#switzerland ended up qualifying for a world cup spot (and they will play in new zealand! the kty connection!)

[andiessoccerblog]

Group Stage Update

I have been busy being a tourist in New Zealand, which is a beautiful country, and have not had time to sit down and talk through all the games happening. Groups A, B, and C have already played their last group stage games and teams have moved on to the knockout round, and other teams will do the same in the next three days. 

Group A

Group A was the wildest group by far, with each team getting at least one win. This meant that each team had the ability to advance to the knockout stage with a win in their last game. Switzerland ended up winning the group with a win and two ties, and Norway took second place with only one win and one tie. The last games were probably the least dramatic–Norway steamrolled the Philippines 6-0, and Switzerland held New Zealand to a 0-0 tie. It was a hard game to watch, as Switzerland seemed to be playing for the tie instead of a win, while New Zealand threw everything they had at the game and still came up short.

Group B

This group also had some chaos, with the marquee teams Australia and Canada both struggling, and both needing a win against the other to move on. But it wasn't the close match a lot of people expected, Australia ended up dominating 4-0, preventing Canada, the current Olympic gold-medalists, from moving out of group stage. Big Oof. Nigeria also qualified for the knockout stage, with two 0-0 ties, and a surprise win over Australia, which seems to have kicked the host country into action before their Canada game. Maybe they owe Nigeria a thank you?

Group C

This was a classic group stage–no ties, no upsets. Japan won all three games, including a decisive 4-0 win against Spain, even though Spain held 77% possession. Japan's counterattack is LETHAL. For their part, Spain won pretty easily against the other two group opponents, but they will need to be on their toes in the knockout stage.

Group D

This is another group shaping up to be a classic group stage with no upsets–but although the results look normal, the games have been anything but. Haiti has kept both of their games to only 1-0 losses, and England has only had 1-0 wins. England can go through with a win or a tie, but could technically get knocked out if both Denmark and China with with goal differentials greater than 2. Math is fun!!

Group E

USA play tonight against Portugal, and need a win or a tie to go through. Although both USA and Netherlands are slated to go through, either team could get knocked out by an upset. I'm stressed.

Group F

F is for…France? Fail? Freedom? Right now, France and Jamaica are the top two teams in the group. If things go as expected in their games tomorrow, France and Brazil will be the top two. But none of the games in this group have been "as expected". I'll be at the France vs. panama game in Sydney tomorrow night. Allez les Blues! 

Group G

Sweden has locked in their path to the world cup with two wins, but any other team could be the second team to go through. Argentina has a tough task with their last game against Sweden, but Italy and South Africa will literally be battling head to head for the last spot. Italy could get through with a win or a tie, while South Africa needs an outright win. 

Group H

Colombia has surprised the world by beating Germany for their second win, locking them in for the group stage. Germany did generally play well and will likely take the second spot, barring any HUGE upset by South Korea, but that's not impossible after two upsets in their last three games (Zambia and Colombia). 

#woso soccer #woso #uswnt #women's world cup #womens soccer #nwsl #wwc 2023 #france #frawnt #germany #world cup #gerwnt #engwnt #swewnt #norwnt #auswnt #colwnt #nigeria #nedwnt #itawnt #canxnt #brawnt

[your-dietician]

Our breakdown from the most exciting day in tennis

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/tennis/our-breakdown-from-the-most-exciting-day-in-tennis/

Our breakdown from the most exciting day in tennis

It was the premier tennis day of the year. On Monday, all 16 players left in the Wimbledon singles draw took the court.

An exciting lineup without question, but we admit, it was a challenge to follow all the action. But not to worry, if you missed anything, we had you covered from first ball to last.

Here’s a snapshot of everything that went down Monday at the All England Club, courtesy of Courtney Nguyen and Greg Garber. 

Ajla Tomljanovic def. Emma Raducanu, 6-4, 3-0 ret

Key takeaway: After a close opening set, Raducanu, the 18-year-old Brit, was forced to retire from their match. She appeared to be struggling to breathe and went off court before retiring. Tomljanovic showed her veteran mettle late in the first set. Raducanu was fired up and the No.1 Court crowd was right there with her every swing and fist pump. She had her chances. With Tomljanovic serving at 4-4, Raducanu had two break points come and go before Tomljanovic held serve. Then, with Raducanu serving at 4-5, Tomljanovic played a physical game – there were two 10-shot rallies, one 21-shot lung-buster and a 20-shot back-breaker – to save three game points and ultimately break for the set.

Raducanu remains a name to watch. It was a heartbreaking way for her Cinderella run to end, but the win was well-earned by Tomljanovic, who at 28, is into her first major quarterfinal.

Quotable: “As for the quarterfinal, I wouldn’t say I didn’t believe in my career I would ever get it, but just the way my season was,” Tomljanovic said. “The year before I had a lot of heartbreaking moments where I thought this was my week, against Simona, Garbiñe, Sloane a long time ago. All of a sudden everything felt really far from me even though I did feel like I’m playing well just because mentally those matches took a little bit of a toll. It got to me a little bit. It got in my head.

“But I had to put my head down and keep working and not think about those matches, think in a positive way. It’s not easy.”

What’s next: Tomljanovic takes on No.1 Ashleigh Barty. This will be the first all-Aussie meeting in a Slam quarterfinal since 1980 Wimbledon, when Evonne Goolagong Cawley defeated Wendy Turnbull in straight sets.

No.25 Angelique Kerber def. No.20 Coco Gauff, 6-4, 6-4

Key takeaway: The 2018 Champion is on a mission. Kerber, a former No.1, has found a new level over the past two weeks, starting with her run to the Bad Homburg title the week before Wimbledon and now booking her first major quarterfinal since winning the title here three years ago.

