gasol and Randolph as Oklahoma City were able to make the key plays as fatigue set in. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 40, while Kevin Durant scored 35, with six crucial points in triple overtime.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - see the update here
IPL - on Sunday, Pune moved off the bottom of the table, to be replaced by the team they defeated as an insipid performance from the Kings Xi Punjab saw them easily defeated. There was nothing insipid about Bangalore's performance against as they restricted Kochi to 124 from their 20 overs before blazing away to reach the target with 41 balls to spare. After Dilshan blasted 20 off the second over, Chris Gayle shoued how it was really done, blasting four sixes and three fours after Parameswaran made the mistake of bowling a no-ball to extend his pain (to 37 from the over). Gayle missed his chance for the fastest IPL 50, falling for 44 off his 16th ball faced, On Saturday, Mumbai put in another strong performance, underlining their credentials as they racked up 178 despite minor contributions from the bat from Tendulkar, Pollard and Symonds. They then put Deccan to the rack quickly in the chase as they reduced the Chargers to 4/7 in the third over including the crucial wickets of Sehwag and Warner. James Hopes put up some resistance, put the result was never really in doubt.In the weekend's other game, Kolkata won a rain affected game against Chennai. Mumbai finish the weekend clearly back in top spot, but little else is clear as the group stage nears its conclusion.
NBA -the favourites continued to struggle over the weekend, as the LA Lakers were sent out in an ugly sweep by Dallas, losing game 4 by 36 points as the Mavericks set the court alight with brilliant 3-point shooting. Chicago went down to Atlanta in game 4 to leave that series tied at 2-2, while the Celtics toughed out a win against the Miami Heat to get back to a 1-2 deficit. Crucial playmaker Rajon Rondo played out the last quarter with a dislocated elbow, raising questions around his input into the remainder of the series. Mmphis continued to surprise, taking a 2-1 lead over Oklahoma City.
NHL - while Tampa Bay and Boston have completed sweeps in their series, the other two series are headed for game 6 as Nashville won 4-3 in Vancouver to stay in it, and Detroit were also able to stay alive with a 4-3 win in game 5 at San Jose
AFL - with Collingwood having the bye, interest was split between their major rivals Geelong, and the first "QClash" between Gold Coast and Brisbane. While Geelong had a predictably comfortable win over North Melbourne aead of next week's blockbuster match up with the Magpies, the Suns stunned the Brisbane Lions with a tenacious eight point win. Bouncing back well after being annihilated by Essendon last weekend, the Suns notched their second win of the season and left the Lions winless, and friendless, on the bottom of the ladder. Hawthorn continued their solid start with a win over Port, Essendon also won well over West Coast, while Adelaide were crunched by Melbourne in another disappointing performance. Sydney had a morale-boosting win over the misfiring Bulldogs, while Richmond continued to improve with a strong win over Fremantle. Carlton and St kilda meet in the final match on Monday.
EPL - see the update here
IPL - on Sunday, Pune moved off the bottom of the table, to be replaced by the team they defeated as an insipid performance from the Kings Xi Punjab saw them easily defeated. There was nothing insipid about Bangalore's performance against as they restricted Kochi to 124 from their 20 overs before blazing away to reach the target with 41 balls to spare. After Dilshan blasted 20 off the second over, Chris Gayle shoued how it was really done, blasting four sixes and three fours after Parameswaran made the mistake of bowling a no-ball to extend his pain (to 37 from the over). Gayle missed his chance for the fastest IPL 50, falling for 44 off his 16th ball faced, On Saturday, Mumbai put in another strong performance, underlining their credentials as they racked up 178 despite minor contributions from the bat from Tendulkar, Pollard and Symonds. They then put Deccan to the rack quickly in the chase as they reduced the Chargers to 4/7 in the third over including the crucial wickets of Sehwag and Warner. James Hopes put up some resistance, put the result was never really in doubt.In the weekend's other game, Kolkata won a rain affected game against Chennai. Mumbai finish the weekend clearly back in top spot, but little else is clear as the group stage nears its conclusion.
