Supposedly yesterday was one of the slowest sports news days of the year. True for some, but for me, the world of sports kept on going. Yesterday, the Tour de France continued amid a second doping scandal and the second round of group matches occured in the Superliga. Also, important news emerged from the world of women's soccer which we'll look into a bit later. And today is the start of The Open Championships in golf, the third grand slam event of the year and the first without Tiger Woods.
Olympic Baseball Roster Announced; Softball Team Looks For Complete Dominance in Beijing
We'll go backwards this time and start with our Countdown to Beijing. Yesterday, we looked at the announcers for NBC and today we go back to the stars on the field. The roster for the Olympic baseball team was announced yesterday, with no major leaguers named to the team.
We discussed on Tuesday that major leaguers will not be on the team, and that's for a variety of reason. Olympic baseball coincides with the Major League Baseball season and the run up to the postseason and MLB officials and managers do not want to take the risk of injuring players before the hunt for October begins. Olympic organizers suggested that instead of an All-Star break, MLB could take several days off for the Olympics instead.
Instead, we'll see several minor leaguers represent the United States in their bid for the last baseball gold medal to be given out before it disappears from the Olympic program. There are several standout names here that may be able to match up with the teams from Cuba and Japan. Matt LaPorta is one of them. He is currently an outfielder, but played very well at first base in the Futures Game last Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
Dexter Fowler has dominated the Double-A division of the minor league and has been referred to as a switch-hitter that "has superstar written all over him." One of their best pitching elements is seen in San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg, a pitcher that can throw strikes and throw in the high 90s.
For the complete roster, click here.
For the comments about the roster made during the press conference, click here.
And keeping with the subject of bat-and-ball sports, we take a look at the Olympic Softball Tournament, where again Team USA is the favorite heading into Beijing. Since the sport was introduced at the Atlanta 1996 games, the United States has won every gold medal and faced little competition.
Like the baseball competition, eight teams will compete in a single pool and will play a round robin format. The top 4 teams with the best records from pool play will advance to the semifinals and compete in a knockout format. The winners advance to the gold medal game while the losers will compete for the bronze medal.
The United States had their best performance in Athens, finishing undefeated and scoring 51 runs while only allowing one, which occured in the gold medal game against Australia. The best news going for the United States is that the core group of players that won gold in Athens will remain with the team in Beijing, including Crystl Bustos and Jennie Finch.
If anyone can slow down the United States, it may be either Japan, who boasts a pitcher that threw the first perfect game in Olympic history, or Australia, the silver medalists in Athens who also has an intimidating veteran pitcher in 36-year-old Tanya Harding.
For a complete preview, check out this article from NBCOlympics.com:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/softball/news/newsid=119001.html#softball+what+expect.
USA Women's Soccer Loses Wambach To A Leg Injury
Hopes for a gold medal in Beijing were significantly lowered yesterday when veteran and star-forward Abby Wambach broke her leg after a collision with Brazilian defender Andreia Rosa in an exhibition match held yesterday against Brazil in San Diego. She will be out for three months and will miss next month's Olympic Games. (Click here for story.)
Wambach, who leads the team in goal scoring, still thinks that the United States has the potential to win the gold medal. And that may be true physically. But yesterday's injury lowered expectations and the confidence of many of the younger players on the team who look up to Wambach as a guide and leader. It will be tough for the United States as they will have to learn how to play without Wambach.
They did win the exhibition match by a score of 1-0. However, three of Brazil's top goal scorers, including Marta, did not play in yesterday's exhibition, though they are expected to play with Brazil in the Olympics. The task to defend the gold medal that USA won in Athens will be much tougher to accomplish without Wambach, though they are still expected to get out of the preliminary round with matches against Norway, New Zealand and Japan in the first round. We won't find out until their first match how much Wambach's injury has affect the team. But the outlook isn't very good.
Superliga: New England Revolution and Guadalajara Remain Undefeated
The New England Revolution were able to get away with their second win of the tournament yesterday after being granted a penalty kick in the final moments of their match against Pachuca.
Pachuca is still alive with one win and one loss. Chivas USA is also alive after it's 1-0 win over Santos Laguna, whose second straight loss eliminated them from advancing further in the tournament. On Tuesday, Guadalajara stayed strong with its second win of the tournament over the Houston Dynamo, who stands with one win and one loss after two games. Also in contention is Atlante, who pulled out a 3-2 win over DC United.
As far as the tournament itself, it has been entertaining to watch and hopefully we'll see more people in the stands as we get into the knockout stages. We'll have to see. But I missed soccer since Euro 2008 ended, and this has been a nice fix for my football separation anxiety, especially with the Spanish commentators.
Tour de France update: Britain Has Its Moments While Doping Steals Spotlight
Doping has hit the tour again and has resulted in an entire team from withdrawing from the tour.
It's sad that cyclists haven't learned yet that the sport is going nowhere because of idiots that don't seem to care about anything but winning. What we need to do though is commend the Tour for uncovering these scandals and taking the necessary steps to fix the situation. While the consequences are certainly not positive, there is a reason why cyclists are tested after every stage. It may taint the image of the Tour, but the fact that action is being taken immediately is better than doing nothing at all.
