Honduras Rolls, Haiti Gets Tie, Jamaica Gets No Help

The Honduras Grenada match was pretty much over before it started. Honduras scored early and often in a rout of the Spice Boys 4-0. Walter Martinez scored after just 2 minutes. They would score another 25 minutes into the game and two more in the second half. The match was completely dominated by the Central Americans. They will second place and will play Canada in the quarterfinals.

Haiti entered the match against the US knowing that they could lose by two goals and advance. They would do much better than that. Haiti earned a 2-2 draw against the US and were minutes away from taking the game. Had they done so, they would have topped the group. The Haitians performance in this Gold Cup has shown that they have made real progress, for a team that wasn't even supposed to be in this tournament. Davi Arnaud started the scoring after just six minutes. It looked like Haiti were going to have to hold on for dear life. They were able to keep the score the same until halftime. Then, the Haitians started the half in a shocking manner. Haiti scored two goals in the first four minutes of the half. The second goal will be a contender for goal of the tournament. Chery took a botched clearance from the keeper and riffled into the top corner of the net from close to 30 yards out. With progression now sealed, they looked to win the group. It looked as though they might succeed, but with only minutes left Holden struck to save the USA. This goal was also sensational, as it was a beautful dipping and curving strike from well outside the box. The Americans went through as group winners, and Haiti as one of the best third place finishers. 

Neither result will do any good for Jamaica. They now need Nicaragua to beat or tie Panama tomorrow if they are to advance. If they were able to do so, it would be their first points ever in the gold cup. 

Sanchez Throws No-Hitter

The San Francisco Giants have had a fantastic year, due to their incredible pitching staff. They have two phenomenal young pitchers in Lincecum and Cain. They took a gamble signing Randy Johnson and Barry Zito, two veteran pitchers who have been great but are well past their prime. That gamble has paid off remarkably well this season, as they have pitched very well. The fifth man of the rotation is Jonathan Sanchez, a player not known to many outside the Giants nation. With an ERA hovering around 5 all season, Sanchez was clearly the weak spot of the rotation. In fact, he was even going to be knocked out of the rotation, but got a break as Johnson's injury forced the Giants to keep him in. He would take advantage of the situation to say the least. Last night he sparkled in his no hitter against the Padres. Only one batter reached base in the entire game, and that was on an error. Sanchez was by far the least likely Giant to throw a no-hitter this season, but after last night's performance people all around the country will know who he is.

Jamaica Stays Alive, Canada Takes Group

Canada's 2-2 draw with Costa Rica sealed first place in Group A for the Canucks. They had to come from behind after a strange opening goal from Walter Centeno. Canada responded instantly with two goals in the next six minutes. Centeno equalized with a brilliant free kick in the 35th minute. The game would pretty much stall out after that. The tie would give Costa Rica 4 points and would turn out to be enough to qualify. Costa Rica's qualification was booked as a result of Jamaica's victory over El Salvador. This also eliminated El Salvador in the process, which was shocking to them as they started out with a massive victory against Costa Rica. However, they failed to take another point from the next two games and as a result are now eliminated. Jamaica won the match on a goal by Cummings in the 70th minute, as he turned in a low cross from close range. The marking appeared to be good on the play, but Cummings was able to out muscle his defender. Jamaica's status is still very much up in the air, as they will need help to get through. Jamaica can qualify if 1 of 3 things fail to happen. All three have to happen for them to eliminated.

1. Haiti wins, ties, or looses by 2 goals or less

2. Honduras wins or ties

3. Panama wins

Again, if any of these 3 things fail to happen Jamaica will advance. All of these things are expected to happen, so Jamaica will be holding their breathe, knowing the odds are against them.