In a battle between the oldest player remaining in the draw and the youngest, Kerber played a veteran match; there was wind to manage and a talented 17-year-old to solve. The Centre Court crowd was vocally behind the American.  Kerber, 33, kept her head and took her chances. She won four of five break points (and saved four of six), finishing with 22 winners to 20 unforced errors.

Quotable: “I really enjoy to play on grass,” Kerber said. “I think this is always really special for me. Playing two tournaments in Germany starting the grass-court season like this, then winning my tournament in Germany, playing in front of the crowd again, this give me again, new energy to go out there and enjoy my tennis. I really worked hard in the last few months. Being able now to playing matches like this, winning close matches, going out there and enjoying it, feeling my tennis, it’s always a good sign.”

What’s next: Kerber will face Karolina Muchova for a spot in her fifth Wimbledon semifinal. The German has won their two previous meetings, both on hard courts.  

Viktorija Golubic def. No.23 Madison Keys, 7-6 (3), 6-3

Key takeaway: It’s been a remarkable transformation for the 28-year-old from Switzerland. In her 18th Grand Slam singles main-draw event, she and that pure one-hand backhand are through to a first major quarterfinal; her previous best was the third round to years ago at Wimbledon. Hard to believe Golubic failed to qualify earlier this year at the Australian Open and lost in the first round at Roland Garros. Golubic has now won eight of her past nine matches on grass.

Viktorija Golubic’s march to her 1st #Wimbledon quarterfinal:

d. Kudermetova 36 61 11-9 d. Collins 62 60 d. Brengle 62 61 d. Keys 76 63

Faces Karolina Pliskova next. Won their only prior meeting, at Fed Cup in 2016, 36 64 64. pic.twitter.com/atVftZIPMO

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 5, 2021

Quotable: “Yeah, I feel like especially mentally that I feel that I am more confident in my skills and actually realizing more what I can do on court,” Golubic said.” So while I’m playing, I think I can just be more focused on my part of the game. It’s more like to really be more clear in your head, like what your skills are and how you want to play.”

What’s next: A match against No.8 Karolina Pliskova, who has quietly been working her way through the draw without dropping a set. Golubic won the only match between them, coming back from a set and 2-4 down in a 2016 Fed Cup semifinal, but that was in Switzerland and on a hardcourt.

No.19 Karolina Muchova def. No.30 Paula Badosa, 7-6 (6), 6-4

Key takeaway: The 24-year-old from the Czech Republic, playing in only her second Wimbledon singles main draw, is through to her second quarterfinal. This after reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open back in February, where she beat No.1 Ashleigh Barty along the way.

Muchova and Badosa played a fairly even match. Badosa was up 3-0 in the first set and held a break of serve until 5-2. But Muchova turned it around, winning three straight games before prevailing in a taut tiebreaker. In the end, Muchova played a little cleaner, finishing the match with 24 unforced errors, six fewer than Badosa.  

Quotable: “I’m focusing mostly on the Grand Slams and on big events,” Muchova said. “So definitely that’s where I’m trying to be the most focused and going for it. I didn’t play that many tournaments this year, so I can’t really tell [my level], because I was struggling with injuries and everything. Yeah, for now it’s going good and I appreciate it.”

What’s next: Two years ago, Muchova lost to Elina Svitolina here in the quarterfinals. Now she’ll be looking to take the next step – and raise her career Wimbledon record to 9-1 – against Angelique Kerber.

No.1 Ashleigh Barty def. No.14 Barbora Krejcikova, 7-5, 6-3

Key takeaway: In a battle between the No.1 and No.2 players in the Porsche Race to Shenzhen, Barty, the only former junior champion left in the draw, ended Krejcikova’s 15-match winning streak. Barty won her 32nd match of the year (only Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka have more). She is now 11-1 this year against Top 20 players. 

Quotable: “An incredibly tough match,” Barty said. “I was excited for the challenge today. Just happy to come through in the end. Feel like I found some pretty good stuff when I needed it most, which is great. I love coming out here and testing myself against the best in the world, and there’s certainly no place I’d rather be at the moment.”

What’s next: Since winning the 2019 French Open, Barty has gone 0-for-5 in majors. This year, the 25-year-old Australian lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian and retired from her second-round match at Roland Garros. Given that Aryna Sabalenka is the only other Top 10 player left in the draw, this is a huge opportunity for Barty to win her second Grand Slam singles title.

No.8 Karolina Pliskova def. Liudmila Samsonova, 6-2, 6-3

Key takeaway: Pliskova has to appreciate the irony. The Czech’s 230-week streak inside the Top 10 ended on the first Monday at Wimbledon. So what does she do? The 29-year-old quietly makes her way to her first Wimbledon quarterfinal and first major quarterfinal since making the 2019 Australian Open semifinals.

Pliskova has had a rocky relationship with the grass at the All England Club, even though she’s had great success on grass. She’s a two-time Eastbourne champion but has never replicated those results at Wimbledon. Pliskova has not faced a Top 50 opponent yet, but she’s been serving better than she has all season. She fired 10 aces in both her first and fourth rounds – and has not lost a set.

Quotable: “Super happy that I made [the quarterfinals] in singles, because I had the last eight only in doubles, which I thought is horrible,” Pliskova said. “So now finally it’s my last Grand Slam which I was missing to go to quarters.”

What’s next: Pliskova will face either Madison Keys or Viktorija Golubic.

No.21 Ons Jabeur def. No.7 Iga Swiatek, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 

Key takeaway: Coming off the two fantastic sets of tennis she played to beat Garbiñe Muguruza on Center Court in the last round, Jabeur showed no signs of a letdown against Swiatek. This should have been a straight-sets win for the Tunisian, who dominated the opening set before Swiatek played a resplendent three consecutive games to steal it. Down a set with her first Wimbledon quarterfinal on the line, the 26-year-old Jabeur played free and loose. She served at 70% in the final two sets and was 7 for 7 on break points in the match, dominating through the final two sets. With the win, Jabeur becomes the first Arab – man or woman – to make the Wimbledon quarterfinals since 1974.

