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Liverpool Transfer Rumours: How Incoming Players Would Impact Club Next Season

Rob Goldberg — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:53:59 -0400

Liverpool are not waiting around to make things happen this summer. The club has been aggressive in the offseason market and are set to make four major signings.

As Wayne Veysey of Goal.com reports:

Liverpool are close to signing four new players in a £42million splurge on the summer market, Goal understands.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has returned from his holiday in Spain to oversee the capture of midfield playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet as well as wide forwards Luis Alberto and Christian Atsu.

This will represent a major overhaul to a club that finished seventh in the league this past season.

The good news is that money should not be an issue. Luis Suarez continues to edge closer to joining Real Madrid, which could bring £40 million in transfer fee, according to David Maddock of Mirror Football.

If he does stay, Liverpool will still be happy to have the second-leading scorer in the English Premier League. This is certainly not something to be upset about.

Either way, the club is certain to get a serious boost from the incoming talent.

One of the most important players in this move is goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. While Pepe Reina is still on the roster for now, the Belgian is more of a long-term answer at the position.

The 30-year-old Reina has received interest from Barcelona, and he could possibly be sent out before the end of the summer. He told the Spanish paper AS (via Kyle Bonn of NBC Sports) "there are not going to be any changes," although it might not be in his control.

Despite his high level of play for years, Mignolet is only 25 years old and has shown great potential in his career at Sunderland. He could be the squad's keeper of the future, and it would be better if the future started as soon as possible.

Another big move is the addition of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has been impressive everywhere he goes. The Armenian national was a playmaker for Shakhtar Donetsk and displayed skill as both a scorer and a passer.

Next season, the 24-year-old midfielder should find himself immediately in a starting role and will be asked to contribute right away on the attack. This will be a huge addition for Liverpool after relying too much on Steven Gerrard to make plays over the past year.

Just as importantly, he continues to get better as he gets more experience, which is something that should continue on his new club. Here is a look at his performances in league play in each of his past three seasons.

Mkhitaryan's ability to create opportunities for himself and others will either work well alongside Suarez or help fans forget about him.

Christian Atsu and Luis Alberto represent more of the future and will probably struggle to get onto the pitch next year, although both youngsters have a lot of potential and could be big-time players down the road.

With few sure things in the front line, there will certainly be room if either player reaches their potential.

Overall, these four moves represent a great improvement for Liverpool. The club has struggled in recent years simply due to a lack in overall talent on the pitch. These players will help that no longer be a problem.

Although more will need to happen to get to the top of the EPL table, this is certainly a good start.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest updates in sports.

FIFA Confederations Cup 2013: Players Who Must Step Up for Their Team to Advance

Justin Onslow — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:35:12 -0400

With both Mexico and Japan losing on Wednesday, Italy and Brazil clinched the top two spots in Group A of the FIFA Confederations Cup. While each team will play one more match, there isn’t much excitement left in that portion of the field.

But in Group B, there are still plenty of possibilities. Spain and Nigeria have a comfortable lead with three points apiece, but an upset by either Tahiti or Uruguay in the coming days could significantly shake up the group.

That’s a big “if,” however.

Spain and Nigeria were tremendous in their opening matches. Nigeria crushed Tahiti 6-1, and Spain edged out Uruguay 2-1. For the group tables to change much by the end of the stage, both losing squads will have to experience a massive turnaround.

As it stands, neither Uruguay nor Tahiti is eliminated, but one bad showing on Thursday will all but sink their Confederations Cup hopes.

Let’s take a look at two players from each winless side who must step up on Thursday to ensure their respective teams have a chance of advancing past the group stage.

Xavier Samin: Tahiti

Tahiti surrendered six goals to Nigeria in its opening match of the tournament. And as scary as this thought may be, Spain has the firepower to top that number on Thursday.

For Tahiti to have even the slightest chance of upending the Spanish side, keeper Xavier Samin has to play the match of his life.

The 35-year-old will need a lot of help from Tahiti’s back line, though. Spain’s attack is devastating from wing to wing, and it’s nearly guaranteed that Samin will see more than eight shots on target in this match—which was the magic number for Nigeria to score its six goals on Monday.

Anything can happen, but it probably won’t. Tahiti is staring down the barrel of an early exit courtesy of the best international team in the competition, and it will take a monumental effort from Samin and the rest of his squad to avoid giving away three points to the Spanish side.

Edinson Cavani: Uruguay

Nigeria blasted Tahiti on Monday, but Uruguay represents a much more difficult challenge in the second match of group play.

If Nigeria is to notch three more points and a chance at advancing early in the group stage, it’ll have to keep tabs on Edinson Cavani.

Cavani has the finishing ability to cause a lot of problems for Nigeria’s back line. Paired with Luis Suarez, the 26-year-old represents the other half of an attack that can net a lot of goals in a short period of time.

But Uruguay’s attack isn’t the same when either striker isn’t in form. For Uruguay to avoid an early exit, it’ll need a strong performance from both players.

Marama Vahirua: Tahiti

Given Spain’s formidable attack, it would be a surprise to see Tahiti maintain possession for more than a quarter of this match. Tahiti doesn't have enough talent to go around.

If Tahiti is to cause any trouble at all in Spain’s final third, forward Marama Vahirua will have to be the player to cause it.

The 33-year-old set up Tahiti’s only goal against Nigeria with a terrific corner kick in the 54th minute, but he’ll need to do a lot more than that against Spain. He has to be the heart and soul of Tahiti’s attack.

Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta put it mildly when he described the challenges facing his side against Spain, as quoted at FIFA.com:

There is reason for concern after watching Spain's performance against Uruguay. Tactically, we need to be better than we were against Nigeria. And on a physical level, we'll need to be stronger in the challenge.

Tahiti doesn’t have the talent to be superior tacticians in this match, though. It will take a team effort, but players like Vahirua have to step up in a big way.

Luis Suarez: Uruguay

Few players in the tournament are as capable on the attack as Uruguay’s Luis Suarez.

The Liverpool striker is a tremendous tactician with finishing prowess unmatched by any player in this contest. With his side’s fate hanging in the balance, Suarez has to come up big for his country.

Suarez has the talent to find the net on multiple occasions in this tilt, but he’ll also need Cavani to be in top form. As a tandem, Suarez and Cavani can do a lot of damage to the Nigerian side.

Uruguay has a real chance of upsetting Nigeria on Thursday, but that effort has to start with a coordinated attack and a front line that can finish scoring chances in the back of the net. If Nigeria fails to do so, it will be on its way to the second stage of the tournament.

Ranking MLB's Top 10 Corner Infield Trade Candidates

Jason Martinez — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:11:00 -0400

Several contending teams around the league will be looking to add a corner infielder by the trade deadline. The problem is that it doesn't appear as if the market will be flush with options.

The New York Yankees, who are without corner infield tandem Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis after both recently reaggravated injuries, could be looking for help. The cast of journeymen who have played so far above their heads for the first couple of months have all seen their production dwindle while the Yankees have dropped to four games out in the American League East.

With Youkilis out a minimum of eight weeks after back surgery and Teixeira possibly requiring season-ending wrist surgery, the combination of Lyle Overbay, David Adams and Jayson Nix at two spots in the lineup that should be providing some firepower makes it hard to believe the Yankees will stand pat.

Here are the top 10 corner infielders who could make sense for the Yankees or any other team looking for an upgrade at first or third base.

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WWE Main Event Results: Winners, Twitter Reaction and Analysis from June 12

Tim Keeney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:06:13 -0400

The WWE always tends to put together a very solid show for Main Event, and on Wednesday Night, that trend continued.

It's not exactly a surprise, either.

After a spectacular pay-per-view and follow up Raw, the WWE creative team is clicking on all cylinders right now, and with The Shield and Antonio Cesaro both making appearances, it would be difficult for the weekly show not to continue being good television.

Let's take a look at what went down from the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio.

The Shield defeats Usos and Justin Gabriel

The Usos spent the last month mostly building up wins on Main Event shows, leading many to believe that they would soon establish themselves as the next threat for the Shield's tag team titles.

This tweet by the WWE only further strengthened that belief:

Wednesday's match, although won by the Shield, should fuel the speculation.

It was an exciting, back-and-forth match that featured solid offense from both sides. Jimmy and Jey got their moments to shine, came close to winning and didn't look weak or overmatched despite going up against the hottest trio in the company.

Moreover, in the end, it was Dean Ambrose who pinned Justin Gabriel, leaving the storyline open for the tag teams.

It will be intriguing to see if this turns into anything in the future, as there is plenty of in-ring potential with these two duos.

Antonio Cesaro defeats Sin Cara

Antonio Cesaro with Zeb Colter has a lot of potential.

The Swiss Sensation has always had a terrific blend of power and technical ability inside the ring, but as a heel, he has never been able to draw much heat on the mic. Colter changes that:

It's still unclear where the seemingly inevitable push will take Cesaro leading up to Money in the Bank, but his match on Wednesday with Sin Cara was up-tempo, highly entertaining and well done:

Cesaro is clearly on the way up.

Kaitlyn defeats Aksana

This wasn't an overly long match, but it's good to see the WWE giving the Divas—and especially Kaitlyn—some air time.

Kaitlyn and AJ proved on Payback that if they are simply given time to operate, they are capable of putting on a good show. Now if the WWE starts giving some opportunities to other ladies, such as Aksana, the Divas division has lots of potential.

At the very least, this is the first time in a while there has been intrigue surrounding the division.

Examining Washington Redskins' Offseason and Key Preseason Positional Battles

Justin Onslow — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:05:29 -0400

Patience is a virtue. For the Washington Redskins, patience is what this offseason has been all about.

After trading away much of their 2013 draft in acquiring Robert Griffin III last year, the Redskins weren’t expected to make a big splash in late April. With only two picks in the top 100 and no first-round selection, Washington would walk away from the draft with a solid class with considerable upside, but very little to be overly excited about.

But just as Washington was without many options in the draft, it also had a difficult salary cap situation to deal with following the NFL’s ruling to strip the team of $36 million in cap space over the last two seasons. As reported by Rich Campbell of the Washington Times, the Redskins currently have just $1.4 million in salary cap space following offseason dealings.

