Champions League Predictions

Ah the Champions League.  It's what we all really want anyways isn't it.

Group A
The German revolution is continuing and Leverkusen is not being left behind.  Manchester United will win the group, but the Germans will push them for first place.

Group B
Juventus and Madrid will duke it out for first.  I can see Juve winning just because Madrid will be putting more focus on la liga this year. But watch out for Madrid in the group stages.

Group C
PSG and Benfica will take this at a canter. I know everyone wants to say Olympiakos away is a tough fixture, but they have to travel just as much as everyone else.

Group D
Bayern will dominate as they did last year but Manchester City will have a better showing than last year as well. I could see them making the quarters if they get a decent group of 16 draw.

Group E
I've seen a lot of picks for Basel to reach the round of 16, but I can't see past Schalke to be the runners up to Chelsea here. Basel has a good reputation when it comes to qualifying but they are poor in the group stages.

Group F
This year's group of death will see a surprised Arsenal realize how thin they are. Dortmund's experience will see them through and Napoli seem to have something to prove as they enter the competition for the first time in a while.

Group G
Both Atletico Madrid and Porto have been tough contenders for the last few years. I can see both of them making it to the round of 16 and I'd bet that at least one of them will make the quarters.

Group H
It's hard not to pick Barcelona and Milan to go through but I've heard rumors of Ajax spoiling Milan's party. But with the return of Kaka and the energetic youth they have I can see them being the Italian team to beat.

Winner: Bayern Munich
Madrid will make a good push but they'll lack a bit of creativity in the shape of Mesut Ozil. Bayern are still looking hungry and have some new blood that wants to win as well. Barcelona will have to adapt if they want to get back to their winning ways, Messi is good but he's the type of player that is only as good as the players behind him.

NFL 2013 Predictions

Just in the nick of time it appears.  I had planned to make my NFL predictions a few weeks ago, and before I knew it, it was 9:00a.m. on Sunday September 8th.  Kind of sort and sweet, but I do believe I have done enough research to predict most of these games correctly.  Enjoy the season! (I just want to say that like last year when I stated that the San Francisco 49ers vs. the New England Patriots would be the game of the year, this year it’s the Broncos visiting the Patriots in week 12.  It will be a doozy).

AFC East
#2 Patriots XII 12-4
Jets III 3-13
Bills II 2-14
Dolphins VIII 8-8

AFC South
#4 Texans X 10-6
Colts VIII 8-8
Jaguars IIII 4-12
Titans VI 6-10

AFC North
Steelers VIII 8-8
#6 Ravens X 10-6
#3 Bengals X 10-6
Browns VIII 8-8

AFC West
#1 Broncos XIII 13-3
#5 Chiefs XI 11-5
Raiders IIII 4-12
Chargers IIII 4-12

NFC East
Giants VIIII 9-7
#4 Cowboys VIIII 9-7
Eagles VI 6-10
Redskins VIII 8-8

NFC South
Panthers V 5-11
#6 Falcons XI 11-5
#2 Saints XI 11-5
Buccaneers VIII 8-8

NFC North
Vikings VIII 8-8
#3 Packers VIIII 9-7
Lions VI 6-10
Bears VII 7-9

NFC West
#1 49ers XIII 13-3
Cardinals V 5-11
#5 Seahawks XIII 13-3
Rams VII 7-9


AFC Wild-card
Baltimore at Cincinnati: A rematch of the week before.  I have Cincinnati winning that game, which is crucial because it gives them home field for this one.  It’s enough to get through and on to the divisional round.

Bengals 23 Ravens 20

Kansas City at Houston: I really like the Chiefs this year.  I think Alex Smith will be one of the biggest acquisitions of the off-season and he gets them to the playoffs and beyond.

Chiefs 17 Texans 13

NFC Wild-card
Atlanta at Green Bay: Green Bay is going to have a difficult season with the offensive line as a big question mark.  The whole division is tough and no one really stands out.  The Falcons start slowly (I had them 4-3 at one point) before turning it on late.  They come in and do it at Lambeau in my last season as a Packers fan.

Falcons 31 Packers 24

Seattle at Dallas:  I sat on this very same game earlier in the season before giving it to the Seahawks.  I think that Dallas matches up really well vs. Seattle, especially if they can get Miles Austin in the slot and therefore avoiding Richard Sherman. In the regular season, I think Seattle makes Dallas one-dimensional, but to Garrett’s credit, maybe he figures it out this time?  If Sid Rice and Percy Harvin are back to full health this goes the other way though.