What needs to be done in the future is prevent these incidents from happening, as each scandal that emerges just further ruins the credibility of the race. But I am comforted with the fact that organizers are doing all it can to rid the sport of drug offenders.
Doping has also stolen the spotlight of Britain's Mark Cavendish, who has made history by becoming the first British rider to win three stages of the same tour. The tour has had its moments with views of spectacular mountain climbs and electric sprints to the finish. Despite the recent drug scandals, I'll keep watching the tour. There are still some good guys out there.
The Open Championship: Truly an Open Field
The veterans are struggling while Rocco Mediate has taken the lead in the early round of golf's third major of the year. Mediate was the player who nearly took down Tiger Woods at last month's U.S. Open championship. This time, he doesn't have to fend off Tiger Woods, who is out the rest of the year healing a knee injury that recently underwent surgery.
Mediate is currently -1 after the first round and will be an interesting storyline in a golf tournament that is still new to a world without Tiger Woods. The weather and the course itself could be supporting storylines as the setting has proved to be challenging during today's first round.
For the latest updates and news, visit the offical Open championship website: www.opengolf.com
So now you're up to date on the world in sports. Glad I was able to help. This weekend, we'll talk more golf and also take a look at some of the marquee sports in out countdown to Beijing.
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sun July 13: Superliga and Women's Olympics Soccer Preview
This is mainly a football (soccer) post and since there's a lack of football this July, I'm sure talking about football would be a nice change of pace.
Superliga Well Underway
It's the best club teams from Mexico's Primera Division league against the best club teams from Major League Soccer in the second edition of Superliga, a competition that started last year that seeks to find the best football club in North America.
From the Superliga website, www.superliga2008.com
"SuperLiga™, a premier tournament that pits the best of the United States against the best of Mexico, returns with its second edition to award the heftiest winner’s purse in North American soccer history.
SuperLiga™ will be played between July 12 and August 5, 2008. The tournament will include a group phase and a knockout phase with all games held in U.S. venues. Eight clubs – four each from the top-flight leagues of the United States and Mexico – will vie to determine a singular champion of North America. The club that emerges SuperLiga™ champion will take home $1 million in prize money, the largest purse in North American soccer history.
During the inaugural edition of SuperLiga, CF Pachuca defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy in a dramatic match decided by penalty kicks at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on August 30, 2007. Last summer this new competition between rival soccer nations became an instant hit among millions of soccer fans in Mexico and the United States.
For the 2008 edition of SuperLiga, competitive criteria determined which four teams would represent their respective leagues. From MLS, the four clubs earned berths based on their regular season records from 2007: Supporter’s Shield winner D.C. United, Western Conference champion Chivas USA, MLS Cup 2007 champions Houston Dynamo and MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution. Representing Mexico’s Primera Division are four of the top clubs from the 2007 combined seasons: 2007 Apertura champion Atlante, 11-time Mexican League champion CD Guadalajara, current 2008 Clausura Mexican Primera Division champions Santos Laguna and the 2007 SuperLiga champion Pachuca CF. "
Yesterday was the first day of competition at this year's Superliga, and CD Guadalajara defeated D.C. United by a score of 2-1, while Houston Dynamo defeated Atlante by a score of 4-0. Today, the New England Revolution will face off against Santos Laguna and Chivas USA will face off Pachuca CF. Click here for a full competition schedule. All games will be televised live by spanish-language broadcaster, Telefutura. Check your local listings.
My opinion on the event:
Superliga is a great friendly competition still in its prime that produces many benefits, but at the same time, still needs a couple of small fixes. The tournament is a great development for soccer and improves the game of MLS since its players are playing against some of the best from the Mexican league. Though this may be an odd comparison, the teams from Mexico are doing what the Dream Team did for the sport of basketball in Barcelona at the 1992 Olympics. The level of talent in international play was forced upwards after the USA dominated those Olympics and several Olympics afterwards. Here, the Mexican league is improving the game of soccer in the United States.
But Superliga still needs more exposure. Although we hate hearing American commentators talk soccer, I feel the English language commentary is necessary to expose the game. Maybe if ESPN or Fox Soccer Channel hires commentators who can both speak English and are familiar with the Mexican teams and the MLS teams, Superliga can produce the same result that UEFA Euro 2008 did here in the U.S. And with little going on in the soccer world, this tournament has a big opportunity to shine in the spotlight.
It will be interesting to see how much talent and hype this tournament will produce and if anyone will buy into it. Only two years old, Superliga is progressing rapidly into a popular tournament. But can it be an annual summer hit? We'll have to see. Meanwhile, check out this column from ESPN which gives a more accurate preview on the tournament and the teams playing:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=554481&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901.
Women's Olympic Soccer Preview
Earlier today, the United States women's soccer team faced Brazil in a pre-Olympic warm-up match as well as a rematch of last year's semifinal in the FIFA Women's World Cup in China. In that semifinal, Brazil outplayed the U.S. to a 4-0 final score, with Marta Vieira da Silva scoring two goals in that game. She ended up being the leader of the tournament with 7 total goals.
Brazil eventually lost to Germany in the final of the World Cup, 2-0. In today's 1-0 loss against the United States, Brazil was playing without Marta and Christiane Rozeira de Souza Silva, their two best attackers. Both are currently fulfilling European club duties but are expected to join Brazil at the Olympics. But it was obvious that without their attackers, Brazil wasn't able to play at their usual aggressive level. In their North American tour, Brazil tied with Canada 1-1 earlier last week.
