Tuesday, May 31, 2016

United States host Colombia in Copa America

United States vs. Colombia – Kick Off Copa America in Santa Clara

The Copa America Centenario begins on Friday in Santa Clara with Group A action. The hosts, USA, will face off against Colombia. The United States played well in the lead-in matches to Copa America, but this is a much different challenge than matches against Ecuador, Bolivia and Puerto Rico. Colombia is the world’s No. 4 ranked team for a reason. Los Cafeteros have one of the best sides in the world, and they have a real chance to win Copa America. The match between United States and Colombia will take place on Friday, June 3, 2016, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium. The fixture will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
The United States men’s national soccer team comes into the tournament with a five-game winning streak. The USMNT will be counting on forward Clint Dempsey to have a big performance. The 33-year-old scored 10 goals for his country last season. His teammate forward Jozy Altidore is out with a hamstring injury so the USMNT is counting on Dempsey for a stellar performance.
Colombia has won all three games they’ve played in 2016.  Colombia actually has comparable matches to the United States at this point. While the U.S. was playing against Bolivia and Ecuador in friendlies in May, Colombia faced off with both in March in World Cup qualifying. The final scores might not have been as impressive, but Los Cafeteros still took both of them with 3-2 and 3-1 results  respectively. Colombia is counting on their star  midfielder James Rodriguez, who is coming off a Champions League win with Real Madrid. Rodriguez didn’t perform as well as expected for his club, so Colombia is hoping Rodriquez will replicate his 2014 World Cup performance. If he can, Colombia has the ability to win the entire tournament.
The United States and Colombia have met four times since 2005. Columbia won two games, and the teams drawing once. They also met in the 2007 Copa America group stage, where Colombia won 1-0. Their last meeting was in a 2014 friendly and resulted in a 2-1 win for Colombia. Top Sports Blog thinks the best case result here for the United States is a draw, however we suspect Colombia will get the job done.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Soccer – United States Women vs. Japan

United States Womens National Team vs JapanUnited States WNT headed to Denver for friendly games against Japan

The United States Women’s National Team are playing a very competitive Japan in a pair of matches.  The United States women are going to be busy first in Denver, then in Cleveland. The USWNT beat Japan women’s national football team to win the 2015 World Cup. the American women are favorites in this fixture, but aren’t necessarily the better team by a massive margin. The game between the United States and Japan is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 2, 2016 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The fixture will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
Japan women’s national football team has disappointing of late.  Japan really struggled in Olympics qualifying, losing to Australia and China while drawing against South Korea. They didn’t qualify for the Olympics, but this Japanese team is quite good. Japan have veterans midfielder Mizuho Sakaguchi and striker Yuki Ogimi both having scored against the United States in past games. Ogimi is quite dangerous up front with 57 goals in 130 fixtures for her country. The Japanese defensive team has a lot of experience with four players that have at least 70 Caps. If the Japanese are lacking somewhere, it’s in the goalkeeper position. Last year in the World Cup Final, goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori allowed five to get past her.  She’s not guaranteed to play in this match, however there isn’t a goalkeeper for Japan with more than 20 matches of experience.
The United States Women’s National Team is having a great year so far. They’re 11-0-0 and have conceded exactly one goal in those matches. They just ripped through Colombia by an aggregate of 10-0 in two matches in April. The USWNT should have a great team once again for this fixture. The USMNT defender Becky Sauerbrunn has turned out to be a good captain for this team. Midfielder Heather O’Reilly has a lot of experience and will be playing in her 230th career game in an American uniform on Thursday night. Forward Alex Morgan is up front as well, though the hole here could be to her opposite side.  Rodriguez and Leroux are not playing due to pregnancies so forwards Christen Press has stepped in along with Crystal Dunn. The chemistry for these players isn’t quite there yet, but they are very talented and should work it out.
Top Sports Blog noticed even though Japan has been disappointing, the Americans have a lot of really close wins against the elite teams in the world of late. In the SheBelieves Cup in March, the USWNT three wins against England, France and Germany were by a single goal. Japan has a way of breaking down this American defense which most haven’t seen in recent years. We do think Japan will not win, but will manage to get one goal in this first of two matches.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder – Game 6

