Sports News & Reviews

TAMPA, FLORIDA - United States midfielder Landon Donovan said his team were punished for being complacent in their shock 2-1 defeat to Panama in the Gold Cup on Saturday.

The U.S. were hit with two goals inside the opening 36 minutes and were unable to avoid their first ever defeat to Panama despite a battling second half.

“You can’t start that way — for some reason we were a little lackadaisical, a little complacent early. We can’t start that way, that’s the overwhelming, obvious point,” a downbeat Donovan told reporters after the game.

“They started well, took the initiative, made some plays well early on, it took as a while to get into the game and the second half was very good but when you dig yourself a hole that big sometimes you can’t get out of it.

”Sometimes you just come out flat for whatever reason — at this level and against a good team you can’t do that. Some nights you come out flat and don’t get punished but other times you do — we learned a valuable lesson tonight,“ he said.

The embarrassing result is a blow to the self-esteem of the four-times Gold Cup-winning U.S. team who this time two years ago had enjoyed a successful run in the Confederations Cup defeating current world champions Spain.

The U.S. had never lost at the group stage in the 12-team tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean which is usually a routine process of elimination for the minnows.

”It’s bound to happen at some point,“ said Donovan of the broken record. ”CONCACAF teams are getting better and better, that’s a pretty good team we played against.“

It would require an even bigger upset for the U.S. not to progress to the last eight, however. They need to beat Guadeloupe, who have lost both their games, on Tuesday in Kansas City.

”We have to turn around and make sure we are ready to play,“ said Donovan. ”We are still fine, we just have to make sure we learned some lessons today.

by icooljerseys.com

TAMPA, FL -  Dwayne De Rosario gave Canada the boost it needed to register a win at the Gold Cup against Guadeloupe.

After a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Americans on Tuesday, the Canadian squad needed the win to keep hopes of making the quarter-finals alive ­ especially considering they¹re only other meeting at the Gold Cup resulted in a 2-1 Guadeloupe win.

And a 1-0 win they would get after a relatively uneventful match.

The Guadeloupe side went down a man early when, in the 10th minute, Jean-Luc Lambourde was ejected for sliding, studs up, toward Canada¹s Will Johnson who, despite staying down for a few minutes, would finish the game.

Youngster Milan Borjan got the start in net for the Canadians, replacing Lars Hirschfeld who took the loss against the Americans earlier in the week.

The 23-year old goalie was relatively untested following Lambourde¹s ejection, but shone in the 28th minute when Guadeloupe¹s Brice Jovial made it past the Canadian defence and forced Borjan to make a save.

It wasn¹t until the 51st minute when the Canadians were given a penalty kick after Guadeloupe¹s Stephane Zubar was given a yellow card for pulling Ali Gerba¹s jersey before shoving the attacker to the ground, that Canada broke the tie. De Rosario beat Guadeloupe¹s Franck Grandel low to record his 16th international goal and what would turn out to be the winner.

The game would remain tentative until Guadeloupe attacker Livio Naba was given a yellow card after slamming into Borjan who was forced to remain in the game because Canada had already used up all three substitutions despite appearing to injure his shoulder on the play.

Canada will face Panama on Tuesday in Kansas City.

by icooljerseys.com

BOSTON, MA -

If Tim Thomas can find the time to win the Stanley Cup — when he’s not supposed to be pumping Bobby Lou’s tires — he will join some pretty exclusive company.

The Boston Bruins goaltender, a graduate of the University of Vermont, could join former Bruin Frank Brimsek (St. Cloud State/Boston, 1939, ’41) and Mike Richter (University of Wisconsin/New York Rangers, 1994) as the only American-born, U.S. collegians to win the Cup.

The list of U.S. college-trained Cup winners is pretty short: Ken Dryden (Cornell/Montreal Canadiens, 1971, ’73, ’76-’79) and Ed Belfour (University of North Dakota/Dallas Stars, 1999) are the only other goaltenders with U.S. college experience to win a Cup.