But at full strength, Brazil can be a monster team. Meanwhile, the United States they'll have to do a little more offensively to capture their second consecutive gold medal in Beijing. The U.S. is expected to get out of the group stage, where they will face New Zealand, Japan, are their arch-rival Norway, who poses the U.S.'s biggest challenge in the Olympics. But the Norwegians aren't as strong as they were back in the late '90s when they captured the 1995 World Cup title and the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal. The Americans defeated the Norwegians on their home soil by a score of 4-0, where four different players scored from the U.S. in the second half, including veteran Abby Wambach.
The toughest group in the draw at the Olympics is group B, where Germany, Brazil and the North Korean football teams are in the same group. North Korea could be a threat after they tied the United States, defeated Nigeria and loss to Sweden in last year's World Cup. They lost to Germany, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. All three teams are expected to advance, since the top two from each of the three groups advance, as well as the two best third-place teams. But it will surely be a huge battle for the top 2 spots in group B, and if Nigeria, the fourth team in the group, can upset any of the other teams, then Group B will surely be in chaos.
Host nation China is expected to advance easily from group A, which includes Sweden, Argentina and Canada. If the Argentines work as hard as their male equivalents do, then expect them to advance. But if they give the same effort that they did in last year's World Cup, then don't expect them to get anywhere. They only scored one goal while allowing 17, including 11 against Germany.
In that case, expect Sweden and Canada to battle it out for the second spot in the group. Both teams produced similar performances last year in China and placed third in their respective groups. Canada has a lot of youth in their team, with 13 of the 21 players on the roster aged 25 and younger, including Christine Sinclair, a 25-year-old veteran and captain that has scored 92 international goals for Canada.
Once we get into the knockout round, it's anyone's guess and who can take the gold. Predictions would be made on how well they play in the group stage. Brazil and Germany are consistent, but the United States always remains a threat. It's hard to tell now who can take the gold so we'll have to wait until the tournament is underway to start making predictions.
The women's soccer tournament in Beijing is the first event to get underway at the Olympics. Competition starts on Wed, August 6, two days before the opening ceremony. NBC will have coverage of team USA throughout the tournament and NBC's Olympic Soccer channel will keep you covered. Coverage of Team USA begins on Wednesday morning on MSNBC against Norway at 7:45AM. For more on the women's team, visit: http://ussoccer.com/teams/womens/index.jsp.html.
Other notes...
Tomorrow we will preview the Home Run Derby as part of the All-Star Game festivities here in New York. We'll also recap the first week of Tour de France action and preview the men's football tournament.
Brazil did lose to the United States today in women's soccer. For more info, click here. Brazil will face the U.S. again on Wednesday night from San Diego. Catch the game on Fox Soccer Channel and check your local listings.
I'm sorry with these recent late posts, weekends are usually busy for me as it may be for you. I'll try my best this week to get it in earlier. Thanks for continuing to read!!!
Superliga Well Underway
It's the best club teams from Mexico's Primera Division league against the best club teams from Major League Soccer in the second edition of Superliga, a competition that started last year that seeks to find the best football club in North America.
From the Superliga website, www.superliga2008.com
"SuperLiga™, a premier tournament that pits the best of the United States against the best of Mexico, returns with its second edition to award the heftiest winner’s purse in North American soccer history.
SuperLiga™ will be played between July 12 and August 5, 2008. The tournament will include a group phase and a knockout phase with all games held in U.S. venues. Eight clubs – four each from the top-flight leagues of the United States and Mexico – will vie to determine a singular champion of North America. The club that emerges SuperLiga™ champion will take home $1 million in prize money, the largest purse in North American soccer history.
During the inaugural edition of SuperLiga, CF Pachuca defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy in a dramatic match decided by penalty kicks at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on August 30, 2007. Last summer this new competition between rival soccer nations became an instant hit among millions of soccer fans in Mexico and the United States.
For the 2008 edition of SuperLiga, competitive criteria determined which four teams would represent their respective leagues. From MLS, the four clubs earned berths based on their regular season records from 2007: Supporter’s Shield winner D.C. United, Western Conference champion Chivas USA, MLS Cup 2007 champions Houston Dynamo and MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution. Representing Mexico’s Primera Division are four of the top clubs from the 2007 combined seasons: 2007 Apertura champion Atlante, 11-time Mexican League champion CD Guadalajara, current 2008 Clausura Mexican Primera Division champions Santos Laguna and the 2007 SuperLiga champion Pachuca CF. "
Yesterday was the first day of competition at this year's Superliga, and CD Guadalajara defeated D.C. United by a score of 2-1, while Houston Dynamo defeated Atlante by a score of 4-0. Today, the New England Revolution will face off against Santos Laguna and Chivas USA will face off Pachuca CF. Click here for a full competition schedule. All games will be televised live by spanish-language broadcaster, Telefutura. Check your local listings.