Cowboys 21 Seahawks 14

AFC Divisional Round
Cincinnati at New England:  On October 6th, the Bengals should give New England their first loss of the season.  This time, I think it’s way more difficult.  By then, New England should be back to their balanced best, and I think Danny Amendola sees the field unlike half of the regular season.  New England is very difficult at Foxboro.

Patriots 35 Bengals 20
Kansas City at Denver:  I think Denver will be played tough by the Chiefs both times they meet in the regular season.  I do have Denver winning both games, however, because they don’t have the defensive depth to match up with the Broncos.  I’m not quite sure if anyone does, but Peyton remembers last season.  And that will make the difference.

Broncos 38 Chiefs 10

NFC Divisional Round
Atlanta at San Francisco:  I feel really bad for the 49ers here.  They probably enjoy the best regular season of any team in the NFL, but this may turn into a nightmare match-up for them.  They were lucky to do it last year, and that’s only because Matt Ryan made the wrong pass late.  Atlanta made personnel changes to beat teams like the 49ers (Osi Umenyiora, Desmond Trufant), and at this point, they are the hottest team in the league.

Falcons 27 49ers 24

Dallas at New Orleans:  Tony Romo finally gets his second win in the playoffs after all the criticism.  This game will be a little tougher for him to win, even though I believe the Seahawks are much more talented than the Saints. New Orleans (when good) is a tough place to play and Drew Brees picks teams apart better than any quarterback I've ever seen.  I think they use Darren Sproles frequently, and host the Falcons next week.

Saints 35 Cowboys 24

AFC Championship Game
New England at Denver:  Here we go again.  In what may be the last Brady vs. Manning game that we will ever get to see in the playoffs, we may have a barn burner.  Both these teams realize that the windows are getting smaller, and their quarterbacks are getting older.  I believe Denver will challenge New England to keep up offensively, which they are capable of doing.  Yet, little does Bill Belichick know that Wes Welker will be the X-factor in this game.  I love the Patriots secondary, (Talib, McCourty, Dennard, A. Wilson) but they are going to be one man short in this game.  Welker has the biggest day of all, and gets his moment of glory.

Broncos 35 Patriots 31

NFC Championship Game
Atlanta at New Orleans:  I keep thinking of ways that will make this game an NFC West showdown.  And the talents of Drew Brees and Matt Ryan keep me from putting the other two in this match-up.  I appreciate the talents of both Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, but I think many of the football analysts are correct in saying that the option play will be much less significant as defenses will have gained a full off-season of planning and preparation.  The Falcons and the Saints both have defenses to overcome this new phenomenon.  The Saints offensive line is one of the best in football if they don’t lose anyone to injury.  I know that the losses of Will Smith and Kenyon Coleman will hurt on defense, but the running game will sparkle this year with Ingram taking that next step.  The Saints will get to the Super Bowl, but only if we get full seasons from Brees, Ingram, Jabari Greer and Keenan Lewis.  I believe they do.

Saints 28 Falcons 21


Super Bowl
Denver vs. New Orleans:  I never pick this game.  Ever.  But if it happens, it should be fantastic.

Soccer Sense

            Just like we all have favorite positions in baseball, basketball and football, I have come to love certain positions in soccer.  Some players execute them better than others, and give new meanings to the defense, mid-field and forward positions.  Just like people now understand what a slot receiver is, or a long reliever in baseball, or the sixth man off the bench in basketball, I hope to make aware the meanings of new and all-encompassing positions in soccer.  These are my favorite five.

#1. The tactically industrious mid-fielder. (CM; CDM) This is the type of player that gives full out energy for 90 minutes and is able to bring it to both the defensive and attacking aspects of the game.  Any team that can get a world class player at this position should automatically challenge for more trophies and higher places in the table (standings).  They are efficient at breaking up the attacks of the opposing team, not only with their strength and physical skills, but also through their understanding of where to line up and when to drop deep and take away the passing lanes.  They win a lot of challenges, and are able to begin the attacks going the other way as well.  They won’t put in for very many goals during the course of a season, but can still contribute 3-8 goals a season that help make a good team great.

A.  Claude Makelele – The player whom the position is now named. (Makelele role). While at Real Madrid, he sat back behind the midfield, broke up play, and contributed to the success of Figo, Raul, etc.  After moving to Chelsea, I believe he was the catalyst that helped Chelsea win back-to-back titles during Mourinho’s first campaign at the club.  He hardly ever was out of position, and won enough tackles to make opponents fear coming through the middle of the park.