NBA -the favourites continued to struggle over the weekend, as the LA Lakers were sent out in an ugly sweep by Dallas, losing game 4 by 36 points as the Mavericks set the court alight with brilliant 3-point shooting. Chicago went down to Atlanta in game 4 to leave that series tied at 2-2, while the Celtics toughed out a win against the Miami Heat to get back to a 1-2 deficit. Crucial playmaker Rajon Rondo played out the last quarter with a dislocated elbow, raising questions around his input into the remainder of the series. Mmphis continued to surprise, taking a 2-1 lead over Oklahoma City.
NHL - while Tampa Bay and Boston have completed sweeps in their series, the other two series are headed for game 6 as Nashville won 4-3 in Vancouver to stay in it, and Detroit were also able to stay alive with a 4-3 win in game 5 at San Jose
AFL - with Collingwood having the bye, interest was split between their major rivals Geelong, and the first "QClash" between Gold Coast and Brisbane. While Geelong had a predictably comfortable win over North Melbourne aead of next week's blockbuster match up with the Magpies, the Suns stunned the Brisbane Lions with a tenacious eight point win. Bouncing back well after being annihilated by Essendon last weekend, the Suns notched their second win of the season and left the Lions winless, and friendless, on the bottom of the ladder. Hawthorn continued their solid start with a win over Port, Essendon also won well over West Coast, while Adelaide were crunched by Melbourne in another disappointing performance. Sydney had a morale-boosting win over the misfiring Bulldogs, while Richmond continued to improve with a strong win over Fremantle. Carlton and St kilda meet in the final match on Monday.
EPL: Manchester United on Brink After Defeating Chelsea
After the disappointment at Arsenal last week reopened the title race in a big way, it all went Manchester United's qay this weekend to leave them all but assured of winning their 19th title. Arsenal fell by the wayside earlier on Sunday when they went down 3-1 at Stoke, and Chelsea gave United a huge boost when their defense was caught napping in the first minute when Hernandez was played through the middle with Luiz and Terry out of position. United were to add a second through Vidic, and Rooney went close a couple of times before Chelsea gradually managed to get into the game. Chelsea were given hope in the second half after Lampard scrambled a goal in the 68th minute, but United ran out deserved winners, and in reality, the scoreline should have been wider than 2-1.
In the battle for the final European places, it seemed like everyone was politely offering the spots to their rivals. First, Manchester City went down 2-1 at Everton on Saturday afternoon, only for Tottenham to stutter to a 1-1 draw at home to Blackpool in the late game. Liverpool now have a huge chance to steal fifth spot from Spurs, while Manchester City should hang on for fourth, although Arsenal's loss does mean that City could steal the third automatic qualification spot.
At the foot of the table, Wolves jumped out of the bottom three with a vital win while Blackpool and Wigan both picked up one point, as did West Ham. However, the Hammer's single point was not really enough, leaving them four points from Wolves in 17th spot. Birmingham and Blackburn risk being dragged down into the melee being only three points ahead of Wigan and Blackpool with two to play.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
AFL: Geelong Break 75-Year Old Record
Geelong continued their great start to the year with a 66-point demolition of North Melbourne, winning their 25th successive home game, and breaking the mark set in the nineteen thirties by Richmond and South Melbourne. They remain unbeaten, joining Collingwood at the top of the table with matching 6-0 records ahead of next week's monster clash on Friday night at the MCG. It might be Friday the 13th, but I don't think too many supporters will be hiding at home for what is shaping up as a possible Grand Final preview.
NHL: Boston Completes Sweep, Detroit Stay Alive
The Boston Bruins made sure they weren't going to suffer last year's "unpleasantness" again, when they put away Philadelphia 5-1 in game four to complete the sweep. No coming back from the dead this year for the Flyers, as Boston joined Tampa Bay in sweeping their opponents in this year's Conference Semis.
Detroit's late winner against San Jose prevented the Sharks from joining the sweep set in what has been a collection of remarkably one-sided series in the Semis. Darren Helms winner with less than two minutes left gave Detroit a 4-3 win, and a chance to get back in the series in game 5, after rallying back from a 0-3 deficit in the first period.
In the remaining match-up, the Vancouver Canucks will look to close out their series against Nashville on Saturday at home in game 5, after taking both games in Nashville during the week.
Detroit's late winner against San Jose prevented the Sharks from joining the sweep set in what has been a collection of remarkably one-sided series in the Semis. Darren Helms winner with less than two minutes left gave Detroit a 4-3 win, and a chance to get back in the series in game 5, after rallying back from a 0-3 deficit in the first period.