My opinion on the event:
Superliga is a great friendly competition still in its prime that produces many benefits, but at the same time, still needs a couple of small fixes. The tournament is a great development for soccer and improves the game of MLS since its players are playing against some of the best from the Mexican league. Though this may be an odd comparison, the teams from Mexico are doing what the Dream Team did for the sport of basketball in Barcelona at the 1992 Olympics. The level of talent in international play was forced upwards after the USA dominated those Olympics and several Olympics afterwards. Here, the Mexican league is improving the game of soccer in the United States.
But Superliga still needs more exposure. Although we hate hearing American commentators talk soccer, I feel the English language commentary is necessary to expose the game. Maybe if ESPN or Fox Soccer Channel hires commentators who can both speak English and are familiar with the Mexican teams and the MLS teams, Superliga can produce the same result that UEFA Euro 2008 did here in the U.S. And with little going on in the soccer world, this tournament has a big opportunity to shine in the spotlight.
It will be interesting to see how much talent and hype this tournament will produce and if anyone will buy into it. Only two years old, Superliga is progressing rapidly into a popular tournament. But can it be an annual summer hit? We'll have to see. Meanwhile, check out this column from ESPN which gives a more accurate preview on the tournament and the teams playing:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=554481&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901.
Women's Olympic Soccer Preview
Earlier today, the United States women's soccer team faced Brazil in a pre-Olympic warm-up match as well as a rematch of last year's semifinal in the FIFA Women's World Cup in China. In that semifinal, Brazil outplayed the U.S. to a 4-0 final score, with Marta Vieira da Silva scoring two goals in that game. She ended up being the leader of the tournament with 7 total goals.
Brazil eventually lost to Germany in the final of the World Cup, 2-0. In today's 1-0 loss against the United States, Brazil was playing without Marta and Christiane Rozeira de Souza Silva, their two best attackers. Both are currently fulfilling European club duties but are expected to join Brazil at the Olympics. But it was obvious that without their attackers, Brazil wasn't able to play at their usual aggressive level. In their North American tour, Brazil tied with Canada 1-1 earlier last week.
But at full strength, Brazil can be a monster team. Meanwhile, the United States they'll have to do a little more offensively to capture their second consecutive gold medal in Beijing. The U.S. is expected to get out of the group stage, where they will face New Zealand, Japan, are their arch-rival Norway, who poses the U.S.'s biggest challenge in the Olympics. But the Norwegians aren't as strong as they were back in the late '90s when they captured the 1995 World Cup title and the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal. The Americans defeated the Norwegians on their home soil by a score of 4-0, where four different players scored from the U.S. in the second half, including veteran Abby Wambach.
The toughest group in the draw at the Olympics is group B, where Germany, Brazil and the North Korean football teams are in the same group. North Korea could be a threat after they tied the United States, defeated Nigeria and loss to Sweden in last year's World Cup. They lost to Germany, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. All three teams are expected to advance, since the top two from each of the three groups advance, as well as the two best third-place teams. But it will surely be a huge battle for the top 2 spots in group B, and if Nigeria, the fourth team in the group, can upset any of the other teams, then Group B will surely be in chaos.
Host nation China is expected to advance easily from group A, which includes Sweden, Argentina and Canada. If the Argentines work as hard as their male equivalents do, then expect them to advance. But if they give the same effort that they did in last year's World Cup, then don't expect them to get anywhere. They only scored one goal while allowing 17, including 11 against Germany.
In that case, expect Sweden and Canada to battle it out for the second spot in the group. Both teams produced similar performances last year in China and placed third in their respective groups. Canada has a lot of youth in their team, with 13 of the 21 players on the roster aged 25 and younger, including Christine Sinclair, a 25-year-old veteran and captain that has scored 92 international goals for Canada.
Once we get into the knockout round, it's anyone's guess and who can take the gold. Predictions would be made on how well they play in the group stage. Brazil and Germany are consistent, but the United States always remains a threat. It's hard to tell now who can take the gold so we'll have to wait until the tournament is underway to start making predictions.
The women's soccer tournament in Beijing is the first event to get underway at the Olympics. Competition starts on Wed, August 6, two days before the opening ceremony. NBC will have coverage of team USA throughout the tournament and NBC's Olympic Soccer channel will keep you covered. Coverage of Team USA begins on Wednesday morning on MSNBC against Norway at 7:45AM. For more on the women's team, visit: http://ussoccer.com/teams/womens/index.jsp.html.
Other notes...
Tomorrow we will preview the Home Run Derby as part of the All-Star Game festivities here in New York. We'll also recap the first week of Tour de France action and preview the men's football tournament.
Brazil did lose to the United States today in women's soccer. For more info, click here. Brazil will face the U.S. again on Wednesday night from San Diego. Catch the game on Fox Soccer Channel and check your local listings.
I'm sorry with these recent late posts, weekends are usually busy for me as it may be for you. I'll try my best this week to get it in earlier. Thanks for continuing to read!!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Wed July 2: Introducing "WHAT UP, Media?!"
One of my favorite things to look at is how the media, namely television and the internet, tackle giving fans what they want: live sports. Today I introduce to you a new weekly feature to this blog: "WHAT UP, Media?!" Here, I discuss several issues in sports media, like television coverage, the job of commentators and analysts, and internet video.
This week, we take a look back at ESPN's coverage of EURO 2008 and how it impacted the game here in the United States.