B. Roy Keane – My favorite player ever to play this position and one of my favorites of all-time.  You tube some of his highlights to get a true understanding of what this position means.  He was a dangerous player, not only because he was talented on the ball and could mark any attacking midfielder, but because he wasn’t afraid of any challenge, and had no fears in taking a player out.  My favorite part of his game though was the attacks forward and the energy he put into them.  There were a number of times when Keane’s 60 yard runs ended up with the ball in the back of the net. 

C. Paul Pogba – The evolved version of this role.  He’s a player that is just getting started, but plays the position as well as anyone in the world at the tender age of nineteen.  With that being said, there is nothing tender about his game.  He’ll put a foot in, run around all day, and even take a pop at the goal. Some of his goals have been simply incredible and he’s continuing to get better.  Might be #1 on this list by the end of his career.

#2. The tracking-back forward (CF, LW, RW) The type of player that is good for any team.  They work hard, always support the cause, but can score 15-25 goals a season as well.  They are just as committed to defending the opposing forward on a corner, as they are diving in for a header on the other end.  Fans love them, coaches need them.  If you can get them on your side, it almost feels like there is a 12^th player out on the field.  But, as I have been a fan for over 15 years now, they are very hard to come by.  No forward wants to sacrifice glory for grit.  Just about none, anyway.

A. Wayne Rooney – Even with all of his issues, he is still my favorite player of all-time.  When it comes to talking about being fully motivated and giving effort, no one in the world can match the focus and effort that Wayne Rooney brings to the pitch.  One of my great attributes to the world of sports is my ability to recognize greatness in the youth.  The first time I watched Rooney play, I knew he was headed for that level.  He made a tackle, went on a run, and scored one of the most fantastic game-winners I have ever seen on any level.  This before his 17^th birthday.  All the things a world class forward should do.

B. Dirk Kuyt – In his prime, he was one of the most frustrating players to deal with being a Manchester United fan.  Speaking of 12 players on the field, I felt like there were 2 Kuyt’s out there.  He never appeared tired, and gave the impression that he could play another match that day.  He didn’t score at the highest level, but was always a threat to finish.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a forward, or many other players for that matter, that put forth such high effort for 90 minutes.  The fact that he did it from the corners of the pitch made it even more impressive. 

C. Thomas Muller – I challenge you the reader to watch him play.  He currently plies his trade for Bayern Munich who at the time of this blog is arguably the best team in the world.  Now Muller is not pretty.  He is not creative.  He really isn’t high energy in the way I’ve described.  He isn’t clinical in his finishing.  But by the end of the match, you will have realized that he made his mark on the game and probably has a goal to his name as well.  I can’t explain how it was done, only in that he did it.  Perhaps he is the smartest player in the world, but I can say in full confidence that Munich wouldn’t be the world’s best without him. 

#3. The thundering full-back. (LB, LWB, RB, RWB)  These guys are fun to watch.  This player plays back in defense, but you can tell in their heart that they want to be out there either scoring goals, or helping the forwards finish them off.  The difference between a thundering full-back and just your average full-back is that they are literally up and down the sidelines for 90 minutes and are looking to get forward at every opportunity.  They also may not be afraid of taking corners and free kicks for the team, and some have been known to take a penalty kick as well.  A world class player at this position can’t be considered such unless they are able to dive in and make a tackle and I believe that all three examples are definitely in that category.

A. Roberto Carlos – Legend.  He is far and away the greatest attacking full-back in the history of world football.  He could do everything that was required of this role.  He took amazing free kicks, he could SCORE from corners, and he was almost impossible to mark for the full 90 minutes.  I mentioned before that any teams that have these types of world class players become instantly better, he made every single team he was on World Class. Brazil should’ve won more than just 2002, but if you are a great fan of the sport, you have to believe that Brazil and Real Madrid will win many titles soon if they just had another Roberto Carlos.

B. Cafu – Which makes the whole Brazil thing ridiculous.  For a number of years, they had two of the greatest full-backs in the same side at the same time.  They were both more known for their attacking skills, but the national team kept a surprising number of clean sheets considering how often they liked to attack.  Cafu wasn’t as great at set pieces as Roberto Carlos, but his tactical awareness was almost flawless.  He was part of the great Milan team during the mid 2000’s, and a team which many consider to have one of the greatest back four’s in the history of the game (Maldini, Costacurta, Nesta). 

C. David Alaba – Another star for today’s Bayern Munich.  The position has evolved over the last ten years, but he almost plays it flawlessly for Munich.  He can run down the sideline, cut inside, defend in open play, defend set pieces and score the odd goal after long runs.  He’s on the young side of his 20’s, and should be a threat for many years to come.