As a result of their cap situation, the Redskins didn’t make many big moves in free agency. General manager Bruce Allen kept things in-house for the most part, re-signing players like cornerback DeAngelo Hall and tight end Fred Davis to facilitate as much continuity as possible following a successful 2012 campaign.

Again, patience has been key. Allen would have probably loved to make some additional signings to build on last year’s success, but it simply wasn’t in the cards.

Still, the Redskins are in position to make even bigger strides in 2013. Provided Griffin can make a full recovery from surgery to repair his ACL and LCL to take the helm from Week 1 this season, there’s no reason to believe Washington can’t top its 10-win mark of a season ago.

With the league’s best rushing attack in place—headed by Alfred Morris and his 1,613-yard rookie campaign—and an explosive dual-threat quarterback in Griffin, Washington won’t have problems scoring points this season. The biggest question mark, however, is the team’s defense.

The Redskins fielded the No. 28 defense in the NFL in 2012—a unit that surrendered 377.7 yards and 24.3 points per game. Without the ability to make many impactful defensive signings this offseason, that defense will have a lot of questions to answer in 2013.

Allen did what he could in the draft to augment some of those issues, though. Four of the Redskins’ seven selections went toward defensive players, including Washington’s second-round selection in cornerback David Amerson and fourth-round safety Phillip Thomas.

We’ll take a closer look at the Redskins’ 2013 draft class, as well as some additional offseason dealings and positions to watch as the 2013 season draws near.

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EPL Fixture Release: Early-Season Matches to Circle on Your Calendar

Ethan Grant — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:51:29 -0400

Although the start of the 2013-14 English Premier League season is just under two months away, it feels much closer now after the release of the fixture slate for the new season.

The EPL released the new schedule on Wednesday, totaling 380 games over the course of 10 months that will decide whether or not Manchester United will defend their title or if another club will climb the ladder and take over the league table by the time next season ends.

Wigan Athletic, Reading and Queens Park Rangers have been relegated for next year, while Hull City, Crystal Palace and Cardiff City are taking their place at the bottom of the table when the year opens.

Now that we can officially take a look at the upcoming fixtures and start to get ready for the excitement of English football, here's a look at a few early-season matches to circle on your calendar right away.

For a complete look at the entire 2013-14 English Premier League fixture schedule, click here (via PremierLeague.com).

Opening-Week EPL Schedule (August 17)

Arsenal vs. Aston Villa

Chelsea vs. Hull City

Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool vs. Stoke City

Manchester City vs. Newcastle United

Norwich City vs. Everton

Sunderland vs. Fulham

Swansea City vs. Manchester United

West Bromwich Albion v Southampton

West Ham United vs. Cardiff City

Fixtures via PremierLeague.com.

Early-Season Matches to Watch

August 24: Manchester United vs. Chelsea

The reigning champs will be headed for the Champions League next season, and the Blues will be joining them after finishing third in the EPL table at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Both squads will also have new managers and expectations to win the EPL in just the second week of the season.

David Moyes is taking over for Sir Alex Ferguson after the latter stepped down from his post at United, and "The Special One," otherwise known as former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, is taking over at Chelsea.

Sparks should fly between two of the most storied clubs in England, and there's a good chance this match sheds some light on what the early returns will be for the transfer efforts and new managers that have been brought in to both Manchester United and Chelsea.

It will also be a first chance to see Wilfried Zaha play for the Red Devils against a quality club, and if Wayne Rooney will still be around for the Red Devils. On all levels, this is a can't-miss match for the early part of the season.

August 31: Arsenal vs. Tottenham

Arsenal sneaked into the Champions League pool by besting Tottenham by one point in the table last season, and this is the third match of the fixture slate for both teams on the new season.

A chance for revenge awaits the Spurs, while the Gunners will look to prove they can be a force in Champions League play despite the loss of several contributors from the fourth-place squad last year.

The one-sided rivalry between these two sides has reached the point where some have pondered whether or not Tottenham will ever be able to climb the mountain and take down the Gunners in the table soon.

Eurosport (via Yahoo! Sports) pondered this question earlier in the year, and it's a question that might be partially answered if the Spurs can pick up a road win at Fly Emirates Stadium in the third week of the season.

September 14: Swansea City vs. Liverpool

There's a lot of buzz surrounding the Reds this offseason. After a seventh-place finish in the table last season, Liverpool is facing issues with retaining Luis Suarez and finding a way to crack the top four next year. They need to find a way to bring more talent to Anfield, as well.

Swansea City is a club to watch next year, mainly because the kind of talent it takes to leap into the fray for a top-four spot in the table is extremely hard to make.

However, the Swans have a chance to accomplish just that after finishing ninth in the table last year and picking up José Cañas from Real Betis during the transfer window.

It isn't a flashy match with high-level clubs, but it's one that is important in the sense that the table is made up of a large number of teams with championship aspirations. It's also one that holds a revenge factor for the home side—the Swans lost 5-0 against the Reds last year in EPL play.

The Reds and the Swans might be far apart in terms of assets, but they weren't that far apart on the table last year, and this might be a match at home against Liverpool that really cements the idea that every match in the EPL counts.

We're still waiting on the new season to begin, but at least you've got the schedule to mull over why you wait, right? In the meantime, there's plenty of international football to keep your competitive football juices flowing.

Follow Bleacher Report FC Ethan Grant (@DowntownEG) on Twitter.

Robert Griffin III Debuts Newest Adidas Shoes

John Bibb — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:51:19 -0400

In a proud announcement like a father showing off his newborn, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III posted a picture of the latest and greatest in shoes from Adidas on his Facebook site Wednesday night. Along with the photo, Griffin noted, "CANT WAIT to try these out tomorrow."

Whoa, RG3, take it easy. Aren't you still in the rehabilitation process following reconstructive knee surgery? These new shoes have plastic springs that resemble what Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius competed with in the 2012 London Olympics.

The shoe and the design are part of the company's new Boost Technology line, and the pair displayed by RG3 is known as the SpringBlade model. Griffin has an endorsement deal with the shoe and athletic apparel company, and is the star of one of its most successful ads this year.

The shoes will not be available in stores until August, according to website Pocket-lint, who reviewed the shoes in February. In that review, the site mentioned there was not much information released by the company on the latest in shoe incarnations, but added "Adidas confirmed...the shoe is designed for running and training."

When Adidas signed RG3 in February 2013, it issued the following statement:

“Robert Griffin III is an athlete first and we respect everything he brings to the game,” David Baxter, vice president of Sport Performance for Adidas America, said in a news release. “His team player mentality, strong leadership on and off the field and genuine character combined with explosive and dominant athleticism make him a perfect fit for our brand. He’s clearly a great football player but, importantly, he’s a great athlete.”

The relationship between RG3 and Adidas has not been without some mild controversy. According to CSN Washington, Griffin was fined $10,000 in December by the NFL for wearing Adidas apparel to a postgame news conference. The league has an apparel deal with Nike.

In pregame warm-ups to Week 1, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported RG3 had to have a talk with the NFL after he covered the Nike name on his undershirt with the word "Heart."

During this offseason, RG3 told reporters he would be "all in for Week 1." This is the slogan for Adidas and Griffin's television commercial. He would later send a Twitter message explaining himself:

Feel like I need to say this..Although my goal is to start Week 1, that doesn't mean I will compromise my career to do so.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 19, 2013

Regardless of what RG3 does, he will always be one of the best things to happen to the Redskins in decades. However, those shoes look like an accident just waiting to happen.

Follow on Twitter @JohnBibb, and view previous Bleacher Report articles I have written on the Washington Redskins here.

ICC Champions Trophy Semi Finals 2013: England Looks Dominant in Victory

Richard Langford — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:46:09 -0400

Host nation England delighted its fans by rolling into the ICC Champions trophy final with a seven-wicket victory over pre-tournament favorite South Africa.

London's Oval was rocking for this match, as it was hard to find anyone rooting for South Africa in the pro-England crowd, and they had a lot to cheer for right from the start.

The English bowlers made sure of that. After winning the toss, England put South Africa in, and it paid off. It was a humid day, and this benefited the English swing bowlers.

They dominated the Proteas to the tune of 175 within 39 overs. This gave them an easily attainable target to surpass, and while they got off to a slow start reaching the mark, they managed to do so relatively easily in the end.

They caught the target with 7 wickets and a comfortable amount of balls left.

While it will be a popular conclusion to write off this outcome as simply another case of South Africa choking, that wouldn't be fair to England. They played excellent. And no one was more impressive than spinner James Tredwell.

Tredwell, who has been filling in for the injured Graeme Swann, was masterful. He earned Man of the Match honors, and deservedly so.

Sky Sports Cricket tweeted that news and passed along his impressive stat line:

James Anderson was also supremely impressive, as he yielded just 14 runs off his 8 overs, picking up 2 wickets.

This should help you get a feel for how dominant England was. Only four of the Proteas batsmen made it to double digits, and they likely would not have hit triple digits as a squad if David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt didn't go on an impressive 95-run ninth-wicket stand.

Prior to that, England reduced South Africa to 80-8 in the 23rd over.

England should be feeling great about this victory and confident heading into the championship match.

England won't find out who their competition will be for that match until Thursday. That is when India and Sri Lanka battle in the other semifinal.

The ICC Champions Trophy final will be Sunday, June 23 at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham.

The Most Unstoppable Home Run Sluggers in Baseball Today

Zachary D. Rymer — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:44:15 -0400

Major League Baseball has become much more of a pitchers’ league over the last few years. Pitchers are in the midst of their most successful stretch in decades, and they owe much to their mastery of the strikeout.

But for all their progress, pitchers still haven’t vanquished their mortal enemies. Nothing on this earth can humble a pitcher quite like an unstoppable home run hitter, and that breed has not yet gone extinct.

Bleacher Report Pop Culture Lead Writer Gabe Zaldivar and I got together to pay homage to the game’s deadliest home run hitters. They like to travel around but can generally be found in Denver, Toronto, Detroit and Baltimore.

If you have any comments, questions or complaints about the absence of a certain Miami slugger, you’re welcome to leave them below. You’re also invited to follow Gabe and me on Twitter, where we tweet like crazy.