ESPN Continues Success with Soccer
With the exception of that semifinal game between Germany and Turkey where the signal was lost several times in the second half, ESPN should give themselves a pat on the back for their wall-to-wall coverage of this soccer tournament. The Walt Disney owned network did its best to give fans what they want: live soccer. They made Euro 2008 the most accessible European soccer championship ever with live coverage not only on its broadcast networks, but also online via ESPN360.com. They also provided convenient replays and a highlights show. The development was most apparent when the tournament became the top story on several editions of Sportscenter.
I was also glad to see that ESPN used actual soccer commentators and not Dave O'Brien, who was the main play-by-play guy for the 2006 World Cup. Sorry but for European soccer, its crucial to have an announcer that 1) comes from Europe and 2) know something about the European side of the game. Though they broadcasted from their studios in Bristol, Connecticut and not from the stadium itself, having commentators like Andy Gray and Adrian Healey made watching the game more exciting and fresh.
The exposure of European soccer in the United States did something that MLS will unlikely be able to do for a long time. Broadcasting EURO 2008 brought the world's best soccer into the homes of fans who are more used to watching baseball and American football. Here in New York, it allowed immigrant families to cheer for their home country. I remember when Greece won in 2004 how excited and motivated fans in Astoria, Queens were. But in 2004, matches were only available live via pay-per-view.
ESPN plans to broadcast more live international soccer games, including next year's FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. For the majority of June, it was nice to have something to watch in the office rather than do work. And surely, soccer in the United States has more of a chance of becoming a major sport. The increased exposure may inspire more fans and kids to get into the game of soccer, which would help USA get more in touch with the rest of the world.
Copa Libertadores Final (2nd Leg) Tonight: Fox Sports en Espanol, 8:30PM EDT
Taking a look at some of the important world events happening in sports, we stay with the soccer theme as we look to tonight's Copa Libertadores Final from Maracana Stadium in Brazil.
Liga de Quito (from Ecuador) has a 4-2 lead over Fluminense (from Brazil) after last week's leg in Ecuador. Fluminense will have the crowd behind them though and Brazilian crowds can be very supportive. Fluminense only has to score two goals to equalize the final and sent the game into PKs. I personally think that Fluminense has the power to score more than two goals.
Both sides are looking for their first ever Copa in team history and a win for Ecuador would boost the confidence of a nation that has sent a national team to the last two World Cups. For more of a preview, check out these two articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/sports/soccer/01soccer.html?em&ex=1215144000&en=98fe9a40f36b665f&ei=5087%0A
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=759205
Williams Sisters Closer to Final at Wimbledon
Both Serena and Venus Williams advanced to the semifinal round, joining Elena Dementieva and Jie Zheng, the surprise semifinalist from China who defeated Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals. Today the men play their quarterfinal matches and the semifinals will be played on Thursday and Friday.
For the latest updates, log on to: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html
Natalie Coughlin Breaks More Records at Trials
Seems like you're not a well known swimmer unless you a break a world record. Well at the Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, they seem to be getting broken everyday, especially by Natalie Coughlin. Yesterday, she broke her own world record in the 100m backstroke with a time of 58.97. She broke it a day earlier with a 59.03, two minutes after Hayley McGregory broke the previous world record also set by Coughlin.
Expect more records to fall tonight as the women race in the final of the 200m freestyle and the 200m Individual Medley. The men race in the 200m Butterfly. Coverage starts at 8PM tonight on USA Network.
Tomorrow...
We'll take a look at tonight's Copa Libertadores final and also take a look at other nations' Olympic Trials. We'll also preview the 4th of July weekend in sports. See you then.
This week, we take a look back at ESPN's coverage of EURO 2008 and how it impacted the game here in the United States.
ESPN Continues Success with Soccer
With the exception of that semifinal game between Germany and Turkey where the signal was lost several times in the second half, ESPN should give themselves a pat on the back for their wall-to-wall coverage of this soccer tournament. The Walt Disney owned network did its best to give fans what they want: live soccer. They made Euro 2008 the most accessible European soccer championship ever with live coverage not only on its broadcast networks, but also online via ESPN360.com. They also provided convenient replays and a highlights show. The development was most apparent when the tournament became the top story on several editions of Sportscenter.
I was also glad to see that ESPN used actual soccer commentators and not Dave O'Brien, who was the main play-by-play guy for the 2006 World Cup. Sorry but for European soccer, its crucial to have an announcer that 1) comes from Europe and 2) know something about the European side of the game. Though they broadcasted from their studios in Bristol, Connecticut and not from the stadium itself, having commentators like Andy Gray and Adrian Healey made watching the game more exciting and fresh.
The exposure of European soccer in the United States did something that MLS will unlikely be able to do for a long time. Broadcasting EURO 2008 brought the world's best soccer into the homes of fans who are more used to watching baseball and American football. Here in New York, it allowed immigrant families to cheer for their home country. I remember when Greece won in 2004 how excited and motivated fans in Astoria, Queens were. But in 2004, matches were only available live via pay-per-view.
ESPN plans to broadcast more live international soccer games, including next year's FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. For the majority of June, it was nice to have something to watch in the office rather than do work. And surely, soccer in the United States has more of a chance of becoming a major sport. The increased exposure may inspire more fans and kids to get into the game of soccer, which would help USA get more in touch with the rest of the world.
