Bleacher Report - Game Recap

Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 1: Video Highlights and Recap

Maxwell Ogden — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:12:49 -0400

The 2013 NBA playoffs resumed on Sunday, May 19, as the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of their Western Conference Finals series.

Tony Parker led the charge for the Spurs, going for 20 points and nine assists on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor. Kawhi Leonard added 18 points and Danny Green tallied 16, while Matt Bonner stepped in off of the bench for 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

Gary Neal added eight of his own, while Tim Duncan grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out four assists.

For the Grizzlies, Quincy Pondexter tallied a team-high 17 points on five three-point field goals made. Marc Gasol dropped 15 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Conley tallied 14 points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Jerryd Bayless posted eight points and five assists in 21 minutes of action.

The question is, were the Grizzlies able to pull out the Game 1 upset on the road? Or did the Spurs hold down their home court to take the early advantage?

Check the video provided above to find out.

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Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game 1 Postgame Grades and Analysis

Peter Emerick — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:29:20 -0400

The Memphis Grizzlies got run out of town in Game 1, thanks to a 105-83 beatdown at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.

Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green led the way for the Spurs, combining for 54 of the Spurs' 105 points on a combined 22-of-33 shooting from the floor.

The Grizzlies were a mess on the defensive side of the ball, allowing the Spurs to a set a franchise playoff record with 14 made three-pointers on 29 attempts.

Quincy Pondexter came off the bench—with 17 points—for the Grizzlies and helped cut the Spurs' lead to just six in the third quarter. But it wasn't enough to get Memphis ahead, because the Spurs were just the better, more disciplined team.

Zach Randolph had the lowest-scoring game of his season, with just two points on 1-of-8 shooting, which certainly helped the Spurs assert their dominance in this one.

The Spurs set the tone early, and that's encouraging for Spurs fans with Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals set for Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.

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Americans Abroad Wrap: 2 Americans Secure Champions League Qualification

John D. Halloran — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:21:33 -0400

It was another busy week for Americans plying their trade abroad. Highlighting this week’s action were goals from Sacha Kljestan, Bobby Wood, John Anthony Brooks and Alfredo Morales and assists from Geoff Cameron, Steve Cherundolo and Alejandro Bedoya.

Clint Dempsey’s Tottenham and Jermaine Jones’ Schalke also took their Champions League races down to the final game of their respective seasons and Sacha Kljestan’s Anderlecht battled for the Belgian title.

There’s also contract and transfer news for Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra, Alfredo Morales and Greg Garza.

Check all that out and much, much more in this week’s edition of the Americans Abroad Wrap.

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HP Byron Nelson Championship 2013: Day 4 Leaderboard Analysis and Highlights

Matt Fitzgerald — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:20:00 -0400

Sang-Moon Bae shot a one-under-par 69 to win the 2013 HP Byron Nelson Championship by two strokes on Sunday, beating out major champion Keegan Bradley at the TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas.

This marks Bae's maiden victory on the PGA Tour, and he did it in style in being pressed by world-class competitors in the final round. As a former leading money winner on the Japan Tour, the 26-year-old Bae's game was bound to translate to a PGA victory eventually.

The fortitude he displayed in weathering a tough stretch in the middle of the round and the aggressive lines he took over the final two holes was impressive en route to clinching his breakthrough triumph.

Below is an overview of the top performers, and for complete scores, head over to PGA.com.

Pos.	Player	Scores	Total
1	Sang-Moon Bae	66-66-66-69	-13
2	Keegan Bradley	60-69-68-72	-11
3	Charl Schwartzel	63-70-69-68	-10
4	Justin Bolli	69-69-68-65	-9
T5	Martin Kaymer	68-67-69-68	-8
T5	Morgan Hoffmann	69-71-66-66	-8
T5	Scott Piercy	66-68-66-72	-8
T7	John Huh	69-64-69-71	-7
T7	Charley Hoffman	68-68-70-67	-7
T10	Ryo Ishikawa	71-68-68-67	-6
T10	Graham DeLaet	67-67-70-70	-6

Note: All statistics, videos and other information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of PGATour.com.

The day got off to a marvelous start for Bae, as he birdied the par-four third hole before rattling off consecutive birdies at Nos. 5 through 7. The beginning of that run came at the par-three fifth, with this wonderful 22-foot putt:

Bae followed that up with this laser-like approach to the next hole, where he subsequently converted from close distance:

Overcoming adversity was the name of the game, though. Blustery conditions made it difficult enough, as Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman highlighted earlier in the day:

As he approached the turn, Bae dunked his approach to the par-four ninth hole into the water, resulting in a double bogey. That was followed by another dropped shot, and when he lipped out for par on No. 15, he found himself knotted with Bradley at 12-under.

Fortunately for Bae, Bradley had flatstick issues throughout the round, and failed to birdie until the 15th. A cruel lip-out for birdie on the par-five 16th from inside four feet put Bae back in the lead, as the Korean birdied that hole himself:

Shane Bacon of Yahoo! tweeted a clever play on words after Bradley's short miss:

Bae boldly fired at the flag—perhaps unintentionally—at the par-three 17th and managed to two-putt for par. Bradley airmailed the green with a six-iron and failed to get up and down, which thwarted his bid to become a two-time champion at this event.

Let's take a look at the other noteworthy developments from yet another thrilling week on the PGA Tour.

Schwartzel's Short Game Fizzles

The 2011 Masters champion struck it as well as anyone in the final round, but similar to Bradley, his putter let him down frequently. Still, Schwartzel had a shot at applying pressure playing a few groups ahead, but he bogeyed the finishing hole.

That wasted a phenomenal ball-striking round in which Schwartzel hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation and gave himself golden opportunities throughout.

Having said that, it was still a positive sign for Schwartzel, and he will be in the field next week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

As the year's second major approaches, the sweet-swinging South African will to continue his strong play. If he can maintain his premium ball-striking, Schwartzel should be counted amongst the favorites at the U.S Open.

Martin Kaymer Returns to Form

Though he's shown flashes over the past couple of years—most notably as Team Europe's Ryder Cup hero—the German didn't have a Top 10 on Tour this season prior to Sunday.

Kaymer finally got off that skid, and showed that his game could hold up even in the midst of arduous conditions.

Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram documented what Kaymer had to say following the round, specifying how the Byron Nelson had a major championship-like atmosphere in terms of difficulty:

As the former top-ranked player in the world and 2010 PGA Championship winner, there's no question that Kaymer has the talent to be an elite golfer. Whether this serves as a precursor to long-term improvement remains to be seen, though.

Ryo Ishikawa's 2013 Inception

At just 18 years old, the Japanese prodigy fired a round of 58 in a professional event, which raised expectations significantly on his extremely promising career.

Ishikawa hasn't lived up to the hype to say the least since then, with his strong finishes being too few and far between to gain any traction or momentum. This week was a different story, however, as he finished with a flurry to sneak into the Top 10.

The PGA Tour's official Twitter page noted how long it had been since Ishikawa had experienced similar success:

Though he did drop a shot at the 18th hole, it was nevertheless wonderful to see one of golf's premier young guns recapture some of the magic that raised his profile so significantly at such a young age.

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Vilanova's Reluctance to Shuffle in Valladolid Win a Sign of the Summer to Come?

Samuel Marsden — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:01:31 -0400

"My Dad's better than yours" is an argument which never runs low on ammunition when it comes to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

It runs so deep, and is so consistent, that it wouldn't be surprising if Tito Vilanova stuck with the same players, who had won the La Liga title at a canter, just to chase down 100 points.

To reach that target, three wins were needed from their three remaining games.

On Sunday night, that became two wins from two games, as Barca beat not just Real Valladolid, but the stormy weather 2-1 at Camp Nou.

Why they would want to reach 100 points is obvious.

Last season Madrid clinched the title with that total, bettering La Blaugrana's effort of 99 in 2009/10.

But Vilanova says that's not a priority, that one-upmanship doesn't concern him, and that he has other agendas to pursue ahead of next season. From football-espana.net:

"It would be nice if we could get there, but our style of football is more important to us than a points total," he said.

Victor Valdes, Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets all returned from injuries to start against Valladolid; Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and David Villa were all named in the starting lineup too.

On the bench sat Marc Bartra, Thiago Alcantara, Jonathan Dos Santos and Cristian Tello, while Gerard Deulofeu was not a member of the 18.

The latter has just signed a new deal, according to ESPN, and has long been highly rated by the club, but it is the status of the others which raises questions over Barcelona's strategy moving forward.

Bartra, who has played in some of the club's biggest games this season, was left out for Mascherano when it was of no benefit to throw the Argentinian straight back into action.

Tello missed out to Villa, who seems all but out of the Camp Nou door this summer, according to The Mirror, while Catalunya-based paper Mundo Deportvio suggested this week that Thiago is available for the right price this summer.

Marc Muniesa looks set leave the club this summer too (via MARCA), Sergi Roberto has been linked with Tottenham, and more recently Espanyol, and Isaac Cuenca is likely to either be loaned out again, or sold, by the time August comes around (via TeamTalk).

It would be silly to have expected wholesale changes, but Valladolid presented the perfect opportunity to give the latest graduates from La Masia a start, and thus experience, in La Liga.

Martin Montoya admittedly started, but the others had to do with soaking wet cameos from the bench.

Perhaps there's a simple answer. Perhaps Vilanova feels the only way to move forward is to outsource?

On Sunday night, Neymar was again said to be extremely close to being confirmed as a La Blaugrana player.

Links to Mats Hummels haven't gone away, according to MARCA, Atheltic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera is also a target, per Cadena Cope, and it's well known that the club are chasing a 'keeper.

At this stage it remains ifs and buts, but if the club's plan was to move forward with more youth integration, would these remaining matches not have been perfect to start the ball rolling?

Especially given Tito's own words of unconcern regarding the 100-point haul.

What seems more likely right now, is that Barcelona are about to undergo their busiest summer in quite some time.

And that is outgoings as well as incomings, as Tito Vilanova stamps his name on his squad.

Are La Masia's graduates the answer? Or should Barcelona be aggressive in this summer's window? What would you like to see happen?

Follow @samuelmarsden

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Rangers vs. Bruins Game 2: Score, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

Donald Wood — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:57:31 -0400

The Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers 5-2 Sunday afternoon at TD Garden and now take the 2-0 lead in the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals as the series shifts back to Madison Square Garden.

While New York deserves immense credit for playing intense hockey throughout the game, the bounces were just going Boston’s way on Sunday. The Rangers have the firepower to make a comeback in this series, but the Bruins have put themselves in an excellent position to advance.

Now the series moves to Madison Square Garden for games on Tuesday and Thursday, and New York must win both.

The Bruins came out fast and furious in the first period of Game 2, forcing the Rangers on their heels in all three zones and dominating the opening 10 minutes of the game.

Led by the elite play of rookie defender Torey Krug, who scored a goal at 5:28 of the first period, it was clear that Boston would continue to be the aggressor in this second-round matchup against New York.

The Rangers punched back in the first period, though, when captain Ryan Callahan stole the puck from the Bruins in the defensive zone and took it all the way down the ice for a beautiful unassisted goal.

New York also tried to match Boston physically, and as Bleacher Report NHL Lead Writer Nicholas Goss noted on Twitter, the Rangers dominated in the trenches during the opening stanza:

That physicality carried over into the second period, as both the Rangers and Bruins began to find their respective rhythms and speed up the tempo and intensity of the game.

Boston’s Gregory Campbell scored just 2:24 into the second, stealing the momentum of the game. As quick as the Bruins took control, though, New York’s Rick Nash came right back and scored his first playoff goal less than a minute later.

Sporting News NHL Insider Jesse Spector broke down the veteran’s first goal of the postseason:

The second period also saw Rangers left winger Carl Hagelin make an appearance on the power play (h/t Katie Strang of ESPN) despite head coach John Tortorella telling him that he “stinks”:

Most of the second period was very evenly matched in all three zones, but a momentous goal for Johnny Boychuk and the Bruins at 12:08 marked the go-ahead goal. During the rest of the period, both teams wore each other down with physical play.

In what came as a surprise to no one, the third period carried over the intense physicality from the first two 20-minute sections.

With a quick punch to the mouth, Boston took control of the third period and the game with Brad Marchand’s goal just 26 seconds into the final frame.

The Bruins continued to control the pace of the game for the first 10 minutes of the last period, and with a late goal from power forward Milan Lucic, the Rangers’ fate was sealed.

