England vs. Germany Preview

Henry Whitfield previews one of the most highly anticipated round of sixteen matches in decades

England went out for drinks to fix their issues before the Slovenia match; they turned up and showed the World that when backed into the corner that the Three Lions will come out swinging.
Germany comes into the match after an impressive game against Australia, a tough loss against Serbia, but was able to pull off a win against Ghana and book their place in the next round.

Here’s a breakdown of each side as they prepare for a classic show down.

England

Key Player - Wayne Rooney

Injuries – Ledley King (Knee)

England will have to push the tempo and keep a consistent effort for a full ninety minutes in order to get by a tough German squad. If they can get Rooney scoring and push wide, putting balls into the box, they should be able to score against a suspect back line.

Their experience should be invaluable and despite playing with three different defensive partners at the back, former captain John Terry has been the heart of this team.

It will be up to Jermaine Defoe and Wayne Rooney to pepper the German net, and expose a sluggish backline that has the same level of pace as England.

With Owen Hargreaves not named to the squad and Gareth Barry seen as England’s ‘defensive midfield specialist,” he will be given the task of keeping Mesut Ozil under control. If he is successful in shutting down one of the best players at this tournament thus far, well, England may in fact have a chance of getting past the German football machine.

Germany

Key Player – Mesut Ozil

Injuries – Cacau (Stomach), Bastian Schweinsteiger (hamstring), Jerome oateng (calf)

Germany looked unbeatable against Australia, but Serbia exposed them and their main area of concern is the back four. A lack of pace in defence and of leadership from their keeper, a hole that has been there since Oliver Kahn retired, will be the main problem for the Germans.

Mesut Ozil will continue to be their catalyst for offence and he will attempt to pick apart the English Midfield, while providing balls into the crafty veteran Miroslav Klose.

Klose will be returning from the suspension he was awarded, and will be looking to prove his skill once again against England. Dominant with his head, he will compete with the likes of John Terry in the box for supremacy in the air.

World Cup: Day 16

Luis Saurez scored 2 goals to lead Uruguay to an upset win over South Korea

by Henry Whitfield

Here it is folks! It’s time for knockout rounds and the fun, drama and excitement that comes with extra time and penalty shootouts!

Today’s matches feature dark horse Uruguay against South Korea, while in the other match we have the surprising USA facing off with the lone African side left, Ghana.

Uruguay 2 – 1 South Korea

The South Korean’s went in slightly ahead as favourites and dominated the opening flourish of play. South Korea’s speed and creativity were throwing off their opponents in the opening five minutes, but it was Uruguay who opened the scoring on the counter-attack in the 8th minute courtesy of a Luis Suarez strike.

The early goal settled Uruguay and the match remained even and both sides were unlucky not to score before halftime, as each side missed a number of chances. As strong as South Korea looked up front, their defence had been dreadful at times, keeping the game close for both teams.

Eventually, South Korea was able to break down the Uruguayan defence and in the 68th minute they tied up the match. From a free kick, Lee Chung-Yong jumped on a failed clearance and nodded the ball home.

With the sides trading chances, it was once again Suarez who would provide the difference, as he dashed in from the left and put a perfectly curled strike past a helpless Jung Sung-Ryong and into the back of the net.

With just ten minutes left, South Korea piled forward but Uruguay was able to see off the threat and booked their place in the Quarterfinals.

Man of the Match: Luis Suarez.

USA 1 – 2 Ghana

This game was a story of the American dream against Africa’s final hope at this World Cup, and boy did it deliver an exciting ninety-minute.

USA missed an early chance, but it was a Ricardo Clark give away at half that allowed Kevin-Prince Boateng to race in and open the scoring just five minutes in. Moments later Clarke picked up a yellow card and the USA seemed to be losing their composure.

Just a few minutes after, Steve Cherundolo picked up another yellow card for the USA, while Asamoah Gyan had another chance to add to Ghana’s opening score.

Coach Bradley shook things up early, replacing a woeful Clark with Maurice Edu and almost immediately it sparked a lacklustre American side. Robbie Findley had a shot on net and there it seemed that after the opening goal that the flow and pace had really opened up, but neither team were able to score before the half.

USA made their second change at halftime and brought on Benny Feilhaber for Findley, it almost paid off immediately when USA broke down the wing and Feilhaber poked a cross on net, but Richard Kingson stood tall and made a big save.