Copa Libertadores Final (2nd Leg) Tonight: Fox Sports en Espanol, 8:30PM EDT
Taking a look at some of the important world events happening in sports, we stay with the soccer theme as we look to tonight's Copa Libertadores Final from Maracana Stadium in Brazil.
Liga de Quito (from Ecuador) has a 4-2 lead over Fluminense (from Brazil) after last week's leg in Ecuador. Fluminense will have the crowd behind them though and Brazilian crowds can be very supportive. Fluminense only has to score two goals to equalize the final and sent the game into PKs. I personally think that Fluminense has the power to score more than two goals.
Both sides are looking for their first ever Copa in team history and a win for Ecuador would boost the confidence of a nation that has sent a national team to the last two World Cups. For more of a preview, check out these two articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/sports/soccer/01soccer.html?em&ex=1215144000&en=98fe9a40f36b665f&ei=5087%0A
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=759205
Williams Sisters Closer to Final at Wimbledon
Both Serena and Venus Williams advanced to the semifinal round, joining Elena Dementieva and Jie Zheng, the surprise semifinalist from China who defeated Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals. Today the men play their quarterfinal matches and the semifinals will be played on Thursday and Friday.
For the latest updates, log on to: http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html
Natalie Coughlin Breaks More Records at Trials
Seems like you're not a well known swimmer unless you a break a world record. Well at the Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska, they seem to be getting broken everyday, especially by Natalie Coughlin. Yesterday, she broke her own world record in the 100m backstroke with a time of 58.97. She broke it a day earlier with a 59.03, two minutes after Hayley McGregory broke the previous world record also set by Coughlin.
Expect more records to fall tonight as the women race in the final of the 200m freestyle and the 200m Individual Medley. The men race in the 200m Butterfly. Coverage starts at 8PM tonight on USA Network.
Tomorrow...
We'll take a look at tonight's Copa Libertadores final and also take a look at other nations' Olympic Trials. We'll also preview the 4th of July weekend in sports. See you then.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Tuesday July 1: Andy Murray, an Oregon Sweep, and introducing "Sports Pic of the Week"
So I realize that actual news organizations do a better job in telling the story than I do, since all I do is watch sports on TV or read about it. I've decided to let them tell you the story and my job thus will be exposing and introducing you to the top sports stories that I think will be of interest to you, sports fans.
Here's the update for Tuesday, July 1, 2008:
Hip-hip! MURRAY! Hip-Hip! MURRAY!
The round of 16 at Wimbledon always seems to provide great drama, especially when you have a British player fighting for a spot in the next round. If any of you saw the excitement and emotion that yesterday's Rd of 16 match between Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet provided, you'd understand why I love sports. Of course, this passion would be better understood if you had been at Centre Court yourself (not that I was).
But to comeback from two sets down and win a crucial tiebreaker in the third set and dominate the last two, that already gives any sports fans a thrill. Mix in the fact that a male UK player has not won Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 and you've got an entire nation biting their finger nails. It's always a sight to see when a British player (in Murray's case, Scottish) to get closer to becoming a Wimbledon champion. The crowd is always yelling, cheering, praying, saying rubbish, and Murray was the conductor of that loud orchestra.
For more on his great win, BBC has you covered:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7482226.stm
Murray will next face Rafael Nadal and Murray feels very confident that he can win the title. We'll have to see about that on Wednesday when the gentlemen's quarterfinals take place.
From Oregon, An Oregon Trio Will Go To Beijing
If you stayed up to watch the Olympic Trials on USA Network, then you might have caught a very interesting race in Men's 800 meter final.
The 800 meters is always interesting because its not too fast, like the 100m, but its not as long as the 5000 or 10000m. There's time for strategy, but you have to think quickly. The most important rule, however: Don't ever get boxed in! Because then you're stuck between the runner in front and behind you and the other runners that are alongside of you. How can you make a move?
Well for Nick Symmonds, Andrew Wheating and Christian Smith, they all made their move and will be moving on to Beijing. And for the hundreds of people watching at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, they couldn't have been more proud. Nick Symmonds and Christian Smith run for the Oregon Track Club while Andrew Wheating, who came around the outside and kicked past the rest of the field to place second in the final, just completed his sophomore year at the University of Oregon.
Who better to learn more from than an Oregon news source:
http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/index.ssf/2008/06/three_cheers.html
Introducing "Sports Pic of the Week"
So by Tuesday, the sports week is usually over (a sports week usually starts on a Wednesday or Thursday and lasts through the top sports events of the weekend and ends with like Monday night football or something) and its time to look back at what has been a fantastic week (or weekend) in sports. One way of doing that is by looking at pictures. We spend all weekend watching TV anyway, so why not take one specific moment and have it last longer.
Thus, we welcome a new addition to NOW Sports Daily. Here's my pick for "Sports Pic of the Week":
This is what happens when you win a football (sorry, soccer) tournament for your country. An entire nation celebrates. This kind of celebration kinda gives the Giants Super Bowl Victory Parade a run for its money (though I think a parade is better):
MADRID, SPAIN - JUNE 30: The Spanish team celebrate with fans at Plaza Colon after winning the UEFA EURO 2008 Final match between Germany and Spain 2008 on June 30, 2008 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Pic of the Week is going to be a regular thing so if you think there's a sports pic out there that you'd like to nominate as a pic of the week, then please send me a suggestion.
