Lightning (6/29)

Lightning Delay

ALA WAI BOAT HARBOR, HONOLULU, HI - 2A-Switzerland put defending 2B-Italy out of its misery 2-0 to advance to the Quarterfinals. ITA didn't have a shot on goal until the 73' and didn't have one the rest of the match.  SUI scored quickly after halftime to make it 2-0 and deflate the Italians and have now knocked out France and ITA in back-to-back R16 Euro matches.  

A 30-minute delay due lightning at 34:48 in Dortmund didn't stop 1A-Germany from cruising to a 2-0 win over 2C-Denmark.  A DEN goal overturned via VAR for a toe outside in the 48' was quickly followed by a VAR that needed a sensor in the ball to determine a handball on DEN.  GER converted the PK and added another goal later as they peppered DEN with 14 shots and 9 of them on goal.

Green Diamond Head

48 had GER making the Quarters and 5 had SUI.  Three (Rainman, BluesIsTheColour I, and Disabling Below Jobs) got both SUI and GER into the QFs.  Eight went 0-2.  Toast is still in first with 64 pts with Disabling Below Jobs now second (63) with El Buenísimo and Rainman moved into a tie for 4th (62) with Germany Minus One.  Cool Guy and Lukakus Lost Brother are tied for last with 44 pts.

Nice walk this morning near Ala Wai Boat Harbor with a great view of Diamond Head, which was green (usually it's dry and brown).  Apparently, there has been a very rainy season thus far.  I wore my authentic Germany 2014 home jersey (#7 Schweinsteiger) that has the World Cup 2014 final match info on the jersey.  I did mention earlier no more 6 am matches, but now that I'm on Hawaiian Standard Time, 6 am again.

Fit to be Tied (6/19)

SUI GK had it!

HOME, CA - #66 B4-Albania struck first against #10 B2-Croatia but persistence prevailed as CRO peppered ALB with 20 shots forcing an own goal in 76' to take a 2-1 lead.  But sub Klaus Gjasula, who gave up the own goal, scored in stoppage time to salvage a tie for ALB, 2-2.  So technically, Gjasula is the first person to score twice in a match this tournament.  A2-Scotland scored on an own goal on a A4-Swiss deflection and for a while, SCO had 2 goals on zero shots on goal in the tournament.  But late in the second half, UEFA changed it to a goal (because the shot was on target).  SUI's Xherdan Shaqiri's (of MLS fame ;-) golazo strike tied it in the 26' and the score ended 1-1. Like E1-Belgium, SUI had two goals taken away via VAR in the 22' and 45'+2.

A1-Germany became the first team to clinch a Round of 16 spot with a 2-0 win over A3-Hungary.  ALB and CRO didn't do themselves any favors with the tie as each has 1 point after 2 games.  Both would need a win against B1-Spain or B3-Italy to have a chance.

Lots of leaves, little fruit

So after the corrections to the standings, 8 are tied for first with 11 points.  BlueIsTheColour 3 is still last with 6 pts.  No one picked the ALBvCRO tie, 15 picked the tie between SCOvSUI, and 53 picked GER.  Eleven went 2-1 while Ronaldo Pulls a Messi went 0-3.

So I was supposed to go the LA Galaxy match vs NYC but wasn't feeling well so wore my 1998 home Croatia jersey outside and sad to find lots of leaves and flowers but very little fruit thus far.  All the rain we've had in LA hopefully just delayed things a bit.  But hoping for good poms and plums next month.

Didn't Expect These Two Teams This Early (7/2)

Who won the PSO?

When the tournament started, all the talk was about 1B-Belgium (#1 team in the world) and 1F-France (deeply talented roster) with maybe a wishful 1D-England thrown in and a little love for reigning champs 3F-Portugal.  1A-Italy was rumbling quietly through a 27-match unbeaten streak while some expected 2E-Spain to regain power in a couple years to let the team mature. Even our own Eric's Foster's Football Brew labeled both ITA and ESP as "pretenders" rather than "contenders".

Well, the time may be now as ESP got an own goal (the tourney's 10th) and survived the penalty shootout with an unfortunate and stubborn 3A-Switzerland, 3:1 (1:1).  ESP missed their first PSO kick, their 6th straight miss, while SUI made their first, their 6th straight make.  But after that, ESP got back on track and SUI had two saved and the latter skied high.  