READ: Kerber stops Gauff, Jabeur blazes past Swiatek to reach Wimbledon quarters

Jabeur is now 10-1 on grass this season, having won her first WTA title in Birmingham. Her only loss came to eventual champion Jelena Ostapenko in three sets in Eastbourne. She has beaten three consecutive major champions – Swiatek, Muguruza and Venus Williams – to reach her second career major quarterfinal.

Quotable: “Actually I got congratulated by Roger after my match, which was amazing,” Jabeur said. “I think now I’m good in my tennis career [laughter]. He was very nice. He took the time to say congrats. That inspires me a lot and gives me the hunger to win more.”

No.2 Aryna Sabalenka def. No.18 Elena Rybakina, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

Key takeaway: In her 15th Grand Slam singles appearance, the 23-year-old from Belarus advanced to her first quarterfinal. She entered the tournament as the only Top 20 ranked player not to reach a major quarterfinal and now she has a chance to make her first Grand Slam semifinal. Rybakina, whose serve had been broken only once in three matches, was broken five times.  

Sabalenka is tied with Jabeur for the most match-wins on tour this season (33). Sabalenka is one of only three Top 18 seeds still left in the draw. 

Quotable: “Of course I’m really happy I finally broke this wall,” Sabalenka said. “Yeah, I’m in the quarterfinals. But this is not my final goal. I’m trying to be happy, but at the same time be focused and be ready for the next one because it’s also not easy match.”

What’s next: Sabalenka will face Jabeur on Tuesday, with both women looking to make their first major semifinal. They split their previous two meetings. Sabalenka won their most recent match in straight sets on the hardcourts of Abu Dhabi in January.

  Source link

[celticnoise]

TODAY CQN brings you the nineteenth EXCLUSIVE extract from Alex Gordon’s book, ‘CELTIC: The Awakening’, which was published by Mainstream in 2013.

The book covers the most amazing decade in the club’s history, the Sixties, an extraordinary period when the team were transformed from east end misfits to European masters.

OCTOBER came to a halt with a superb 3-2 triumph over Aberdeen at Pittodrie; Bobby Murdoch, Jimmy Johnstone and Jim Brogan tucking the ball behind Bobby Clark. Davie Hay, continuing to display his versatility, remained at left-back for Tommy Gemmell, and also played in the 4-2 win over Ayr United at Somerset Park at the start of November.

Hay had now played a handful of first team games and appeared at centre-half, midfield and right and left-back. ‘I half-expected Big Jock to tell me I was playing in goal one day,’ joked Hay. ‘To be honest, I was just happy to be in the side. Everything at that stage of your career is a learning curve. You are still getting used to the style of players around about you, but that wasn’t too difficult with this set of guys.

‘I already had a fair idea of how they performed before I played a first team game, but it was interesting to actually play alongside them because that’s where you pick up the little things you might miss during training, sitting in the stand or watching on the television. It was a marvellous experience.’

Jock Stein brought back Gemmell for the visit of Hearts the following week and also took the opportunity of giving a first league outing to Kenny Dalglish while Lou Macari, too, got a place in the starting line-up. It was a bold move by the manager, but the Edinburgh outfit ruined the day by winning 2-0 in Glasgow. Andy Lynch, who would later join up at Celtic, played outside-left that afternoon and scored one of his side’s goals.

The nearest Dalglish came to scoring his first goal for the club came in the second-half with a pulverising right-foot drive that almost knocked Jim Cruickshank into the net. Dalglish and Macari were rested for the match against Motherwell at Fir Park a week later as Celtic won 2-1 with goals from Harry Hood and John Hughes. Macari was back in harness a week later and claimed his first goal for Celtic, the opener in a 3-0 triumph over Morton at Cappielow. Hood and Willie Wallace also got on the scoresheet, both players going into double figures before December arrived.

ON THE RUN…Kenny Dalglish races away from Rangers’ Derek Johnstone.

If it was relatively plain sailing at Parkhead, it was panic stations at Ibrox. The two-year courtship of Davie White was over. The manager, under intense scrutiny by the same board who gave him the stunning vote of confidence in the first place, had made one mistake too many. Tales circulated of White socialising with some Rangers players. If true, he was placing himself in an invidious position when it came to decision making, especially in choosing his team. There were rumblings of a lack of discipline and things came to a head when the players were at Largs preparing for the second leg of the European Cup-Winners’ Cup-tie against Gornik in November with Rangers trailing 3-1 from the first game in Poland.

Jim Baxter and Willie Henderson missed training one day and, coincidentally, both claimed they had overslept. There were cries for them to be severely disciplined, but White ignored the clamour and, instead, included them in the line-up to face Gornik in Glasgow. Bad idea. The Poles completely outplayed Rangers and triumphed 3-1 for a second time. White was sacked two days later.

Former Rangers player Willie Waddell, who had quit as manager of Kilmarnock to take up sports journalism at the Scottish Daily Express, savaged White in an editorial after the game. Under the banner headline ‘THE BOY DAVID’, Waddell shredded the young man’s reputation.

It was, therefore, something of a surprise when Rangers got round to unveiling their new manager – Willie Waddell. To many it was a bizarre decision; to Jock Stein it was a welcome one. He had seen off two Rangers managers in Scot Symon and Davie White and he now had Waddell in his sights.

It would be accurate to say Stein and Waddell were not friends. Waddell, wearing his reporter’s hat, had written a scathing report on Scotland’s 2-1 defeat from Poland at Hampden during their failed 1966 World Cup qualifying campaign. Stein was boss of his nation in a caretaker capacity at the time. Waddell laid the blame squarely on Stein’s tactics. The Celtic manager had never forgotten what he believed to be a personal attack on him. Now he would get the opportunity to go head-to-head with Waddell where it mattered most to him – on the football pitch.