Comcast’s Joe Haggerty talked about the third-period surge:

Add in a late fight between Boston’s Gregory Campbell and New York’s Derek Dorsett, and this was one of the better matchups of the 2013 postseason.

This series is still early and there is plenty of fight left in the Rangers, but another convincing win on home ice proves the Bruins are a legitimate Stanley Cup favorite.

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Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Ethan Grant — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:09:05 -0400

The La Liga title belonged to Barcelona well before the home side took on Real Valladolid at Camp Nou on Sunday afternoon, but the league had to finish out the schedule despite the champion already being decided.

Barcelona took an early lead on a Pedro goal and had a 2-0 advantage at halftime after a Real Valladolid own goal. However, a Victor Perez penalty goal in the final minutes helped add a thin layer of intrigue at the pitch on Sunday before Barca escaped with a 2-1 victory.

Barcelona now have 94 points in La Liga play, and with two matches to play, they have a chance to reach the elusive 100-point club before the end of league play and the 2012-13 season.

AS.com had a tweet after full-time to celebrate another Barca victory:

The home side was also awarded its La Liga trophy post-match.

Playing without Lionel Messi, Barca took the lead in the 21st minute. Pedro put the home side on the board, getting an absolute gift after Jesus Rueda made a poor pass in Real's own end. Xavi Hernandez stole the ball near midfield, ran the break and found Pedro for the opening score.

Sphera Channel posted this tweet showing fans the opening goal:

As noted by FCBarcelona (fan page), the assist for Xavi was his 10th of the season in all competition. The goal was Pedro's ninth of the year in all competition:

Controlling the pace and the flow of the game for most of the first half, Barcelona rarely gave Real Valladolid any chances to make this game interesting. The home side got several corners on sloppy play from the away side, including one in the 42nd minute that led to the game's second goal.

Xavi's corner kick turned into a Marc Valiente own goal and a 2-0 lead before anyone actually in attendance at Camp Nou could blink. The home side had a comfortable home lead at halftime, despite playing a keep-away strategy for most of the first 45 minutes.

101GreatGoals posted this link of the Valladolid gaffe on Twitter:

Little changed from the first to second half.

Rain plagued the stadium for most of the afternoon, and it helped suck the wind out of Camp Nou while the match was taking place. The second period saw Barcelona turn on the jets a little bit more, but Pedro and Xavi both missed chances to add a third goal during the course of the half.

Barcelona paid for that late, as Perez got into the box on a solid run and cut the deficit to one after a penalty shot caused by a Martin Montoya foul in the 88th minute. It wouldn't be enough, though, as Barcelona escaped with a rather easy 2-1 victory.

In the stat department, Barcelona dominated, getting 14 corners to Real Valladolid's two and holding possession 71 percent of the match (via WhoScored.com).

There are only two La Liga fixtures left for both Barcelona and Real Valladolid before the sport transitions into thinking about the 2013-14 season, but it felt like both sides were already there for most of the match on Sunday—almost like a friendly. Barcelona had chances to score for most of the match, while Valladolid had very few.

The story of this match was the lack of intensity from both sides for most of the evening. Barca are coasting at this point in the season. And with very little to play for except momentum for next year and long-term bragging rights, it's hard to see them giving their greatest show at this stage in the season.

Without Messi, it's nearly impossible to fathom.

However, Barcelona still have a chance to put up 100 points in La Liga play this season—a mark that would truly help place this group of players into a rare class after their efforts this season.

Let's take a look at some grades and what's next for both of these clubs.

Grades

Andres Iniesta, Barcelona: A-

Always a catalyst for the Barca attack, Iniesta managed to be one of the few Barcelona players capable of getting the fans off their behinds at Camp Nou.

He dazzled with a few dribbles and even had a chance to set up his teammates in the Valladolid end several times, but teammates missed chances to score and Barcelona were unable to add a third goal on the afternoon.

Either way, Iniesta managed to have a nice afternoon.

Jesus Rueda, Real Valladolid: D+

It's a harsh grade for the defender, but his pass in his own end that opened up the scoring was absolutely inexcusable. It helped set the tempo for Barcelona after it looked like this match would be there for the taking, and only a late Perez goal helped turn the match into anything but utter domination.

Rueda did manage to play solid defense on several of the Barca attackers, but it would've been a different game if he'd avoided that turnover in his own end.

Xavi, Barcelona: A

Xavi was involved in both goals, including the assist to Perez that opened up the scoring and the corner kick that found its way into the net on the own goal.

He took two shots, was one of the most effective passers in keeping the ball with Barca for most of the match and comes out of this game with a grade that several of his teammates will be getting post-match.

Jaime, Real Valladolid: B-

Pedro's first goal looked like a bad piece of goaltending, as Jaime let it slip right between his legs for the five-hole shot.

However, he bounced back strong the rest of the match, stopping Xavi, Pedro and David Villa from doing anything to add that third goal in the second half. He had several two-handed saves and managed to turn a poor start into a strong finish.

Barcelona

Pos.	Player	Grade
G	Victor Valdes	B+
D	Martin Montoya	B
D	Javier Mascherano	B
D	Gerard Pique	B
D	Jordi Alba	A
M	Sergio Busquets (off 64')	A
M	Xavi Hernandez	A
M	Andres Iniesta (off 76')	A-
F	Pedro	A+
F	Cesc Fabregas (off 83')	B+
F	David Villa	C+
Substitutes
M	Thiago Alcantara (on 64')	B+
M	Jonathan Dos Santos (on 76')	B-
F	Cristian Tello (on 83')	C

Real Valladolid

Pos.	Player	Grade
G	Jaime	B-
D	Mikel Balenziaga	C+
D	Jesus Rueda	D+
D	Marc Valiente	C-
D	Carlos Pena	B
M	Alvaro Rubio (off 85')	B-
M	Víctor Perez	B-
M	Omar Ramos	C+
M	Daniel Larsson	C+
F	Óscar Gonzalez (off 68')	C
F	Javi Guerra (off 77')	C
Substitutes
F	Alberto Bueno (on 68')	C-
F	Manucho (on 77')	B+
M	Lluis Sastre (on 85')	B-

What's Next?

The La Liga title sits firmly with Barcelona, even though there are two more games on the schedule before the 2012-13 league season is officially over.

Barca wrap up by traveling to face Espanyol on May 26 and then will return to Camp Nou on June 1 for the season finale, which will pit the home side against Malaga before the summer transfer period really stars heating up.

Real Valladolid also have two more matches before the season is officially over. The side will travel back home to Estadio Nuevo José Zorrilla on May 26 for a showdown with Celta Vigo and then will hit the road against Mallorca to complete the La Liga slate.

Follow Ethan Grant on Twitter:

Follow @DowntownEG

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Newcastle vs. Arsenal: Rating All the Gunners on the Final Day

Charlie Melman — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:57:49 -0400

Arsenal did just what any fan would expect them to do Sunday: They qualified for the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park.

Did it have to be this difficult? No, of course not. But that's how Arsenal go about things, and one would expect nothing less from the Gunners this season.

As has been their custom of late, they took the hard way, gritting out a victory by one goal to nil, making every Arsenal fan bite their nails and have a minor heart attack when another Gareth Bale wonder goal late on gave them no margin for error.

In the end, though, Tottenham could have won 10-0 and it would not have mattered because Arsenal shut up shop after Laurent Koscielny's fortuitous opener and refused to let a surprisingly springy Newcastle side in.

Remember that the Gunners are not quite in the Champions League yet: They still have to win an annoying, two-legged qualifier in August to dine at the adults' table. And fourth place is not a trophy.

But finishing in the top four for 16 straight years is quite an accomplishment. And Champions League qualification was necessary for Arsene Wenger to build upon his already successful core.

For the last time during the 2012-13 Premier League season, let's take a look at how all of Arsenal's players did. Any feedback is welcome in the comments.

Happy St. Totteringham's Day everyone!

Substitutes:

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 7

After coming on for the hurting Mikel Arteta in the 28th minute, Oxlade-Chamberlain added a bit of attacking bite to Arsenal's midfield that was not present during the Spaniard's time on the pitch.

The fact that Wenger chose not to do the obvious and move Oxlade-Chamberlain to the left flank while putting Santi Cazorla in his typical attacking midfield role speaks volumes about where this kid's future lies.

Olivier Giroud: 6

Most of his duty after replacing Lukas Podolski consisted of holding the ball up and, toward the end of the game, wasting time. It was an unspectacular task, but he performed it well.

Jack Wilshere: N/A

Arrived in the 89th minute at the expense of the ever-excellent Santi Cazorla and didn't have much time to do anything.

It was interesting that he was not introduced when Mikel Arteta left early on, but that's down to fitness. Here's hoping his impending ankle operation goes well.

Starters:

Wojciech Szczesny: 7

Newcastle only had one shot on goal, so Szczesny was not particularly busy. But the Magpies tried numerous long balls and through-balls, which he had to be alert to cut out before they became too dangerous.

Bacary Sagna: 6.5

In what might have been Bacary Sagna's final game as an Arsenal player, he turned in a solid, if unremarkable display, mostly controlling his right flank.

It typified much of his Arsenal career: He got the job done and does not warrant much discussion.

Still, he occasionally let a winger slip by him and was not particularly productive in attack. There was a bit too much of the new Sagna.

Per Mertesacker: 5.5

The man who has perhaps been Arsenal's most consistent player of the season put in a performance that highlighted all his faults.

Mertesacker looks particularly vulnerable when a pacey player with technique runs right at him. Hatem Ben Arfa sent shivers down his spine multiple times, and there was one incident in the first half when Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa easily nutmegged him and nearly set up Papiss Cisse for a goal.

Laurent Koscielny: 10

Where to start? Koscielny has been Arsenal's best defender during the run-in and was easily their best player when it mattered the most.

Yes, he scored the goal that sent Arsenal into the Champions League. For the second year in a row.

But he was absolutely everywhere at the back, hurling himself around with abandon to make crucial tackles and interceptions and probably saving at least one goal in the process.

Koscielny has just the right blend of Mertesacker's aerial stature and Thomas Vermaelen's technical ability. If he can keep up this form in August, he'll be an automatic starter.

He was an automatic 10 after his game against Newcastle.

Kieran Gibbs: 5

From Arsenal's best player on the day to arguably their worst. Gibbs did not turn in an utterly disastrous performance at left-back, but it was certainly among his worst of the season.

Many of Newcastle's most threatening attacking moves (and there were many, during various periods of pressure), came down his wing. There was at least one instance when Santi Cazorla was forced to play left-back because Gibbs was so far up the pitch.

With a little less luck and excellent defending by other Arsenal players, one of last season's final-day heroes could have cost them this time around.

Mikel Arteta: 5

Arsene Wenger took a big risk in starting an injured Arteta in midfield, and he's lucky Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain filled in so capably after the Spaniard was hauled off on 28 minutes.

Arteta's injury hampered him, and he couldn't get as involved in the game as he usually does. He still has a couple more seasons at Arsenal after a consistently great campaign. Wenger's willingness to use him when he was obviously below 100 percent fitness was very telling.

Aaron Ramsey: 7.5

Would you expect anything less than full effort from Ramsey in a game that required it?

Once again, the heretofore maligned Welshman contributed in all areas of the game, pressing Newcastle deep within their own half (sometimes in their own third) and constantly getting involved in Arsenal's attacking moves.

It will be interesting to see how he fits into Arsenal's stacked midfield next season.

Tomas Rosicky: 7

Like Ramsey, Rosicky was constantly on the move, constantly fighting to win the ball and shifting the ball around when in possession.

His performance was unspectacular but necessary in a game that did not require, or allow, flashy attacking midfield play.

Santi Cazorla: 7

What an incredible first season for Santi Cazorla. Appreciate his accomplishments, but don't get too used to it, because there is bound to be some regression to the mean next year.

As always, he was the fulcrum of Arsenal's attack, constantly drifting toward the middle from his position on the left flank.

Though I still believe that he is unnecessarily marginalized on the wing, Arsene Wenger's willingness to play him slightly out of position demonstrates just how badly he wants his talismanic little Spaniard to play. Amazingly, Cazorla played in every single Premier League game during his debut season.

Theo Walcott: 7.5

Walcott fades into anonymity during far too many games, but he refused to do so against Newcastle.

By and large, his movement off the ball was effective. He attempted a couple threatening crosses, one of which was headed out at the far post as a last resort by Mathieu Debuchy. And he played an instrumental role in nearly all of Arsenal's counterattacks, nearly scoring on one at the start of the second half.