With wave, after wave of pressure being turned aside by Kingson, the Ghana defence finally cracked in the 62nd minute, when Jonathan Mensah tripped up Clint Dempsey inside the box and USA were awarded a penalty. Landon Donovan stepped up and slotted home the penalty, sending Kingson the wrong way, and tying up the match at 1 – 1 apiece.

The game slowed down, and it appeared that both teams were content to play for extra time and settle down for penalties.

Extra time kicked off with an early push by USA, however, with both teams looking tired it was the keepers punting long balls and slowing down the game.

That is, until Asamoah Gyan decided to score.

He had looked dangerous all game and after beating the USA defender he blasted a strike home past Tim Howard and put Ghana ahead 2-1 in the 96th minute. The US were once again forced to go on attack and fired cross after cross into the box, but it was to no avail as the African side held on until halftime in extra time.

In the last fifteen minutes USA pushed forward, as they powered on forward they were allowing Ghana a lot of space to counter and use their pace to push the ball up the field.

It was now a game of cat and mouse, with both sides looking dangerous but the Ghana players seemed happy to fall down and stay down, as they attempted to slow down the game and waste time.

In the dying moments of added time, Tim Howard went up front for a corner but his team were just unable to find a much needed goal and it was Ghana that prevailed heading to the Quarter finals and the Americans who were sent crashing out of the tournament.

Man Of The Match: Asamoah Gyan

Makin' it Work; Marauders Giving it Best Shot.

Troy Ryan and Matt Hill are rolling up the sleeves and getting to work trying to make Maritime Junior hockey succeed in Metro.

Last month the Halifax Lions Junior A hockey team held a press conference at its new home, the Dartmouth Sportsplex, to announce several significant changes to the organization.

The revelation that the franchise was moving across the harbour, away from the venerable old Forum on Windsor Street, was certainly no surprise. It simply ended months of speculation as to which arena the team was going to call it’s new home.

Followers of the team had been guessing the Lions would end up anywhere from Bedford to Upper Tantallion.

The biggest news came when team president Matt Hill gave notice to the media throng assembled that the team would no longer be called the Halifax Lions.

Standing confidently beside the franchise’s outstanding young coach, Troy Ryan, and flanked by a line of heavy hitting corporate sponsers and ownership partners, Hill declared the team would henceforth be known as the Metro Marauders.

The newly christened Marauders would come complete with a brand spanking new logo, new uniforms, and more importantly, a new attitude.

Hill would go on to outline the Marauder’s plans to reach out to the community, get involved with minor hockey, and offer HRM fans a less expensive option to the Mooseheads, while simultaneously strengthening ties to their big brother from the Metro Centre.

After hearing the news,of course, we scoffed.

“Maritime junior hockey at the Sportsplex?” We asked.

“Doesn’t work.” We answered.

In time, we may all be proven correct. The Maruaders may simply become another footnote in the long and sorry tale of junior hockey teams trying to be financially viable at the ‘Plex on the other side.

However, having been involved with the franchise for the past year, I’ll let you in on what’s becoming a well known secret.

The Marauders are really, really, trying.

On the ice, the team is getting better. In his second season as Head Coach and GM, Ryan led the franchise to it’s first playoff series, bowing out in six grueling games to the Weeks Crushers.

How did they get there? By one simple motto; Troy Ryan’s way….or the highway.

Don’t believe me? Ask Brendan Taylor, the team’s leading scorer who averaged nearly two points a game during his stint in Halifax.

Ryan cut Taylor a week before the playoffs, stating that Taylor wasn’t a good fit.

Ask Kyle Dilosa, the big, talented sniper, who was the victim of repeated benchings throughout the campaign.

Make no mistake….Troy is in charge.

And well he should be, considering he took a team that had a bevy of mediocre players, lost several key contributors to the QMJHL, and went through an unprecedented January stretch of thirteen games in twenty two days, to within two games of the MJAHL semi finals.

Coach Ryan also goes to great lengths to make himself available to the media, and is honest and forthright in his responses to even the toughest of questions.

Off the ice the team has got its second wind behind the youthful enthusiasm and business savvy of Matt Hill.

Hill has lined up an impressive list of sponsors and is one hundred percent committed to making the Marauders presence felt in the community.

This is a franchise that is doing all the right things on and off the ice to be a success.

Moving their home games to Friday night is certainly questionable, especially if the popularity of AUS hockey continues to build, and the Mooseheads finally become competitive again.