JOCK STEIN…ready to take on new Rangers manager Willie Waddell.

Stein realised Ronnie Simpson’s playing days were at an end after the League Cup semi-final replay against Ayr United. The keeper, who allied agility with anticipation, had struggled to command his immediate area as he once had not so long ago although his courage could never be questioned. The Celtic manager saw John Fallon concede twenty goals in fifteen league games and knew he needed an experienced back-up keeper. He signed former Third Lanark goalie Evan Williams from Wolves for a modest £20,000.

‘I took a pay cut to join Celtic,’ recalled Williams, ‘but I knew it would be worth it in the long run.’ Williams, despite the Welsh name, was Scottish, but never got a look-in at the international side. ‘I would love to have played for my country, but Rangers’ Peter McCloy got the nod more often than not. On the positive side, though, it allowed me to concentrate completely on performing for Celtic.’

Williams played his first game for the club in a Glasgow Cup-tie against Clyde at Parkhead in October. ‘I didn’t have the best of starts,’ he said. ‘They scored when I completely misjudged a high ball into the penalty box. My timing was out and the ball sailed over my head into the net. Thankfully, we scored four at the other end to spare my blushes.’ Williams, a very under-rated No.1 according to most of his team-mates, was also chosen for the 2-0 victory over St.Mirren at the start of December with Macari, shaping up nicely as a striker of top quality, netting both.

The unpredictable Fallon returned for the 1-0 win over Dundee where Gemmell scored with another explosive penalty-kick. ‘We didn’t play particularly well that afternoon, so it was absolutely crucial that I put that one away,’ remembered the defender. ‘John had to make a couple of good saves to keep them out. He had fabulous ability as a shotstopper, you could never take that away from him. I saw him turning in some excellent displays, but he was prone to the odd mishap and Big Jock frowned on inconsistency from any of his players.’

The keeper conceded four goals in the next three league games, but Celtic won them all. St.Johnstone were trounced 4-1 at Muirton Park with Wallace (2), Hood and Gemmell on target. Next up, was an incredible nine-goal duel with Dundee United at Tannadice with Celtic netting seven. Wallace knocked two past the overworked Sandy Davie, in the United goal, and Bertie Auld, Hood, Hughes, Murdoch and Gemmell also got in on the act. Three days later Kilmarnock were beaten 3-1 with Hughes notching a double and Gemmell again proving unstoppable at penalty-kicks with another howitzer from the spot.

There had been a real scare in the European Cup after Celtic had eased to a 2-0 aggregate triumph over Switzerland’s Basle with Hood and Gemmell scoring in the second leg in Glasgow. Benfica, with Eusebio still in fine form, visited Parkhead for the first leg of the second round tie and it looked all over after a pulsating ninety minutes, another European night to cherish for the fans.

BERTIE AULD…set up Tommy Gemmell for a howitzer-like strike against Benfica.

Auld recalled, ‘There had been a bit of a fall-out between Big Jock and Tommy Gemmell around that time, but we all knew TG was a big-game player; the more important the occasion, the better he played. He was absolutely nerveless and a match against the Portuguese champions was one we all knew he would welcome and, indeed, relish. Jock realised that, too, so no-one was unduly surprised when TG took the field that night. And what an impact he made, too.

‘I think the game was barely two minutes old when we were awarded a free-kick about thirty yards out. I shaped to send it into the box, but tapped it sideways to the left for Tommy. He raced onto the square pass and gave it an almighty clatter. The thing just took off and the keeper hadn’t an earthly as it rocketed into the roof of the net. Harry Hood and Willie Wallace got the others as we took a three-goal lead to Lisbon and we thought the job was as good as done.

‘Not quite! With Eusebio in devastating form, the Portuguese gave us one hell of a fright. They were 2-0 up nearing the end of a fairly frantic encounter and searching for the equaliser that would take the game into extra-time.

‘The minutes were ticking by agonisingly slowly as we tried desperately to keep them at bay. Eusebio had netted just before the interval and Garca piled on the pressure with the second after the turnaround. The game was deep into injury time when Diamentino got their leveller. I have to admit it was deserved. They really put us through it in front of their own fans. There were no more goals in the extra half-hour and in those days the tie was settled by the toss of a coin.

‘Big Billy and the Benfica captain were both called into referee Louis van Raavens’ room and asked to make a call. Thankfully, our skipper got it right and, naturally enough, we were elated. We had just been gubbed 3-0 and we were all dancing around the dressing room. I felt a bit for Benfica, too. They had put so much into the game and, in the end, got nothing because of the flip of a coin. Cruel game football, but I wasn’t complaining that evening in Lisbon. I was beginning to enjoy myself in the Portuguese capital.’

BILLY McNEILL…made the right call in Lisbon.

McNeill recalled, ‘I had the honour – if you can call it that when your insides are churning and you would rather be anywhere else than the referee’s room at that moment – to call first, after winning the initial toss of the coin. Having called “heads” to earn that right, I stuck with my hunch and shouted “heads” again as the coin was about to land. Thankfully, my luck held. However, when I asked Jock what he would have done had the coin landed in favour of Benfica, he replied, “I would have kicked the coin before it had even stopped rolling!” I’m sure he wasn’t joking, either.’

There was one last league game before the final whistle sounded on the sixties, a truly remarkable decade in the history of Celtic Football Club. Davie Hay summed it up fairly succinctly, ‘From depression to delight.’ Four words that completely encapsulated ten years on soccer’s rollercoaster. A team that couldn’t make an impression in Glasgow had gone on to make an impact on the globe. It had been a fascinating journey.