If not a performance worthy of £100,000 per week, it certainly demonstrated why Arsenal were so desperate to re-sign Walcott last winter.

Lukas Podolski: 6.5

It will be interesting to see what Arsene Wenger does with Podolski when he regains some fitness ahead of next season.

His lingering ankle injury has been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks and could explain why he has been substituted so many times this season. Perhaps after a summer of repair and recovery, he will be able to be more effective as both a winger and a striker.

Podolski's mostly mediocre performance was not due to injury or fatigue. He merely dropped into midfield at every opportunity, failing to provide Arsenal with the target man they often needed.

In the end, of course, it was of no matter. Podolski, like nearly all of his teammates, will just have to concentrate on improving for Arsenal's Champions League run next season.

Follow @charliemelman

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MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa Takes Convincing Victory in Le Mans, Cal Crutchlow Second

Dan Gruchala — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:26:07 -0400

Le Mans, France shares equal parts fame and infamy for motorsports fans. Famous for its renowned 24-hour car race, infamous as a result of the wet conditions with which it persistently plagues (or bestows, if you're a Ducati fan) the MotoGP series.

For the second year in a row, the skies above Le Mans opened up on the Sunday morning of the French motorcycle Grand Prix, but what would follow was not be a typically processional wet race with large gaps between the riders, each one seemingly content to ride at the pace with which he is most comfortable.

Instead, Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso would exchange the lead nine times in the first 13 laps of the 28-lap contest, and halfway through the race there were six riders with a realistic chance of finishing on the podium.

For some mysterious reason apparently not known to anyone, Ducati's Desmosedici loves riding in the rain. All of the flaws that have for years been irrevocably inherent in the Desmo are seemingly wiped away when there is water on the racing surface. Gone is the lack of front-end feeling when on the brakes heading into the corners. Absent too are the mid-corner understeer and brutish power delivery which ravages the Desmo on corner exits.

As a result, Ducati achieved their best finish of 2012 at a rain-soaked Le Mans when Valentino Rossi took second place after a brilliant battle with the now retired Casey Stoner.

For 2013, Dovizioso, Rossi's replacement in the Ducati garage after the Italian icon left his compatriot manufacturer to resurrect his career with Yamaha, secured the holeshot from third place on the starting grid and, incredibly, led the race into Turn 1.

From there, he would battle back and forth with Pedrosa until the elder half of Honda's Spanish duo was finally able to pull a gap with 10 laps to go. It was his second consecutive win. After a slow start to the season, Pedrosa appears back to the form that saw him win six of the final eight races in 2012.

As Pedrosa was pulling away from Dovizioso, Yamaha Tech 3's Cal Crutchlow was rapidly gaining on the Italian.

Watching Crutchlow stalk and measure his former teammate brought back memories of 2012 when the Tech 3 duo could more often than not be found in a fierce battle from which Dovizioso usually emerged the winner.

This time, Crutchlow got the better of the duel. Throughout his time in MotoGP, the biggest knock against the British rider has been a perceived unwillingness to make an aggressive overtaking maneuver to find a way past the top riders in front of him. He did it twice in Le Mans. With 15 laps to go, Crutchlow got past Rossi with a clean inside move for third place. Ten laps later, he took advantage when Dovizioso's Ducati momentarily lost traction with the rear wheel, allowing Crutchlow to get his power to the ground more effectively and zip past the surely frustrated Italian.

The second-place finish was Crutchlow's best in MotoGP, and perhaps provided a vindication of sorts as rumors have been swirling about the Tech 3 team already having lined up Moto2 star Pol Espargaro as a replacement for Crutchlow in 2014.

Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez has been a MotoGP journalist's dream so far in his rookie campaign. He started the season in impressive fashion by battling nine-time world champion Rossi for second place in Qatar. He then surprised everyone by not only winning the inaugural GP at COTA in Austin, but making it look easy in the process. Then, of course, came the infamous last-corner incident with reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo in Jerez.

In Le Mans, the 20-year-old phenomenon qualified on pole and looked ready to once again dominate the headlines. However, this time he suffered a horrendous start and found himself mired in ninth place by the time he leaned into Turn 1. The middle of the pack is where Marquez would stay for 11 laps as he struggled to gain control of his RC213V in the wet conditions—Sunday being the first time the rookie had faced racing in the wet on a MotoGP bike.

Fittingly, once Marquez had it figured out, the first person in his sights was Lorenzo. The reigning champ had been struggling all race with stability under braking and traction with the rear. As a result, he was passed by just about everyone on a prototype machine as if he had a flat tire.

There would be no drama in their encounter this time. Lorenzo took a wide line indicative of his struggles through a left-hander, and Marquez flew by on the inside without incident.

Marquez would continue his methodical march toward the front until finally, with only one lap to go, he made it past the fading Dovizioso to claim third place, his fourth podium finish in as many premier-class races.

Yamaha needed success in the early part of the season. Qatar, Jerez and now Le Mans are all tracks at which the M1 has traditionally shined, while many of the later races are at tracks that seem to favor the Honda.

Yamaha took care of business in Qatar with a 1-2 finish, but Jerez, shockingly, saw Honda grab a 1-2 and Le Mans was nothing short of a disaster with Rossi crashing and Lorenzo finishing in seventh place. To put that in perspective, Lorenzo didn't finish lower than second throughout the entire 2012 season.

The next round continues the Yamaha-friendly trend at Mugello, another track that has been kind to the M1. They clearly have work to do if they hope to compete for the championship, but they still have the time in which to do it.

With the victory, Pedrosa displaced his teammate atop the overall championship leaderboard with 83 points. Marquez, now second, has 77. Lorenzo is a suddenly distant 17 points back in third place, and Crutchlow has leapfrogged Rossi into fourth place with 55 points. Rossi's 12th-place finish after rejoining the race was only good for four points, taking his total to 47.

For full race results, click here.

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Manchester United vs. West Brom: What Season's Final Match Meant for Both Clubs

Jake Nisse — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:24:20 -0400

In a game ever so fitting to culminate Sir Alex Ferguson's career, Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion split the points in a 5-5 thriller. Javier Hernandez put United up three goals with 27 minutes to play, but sloppy defending allowed Romelu Lukaku and Youssouf Mulumbu to level the game.

With United already having clinched the title on April 22 with a 3-0 win vs. Aston Villa and WBA sitting comfortably in eighth place, this game had just about no meaning in terms of points implications.

However, despite the fact that United couldn't earn three points, this game served as a tribute to the attacking brand of football that Sir Alex's squads have played for the last 26 years. Even with the playing of stalwarts Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, Fergie made sure to give United fans a glimpse of the club's future in using an obviously experimental lineup.

Among the squad's six changes was the appearance of Jonny Evans and Alexander Buttner in the starting lineup, with Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic watching comfortably from the bench.

Though there were some bright spots such as Buttner's second goal of the season, the inexperienced back line was given major problems by the WBA counter-attack and allowed 20 year-old Romelu Lukaku to tally a second-half hat-trick.

With their title already in the bag, it was expected that Ferguson would give his young guns a chance to fire, but he was knowingly taking the risk of allowing defensive lapses, such as the ones that occurred.

All in all, Sir Alex will be a little disappointed not to have won the match but probably won't lose sleep knowing he didn't have his best squad out on the Hawthorns pitch.

West Brom, on the other hand, will be delighted to have earned a point after trailing by three goals twice in the game. While they may not be in the upper echelons of the EPL just yet, their eighth-place finish is their highest since their re-entry into to the top flight in 2010-2011 (per statto.com).

Considering their last-place finish in 2008-2009, this game, this season and the last three years of (at least) top-11 finishes have marked an impressive ascent from one of the lowliest clubs in the EPL.

Another ascent worth watching has been that of 20-year-old Belgian wonderkid Romelu Lukaku, who capped off an impressive season at the Midlands with three goals in the second period of the match. After dethroning Peter Odemwingie as the club's top scorer and showing his dominance today vs. United, West Brom will certainly increase their attempts to keep their starlet attacker. He is rumored to be wanted back by parent club Chelsea (Daily Mail) or possibly loaned to ninth-place neighbor Swansea (Daily Mirror).

In the end, this game, with its wild finish and 10 goals, represented the parity of the the EPL.

It represented the fighting spirit of a middle-tier club facing champions.

And lastly, it represented the end of a magical 26-year tenure, filled with an abundance of goals and stunning offensive play.

Goodbye, Sir Alex.

(All stats and info via ESPN FC)

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Rating the Tottenham Players Against Sunderland

Tom Sunderland — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:02:43 -0400

Although their quest for Champions League qualification came to nothing in the end, Tottenham continued an impressive run of form against Sunderland on the final day of their 2012-13 season.

Andre Villas-Boas’ side were made to wait, but a late Gareth Bale strike lit up what was at times a shaky display from the North Londoners, finishing off the 10-men Black Cats.

Each of Tottenham’s stars have been graded on their final performance of the Premier League season, rated on a scale out of 10.

All statistics provided courtesy of WhoScored.com.

Begin Slideshow

Player Ratings for Manchester United in Crazy 5-5 Draw with West Brom

Max Towle — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:37:57 -0400

Football eh? Bloody hell!

Sir Alex Ferguson's final game at the helm of Manchester United could not have been more dramatic as he saw his side squander a 5-2 lead with 10 minutes to play.

West Brom's defiant comeback was inspired by substitute Romelu Lukaku, who scored an incredible second-half hat trick.

Shinji Kagawa, Alex Buttner, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez were on target for the Red Devils.

Here are the player ratings for United:

Anders Lindegaard: 4

Any time a keeper concedes five goals in a game, you know he is going to come in for some stick afterwards.

United's No. 2 shot-stopper looked shaky for much of Sunday's game, and should have done better for at least a couple of the Baggies' goals.

Antonio Valencia: 7

Much better from the Ecuadorian winger, who contributed more going forward than he has in any previous game this term.

He looked to have that extra burst of acceleration back, even if his final delivery was not always perfect.

Phil Jones: 5

A shaky display in defence by Phil Jones, perhaps suggesting that his future lies in defensive midfield.

He threw himself around, but his positioning was poor, not helped by his unfamiliar partner Jonny Evans.

Jonny Evans: 5

Per Football365, Sir Alex said before the game, "I want to play Jonny Evans and Phil Jones at centre-half because they are the future."

This may be the case, but the two did not function properly against West Brom. Evans looked out of sorts trying to handle the physical Romelu Lukaku.

Alex Buttner: 6

A mixed outing for the Dutchman, who was promising going forward, but caught out of position countless times in defence.

His goal was excellent—a driven shot past Ben Foster that nestled in the bottom corner.

Michael Carrick: 6

Handed the captain's armband, Michael Carrick had an underwhelming game in central midfield.

He offered little protection for the back line, but his distribution from the back was typically assured.

Anderson: 6

It was somewhat surprising to see Anderson play the full 90 minutes at the Hawthorns.

The Brazilian started brightly as one of the midfield runners, but faded in the second period. This was possibly his final game for United.

Tom Cleverley: 7

A decent game for the England youngster in front of the watching Roy Hodgson.

His passing and movement was excellent. He was subbed before the crazy finale, so could not be blamed for that.

Shinji Kagawa: 8

Playing in a central playmaking role, Shinji Kagawa was one of Manchester United's standout players.

He scored his side's opener and was very influential before being subbed with 20 minutes to play.

Javier Hernandez: 7

The Mexican forward got a deserved goal in the second half—his industry and link-up play was exemplary until that point.

He will almost certainly remain at Old Trafford next season, but his future role under David Moyes unknown.

Robin van Persie: 6

Not the Dutchman's finest display, but it did produce a goal—his 30th of a landmark campaign.

He will finish the Premier League's top scorer for the season, and perhaps a little unlucky to finish third in Player of the Year voting.

Substitutes

Ryan Giggs: 7

He and fellow veteran Paul Scholes enjoyed their cameos, but it was Giggs who really impressed. His assist for Javier Hernandez's goal was pinpoint.

Paul Scholes: 6

Manchester United bade farewell to one of the club's greatest heroes, who was lucky not to see red during the game.

Rio Ferdinand: N/A

Rio was brought on just in time to witness Romelu Lukaku's late equaliser.

Bleacher Report's Premier League coverage has been nominated in the 2012-13 EPLTalk awards. Cast your vote here.

Follow @MaxBentleyTowle

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English Premier League Final Day Wrap

Michael Cummings — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:26:50 -0400

Chelsea took third, Arsenal finished fourth and Tottenham missed out once again. The title was long since decided and the relegation race complete, but the final day of the English Premier League season brought the drama as expected.