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder - Game 6 Golden State Warriors avoid elimination, force Game 6 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Golden State Warriors championship team showed up for Game 5 and fought off elimination with a 120-111 victory. The Oklahoma City Thunder dominant wins in Games 3 and 4 set Golden State on their heels and the Dubs are not going to go out without a serious fight. The Warriors are down 3-2 in the series and face a tremendous challenge to advance to the NBA Finals.  The game between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder will take place on Saturday, May 28, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game will be televised on TNT.
The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t play well in Game 5 but had their chances. The Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook struggled a bit in this game. The two combined for 71 points but took 59 shots to get there. Unlike Games 3 and 4, they got little help from the support players. The Thunder will not want a return trip to Northern California. Oklahoma City won Games 3 and 4 by a combined 52 points. They will want to lean on what worked when they crushed the Dubs in Games 3 and 4. The Thunder have the statistics on their side in this series. Only nine teams of the previous 232 that trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series came back to win.
The Golden State Warriors just wasn’t ready to begin its offseason in Game 5. It wasn’t the type of win we usually see from the Warriors. The Dubs had to work on both sides of the ball and were forced into difficult shots by the Thunder. The Warriors need Stephen Curry doing a lot of work to have a chance. He had 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals last Thursday. He didn’t have his most efficient game, shooting 9 of 20 from the field and 3 of 8 from three-point range.  He did make all 10 free throws and worked hard to get shots against the Thunder’s stifling defensive pressure. Even so, Top Sports Blog has to give the edge in Game 6 to the Oklahoma City Thunder who will have home court advantage.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Soccer – United States vs. Bolivia

United States v BoliviaUnited States’ final chance to tune up for the Copa America Centenario on Saturday’s friendly against Bolivia

The United States Men’s National Team win against Ecuador on Wednesday night showed that they really have a shot of competing in Copa America Centenario. The match could have ended in a draw if not for Darlington Nagbe’s late show. The USMNT had a sound defensive performance and suggests that they might finally have their act together. The midfielder newcomers, Darlington Nagbe and Christian Pulisic left a good impression in the 1-0 win against Ecuador. The the U.S. as a small odds favorite against a weaker Bolivia side. The game between the United States and Bolivia is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 28, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. at Children’s Mercy Park. The fixture will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
The U.S. Men’s National Team has finally put together a sound defensive match for a full 90 minutes against a legitimate foe. There was no question that defender DeAndre Yedlin at right back was always in form. The questions were about the rest of these players on the back line for years. They now have five clean sheets in seven matches for the Americans.  The United States are at home and Top Sports Blog believes it would be tough to pick against the United States in this match. Head coach Klinsmann still has some injury concerns to worry about. Defender Geoff Cameron is still out with a hamstring injury. He is on the 23-man roster for Copa America and there could be problems at the left back spot if he doesn’t get better. Klinsmann is still searching for the exact right pairing up front with forward Jozy Altidore not fit enough to play in Copa America.
Bolivia has a weak team at this point and the results in World Cup qualifying are showing just that. The Bolivians have lost three straight matches and eight of their last nine. Their only victory since Copa America last year came against Venezuela in La Paz. The team has allowed at least two goals in 10 straight games. We suspect we’ll see more goals on Saturday than we saw on Wednesday against Ecuador.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors – Game 5

Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors Game 5Oklahoma City Thunder leads series 3-1 at Golden State Warriors for Game 5