Partick Thistle, who had beaten Celtic twice at Parkhead in 1960, once in the league and once in the League Cup, provided the opposition. How far the pendulum had swung was endorsed with the final scoreline; a resounding 8-1 triumph for Jock Stein’s side. Fittingly, Billy McNeill and Bertie Auld, the two survivors from the team that had played in the first day of the decade, both scored. John Hughes, who had made his debut in August 1960, celebrated with a hat-trick. Willie Wallace and Auld got two with McNeill netting with a trademark header.

That was the completion of the sixties, but hardly the end of the drama.

* TOMORROW: Don’t miss ‘FAIRWELL TO THE LIONS’, another dramatic instalment of Alex Gordon’s book, ‘CELTIC: The Awakening’– only in your champion CQN.

    The post CELTIC: THE AWAKENING: TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Part four) first appeared on Celtic Quick News.

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#CelticNoise #Celtic #CelticFC #CelticQuickNews

[bad-beats]

Bad Beets Ch. 2 (11/11-11/17)

Welcome back to the Bad Beets Blog! If you’re a returning reader, I am glad that you found some enjoyment in my gambling misery last week. If you are a new reader: Ahoy, my name is Jonah and I am the captain of this degenerate ship. This blog is for your entertainment and my mental health. It allows me to rant about how I am the most unlucky sports gambler in the world, instead of needing to pay for a therapist. Let’s jump right in!

Usually, I start my blogs with Bad Beets that happen chronologically throughout the week, but this next Beet might be one of the worst ones I have ever had in my entire life, and for that reason, it gets the top slot.

11/17/19

League: NFL

Bet: Bears 1Q TT over 0.5 (Even)

Units: 4.2 to win 4.2

The Bears traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Rams this past Sunday in a must-win game to keep their season alive. I am from Chicago and come from a family of Bears fans. My 88-year-old grandmother watches every game. 

The Bears have struggled mightily on offense this season, ranking in the bottom third of the league in seemingly every offensive metric due to the poor play of Mitch TruBUSTsky and the inept play-calling of Matt Nagy. Vegas was confident that these first-half offensive woes would continue for the Bears against the strong Rams defense, setting their 1Q TT over at just 0.5 points. As bad as the Bears have been, scoring just 1 single point in the first quarter seemed like something they might be able to accomplish. I just needed one measly field goal in the 1Q and I am cashing in on my bet.

The Bears started with the ball on offense, and they didn’t look half bad. They put together a decent drive and found themselves in field goal range just 3 minutes into the game. Eddie Piniero jogged onto the field on 4th down and stepped up to kick a 46-yard field goal. After Cody Parkey’s double-doink that knocked the Bears out of the playoffs last season, Bears fans have no trust in kickers. For no reason at all, I was feeling mighty confident that Piniero was going to drill this FG and it would be the easiest bet I was ever going to cash.

WIDE LEFT. FUCK. Okay well, it’s a long quarter and that drive only took a few minutes so there was still plenty of time left to get the ball back and drive down the field. The ensuing Rams possession, Todd Gurley coughed up the football on the first play of the drive, giving the ball right back to the Bears in immediate field goal range. Okay. I’m feeling great about my bet again. The Bears offense stalls almost instantly, leaving the ball on the field at the 30-yard line on 4th and 10. I was looking forward to seeing Piniero jog back onto the field for a second time to try to redeem himself, but MATT FUCKING NAGY DECIDED HE WOULD RATHER HAVE MITCH TRY TO CONVERT A 4TH AND 10 THROUGH THE AIR INSTEAD OF TRY FOR 3 POINTS AS IF THAT WAS SOMEHOW MORE LIKELY THAN EDDY DRILLING THE FIELD GOAL.

Mitch throws an incomplete pass that gets knocked out of Taylor Gabriel’s hands, and the Bears turn the ball over on downs on the Rams 30-yard line. At this point, there are still about 8 minutes remaining in the first quarter, so although my bet was not looking great, it was still alive. The Bears get the ball back with about 5 minutes left in the quarter, and the offense somehow managed to drive the ball back into field-goal range. Naturally, their offense couldn’t move the ball any further into Rams territory, getting stopped on 3rd down where? You guessed it. The Rams 30-yard line. This time Nagy decides to give Piniero another shot at it. Eddy jogs back onto the field from almost the exact same spot he kicked his first field goal. There’s no way he could miss two in a row from the exact same spot, right?

FFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!! You have got to be fucking kidding me. Fuck you Eddy Piniero. Fuck you Matt Nagy. Fuck you 2019 Chicago Bears Season. Eddy, expect a Venmo request from me for those 4.2 units that you ripped from my wallet. Even though a 1Q Team Total isn’t the most conventional of bets, this will go down in my Bad Beets Hall of Fame. 

11/11/19

League: NCAAB

Bet: Yale +5 (-120) (bought a half-point from +4.5)

Units: 3 to win 2.5

Okay, now that my rant about that Bears game is over with, let’s get down to business. Monday night college hoops. Betting on college basketball is not recommended if you have a history of high blood pressure, and this Yale game could have put someone with 140/90 mmHg in the hospital. 

This line opened at 4.5, but I hate half points so I will always pay a little extra to buy a half-point to make it an even number. Yale played a strong 1st half and trailed by 6 at the break. They were covering the 5-point spread from 18:44 left in the 2nd half, until 0:00 in the 2nd half. Usually, when a bet is winning with zeroes on the clock after the 2nd half of a game, the bet cashes. HOWEVER, this is not the case when the game goes to overtime. San Francisco was up 2 with just seconds left in the game when they stole the ball from Yale and got fouled. The made the front end but missed the second one to give Yale a chance to send the game to overtime. Matthue Cotton got the ball at the top of the key and drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer. FUCK HUE MATTHUE (only a dick spells their name like that). 