With their victories over Everton and Newcastle, respectively, Chelsea and Arsenal clinched Champions League qualification for next season. Arsenal will have to negotiate a qualifying tie, but that won't matter to happy Gooners after Sunday's tension.

Keep reading for a rundown of the day's action.

Begin Slideshow

West Brom vs. Manchester United: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Pete Schauer — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:17:53 -0400

Sir Alex Ferguson's final match at the helm of Manchester United didn't exactly go as planned, as the Red Devils took a 5-5 draw with West Bromwich on Saturday.

An own-goal blunder by the Baggies' Jonas Olsson could have ultimately been the difference between a win and a draw for West Brom, but regardless, the Baggies should be satisfied with the match's outcome.

The Red Devils dominated the possession 65 to 35 percent, but were out-shot 19-16 and saw Romelu Lukaku come off the bench and spark his club with a hat-trick.

Shinji Kagawa got the scoring going for the Red Devils in the sixth minute to give Manchester United the early 1-0 edge (via Premier League on Twitter):

Roughly three minutes later, West Brom defenseman Jonas Olsson gave the Red Devils the significant upper-hand when he scored an own goal on an Antonio Valencia cross that put United up by two goals (via Manchester United Action):

After an Alexander Buttner goal put United ahead 3-0, the Baggies came storming back with two goals of their own by James Morrison (40') and Romelu Lukaku (50') to cut the Red Devils' lead to just one goal. Lukaku's goal not only put West Brom one goal closer, but it was also a personal feat for the forward as well (via Infostrada Sports):

Again, it looked as if Manchester United would pull away, as stars Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez each found the back of the net in the second half to extend the Red Devils' lead in a 5-2 match, but again, the Baggies fought back.

Lukaku netted another goal while Youssuf Mulumbu scored as well to put West Brom within one goal of the EPL champs. Then, in the 86th minute, Lukaku completed a hat-trick to tie the match at five and complete an improbable comeback for the Baggies (h/t Oliver Holt of the Daily Mirror):

Lukaku and West Brom certainly played spoiler on Saturday in Ferguson's final day as manager of Manchester United. Although United didn't come up with the victory, BBC Sport showed its respect for the historic manager via Twitter:

Grades (Subs denoted in bold)

West Bromwich

Position	Player	Grade
G	Ben Foster	C
D	Jonas Olsson	C-
D	Liam Ridgewell	C+
D	Gareth McAuley	C+
D	Billy Jones	B+
M	Claudio Yacob	B-
M	James Morrison	B+
M	Chris Brunt	B
M	Graham Dorrans	B+
M	Youssuf Mulumbu	A
F	Shane Long	C+
F	Romelu Lukaku	A+
F	Markus Rosenberg	B+
F	Marc-Antoine Fortune	B-

Manchester United

Position	Player	Grade
G	Anders Lindegaard	C
D	Phil Jones	B
D	Jonathan Evans	B-
D	Antonio Valencia	B
D	Alexander Buttner	B+
M	Anderson	C+
M	Javier Hernandez	A
M	Michael Carrick	B
M	Tom Cleverley	B
M	Shinji Kagawa	B+
F	Robin Van Persie	B+
M	Ryan Giggs	B
M	Paul Scholes	C

Javier Hernandez (A)

Midfielder Javier Hernandez was brilliant for Manchester United on Saturday, helping the club get the scoring going and aiding in helping the Red Devils draw a tie with West Brom.

Hernandez recorded the assist on Kagawa's sixth-minute goal that gave the Red Devils a 1-0 lead and capped off an excellent match by scoring in the 63rd minute that made it 5-2 in favor of United.

While the Red Devils couldn't hold the large lead, Hernandez isn't to blame.

Romelu Lukaku (A+)

As West Brom's leading scorer, Romelu Lukaku had to be a factor in this match for the Baggies if they were going to have any shot at taking down powerhouse Manchester United.

Lukaku's 50th-minute goal off the bench put the Baggies within one goal of the Red Devils after falling down early 3-0.

From there, he took over the second half and led the charge for West Bromwich, scoring in the 80th and 86th minutes to knot the match at five apiece. The Baggies couldn't have asked for a better performance as a sub from their star scorer.

Alexander Buttner (B+)

Alexander Buttner came through with what turned out to be an important goal for the Red Devils.

Although Buttner's 30th-minute goal seemed to potentially put the match out of reach, the Baggies would go on to score the next two goals, which would have tied this match had Buttner not found the back of the net.

Without that goal, the Baggies' continued momentum could have resulted in a loss for Sir Alex Ferguson in his final match as manager.

What's Next?

As the season came to a close, these two clubs both have some work to do in the offseason.

For Manchester United, it'll look to establish a new era and identity with Sir Alex Ferguson departing after more than two decades at the head of the Red Devils.

Under Ferguson's guidance, United captured 13 league titles and established United as the powerhouse of soccer. It's safe to say David Moyes has enormous shoes to fill.

For West Brom, it'll look to add pieces to its club after finishing eighth in the EPL table, with 48 points. The good news for the Baggies is that star Shane Long plans on staying with West Brom, according to the Express & Star.

Follow me on Twitter: Follow @Pete_Schauer

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Liverpool vs. QPR: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Justin Onslow — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:16:04 -0400

Queens Park Rangers have been relegated for next season, and they certainly looked the part against Liverpool on Sunday. The Reds—already assured of the No. 7 spot in the Premier League tables—dismantled their counterparts 1-0, boosted by strong outings from Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Ibe.

Liverpool jumped out to a hot start with constant pressure on QPR keeper Robert Green. Coutinho was the architect of the aggression, and he would see to it that Liverpool’s effort wouldn’t go unrewarded.

In the 22nd minute, the midfielder took a pass from Ibe and scorched a shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner past Green for a 1-0 Reds lead.

The Reds had very little to play for in this match, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying the moment (via Liverpool FC):

Coutinho and Lucas celebrate our first goal in the new home kit: #RiseUpLFC @lfcbrasil @warrior_ftbl twitter.com/LFC/status/336…
— Liverpool FC(@LFC) May 19, 2013

The following minutes would be all Liverpool as the home side continued turning the screws on QPR’s back line. The Reds tallied 11 shots and held possession for 65 percent of the first 37 minutes of action.

As John Bradley pointed out, Liverpool looked impressive, and QPR looked much like a relegated squad:

Even defender Jamie Carragher got in on the action in the 34th minute, peppering a shot that was eventually blocked. He spent his final time on the pitch at Anfield with ringing cheers and generous support from Liverpool supporters, and even his blocked shots were reason for fans to celebrate their club’s vice-captain (via Steven Gerrard):

Guard of honour for Jamie Carragher prior to kick off in his last game for the club #thankscarra twitter.com/Gerrard8FanPag…
— Steven Gerrard(@Gerrard8FanPage) May 19, 2013

QPR did manage to get a little momentum going in the final minutes of the first half, but their attack looked mostly disoriented and out of sorts. Pepe Reina did his job to stave off the attack, though, and Liverpool carried a 1-0 lead into halftime with little reason to worry.

In the first 45 minutes of play, Liverpool attempted 13 shots (three on target), while QPR flailed their way to just three shots and none on net. It was a dominant first-half performance from a superior club, who controlled possession for 62 percent of the opening half.

Liverpool could have easily been ahead by two or three goals at the half, however. The Reds were far more aggressive than their counterparts in the opening half, but a sloppy attack limited their scoring chances in the first 45 minutes. They would have to tighten things up in the final third in order to build on their lead in the second half.

QPR were the only side to make any halftime adjustments in their starting XI, bringing on Esteban Granero in place of Stephane Mbia. For Liverpool, there wasn’t much need to shake things up.

The Reds would again open the half with a couple scoring opportunities in the initial minutes, keeping the pressure on QPR’s back line. Ibe saw a tremendous scoring opportunity in the 48th minute, but his effort missed the mark by a few feet.

As Michael Fitzgerald noted on Twitter, the 17-year-old looked impressive in the start. He certainly wasn’t fazed by the Premier League’s big stage:

The Reds would get another huge opportunity in the 50th minute when Glen Johnson attacked down the right side with a strike to the net, forcing Green to make yet another strong save. Liverpool attacked from the right side early and often in the contest, and Ibe did a tremendous job of locking down the left side opposite Johnson and Stewart Downing.

While Liverpool still retained possession for much of the second half, QPR did seem to stabilize their attack and find some confidence in holding at midfield. QPR appeared to be building a small amount of momentum, and it seemed Liverpool would have to find a way to score again to put the match out of reach.

Carragher did his part in attempting to build his club’s lead with a 40-yard strike that just missed the mark. Everyone at Anfield seemed to want to see him net a goal in his final contest before retirement, and he certainly appeared content on pleasing his fans (via Liverpool FC):

Oh my word - Carra blasts one from 40 yards and hits the post. Anfield stunned #LFC 1-0 #QPR
— Liverpool FC(@LFC) May 19, 2013

Ibe’s debut ended in the 64th minute as he was relieved in favor of Fabio Borini, but he did well to preview his future with the club. It was a strong outing, highlighted by an assist on Coutinho’s 22nd-minute goal, though his overall play eclipsed any tallies on the stat sheet (via LiverpoolScout):

The final minutes of the match were more a show in honor of Carragher than a competitive contest. QPR were completely outmatched all day, and Liverpool were able to keep the pressure in QPR’s half and have a little fun with their veteran defender in his final minutes on the pitch.

Carragher came off in the 86th minute to enjoy his final time on the sidelines with his teammates, and his final match couldn't have gone more perfectly. He didn't manage to find the net (much to the dismay of his generous supporters), but a victory in his final contest is all the veteran leader could have asked for from his club.

The Reds were unable to tack on another goal in the final minutes, but the writing was on the wall from the onset. It was an impressive win from the home side in their final match.

Liverpool

Player	Grade
Pepe Reina	A
Glen Johnson	B
Jamie Carragher	A
Martin Skrtel	C
Jose Enrique	C
Jordan Henderson	C+
Lucas Leiva	C+
Stewart Downing	B
Philippe Coutinho	A
Jordan Ibe	B+
Daniel Sturridge	B-
Substitutes
Fabio Borini	B
Suso	C
Sebastian Coates	N/A

QPR

Player	Grade
Robert Green	B+
Michael Harriman	B
Clint Hill	B-
Nedum Onuoha	B
Armand Traore	A
Andros Townsend	C
Stephane Mbia	D
Shaun Derry	C
Park Ji-Sung	C+
Loic Remy	C-
Bobby Zamora	D
Substitutes
Esteban Granero	C
Jamie Mackie	C
Junio Hoilett	N/A

Philippe Coutinho (A)

Coutinho's impressive strike in the 22nd minute took all the pressure off Liverpool. With a 1-0 lead, the Reds were able to coast through much of the contest, turning the screws on QPR's defense in the final third.

There was never much question Liverpool would dominate in this contest, but Coutinho certainly put it out of reach. Ibe's debut and Carragher's finale stole the show, but it was Coutinho who did most of the damage before coming off in the 75th minute.

Jordan Ibe (B+)

Ibe got the start with the intention of seeing what he could do on the big stage with the first team. By the time the match ended, there was little doubt he has a bright future with the Reds.

While he got the credit for the assist on Coutinho's opening goal, it wasn't anything spectacular from the youngster. But that wasn't why everyone seemed so impressed with him.

With tremendous pace and poise, Ibe put his potential on display, constantly finding himself in the mix in the final third. Even against a relegated club like QPR, Ibe's impressive play shouldn't go unnoticed.

Robert Green (B+)

Liverpool had plenty of chances to tack on more scoring in their final contest of the term. If not for Green, the Reds may have come away with a much more lopsided victory.

There's really not much bad to say about the keeper's performance on the day. Coutinho's strike was nearly unstoppable, and Green did plenty to keep his club in the contest. Unfortunately for QPR, the rest of their squad couldn't say the same.

Jamie Carragher (A)

After 737 appearances, Carragher walked off the pitch for the last time in a Liverpool uniform. The contest was as much a tribute to him as it was a competitive match, and Liverpool fans did well in honoring their veteran vice-captain in his final appearance.

And while Carragher deserves an A for his career at Anfield, he also played pretty well in the 1-0 victory. It's not often we've seen him peppering shots from 40 yards, especially shots that miss the mark by mere inches.

What's Next?