In the remaining match-up, the Vancouver Canucks will look to close out their series against Nashville on Saturday at home in game 5, after taking both games in Nashville during the week.
Friday, May 6, 2011
NBA: Lakers Lose Again, Mavericks Up 3-0
Few gave the Dallas Mavericks any chance of winning the series against the LA Lakers, but who would have predicted a sweep for Dallas? Yet, the Mavericks stand one win away from that stunning result after rallying from an eight point deficit in the last quarter to take the third game 98-92. The old warhorse, Dirk Nowitzki, popped in 32 points, and the Mavs had 12 three-pointers to three in the win.
No NBA team has ever come back from 3-0 down. How many teams have tried? 98. How many did it? 0.
At leas the current Lakers team know they won't be the first defending Champion to be on the receiving end of a 40 sweep. The '83 and '89 Lakers went there first...
In the other series, Derrick Rose showed his MVP best, raining in 44 points to take the Chicago Bulls to a 201 lead over the Atlanta Hawks. Coming up on Saturday, the Miami Heat hope to extend their 2-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in Boston, and Memphis host Oklahoma City with the series tied at 1-1.
No NBA team has ever come back from 3-0 down. How many teams have tried? 98. How many did it? 0.
At leas the current Lakers team know they won't be the first defending Champion to be on the receiving end of a 40 sweep. The '83 and '89 Lakers went there first...
In the other series, Derrick Rose showed his MVP best, raining in 44 points to take the Chicago Bulls to a 201 lead over the Atlanta Hawks. Coming up on Saturday, the Miami Heat hope to extend their 2-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in Boston, and Memphis host Oklahoma City with the series tied at 1-1.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
UEL: Manchester United's Chance For Revenge
With one, if not both, eyes on the crucial Premiership match with Chelsea on the weekend, Manchester United rested much of their starting line-up for today's second leg against Schalke 04. Confident that they had done enough in winning 2-0 away, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand weren't even on the bench as Sir Alex Ferguson backed the depth of his squad to have enough on hand to ensure passage through to the Wembley final on May 28th. And so it proved, as United completed a 4-1 victory for an overall 6-1 rout for their over matched opponents.
By the time Schalke had got on the scoreboard, United had already made it 4-0 on aggregate through first half goals from Valencia and Twitter-averse Darron Gibson. Anderson's second-half pair was merely icing on the cake ahead of two huge matches for United, firstly an almost Premiership decider against Chelsea this weekend, with the Champion's League final against Barcelona to come on the 28th. United passed this hurdle without injury or suspension, and can look forward to what might prove one of their greatest seasons. Of course, it might prove to be one of the ugliest if Chelsea sneak a win and Barcelona repeat their triumph from Rome in 2009. It might not have seemed like a good thing at the time, but United's loss to their neighbours in the FA Cup semi-final may well prove a blessing is disguise, as that distraction may have been a bridge too far.
By the time Schalke had got on the scoreboard, United had already made it 4-0 on aggregate through first half goals from Valencia and Twitter-averse Darron Gibson. Anderson's second-half pair was merely icing on the cake ahead of two huge matches for United, firstly an almost Premiership decider against Chelsea this weekend, with the Champion's League final against Barcelona to come on the 28th. United passed this hurdle without injury or suspension, and can look forward to what might prove one of their greatest seasons. Of course, it might prove to be one of the ugliest if Chelsea sneak a win and Barcelona repeat their triumph from Rome in 2009. It might not have seemed like a good thing at the time, but United's loss to their neighbours in the FA Cup semi-final may well prove a blessing is disguise, as that distraction may have been a bridge too far.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
UEL: Barcelona Through to Final
Given the events and the aftermath of last week's highly contentious first leg, it would have been nice if this week's second leg had passed by without contentious decisions, or hearing about them afterwards, but it wasn't to be. After a goalless first half, when Real Madrid were only kept in the tie by some fine goalkeeping from Iker Casillas, the visitors came out in the second half desperate for a goal to give them some hope of overcoming the 2-0 deficit. And after only a minute they had the ball in the back of the net and for a second it looked like game on. However, the referee disallowed the goal by Higuain for a foul by Ronaldo - a decision that looked very harsh.