Follow Zachary: @zachrymer

Follow Gabe: @gabezal

Kansas Basketball: Andrew Wiggins Proves to Be as Advertised in Unofficial Debut

C.J. Moore — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:42:00 -0400

Thirteen seconds is how long it took Andrew Wiggins to make jaws drop in a Kansas uniform on Wednesday afternoon.

Wiggins, playing in a scrimmage for Bill Self's basketball camp in front of a packed house at KU's volleyball arena, got the ball off a steal and took flight from the left block. By the time he reached his peak, his head was at the rim and all Sacramento Kings center Cole Aldrich could do was watch from below as Wiggins threw down a monstrous dunk.

We came to see the hype and he brought it almost instantaneously.

"It felt good," Wiggins said. "I let loose of all of my nerves, and I was good after that dunk."

If that's all it takes, then this kid really is special. Because the pressure and attention that surround him is something they've never seen at Kansas. And this is Kansas.

Fans started showing up hours before the scrimmage to get a seat to see the player they call the best high school prospect since LeBron James.

"The thing is, he's just a kid," Self said. "I told him the other night, he hasn't made a basket yet and the attention that he's received is based on potential; it's not based on anything he's done. But I think he should welcome the expectations. I don't think there's any reason to run from them."

Self realizes this comes with the territory. He can hide Wiggins, but why bother? Television news stations throughout Lawrence, Kansas City and Topeka sent cameras to a summer scrimmage. ESPN.com was represented. The Kansas City Star sent three reporters.

KU's media relations didn't have to feature Wiggins on Wednesday, but why bother hiding him? There's no running from this.

The mass gathered around Wiggins after the scrimmage as he sat and waited for Self to arrive. The media-relations staff had set it up so Self could stand by Wiggins' side as he answered questions.

"Wow," Self said as he walked up to the group. "We just win an Elite Eight game?"

Self realized why we were all there and he stepped aside to let the freshman deal with his first foray into what will be a lifetime carnival.

Wiggins is used to it. Maybe not used to this. But every waking moment the past few years, he's had to deal with someone asking him where was he going to school.

"Now everyone knows I'm going to Kansas," he said. "It's a big relief, big weight off my shoulders. It's been good."

Wiggins is well-spoken and more media savvy than your average freshman. He has to be. And he mostly blends in with his other teammates until he has the ball in transition racing to the rim. Once in the air, there are few like him in the world.

It's also obvious that he's still a player that's developing, which we should not forget.

"What does he need to work on?" Self was asked.

"I have not coached him but for about an hour and a half so far," Self said. "I have no idea. I think potentially he and (Wayne) Selden could be unbelievable wing defenders and unbelievable in transition. I don't know yet how it'll all come together.

Here's what I took away from about 20 minutes of watching Wiggins in a scrimmage that was played at half speed: He is more than willing to attack when he has the ball.

Wiggins quickly made his first four shots, including a step-back three-pointer. He then missed his final three shots, which were all threes.

Even when Wiggins misses, he's smooth. He has the explosion Kansas fans saw from Ben McLemore. Then he has handles that Kansas fans didn't see from McLemore.

You can see why it's believed Wiggins would be the first pick in this draft if he were eligible.

You can also see that he does have some things to work on, including his outside shot and learning how to get open. In this game, he did a lot of standing. But again, it was just a scrimmage that Self was not allowed to watch.

KU's current roster lost, 66-61, to a combination of alumni and several current players, including Memphis transfer Tarik Black. The game was essentially won by former KU guard Tyrel Reed, who could not miss. He served as a temporary distraction.

All eyes stayed on Wiggins. And from here on out, every movement, word and shot fired by the freshman will be dissected.

He passed the first test in 13 seconds.

All quotes were obtained firsthand.

Timeline of LeBron James' Headband Love Affair

Jesse Dorsey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:38:30 -0400

LeBron James led the Miami Heat to a comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6, and he did it all without his headband, a part of his wardrobe that he's been in love with for the length of his NBA career.

For whatever reason, many people have an opinion of whether or not a player should wear a headband.

There's a debate over whether or not it hinders vision, giving players a bit of a distraction when they can see it out of the corner of their eye.

However, if a player has grown up wearing a headband, there's no reason to think it would continue to be a hindrance through the latter stages of his career. Once you're used to a headband, you're used to it.

Headband wearing is a personal preference, so criticism doesn't really make sense.

When it comes to LeBron, the headband is a part of his persona. Without that strap of cloth around his forehead, he just looks strange, and suddenly it becomes an entire story line.

Some players become defined by their accessories, whether it be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's goggles or Allen Iverson's shooting sleeve. Over time, LeBron has become routinely identified by that headband, although that wasn't always the case.

Back in high school, the most iconic picture to date of LeBron was of him wearing a headband on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

That picture was taken when he was a junior in high school, well-known to the world and ready to come in and transform the league.

However, if you go back a year to his sophomore season, the headband is not yet in play.

Of course he's just a 16-year-old kid, but it's interesting to see him play without a headband in his early days of stardom.

Not only that, the stat sheets from his high school days shows him wearing a headband, so we've got to assume that he started up with it in his junior year.

Moving forward, LeBron was hardly spotted without a headband for the next 12 years, and when it did happen he looked like a completely different person.

Perhaps one of the reasons for his sudden addition of the headband was his slowly-receding hairline, which became a more rapid recession later in his career.

Of course, there's also a chance that he was a kid in the early 2000s when guys like Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce were at the top of the league rocking headbands.

Over the years, LeBron's headband rose with his hairline, and even thickened a bit, but it never came off purposefully.

There were occasions where it would get knocked off from a foul and lost in the crowd.

It seems as if there's a bit of an advantage to rocking a strip of cloth around your head. When somebody gives you a wallop and sends the headband flying, referees would be more easily persuaded to make a call.

At this point it seems far too late for LeBron to make any kind of drastic decisions with his appearance. He's already changed his number once, and removing an identifying accessory would be an equally drastic change.

For now, it seems any change would have to wait at least until next season; LeBron's already said he's wearing the headband in Game 7.

FIFA Confederations Cup 2013: Is Japan for Real After Italy Game?

Michael Cummings — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:35:18 -0400

Japan suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Italy on Wednesday in what was without doubt the most entertaining match of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup so far. But despite the fact that the result eliminated Japan, the net outcome could be positive for the Samurai Blue.

In taking an early 2-0 lead and outplaying Italy for most of the match, Japan showed an ability to hang with a traditional international power.

And with a talented, exciting team, Japan could pose a real threat at next year's World Cup—provided they learn some of the lessons Wednesday offered.

Japan will be the team for the hipsters at the World Cup.
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) June 19, 2013

Creativity, Technique, Intensity

First, let's address what went right for Japan.

Alberto Zaccheroni's team raced to a 2-0 lead in the first half by shutting down Italy's impressive midfield, which includes bona fide stars like Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Riccardo Montolivo. Japan showed great intensity in hassling Italy's ball-handlers, ensuring the Azzurri could not settle into a rhythm.

Meanwhile, playmakers like Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda were brilliant, troubling Italy's defense with runs, passes and shots from all over the pitch. Such was Japan's dominance that Italy failed to register a shot on target until De Rossi's header made the score 2-1 just before the half.

Japan held 55 percent of possession and outshot Italy 15-11 (11-6 for shots on target), according to FIFA.com's stats. If not for a few bad moments, Japan maintained control of the match and easily could have won.

But if Zaccheroni's team is to contend next summer at the World Cup, those bad moments must be addressed between now and 2014.

This goes to show that Japan are a good team. The amount of technically brilliant players they posses is rather high.
— BundesligaLucas (@BundesligaLucas) June 19, 2013

Learning Lessons

Japan's defense experienced three costly breakdowns. Italy's other goal came on a penalty kick that probably should not have been called.

Late in the first half, De Rossi beat his marker to head home Italy's first goal. Until then, Japan had been dominant and deserved their two-goal lead despite scoring from a fortunate penalty of their own.

Italy equalized early in the second half through Atsuto Uchida's own goal, but Maya Yoshida was to blame for a defensive error in the build-up. Finally, late in the match, Italy scored the winner with a sucker-punch, catching Japan out after a long spell of Japanese pressure.

In order for Japan to compete with—and beat—elite international teams, such defensive lapses will have to stop.

Looking Ahead

Kagawa and Honda are exciting talents, and Zaccheroni would be wise to build his team around them. Striker Ryoichi Maeda created dangerous moments, but Japan might benefit from a more lethal option to finish off the moves started by Kagawa and Honda.

Farther back, the defense must improve—Japan have allowed seven goals in two matches at the Confederations Cup—but the midfield performance on Wednesday was impressive. By full time, Japan's players looked fresher than Italy's, and even most Italian fans would admit Japan were unlucky to lose.

Luck won't always be a problem. At one point in the second half, Japan hit the upright and the crossbar within seconds. On another day, one of those shots would have resulted in a goal.

Japan's combination of skill, technique and hard work should make them a team to watch next summer, but there's work to be done to turn potential into reality.

Follow @MikeCummings37

Italy vs. Japan: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Ethan Grant — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:34:11 -0400

In a 2013 Confederations Cup match that felt more like a World Cup battle, Italy came out on top on Wednesday, besting Japan by a score of 4-3 in Recife, Brazil, to keep pace with the hosts at the top of the Group A table.

FIFA.com had the tweet as the match ended:

Fox Soccer had the post as the semifinalists from Group A were finalized:

The Azzurri victory sets up a matchup between Italy and Brazil for the top spot in the Group A table. The loser will likely draw Spain in the semifinals, while the other will get the second-place finisher from Group B.

It also eliminates Japan, who was considered one of the dark-horse teams of the tournament. Although the Blue Samurai will be playing for pride against Mexico, they showed some of that promise early against Italy.

Japan struck first—and struck the ball often—in the first half, putting pressure on the Italian defense with the talented duo of Shinji Okazaki and Shinji Kagawa.

But it was Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon who allowed the chance for Japan, as he was given a yellow card for a bad foul in the 21st minute to award Japan a penalty kick. Japan, who missed several chances to score against Brazil, would not miss out on the first great opportunity of this match.

Keisuke Honda beat Buffon on the penalty to give his side the early 1-0 lead.

That lead would double just 12 minutes later, when Manchester United midfielder Kagawa found the back of the net on a beautiful cross from Ryoichi Maeda. With a 2-0 lead well before the first half was over, it looked like the Blue Samurai were on the verge of an upset.