All attention now turns to the summer for both clubs. Liverpool may be headed for a bit of a rebuild on the defensive end with Carragher's retirement and the possibility of Reina departing. Time will tell what is to come of that situation, but for now, Liverpool can hold their heads high after a dominating win in their final match.

For QPR, the future is even more uncertain. They finished last in the Premier League with just 25 points, facing relegation for next season. It was a disappointing (albeit fitting) end to the season for a club in desperate need of direction going forward.

Read more Game Recap news on BleacherReport.com

Newcastle vs. Arsenal: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Timothy Rapp — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:11:49 -0400

For a 16th consecutive season, Arsenal has qualified for the Champions League.

It wasn't a pretty win for the club, but Laurent Koscielny's goal in the 52nd minute was enough for the Gunners to secure a 1-0 win and fourth-place finish on the season.

Theo Walcott had the game's first chance after a free kick was headed in his direction in the fifth minute, but his effort from inside of the box sailed far above the bar.

A minute later, Papiss Cisse would have a brilliant opportunity to give Newcastle an early lead, turning on goal after corralling a Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa cross and firing on net. However, his shot went high, and the game remained scoreless.

Mikel Arteta, who tried to play through an injury, was subbed out in the 28th minute, clearly laboring. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was added to the squad in his place.

Arsenal created a nice chance in the 31st minute. Kieran Gibbs found himself with acres of space down the left side and eventually cut back into the box on his run. He found Santiago Cazorla at the top of the box, but the crafty Spaniard curled his effort high.

Hatem Ben Arfa had an excellent opportunity in the 40th minute, somehow eluding two Arsenal players and freeing himself on the right side of the box, but his blast sailed well over the bar.

The half would end scoreless in a game that was played pretty evenly throughout but was surely a disappointment for Arsenal, who looked a bit toothless in the attack. FOX Soccer Trax summed up the first 45 minutes rather succinctly:

Not to be confused with being off Alex Song, of course.

Meanwhile, John Cross of the Daily Mirror pointed out that Newcastle was playing like a team with an incentive to win:

Yes, Mike Ashley offered a £1 million bonus to be shared amongst the non-playing staff if the team won on Sunday. I'm sure there were quite a few pep talks in the pregame festivities.

And noted Arsenal fan Piers Morgan was just plain old despondent about his favorite team's first-half performance:

Perhaps Arsenal could feel Morgan's displeasure, as the team did create an early chance in the opening minute of the second half after a poor clearance from Steve Harper. However, Walcott's shot across the face of goal was saved by the keeper.

And it would be Arsenal who earned the game's only goal in the 52nd minute. After Bacary Sagna earned a free kick to the right of the box, Walcott sent out a curling effort that was flicked on toward Laurent Koscielny. The defender handled his moment brilliantly, hooking home a volley to give the Gunners the lead.

The rest of the half was far more cagey from Arsenal and pretty disappointing from Newcastle. Theo Walcott nearly ended things in the 91st minute, running into the clear. But the forward wrong-footed an attempt at goal after circling the keeper, and the shot tragically hit the right bar.

But the Gunners would nonetheless hold on through four minutes of stoppage time, winning the game and assuring a fourth-place finish and spot in next season's Champions League.

Grades

Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal: A

Even if you took away his goal, I think Koscielny would be the man of the match. He was a force defensively all game long and was the primary reason the Gunners kept a clean sheet in the first half. He's certainly come a long way for Arsenal this season and has become an absolute rock defensively.

Hatem Ben Arfa, Newcastle: B+

On a day when Newcastle mostly threatened rather than pose a true danger in front of Arsenal's goal, Ben Arfa was the one player who consistently offered a positive presence in the attack. He didn't manage to score, but he did put himself in good positions throughout.

Santi Cazorla, Arsenal: B+

Arsenal's most consistent player was solid again today, working out wide, setting up his teammates, impressing with his work rate and even ripping a few shots toward goal. This wasn't vintage Cazorla, but on a day when his teammates also weren't at their best, his performance impressed.

Papiss Cisse, Newcastle: C+

A pretty disappointing game for Cisse, who had a few chances but couldn't capitalize. And Cisse spent far too much of the game drifting around the edge of the box rather than making himself a target closer to the goal. After impressing so much last season, this year will surely be remembered as a disappointment for the striker.

Arsenal Grades
Player	Position	Grade
Wojciech Szczesny	GK	B
Bacary Sagna	RB	B+
Per Mertesacker	CB	B+
Laurent Koscielny	CB	A
Kieran Gibbs	LB	B+
Mikel Arteta (Out 27')	CM	C
Aaron Ramsey	CM	B-
Theo Walcott	RW	B
Tomas Rosicky	CAM	B-
Santi Cazorla (Off 89')	LW	B+
Lukas Podolski (Off 77')	ST	C+
Substitutes
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (In 27')	LW	B
Olivier Giroud (In 77')	ST	B+
Jack Wilshere (In 89')	CM	C

Newcastle Grades
Player	Position	Grade
Steve Harper	GK	C
Mathieu Debuchy	RB	B+
Steven Taylor	CB	C
Fabricio Coloccini	CB	C
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (Off 81')	LB	B-
Cheick Tiote	CM	C+
Yohan Cabaye (Off 57')	CM	B-
Hatem Ben Arfa	RW	B+
Yoan Gouffran (Off 65')	CF	C-
Jonas Gutierrez	LW	B-
Papiss Cisse	ST	C+
Substitutes
Vurnon Anita (On 57')	CM	C
Sylvain Marveaux (On 65')	CAM	C
Adam Campbell (On 81')	ST	C

What's Next?

For Arsenal, just reaching the Champions League was pretty impressive, as the team finished the Premier League season with eight wins and two draws in the last 10 games. And this was certainly far from Arsene Wenger's best roster of players.

Now, the team will hit the summer with a Champions League spot intact and the need to add a few key players in order to compete for a league title. Expect Arsenal to be very busy this summer.

For Newcastle, this season was a huge disappointment, and the team will have to find a way to bolster the squad and return to the form that saw them finish fifth last season. That seems like an awful long time ago, especially after this year's 16th-place finish.

Read more Game Recap news on BleacherReport.com

Giro d'Italia 2013 Standings: Stage 15 Results, Leaderboard and Updates

Steven Cook — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:06:52 -0400

After the field experienced a major stage route tweak due to inclement weather, Giovanni Visconti took Stage 15 of the 2013 Giro d'Italia in runaway fashion to end another exciting day of cycling in the mountains of Italy.

The official Giro d'Italia Twitter account posted the winner as well as the top three finishers for Sunday's action.

Despite ending Stage 15 outside the top finishers, overall leader Vincenzo Nibali of the Astana team maintained his lead over the field. Australian star Cadel Evans remains in second behind him, but he's now one minute and 26 seconds behind the leader.

But Sunday belonged to the stage winner, Visconti. The Movistar team cyclist maintained a tight lead that was threatened late by Nibali and Evans, who both made late pushes. It didn't matter, though, as Visconti beat the field by 42 seconds.

Weather nearly forced the tour crew to scrap dozens of kilometers of the race, but they were able to clean off enough of the roads to make for a minimal detour. It was previously announced (h/t Gregor Brown of Cycling Weekly) that the course would be cut by 18.1 kilometers, but that was eventually retracted to 4.25km.

With non-ideal conditions surrounding the cyclists, it's fortunate that all of the riders remained safe and the top cyclists were still able to post strong performances.

Stage 15 Results

Finish	Cyclist	Team	Country	Time
1	Giovanni Visconti	Movistar	Italy	4:40:48
2	Carlos A. Betancur Gomez	Ag2r-La Mondiale	Colombia	+:42
3	Niemiec Przemyslaw	Lampre-Merida	Poland	+:42
4	Majka Rafal	Saxo-Tinkoff	Poland	+:42
5	Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo	UCI Colombia	Colombia	+:47
6	Michele Scarponi	Lampre-Merida	Italy	+:54
7	Vincenzo Nibali	Astana	Italy	+:54
8	Cadel Evans	BMC	Australia	+:54
9	Mauro Santambrogio	Vini Fantini/SelleItalia	Italy	+:54
10	Rigoberto Uran Uran	Sky	Colombia	+:54

For a complete list of Stage 15 results, visit the race's official site.

Stage 15 Route

*Route modified 4.25 kilometers for weather (via Cycling Weekly)

Overall Leaderboard

Place	Cyclist	Team	Country	Time
1	Vincenzo Nibali	Astana	Italy	62:02:34
2	Cadel Evans	BMC Racing	Australia	+1:26
3	Rigoberto Uran Uran	Sky Procycling	Colombia	+2:46
4	Mauro Santambrogio	Vini Fantini/SelleItalia	Italy	+2:47
5	Michele Scarponi	Lampre-Merida	Italy	+3:53
6	Przemyslaw Niemiec	Lampre-Merida	Italy	+4:35
7	Carlos A. Betancur Gomez	AG2R La Mondiale	Colombia	+5:15
8	Rafal Majka	Saxo-Tinkoff	Poland	+5:20
9	Domenico Pozzovivo	AG2R La Mondiale	Italy	+5:57
10	Benat Intxausti Elorriaga	Saxo-Tinkoff	Poland	+6:21

To see where every cyclist stands after 14 stages, visit the race's official site.

Recap and Updates

Stage 15 was supposed to bring with it a major shakeup, as massive amounts of snow poured down and the conditions were expected to be detrimental.

However, we saw the overall leaderboard hardly change at all, with some of the top finishers not gaining any ground on the leader.

Nibali seems to be running away with the Giro d'Italia, as he's able to stave off a late run from Cadel Evans every time he attempts to do so. He's not continuing to add to his lead, but he's racing just steady enough to hold off the field and maintain a lead of more than one minute.

However, it only takes one poor stage for Nibali's lead to be at risk, and there's no doubt that Evans has what it takes to come back and claim victory for Australia.

Unfortunately for stage-winner Visconti, his epic performance Sunday will be overshadowed by Nibali and Evans as they continue to distance themselves from the pack as the two lone contenders for the title.

Visconti's ability to beat out second place by 42 seconds is nothing short of miraculous, as most of the stages so far have either been tied or won by just a few seconds.

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Chelsea vs. Everton: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Rob Goldberg — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:04:28 -0400

In the last match of the 2012-13 season for both squads, Chelsea finished on top with a 2-1 victory over Everton.

There was a lot of scoreboard watching during Sunday's action, as Chelsea was in a battle with Tottenham and Arsenal for the third and fourth spot in the English Premier League. However, the three points give the Blues enough to finish in third and clinch a spot the Champions League next season.

The match itself got off to a frenetic pace with so much on the line. While players usually like to ease into the action, it only took seven minutes for the first goal to take place.

On a counter attack, Demba Ba got a nice pass from Oscar and put the ball right at the goalkeeper, which was saved. Fortunately, Juan Mata was in place for the rebound and put it in the back of the net to give Chelsea a 1-0 advantage. Watch the video courtesy of Fox Sports:

This lead did not last long, however, as Everton was quickly able to get the equalizer.

Steven Naismith received the ball on a deflection off David Luiz and then worked a give-and-go with Victor Anichebe to get an open shot inside the box. He pushed it beyond Petr Cech's reach and tied up the match 1-1 in the 14th minute.

While the rest of the first half featured plenty more attempts from both sides, no one was able to break the tie heading into intermission.

The second half featured much more defense, along with missed opportunities on offense. One major mistake was a missed shot by Branislav Ivanovic in the 73rd minute, which led fans like the popular Frank Lampard parody account to question his motives:

Fortunately, things turned out alright when Fernando Torres scored the go-ahead goal for Chelsea three minutes later. He received a good pass in the air from Victor Moses and was able to get to the ball and finish nicely on the right side of the goal.

Despite a number of great opportunities for the visiting club late, Everton was unable to get that second goal thanks to some good saves by Petr Cech, and the match ended 2-1.

Chelsea's season certainly had some ups and downs, although the past few weeks have featured some very strong play. Not only will the team finish in third place in the EPL, but it also recently won the Europa League title after winning the Champions League a year ago.

Although interim manager Rafael Benitez is unlikely to stay aboard, some fans appreciate the effort (via Telegraph Sport):

Regardless of who is in charge of the program next season, you can be certain that the talented club will be a top contender for the EPL title.

For Everton, this match closes a solid year-long effort to finish in sixth place in the league. While the club battled for one of the top four spots for a long time, it simply could not compete in the final couple of months.

Still, the squad should be proud of a great effort as it looks to improve even more heading into the offseason.