Regardless, here’s to the little engine of metro hockey that believes they can get to the top of the hill.

If the Metro Marauders do fail and we are all left to say, “Told you so”, at least Matt Hill and Troy Ryan can hold their heads up high and say, “We gave it our best shot”.

Bill McLean is the anchor of Haligonia Sports and the play by play voice of the Dalhousie Tigers on ssncanada.ca. Listen to Bill McLean Sports Show every Tuesday morning at 10:30 on ckdu.ca/88.1 FM in Halifax. Email: bill@haligonia.ca

Round of Sixteen Predos

Haligonia Sports contributor Henry Whitfield predicts you'll see alot of Argentina celebration in their match vs. Mexico.

With Sixteen teams knocked out, it’s time for the Round of Sixteen. Here are my predictions for the next round and who will go on to the Quarterfinals:

Uruguay 1 – 3 South Korea
This matchup gives us two surprise countries and should provide fans with an exciting game. Uruguay has played a high-octane, attacking style lead by Diego Forlan, while South Korea has been their usual speedy, counter-attacking selves.
As much as I am fully on board the Uruguay, this game will go South Korea’s way as their counter-attack will give them a 3 – 1 win.

USA 1 – 0 Ghana
The USA squeezed through into this round with a last gasp winner by Landon Donovan but have no doubts, they are a real threat to make it deep in this tournament. Ghana were unconvincing, but are the only African side to make it through and that gives them a continents support and should push them into a fantastic display.

This will be a tightly fought game but I’m giving the edge to the USA in a 1-nil win.

Germany 2 – 3 England
This is one of the marquee matchups in World Cup history and it’s unfortunate that the match isn’t a semi-final or final game.

I’m giving the edge to an experience and now unified England squad, over a young and inexperienced German team. My money is on Wayne Rooney hitting the back of the next twice and John Terry to get the winner from a set piece. The final score is going to be 3-2 for England.

Argentina 4 – 0 Mexico
The Hand of God still haunts me, but you can’t argue against the style of play that Diego Maradona has his team playing.

Argentina is a heavy favourite to win this tournament and Mexico just doesn’t have the quality to compete in this and will be heavily outplayed, with a final score of 4-nil in the South American’s favour.

Netherlands 2 – 0 Slovakia
The Dutch are perenial choke-artists much like England, but I am counting on them to go far in this tournament

They have far too much talent for an overmatched side like Slovakia, and I don’t see this as being much of a contest, Oranje will win easily 2-nil.

Brazil 4 – 2 Chile
This matchup will be one of the most exciting games to watch, with both sides playing beautiful passing football and going for a win. Brazil will just have too much class and easily open up the Chilean defence with their counterattack and constant pressure.

Paraguay 1 – 2 Japan
Japan were a shock team to make it into the second round but it is no fluke that they dominated Denmark in their final group game. Although Paraguay is a strong squad, Japan’s discipline style and quick counter-attack will provide too much trouble.

Spain 1 – 3 Portugal
The last match of the Round Of Sixteen is another exciting matchup, with rivals Spain andPortugal squaring off in a match that I think favours Portugal.

After their 7-0 win over North Korea, Portugal is on a high and have their talismanic captain feeling relaxed and focused on football, instead of diving and parading around town.

Spain still hasn’t looked their best and their injury worries will hurt them, with Portugal taking an early 2-0 lead, and holding on for a spot in the quarterfinals.

With those predictions done, here are the teams going through: South Korea, USA, England, Argentina, Netherlands, Brazil, Japan and Portugal.

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield

World Cup: Group Predictions Recap

Germany's dominant assault on Australia was arguably the most impressive performance in group play.

by Henry Whitfield

The Group Stage is over and it’s now time for some knockout action, complete with freedom from Italy and France who have been the two top dogs to go home early.

Argentina looked impressive, while Brazil showed a keen defensive nature. England stumbled into the second round, while Japan made a shock progression into the knockout round.

With the first round complete, here’s a wrap up of how the groups ended and what my original predictions were:

Group A

My Prediction – Mexico (W), France (R), Uruguay, South Africa

Actual Result – Uruguay (W), Mexico (R), France, South Africa

- France had an epic self destruct and Uruguay stole top spot over an unconvincing Mexico.