101 Great Goals had the tweet as Japan gained momentum for a potential upset and a shot at the next round of the tournament:

But alas, there's a reason they play a full 90-minute match.

Italy realized that less than 10 minutes later, when Daniele De Rossi cut the lead in half with a header in the 41st. Things turned around quickly, though, right after the two teams came back on the pitch for the second half in Brazil.

Italy took the lead by the time 52nd minute mark had reach the referee's stopwatch, as an own goal by Atsuto Uchida and a penalty kick by Mario Balotelli ended up erasing all the momentum Japan had created during the first half of the match.

As 101 Great Goals noted, the Italian star knows how to find the net on the penalty:

As Italy went up 3-2, it was interesting to note that the Azzurri hadn't played particularly well. Writer Paolo Bandini had the telling tweet and stats:

But Japan would come back strong in the latter portion of the second half.

Okazaki's header in the 68th minute equalized the score at three, and the Asian side was once again in business and in control of the match.

As the match labored on into the final 10 minutes of action, Japan had the best chance to win in the 82nd minute. The connection of Kagawa and Okazaki managed to find iron twice, and the incredibly unlucky sequence ended up proving to be enough to doom the Blue Samurai just four minutes later.

Sebastian Giovinco, who came on in the 30th minute for Alberto Aquilani, made the biggest play of the match by finding the back of the net in the 86th.

Fox Soccer had the tweet as the Italians took the stunning lead:

Japan was still alive at that point, and managed to fire up more chances off the feet of Kagawa and Okazaki and the head of Yasuyuki Konno. None would ring true, and this tweet from KICK TV sums up the pain that Japan fans likely felt when a late offsides call killed another scoring chance to even it at four:

Italy comes out unscathed after a lackluster first half, but the goal-scoring ability of the Azzurri has proven again to be dangerous when Balotelli and his back line are in sync and focused. The Italians are now guaranteed to finish at least fourth in the Confederations Cup.

Let's take a look at some grades and what's next following this exciting match.

Grades

ITALY		JAPAN
Player	Grade	Player	Grade
Gianluigi Buffon	C+	Eiji Kawashima	C
Mattia di Sciglio	D	Atsuto Uchida (off 73')	D
Giorgio Chiellini	B-	Maya Yoshida	D+
Andrea Barzagli	C	Yasuyuki Konno	C-
Christian Maggio (off 59')	B	Yuto Nagatomo	C+
Andrea Pirlo	B	Makoto Hasebe (off 90'+2')	B-
Daniele De Rossi	A-	Yasuhito Endo	B+
Emanuele Giaccherini (on 68')	B-	Shinji Okazaki	A
Ricardo Montolivo	C-	Keisuke Honda	B+
Alberto Aquilani (off 30')	B-	Shinji Kagawa	A-
Mario Balotelli	B	Ryoichi Maeda (off 79')	C
*Substitutes*		*Substitutes*
Sebastian Giovinco (on 30')	A	Hiroki Sakai (on 73')	C+
Ignazio Abate (on 59')	C+	Mike Havenaar (on 79')	C+
Claudio Marchisio (on 68')	B	Kengo Nakamura (on 90'+2'	C+

What's Next?

Schedule

All four of the Group B teams will be in action on Thursday. Spain will take on Tahiti in what should be one of the higher-scoring matches of the tournament, and Nigeria will look to make a statement against the favored Uruguayan squad.

As for Group A, Italy has the other team at the top of the group table, Brazil, still left on its schedule, while Japan has a tilt with Mexico where all that's left to be had is bragging rights.

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Table (as of 6/19/13)

GROUP A					GROUP B
Team	W	L	D	Points	Team	W	L	D	Points
Brazil	2	0	0	6	Nigeria	1	0	0	3
Italy	2	0	0	6	Spain	1	0	0	3
Mexico	0	2	0	0	Uruguay	0	1	0	0
Japan	0	2	0	0	Tahiti	0	1	0	0

*Via FIFA.com.

Follow Bleacher Report FC Ethan Grant (@DowntownEG) on Twitter.

Chris Bosh Answers Critics With Gritty Game 6 Finals Performance for Miami Heat

Zach Buckley — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:33:23 -0400

Chris Bosh's three-year stay with the Miami Heat has never been easy.

The third member of Miami's vaunted Big Three, he's often been reduced to third-wheel status as a player just fortunate enough to be sharing the floor with a pair of Hall of Fame teammates.

The statistical sacrifices he's made since migrating south in the summer of 2010 have been staggering. The 24.0 points per game scoring average he packed in his luggage has plummeted to just 16.6.

He went from a player responsible for nearly 30 percent of the Toronto Raptors plays while he was on the floor in his final season there to one tasked with fewer than 23 percent of Miami's possessions this year.

And those are nothing compared to the punitive damages he's been assessed in the court of public opinion. His critics cried that he was too much of a finesse player to effectively man the low block, too soft to withstand the physical rigors of life in the NBA post.

The numbers from Miami's season-saving 103-100 win in Game 6 seemingly lend credence to those critiques. In more than 38 minutes of work, Bosh managed just 10 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field.

His San Antonio Spurs counterpart, the 37-year-old Tim Duncan, forced him to attend a complementary post clinic. The ageless wonder erupted for playoff-highs of 30 points and 17 boards, giving his team a tremendous chance to win a game in which Tony Parker's shot was M.I.A. (6-of-23) and Manu Ginobili was more reckless than he'd ever been (career-high eight turnovers).

But Miami Bosh had never been a player defined by his statistical output, even if his $17.5 million salary suggests that he should.

He's a fiery leader who never bites his tongue when tough talks are needed. But on a night when the Heat came frighteningly close to seeing their title defense bid come to a screeching halt, Bosh let his play do the talking.

And the well-spoken star never sounded so brilliant.

To be clear, Miami's never even within striking distance without a blistering fourth-quarter effort from LeBron James. The reigning MVP scored 16 of his team-high 32 points in the period, including a 25-foot triple that trimmed San Antonio's one-time 13-point lead to just two with 20 seconds left in regulation.

Without Bosh's crunch-time performance, though, James' performance is all for naught. After Spurs sophomore Kawhi Leonard split a pair of free throws following James' three, James fired off another long-range shot. But this one caromed off the front of the rim, kicked off the glass and floated above a pack of black jerseys.

But there was Bosh soaring above the smaller Spurs defenders. He snatched the ball over a leaping Ginobili, wrestled it away from some prying San Antonio hands and quickly found a backpedaling Ray Allen, who buried the game-tying three with only 5.2 seconds left on the clock.

When the overtime session rolled around, Bosh was the first player to get Miami on the scoreboard. He finished a layup through contact off of a James assist on the Heat's third possession of the period.

Miami would go on to score six more points in the period, which proved to be enough thanks to some timely defensive stops keyed by Bosh.

A James turnover gave the Spurs the basketball facing a one-point deficit with 40.5 seconds left on the clock. San Antonio went to its MVP candidate Parker, who lost James on a Duncan screen and left Bosh with a brutal matchup on the perimeter.

Parker drove hard to his right, then cut off his jets and pulled back for what looked like an open jumper. But the lanky Bosh recovered to the speedy point guard and deflected his potential game-tying shot.

The teams traded empty possessions, which forced the Spurs to foul Allen (a career 89.4 percent free-throw shooter) and the 17-year veteran calmly converted both of his foul shots.

That left the Spurs with 1.9 seconds to climb out of a three-point hole. It was a tall task for sure, but far from impossible for a team housing the new record holder for the most threes ever made in an NBA Finals in Danny Green.

Not surprisingly, that's exactly where San Antonio went.

A high screen from Tiago Splitter halted Allen's pursuit. That forced Bosh to chase the wing man from the top of the key to the far corner, where the two arrived almost simultaneously. Green's desperation attempt was devoured by Bosh, who fired the ball toward the rafters and propelled these teams to a winner-take-all Game 7 set for Thursday night (9 p.m. ET on ABC).

Even in the aftermath of one of Bosh's finest moments with the Heat, he's still fighting for his rightful recognition.

James is always the headliner for good or bad reasons and another finals triple double (32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) earned him prominent position in the post-game coverage. Allen's been making the media rounds, too, thanks to that miraculous clutch bucket.

Bosh is the unsung hero once again, leaving an imprint all over the game's final score even if it didn't show up on the stat sheet.

You can call it tragic or maybe just karma for joining the league's latest manufactured superpower.

But Bosh knows this feeling all too well. He calls it business as usual.

Follow @Hoops_Guru

'Total Divas' to Air WWE Wedding?

Sharon Glencross — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:30:53 -0400

It looks like Total Divas, WWE and E!'s upcoming reality show, will be featuring its own wedding.

It emerged this week that longtime wrestling couple Natalya Neidhart, who is starring in the show, and wrestler Tyson Kidd were engaged (the Bellas broke the news on Twitter).

This, of course, breaks kayfabe. Natalya has been romantically linked with The Great Khali for several months.

Judging by the trailer, it seems Total Divas will be a weird mixture of reality and storylines.

In an interesting twist, Dave Meltzer reveals in this week's (subscribers-only) Wrestling Observer Newsletter that not only is the show acknowledging the pair's engagement, but that the wedding would also be aired during the series:

E! was shooting Natalya’s bachelorette party on 6/12 in Las Vegas for “Total Divas.” They made sure the entire cast of the show was there. The plan I’m told is for the season to build up to airing her wedding to Ted “T.J.” Wilson (Tyson Kidd) on the show, because weddings are good for ratings, especially for a show that will be aimed at largely women. I was told by someone close to the situation, “it’s a fair conclusion they’re getting married on the show."

Let's face it: On-screen wrestling weddings are usually doomed.

Remember Stephanie McMahon and Andrew “Test” Martin? Or Edge and Lita? Or Teddy Long and Kristal Marshall? Or Daniel Bryan and A.J. Lee?

And what if Jake Roberts shows up with a snake?

Of course, Total Divas being—sort of—real means Natayla and Kidd should manage to get married without a hitch.

While having your wedding shown on E! may not be everyone's cup of tea—and it didn't exactly work out for E! golden couple Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries, who famously split up 72 days after their television ceremony—it's hard to argue that this won't help boost the couple's profile and aid their careers.