So that's today's blog update. Tomorrow we'll cover more from Wimbledon, the Olympic Trials and also preview soccer's annual South American Super Bowl, the Copa Libertadores Final. See you then.
Here's the update for Tuesday, July 1, 2008:
Hip-hip! MURRAY! Hip-Hip! MURRAY!
The round of 16 at Wimbledon always seems to provide great drama, especially when you have a British player fighting for a spot in the next round. If any of you saw the excitement and emotion that yesterday's Rd of 16 match between Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet provided, you'd understand why I love sports. Of course, this passion would be better understood if you had been at Centre Court yourself (not that I was).
But to comeback from two sets down and win a crucial tiebreaker in the third set and dominate the last two, that already gives any sports fans a thrill. Mix in the fact that a male UK player has not won Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 and you've got an entire nation biting their finger nails. It's always a sight to see when a British player (in Murray's case, Scottish) to get closer to becoming a Wimbledon champion. The crowd is always yelling, cheering, praying, saying rubbish, and Murray was the conductor of that loud orchestra.
For more on his great win, BBC has you covered:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/7482226.stm
Murray will next face Rafael Nadal and Murray feels very confident that he can win the title. We'll have to see about that on Wednesday when the gentlemen's quarterfinals take place.
From Oregon, An Oregon Trio Will Go To Beijing
If you stayed up to watch the Olympic Trials on USA Network, then you might have caught a very interesting race in Men's 800 meter final.
The 800 meters is always interesting because its not too fast, like the 100m, but its not as long as the 5000 or 10000m. There's time for strategy, but you have to think quickly. The most important rule, however: Don't ever get boxed in! Because then you're stuck between the runner in front and behind you and the other runners that are alongside of you. How can you make a move?
Well for Nick Symmonds, Andrew Wheating and Christian Smith, they all made their move and will be moving on to Beijing. And for the hundreds of people watching at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, they couldn't have been more proud. Nick Symmonds and Christian Smith run for the Oregon Track Club while Andrew Wheating, who came around the outside and kicked past the rest of the field to place second in the final, just completed his sophomore year at the University of Oregon.
Who better to learn more from than an Oregon news source:
http://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/index.ssf/2008/06/three_cheers.html
Introducing "Sports Pic of the Week"
So by Tuesday, the sports week is usually over (a sports week usually starts on a Wednesday or Thursday and lasts through the top sports events of the weekend and ends with like Monday night football or something) and its time to look back at what has been a fantastic week (or weekend) in sports. One way of doing that is by looking at pictures. We spend all weekend watching TV anyway, so why not take one specific moment and have it last longer.
Thus, we welcome a new addition to NOW Sports Daily. Here's my pick for "Sports Pic of the Week":
This is what happens when you win a football (sorry, soccer) tournament for your country. An entire nation celebrates. This kind of celebration kinda gives the Giants Super Bowl Victory Parade a run for its money (though I think a parade is better):
MADRID, SPAIN - JUNE 30: The Spanish team celebrate with fans at Plaza Colon after winning the UEFA EURO 2008 Final match between Germany and Spain 2008 on June 30, 2008 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Pic of the Week is going to be a regular thing so if you think there's a sports pic out there that you'd like to nominate as a pic of the week, then please send me a suggestion.
So that's today's blog update. Tomorrow we'll cover more from Wimbledon, the Olympic Trials and also preview soccer's annual South American Super Bowl, the Copa Libertadores Final. See you then.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The New Age of World Sports Begins Now - First Post: U.S. Olympic team and The Championships, Wimbledon
"NOW Sports" News Begins now, welcome to the first of hopefully many editions (aka blog postings) that will inform all of you on the latest issues and sporting events going on around the world.
The Championships, Wimbledon
A typical Day 1 from the All-England Club as Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic advanced relatively easily into the second round.
Roger Federer def. Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Serena Williams def. Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3
Ana Ivanovic def. Rossana de los Rios 6-1, 6-2
The first round always seems to be a formality at the grand slams and the only headlines that are made are either huge first round upsets or the fashion that the big names are wearing. Serena Williams fashioned a trench coat that would have been useful had the usual London rainy weather been present at the Championships. Still, the attire was very noticable under the bright sunshine that led to a rather normal day of play at the All-England Club.
The only upset was that of David Nalbandian, who lost to Frank Dancevic of Canada in straight sets. Nalbandian made the final back in 2002 and lost to Lleyton Hewitt, who struggled into the second round on Monday, beating Robin Hasse in five sets.
Today's matches feature defending ladies-champion Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal. My pick to watch is Roddick's opening match, since it has been awhile since he's made it to the semifinals of this grand slam, which used to be his favorite until Roger Federer dominated this tournament for the past five years. Roddick along with James Blake are relatively the only two Americans that has a chance of going very far and possibly winning the tournament if the stars can align in the right away. Blake is also playing today, he'll be last out on Court 2, often known as the graveyard court.