Grades

Juan Mata, Chelsea: A

All season long, Juan Mata was simply always around the action. Whenever Chelsea needed a play, the midfielder either scored an important goal or was somehow responsible for it.

Against Everton, he was the one celebrating after tapping in a rebound in the seventh minute. He was clearly the best player on the club all season, and this final match proved it more than ever.

Fernando Torres, Chelsea: A-

There might not be a more divisive player on Chelsea than Fernando Torres. Some fans believe he is a huge part of the club's success, while others feel that he was a waste of money.

In Sunday's match, the forward scored his 23rd goal of the season, although it was only his eighth in league play. Still, he proved his importance in this one and should stick around for at least a little longer at Stamford Bridge.

Steven Naismith, Everton: A

In his first year in the EPL, Steven Naismith spent most of his time as a substitute coming in for offense when needed. Although he has not had much success, Sunday's match should earn him more playing time next season.

The Scottish player showed a great deal of skill in getting an early goal, which helped Everton remain in contention for most of the match. When he came off in the second half, the club lost a great deal of offense.

Tim Howard, Everton: C+

The American goalkeeper has had plenty of great days for Everton. In the last six matches, he has only allowed one goal total. Unfortunately, he was not as sharp in this one, as he allowed an easy shot by Demba Ba to get away from him, leading to a goal.

While the second goal was tougher to defend, this is clearly a match to forget for the talented player.

Chelsea

Pos.	Player	Grade
G	Petr Cech	A+
D	Branislav Ivanovic	B-
D	Ashley Cole	B
D	David Luiz	C+
D	Gary Cahill	A-
M	Frank Lampard	B
M	Fernando Torres	A-
M	Juan Mata (Off 83')	A
M	Oscar (Off 89')	B+
M	Nathan Ake	B
F	Demba Ba (Off 66')	C-
Substitutes
M	Victor Moses (On 66')	A
D	César Azpilicueta (On 83')	B
D	Paulo Ferreira (On 89')	B+

Everton

Pos.	Player	Grade
G	Tim Howard	C+
D	Leighton Baines	A-
D	Phil Jagielka	B
D	Sylvain Distin	B+
D	Seamus Coleman	B-
M	Darron Gibson	B-
M	Steven Naismith (Off 67')	A
M	Steven Pienaar	B+
M	Marouane Fellaini	C+
M	Kevin Mirallas	B-
F	Victor Anichebe (Off 67')	B+
Substitutes
D	John Heitinga (On 67')	C-
M	Nikica Jelavic (On 67')	A-

What's Next?

Both clubs head into the summer looking to see what they can do to improve their standing for the 2013-14 season. With plenty of transfer opportunities for each side, expect a lot of movement from top players over the next few months.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

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Sampdoria vs. Juventus: What Season's Final Match Meant for Both Clubs

Sam Lopresti — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

Juventus and Sampdoria had it out at the Luigi Ferraris Saturday afternoon to kick off the final round of the Serie A season, and results were something close to what happened when the teams met in January.

Sampdoria did the double on the champions with a 3-2 victory, their third victory in their last six league matches against Juve dating back to 2009-10.

It was a scoreline that didn't reflect the proceedings on the field. Juve held 64 percent of possession and outshot Samp 26-10 (and 12-4 in shots on target). That general dominance didn't pay off in terms of the scoreline, though.

The team's problems in front of goal are Juve's biggest takeaway from this match. Their problems in front of goal have been the one black spot on their two-year run of dominance in the Serie A. In both games against Samp this year Juve has been in position to score much more than they did. They dominated proceedings today from a possession standpoint and played most of the first match in January a man up after a red card to Gaetano Berardi.

But the team was unable to make either of those advantages pay. It's time for Juve to completely overhaul the striking force. Fernando Llorente is already on the way after completing a four-year deal to come to Turin at the end of the January transfer window. But he will not be the only reinforcement this season.

A Tuttosport report in football-italia.net has revealed that Juve is looking to make huge changes this summer. Beppe Marotta is said to be targeting Stevan Jovetic, Gonzalo Higuain, Arjen Robben and Nani. Recently news also broke that Carlos Tevez's agent has contacted the club.

Until recently it was assumed that Juve would only have the money to bring in one other big signing in attack. If, however, rumors of a stadium naming rights deal with Samsung prove true it may give them the financial firepower to make more of a splash in the transfer market. It's clear that in order to compete at the European level—and hold of an AC Milan team that will likely be much improved—such a splash is needed.

As for Samp, it was an impressive way to end their return to the top flight. They will finish no lower than 15th—14th if Atalanta fails to win tomorrow.

The Genovese outfit spent a lot in the summer in an effort to stay up, and most of those moves paid off. In particular Marcelo Estigarribia, who last year tasted scudetto glory with the bianconeri, had a fantastic match, assisting on both of Samp's open-play goals and making five key passes.

The blucerchiati are on solid footing to build for an extended stay in the Serie A, but they must be intelligent as they try to reload in this transfer window. Young striker Mauro Icardi—scorer of 10 goals this season, including three against Juventus—is set for a move to Inter, and there is a blossoming battle between Juventus and Milan for the services of midfielder Andrea Poli.

Even while announcing the departure of the promising Icardi, Samp president Edoardo Garrone insisted that other top players such as Pedro Obiang and Nenad Kristicic are staying put for at least another year as Samp looks to regain the glory days when they played Champions League soccer.

The pieces are there for Sampdoria, and if they're used properly they can look to more than just survival in the seasons to come. In the other locker room, Juventus needs the killer forward play it hasn't had since the last of the great Del Piero/Trezeguet seasons. If they get it and combine it with their excellent midfield, insanely good defense and the best goalkeeper in the world in Gianluigi Buffon, this could turn into one of the elite teams on the continent.

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Figuring out What Went Wrong in New York Knicks' 2nd Round Loss

Mike Benjamin — Sun, 19 May 2013 08:25:39 -0400

We all know what the goal we had set. Everybody wants to win the championship: that’s the goal, that’s the ultimate goal…We’ll take this time off this offseason to regroup and come back better and stronger next season. – Carmelo Anthony, NBA.com.

Ay Dios mio! What happened?

This Eastern Conference semifinal matchup between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks played out like the tune of a disorganized swing band at the Hollywood Bowl. A brawl broke out between the brass and woodwind sections, and the thin Knicks got their reeds snapped.

New York wasn’t always this pitiful. Perhaps this Knicks team emptied their can of smack on the wrong set of foes, trampling most of the NBA—including the Pacers—during their season-ending 15-1 run. Carmelo Anthony was the headliner, stealing the scoring title fair and square from Kevin Durant.

The Knicks were the toast of the town and were primed to make good on their great expectations.

However, despite those great leaps, the second season’s start pointed to apparent demise. After a J.R. Smith elbow made sweet chin music with Jason Terry’s face in the Eastern quarterfinals, the Knicks began to play possum and feign doom. It was a move worthy of a daytime Emmy.

God bless the Boston Celtics. They play a mean live underdog. But the Knicks protected their house.

No matter. As the beautiful Dionne Warwick sings, a house is just not a home. The younger Pacers marched into Madison Square Garden with their work boots on and muddied up the pristine parquet, snatching Game 1 and forcing the Knicks to win a game under the yellow sea of Indiana Pacers tees.

As expected, road Game 3 was a total Knicks cop-out. Big Roy Hibbert danced on the Knicks with the grace of Alvin Ailey and the savvy of a certain San Antonio Hall of Famer, leaving Coach Woodson more shaken than Mobb Deep.

In fear, Coach Woody disavowed the small lineup pledge and instead gave his erratic hothead Kenyon Martin Game 4 starting minutes at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It was a move that failed spectacularly.

Suddenly, with more Carmelo isolations and J.R. bricks than ever before, the Knicks were a game away from defeat.

Thank God for a good home crew. Those Gotham fans chewed their cuticles and cheered this squad back to Indianapolis, even though both teams played a disgusting Game 5.

It’s tough to be out of the playoffs, period…it hurts right now. That’s all I can really say. It hurts. – Raymond Felton, MSG Network.

Alas. Game 6, the Knicks' entertaining final number, would be given short shrift on the Pacers stage. It was Indianapolis’ night and season, with New York falling apart down the stretch like Bleek Gilliam’s final solo in Mo’ Better Blues.

J.R. Smith was 4-of-15 in Game 6. Raymond Felton was 0-of-7. Carmelo Anthony got his dunk blocked. And Jason Kidd flat left his hoop game in Macy’s Christmas Santaland. The Pacers were smarter, tougher and wiser, beating the older Knicks with a young man’s interpretation of the old man game.

Still, a round of applause is due the Knicks. New York won 60 games and a playoff series, racing to an exciting Game 6 finish like the thoroughbred horses that ran the Pimlico short track a few hours earlier. Like those stallions, the Knicks were slowed by a downpour (courtesy of Lance Stephenson) and now watch as their future becomes their present.

What happens now?

Yeah, it’s tough. It’s never easy to sit there and watch…it’s something that I think I’ll have to sit down with Coach Woody and express to him. – Amar'e Stoudemire, MSG Network.

Amar'e Stoudemire is owed more than $40 million in guaranteed dough over the next two seasons. Smith makes less than he's worth and is going to ask for more money. Tyson Chandler already has 12 good NBA years under his belt and is closing in on his 31st birthday. Anthony is at his physical peak. And the old guys (Kidd, Marcus Camby, et al) aren’t getting any younger.

Can the New York Knicks hold their championship window open for another season? Or will they just tease their fans like a girlfriend playing hard to get? Together, we’ll watch this new tale get told.

Vaya con Dios, Nueva York.

Mike Benjamin is an NBA Featured Columnist with Bleacher Report. Check out his stuff here and elsewhere, or just hit him up on Twitter: @MBauthor.

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NCAA Lacrosse: Syracuse Sneaks by Yale, Punches Ticket to Final 4

Dave Giancola — Sun, 19 May 2013 07:56:21 -0400

It was not easy for top seed Syracuse to advance to the Final Four, but in this stage of the tournament, a win is a win.

Syracuse needed three goals in the final few minutes of the game to rally from behind to defeat a talented Yale squad on Saturday in College Park, Maryland.

Going into the game, Syracuse knew that it would have its hands full with Yale. The Bulldogs were playing great late in the season, capping it off with a huge Ivy League Tournament run to gain the automatic qualifier to the NCAA bracket.

Yale was tremendous on faceoffs Saturday against the Orange. Dylan Levings controlled the draws with ease for much of the game, proving that he's earned his reputation as one of the best men at his position in the country. His ability to win the draws to himself sparked the Bulldogs early and allowed for transition opportunities from the midfield.

In addition to stellar faceoff play, Yale goaltender Eric Natale made 11 impressive saves on his way to a 60 percent save rate. Natale made seven of his 11 saves in the first half, which certainly helped his team jump out to a lead.

For Syracuse, Dom Lamolinara recorded nine saves of his own and also reached the 60 percent plateau in between the pipes.

Although offensively challenged for much of the game, JoJo Marasco sparked the Orange offense with his speed and vision. He finished with a goal and two assists, including an assist to Dylan Donahue with 13 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter. Donahue also finished with a goal and two assists, continuing his habit of being clutch late in games.

For Yale, Brandon Mangan finished with three goals, while Conrad Oberbeck finished with two. Mangan was dynamic in his dodging ability, and his strength and use of his body to shield defenders was outright impressive.

Yale had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but a late shot narrowly missed the cage, dashing the Bulldogs' hopes of overtime. Yale finishes the season at 12-5, while Syracuse improves to 15-3.

Looking ahead, Syracuse will face the winner of the Denver-UNC matchup in the semifinals next weekend in Philadelphia.

Stay tuned to the Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the NCAA lacrosse tournament.

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MLS Saturday Wrap

Joe Tansey — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:00:07 -0400

Saturday was quite the exciting day in Major League Soccer with 16 goals scored and six red cards handed out.

The most excitement came from CenturyLink Field in Seattle as the Sounders put on a second consecutive dominant performance in front of their home fans with a win over FC Dallas.

The biggest surprise of the night came from Houston as the Dynamo lost their second consecutive match at home, this time to New England.

Read on for recaps of each and every one of the six matches played in MLS on Saturday.

Begin Slideshow

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 2013 Results: Reaction, Leaders and Analysis

Rob Goldberg — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:54 -0400

In a race featuring the best in the sport, Jimmie Johnson came away with the win at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. This exhibition win gives him a nice payday of $1 million.