Particularly, Kidd, who has been marginalized and forgotten about for much of his WWE tenure. Assuming Total Divas is a hit, this could get him some real mainstream attention and greatly help his marketability.

Having been together for several years, it's not like they aren't genuine about their feelings or there's anything manufactured about the engagement. So why not have a big fancy ceremony with E! footing the bill?

Although, they may want to considering getting some security people just in case an enraged Khali shows up to object to the union. This is wrestling, after all.

NHL: Power Ranking the Top 10 Champions in Stanley Cup History

Brad Kurtzberg — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:27:48 -0400

With the Stanley Cup Final in full swing, it's time to take a look back at the top 10 champions in Stanley Cup history.

Here are the ground rules for this list. First, no teams from the days before the NHL had exclusive control of the Stanley Cup. So, fans of the Montreal Maroons and Vancouver Millionaires are just out of luck.

Also, I would only take one team from any given dynasty. It would be pointless to say that the best three teams on the list were all members of the Canadiens, who won five straight Stanley Cups from 1956-1960, or the Islanders, who won four straight from 1980-1983. I just took the best team from those dynasties and put them in the mix to prevent the list from getting redundant.

Keep in mind that if I rank one team ahead of another, it doesn't mean I am ranking a particular dynasty ahead of another. I am simply ranking the most dominant single team within that dynasty.

Feel free to comment on the list and say why a team should be on it or if you feel a particular team deserves to be higher (or lower) than where they were placed. Just indicate why you feel the way you do.

Begin Slideshow

1 Nightmare Recruiting Scenario for Each Top 10 Recruiting Class

Edwin Weathersby — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:17:23 -0400

Recruiting is unpredictable and many things can happen between now and national signing day. College football programs deal with many daily issues and coaches have to put out a lot of fires. Some issues are small, while others can be nightmares.

Each coach in the country has to be prepared for every scenario it can fathom, including in recruiting. Nightmare scenarios can happen at anytime and coaches must be prepared for it. Kevin Sumlin must be ready if one of his top commitments flips to another school and Clemson has nightmares about quarterback Deshaun Watson decommitting.

Brady Hoke would be at a loss for words if his top target signed with a rival school and yes, even Nick Saban has nightmares.

Begin Slideshow

Confederations Cup Today: Italy Win Thriller; Spain Ring the Changes for Tahiti

Jerrad Peters — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:16:08 -0400

Italy prevailed in a captivating match against Japan in Recife, while Neymar starred for Brazil in a win over Mexico at the Castelao in Fortalenza.

Meanwhile, Uruguay prepared for a do-or-die showdown with Nigeria while Spain pondered numerous changes for Thursday’s match against Tahiti.

Brazil 2-0 Mexico (9’ Neymar; 90+3’ Jo)

Once again Neymar thrilled the home support at the Confederations Cup, and once again the Barcelona-bound forward opened the scoring in the early going—his volley from a Dani Alves cross leaving Mexico goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona with no chance after deflecting off a defender.

But Brazil mostly fired blanks from there, with each of Alves, Hulk and Neymar each coming close before the break but failing to hit the target, nevermind put the ball in the back of the net.

Mexico enjoyed some periods of ascendancy following the restart, and in the 60th minute Javier Hernandez was denied an equalizer by defender David Luiz, whose vital, sliding effort kept the hosts in front heading into the final stretch.

El Tri had one or two more half-chances before the final whistle, and late on they somehow took the game to their opponents without producing that elusive equalizer. Neymar, meanwhile, was putting in a superb all-around performance, and he rounded out his display with a delicious assist on Jo’s insurance marker in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

Italy 4-3 Japan (41’ De Rossi; 50’ Uchida o.g.; 52’ Balotelli; 86’ Giovinco—21’ Honda; 33’ Kagawa; 69’ Okazaki)

Italy prevailed in the most exhilarating match of the Confederations Cup so far, but only just.

Japan took the lead after 21 minutes when referee Diego Abal awarded the Asian champions a dubious penalty. But Keisuke Honda made no mistake from the spot as the Blue Samurai opened their tournament account.

Twelve minutes later Japan were ahead by a pair thanks to Shinji Kagawa—the Manchester United playmaker evading a Giorgio Chiellini challenge before putting the ball in his quiver and unleashing an arrow of a shot past Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

This match showed no signs of settling, and moments after picking up a yellow card Daniele De Rossi had Italy back to within a goal after heading Andrea Pirlo’s well-placed corner into goal.

Although Italy trailed at the break they would claim three of the four goals scored in the second half, including a Maya Yoshida own goal that restored level terms.

Moments later, Italy had their turn to take an undeserved penalty when Abal pointed to the spot following Makoto Hasebe’s accidental handball, but Mario Balotelli made no mistake from the spot as Italy took their first lead of the night.

Shinji Okazaki tied things up at three goals apiece with a delightful free-kick goal in the 69th minute, but with four minutes to play Sebastian Giovinco netted the winner following Claudio Marchisio’s well-placed pass.

Coach’s words

We found ourselves a goal down early on which obviously changed the circumstance of the game...From then on everything changed. We pinned Brazil back in their half, kept the ball, got forward and took risks. We dominated most of the game, but we didn’t show the ruthlessness required to finish our moves and level the game. We’re missing that final touch, but that’s the way football goes. – Mexico manager Jose Manuel de la Torre, following Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Brazil. (FIFA.com)

Player of the day

Neymar. Once again the 21-year-old was Brazil’s best player in a win, and although they struggled at times to break down Mexico, it was hardly for lack of effort on behalf of the former Santos forward, who put in an energetic, box-to-box performance against the Gold Cup winners.

Looking ahead

Spain come into Thursday’s match against Tahiti unbeaten in 23 matches and confident of extending their streak against the Oceania champions.

Manager Vicente del Bosque is expected to ring the changes for the day’s early kickoff at the Maracana, with Victor Valdes, Javi Martinez, David Villa and Fernando Torres among those expected to get a run-out.

Tahiti boss Eddy Etaeta is sweating over the fitness of captain Nicolas Vallar, who is struggling to overcome an ankle injury.

Gerard Pique and Alvaro Arbeloa picked up yellow cards in Spain’s match against Uruguay earlier in the week, while no Tahiti player went into the book against Nigeria.

Projected Spain XI: Valdes; Azpilicueta, Albiol, Martinez, Monreal; Mata, Fabregas, Cazorla; Silva, Torres, Villa

Projected Tahiti XI: Roche; Aitamai, Ludivion, A.Tehau, Vallar, Simon; Atani, Bourebare, Caroine, Hue; J.Tehau

In Thursday’s late match the champions of Africa and South America will go head-to-head when Nigeria and Uruguay tangle at Salvador’s Arena Fonte Nova.

Stephen Keshi is expected to make one or two changes to the side that thumped Tahiti 6-1 on Monday—among them the introduction of striker Ideye Brown at the expense of Anthony Ujay.

Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez will likely keep the faith with his four-man defense and could well name the same lineup that fell 3-1 to Spain on Sunday.

Nigeria’s Kenneth Omeruo is at risk of a suspension following a yellow card against Tahiti, while Edinson Cavani and Diego Lugano were booked for Uruguay against Spain.

Projected Nigeria XI: Enyeama; Ambrose, Omeruo, Oboabona, Elderson; Mba, Mikel, Ogude; Musa, Ideye, Oduamadi

Projected Uruguay XI: Muslera; M.Pereira, Lugano, Godin, Caceres; Ramirez, Perez, Gargano, Rodriguez; Suarez, Cavani

Noteworthy

Protests continue to spread throughout Brazil as demonstrators call for an end to transport tax increases, corruption and the general social cost of staging next year’s World Cup.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Brazil forward Hulk sympathized with the protesters, saying, "After seeing the people on the streets [clamouring] for improvements, it makes me feel like joining them.” (BBC)

So far more than a quarter-million people have taken to the streets since the start of the Confederations Cup, and ahead of Brazil’s match against Mexico in Fortalenza, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up a demonstration.

2013 NHL Mock Draft: Full 1st-Round Selections for Each Team

Steven Cook — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:15:52 -0400

The 2013 NHL entry draft is just around the corner, which means that the league's worst teams in 2012-13 will have opportunities to fill their rosters with talented prospects.

Though the teams with lottery picks have a much better chance at improvement, a deep class has once again been put together. Some of these prospects are sure to make an impact.

The event is set to be held in the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on June 30, but let's not waste any time in breaking down a mock draft of what will happen next Sunday.

1. Colorado Avalanche: Seth Jones, D

This pick seems to have been set in stone for some time.

One of the best defensive prospects in a generation, Seth Jones has the complete package to turn into an All-Star defenseman at the next level. With all his type, if he struggles, it would be seen as a complete shock.

The Avs already boast a strong line of forwards including Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny and Gabriel Landeskog, who seem to be potential future franchise players. But the one thing they're missing is a franchise defenseman.

2. Florida Panthers: Nathan MacKinnon, C

The Panthers have a lot of talent to choose from with pick No. 2, but they'll end up going with a can't-miss prospect in Nathan MacKinnon.

MacKinnon executes his game just as well on defense as he does on offense, which is saying something considering his attacking presence. He'll be a top-flight player in the NHL before too long.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning: Jonathan Drouin, LW

Perhaps the most lethal offensive power in this draft class, Jonathan Drouin will be headed to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The thought of this kid teaming up with Steven Stamkos for the foreseeable future is dangerous, to say the least. His vision, puck skill and versatility will make him a star in the league.

4. Nashville Predators: Aleksander Barkov Jr., C

If he weren't just 17 years of age, Barkov might be going No. 1 overall, despite Seth Jones' upside.

Barkov is a generational offensive talent who has all of the makings of a top-six forward in the NHL. The Preds looked lethargic on offense for much of last season, so that will be priority No. 1, and Barkov fits the mold.

5. Carolina Hurricanes: Valeri Nichushkin, LW/RW

With experience playing in the Kontinental Hockey Leauge, Valeri Nichushkin will be ready to contribute immediately, and that will garner him a high draft pick.

His 6'4", 200-pound frame is reminiscent of Joe Thornton's, and we've seen just how much success he's had with his big-bodied advantage. But Nichushkinhas the background of an Alexander Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin, which should make a general manager sweat if he can make that pick at No. 5.

