The knockout stage of the 2012 MLS Cup playoffs will begin tonight with the Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET. The LA Galaxy will host the Vancouver Whitecaps at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. Sporting Kansas City [...]
The post Four Essential Questions for MLS Knockout Round appeared first on Soccer Perspectives.
Below are collated results for the knockout stage of the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League. Ties are two-leg series, aggregate goals, away goals rule in effect unless the tie goes to extra time in the second leg. Winners of each round are highlighted in bold red lettering. First leg host is listed first, and first leg host's score is given first for both legs.
A pair of MLS teams take to the road in CONCACAF Champions League play aiming for results that will
help take them one step closer to the knockout stage.
The Seattle Sounders are in Trinidad and Tobago to face Caledonia, a team Seattle handled at
CenturyLink Field 3-1 on Aug.
There's everything to play for as the group stage of Euro 2012 winds down.Â
The final matches of groups A and B will be played this weekend, with all eight teams still
technically alive and fighting for places in the knockout stage. Germany is the closest to
qualifying out of the Group of Death after wins in its first two matches, but a slip-up against
upstart Denmark could pave the way for a wild Saturday in Group B.
The UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw has been released with Group D featuring Manchester
City, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Ajax Amsterdam.
It's clearly the strongest group with each team having a decent chance to make it to the
knockout stage. Manchester United probably have the easiest road of the top teams while Barcelona,
Chelsea, Barcelona, AC Milan, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich are all favorites to win their respective
groups.
Five months after they fought in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, Toronto FC and Santos
Laguna meet again in the regional tournament, this time in the group stage when the two duel at BMO
Field (8 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel).Â
Considering it is just the second of four Group 1 games, it's a bit premature to call this a
true "must-win" game for TFC; however, when taking into account how dominant both of these teams
were against the third team in the group, Salvadoran side Aguila, and how dominant Santos Laguna
can be at Estadio Corona, the Reds need to come up with three points to feel secure in their
chances of winning the group and advancing to the knockout stage.
A team making the group stage of the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League will receive a minimum of €8.6
million before collecting their share of marketing money, European soccer's governing body
announced on Friday. A group stage win is worth €1m with €500k for a draw. Advancing to the
knockout stage earns a team a €3.
Monterrey crushed Chorillo and Herediano defeated Real Salt Lake in the CONCACAF Champions
League on July 31, 2012.
Monterrey 5-0 Chorillo FC
Angel Reyna had a hat trick as the defending champions cruised the Panamanian side. Jose Basanta
and Dario Carreno were the other goalscorers for Monterrey.
The Women's Olympic Tournament concludes the Group Stage (Preliminary Round) on July 31, 2012
with several of the quarterfinal spots up for grabs. Many of the top teams (Brazil, USA, and Great
Britain) have already qualified while other teams such as France and Canada could be knocked
out.
The battle for South American supremacy kicks off tonight.
The Copa Libertadores final gets underway at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, with the first leg
between Boca Juniors and Corinthians (8:30 p.m., Fox Deportes) as both teams aim to secure the
presitigious trophy while reserving a place at December's FIFA Club World Cup along with the likes
of Chelsea and Monterrey.
After the second round of group stage games, we have reached the final roulette of matches
before nations start getting eliminated (two have already clinched failure to advance past the
group stage.) Almost every game has implications as to whether a team's knockout-stage hopes will
be realized or be a mere dream.
After an exhilarating Monday of Olympic soccer on the women's side, the men take center stage
with four teams vying for a chance to play for the gold medal.Â
On the heels of winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup and finishing third in the U-20 World Cup last
year, Mexico continues it quest to add an Olympic gold medal to its trophy case.
Great Britain football team's 1-0 win over Uruguay has given their confidence a major boost and
they now seem determined to finish at least on the podium, if not as the gold medal winners.
They enter the knockout stage as the winners of Group A and their first opponents in the sudden
death round are South Korea, with whom they will clash at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
Great Britain football team's 1-0 win over Uruguay has given their confidence a major boost and
they now seem determined to finish at least on the podium, if not as the gold medal winners.
They enter the knockout stage as the winners of Group A and their first opponents in the sudden
death round are South Korea, with whom they will clash at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
The men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments kicked off this week, and they will take center
stage over the weekend with the second games of the group stage taking place.
On the women's side, the U.S. national team has a date with Colombia and can take one step
closer to the knockout stage with a win.
Soccer fans in the Pacific Northwest have gathered over the past few weeks in bars and cafes, or
hooked up their ESPN3-streaming computers to their television sets, to watch the impressive quality
of soccer being played in Poland and Ukraine. From Greece's unlikely upset of Russia to squeak into
the knockout stage, to the calm confidence Germany exerted over their "Group of Death," Euro has
not disappointed this year.
Italy did not have high expectations heading into Euro 2012 but have impressed by reaching the
final. Below is how they've reached the final starting with the group stage and into the knockout
stage.
Group Stage
Spain 1-1 Italy
A good opening match for Italy who stunned Spain by taking a 1-0 lead and held on for the
draw.
It's not been a super impressive path for Spain to reach the Euro 2012 final but they are one
win away from defending their title. Below is how they've reached the final starting with the group
stage and into the knockout stage.
Group Stage
Spain 1-1 Italy
Not a great start for Spain but they did face an organized and solid Italian side.
When Wayne Rooney was banned for three games for a straight red against Montenegro in
qualifying, England manager at the time, Fabio Capello, claimed it was his fault.
Following England's failure at Euro 2012, Roy Hodgson seemed to put some of the blame of
Rooney's shoulders, despite his winning goal against the Ukraine.