Winning by 5 or more in overtime is no small task. But as the unluckiest gambler in the world, I was in for quite the sweat. Here’s what happened:

Thank the lord I bought that half point because this would have turned into a terrible beet but instead was just a brutal push. Brutal push #1 of the week comes at the hands of the Nerds from New Haven.

11/14/19

League: NCAAB

Bet: Towson vs. Florida 1H over 60.5 (-110)

Units: 1 to win 0.9

This was a relatively light week for Bad Beets, so I will use this opportunity to discuss one of my bigger pet peeves in sports gambling. I bet the Over about 4 times as much as I will bet an under. Simply put, it is just far more fun to watch a game when you’re rooting for both teams to constantly score. Betting an over is scientifically proven to be good for your brain and increase IQ. It’s a constant game of doing the math to see if you are on pace to hit the over based on the current amount of points and time in the game. For example, if you bet the over 200 in a basketball game, you need 50 points to be scored every quarter. If the score is 62 to 54 with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, your brain alerts you that you need 86 points over the final 18 minutes of the game or 4.77777 points per minute.

This Florida game was pacing well, with the score 30-26 with 2:24 left in the quarter. As I only needed 5 points to hit the over 60.5, I was feeling pretty good about my bet. If two teams scored a combined 5 points every two and a half minutes, 40 total points would be scored in a half. All I needed was for Florida and Towson to score at a 40 point-per-half pace, far below the pace needed to win the first half over 60.5 bet. 

This wasn’t the worst loss I’ve ever had, but it surely was a Bad Beet. A Tostitos mild salsa Bad Beet, but a Bad Beet nonetheless. 

11/17/19

League: Euro Cup Qualification

Bet: France vs. Albania over 2.5 (2nd leg of a parlay)

Units: 4.5 to win 8

Mbappé. Griezmann. Pogba. Giroud. Those are some high powered names on the French National Team that find the back of the net more often than a fat kid finds chocolate cake. I read this game brilliantly, or so I thought. I predicted France could score 5 goals themselves, and they were on pace to do so. With goals in the 9th and 30th minutes, I rendered this bet a win and put my phone away. 90 minutes later, I went back to check the balance on my book and noticed it had gone down from where it started. I open my score app to this…

Neither France nor Albania could find the back of the net over the remaining 60 minutes of the game, thus turning this into Bad Beet #2. Va te faire foutre French National Team!

BONUS Euro Cup Qualifier unfortunate losses:

Bosnia 1H -1, Georgia vs. Switzerland 1H over 1.75 

11/17/19

League: NFL

Bet: Live Bet - Patriots TT over 19.5 (-120)

Units: 8 to win 6.5

This one probably doesn’t have the qualifications needed for a “Bad Beet,” but this is a platform for me to air my grievances, and grievances I shall air! I placed this live bet when the Patriots had the ball in the Red Zone down 10-3 early in the second quarter. The Patriots drive stalled and Nick Folk kicked a 22-yard field goal to make it a 4-point game. After a field goal to end the half, the Pats drove down the field early in the 3rd and punched in a TD AND 2-point conversion with 10 minutes remaining in the quarter. The Pats lead 17-10, needing just a field goal over the final 25 minutes to hit their live over of 19.5. 

Tom Brady let me down. Hard. Not the way you want to end you Sunday before you have to pay the bookie. 

Bad Beet Count: 2 (with 4 unfortunate losses)

Unit Swing: 20.5 to win 22.1 (42 Unit swing)

Thanks for reading this rendition of Bad Beets! Leave a comment or share with your other gambling degenerate friends. Stay tuned for more next week!

[eurotickets20]

Euro Cup 2020 play-off draw: everything you need to know

The play-offs will involve 16 teams competing in four different lanes for the last four UEFA EURO 2020 squares. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase the Euro Cup Round of 16 Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

What is the draw?

Determine the four remaining UEFA EURO 2020 spots. There will be four-team runs in March 2020, each consisting of a semi-final and a final. The draws - will determine:

·        Composition of the four play-off courses

·        Final guests for each path

When is the draw?

The draw for the UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs will take place on Friday 22 November from 12:00 CET.

Who is involved?

Teams failing to qualify through the European qualifiers, based on their performances in the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League i.e. the top four eligible teams in each league. If there are not enough unqualified teams in the same league, the place goes to the best overall team in accordance with article 16.03 of the competition rules.

If the European qualifications were now over, what would be the line-up?

Path A: Iceland, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Netherlands / Israel / Hungary *

Path B: Austria, Wales, Bulgaria, Bosnia, and Herzegovina / Israel / Hungary *

Path C: Serbia, Bulgaria, Scotland, Norway / Israel / Hungary *

Path D: Kosovo, Belarus, Georgia, North Macedonia

* In the current scenario, a draw would decide which team from Bulgaria, Israel or Hungary would participate in Track C and which place would occupy the empty spot of Track B and Track A.

Is this new?

The qualifications for UEFA EURO 2020 are different from previous editions. Due to the unique format of the finals, which take place in 12 cities in 12 European countries, for the first time since 1976, the organizers did not qualify automatically.

Instead, 20 teams qualified through the European qualifiers that end on November 19th. The remaining four places are decided by these play-offs, creating a perfect bridge between the UEFA League of Nations and the EURO.

How will the playoffs be decided?

Unlike previous play-offs, this will be one-leg knockout matches. In each trajectory, the teams will be ranked from 1st to 4th on the basis of the overall classification of the UEFA League of Nations. The semifinals of each play-off course will be as follows:

·        The team ranked 1st team against 4th

·        The team ranked 2nd against a team ranked 3rd

A draw will be held on November 22 for each playoff final. The winner of the semifinal will play at home. The winners of each final qualify for UEFA EURO 2020.

When are the play-offs?