6. Calgary Flames: Elias Lindholm, C

Lindholm might be the next Swedish star in the NHL due to his well-rounded game and immense hockey IQ.

The Flames will be happy they took Lindholm when his cerebral play leads the team to many victories. He would be a great candidate for the upcoming rebuilding project set to take place in Calgary.

7. Edmonton Oilers: Bo Horvat, C

Each of the forwards who went before him were well-rounded players, but Horvat's two-way play gives him his biggest advantage.

He's spent time as a defensive specialist but has always found a way to make an impact on the score line. As of late, he's proved to be a much more dangerous scorer than was once believed.

The Oilers are stout with prospects at the wing positions, but they need to add centers to fill out their future lines. Horvat would be a solid option.

8. Buffalo Sabres: Darnell Nurse, D

Darnell Nurse isn't a prototypical defenseman like Seth Jones, but he's set to become an invaluable member of the Buffalo Sabres. Nurse is the second-best defenseman in the draft, and he'll bring some much-needed intensity to the Sabres.

9. New Jersey Devils: Sean Monahan, C

Sean Monahan boasts vision and playmaking abilities beyond his years. He'll fall into a good spot with New Jersey, which isn't starved for prospects and will be able to allow him to use his own learning curve.

10. Dallas Stars: Hunter Shinkaruk, C/RW

No player in this draft is better at taking advantage of his teammates' big plays than Hunter Shinkaruk. He's always a major threat to score, and that game-breaking talent is what the Stars are currently missing.

11. Philadelphia Flyers: Rasmus Ristolainen, D

The defenseman from Finland knows how to lay the lumber, but that's far from his only asset. At 6'4" and 200 pounds, he has the size to protect the defense and serve as a longtime anchor for the Flyers.

12. Phoenix Coyotes: Curtis Lazar, C

Lazar is a hard-working player with a lot of grit and heart. He won't blow opponents away with his skill, but he won't allow them to push him around, either.

This is just the type of player who the Coyotes want, and they'll prove it by picking him at No. 12.

13. Winnipeg Jets: Nikita Zadorov, D

Nikita Zadorov makes the other defensive prospects in this class look tiny. His 6'5" frame allows him to play with strength and physicality that very few NHL players can match.

The Jets are still recuperating their prospect base after a troubling time as the Atlanta Thrashers, and it's not often that a player of Zadorov's presence is available at No. 13.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Max Domi, C

The undersized center makes up for his small frame by playing to his biggest advantages, which are speed and elusiveness. Domi might not turn into a player who can handle the rigors of the NHL, but if he does, he could end up having a great career.

15. New York Islanders: Ryan Pulock, D

The Islanders are in desperate need of an offensive defenseman who can handle the pains of playing a two-way game in the NHL, and they'll luck out if Ryan Pulock is on the board for them. The 6'0", 210-pounder has a knack for putting great shots on the net from the blue line. He's not overly physical, but that shouldn't concern New York.

16. Buffalo Sabres (from Minnesota Wild): Valentin Zykov, LW

The Sabres' biggest need is on defense—their eighth-overall pick of Darnell Nurse is proof of that—but they aren't set at forward, either. They could use some goal scoring, and that's exactly what Zykov has after showing up the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 29 goals as a rookie.

17. Ottawa Senators: Frederik Gauthier, C

The Senators aren't desperate to fill a certain need, but they'll benefit from selecting Frederik Gauthier. The big-bodied center towers at 6'5" and weighs 210 pounds, which is sure to strike fear into opponents. He has the potential to be a No. 2 center and is hard to push off the puck.

18. Detroit Red Wings: Adam Erne, RW

The Wings would have loved Gauthier, but with him off the board, Adam Erne is a solid pick. Like many Red Wings, he's a hard-working player with a high motor who feeds off earning his scoring chances.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets (from New York Rangers): Josh Morrissey, D

The Blue Jackets will look to add a formidable offensive threat to their blue line with this pick, which makes Josh Morrissey a fantastic option. His swift approach to the game pays off on defense, but his decision-making in the offensive zone must improve. Columbus will have time to make sure it does.

20. San Jose Sharks: Pavel Buchnevich, LW

The Sharks only averaged one goal per game in their four losses to the Los Angeles Kings that bounced them from the playoffs, so goal-scoring production is a major issue. Not on a nightly basis, but it needs to be shored up.

Buchnevich is a pure offensive player who doesn't bring much to the table other than goal scoring, so it's a match made in heaven for San Jose.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs: Alexander Wennberg, C

The Maple Leafs will look long and hard at centers with this pick, but they won't be able to pass up on Wennberg. He's a great two-way player who still has some coming out to do once he enters the league.

22. Calgary Flames (from St. Louis Blues): Robert Hagg, D

The Flames passed up on an opportunity to take a franchise defenseman earlier in the draft in Darnell Nurse at No. 6, but they'll still get great value with this pick. Hagg is a dependable blueliner with the ability to quarterback a power play.

23. Washington Capitals: Anthony Mantha, LW

Anthony Mantha fits the mold of a Joe Thornton or Logan Couture; he's a big-bodied forward who uses power to his advantage. Mantha may take some time to develop his strength in the NHL, but he'll have a great support system to do so.

24. Vancouver Canucks: Kerby Rychel, C

The Canucks are sound offensively, but the chance to develop Kerby Rychel into the next wave of top-six forwards in Vancouver is way too good to pass up. He put up back-to-back 40-goal seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and has the physicality to stand tall in the NHL.

25. Montreal Canadiens: Jason Dickinson, C/LW

Jason Dickinson emerged as one of the best two-way players in the Ontario Hockey League, and that will allow him to get a first-round pick here for a playoff team. The Canadiens have their fair share of elusive talent, and Dickinson will serve as a great alternative since he excels at all of the fundamentals.

26. Anaheim Ducks: Samuel Morin, D

We've talked plenty about imposing defensemen in this draft, but the party doesn't begin until 6'7" Samuel Morin walks in and hits his head on the door frame.

He doesn't possess the elite skill tools of some of the other first-round blueliners, but as a work in progress, he could turn into a top-four defender for the newly risen Ducks.

27. Columbus Blue Jackets (via LA Kings): Andre Burakovsky, LW

The Blue Jackets are on the cusp of perennially making the playoffs, and these three first-round picks won't hurt. With pick No. 27, they'll get a highly skilled player in Burakovsky who can bring the playmaking skills that the team has lacked since trading Rick Nash.

28. Calgary Flames (via Pittsburgh Penguins): Madison Bowey, D

Madison Bowey's statistics won't jump off the page, but he's already shown an NHL-ready game that will show when he makes his Flames debut. It's not a sure-fire selection, but going boom-or-bust at pick No. 28 after already making two first-round picks isn't a huge gamble.

29. Dallas Stars (via Boston Bruins): Jacob de la Rose, LW

De la Rose is a fearless player who gets in all of the traffic jams, but he won't be scoring any game-winning breakaway goals. Still, every team needs its grinders, and this would be that type of pick for Dallas.

30. Chicago Blackhawks: J.T. Compher, C

Not just any skilled NHL-worthy player can join the Blackhawks and thrive. It takes a player with a certain skill set and hockey IQ, and Compher has both, as he'll turn into a third or fourth-liner.

Chael Sonnen: If Anderson Silva Wins at UFC 162, He Is the Best of All Time

Damon Martin — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:15:38 -0400

For the better part of two years, Chael Sonnen had one mission in life—the absolute destruction and obliteration of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Unfortunately, Sonnen fell short in both of his attempts to take Silva's title away from him, losing in the first bout by a late fifth round submission and being stopped by strikes in the second round of their rematch.

Sonnen has moved on since the fights with Silva, and now competes in the light heavyweight division while also spending much of his time behind the desk as an analyst for the UFC on Fox and Fuel TV.

On Tuesday night during a broadcast of UFC Tonight, Sonnen gave his most recent opinion on Silva's upcoming fight against top middleweight contender Chris Weidman. Sonnen has never been shy when taking a dig at Silva, but when giving his unabashed opinion on the fight, he knows the champion is in for a tough matchup.

"You don't have to look too far to see Chris Weidman has the exact skill set to beat Anderson Silva, and he's also got it upstairs. He wants this fight," Sonnen said. "He has a better top game, at least submission wise, than I do. I was able to have some success for several minutes with Anderson from that position.

"Weidman's going to get on top, he needs this, he's never tasted defeat."

Weidman's wrestling background combined with his growing jiu-jitsu arsenal has him becoming quite the popular pick amongst fighters in the UFC. Stylistically, Weidman's best weapons appear to be the areas where Silva is the weakest.

It's hard to ignore, however, that Silva is the best fighter the UFC and MMA have ever seen. He's faced wrestlers and jiu-jitsu practitioners numerous times throughout his career, and continuously came out on top.

The general consensus across the MMA world is that Weidman could be the toughest test Silva has faced to date, and even Sonnen can't deny what a win at UFC 162 would do for the middleweight king.

"Let's also understand, if Anderson Silva wins this fight, the debate ends—he is the best fighter of all time," Sonnen stated.

Sonnen has never bent much on his belief that Silva isn't the greatest fighter in the world, but it appears he's turned the corner knowing the champion has a truly tough fight in front of him on July 6 in Las Vegas.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Bold Predictions for Arsenal's Opening Premier League Fixture vs Aston Villa

Laura Greene — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:08:53 -0400

Arsenal will kick off the new Premier League season with a home tie against Aston Villa on August 17.

The official fixture list for the 2013/14 Premier League season was revealed on Wednesday.

Will Arsene Wenger’s side start their season with a bang? Will Wayne Rooney be lining up for the Gunners? Could Villa engineer an opening-day upset at the Emirates?

Over the next five slides, we discuss five bold predictions for Arsenal vs Aston Villa.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

All statistics sourced on soccerbase.com and premierleague.com.

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10 Early Winners and Losers of Philadelphia Eagles Offseason

Cody Swartz — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:08:52 -0400

Years and years of watching the NFL should teach a fan never to put too much stock in the offseason. Anyone can play well in organized team activities or training camp or even preseason games, and a player’s early success very rarely has an impact on what he does in the regular season.