Thomas could join Dryden as the only grads to win the Cup.

“You know, it’s an honour to be mentioned in the same sentence as Ken Dryden,” said Thomas, who has given up just six goals in the five games in the final, yet finds the Bruins trailing 3-2.

“When I was in college, I remember looking at what he had accomplished and his stats. Those were stats that I was gunning for, to try and reach in college because he had a good college career. I read his book either when I was in college or, I think, the year after I was out of college, too, and gained some insight from that.

“I didn’t realize that was the case. I would like to hope that I can finish it off and get the Cup like he did.”

Tony Esposito (Michigan Tech/Chicago Blackhawks, 1971, ’73), Dwayne Roloson (U-Mass Lowell, Edmonton Oilers, 2006) and Jon Casey (University of North Dakota, Minnesota North Stars, 1991) are U.S. collegians who made it to the Stanley Cup final.

NOTE: Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler didn’t practice Sunday, but will play Monday night in Game 6, according to Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.

by icooljerseys.com

As the last remnants of the Heritage Classic in Calgary were being snatched up at the Flames’ used equipment sale Saturday, news broke it would be the last NHL regular-season outdoor game hosted in Canada for at least another season.

According to ESPN, the Heritage Classic is not going to be an annual event — at least not yet.

A league source said the 2012 Winter Classic wouldn’t be joined by a second outdoor contest for the 2011-12 season.

The news should make every Calgarian or out-of-towner who made the trek to McMahon Stadium and braved the cold Feb. 20 as the Flames beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 in front of those 40,022 spectators feel even better about their decision to take part.

Making the celebration of the roots of hockey in Canada an annual or bi-ennial tradition is probably inevitable, the way the Winter Classic is now used to grow the game in the U.S. every New Year’s Day.

But you have to like the fact the league isn’t cheapening just the second outdoor NHL game on Canadian soil in eight years by jumping right into a commitment to a third in some other city no doubt clamoring for the rights to host because of the added revenue from jacked-up ticket prices, food and drink sales and merchandising.

Instead of taking the meaning out of it the way romance has been spoiled by Valentine’s Day, the league is ensuring by leaving the date of the next one in limbo that it continues to be considered a special event.

And every one of the 40,000-plus people who saw the Flames suit up in their Where’s Waldo-like yellow and maroon throwback outfits and cream-coloured pants can look back today and remember the event for what it was — one even the most cynical skeptic who attended grudgingly to appease a spouse or best buddy has to admit was pretty spectacular.

From the pre-game chants from a cold but frenzied crowd, to the Snowbirds fly-by, to the singing of the national anthem, to the final buzzer on the shutout, the atmosphere was electric.

The winter wonderland usually used to host CFL contests in the summer and fall inspired goosebumps among even the most jaded writers sent to cover the event having had their fill of talk about the Classic in the days and weeks leading up to it.

Watching an obviously chilled Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff sprint for the bench to sit by the heater during TV timeouts, the odd additions of equipment — with some players donning eye black or earmuffs — were things that still stand out to those who watched.

One day, years from now, the specific memories will fade into the more general — the volumes emitted by the crowd, or simply the feeling most of them enjoyed for much of the day even when all feeling was leaving their toes because of the extremely cold weather.

Another Heritage Classic, maybe in Montreal, Toronto or Winnipeg, will capture a national audience again in the not-too-distant future, bumping the Calgary event further into the background of outdoor-game history.

But until then, it remains the most recent, and to those in Calgary, the most special.

The NHL eliminating the idea of having another one too soon preserves that for a little longer.

by icooljerseys.com

Per Buster Olney, discussions in the labor negotiations have included talk of balancing the leagues so that 15 teams are in both the American and National Leagues. One consideration is also eliminating divisions, so that all 15 members would compete for 5 playoff spots (presumably using the top 3, and teams 4 and 5 in a short playoff, in place of the proposed wildcard round). In some ways, this would roll it back to how it used to be, prior to 1969 when Kansas City, Seattle (soon to be Milwaukee), Montreal and San Diego joined and baseball first went to divisional play. In other ways, it is a change from that earlier time–more teams competing, far more playoff spots as pennant winners went straight to World Series, and consistent interleague matchups.