#4. The creative mid-fielder. (CAM).  Most every fan’s favorite position.  They can do all of the pleasing aspects of the game.  They can score great goals, set up great passes, dribble, avoid contact, and generally just make the right play at the right time.  This is the position that tends to go for the most money on the transfer market (Zidane, Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo in a way).  A world class one of these can change history; clubs tend to becoming bigger the minute they get one (Napoli, Villarreal).

A. Zinedine Zidane – For me, the greatest player that ever played.  A smile comes to my face every time I hear his name.  Most people will remember him for the head butt; I have come to terms with that.  But if they could see his elegance, his tactical shrewdness, his dribbling determination, and his gentle arrogance, then they would know what type of player he was.  He did things on the field, that I could never dream of.  He did things on the field that no professional would ever think of.  I’m sure Diego Maradona and Pele were fantastic players, but Zidane deserves every mention of that breath as well.

B. Michael Laudrup – By the time I was getting interested in the game, Laudrup was well past his prime.  He and his brother were both nearing the end of great careers, and I didn’t quite understand the impact that they had on the sport.  But I mean this as a great compliment when I say that I have yet to see another rendition of their skill levels.  Like Thomas Muller, it is hard to define in just words.  I would say that Laudrup saw the field very well, and could think 2 or 3 passes ahead of the game.  But the effects that he had on the opponents, and the fact that he was always involved in the big moments of the game, made me realize that a gem like this doesn’t come around very often.  He never had a red card in his career either. 

C. Kevin de Bruyne – Many of you knowledgeable soccer fans may laugh at this inclusion, but my own confidence in youth had me keep him in here.  There are a number of young players in the world right now that could fill this particular spot (Özil, Isco, Bale, Schweinsteiger, Hazard, etc). Yet, we are literally only seeing the tip of the iceberg with this player.  I was absolutely shocked and appalled when I heard that Chelsea was spending £14 million pounds on an unknown kid.  I take pride in certain things; certainly following young stars is one of them.  I had never heard of de Bruyne, and when I heard that they loaned him out immediately after, I knew it was going to be a waste of cash.  Now... I think he could be one of the great players of our generation, and he should be Chelsea’s best player in the next few seasons.  He sees the pitch like a chess master, and has no fear.  Similar to that of Wayne Rooney.  He finishes like a forward, runs like a mid-fielder and marks like a defender.  Sounds world class to me. 

#5. The first attacker (ST). These are the guys that lead the lines, and are expected to score many goals.  The reason that I prefer them to a drifting striker, a shadow striker or a false nine, is that they are required to only score goals and to do so often.  As a fan of this sport for 15 years, I have seen a great many “first attacker’s” lose confidence and start missing the back of the net.  It can literally, ruin careers.  Andriy Shevchenko will never be remembered fondly at Chelsea.  Zlatan at Barcelona. Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.  But the greats?  The truly greats?  They can go on to legend status. 

A. Andy Cole – Some may think of this as a bizarre inclusion, but let me share this – United could get goals from just about anywhere.  This team was so talented, that they did not require a striker on the front lines.  Robin van Persie may have been mediocre during those great teams of the late 90’s.  (Personally, I think he would’ve done well). They got multiple goals from Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.  That’s a lot of players to share the ball with.  Denny Welbeck had 1 premier league goal last season.  So in Andy’s case, for a guy that was required to score many goals, but wasn’t really given that many opportunities in which to do so, the fact that he was able to score 93 goals in 195 appearances with Manchester United makes him seem like a pretty great attacker to me. 

B. Gabriel Batistuta – The guy that just banged them in.  There have been many great attacking forwards since I have been alive, but not so many that were able to hit them hard and accurately like Batigol ever did.  He didn’t play with the greatest teams during his career, but he was still able to score goals like they were being distributed at every moment.  He scored for Argentina 56 times in just under 80 caps, and it seemed like every goal was blasted from the spot.  His style hasn’t really been duplicated since, and for his uniqueness plus his knack for scoring so often gets him into this category.

C. Mario Balotelli – A polarizing character to say the least.  As a player on the pitch, he is probably one of my least favorite players that I have ever watched.  He is lazy, selfish, detached and reacts bizarrely to certain situations.  But he is a genius.  He has a 100% penalty scoring rate, which is absurd considering the amount of penalties that he has taken over his career so far.  (24 for 24 at time of writing) He has great physical size and skills and isn’t afraid of taking a shot from anywhere on the pitch.  I would never want him to play for my favorite club because I believe the bad outweighs the good, but damn if the good isn’t spectacular.