Mexican Fans Cause Trouble, Again

How many times are the Mexican fans going to step out of bounds before they get punished by FIFA? I know that it only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch, but this is just another disgraceful incident by the Mexican fans yet again. Obviously, the disgusting incidents seen at last nights game were done only by a very small percentage of the fans. Also, Mexico have incredibly loyal and passionate fans, that fill up the stands wherever the team goes. But, the incidents seen last night are one of many in a long history of bad behavior by fans of the Mexican national team and club teams. The fans littered the field yesterday with garbage, causing the game to be halted in the middle of it. It got so bad, the riot police had to come out to escort Ricardo Phillips, a Panama player, out of the stadium. Let's look at Mexico's history. Before the 2006 World Cup qualifier against the United States, some fans were caught chanting, "Bin Laden" repeatedly. In the game they also pelted the US team with batteries as they took the field, something that they have done on numerous occasions. In the 2002 Copa Libertadores, riot police were again called in as fans invaded the pitch after Club America's defeat against Sao Caetano. Their are constantly fights in the stands when Mexico travels on the road to play. Enough is enough. Mexico should have to play at least one, if not two of their next home qualifiers behind closed doors.

Guadeloupe Wins Again, Mexico Held

The little island nation of Guadeloupe continued their impressive run in the Gold Cup with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua. Unlike their previous matches, they were favorites this time. It took Guadeloupe until the second half to score the opening goal, even though the breakthrough should have been much earlier. Guadeloupe scored a clear goal, which was incorrectly ruled offsides. In the 56th minute they would get the goal, as Stephane Auvary turned in a beautiful cross to make it 1-0. Just two minutes after that they would strike again, when some very sloppy defending allowed Ludovic Gotin to make it 2-0. Guadeloupe are going through to the knockout stage for the second straight tournament and don't put it past them to make the semifinals again. Before that they play Mexico, needing only a tie to take the group. Revenge will be squarely on their mind, as it was the Mexicans who eliminated them in 2007.

As for the Mexicans, they were held by Panama to a 1-1 draw. The game was a very violent match that saw three players and a coach sent off. Mexico scored first after just 10 minutes and looked to be on their way. Giovanni Dos Santos was in on a breakaway, when he made an incredibly unselfish play of cutting the ball back to his teammate Miguel Sabha. Sabha was at a better angle and the goalie had to scramble to get back in position. Sabha cooly tucked the ball away to make it 1-0. Mexico spurned a great chance after this, hitting the post from point blank range. The Panamanians scored on their first real threat of the game. Blas Perez was able to control a free kick in the box, then muscle past a defender, before knocking the ball into the net from close range. Then before halftime things got ugly. After a Panama foul, pushing and shoving broke out. In the melee Noriega of Mexico and Gun of Panama were sent off. In the second half Mexico had a slew of chances but could not score. In the 79th minute, more fighting broke out. As Ricardo Phillips of Panama, chased a ball down the sideline, Javier Aguirre stuck out his leg and tried to trip Phillips. It was a very dirty move and Phillips reacted by shoving Aguirre. Players from both benches came together and started pushing each other. Phillips and Aguirre were both sent off. Then things got really bad. As Phillips was leaving the field objects were flung out of the stands at him. The game had to be temporarily halted, and Mexican players pleaded with their fans to stop. After the game resumed, Panama were able to hold on for the tie. Now, they face a must win game against Nicaragua on Sunday, while Mexico are all but in the next round.

Mavericks Back In The Picture

June 11, 2006. The Mavs defeated the Heat to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. The Mavs appeared to be in complete control and on their way to the championship. Enter Dwayne Wade. The Heat took three in a row in Miami, including two improbable comebacks. Then in Dallas the Heat finished off the Mavs to take the title. Then in 2007, Dallas finished the regular season with 66 wins, but then were on the end of one of the most amazing upsets in NBA playoff history, as they went down to Golden State. Then the Mavs struggled to make the playoffs and went down in 5 to the Hornets in 2008. Many people believed that the Mavs window for a championship had been nailed shut. Mark Cuban though decided to stick with the team and 2009 made it back to the second round. The Mavs have been able to keep their entire core in place, but they needed to add some more to get their lineup back into championship contention. This offseason the Mavs have gotten exactly what they needed, and that comes in the form of multi all-star Shawn Marion. In addition to that the Mavs were able to resign Kidd and are on the verge of getting a very underrated player, in Marcin Gortat. The Mavs roster now has an abundance of talent and will be right up there with the elite teams in the west next season. This is an attribute to Cuban, whose patience with his team will pay off this season.