Within ten minutes Barcelona had the tie sewn up when Iniesta played Pedro through and his finish put Barca up 3-0 on aggregate.Real eventually got back to level pegging on the night when Marcelo scored in the 64th minute, but they rarely looked like troubling the scorer again. All that was left was for Xabi Alonso to blame the refereeing over the two ties for Madrid's demise and proceedings were all wrapped up. Barcelona are on their way to Wembley for a May 28th final with Manchester United, barring a Schalke 04 miracle.
Within ten minutes Barcelona had the tie sewn up when Iniesta played Pedro through and his finish put Barca up 3-0 on aggregate.Real eventually got back to level pegging on the night when Marcelo scored in the 64th minute, but they rarely looked like troubling the scorer again. All that was left was for Xabi Alonso to blame the refereeing over the two ties for Madrid's demise and proceedings were all wrapped up. Barcelona are on their way to Wembley for a May 28th final with Manchester United, barring a Schalke 04 miracle.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Rearview Mirror
If you slept through the weekend, here's what you missed:
EPL - Closer to the end of season, but there was little that got any clearer. Arsenal's 1-0 win over Manchester United through the title race wide open, while Liverpool's win and Tottenham's loss saw Liverpool move ahead of Spurs on goal difference for the last European spot. Spurs do have a game in hand, away to Manchester City, but their chances of sneaking fourth spot look gone with Manchester City's win over West Ham, even if they could win in Manchester, as they must also travel to Anfield. At the bottom of the table, West Ham, Wolves and Wigan occupy the three bottom spots with three to play. Blackpool are the most likely to be dragged down into the mix, and all three of the bottom sides can make it out.
IPL - Mumbai have moved back to the top of the table with a win over Punjab, with Rajasthan sitting in second. Form lines seem to be solidifying as little now, but most teams remain in the running. Pune have lost their last six, having started with two wins, but only four points separate third through ninth spots at the moment.
NBA - the Conference semis are underway, with Dwayne Wade having a huge game as Miami defeated the Celtics in game one. Paul Pierce was harshly ejected from the game, but the Celtics looked unlikely to haul themselves back into it in any case. Memphis continued to surprise with a first up win over Oklahoma City, while the other two series get underway today with Atlanta taking on Chicago and Dallas meeting the LA Lakers.
NHL - the Conference semis are also underway in the NHL, with Tampa Bay up 2-0 over Washington, as are San Jose over Detroit, Vancouver and Nashville split the first two games, while the Boston Bruins won game one in Philadelphia.
AFL - Poor kicking for goal by Collingwood gave the Western Bulldogs a sniff on Sunday, as the Dogs closed a 28 point third quarter deficit down to all square early in the last quarter with five unanswered goals. However, the Pies slammed the cupboard door shut on that bone with eight goals in eighteen minutes to run out 48 point winners. Collingwood continue to have all the answers, seemingly always having another gear to take them away from their oopenents when challenged. Geelong had a bye, so also remain unbeaten, and their round 8 match-up with Collingwood will be keenly anticipated. Elsewhere, Essendon slammed the Gold Coast Suns, Carlton had their first win in Sydney for 18 years, West Coast were too good for Melbourne, Adelaide continued St Kilda's woeful season, North Melbourne had their first win at Port Adelaide's expense, and Richmond kept Brisbane on the bottom of the ladder with their second win.
EPL - Closer to the end of season, but there was little that got any clearer. Arsenal's 1-0 win over Manchester United through the title race wide open, while Liverpool's win and Tottenham's loss saw Liverpool move ahead of Spurs on goal difference for the last European spot. Spurs do have a game in hand, away to Manchester City, but their chances of sneaking fourth spot look gone with Manchester City's win over West Ham, even if they could win in Manchester, as they must also travel to Anfield. At the bottom of the table, West Ham, Wolves and Wigan occupy the three bottom spots with three to play. Blackpool are the most likely to be dragged down into the mix, and all three of the bottom sides can make it out.
IPL - Mumbai have moved back to the top of the table with a win over Punjab, with Rajasthan sitting in second. Form lines seem to be solidifying as little now, but most teams remain in the running. Pune have lost their last six, having started with two wins, but only four points separate third through ninth spots at the moment.