Switching to balance between the leagues and an odd number of teams in both would require at least one interleague series every time. So, which team would switch to the American League if such a change was made? The early favorite is Houston. Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle thinks it would be a great move for the Astros. They are currently in the NL Central, the only team in that 6 team division that is not located in the Midwest. They would be natural rivals for the Texas Rangers, but such a move would make more sense if the two leagues stuck to a divisional format. It seems unnecessary to add a 5th playoff team–the offered premise being to make winning a division more valuable–if there were no divisions.

I actually would be in favor of some change. The imbalance in divisions and league size is a competitive advantage and is more concerning to me than 1 interleague series every cycle. Assuming all teams are equal over time, An AL West team in the current format has a 32% chance of making the playoffs in a given year, compared to 22% for a NL Central team. (In actual results, 31% of AL West teams have reached postseason versus 23% of NL Central teams since 1998, when Arizona and Tampa Bay joined league and Milwaukee moved to NL).

If neither expansion or retraction are possibilities, then I think I prefer balanced 15 team leagues. I also wouldn’t be opposed to keeping the league sizes the same but going back to a two division format so that at least divisions are balanced within leagues. That would require something like Cleveland and Detroit going to the East in the American League, and Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati in the NL.

But I would like to hear what you think as well, to get a gauge. Four choices: current format, current league sizes but two divisions, switch to 15 teams in each league but keep same divisions (move someone like Houston to AL West), or switch to 15 teams in each league but eliminate divisions.

by icooljerseys.com

The Twins are currently one of the hottest teams in baseball, but despite a 9-2 stretch, they find themselves nine games out of first place in the American League Central. In a weak division, it’s not unthinkable that they can make up enough ground to avoid selling this July, especially with Joe Mauer, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Jason Kubel, and Jim Thome all nearing returns from the disabled list, but the odds are stacked against them.

Amidst lineups of career journeymen and minor leaguers,Michael Cuddyer has quietly heated up and is a name that could draw interest should the Twins ultimately fail to sneak back into contention. The Twins’ swiss army knife entered play today hitting .303/.363/.462 since May 1, and that was before he belted his ninth homer of the year this afternoon — a three-run shot that raised his overall slash line to .273/.339/.432.

On top of his solid offensive production, Cuddyer has appeared all over the diamond, seeing time at third base, second base, first base, and in right field. His versatility and solid production from the right side of the plate make him a good comparable for two recent midseason trade commodities: Mark DeRosa and Casey Blake.

Blake was traded from the Indians to the Dodgers in 2008 after hitting .289/.365/.465 for the Tribe in the first half of the season. Cleveland sent DeRosa to the Cardinals in 2009 after hitting .270/.342/.457. Both overall lines are similar to Cuddyer’s, and both players offered defensive versatility paired with solid right-handed production The Indians picked up Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana for Blake, and received Chris Perez and Jess Todd for DeRosa.

Cuddyer’s $10.5MM salary is noticeably higher than that of either Blake ($6.1MM) or DeRosa ($5.5M) at the time of their trades, so Minnesota would likely have to kick in some money if they were to look for similar packages. Another deterrent could also be the fact that Cuddyer has played his whole career in a Twins uniform, and has become the heart and soul of that team as well as a fixture in the Twin Cities community.

Still, another month of hot hitting will likely lead to lots of calls for GM Bill Smith regarding the long-time Twinkie, and could force him into making a tough, and probably unpopular business decision. With his salary as high as it is though, the Twins wouldn’t offer Cuddyer arbitration this offseason, so getting something for him this summer might make the most sense if they can’t turn things around. And, they could always call Cuddyer up this winter and re-sign him if they so desired.

by icooljerseys.com

The 2011 NBA finals is proving correctly that the old saying “defense wins championships”

Flashy offenses with thunder dunks might sell tickets, but they are don’t go far in terms of winning championships. If they would help, the Phoenix Suns of yesteryear might have won many titles. No, defense wins titles. I’m not taking anything away from what Dirk Nowitzki has done. He has been outstanding, and without him Dallas would have already lost this series. However, the same can be said about Tyson Chandler.