Group B

My Prediction – Argentina (W), Nigeria (R), South Korea, Greece

Actual Result – Argentina (W), South Korea (R), Nigeria, Greece

- Argentina won all three, while South Korea came out and impressed and sent Nigeria home

Group C

My Prediction – England (W), Slovenia (R), USA, Algeria

Actual Result – USA (W), England (R), Slovenia, Algeria

- Took faith in England and they almost didn’t make it through, USA snuck through with a 92nd minute goal in their final game to take first place


Group D

My Prediction – Germany (W), Australia (R), Ghana, Serbia

Actual Result – Germany (W), Ghana (R), Serbia, Australia

- Germany came out strong and dominated Australia, stuttered against Serbia but still took top spot.


Group E

My Prediction – Netherlands (W), Cameroon (R), Denmark, Japan

Actual Result – Netherlands (W), Japan (R), Cameroon, Denmark

- The Netherlands were dominant, while a crafty Japan side snuck in after an impressive win over Denmark in their final group game

Group F

My Prediction – Paraguay (W), Italy (R), New Zealand, Slovakia

Actual Result – Paraguay (W), Slovakia (R), New Zealand, Italy

- Paraguay easily won this group, Italy showed they’re old and need to rebuild, allowing Slovakia into the next round


Group G

My Prediction – Brazil (W), Ivory Coast (R), Portugal, North Korea

Actual Result – Brazil (W), Portugal (R), Ivory Coast, North Korea

- Brazil easily won this group, but an unlucky and unfocused Ivory Coast slipped up against Portugal and allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to take his team to the next round.

Group H

My Prediction – Spain (W), Chile (R), Switzerland, Honduras

Actual Result – Spain (W), Chile (R), Switzerland, Honduras

- Spain took the group after an opening loss to Switzerland, while Chile showed why they’re one of the darkhorse’s of the tournament

I correctly predicted the winner of 6/8 groups, while only going 18/32 for a correct average of 57%. Not too shabby indeed.

Check back soon for my Round Of Sixteen predictions.

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield.

World Cup Roundup

Article by Henry Whitfield

It’s so long France and nice try South Africa after yesterday’s results and Mexico going on with Uruguay to the next round.

South Korea and Argentina will begoing through from Group B, with a disappointing Greek side going home and Nigeria not far behind.

Up today Group C has England against Slovenia and feisty Algeria up against the wall with USA their opponents. All four teams have a chance at going through, but it’s England and the USA being favorites to advance.

In Group D action, the Socceroos take on Serbia and the faltering German football machine faces a Ghana side that has real hopes of progressing in the tournament.

Slovenia 0 – 1 England

With reports of rifts in the camp, rumours of Fabio Capello leaving and John Terry calling out his manager for omiting Joe Cole in their first two matches, the Three Lions had alot to prove against group leading Slovenia.

The Italian Maestro made three lineup changes and introduced Jermaine Defoe upfront in place of Emile Heskey, Mathew Upson in for Jamie Carragher at centerback and James Milner on the wing for a lacklustre Aaron Lennon.

From the very fist kick of the ball, England showed a passion and intensity that had been lacking in their first two matches. Slovenia looked hardpressed to find an answer for the pinpoint passing and hardly touched the ball in the first half.

The changes paid early dividends, with Jermaine Defoe finding the back of the net in the 22nd minute and he could have had his hat-trick before halftime, but narrowly missed a number of chances.

England continued just a strong after the half and once again Defoe missed a chance up close, in the second half Capello took off Wayne Rooney for Joe Cole and although the Manchester United striker did not hit the back of the net, he played a great game.

The only complaint for England fans will be Emile Heskey coming onto the pitch for Defoe in the 86th minute, leaving many wondering what Heskey would do without Rooney on the pitch.

Although they showed complete supremacy over their opponents, the team will be most happy over their dominant defensive display. John Terry had a number of impressive tackles and coupled that with some daring blocked shots.

Man of the Match: John Terry

USA 1 – 0 Algeria

The underdog story has paid off for the USA and a win against Algeria would allow them to go through to the next round in first place and avoid a possible matchup with Germany.

The Americans started well and carried much of the play, while Algeria looked dangerous on the counter-attack and had a few near misses. In what it appears is now USA tradition, they had a clearly legal goal called back and this seemed to boost the Algerian players.

However, at the exact moment that the final whistle blew in Port Elizabeth, it was Landon Donovan who took the ball and slotted it home to give them the goal they needed to advance. The final scoreline stood at 1-nil and it meant that they’d end up top of the table, with England finishing second in Group C.