The British will have plenty to root for today. Venus Williams is taking on a British qualifier, Naomi Cavaday. I guarantee that any point that Cavaday can win today over Venus Williams will be greeted by the Brits. But most of the United Kingdom will look at Andy Murray, who plays Fabrice Santoro later today on centre court. Santoro may be a challenger to Murray since he often gives his opponents a long run that may make it not so easy for the Scottish player. But he relatively has an easy road, other than the seeded player Tommy Robredo that he may face in the third round, into the second week here at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon coverage is already underway on ESPN2 so tune in when you can today, coverage is also available on ESPN360.com and on Wimbledon LIVE.
U.S. Olympic Team
Some of the mystery regarding who will represent TEAM USA in the Beijing Olympics was revealed on Monday, specifically regarding the basketball, soccer and gymnastics teams.
Kobe Bryant will try for a gold medal after losing in the NBA Finals with his LA Lakers. He joins LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. In total, 12 NBA players were chosen from a pool of 33. From the looks of the present roster, it looks like the United States may have a good shot at capturing the gold medal this year after only capturing the bronze medal in Athens four years ago.
2008 U.S. Olympic Basketball team roster:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/teamusa/meettheteam/newsid=122405.html#meet+team.
In gymnastics, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin were guaranteed spots on the Olympic team after their performance at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia this past weekend. The rest of the contenders will go to an Olympic training camp later this summer where team coordinator Martha Karolyi will observe their skills and select the rest of the olympic team. Among those attending the camp are Chelsie Memmel, Ivana Hong, Alicia Sacramone and Jana Bieger.
And finally in soccer, 18 players were named to the U.S. Women's Olympic soccer team. Half of them were on the gold medal-winning Athens Olympic team, including Christie Rampone and Kate Markgraf, co-captains of the Athens 2004 team and wil also be playing in their third Olympic Games.
That's all for now, thanks for reading my first post. This is generally how I envision the rest of my posts to be like, detailing specific world events that are going on each day and also providing some perspective and analysis. But I am always open to suggestions so please feel free to leave comments.
See you back here tomorrow.
The Championships, Wimbledon
A typical Day 1 from the All-England Club as Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic advanced relatively easily into the second round.
Roger Federer def. Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Serena Williams def. Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3
Ana Ivanovic def. Rossana de los Rios 6-1, 6-2
The first round always seems to be a formality at the grand slams and the only headlines that are made are either huge first round upsets or the fashion that the big names are wearing. Serena Williams fashioned a trench coat that would have been useful had the usual London rainy weather been present at the Championships. Still, the attire was very noticable under the bright sunshine that led to a rather normal day of play at the All-England Club.
The only upset was that of David Nalbandian, who lost to Frank Dancevic of Canada in straight sets. Nalbandian made the final back in 2002 and lost to Lleyton Hewitt, who struggled into the second round on Monday, beating Robin Hasse in five sets.
Today's matches feature defending ladies-champion Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal. My pick to watch is Roddick's opening match, since it has been awhile since he's made it to the semifinals of this grand slam, which used to be his favorite until Roger Federer dominated this tournament for the past five years. Roddick along with James Blake are relatively the only two Americans that has a chance of going very far and possibly winning the tournament if the stars can align in the right away. Blake is also playing today, he'll be last out on Court 2, often known as the graveyard court.
The British will have plenty to root for today. Venus Williams is taking on a British qualifier, Naomi Cavaday. I guarantee that any point that Cavaday can win today over Venus Williams will be greeted by the Brits. But most of the United Kingdom will look at Andy Murray, who plays Fabrice Santoro later today on centre court. Santoro may be a challenger to Murray since he often gives his opponents a long run that may make it not so easy for the Scottish player. But he relatively has an easy road, other than the seeded player Tommy Robredo that he may face in the third round, into the second week here at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon coverage is already underway on ESPN2 so tune in when you can today, coverage is also available on ESPN360.com and on Wimbledon LIVE.
U.S. Olympic Team
Some of the mystery regarding who will represent TEAM USA in the Beijing Olympics was revealed on Monday, specifically regarding the basketball, soccer and gymnastics teams.
Kobe Bryant will try for a gold medal after losing in the NBA Finals with his LA Lakers. He joins LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. In total, 12 NBA players were chosen from a pool of 33. From the looks of the present roster, it looks like the United States may have a good shot at capturing the gold medal this year after only capturing the bronze medal in Athens four years ago.
2008 U.S. Olympic Basketball team roster:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/teamusa/meettheteam/newsid=122405.html#meet+team.
In gymnastics, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin were guaranteed spots on the Olympic team after their performance at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia this past weekend. The rest of the contenders will go to an Olympic training camp later this summer where team coordinator Martha Karolyi will observe their skills and select the rest of the olympic team. Among those attending the camp are Chelsie Memmel, Ivana Hong, Alicia Sacramone and Jana Bieger.
And finally in soccer, 18 players were named to the U.S. Women's Olympic soccer team. Half of them were on the gold medal-winning Athens Olympic team, including Christie Rampone and Kate Markgraf, co-captains of the Athens 2004 team and wil also be playing in their third Olympic Games.
That's all for now, thanks for reading my first post. This is generally how I envision the rest of my posts to be like, detailing specific world events that are going on each day and also providing some perspective and analysis. But I am always open to suggestions so please feel free to leave comments.
See you back here tomorrow.
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