The Miami Heat live in the paint and continually drive to the basket. Every time I look, Tyson Chandler is giving maximum effort to force the shooter to adjust. He continually puts bodies on people and blocks them out while grabbing rebounds. Tyson Chandler effects the Heat offense and force that keeps them from scoring at will. Let’s not take anything away from his offensive rebounding presence either. Chandler is constantly tapping loose balls to his guards, which allows the team to set up its offense again.

While those things can often be statistically measured, Chandler’s heart cannot. The raw passion he plays with is phenomenal to watch. His screaming at the fans to pump them up, or his constant motivation while he is on the bench, means more than we will ever understand.

Dallas is one game away from their first NBA title. The Mavericks have never gotten this close in franchise history. They have played great team ball and it has been a total group effort. But, consider this; is it a coincidence that in Tyson Chandler’s first season with the team, they’ve come this far? I don’t think so.

by icooljerseys.com

Dwyane Wade drove through the Mavericks defense in the first half.
Year one of the Superstar Experiment came to a crashing halt, as Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and the Dallas Mavericks were able to capture the franchise’s first N.B.A. championship with a 105-95 win over the Miami Heat in game 6.

Terry had 27 points, 19 of which came in the first half on an 8-10 effort from the field, and was awarded with Player of the Game honors.

After a slow start exacerbated by poor shooting and foul trouble, Nowitzki did what he needed to do in the second half, much like he’s done through the series and throughout the playoffs. He finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

After a great start that included three made jump-shots in the first quarter, LeBron James once again fell apart, loosing his confidence and deferring to teammates. The Heat’s best runs came with LeBron on the bench, and his only sense of urgency appeared with less that two minutes to go in the game. The Heat were minus 24 with LeBron on the floor. He finished with 21 points and just four rebounds.

Dwyane Wade did what he could do with clogged driving lanes and finished with 17 points. Chris Bosh had a quiet 19 on only 9 shots.

by icooljerseys.com

McLean Coach Rob Bouchard prefers to have All-Met midfielder Andie Romness take free kicks in his team’s offensive half, leaving All-Met forward Melissa Downey free to crash the goal. But the first-year coach didn’t have that luxury Friday afternoon when the Highlanders earned an opportunity in the 75th minute of a scoreless Virginia AAA semifinal against No. 8 Battlefield.

With Romness on the sideline taking a short rest on a blistering afternoon at Westfield, Downey became the obvious choice to take the shot. The Princeton-bound senior took full advantage of the rare chance, ripping a 35-yard blast from the right side into the top left corner of the net for the only goal in a 1-0 McLean win.

In the other semifinal, Cox (19-1-1) beatHeritage, 1-0, on a 72nd-minute goal. McLean and Cox will meet at Westfield on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the state title.

“It was just, ‘Thank God,’ ” said Downey of her reaction to the goal that broke the stalemate in the opener. “The heat was coming up off the turf. No one had any legs left. At that point, all we could do was defend.”

Faced with a rare deficit, high-scoring Battlefield (20-1-1) mounted several offensive rushes in the closing minutes. The Highlanders (16-4-2) couldn’t celebrate until their defensive wall blocked a free kick from just outside the box with six seconds left, and the Bobcats’ rebound attempt sailed well wide.

“I remember being at the state final with Andie last year and feeling like we might have a chance to get there this year,” Downey said. “I can’t think of a better way to end my senior season.”

In the second game, Heritage’s unexpected postseason run ended with a loss to the Eastern Region champion out of Virginia Beach.