Man Of The Match: Landon Donovan

Australia 2 – 1 Serbia

The Socceroos were the underdogs in Group D, but after a strong performance against Ghana, they were a much different side against Serbia.

The game was slow and chess-like in the first half, but in the second half Tim Cahill sparked his team and the entire Australian squad seemed to play with a passion that had been lacking for the first forty-five minutes. Returning from a red-card suspension, Cahill put the Aussies ahead with a trademark header in the 69th minute and when Brett Holman added another four minutes later it was jubilation for the underdogs.

Serbia pulled a goal back in the 84th minute, but the Australians got the win they deserved and will be more than happy with their display in the World Cup.

Man Of The Match: Tim Cahill
Ghana 0 – 1 Germany

After a lacklustre performance in their loss against Serbia, Germany had a lot to prove against the upstart Ghana side that had put in strong performances in their first two matches.

Germany played as their usual dominant self and were unlucky to not be ahead going into the second half, but a resilient Ghana knew they needed one point to progress and seemed intent on keeping the scoreline at nil-nil apiece.

However, knowing that a nil-nil draw and a Serbia win would send them home, Germany came out with authority and after a number of near misses by Mesut Ozil, he finally hit the back of the net in the 60th minute and sealed his teams progression to the Round of 16.

Man Of the Match: Mesut Ozil

Chasin' Jason

Jason Spezza's patience for Ottawa fans and media has run dry.

The situation surrounding Jason Spezza and the Ottawa Senators has been ratcheting up my blogging ire over the past couple weeks and has nearly hit the boiling point in the past 48 hours.

Rumours persist that Spezza will be traded due to his dissatisfaction with the way the season ended and the reaction he received from the fans and the media. Frankly, after reviewing what is being said in the Ottawa media, particularly the Ottawa Sun, I can’t blame him for being open to a trade.

It all began with Ottawa GM, Bryan Murray stating that Spezza was a bit down about the way the season ended and the reaction he got from the fans. Good. I want my top line center to be bummed about getting knocked out in the first round. I think it is great that a player cares what the fans think. Previously people had questioned whether Spezza was truly dedicated and serious about winning because of his trademark laugh and jovial personality in post-game interviews.

If Spezza was playing like a dog and complaining about fans booing him, then I wouldn’t have a whole lot of sympathy. But Spezza turned a rough start to this past season into a huge positive, coming back from injury to be an offensive force and led them to the playoffs. Most pundits had Ottawa failing to make it this year.

Does Jason Spezza make mistakes on the ice? Certainly. Was he responsible for the Senators falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins? Absolutely not. While not playing his best hockey, Spezza still managed to put up over a point per game in the playoffs.

Unfortunately the biggest culprit in the anti-Spezza movement seems to the media, particularly the Ottawa Sun. It has become a daily ritual of the Sun to print multiple articles on the reasons Spezza should be moved. They seem to search out Ottawa residents that share their sentiment and neglect to present opposing views. Responsible journalism what?

The most infuriating to me was Don Brennan’s column where he printed pure speculation that Spezza’s feelings stem from a conflict with Cory Clouston. With such tactics the Sun seems to be setting Spezza as a Heatley 2.0, which is both untrue and irresponsible.

I am not sure what fans that want Spezza traded expect to get back or how they plan to replace his offense. I am not even entirely sure why they want him gone.

Trading Spezza will be a mistake the Sens and their fans will feel for many years to come, unless Murray is able to find Milbury reincarnated running some team. Spezza is the best centerman the Senators have ever had and should be treated as such.

Acadia Hires Amit Batra as Women's Soccer Coach

Amit Batra was the ACAA Coach of the year at MSVU in 2009.

(Photo credit: Acadia University)

By Dylan Matthias

Amit Batra is now the head coach of the Acadia Axewomen soccer team, replacing Angela Morrison.

Batra leaves his current post at Mount Saint Vincent after two incredibly successful years, where he only lost once over two years and was named coach of the year last year. During his tenure with the Mystics, MSVU were a powerhouse of ACAA women's soccer.

Batra's challenge at Acadia will be a little different. Where the Mount had talent in spades, including the high-scoring Sarah Parker and standout goalkeeper Breagh MacDonald, the Axewomen are a team of blue-chip players who lack a true star player.

To make Batra's job harder, Acadia can be a hard sell to recruits. Although it is well-respected academically, its men's soccer program was only re-instated in 2006 and has been woeful ever since. Acadia, in short, is not well-known for its soccer.