The Knockout stage of Euro 2012 ended up being somewhat predictable, as long as you take away
the shocking finale of the England/Italy match that went to a penalty shootout. Take that away, and
things are pretty much where they should be. Germany easily did away with the Greeks, a match that
was a one sided affair throughout, while Spain picked up a decisive victory of the French.
UEFA Euro 2012 favorites Germany begin the knockout stage with a quarterfinal match against
Group A runner-up Greece. The match will take place at the Arena Gdansk in Gdansk, Poland with
kickoff scheduled for 20:45 local time.
Germany manager Joachim Low
"Playing Greece will be akin to colliding with a rock.
Quarter finals. Whatever happens in the group stage flies out the window. From now on, it's just
about the performances and effort put in within a 90 minutes window. Failing that, an extra 30
minutes and so on. You catch my drift. Anyway, back to what I was trying to say, it comes down to
being to lift your game for a singular match without worrying about how other result can affect
you.
Ever since the stories concerning Laurent Blanc have hit the headlines, the French press have
been having their say and all seem to suggest that their coach is signing a new contract with
France.
This is what Xavier Rivoire had to say on Talksport.
"Laurent Blanc will not go to Spurs, read my lips.
Yesterday was a good day despite the blast furnace heat here in Chicago as England
proved me totally wrong by advancing to the Euro2012 Quarter Finals with a shaky 1-0 win over
co-hosts Ukraine. This win sets up a mouth watering confrontation against Italy on Sunday in Kiev
but frankly, this was a win that England hardly deserved as Ukraine had the majority of the
possession while England reverted back to a defensive posture in front of a highly partisan
crowd.
Bob Dylan has won Grammys, Oscars, and Golden Globes, but he's never led his country to a third
place finish in the World Cup has he? 1998 was perhaps Bilic's most glorious summer, but Croatia's
three matches at Euro 2012 were certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
England finished the group stage unbeaten with a narrow 1-0 win over Ukraine. The win put them
on top of Group C and avoided a quarterfinal match against defending champions Spain.
Despite winning the match, it was not a great performance from England and they were a bit lucky
to get the three points.
For those not accustomed to having the beautiful game on their televisions, this week must have
come as a shock as soccer dominated the airwaves. ESPN made sure all the twist and turns of Euro
2012 were not missed by anyone, while Major League Soccer came back with a vengeance and some
upsets along the way.
Danny Welbeck scored off an inventive back-heel flick with his back to the goal mouth in the
78th minute to snap a 2-2 draw and cap off a frenetic second half in England's 3-2 victory over
Sweden that eliminated the Swedes from the tournament and put England in a very advantageous
position to advance to the knockout stage.
Euro 2012 has been filled with high drama, memorable results, breakout players and clutch
performances, making for one of the more intense group stages in recent memory. Not one team has
clinched a place in the knockout stage just yet, and each group will be two-thirds of the way
through the opening stage following Friday's England-Sweden and Ukraine-France matches.
Germany is making survival in the Group of Death look rather clinical.
The Germans won their second straight tough match at Euro 2012, dispatching the Netherlands 2-1
behind two goals from Mario Gomez to maintain first place in Group B and all but seal their place
in the knockout stage.
Portugal kept their Euro 2012 Championship dreams alive when substitute Silvestre Varela scored
the winner with three minutes left to give Portugal a thrilling 3-2 victory.
Portugal, coming into the game on the back of defeat by Germany, needed at least a draw to stand
any chance of extending their record of reaching the knockout stage in their last five European
Championships.
The Group of Death at Euro 2012 resumes play, with the implications and pressure rising after
Saturday's opening round of games.
Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo look to bounce back after a loss to Germany, needing a result
against Denmark (Noon, ESPN/ESPN3.com). The Danes pulled off one of the more impressive victories
of the tournament so far, silencing the Netherlands to emerge as a surprise contender for the
knockout stage considering the other teams in the group.
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.
This article titled "Euro 2012: France v England – five talking points" was written by Dominic
Fifield at Donbass Arena, Donetsk, for The Guardian on Monday 11th June 2012 18.23 UTC
1 A solid start for England
England's wait to begin a European Championship with a win has been prolonged though, once he
had retreated from the steamy heat of the Donbass Arena, Roy Hodgson might have been satisfied with
this opening.
After the disappointment that was the 2010 FIFA World Cup, France has clawed its way back into
the international limelight under Laurent Blanc, and Les Bleus are the overwhelming favorites to
capture Euro 2012's Group D.
Behind an attacking nucleus that includes the likes of Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery and Samir
Nasri, France, which enters the tournament on a 21-match unbeaten streak, eyes a deep Euro run to
put all memories of South Africa 2010 in the distant past.
Liverpool have been drawn in a tough group A in the Europa League. They will face Udinese, Anzhi
Makhanchkala and Young Boys. The Italians and the rich russians will prove to be the biggest
challenge. But Liverpool are still expected to make it through to the knockout stage.
The road to Wembley Stadium will be a difficult one for the defending champions of Spain,
England and Germany.
Real Madrid, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund were drawn together in a stacked Group D to
highlight the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League draw, which was conducted in Monaco.
The World Football Challenge continues on Saturday with Chelsea taking on AC Milan and MLS side
DC United hosting French side Paris Saint-Germain. PSG are the clear favorite against DC while the
Chelsea/Milan match is expected to be very competitive.
Chelsea v AC Milan, 6:30 PM (USA EST)
Both teams are major clubs and this could be a preview of an upcoming Champions League knockout
stage match.