The semi-finals will be played on Thursday, March 26 and the finals five days later, on Tuesday, March 31. The startups usually take place at 8.45 pm CET, but exceptions may apply, especially with regard to time zones.

Key dates

Play-off draw: 22 November Final tournament draw: 30 November Play-off semi-finals: 26 March 2020 Play-off finals: 31 March 2020 Further final tournament draw (if required): 1 April 2020 Final tournament: 12 June–12 July 2020

Football fans can get Euro Cup Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. EuroTickets2020.com is the most reliable source to book Euro 2020 tickets.

#euro2020roundof16tickets #eurocup2020roundof16 #eurocup2020roundof16tickets #eurocuproundof16tickets #selleurocuproundof16tickets

[gadgetsrevv]

European Qualifiers: What to watch out for this week – European Qualifiers

Germany-Netherlands IV

“Football in its purest form,” Franz Beckenbauer says of games between these great rivals. Three meetings over the past 12 months have lived up to the billing, delivering 12 goals, seesawing fortunes and thrilling finishes – all featured last-minute goals! The Netherlands had the edge in the UEFA Nations League, relegating their neighbours in the process, but it was first blood Germany in EURO 2020 qualifying. Another win in Hamburg would reassert German ascendancy and, with Northern Ireland yet to drop a point in Group C, dent Oranje hopes.

Friday: Germany v Netherlands, Estonia v Belarus Monday: Northern Ireland v Germany, Estonia v Netherlands

And the qualifying top scorer is …

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Zahavi inspires Israel against Austria

Eran Zahavi’s international career looked to be over two years ago after he quit in the wake of a very public row with Israel fans. Andi Herzog made convincing the striker to change his mind top priority when he took the reins last summer and the Austrian’s endeavours have not gone unrewarded. Seven goals in four qualifiers, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Austria and Latvia, is some return even for a player who has managed almost a goal per game in four seasons in China. Israel fans have let bygones be bygones.

Thursday: Israel v North Macedonia Friday: Slovenia v Poland, Austria v Latvia Monday: Poland v Austria, Slovenia v Israel, Latvia v North Macedonia

Portugal running out of room

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How Portugal won Nations League

“These matches are decisive,” reckons coach Fernando Santos. “I want to qualify directly, in first place. We’ve reached a point where we have to win the remaining games.” Bearing in mind Portugal have only played two qualifiers, this sounds a bit alarmist, but there’s no room for complacency after a pair of draws. Unbeaten Ukraine have a handsome lead in Group B and if Portugal slip up in Serbia on Saturday they could soon find themselves adrift of the top two.

Saturday: Lithuania v Ukraine, Serbia v Portugal Tuesday: Lithuania v Portugal, Luxembourg v Serbia

Can Iceland do it again?

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Highlights: Iceland 2-1 Turkey

Erik Hamrén is into his second year as Iceland boss and, after initially struggling to arrest a slide that saw a run of 15 games without a win, things are beginning to fall in place. June’s victory against Turkey was an important signpost (as it was in UEFA EURO 2016 and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying) and Group H is shaping up to be a three-way battle between the pair and France. Three into two doesn’t go, though, and Iceland cannot afford any missteps this week.

Saturday: Iceland v Moldova, France v Albania, Turkey v Andorra Tuesday: France v Andorra, Albania v Iceland, Moldova v Turkey

Pukki leads Finland charge

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Highlights: Finland 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Teemu Pukki has hit the ground running in the Premier League, five goals in four games earning him the player of the month award for August. But can he do it on a lukewarm night in Tampere? We already know the answer (just ask Bosnia and Herzegovina), and his form is raising hopes that 2020 will finally be the year Finland make their major finals bow. This week could be pivotal, and a repeat of last year’s 2-0 win against Greece could help establish a six-point cushion over third spot.

Thursday: Armenia v Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina v Liechtenstein, Finland v Greece Sunday: Armenia v Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland v Italy, Greece v Liechtenstein

England playing the long game

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Highlights: Montenegro 1-5 England

“We only have eight matches before I name the squad for the European Championship,” England manager Gareth Southgate said, giving a nod to Mr Freud as he explained the infusion of youth and new faces in his squad. The approach betrays a new-found confidence for the Three Lions. England haven’t lost a major tournament qualifier for nearly a decade so can afford to take a long-term approach and boost competition for places.

Saturday: Kosovo v Czech Republic, England v Bulgaria Tuesday: England v Kosovo, Montenegro v Czech Republic

Can Slovakia steal a march?

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Highlights: Slovakia 2-0 Hungary

Group E is perhaps the most competitive of all ten sections. Four of the five teams graced UEFA EURO 2016 and, not even halfway through 2020 qualifying, all have lost at least once. This week could be defining and Slovakia take centre stage, hosting Croatia before a trip to Hungary. Away form has been their Achilles heel, with a solitary win against European opposition outside of Trnava in two years.

Friday: Slovakia v Croatia, Wales v Azerbaijan Monday: Azerbaijan v Croatia, Hungary v Slovakia

Romania on the rise

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Highlights: Norway 3-3 Sweden

Spain are odds on for a 14th successive major finals appearance (second only to Germany in Europe) after four wins out of four, but the race to join them is anyone’s guess. Sweden and Norway have ambitions, and watch out for their rematch after March’s six-goal thriller, but what about Romania? Cosmin Contra’s side have lost just once in 14 games and this summer’s run to the U21 EURO semis showed that talent runs deep. Ianis Hagi, a star in Italy, makes the step up.

Thursday: Romania v Spain, Norway v Malta, Faroe Islands v Sweden Sunday: Romania v Malta, Sweden v Norway, Spain v Faroe Islands

Shaqiri leaves hole in Swiss squad

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Highlights: Switzerland 3-3 Denmark

Xherdan Shaqiri’s decision to take a break from international football and focus on his career at Liverpool has dominated the build-up to Switzerland’s matches against the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar. Swiss coach Vladimir Petković says the talisman has earned some leeway but suddenly his side carry less menace and Ireland sense an opportunity to firmly establish themselves at the top of Group D.