Behind a nine-save effort from senior goalie Lauren Furtner, the Pride held off the Falcons until well into the second half. But Cox’s Jessie Klamut broke free down the left side and scored the game’s lone goal with just more than eight minutes remaining.

Heritage (13-9) finished second in the Northwest Region and then knocked off previously unbeaten Deep Run in penalty kicks to earn a spot in the game.

“We had an amazing season this year, just kept surprising people every step of the way, but it’s got to finish sometime,” Coach Gabe Ascunce said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my girls.”

Virginia AA semifinals

On a familiar stage, No. 5 Broad Run got production from the two players it has come to depend on most — a pair who are very well-acquainted with the Radford University field.

All-Met Player of the Year Whitney Church scored twice in the first half and All-Met seniorEllie Zoepfl added two goals in the second half to lead the Spartans to a 5-0 win over Jefferson Forest in the Virginia AA semifinals.

With the win, Broad Run (23-1) advances to the state final against Blacksburg — 1-0 winners over Woodgrove — and will attempt to win an unprecedented fourth straight title.

Church and Zoepfl have combined for 53 goals this season, and that finishing prowess was on display against the Cavaliers (20-1-2) on Friday evening.

by www.icooljerseys.com

The 24-40 Houston Astros are back on their throne as the worst team in Major League Baseball. On Thursday Houson knocked the 24-39 Minnesota Twins off the mantle of mediocrity. It’s not something the Astros are proud of, but when you begin the year 12-20 at home it’s something you’ll be fighting for.

The 36-28 Atlanta Braves handed Houston their 20th loss of the season at Minute Maid Park 11-4. Other than scoring two runs during the final frame, the Astros only accounted for one run during the third and fifth after Atlanta pounded four runs in during the top-halves of the innings.

It was just your averages Braves beatdown in Houston. Freddie Freeman singled and homered in runs while Chipper Jones had to RBI singles and a solo home run for the games. The two Atlanta batters knocked in or scored on eight of the 11 runs.

Other Braves to do damage were Alex Gonzalez and Eric Hinske going yard during the third and eighth inning respectively. Gonzales also doubled in a run during the fifth as Michael Young knocked Gonzalez in later.

The other clubhouse had less reason to celebrate. The Astros scored four runs, two of them off a groundout and wild pitch. Michael Bourn raced home for the first two runs before Matt Downs let down his hair in the ninth for the only homer for Houston. Carlos Corporan cruised home from first base on the play.

If the Astros don’t make more defensive and offensive plays in Game Two the long four-game series will continue. Houston was a dreadful 0-for-9 with Runners In Scoring Position. A reprieve seems to be up next after facing Tim Hudson when the Astros see 0-2 Mike Minor with a 5.06 ERA on the mound to begin Saturday’s clash.

Minor lost at the 36-28 Milwaukee Brewers and to the 29-35 San Diego Padres while getting a no-decision as part of a 4-2 win at the 30-32 Pittsburgh Pirates. San Diego sunk in three runs off of eight hits during Minor’s longest start of the year which was just six innings. Milwaukee managed five runs off of seven hits to give him his first loss of the season. Both losses when Minor’s started have seen Atlanta fall 5-4.

Coming out to start for Houston is 0-1 Jordan Lyles with a 4.91 ERA. Lyles has started one less game than Minor and has one no-decision with a loss in his back pocket. Throwing spectacularly in his season debut at the 25-37 Chicago Cubs, Lyles conceded five hits and two runs through seven innings. His next start at San Diego, the anemic Padres poured in four runs off of five hits on June 5. Both of the games saw nine and 10 runs scored.

The over is probably the popular pick here besides going with the Braves although you figure as awful as the Astros are at home they’re bound to stumble into a win this weekend or on Monday. I’m not in love with this pick, but Atlanta is the much more complete team so for that reason I have to go with them. Sorry Houston, but like the lyrics to a big hit goes in the music world “I’m going down, down, down, down” with the Braves.

by www.icooljerseys.com