A very harsh straight red card in the 77' stopped SUI from trying to break a 1-1 tie (after tying it in the 68') and settled to defend.  In the extra time, ESP outshot SUI 17-0 forcing SUI's GK to make 8 saves but SUI succeeded to getting to the PSO to hopefully duplicate their PSO win over FRA.  The ref should have given the yellow first and then let VAR advise on a red.  By giving the Red, there would never be clear evidence to overturn the ref's decision on intent.  You can go Y->R but never R->Y.  Unfortunate.

Meanwhile, ITA scored twice in the first half (a 3rd was ruled offsides by VAR) and held off BEL, 2-1.  Both teams were riding 14-match win streaks in Euro qualifying/tournament but it was ITA who advances, now unbeaten in 32 straight.  BEL had several near misses but didn't manage a shot on goal in the second half.  The #1 team and the golden generation fell short again and we should see new blood for the World Cup next year.

8 picked ESP eliminating 4 who can win pool (11 can win) and 2 for money (24 can win money). 14 picked ITA which eliminated 4 from winning pool (7 left) and 11 from money (13 left).  Carseroni is now in the lead with 96 pts as 1 of 3 (Footballsack (2nd-Tied, 93), Saharm17 (16th-T, 83) were the other 2) who got both correct.  30 went 0-2.  BigRedMessi 1 clinched last with 68 pts (while my Futbol Fabone Twelf (47th-T) will be stuck on 69 pts forever).

But it's Gli Azurri (7th-T, 88) with the best chance to win the pool (31.3%) and Avenger #3 (4th-T, 90) with the best chance to win money (65.6%).  Footballsack (59.4%), Forza Roma (2nd-T) (56.3%), and Carseroni (50%) are the other three with at least a 50/50 chance at money.  Slyelf (4th-T), who at least tied for the most Group Stage wins (25), R16 qualifiers (15), and R16 wins (15), and led since Match Day 11, can no longer win the pool here on Day 18.

Fantasy is 6th (89) but is eliminated while my second pick, Glory to the Heroes, is tied for 20th (82) and can still win 4th.  Rich-inho is 12th (86) and can still win the pool.

Perfect 3-0 (6/20)

A2-Italy completed group play a perfect 3-0 with a comfortable 1-0 win over A3-Wales as both teams advanced to the Round of 16.  The Italian home cooking will end as they will go to London for their Round of 16 match.  A4-Switzerland scored early and often to beat A1-Turkey, 3-1, to sit in a good position with 4 points in 3rd place.  TUR was disappointing but did end their scoring drought with a great strike just over the GK's outstretched hands.  SUI's Steven Zuber became just the 2nd person to notch 3 assists in a Euro match (CZE '08) while Xherdan Shaqiri has now scored in 4 Euro tourneys.

28 got SUI right and 45 ITA while 48 got 3 points for ITA in the R16 and 18 WAL.  25 went 2-0 while DenMarkMyTerritory went 0-2.  17 got both ITA and WAL making the R16 while 32 got just one.  Eight got the full 8 points today (ITA, SUI wins x 1 = 2; ITA, WAL in R16 x 3 = 6) while DenMarkMyTerritory only got 3.  Footballsack is still in the lead with 23 pts with 4 tied for 2nd with 22.  DenMarkMyTerritory and Otsego1 are tied for last with 13 pts.

All six groups could produce a 3rd place team with 4 points (though there were just 2 in '16) but 4 should be enough.  SUI (who lost GD tiebreaker to WAL for 2nd) could advance as early as tomorrow if both 3rd place teams in Groups B & C have just three points.  In Group B, RUS and FIN each likely just need a draw but DEN beating RUS would mean they would own the head-to-head tiebreaker if tied for 3rd with 3 pts.  DEN, RUS, and FIN tied at 3 points will depend on additional tiebreakers.  In Group C, UKR and AUT play each other and are guaranteed at least 3rd place with MKD already eliminated, so a boring, defensive-minded draw between them likely will advance both.  

A to the Z SPORTS! # 2: The Co-Hosts

Visit's ALBERT's BLOG: http://atothezsports.blogspot.com/

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

With Euro 2012 only hours away it’s only fitting that we take at look at the teams that will be hosting the month long football fest, Poland and Ukraine.

Poland will be playing in only its second Euro; it played its first one four years ago. Ukraine will be participating in its first ever Euro since it started competing as an independent football nation in 1992.

The former Soviet Union republic will be the third national team in Euro history to play in its first final tournament due to automatic qualification as a host nation. Sweden in 1992 and Austria in 2008 are the other teams.

Out of the two nations,