Johnson becomes the first person ever to win the all-star race four times in his career.

This year's event featured some interesting rules for the 90-lap race. The race began with four different 20-lap segments, with the winners of each getting a head start for the final 10-lap sprint. The best average finish sets up the order for the final sprint.

While there was plenty of competition from Joey Logano late and Kyle and Kurt Busch among others throughout the event, no one was able to catch Johnson by the end of the race.

Here is a look at the final standings from Saturday's event:

Place	Driver	Car
1	Jimmie Johnson	48
2	Joey Logano	22
3	Kyle Busch	18
4	Kasey Kahne	5
5	Kurt Busch	78
6	Denny Hamlin	11
7	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	88
8	Jamie McMurray	1
9	Matt Kenseth	20
10	Carl Edwards	99
Other Notable Results
11	Kevin Harvick	29
12	Jeff Gordon	24
14	Tony Stewart	14
18	Clint Bowyer	15
20	Danica Patrick	10

With this short of a race, it is not surprising that there was drama right from the start in the opening segment.

Three laps in, Brad Keselowski had to go into the garage with a bad transmission. While he was not happy about it, the driver seemed to understand the situation, according to NASCAR on SPEED:

However, things started to get worse for the entire field as rain started to come down during Lap 13, causing a long delay in the action.

At least Hendrick Motorsports knows how to entertain themselves in the poor weather:

After about a 45-minute delay, the skies cleared and the action once again picked up on Charlotte Motor Speedway:

When the race continued, Kurt Busch took control of the race as he had from the start. He led for each of the first 20 laps and finished on top at the end of the first segment.

In the second segment, this became a family affair as Kyle Busch decided to take over as the leader. The brother got off to a nice advantage and ended as the winner after 40 laps, guaranteeing him a spot near the front of the final sprint.

This was not a great moment for all of the drivers, unfortunately. During Lap 25, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. lost control and bounced off the wall directly into Mark Martin (via NASCAR):

The veteran eventually got back onto the track, but this was not what he was expecting in the first half of the race.

Once the next segment started, Kyle Busch went right back after the lead. He continued to fight hard, and the No. 18 car also was able to get yet another win in segment three. By this point, he had lead an impressive 29 of the 60 laps of the race.

It was obvious who was showing up to this exhibition to win, and these brothers fought hard to beat each other throughout the event. NASCAR's Twitter account pointed out the success of the family:

The action continued to pick up in the fourth segment, as Kasey Kahne got out to a strong start. However, he was once again passed by another Busch as Kurt ended as the leader.

This caused the 81st lap to begin with Kurt Busch, then Kyle Busch followed by Kahne in third and Clint Bowyer. However, the championship was completely up for grabs once the cars went in for a final pit stop.

As noted by Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne was the first one off of pit road going into the final restart:

After that, however, it was a complete shootout. Jimmie Johnson quickly took the lead and never gave it up. This was the second win in a row at the all-star race, and he proved once again that he is truly one of the best ever to compete in this sport.

Here is a look at the driver celebrating in victory lane (via Team Lowe's Racing):

Kurt Busch only managed a fifth-place finish after doing so well throughout the race.

Carl Edwards had a bit of a disappointing run after starting in pole position. The 2011 winner was never really in contention and finished in 10th place.

The fan-vote winner Danica Patrick finished in 20th place, although she does have the honor of being the first female in the all-star race's history.

Despite all of the action, this event was for the fans. It featured the best drivers in the sport and the most popular ones as well.

You could see from the introductions that this was not a normal race, with each competitor and the pit crews coming out in dramatic fashion, as captured by Sunoco Racing:

Johnson took away the big paycheck, but there were a lot of winners during this exhibition event.

Read more Game Recap news on BleacherReport.com

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Game 6: Video Highlights and Recap

Maxwell Ogden — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:37:12 -0400

The 2013 NBA playoffs continued on Saturday, May 18, as the Indiana Pacers hosted the New York Knicks in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series.

The Pacers entered this game with a 3-2 series lead, winning both of their previous home games. The Knicks, however, took Game 5 in rather convincing fashion, utilizing George Hill's absence as impetus to pull out the win.

In Game 6, Hill was back in the starting lineup.

Even as Hill struggled from the field, he tallied 12 points, five rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes. The true star, however, was Lance Stephenson, as he tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting.

Paul George added 23 points, while Roy Hibbert dominated the paint with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.

On the opposite end, Carmelo Anthony erupted for 39 points and seven rebounds on 15-of-29 shooting from the field. Iman Shumpert added 19 points, while J.R. Smith picked up 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The question is, were the Knicks able to upset the Pacers in Indiana to extend the series? Or was Hill's return enough to motivate the Pacers into closing out the series at home?

Check the video provided above to find out.

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New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 6 Score, Highlights and Analysis

Michael Walsh — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:15:10 -0400

Game 6 was an emotional roller coaster for both the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. Each team went on runs that looked to put the other away, but in the end, the Pacers ran away with the game and the series, 106-99.

The Pacers looked to have things in hand through the first half, but an outrageous three-point bonanza got the Knicks right back into the thick of things.

It was only some lockdown fourth-quarter defense, holding New York to just 18 in the final frame, that pushed the Pacers to the next level.

Carmelo Anthony put up 39 on 15-of-29 shooting, but that won't be what New York fans remember. Anthony scored just four points in the deciding quarter as the Pacers pulled away.

The Pacers' bruising style is what won out in the end, with Roy Hibbert and Paul George making clutch defensive plays and pounding the paint on offense.

Hibbert went for 21 points and 12 rebounds, contributing majorly to the Pacers' 52 points in the paint.

George finished with 23 points, going 9-of-15 from the field. He was also partially responsible for J.R. Smith's 4-of-15 performance.

Neither player was the biggest story of the night, however. It was New York-born Lance Stephenson who had the clutch play to grant the Pacers a conference-finals berth.

Stephenson missed only four shots en route to a team-high 25 points and 10 rebounds. He was relentless through the final buzzer, scoring nine points in the final five minutes.

The Pacers rode some of the best basketball Stephenson has played in his pro career to a 55-47 lead at halftime, as the young shooting guard put up 16 points and seven rebounds before intermission. That included a tough three-point play with seconds remaining.

The Knicks went on a three-point-shooting barrage late in the third quarter. Iman Shumpert netted three straight from beyond the arc, and J.R. Smith's trey with 3:10 remaining knotted things up at 72.

Another Shumpert trey tied things up at 79 with 48 seconds left. That bucket gave Shumpert 16 points in the quarter, and 19 overall, the most he had scored since March 13. From there, Anthony and George traded hoops to knot things up at 81-81 entering the fourth quarter.

The three-point bombardment continued with Chris Copeland in the fourth quarter. His second trey of the quarter put the Knicks up, 87-84, with 10:10 to go.

The two teams continued playing their own games through the fourth. The Pacers worked things inside for layups at one end, while Smith netted yet another three for New York. Hibbert came up with a monster block on an Anthony dunk and then had a layup at the other end. Stephenson's and-one with 3:55 remaining pushed the Pacers ahead, 95-92.

Stephenson again attacked the rim, and this time drew Tyson Chandler's sixth foul. Chandler had been struggling all game as it was, managing an unproductive minus-16. He took his two points and six rebounds to the bench for the remainder of the game. Stephenson made both freebies, putting Indiana up, 97-92

Stephenson just kept it coming, while Anthony committed three straight turnovers. Smith got a pair of free throws to bring New York within four, at 101-97 with just 1:15 remaining.

Anthony got to the rim for a dunk, possibly the only easy shot he had all night. The bucket kept the Knicks within four, 103-99, with just 49 seconds to go. It was only Anthony's second basket of the fourth.

Copeland missed a three with about 30 seconds remaining in the game. However, the Knicks waited until there were just nine ticks left to foul.

George went to the line with the opportunity to really ice the game over. Unfortunately, he bricked both freebies, but, like they had done all night, the Pacers got another rebound. Sam Young came up with the grab and hit one of two free throws, finishing off the Knicks for good.

The Pacers advance to face the waiting Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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UFC on FX 8: The Real Winners and Losers from Belfort vs. Rockhold

Jeremy Botter — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:56:22 -0400

Saturday night's UFC on FX 8 card marked the return of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to Brazil.

Two years ago, that would've felt like a big deal. Today, the UFC seemingly takes its circus on the road to Brazil every two or three months, so a bit of the novelty is lost. This one wasn't even the usual pay-per-view offering; it aired on cable television.

But it was a televised card with plenty of intrigue, at least in the top two fights of the night. The main event between Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort featured two of the world's best middleweights, and the co-main event saw the UFC debut of Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. That was a moment plenty of us have been waiting a long time for.

Who were the biggest winners and losers on the night? That's what I'm here to discuss. In the following slides, I'll name the fighters who gained the most and the athletes who were knocked down a few pegs by their performances.

Keep in mind that these aren't the winners and losers of each fight, though it often ends up working out that way. If someone wins a fight but looks terrible in doing so, the chances of them appearing on our list of winners is slim to none.

Let's get started, shall we?

Begin Slideshow

NASCAR Sprint Showdown 2013 Results: Reaction, Leaders and Post-Race Analysis

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:03:58 -0400

Jamie McMurray won the NASCAR Sprint Showdown on Saturday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. McMurray, along with runner-up Ricky Stenhouse Jr., clinched a spot in the forthcoming All-Star Race.

To the surprise of few, Danica Patrick, who finished ninth, won the fan vote to get the 22nd and final spot, per NASCAR on ESPN:

No points were at stake in this precursor to the All-Star Race, but it didn't diminish the excitement or the significance for McMurray, as documented by NASCAR Stats on Twitter:

McMurray finished the first of two segments of 20 laps in front of pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. by approximately nine-tenths of a second, and he never relinquished his lead. The wire-to-wire victory got McMurray a well-deserved spot in the marquee showcase set to take place later on Saturday.

Below is an overview of the top finishers in the field, followed by further analysis of how the action played out.

2013 NASCAR Sprint Showdown Top 10 Results

Place	Driver	Car
1	Jamie McMurray	1
2	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	17
3	Jeff Burton	31
4	Paul Menard	27
5	Martin Truex Jr.	56
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	42
7	Aric Almirola	43
8	Travis Kvapil	56
9	Danica Patrick	93
10	Casey Mears	13

Casey Mears boldly decided to stay out on the track in an effort to get a leg up on the competition. USA Today's Jeff Gluck wondered if that was the soundest strategy:

Unfortunately, things didn't quite work out for Mears. He couldn't improve upon his career-best sixth-place finish in the Sprint Showdown and wound up in 10th.

After that, Mears and McMurray went to pit lane to get all four tires changed, and McMurray's stop was particularly effective, as his team enhanced the control he had on his car in a matter of just six seconds.

Juan Pablo Montoya, an Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing teammate of McMurray's, was penalized coming out of the pits, as the team's official Twitter page documented:

Though he jumped the gun somewhat in that instance, his crew gave him a strong set of adjustment, and he ran all the way to sixth position in the end.

Truex bumped the wall while battling with third-place finisher Jeff Burton with 12 laps to go. That made an indent in Truex's car and caused him to finish in fifth in the end—just outside of automatic qualification for the All-Star Race.

Patrick obviously didn't qualify, and reaction to her selection has been polarizing. On one negative end is Shawn Courchesne of RaceDayCT.com:

It makes some sense, since Patrick has just one Top-10 finish and sits 26th in the Sprint Cup points standings. However, her marketability and appeal are undeniable, and she is popular with the fans.

She will gladly take the spot, and upon hearing the news, Patrick was fired up, according to Claire B. Lang of NASCAR Sirius XM Radio:

The 40-lap thrill ride lent itself to all-out, aggressive styles rarely seen from some of stock car racing's premier drivers in regular races. That didn't deter McMurray from dominating and putting himself in ideal position to succeed against the tougher field he'll face next.

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2013 Preakness Payout: How Top Favorites and Longshots Made out

Tyler Conway — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:34:00 -0400

The owners of Affirmed can crack the proverbial champagne, as the Triple Crown drought will continue pushing into its fourth decade after Saturday's 138th Preakness Stakes.

Starting from the sixth post, underdog Oxbow came from 16-1 pre-race odds (via Bovada) to end Orb's quest for history. The Kentucky Derby winner was unable to find that extra gear against the nine-horse field, getting lost in a sea of horses down the stretch en route to finishing fourth.

The John Velazquez-jockeyed Itsmyluckyday finished second, while Rosie Napravnik's Mylute came in third place.