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday 118-94. The Thunder take a 3-1 series lead that put the Warriors on the brink of elimination. The Warriors hadn’t lost two straight games until now. The series is headed back to California. The Thunder can close out the series with a victory in Game 5.  The game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 26, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The matchup will be televised on TNT.
The Golden State Warriors was naturally favored coming into this series. The Warriors set a league record for regular season wins. The Thunder didn’t  believe they were the underdog.  Just like they did to San Antonio, they made the Warriors look slow and over matched with the most devastating mix of athleticism. The Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook did fantastic throughout Game 4. He posted his first triple-double of the postseason with 36 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. He is a really aggressive player and that has raised the Thunder’s intensity a few levels. Westbrook also played tremendous defense by turning steals into transition buckets, and getting in passing lanes.
Top Sports Blog believes the Thunder have appeared to shake the Warriors’ confidence for the first time all season. The dynamics of this series can change in Oakland however.  The Warriors still have the stars capable of carrying the team and the ability to come back. It appears that the Golden State stars are struggling and the Oklahoma City stars are not. For the Thunder, players like Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson, are stepping up.  This has been the big story in this postseason series. The edge in Game 5 goes to the Thunder.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Soccer – United States vs. Ecuador

jozy-altidore-usmnt-ecuador-friendlyU.S. MNT VS. ECUADOR at Toyota Stadium

U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has added FC Dallas defender Kellyn Acosta to the roster for the USA’s friendly against Ecuador on May 25 in Frisco, Texas. USMNT are sure to be the favorites in this match, but this is going to be a much tougher match than the 3-1 victory over Puerto Rico last weekend. The roster which the United States used in Puerto Rico looked nothing like the Copa America roster. The Starting selection by Klinsmann will look a lot like the roster which he’ll want to use in Copa America next week. The game between United States and Ecuador is scheduled to take place at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at Toyota Stadium. The fixture will be televised on ESPN2.
Top Sports Blog believes the USMNT  is not looking in good form as of late and could be in a lot of trouble here.  USMNT defender John Brooks has played at the back both in the Stars and Stripes and for his club Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga.  Klinsmann just doesn’t have an answer right now in defense, and we aren’t sure he’s going to find one for Copa America next week. Forward Bobby Wood played well against Puerto Rico, and he might in a starting position for the Copa America roster. Forward Jozy Altidore is out battling a hamstring injury.
It has been a tough year for Ecuador and they are trying to use this match to get its problems up front corrected. Jaime Ayovi, Enner Valencia and Fidel Martinez are all potential options up front, and these men and midfielders Jefferson Montero and Antonio Valencia will be playing key roles here for La Tri. The team was beaten 3-1 on the road by Colombia in World Cup qualifying a couple months ago, and they also had a draw at home against Paraguay. Prior to that the Ecuadorians had won six straight matches. We expect a high scoring match on Wednesday, and not surprised if Ecuador wins this one.

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder – Game 4

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder - Game 4 Second straight title for Golden State Warriors seems to be anything but a given

The Golden State Warriors took a beating from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday’s Game 3.  That win gives the Thunder control of the series and can put the defending champs in a huge hole. The Warriors look vulnerable but don’t count Golden State out just yet. The Dubs haven’t lost consecutive games all season. The thought that they are invincible that carried them to a record number of wins is gone. The Warriors can get it back, and while it will be difficult, they are the defending champs for a reason. The matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder will take place on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game will be televised on TNT.
The Warriors power forward Draymond Green kicked the Thunder center Steven Adams in the jewels with his foot again during Game 3. Adams was able to get up and to return to the game. Following a review of the play, the officials gave Green a Flagrant 1 foul.  After the Green foul, the Thunder went on a 24-5 run to close out the half. After half-time the Thunder went on to a 45-point third quarter to build a lead of as much as 41. Green did not have a good game and was a non-factor. He made just 1 of 9 field goals for six points and was minus-43 on the floor. The Dubs need Draymond Green to play at the same level he has for the entire year, along with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to pull off this series against the Thunder.  The Thunder superstar power forward Kevin Durant  has beaten the Dubs by his relentless performance in Game 3. Top Sports Blog believes the Warriors edge may be missing but no team bounces back better than Golden State. The Warriors will come out with a sense of urgency and if the Thunder isn’t ready to answer, this series may come back to Oracle Arena all tied up.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder – Game 3

stephen-curry-golden-state-warriors-v-oklahoma-city-thunderGolden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder – Western Conference Finals

The Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder series was tied up 1-1. The Western Conference Finals will shift back to the Sooner State for Game 3. The duel between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder will take place at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 22, 2016 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The game will be broadcast on TNT.
The Oklahoma City Thunder really didn’t do a lot different in their approach to Game 2.  The Thunder used their big lineup like in Game 1 for defense, and let their two superstars Westbrook and Durant run the offense. The big difference in this game was Stephen Curry for the Warriors got red hot in the third quarter. He went on a 15-2 run against OKC at Oracle Arena and turned the game into a runaway. The head coach Steve Kerr made the adjustment in Game 2 by using power forward Draymond Green as a free safety instead of a man-to-man defender. The Thunder needs to give Westbrook and Durant more help because they can’t do it all by themselves. The Thunder center Steven Adams had a great game against the Warriors in Game 1, but that came to an end largely because Green was able to sit in the middle of the defense and stop entry passes into the paint off of dribble penetration. The Thunder power forward Kevin Durant looks a little tired from playing so many minutes in the last six games. He turned the ball over eight times in Game 2, and he now has at least five turnovers in six of his last seven games.
The Golden State Warriors didn’t do anything all that different on the offense during Game 2.  Stephen Curry scored 28 points, Klay Thompson scored 15, and Green scored 10. The Warriors improved their shooting percentage in Game 2 and shot 50.6 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from 3-point land. During Game 1 they shot 44.0 percent from the field and only 36.7 percent from 3-point land. Top Sports Blog has noticed that the Dubs have done better and have shot 55 percent from the field in big games before. If Curry takes off late in Game 3 we think the Dubs will take over and the Thunder will not recover.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Puerto Rico FC vs. USA

usa-puerto-rico-friendlyPuerto Rico FC host United States Men’s National Team for first time in history

The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) will face Puerto Rico FC for the first time in team history. The match will be the first of three warm-up games for the U.S. heading into the Copa America Centenario in June. The United States Men’s National Team know the importance of these lead-up matches to Copa America, and will try to go all out for the three points. Puerto Rico FC isn’t a particularly deep team.  This first game on the road against Puerto Rico could be somewhat a tricky one for the Americans. The matchup between Puerto Rico and United States is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 22, 2016 at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium. The fixture will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
Puerto Rico FC have only played six matches against fellow countries since the beginning of 2015, and their record is just 2-1-3 in those games they have not come up against a team anywhere near as good as the USMNT.  The Puerto Rican team’s only big threat for the Americans to worry about is the up and coming star midfielder Joseph Marrero.
The USMNT head coach Jürgen Klinsmann knows this is a really important match knowing that the U.S. hasn’t won an away match since last June against Germany.  The U.S. had a draw with Trinidad & Tobago and lost to Guatemala, in which they didn’t score a goal in either match. Top Sports Blog thinks Klinsmann is going to be looking for the time of possession to be quite high for his team in this match. We think this will give his different players a good chance to score. Since this fixture is going to be on the road for the USMNT we think the score will not be that big for the Americans, however a comfortable win will be the final result.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Best Sports Site Reviews: Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors – G...

Best Sports Site Reviews: Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors – G...: Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – NBA playoffs The Oklahoma City Thunder upset the Golden State Warriors at home with a 1...

Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors – Game 2

Oklahoma-City-Thunder-vs.-Golden-State-WarriorsGolden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – NBA playoffs

The Oklahoma City Thunder upset the Golden State Warriors at home with a 108-102 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.  The matchup for Game 2 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The game will be televised on TNT.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is a team to be reckoned with. They upset the No. 2 seed Spurs by winning two games in San Antonio.  Up to that point he Spurs just lost one home game during the regular season. Power forward Kevin Durant and point guard Russel Westbrook are the backbone of the Thunder. The Thunder stayed in the game just enough to let their big guns Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook win it for them. Also, center Steven Adams was a pleasant surprise in Game 1 with 16 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes.  He is physically big and his interior defense takes the Thunder to another level.
The Golden State Warriors led by as much as 14 points in Game 1, but the Thunder stayed in it.  Stephen Curry made his second straight start since coming off the bench in Game 4 against Portland. His right knee sprain still isn’t 100 percent  but he will manage just fine going forward.  The Warriors half court offense was taken away by the Thunder defense and that hurried them into trying the three-pointers. Golden State was 11 for 30 for just 36.7 percent in their three-point shots. The Warriors are unbeatable when the three-pointers drop, and are vulnerable when they don’t drop. The thing about the Warriors is that they’ve responded all season. Top Sports Blog believes while the Thunder looked good on Monday, the Warriors will counter just like they have all year and win Game 2. The Warriors haven’t lost consecutive games all season and will even this NBA series.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Manchester United FC vs Crystal Palace FC – FA Cup final

Crystal-Palace-vs-Manchester-UnitedManchester United FC vs Crystal Palace FC in FA Cup final this Saturday

Now the Premier League season is over, all Manchester United and Crystal Palace eyes will be on Wembley Stadium and the FA Cup final this Saturday. Crystal Palace has taken a relatively tough road to reach the FA Cup final. It started in the third round at Southampton and then the Eagles disposed of Stoke City at home and Tottenham away before beating Reading away in the quarterfinals and Watford at Wembley Stadium in the semi finals. Manchester United road to the FA Cup final was less complicated. The Red Devils faced just two Premier League teams, Everton and West Ham in the semis and quarters respectively, Before that, they had to beat Shrewsbury Town, Derby County and Sheffield United. The match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace will take place on Saturday, May 21, 2016, at 12:30 p.m. ET at Wembley Stadium. The fixture will be broadcast on FOX.
Chrystal Palace may not have the horses it needs for the final. The big question for the Eagles is whether midfielders Wilfried Zaha and Joe Ledley will be available for the final. They’re both out with leg injuries right now and missed out on the last day of the Premier League season. We already know Chrystal Palace will be without forward Marouane Chamakh which is a huge loss up front. The Eagles three defenders, Scott Dann, Damien Delaney and Papa Sourae haven’t been great in big matches when it’s mattered most. Top Sports Blog gives the edge in this match to Manchester United which looks to be in good form up front. The Red Devils forward Wayne Rooney has been here before and scored goals on the highest level. Forward Anthony Martial is playing at the peak of his career and seeking a spot on the French national team for Euro 2016. Forward Marcus Rashford could prove to be a very good sub as well, and Juan Mata is playing at a high level as an attacking midfielder.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors – Game 1

Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State WarriorsGolden State Warriors gear up for Oklahoma City Thunder in West finals

The Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry took down Portland in Game 5 without any trouble. The Warriors also won without Curry but had to rely more heavily on their defense. The Golden State Warriors need a healthy Curry and are certainly going to try to make short work of the Thunder in Game 1. The Oklahoma City Thunder played excellent ball and upset the Spurs winning four out of five in the semifinals. The Thunder will need to figure out how to use their big lineup the same way they did against the Spurs if they are going to win in this series. The matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 16, 2016, at 9:00 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The game will be broadcast on TNT.
The Golden State Warriors  MVP Stephen Curry is healthy, and that’s going to make it hard for the Thunder. With Curry in the lineup, the Dubs have averaged about 116 points per game this season. He has been hitting his three point shots as of late and buried 10 of them in his last five quarters of game time plus overtime.
The Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, will have to figure out how to use his big lineup the same way he did against the Spurs. Steven Adams stepped up big and had a great series against San Antonio and the Thunder needs to figure out his roll again versus the Warriors. If they put Draymond Green at the four and Andrew Bogut at the five spot, Adams can be center in front of the basket and be a force in the paint.  If Green is playing at center, Adams might be forced away from the basket, however Kevin Durant can play a huge role on the boards. Top Sports Blog thinks if the Thunder can’t figure out how to use their big lineup, they could loose big on the perimeter by the best three point shooting team in the league.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Southampton FC vs. Crystal Palace FC

southampton-fc vs crystal-palace-fcSouthampton FC will try for Europa League berth for next season as they face Crystal Palace FC