Thursday: Republic of Ireland v Switzerland, Gibraltar v Denmark Sunday: Switzerland v Gibraltar, Georgia v Denmark

No time like present for Scotland

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Highlights: Belgium 3-0 Scotland

“The Russia game is a must win and a must not lose,” Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay says of Scotland’s next task. Russia are three points above Scotland after four games and, as well as they performed before going down 3-0 to Belgium in June, Steve Clarke’s side need a result to kick-start their bid to end a 22-year wait to play at a major tournament. Until they do, the spectre of their opening-day loss in Kazakhstan will haunt them.

Friday: San Marino v Belgium, Scotland v Russia, Cyprus v Kazakhstan Monday: Scotland v Belgium, Russia v Kazakhstan, San Marino v Cyprus

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Portugal 3-1 Switzerland: Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick seals Nations League final place

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Portugal 3-1 Switzerland: Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick seals Nations League final place

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 86th international goal with a first-half free-kick before going on to add to his tally in the second-half

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a superb hat-trick as Portugal reached the Nations League final with victory over Switzerland at the Estadio do Dragao.

Ronaldo 34, had given the hosts the lead with a stunning first-half free-kick that flew into the bottom-right corner, wrong-footing Swiss keeper Yann Sommer.

Switzerland levelled in the second period when Ricardo Rodriguez tucked away a video assistant referee-awarded penalty moments after referee Felix Brych had initially signalled for a penalty at the other end.

But after consulting his pitch-side monitor, the decision was expunged and he instead gave a spot-kick for Nelson Semedo’s foul on Switzerland’s Steven Zuber.

Incensed by the decision, the hosts struggled to build any rhythm as the game appeared to drift towards extra-time.

However, Ronaldo made the crucial difference late on, sweeping Bernardo Silva’s cross into the bottom-right corner, before firing into the same spot 102 seconds later.

Portugal play the winners of Thursday’s semi-final between England and the Netherlands (19:45 BST), with the final in Porto on Sunday.

‘He scored three… nothing new for him’ – Ronaldo shines again on international stage

Re-live Ronaldo’s hat-trick as Portugal beat Switzerland

Why Portugal are so much more than just Ronaldo

Joao Felix – is this the most exciting player since Ronaldo?

Ronaldo underlines enduring class

Prior to this match, Ronaldo had featured just twice in Portugal’s past eight international games, playing no part at all in their qualification for the semi-finals of this tournament.

After drawing blanks in the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Serbia and Ukraine in March, and in Portugal’s final two games of the World Cup last summer, he once again demonstrated his enduring quality in the international arena.

He may no longer be at the peak of his powers, but 350 days after scoring his last international goal he added to his 85-goal tally by winning and scoring from a free-kick.

In trademark fashion he dipped the ball over the Switzerland wall and it was past Sommer in a flash with the goalkeeper unable to readjust.

He sits second on the all-time international top scorers chart with 88 goals in 157 matches with only Iran’s Ali Daei (109) ahead of him.

And his importance as the scorer of great goals came to the fore with Fernando Santos’ team struggling to find answers against a resourceful and purposeful Swiss side.

A darting run moved him onto Silva’s cross and a step-over and shimmy gave him the space to dispatch another clinical strike to make the game safe for the European champions.

It brought up his 53rd hat-trick for club and country.

VAR almost derails Portugal

While Portugal had been labelled favourites in this tie by Swiss boss Vladimir Petkovic, his team enjoyed more shots and greater possession than the hosts throughout.

Inspired by Liverpool midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, the Swiss carved out several goalscoring chances before falling behind to Ronaldo’s free-kick.

Shaqiri and Haris Seferovic both went close, with the Benfica forward smashing a sweetly struck shot against the crossbar.

But when their deserved equaliser arrived it came in bizarre fashion, with Silva going down and appearing to win a penalty for Portugal before VAR intervened.

Instead of Ronaldo shaping up to take a spot-kick from 12 yards, play was brought back to deal with an earlier incident between Semedo and Zuber in the Portugal penalty area.

And the faintest of touches from the Barcelona full-back, on Zuber, who initially appeared to trip over his own legs, convinced the referee to award the unlikeliest of penalties against the hosts.

Man of the match – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Ronaldo scored with three of his five shots on goal

Switzerland’s Portuguese woe continues – the stats

Portugal have won five of their past eight games against Switzerland (D1 L2), despite conceding in six of those matches.

This is the first encounter between Portugal and Switzerland to see both sides score since March 1993 (1-1 in a World Cup qualifier).

Switzerland are winless in their past nine games played in Portugal (including Euro 2004), losing seven and drawing twice since a 2-0 victory against Portugal in a World Cup qualifier in April 1969.

Portugal have lost just one of their past 16 games across all competitions (W6 D9) and are unbeaten since a 2-1 defeat against Uruguay in the 2018 World Cup (P9 W4 D5 L0 since).

Two of Cristiano Ronaldo’s past five goals for Portugal have come from direct free-kicks; only two of his previous 52 goals prior to this were scored in the same manner.

Five of Ricardo Rodriguez’s past six goals for Switzerland have come from the penalty spot, including his last three.

Only Strahil Popov for Bulgaria (four) and Benjamin Kololli for Kosovo (five) have been directly involved in more goals among defenders in this Nations League campaign than Switzerland’s Ricardo Rodríguez (three – two goals, one assist).

What’s next?

Portugal play the winners of Thursday’s semi-final between England and the Netherlands (19:45 BST) in the Nations League final in Porto on Sunday (also 19:45). Switzerland will take part in the third-place play-off before the final at 14:00.

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#League #nation’s