But Saturday's story was all about Oxbow. Jockeyed by Gary Stevens and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Oxbow got off to a roaring start. The three-year-old colt took the lead from the opening gate and never once relinquished the advantage for a wire-to-wire triumph. You can take a look at the full results of Saturday's race on the video embedded below.

Meanwhile, the run was one of disappointment for Orb, who burst onto the scene with a dominant performance at Churchill Downs. Shug McGaughey's top colt came in as the heaviest favorite in a Preakness since Big Brown and was thought of as a legitimate Triple Crown threat.

However, it was clear that the horse didn't have an extra gear to come from behind as the folks at Pimlico Race Course saw one of the more shocking upsets in the sport's recent history.

As always is the case in major horse-racing upsets, the payout fallout is often as intriguing as the race itself. With that in mind, here is a look at the complete results for the 2013 Preakness Stakes along with the payout for each of the three top finishers:

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post	Payout
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6	$32.80, $12.00, $6.80
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9	$7.80, $5.00
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5	$5.20
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

Results via NBC telecast, payouts via America's Best Racing.

Notable Results

Underdog Oxbow Steals the Show

Of the horses thought most likely to prevent Orb's run at a Triple Crown, Oxbow was at or near the bottom of the list. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained horse was one of three thoroughbreds ending the event for the legendary racing figure and had the second-highest odds of any entrant in Saturday's race.

Then the race started, and it became clear just what fine form Oxbow was in on Saturday. The colt burst out of the starting gate and was dominant from the outset. Oxbow's wire-to-wire win was the first time since Aloma's Ruler captured the 1982 Preakness that any horse has led the entire way, per Derby Contenders' Twitter feed:

Perhaps, we should have seen this coming, though. The 77-year-old Lukas is arguably the greatest trainer in the sports history, a man now with a record 14 Triple Crown victories. Speaking on NBC's telecast after the race, Lukas noted his penchant for shocking the world.

I get paid to spoil dreams," said Lukas (h/t USA Today's Reid Cherner).

And while it's easy to have 20/20 hindsight, Oxbow's post draw also indicated a strong impending performance. As ESPN Stats & Information points out, the No. 6 post has produced the most Preakness winners in the storied race's history:

For those who had faith in history repeating itself from a gambling standpoint, Oxbow was obviously a major win for anyone who took a chance. The $32.80 payout for a win bet is one of the largest in history and a signal that anything truly does happen in horse racing.

Orb Fails to Finish in Money

Oxbow's scamper to a dominant win may have shocked the world, but Orb's fall from grace disappointed it. The Kentucky Derby winner came into Saturday's race with the largest hype of any horse in a half-decade and it felt anticlimactic seeing Orb drop from contention down the stretch.

Granted, Orb was racing against a good bit of history. There hadn't been a Preakness winner from the inside post since Tabasco Cat in 1994—and that's the only one over the past five-plus decades. Even in smaller fields, the inside post is a death knell for plenty of top-notch horses, as opponents scamper to get inside position.

And as Chris Brown's Smart Football Twitter feed pointed out, starting on the inside gate left Orb squeezed a little too tight at a couple different points:

Nevertheless, it was obvious Orb did not have that extra gear on Saturday. Even when Joel Rosario finally got his horse some breathing room, the burst to the front was just not there. A horse that came in as -500 to finish inside the top three (per Bovada) came up one spot short.

Speaking after the race, trainer Shug McGaughey said he was disappointed mostly because of the fan letdown, per John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader:

It's a great sentiment from McGaughey, who is one of the sport's most beloved faces. But as we begin the lead-up to the Belmont Stakes, the sport again feels like something major is missing. There was no second triumph for McGaughey, Orb or any of the folks who spent countless dollars riding the hot hand.

Mylute Jockey Rosie Napravnik's Success at Pimlico Continues

Mylute was a fast-riser up the odds boards heading into Saturday's race, and it was likely a little puzzling for those who hadn't been paying attention. The three-year-old colt had run 10 races in its short career and only won twice—and not once during this calendar year.

Mylute's biggest banner performance of the 2013 racing season was a fifth-place spot in the Kentucky Derby. And while that made the Tom Amoss-trained horse the second-highest Derby finisher in this Preakness field, that was something of a backhanded compliment. This field had three different new shooters at the starting gate, all of which put this field in massive flux prior to Saturday.

However, the major reason Mylute being bet hard made sense was the presence of jockey Rosie Napravnik. The 25-year-old Napravnik came into the Preakness Stakes with an intricate knowledge of how Pimlico works. Her first victory was at the legendary track, where the New Jersey native spent much of her youth building up a strong reputation.

You could see that familiarity on display throughout Saturday's festivities. Napravnik expertly navigated Mylute through a sea of horses midway through the race, emerging and blowing past Orb en route to a third-place finish.

While not quite the history-making victory Napravnik was hoping for, she did become the highest-finishing female jockey in Preakness history. And as Amoss points out, Mylute looks like he's only going to get better going forward, per Derby Contenders' Twitter feed:

It's unclear whether Mylute will race in the Belmont, but Napravnik might just make history after all if he does.

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Indy 500 2013 Qualifying Results: Time Trials and Pole Positions

Brian Mazique — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:18:28 -0400

Before the qualifying runs began on Saturday, Mother Nature's intervention delayed the beginning of the time trials by more than two hours at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Once things finally got going, 24 cars qualified for the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500. The final nine positions will be determined on Sunday during Old National Armed Forces Bump Day.

Ed Carpenter took the pole position with an average speed of 228.762 mph in the Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka No. 20 car.

Here are the rest of the times from the three rows of the Fast Nine.

Row	Driver	Four-Lap Average
1	Ed Carpenter	228.762
1	Carlos Munoz	228.342
1	Marco Andretti	228.261
2	E.J. Viso	228.150
2	A.J. Allmendinger	228.099
2	Will Power	228.087
3	Ryan Hunter-Reay	227.904
3	Helio Castroneves	227.762
3	James Hinchcliffe	227.070

Per Dave Lewandowski of IndyCar.com, rookie Carlos Munoz's front-row start earned him $50,000 of the Verizon Front Row awards and Marco Andretti was awarded a $40,000 bonus.

Here are the other drivers who have already made it into the field. They are listed with their four-lap speed averages.

Grid Spot	Driver	Four-Lap Average
10	JR Hildebrand	227.441
11	Alex Tagliani	227.386
12	Tony Kanaan	226.949
13	Oriol Servia	226.814
14	Justin Wilson	226.370
15	Sebastien Bourdais	226.196
16	Scott Dixon	226.158
17	Dario Franchitti	226.069
18	Takuma Sato	225.892
19	Charlie Kimball	225.880
20	James Jakes	225.809
21	Simon Pagenaud	225.674
22	Townsend Bell	225.643
23	Ryan Briscoe	225.265
24	Simona De Silvestro	225.226
25	Josef Newgarden	226.731
26	Graham Rahal	225.007
27	Sebastian Saavedra	224.929
28	Tristian Vautier (R)	224.873
29	Ana Beatriz	224.184
30	Pippa Mann	224.005
31	Conor Daly (R)	223.582
32	Buddy Lazier	223.442
33	Katherine Legge	223.176

*updated May 19 at 6:04 p.m. ET.

Big Names Still Yet to Qualify

Graham Rahal

The 24-year-old son of racing legend Bobby Rahal seemed to struggle with his engine all day. After two attempts to solidify a position in the top 24, a noticeably frustrated Graham Rahal decided to regroup and take another shot on Sunday.

Don't you just love it when folks say they don't have much to say, but then go on a rant:

Qualifying Position: 25th at 225.007 MPH

Pippa Mann

Pippa Mann didn't fare much better than Rahal. She did seem at least encouraged about her chances on Sunday. If positive energy is worth anything, she's in a good space for her run at one of the last nine spots.

Qualifying Position: 30th at 224.005 MPH

Michel Jourdain

Michel Jourdain's times were woefully short of qualifying. It seems very unlikely he'll be able to recover from such a poor performance on Saturday.

Unless he and his team can truly work some magic, it is hard to see a scenario where he works his way onto the grid.

Qualifying Position: Missed the field.

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Preakness Results: What We Learned from a Thrilling Run at Pimlico

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:37:24 -0400

Oxbow has stunned the field to take out the 2013 Preakness Stakes ahead of Itsmyluckyday and Mylute, with pre-race favorite Orb finishing in fourth spot.

Trained by the legendary D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, Oxbow came into the race as one of the outsiders of the nine-horse field.

However, after he was able to get to the front and set the pace, the star colt had a commanding lead coming into the home stretch and proved too strong over the final furlong for the chasing field to reel him in.

Read on to see the biggest lessons learned from a thrilling run at Pimlico.

Orb's Biggest Problem Was Not the No. 1 Post

Having dominated the field at the 2013 Kentucky Derby, the general consensus was that Orb was going to do the same again at the Preakness Stakes.

He received a slight hitch when drawn closest to the rail in the No. 1 post, but even then, it was still assumed he would win here. After all, given the form that Joel Rosario was in and the sprinting pedigree existent in Orb, it wasn't going to really matter what post position he found himself in.

And whilst it might not seem like it given he didn't even finish inside the top three this year, the reality was that the No. 1 post was not the biggest problem for Orb.

Rosario was able to drop back in the field and work his way up behind the leaders around the halfway mark of the track, and he was seemingly poised in a great position.

And then he was just squeezed a little by Titletown Five when Oxbow started to pick the pace up. Not by much, but by enough that he was forced to lose stride and dropped several lengths on the leaders—which he was never going to be able to make up over the shorter home straight.

He ran on gallantly to finish in fourth—perhaps showing just how strong a sprinter he really is—but it was still a huge disappointment for the pre-race favorite.

Orb simply got stuck in traffic when he thought he had a clear running lane, and that's what proved to be his undoing—not being drawn in the No. 1 post.

The Smaller Field Made It Easy Going in Front

According to Yahoo! Sports, Oxbow's victory here was the first wire-to-wire win at the Preakness Stakes in over three decades of racing.

Which, given how easy Gary Stevens and Oxbow found it in front here, might seem like somewhat of a surprise to many people.

However, it must be noted here that the smaller field (just nine horses in this one) made it very easy going in front and meant the race suited the front-runners.

Oxbow was able to find the lead heading into the first turn and was then able to drop the speed significantly. It was nothing like the frenetic pace that Palace Malice set at the Kentucky Derby—which suited those horses at the back of the field—and Oxbow was therefore able to come into the home straight with a strong lead and plenty left to give.

There were runs that came from the back—notably that of Mylute and Orb—but they were never going to be able to gun down Oxbow over the final part of the race. The field allowed him to get away with such an easy pace here, and they paid the ultimate price as a result of that.

Another Strong, but Frustrating, Run for Mylute

Having chalked up a strong run at Churchill Downs earlier this month, Mylute again showcased just how strong of a runner he is with a great performance here.

Rosie Napravnik waited patiently at the back of the field for a great deal in this race and made her move perfectly as they approached the home straight—quickly passing through a number of horses in traffic and was seemingly poised to launch a huge challenge at Oxbow down the stretch.

However, Mylute would again finish there-but-not-quite in third position.

He was forced to run a little wide as they circled for the finishing post, and he just had to check his run a little bit as Itsmyluckyday pushed outside of Goldencents. That forced him to run off stride for a length or two, and he was never able to recover.

Mylute still finished with a strong run in third position that was quickly closing in on the second-placed Goldencents, and connections must be happy with another good result. However, there's little doubting that they—along with Napravnik—would love to take the next step and finish with a win, something which they will look to do at the Belmont Stakes in two weeks' time.

The Wait for a Triple Crown Lives On

But perhaps the biggest talking point to come out of the Preakness Stakes was not the thrilling upset of Oxbow's win, but the fact the wait for a Triple Crown winner must wait for at least another year.

Orb appeared like one of the best chances in recent history to achieve the illustrious three-race title with his strong showing at Churchill Downs, but that is all out of the equation now after a frustrating and disappointing run at the Pimlico Race Course.

All attention will now turn on the third jewel of the Triple Crown—the Belmont Stakes.

And whilst the chance to create history might not be available, it'll still no doubt be a thrilling race as the best horses in the country at the moment square off for one of racing's most illustrious events.

Who knows? Maybe next year will be the year for a Triple Crown champion. After all, we've already waited long enough, so what's enough 12 months on top of that?

2013 Preakness Stakes: Full Results

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O’Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

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