Crystal Palace has enough points to secure a spot in the EPL next season. The Eagles did that last week with their Stoke City match.  Crystal Palace does have another important game next weekend against Manchester United for their FA Cup Final match. If the Eagles win the match against Manchester United, they’ll be playing in European soccer next year. Southampton is having its’ best season ever and is looking to return to the Europa League next season. The Saints have already tied last season’s record of 60 points in the top flight, and it really should better that on the last day of the campaign against Crystal Palace with a shot at European soccer looming. In order to do that, the Saints have to finish at least seventh.  Also, Manchester United would have to beat Crystal Palace next week to open up that seventh slot in the Europa League. To remove all doubt, the Saints will need a win on the last day of the year coupled with a loss by either Manchester United or West Ham. That would move them into sixth spot and would be good enough. The matchup between Southampton and Crystal Palace is scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 15, 2016 at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Southampton has been magical down the stretch and it would be disappointing for the team to fail now. It’s not for sure that striker Graziano Pelle, midfielder Sadio Mane and forward Shane Long, all with 10 goals each this season in the EPL will get to the Europa League again next season. The Saints have been in great form as of late, and Top Sports Blog can’t see them loosing this match to the Eagles.
Crystal Palace won against Stoke last week to move away from being dropped. The Eagles manager Alan Pardew has admitted that his team is more concerned with the FA Cup. The Eagles at this point can only finish as high as 12th  and at worst in 16th place.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Liverpool FC vs. Chelsea FC

liverpool_fc_vs_chelsea_fcLiverpool FC Will look to steal a Europa League berth for next season as they clash with Chelsea FC

This year has been disappointing to both Chelsea and Liverpool as it shows up on the Barclays Premier League table. In a couple of weeks the Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp is putting the team on the verge of the Champions League via the Europa League Final. That should not take away any luster off of this match. The Reds will need a win over Chelsea on Wednesday to still have a shot  into the Europa League for next season if this year’s match against Sevilla goes south. The Reds are favorites to take the three points. Liverpool is just 7-7-3 this year at Anfield , but Chelsea is just 7-4-7 on the road. The matchup between Liverpool and Chelsea is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. at Anfield. The fixture will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
Chelsea is a bit frustrated right now and has been eliminated from European play for quite some time. The team captain John Terry picked up his second red card of the season against Sunderland last weekend.  Terry will be suspended for the rest of the year and probably has played his final match with the Blues. Without Terry in the Fold  the squad will be very young and Top Sports Blog  just can’t see the Blues being that competitive against Liverpool. Liverpool has plenty of injury woes, but it’s really the depth of the team which is being tested more than the crucial players. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp knows that the Reds are right on the verge of being a truly special Premier League club once again. Klopp has two paths to get there, and he’ll want to leave nothing to chance in the Barclays Premier League. We think this fixture is going to go the Reds way for sure at Anfield.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers – Game 3

Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State WarriorsGame 3 is Saturday in Portland, and Curry could be in uniform