NBA - the Conference semis are underway, with Dwayne Wade having a huge game as Miami defeated the Celtics in game one. Paul Pierce was harshly ejected from the game, but the Celtics looked unlikely to haul themselves back into it in any case. Memphis continued to surprise with a first up win over Oklahoma City, while the other two series get underway today with Atlanta taking on Chicago and Dallas meeting the LA Lakers.
NHL - the Conference semis are also underway in the NHL, with Tampa Bay up 2-0 over Washington, as are San Jose over Detroit, Vancouver and Nashville split the first two games, while the Boston Bruins won game one in Philadelphia.
AFL - Poor kicking for goal by Collingwood gave the Western Bulldogs a sniff on Sunday, as the Dogs closed a 28 point third quarter deficit down to all square early in the last quarter with five unanswered goals. However, the Pies slammed the cupboard door shut on that bone with eight goals in eighteen minutes to run out 48 point winners. Collingwood continue to have all the answers, seemingly always having another gear to take them away from their oopenents when challenged. Geelong had a bye, so also remain unbeaten, and their round 8 match-up with Collingwood will be keenly anticipated. Elsewhere, Essendon slammed the Gold Coast Suns, Carlton had their first win in Sydney for 18 years, West Coast were too good for Melbourne, Adelaide continued St Kilda's woeful season, North Melbourne had their first win at Port Adelaide's expense, and Richmond kept Brisbane on the bottom of the ladder with their second win.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
EPL: Arsenal Achieve Crucial Victory Over United
A rare goal by Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal renewed hope for the title, and Chelsea a huge boost ahead of their trip to Old Trafford next weekend. If Chelsea are able to win, they will pass United at the top on goal difference. Arsenal travel to Stoke, and a win there would leave them three behind the leaders if Chelsea could return Arsenal's favour. United's last two games are at Blackburn and home to Blackpool, while Chelsea finish by hosting Newcastle and a tough last day trip to Everton. Arsenal will play Villa at home and Fulham away.
Ramsey's goal in the 56th minute put pressure on United to seek an equalizer, but despite the injection of Berbatov and even Michael Owen, United were unable to create much in the way of chances, although Owen had possibly valid claims for a penalty just after coming on. However, Arsenal were able to hold on today, something that had proved a challenge in recent weeks, and now, even if United can defeat Chelsea next week, they won't be able to clinch the title.
Ramsey's goal in the 56th minute put pressure on United to seek an equalizer, but despite the injection of Berbatov and even Michael Owen, United were unable to create much in the way of chances, although Owen had possibly valid claims for a penalty just after coming on. However, Arsenal were able to hold on today, something that had proved a challenge in recent weeks, and now, even if United can defeat Chelsea next week, they won't be able to clinch the title.
AFL: Bombers End Gold Coast's Moment in Sun
The joy that the Gold Coast Suns felt in the wake of their shock win over Port Adelaide last weekend was abruptly terminated in the first quarter of this week's match with Essendon. Perhaps that should just read mismatch. Last week's game finished with 15 goals apiece as the Suns snuck home by three points. At quarter time against Essendon, they had already conceded 15 goals, but were yet to register one. The scoreline read Essendon 15.4.94, Gold Coast 0.1.1. The Bombers total of 94 points, and the margin of 93 points were both VFL/AFL records, and the Suns best hope is that next year's new entrants from Greater Western Sydney come across a team in a mood to break it, otherwise they might be wearing that albatross around their necks for some time to come.
Although the Suns won the second quarter by five goals to three, the Bombers renewed their assault after half-time, running out winners by 139 points. With North Melbourne registering their first win on the weekend, only the hapless Brisbane lions are keeping the Suns off the bottom. And who would he Suns happen to play next weekend? All eyes on the Gabba on Saturday night when the Queenslanders go head to head in what could be a wooden spoon decider, although they will meet again in round 21. How thankful are the struggling Adelaide teams that the teams from Rugby territory are in to make them look half-way competent this year.
Although the Suns won the second quarter by five goals to three, the Bombers renewed their assault after half-time, running out winners by 139 points. With North Melbourne registering their first win on the weekend, only the hapless Brisbane lions are keeping the Suns off the bottom. And who would he Suns happen to play next weekend? All eyes on the Gabba on Saturday night when the Queenslanders go head to head in what could be a wooden spoon decider, although they will meet again in round 21. How thankful are the struggling Adelaide teams that the teams from Rugby territory are in to make them look half-way competent this year.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)