Freak Stat

Tomorrow the Nationals and the Astros will resume a suspended game from early this May. They game was tied 10-10 in the Bottom of the 11th when the game was halted. One thing that is strange about this game is that the Nats will be the home team, even though the game will be in Houston. That is not nearly as odd as this piece of information I found out about. If the Nats can score in the 12 and win the game, the win will be credited to Joel Hanrahan, since he was the pitcher on record from the Top of the 12th. Hanrahan though, has since been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He could get credit for a win, even though he is not even on that team. Now there is something you don't see every day. Also, Elijah Dukes was at bat when the game was suspended. Dukes has since been sent down to triple A, so he will have to be pinch hit for.

No Ties

The USA and Haiti recorded victories tonight both by the score of 2-0. Tonight's games continued an unusual trend in this years gold cup. There have been no ties throughout the tournament so far. Also, only one time has the losing team scored (2 El Salvador 1 Costa Rica). Haiti picked up an important victory against Grenada, to all but eliminate them. The game was a tight match and the Haitians were a bit fortunate to come away with the victory, as they took advantage of sloppy defending. In the other match, the US took down Honduras 2-0. Honduras squared a golden chance in the first half when Costly broke the offside trap and had a breakaway. His shot hit the side netting though. The US had a slew of chances throughout the game, the best one falling to Ching in the first half. The breakthrough came just after seventy minutes on a goal by Santino Quaranta. It was a beautiful goal after a string of great passes and a lovely layoff. The second came just after that by Brian Ching, via the head. The US joined Canada as the only 2-0 teams in the cup. 

Blue Jays Must Trade Halladay

If the Blue Jays decide to trade Roy Halladay it will be an incredibly difficult move for the Jays fans to swallow. However, sometimes you must take a step back before you can go forward. If the Jays trade Halladay they can get a package of great prospects and maybe even a proven veteran. The trade would signify the end of the Jays challenge for this year, but in the future they will be better for it. They Jays already have a talented team, and if they were in a different division besides the AL East they could have a real shot at challenging for first place. Since they won't be leaving the East any time soon though, they will need to upgrade. If the Jays can pull off a trade of this nature they will have a very talented team, since they already have some very good young players. Aaron hill and Ricky Romero for example, are very young and have had fantastic seasons. This is a great opportunity for Toronto and they can not pass up on it if they are two get to the next level.

Costa Rica, Canada Win

Costa Rica picked up an important victory against the Jamaicans to give them a good shot at qualifying for the quarterfinals. The Ticos went down in their opening match to El Salvador, but responded well in their second game. Both teams had chances throughout, but could not find the breakthrough. Jamaica had a man sent off after 35 minutes. The Ticos found the breakthrough finally midway through the second half on a goal by Mora. He was left completely unmarked in the box, but still had a difficult finish.

In the other match of the night, the two victors from round one squared off. The Canucks took down El Salvador 1-0 on a goal by Ali Gerba, 32 minutes into the game. The goal came when Gerba cleverly deflected a scuffed shot into the net. It was another disciplined performance from Canada who stifled the Central American side all night. Canada top the group now and are on their way to qualifying. El Salvador are still in good shape, and now the Ticos are looking good. 

What the Orlando Magic Need

Last year's Eastern Conference champions have made many moves this season. They have gotten rid of Turkoglu and Gortat. They also traded Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, and Tony Battie in return for perennial all-star Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. Turkoglu was a great player for the Magic, but getting Carter gives the team a player who can create his own shots. The Magic have an incredibly talented core with Howard, Nelson, Lewis, and now Carter. They need have a pressing need though, which was exposed in the final. Teams that play with multiple big men like the Lakers have mismatches against Orlando. Odom and Gasol took advantage of Lewis and Turkoglu throughout the series. The Magic must get another big man to help on the defensive end. They also need a big man to help them rebound. Despite Howard being the best rebounder in the game, the lack of a second big man hurts them considerably on the rebounding end. The finals showed this as well. Wallace would have been a perfect fit for Orlando, but now he is gone to the Celtics. This makes it all the more important that Orlando gets another big man. McDyess and Bass might be the best big men out there, but Otis Smith might concoct a trade out of nowhere. Smith made another trade out of nowhere for Alston that saved the Magic's season last year. Smith has stated the importance of getting another big man and I would not be surprised at all if he is planning another shocking trade.