The Portland Trail Blazers could not hold on to the lead in Game 2 and may have missed their best shot to take down the Golden State Warriors. The Blazers may have to face the Warriors with MVP Stephen Curry back into the fold. The Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Portland an 11 point lead at the end of the third quarter.  Golden State is known for their late game excellence and the run in Game 2 was most impressive in that Portland looked ready to hold on for a series-tying victory. The Warriors know how to finish and the Blazers couldn’t keep up. The Blazers only scored 12 points to the Warriors 34 points in the last quarter. The matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 7, 2016, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Moda Center. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
The Golden State Warriors have done just fine without Curry in the lineup. Without Curry the Warriors rely more heavily on their defense. It was apparent in Game 2 that the defense played a huge part in their fourth quarter comeback. The last time the Warriors played Portland on their home court they lost big time 137-105 back on Feb. 19, in their worst loss of the season. The Blazers now know that they can beat Golden State on their floor so this basketball series isn’t over yet.
The Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and shooting guard C.J. McCollum were were having a great game during the first 36 minutes. However, Golden State’s swarming defense took them out of the equation during the final 12 minutes. Top Sports Blog believes if the Blazers want to win Game 3, they need to keep it in the backcourt for the entire night.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder – Game 3

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City ThunderSan Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of NBA Playoffs

The  Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday pulled off a surprising win in Game 2. They handed the San Antonio Spurs its second home loss of the season. The Thunder is looking forward to to seize control playing on their home floor, with the series tied at 1-1. The Spurs  starters logged a majority of minutes in Monday’s Game 2 loss. In a long series the close games will likely benefit the younger Thunder. However, the Spurs should be ready with three days off to take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Friday. The game  between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will take place on Friday, May 6, 2016, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.
The San Antonio Spurs dominated Game 1 of the series against the Thunder.  Game 2 was very different and was closer to what most analysts thought.  The Spurs didn’t play well in Game 2.  The poor shooting by the Spurs cost them a chance to go up two games in this NBA series. The Thunder barely escaped with the win. With 13 seconds left in the fourth, the Thunder went from an inbounds play and ending the game with free throws to clinch the win, to defending their goal following a turnover.
The  Oklahoma City Thunder played a really good game 2. After loosing badly in Game 1, they responded with crisp ball movement, the shots were falling, and they pressured San Antonio. The Thunder is having trouble stopping power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. After going off for 38 points in Game 1, Aldridge scored 22 points in the first half  of game 2. He kept the Spurs in the game after they fell into an early hole and he continued to pick apart the OKC defense throughout the night. Aldridge needed some help on Monday in game 2, but didn’t get it. Top Sports Blog thinks the win by the Thunder on the road is a huge momentum boost, but the Spurs will get their game back in a hostile environment and pull off a win.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Liverpool FC vs. Villarreal CF

Liverpool FC vs Villareal CFLiverpool Prepares for an Anfield Showdown with Villarreal

Liverpool find themselves in a hole that they have to climb out of in order to get into the Champions League next season.  The Reds now need to win over Villarreal in the semifinals of the Europa League and either beat Sevilla or Shakhtar Donetsk in the finale in a few weeks. The first meeting last week between these two teams ended up in the 1-0 Villarreal triumph at El Madrigal. The Reds task at hand won’t be easy against Villarreal a very good Spanish team competing in European tournaments still. The Reds are the favorites in this one, and they’ll have to score that victory in regulation time if they want any chance to advance to the finale. A 1-0 win by Liverpool will send this game into extra time, while a two-goal or better victory for Liverpool would be enough to advance. The matchup between Liverpool and Villarreal is scheduled at 3:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at Anfield. The fixture will be televised on FOX Sports 1.
This has to be one of the biggest matches to date at Liverpool.  The one thing that the Liverpool manager Jürgen Norbert Klopp has on his side is a roster stacked with plenty of options. Klopp has been resting forward Daniel Sturridge to keep him rested in these European cup matches. It will be interesting to see what the starting formation for Liverpool looks like.  If Klopp is going for it, this could be a match where the Reds get the desired result. Villarreal hasn’t been near as good on the road as it has been at home. The Spaniards haven’t been beaten at El Madrigal in the Europa League, but on the road, there have been some problems. Top Sports Blog  thinks the Liverpool manager Klopp will make the right choices here and erase that 1-0 deficit and advance to the Europa League Final.