But the Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a dreadful 4-12 season, and Eagles fans will take any positive signs they can see. The signing of head coach Chip Kelly will bring a different brand of football after 14 years under Andy Reid.

The best bet for a player in the offseason is simply to avoid the news and stay in shape. Players that see injuries to those ahead of them know their own odds to start increase dramatically. Likewise, those penciled in to start aren’t helping themselves with off-the-field drama or debilitating injuries.

It’s tough to get a good read on the Eagles players in limited practices and a shortened offseason thus far, but the following 10 stand out.

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Why Tim Tebow Circus is Great News for the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski

Bill Stoll — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:07:17 -0400

It's hard to find things about New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski that haven't already been said. Best tight end of his generation? Sure. Supreme blend of size, skill and athleticism? Absolutely. Headline machine? Yep. Off the field distraction to his coaches and teammates? Yeah, that too.

Gronkowski and his antics have become notorious to the point where it is difficult not to associate the player, Rob Gronkowski, with his alter ego, Gronk. While he is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NFL, you have to wonder whether his off field issues, most recently culminating in a rather unfortunate series of injuries and surgeries, detrimentally affect the rest of his team.

Luckily for Gronk however, the circus has just come to Foxborough. Last week, the New England Patriots announced that they had signed the enigmatic quarterback Tim Tebow to a two-year contract. The ensuing media frenzy was swift and at times overwhelming. Tebow and head coach Bill Belichick were swarmed with reporters already asking questions like what position Tebow would play and how he would fit into the offense, on only the first day Tebow arrived. What then, does this mean for Gronkowski? That for the first time, he isn't the focal point of media scrutiny in Patriots camp. Rather than focusing on answering tough questions about his injuries and recovery, Gronk can instead focus on getting to play come September.

Before Tebow-mania came to town, much of the talk surrounding the New England Patriots was centered around Gronkowski and his struggles to stay on the field. In his record-setting 2011 season, Gronkowski became the first tight end to lead the NFL in touchdown receptions as well as setting the single-season record for touchdowns by a tight end. And this was only in his second year as a pro. However, in the AFC Championship Game, he suffered a high ankle sprain that limited his mobility and effectiveness in the Super Bowl, which the Patriots would go on to lose.

In 2012, he broke his left forearm against the Indianapolis Colts on November 18th, an injury which forced him to miss the rest of the regular season. Then, when he attempted to return in the playoffs, he only ended up re-breaking the same arm, which at the time was thought to require a second surgery before healing fully.

That brings us to this summer, and the slew of health issues Gronk has endured so far. Gronkowski underwent two more surgeries on his forearm, which became infected. While this issue finally appeared to clear up, Gronkowski then underwent back surgery on June 18th, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. As Schefter goes on to state, since the timetable for recovery is about 12 weeks, it's possible that he will miss some time at the onset of the season. Even if he has a full recovery, several issues are raised about whether or not Gronkowski's level of conditioning will be able to cope with the rigors of an NFL season after missing so much time.

Let's not forget that the Patriots lost receivers Brandon Lloyd and Wes Welker this offseason. Though they signed WR Danny Amendola it still is not clear who will be able to pick up the offensive slack. Especially when you consider Aaron Hernandez's alleged legal troubles, it seemed as if media attention would be placed solely on Gronkowski's ability to recover in time for the season to start. As we saw during the NBA Playoffs, speculation about the return of an injured player (see Derrick Rose), results in nothing but problems for the player, team and fans.

And, just about the time we started to wonder who would be able to replace Gronkowski, the Tim Tebow circus came to town! The topic of conversation switched from whether or not Gronk would be able to return, to things like whether his signing improves the Patriots. Or what role Tebow will play in the new offense. Or even speculation on whether or not Tebow should be used as a tight end.

In the blink of an eye, Gronk went from center stage to sideshow in Tebow's circus. Now, naivety aside, it's obvious that the media will focus some of their attention to Gronkowski, his timetable to return and his impact once he finally returns to the practice field. However, the most compelling storyline engulfing the Patriots has become "Will Tim Tebow Make the Roster?" Unless you don't own a television, if you randomly turned on ESPN in the last year or so, there was probably about a 30 percent chance they were talking about Tebow.

I mean heck, when Tebow-related discussion turns out gems like this, who loses? Certainly not Gronkowski, who now will be able to dodge most of the discussion and recover at his own pace. Rather than face media scrutiny about his return to the field, or really any other issues that could pop up, Gronkowski will be able to recuperate out of the scope of most media attention.

Even while playing with the New York Jets, it took some otherworldly awful play from QB Mark Sanchez to deflect attention for Tebow-mania. Week after week, head coach Rex Ryan was forced to deal with questions about Tebow. This lasted throughout the entire season. Well, no, there was a brief time the media had something else to write about. You know what I'm talking about. The butt fumble.

Tebow coming to town might have made Gronkowski not even the most notable tight end on his own team. And after a couple years of dealing with the glare from the constant media spotlight, for Gronkowski that won't be such a bad thing.

Lakers News: How Kobe Bryant's Return Date Shapes Dwight Howard's Decision

Maxwell Ogden — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:06:50 -0400

During a recent interview with John Ireland and Mike Trudell of ESPN LA 710, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant stated that he's aiming for a return date between November and December. This comes after Bryant tore his Achilles' tendon in April, which thus projects to be an eight-month recovery.

The question is: How will Bryant's potential return date shape Dwight Howard's decision?

As of July 1, Howard will become an unrestricted free agent and thus be able to join any team that he may choose. While some have speculated that he will, in fact, return to the Lakers, there are no guarantees to be made when it comes to free agency.

Even when it comes to a player choosing the illustrious Lakers over an alternate franchise.

With that being said, Kobe's announced return date could have a more significant impact on D-12's decision than one might believe. While the two may appear to be apples and oranges on the surface, there is a direct correlation.

It all starts with becoming "the man."

Becoming D-12's Team

If Kobe Bryant is to be sidelined until November or December, that leaves the Los Angeles Lakers without their star for training camp and the preseason. In that time, L.A. will likely run their practices in a different manner than they would with Kobe available.

How much better of an opportunity could Dwight Howard receive to prove to his teammates that he can be their franchise player?

Even if Bryant were to return for opening day, Howard would have earned the trust of his teammates on the offensive end of the floor. In turn, the Lakers would be more inclined to run their offense through him and allow Bryant to re-enter as the perimeter force.

Keep in mind, Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal won three titles by running their offense in such a manner.

This is not the same guarantee that another franchise could give Howard, but no team can offer him as much money or as many years on a contract. Furthermore, no other team in the NBA—sans the Boston Celtics, for basketball purists—has the allure of the Lakers.

Being the man in Los Angeles is quite the attractive opportunity—Howard has that chance with Kobe injured.

Returning to the Rotation

The question that instantly comes to mind is what will come of Dwight Howard once Kobe Bryant does return to the starting lineup. While D-12 may be the league's most decorated center, Kobe is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a member of the hypothetical all-time All-NBA teams.

When you're returning from an injury as severe as a torn Achilles', however, there is a transition process—regardless of whom you may be.

If there's any form of sense in Tinseltown, the Lakers will refrain from running an uptempo offense early in the season. Instead, they'll capitalize on the presence of their two elite big men and let Steve Nash create looks for Bryant and the perimeter players.

Once Kobe does re-establish his ball-handling dominance, Howard will have been granted the opportunity necessary to command touches on a consistent basis. It's then that L.A. will truly run their offense through the combination of D-12 and Bryant.

Per the previously alluded to interview, Bryant does want Howard to remain in town.

"It's not like you have guys like Dwight Howard just walking around every day," Bryant said. "Those guys are hard to find. They don't grow on trees. I think when you have somebody like that, with his talent level, you have to, you have to be able to keep him and lock him in with this franchise, and with the history that this franchise has of having great centers, this would, in my opinion, be the perfect spot for him."

Indeed it would.

At the end of the day, Bryant's reign in Los Angeles is relatively limited due to his age and the severity of this injury. Even if he is the most productive shooting guard in the NBA—Kobe led all players at his position in scoring, rebounds and assists—he's also 34 years old.

Howard has the opportunity to begin his path as a Lakers legend as soon as the 2013-14 season—the silver lining to a devastating Achilles' injury sustained by Kobe Bryant.

Breaking Down the Transfer Rumour: Christian Atsu to Liverpool

Karl Matchett — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:02:25 -0400

Liverpool continue to make early moves in this summer transfer window, and the latest reports indicate that they are close to another signing.

Daniel Taylor of the Guardian indicates that the FC Porto winger is a real target of Liverpool's, and that he is moving close to a £3 million move to Anfield. The report mentions a "significant breakthrough" in talks and that "advanced talks" have taken place.

So with a move seemingly imminent, let's take a look at the ins and outs of this potential deal.

Christian Atsu at FC Porto

Atsu is a Ghana international who, at age 21, has been a regular member of Porto's first-team squad for the past two seasons, though not always in the starting XI. He plays mainly from the left wing and is left-footed, as a true direct-style winger, but he can also function from the right, cutting infield.

He managed six goals for his side last season but only one in 17 appearances this term, and he only played the full 90 minutes in the league on one occasion.

Even so, he's highly rated at the club and is seemingly seen as one who could become an important player in the future if he stays.

He's an aggressive attacker who gets forward very quickly whenever possible with the ball at his feet or otherwise. Atsu will run at his marker at every opportunity and look to create danger down the channels, rather than the more creative and subtle approach which Liverpool have looked to play in similar roles up until now under Brendan Rodgers.

Why Such a Cheap Deal?

Atsu is highly rated, but he now only has one year remaining on his contract at Porto.

According to the reports surrounding his possible transfer, he has declined to sign an extension to that contract, so Porto are being forced into selling him this summer.

He is still relatively unproven on the biggest stages, with eight international caps and the same number of Champions League appearances in his career so far. He has potential, but it is unfulfilled at this stage.

What Role Could Atsu Fill at Anfield?

Many fans believe Oussama Assaidi to be on his way out of Liverpool this summer.

Should that be the case, Brendan Rodgers could well view an aggressive, direct winger as another interesting option to have in his squad. Atsu would offer something different from the usual approach that the likes of Philippe Coutinho or Raheem Sterling offer from that left-sided role of the attack.

