Arsenal was earmarked as potential dark horses in the title race before the loss of Robin van
Persie. Now without Van Persie, the hope for a title challenge has suddenly disappeared and has
been replaced with doubts of Champions League ...
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When the two Manchester clubs were drawn together in the FA Cup third round, it opened the door
to other clubs with aspirations of lifting the famous old trophy.
One of the best two sides in England at this present time will be out of the FA Cup and that
opens the competition up to the rest.
Champions League dark-horses Shakhtar Donetsk beat Roma 3-2 in the Stadio Olimpico last night,
but the goal of the game belonged to Giallorossi forward Jeremy Menez, who picked out what pundits
like to refer to as the 'postage stamp', i.e. placing a shot about as 'top corner' as it's
physically possible to get.
England v Italy Euro 2012 Quarterfinal Preview - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
The final quarter-final of Euro 2012 takes place this evening as the Azzurri tackle Roy
Hodgson's England in Kiev with the winner setting up a rendezvous with Germany on Thursday
night.
It is a meeting of two of the tournaments more conservative sides that are well drilled,
disciplined and tactically aware.
Poland captain Jakub Blaszczykowski says the co-hosts can achieve anything with the backing of the
home crowd.
The Borussia Dortmund star was the hero in Poland's second Group A match, scoring a stunning
equaliser as the host nation secured their second 1-1 draw of the tournament against Russia in
Warsaw.
It's time for the opening game of Group D, France vs England. France along with Russia are many
people's dark horses for this competetion; they are going into the tournament being the world's
most in-form team, being unbeaten in 21 matches winning 15 of them. They have a prolific striker in
Benzema, and have attacking midfield talent in Ribery, Nasri and Cabaye.
After walloping the Czech Republic 4-1 on Friday night, it was clear to see that the mesmeric
Russians had given the Czechs a footballing lesson. What we hadn't realised was that Dick
Advocaat's men had also taught the opposition some sumptuous synchronised ballet moves. With Russia
the spiritual home of a darn good pirouette, it's [.
Euro 2012: The experts predict... (aka come back and laugh at us all in 3 weeks) Part I is a
post from: Just Football
Jonathan F (@JustFootball)
Winner: Germany Youth, experience, more youth, team cohesion, an impeccable
record in qualifying (10 games, 10 wins), tournament know-how and players of the sheer
frighteningly precocious ability of Mario Götze and Marco Reus hovering around the fringes of the
team.
Last of the look at the teams in Euro 2012 that will and could have an impact on the tournament.
Yesterday I discussed the teams that are not favoured but could potentially have a big say in the
tournament and we continue with the last 2 today. Italy and Russia are the two dark horses
left.
Now that I've done with the favourites (my own choice, at least) for Euro 2012, it's time to
look at those dark horses. Teams that I won't necessarily wage my house on but worth a small punt
if the prices are right. Teams that will go into the tournament without much chance of winning it
but could rise to the occasion and spring a surprise or two.
Languagecaster are hosting a Euro 2012 prediction competition with Amazon book tokens as prizes.
Which team will do you think win the Euros? Can Spain retain the trophy? Will German finally
deliver? Can an outsider like Ireland do well? What about dark horses Portugal, Russia or France?
Or maybe even England?
Languagecaster are hosting a Euro 2012 prediction competition with Amazon book tokens as prizes.
Which team do you think will win the Euros? Can Spain retain the trophy? Will German finally
deliver? Can an outsider like Ireland do well? What about dark horses Portugal, Russia or France?
Or maybe even England?
The 2012 European Championship kicks off on June 8th when Poland take on Greece in the opening
match. Spain are the holders and are many people's favourites to win though some pundits are also
tipping Germany and Holland to do well. Who do you think will win the Euros? Dark horses France?
The host nations Ukraine or Poland?
The final piece of our end of season round-up casts us towards League Two, often a proving
ground for exciting new managers and players – but how well did my predictions pan out?
Promoted
Actual – Swindon Town, Shrewsbury Town, Crawley Town, Crewe Alexandra
It's now days until the opening ceremonies in Poland and Ukraine. Your football fix may not have
been fulfilled up to now, but assurances that this European Championships will more than make up
for lost time.
Why are the Euros so important this time around? Well, it's the final ever time the tournament
will be played with 16 teams.
By Dario Camacho - MIAMI, FL (Oct 28, 2011) US Soccer Players -- The season is over. The gauntlet's
been thrown. The second season begins. The preamble of the last eight months has produced the final
ten teams looking for glory in November. We all have our favorites and our dark horses and the
teams that will surprise us, and since Wednesday those ten teams will test our predictions.
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Did you know that the 2014 World Cup qualifying rounds have already started? With 'only' just
under a thousand days until the big kick-off in Brazil, we take a look at one of the most
hotly-contested qualifying groups: South America.
The first stage of the Women's World cup is over and we are down to the last eight teams and the
quarter-final knockout stages. So far, the tournament, being held in Germany, has
been a great success, and it looks like the women's game is finally getting the media recognition
it deserves.
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This week we look at one of the most passionate and exciting leagues in world football, the
Primera División in Argentina. Explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be
found at the foot of the post.
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This week we look at one of the most passionate and exciting leagues in world football, the
Primera División in Argentina. Explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) can be
found at the foot of the post.
The Carling Cup is not the most glamorous cup competition in the world but it is a great
opportunity for some so called 'smaller' Premier League teams to have success and get into
Europe.
For years there has been some discussion about the merits of the Carling Cup, with some managers
putting out under strength sides, as they see the competition as a burden, have disrespected it to
a fair degree.
It is still early days but the manner in which Manchester United conducted themselves in their
first home game was most encouraging. And such a result against a team thought to be the ‘dark
horses' of the Premier League this season gives all the more reasons to be optimistic.
We have kind of forgotten what it's like to enjoy a BIG win; a meaningful win; a surprise win
against the odds.
Most of our surprises in the last six months have been nasty ones – the kind Mrs Gary Neville
has every morning when she wakes up and sees who's beside her.
In early September I ran my top 5 picks for MLS Cup dark horses. Some look promising now (RSL),
some not so much (Chicago). Now, with most of MLS taking a break this weekend, we level our gaze on
the top five frontrunners. It's all about the big dogs today. With the wild card round almost two
weeks away and the picture rapidly crystallizing, here are the top five teams most likely to take
home
The wonderful thing about the Bundesliga is its unpredictability. You just never know what is
going to happen. Witness the remarkable rises of Mainz, Hannover or Nürnberg last season, while
teams expected to challenge at the top of the table – Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg –
spent much of the season desperately fighting against relegation.
Next Stop, Argentina! Copa America 2011 Preview is a post from: Just Football
by Christopher Atkins
The 2011 Copa America kicks off in Argentina this Friday, as South America's
top teams compete for continental bragging rights and a spot in the 2013 Confederations Cup.
Chelsea and Manchester United will clash in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, while
Tottenham Hotspur have been drawn against Real Madrid.
Holders Inter Milan will tackle Schalke, while 2009 winners and favourites for this season's
tournament Barcelona have been paired with Shakhtar Donetsk.