The Rich Get Richer

This NBA free agent period has been pretty remarkable. I can't remember an offseason where all of the NBA elites have strengthened their teams. Boston is now the team to beat in the NBA. With a healthy KG and now Wallace they be expected to take their second title in three seasons. Orlando despite losing Turkoglu and a couple of other important players, added Vince Carter which will strengthen their team. The failure to get Wallace was a big disappointment for them, but if they can find another big man to pair up with Dwight they will also be very dangerous. The Cavs added Shaq, to give Lebron some desperately needed help. The Lakers lost Odom, but in a shocking move got Ron Artest. So the Lakers will be even stronger this year. Based on this offseason, expect the same four teams that were the elite teams last year, to be the elite teams this year.

Soccer Review

Egypt took down Rwanda 3-0 in qualifying yesterday. The breakthrough did not come until the 66th minute by Aboutreika. The Pharos added a second by Rabbou via the penalty spot, then Aboutreika added his second to complete the scoring. The win puts Egypt right back into things after a horrible start to their campaign. The Pharos are now just three points back of Algeria and tied with Zambia. In the next fixture these teams will play each other in the reverse in Rwanda. 

In the Gold Cup, Guadelopue pulled off another shock. The team that made a miracle run to the semifinals in 2007, started off the tournament with a stunning 2-1 victory against Panama. The win gives the tiny island nation a good shot at making it to the quarterfinals. Loval opened the scoring for Guadeloupe after a horrible error in the Panamanian defense. They took a 2-0 lead on 43 minutes when Fleurival scored one of the goals of the tournament. It was an absolute rocket from 30 plus yards out right into the top corner. Panama pulled a goal back with 22 minutes to go, but could not find an equalizer. In the other match, Mexico defeated Nicaragua 2-0. Nicaragua, playing in their first ever Gold Cup match, gave a very credible performance and it took a dubious penalty in the second half to open the scoring. Mexico added a second late in the game to seal the win.

Federer, Roddick Put on Epic Display

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick's match today will go down as one of the all-time greats in Wimbldeon history. The match final ended after 30 games in the final set, with Federer winning 16-14. Roddick played incredibly well and wasn't broken until the final game of the match. Both players racked up an extraordinary amount of aces and very few break points. Roddick took the first set 7-5 and looked on his way towards taking a commanding 2-0 lead, when he had four set points in the second set. Federer responded with six consecutive points to win 8-6. The third set once again went to a tie break. Federer took a 5-1 and looked to be on his way. Roddick responded though, winning 4 out of the next 5 points to make it 6-5. Federer held serve and took a 2-1 lead. Roddick responded well by breaking Federer early in the fourth set and holding his serve with ease. The American took the 4th set 6-3. The 5th set would turn out to be a marathon. Roddick once had a double break point but could not close out the game. It went on and on with both play holding serve comfortably. Federer held to go up 15-14, then went up 0-30 on Roddick's serve. Roddick battled back to take a 40-30 lead. Federer got it back to deuce, but Roddick went back up. Federer once again showed his championship character and battled back to take a match point. He would only need one. Federer got a break when Roddick sent his first serve into the net, forcing him to take some off of his next serve. Federer went onto the aggressive and forced a desperation shot from the American to sail well wide. Federer broke Sampras's record for career grandslams with his 15th. After Federer's streak of five consecutive Wimbledon Championships were broken last year, it only took him one year to get it right back. Many considered Nadal to have taken the thrown from Federer after he beaten him in Australia this year, but Federer has responded by taking the next two grandslams.

Rwanda vs Egypt Preview

The Pharos are coming into this match after playing in the Confederations Cup. That tournament showed how up and down they can be. Egypt played so well against Brazil and Italy, before being thrashed by the Americans. In qualifying so far, it has been almost all bad for Egypt. Egypt were held in Cairo to a tie by Zambia and then thrashed 3-1 in Algeria. With Algeria's win over Zambia, they are now 6 clear over the Pharos. Therefore, Egypt simply have to win this one. Rwanda have greatly improved over the last few years. They got a point from Algeria and were like not to have gotten another in Zambia. However, playing in Cairo is a daunting task for anyone and Rwanda don't have enough to get a good result in Egypt. I predict 3-1 to the Pharos.