Both of those two, as well as Jordan Henderson, Luis Suarez and Jordon Ibe, all of whom could play there, are all right-footed and would be more likely to run infield rather than keep the width for Liverpool, as Atsu might do.

It's not likely he would be an immediate member of the starting XI. He would likely have to work hard to even be a substitute considering the attack talents the Reds have been linked with this summer, but he could well be the "alternative weapon" on the left that Sterling can offer from the right.

At £3 million, he could be worth the initial investment for the Reds with little risk involved—other than the potential hindrance to a first-team place for the likes of Ibe and Sterling.

Follow @karlmatchett

Oakland Athletics vs. Texas Rangers Live Blog: Updates and Analysis

Jake Lapin — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:58:43 -0400

Wednesday night features a rubber match between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics as each team battles in the AL West. The A's remain three games ahead of Texas for the division lead, but the Rangers will try to change that in the third game of this four-game series.

This series, tied so far at one apiece, is a significant one, as each of these teams are trying to claim the division lead heading into the All-Star break. So far this season, these teams have been pretty even, each winning four games in the season series.

Pitching for Oakland will be southpaw Tommy Milone. Milone has pitched well in his last few starts, but he hasn't gotten enough run support to win those games.

From the other dugout, Justin Grimm will take the mound for Texas. Grimm has not gotten the job done lately, losing two of his last three starts.

This should be a good battle in Arlington. Here are tonight's starting lineups:

Oakland Athletics

1. Young, CF

2. Lowrie, SS

3. Cespedes, DH

4. Moss, 1B

5. Donaldson, 3B

6. Smith, LF

7. Reddick, RF

8. Norris, C

9. Sogard, 2B

Texas Rangers

1. Kinsler, 2B

2. Andrus, SS

3. Cruz, RF

4. Beltre, 3B

5. Berkman, DH

6. Pierzynski, C

7. Chirinos, 1B

8. Murphy, LF

9. Martin, CF

To watch this game, tune in to Fox Sports Southwest or CSN California. First pitch is at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Confederations Cup 2013 Results: Scores and Highlights from Day 4

Rob Goldberg — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:56:57 -0400

After two Confederations Cup matches on Wednesday, the top teams in Group A continued to separate themselves from the pack.

Brazil once again had an impressive effort against Mexico with a 2-0 win in the early match. In the evening contest, Italy and Japan put together a fantastic show, with Italy escaping with a 4-3 victory.

Here is a look at the updated standings of the two groups.

Group A

Team	Pts	GD
Brazil	6	5
Italy	6	2
Mexico	0	-3
Japan	0	-4

Group B

Team	Pts	GD
Nigeria	3	5
Spain	3	1
Uruguay	0	-1
Tahiti	0	-5

Brazil 2, Mexico 0

(Neymar 9', Jô 90' +3')

Neymar continued to show why he is such a highly rated player with another impressive performance against Mexico.

After scoring in the third minute against Japan, he slowed down a bit by needing nine minutes to get his first goal against Mexico. It was quite an impressive display on a volley with his left foot from outside of the box.

Although Brazil struggled to get opportunities for the rest of the first half, Mexico did not have many more chances in the final third.

In the final 45 minutes, the host squad continued to control possession until finally getting a second goal thanks to another solid effort by Neymar, who tallied an assist on the play.

This performance certainly has people excited for the young player to join Barcelona next season, including ESPN:

For Mexico, this is a continuation of the squad's offensive struggles that have plagued El Tri throughout World Cup qualifying. As ESPN's Paul Carr notes, it is has been a while since the team has scored:

Giovani dos Santos scored on a penalty shot against Italy, but that is not quite cutting it for this squad.

Still, Brazil is clearly having no such problem as it looks to win the Confederations Cup for the third time in a row.

Italy 4, Japan 3

(Keisuke Honda 21' PEN, Shinji Kagawa 33', Shinji Okazaki 69') (Daniele De Rossi 41', Atsuto Uchida 50' OG, Mario Balotelli 52' PEN, Sebastian Giovinco 86')

This battle, which featured a fantastic effort from both sides, was one of the best international matches you will see in a long time.

In the early going, Japan saw big contributions from its star players. Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was called for a foul in the box, which led to a penalty shot for Keisuke Honda. The midfielder drove the ball in to give his side the 1-0 advantage.

Shinji Kagawa then showed his skill by tapping a volley past the world-class keeper to go ahead 2-0.

Unfortunately, that lead did not last too long. Daniele De Rossi cut the lead in half with a score just before the half, but it was a number of mistakes by the Japanese defense that truly turned around the match.

First, the squad suffered an own goal by Atsuto Uchida in the 50th minute. Then, a handball in the box allowed Mario Balotelli to give Italy a 3-2 advantage on a penalty kick.

Tommy Smyth of ESPN notes how quickly things changed in this matchup:

However, this back-and-forth match did not end there. Japan was once again able to get the equalizer when Shinji Okazaki headed a ball in at the 69th minute.

The 3-3 score remained and it appeared as though it would end in a draw. That was until Sebastian Giovinco recorded the go-ahead goal in the 86th minute.

A late offside eliminated a fourth goal for Japan, and Italy was able to hold on for the amazing victory. In the end, the Twitter account @SoccerrProblems might have said it best:

Fans can only hope that the rest of the Confederations Cup can be as exciting.

What's Next?

The Confederations Cup continues with all of Group B in action. Spain takes on Tahiti at 3 p.m. ET in the early match before Nigeria and Uruguay battle at 6 p.m. ET.

By the end of the day, we could have a very good idea of which teams will be advancing to the next stage of this tournament.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest updates in sports.

How Does Floyd Mayweather Stack Up Against the All-Time Great Welterweights?

Kelsey McCarson — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:52:35 -0400

The illustrious boxing writers over at ESPN created quite the stir earlier this month when they provided their takes on a mythical matchup between this generation’s best welterweight, Floyd Mayweather, and the consensus choice for any generation’s best welterweight, “Sugar” Ray Robinson.

Of the seven writers, six chose Robinson. The lone dissenter, Michael Woods, called the fight a draw.

It’s an interesting debate, but how about if we expand it to 10 of the all-time great welterweights instead of just one of them? How would Mayweather do fighting these stalwarts from the past (presented chronologically)?

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Jose Mourinho Needs Impressive Start to Compete for EPL Title in 2013

Alex Ballentine — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:51:09 -0400

Jose Mourinho may not want to follow in the footsteps of Roberto Di Matteo in his second stint with Chelsea, but he will need to replicate his early-season success to compete for an EPL title.

In the Blues' last campaign, Di Matteo led the club to an impressive start in the first two months of the EPL schedule. The club collected seven wins and a draw before losing their first EPL match against Manchester United on October 28.

From there, the wheels really came off for Di Matteo. Draws with Swansea City, Liverpool and a loss to West Brom coupled with a Champions League loss to Juventus highlighted a poor run that led to Di Matteo's demise.

This time, getting off to a dominant start will be a tougher task—but one that would set up a run at the Premier League title.

Here's a look at the full 2013-14 slate for the club, per Chelsea's website.

Date	Opponent	Home/Road
Aug. 17	Hull City	Home
Aug. 24	Manchester United	Road
Aug. 31	Aston Villa	Home
Sept. 14	Everton	Road
Sept. 21	Fulham	Home
Sept. 28	Tottenham	Road
Oct. 5	Norwich City	Road
Oct. 19	Cardiff City	Home
Oct. 26	Manchester City	Home
Nov. 2	Newcastle	Road
Nov. 9	West Bromwich Albion	Home
Nov. 23	West Ham United	Road
Nov. 30	Southampton	Home
Dec. 3	Sunderland	Road
Dec. 7	Stoke City	Road
Dec. 14	Crystal Palace	Home
Dec. 21	Arsenal	Road
Dec. 26	Swansea City	Home
Dec. 28	Liverpool	Home
Jan. 1	Southampton	Road
Jan. 11	Hull City	Road
Jan. 18	Manchester United	Home
Jan. 29	West Ham United	Home
Feb. 1	Manchester City	Road
Feb. 8	Newcastle	Home
Feb. 11	West Bromwich Albion	Road
Feb. 22	Everton	Home
March 1	Fulham	Road
March 8	Tottenham	Home
March 15	Aston Villa	Road
March 22	Arsenal	Home
March 29	Crystal Palace	Road
April 5	Stoke City	Home
April 12	Swansea City	Road
April 19	Sunderland	Home
April 26	Liverpool	Road
May 3	Norwich City	Home
May 11	Cardiff City	Road

If the Blues can escape without a loss until October 28 in this campaign, they'll be in great shape to compete for the title.

In the last 15 games of the season, the Blues get eight opponents that were either in the bottom half of the table last campaign or newly promoted. Of the opponents that are in the top 10, only two (West Brom on Feb. 11 and Liverpool on Aug. 26) will take place away from the Bridge.

With almost every difficult challenge at home and plenty of teams that Chelsea should be heavily favored against, the schedule lends itself to a strong finish for Mourinho. The key will be getting off to a hot start.

Getting off to that good start will be on Mourinho. After taking over the club on June 3, he has a short time to bring in the transfers he wants and put his system into place.

Mourinho already brought in German forward Andre Schurrle, and other rumors have been swirling around the club including a possible Juan Mata exit (via the Daily Mail). It's clear that he's not afraid to leave his stamp on the club as soon as possible.

He'll need to hit the ground running, though. Chelsea's campaign depends on a good start.

Ranking the 50 Best Managers of All Time on Trophy Hauls

Sam Tighe — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:49:28 -0400

The worldwide game has made it tough to compare managers from different continents.

With the quality of competition much higher in Spain than, for example, Saudi Arabia, how do we differentiate between the different achievements and varying trophy cabinets each coach can boast?

We developed a simple metric system that converts trophy wins into points, and the top managers, by trophy haul, became clear.

The shortlist started out 81-strong—featuring the likes of Bruce Arena, Artur Jorge and Abel Braga—and was whittled down to 50.

The metric ranks different competitions in order of their level of prestige, number of clubs involved and competitive playing level. Winning the FIFA World Cup scores you a colossal 10, a major domestic league four points and the Charity Shield a paltry 0.5.

Any club or national achievement is counted, while individual awards are not. If you see a "T" before the rank, it means the scores are level and the players are tied.

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