The Axewomen finished second from last in 2009 with only nine points and eight goals, conceding 25. They have some talent in holding midfielder Lauren O'Connor and winger Becca Stunz, but strikers ZZ Leighton and Lauren Landry haven't been overly productive and goalkeeping is a weak spot as well.

One of Batra's strengths is tactics. At MSVU, he favoured a very attacking brand of soccer, especially for the women's game. Whether he'll change tactics to adapt to Acadia's lack of flair or not remains to be seen, but it is safe to say the Axewomen will be a very organized team next year.

Batra's first year will be difficult--his 2009 Mystics would, on paper, probably have beaten the 2009 Axewomen. How much Acadia improve next year will depend largely on how Batra adjusts to CIS and how much recruiting he's able to do in what's left of the summer.

The Axewomen have some room to improve, and the hiring of a coach who is very likely ready to make the jump to CIS is a definite upgrade for them and a signal of intent that the Axewomen want to become more of a player in AUS. What Batra lacks in CIS-reputation he makes up for in promise.

Acadia open their season with their new coach against Dalhousie on September 11th at Wickwire field.

Dylan Matthias is the incoming sports editor at the Dalhousie Gazette. He runs Dal Soccer Live on the side to provide more in-depth coverage of AUS and ACAA soccer. He has been a Toronto FC fan since Danny Dichio scored the team's first ever goal. It showed him the magic of soccer.

Good Times in New Glasgow: Thoughts and Observations from the 35th Johnny Miles Classic.

Nova Scotia's Johnny Miles won the Boston Marathon in 1926 and '29.

My maritime marathon tour continued this past weekend at the 35th Annual Johnny Miles Classic in New Glasgow. It was by far the best JMC that I’ve participated in, and the organizing committee did an incredible job.

Below are some random thoughts and observations from my experience on Sunday.

1) The Classic remains the best marathon in terms of bang for your buck. For only $50 you get the annual Johnny Miles hat (this year’s version was the best of the collection by far), a technical shirt, JM time chip that you get to keep, medal, and post race lunch. To celebrate the 35th anniversary, they also handed out a kick ass Visor at the finish line! They even game my wife a lunch! Outstanding value.
2) The JMC is broken down into 4 loops that can definitely get a little monotonous. Running the trail component is a treat but the five kilometer street portion gets tiresome. This year there was some construction by the overpass that made for an interesting battle with blowing dust at the worst of times. Also there was a detour around a giant hole on the trail that led you up a steep 20 foot incline composed of loose gravel. A Halifax runner I spoke with after said she chose to walk up the embankment every time.
3) The committee’s decision to begin all the races at the same time seemed tedious to say the least but revealed itself to be brilliant the more I thought about it. It made for an incredible visual spectacle at the start of the race; 2000 runners all jammed into one of downtown New Glasgow’s historic streets. It made for a great atmosphere. Also it was an interesting challenge in the first hour, weaving and winding your way around hundreds of runners. For a marathoner it was also a great contrast to go from sharing a thin trail with 2000 people to being one of the only people left on it a couple of hours later.
4) There was some confusion on the trail about passing lanes. In years past the committee has done a good job of making sure that slower runners know to keep to the left. This year there seemed to be little direction and it created some serious blocking during tighter stretches.
5) Extremely slow runners who start near the front of the pack can be agitating at best. People forget that you only have to worry about your chip time so you don’t have to get across the starting line right away. Although if I wasn’t so slack in getting to the race I could have got a better spot.
6) All of the course marshalls and volunteers were great. Except that teenage girl at the full marathon turnaround point. Would it have killed you to say something at least once! I ran by you four times!
7) Speaking of which, to all of you spectators who don’t applaud or cheer except for when the person you know runs past….you’re completely missing the point of watching.
8) To the little ones handing out freezies and spraying water at the 20th mile, you kids were angels at that moment.
9) Damn them New Glasgow folks are friendly!
10) Had supper at The Dock the night before the race. Great spot.
11) Stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Stellarton. Outstanding hotel. Debbie at the front desk is awesome! They even gave JMC runners a 1:00 check out time which was greatly appreciated.
12) The water station layout was a little strange. The first third of the 10 km loop there was only one station, the remaining two thirds had about ten. Beggars can’t be choosers though, and there was certainly lots of water and Gatorade to be had.
13) Running at the same pace as a participant who does the “10 minute run/1 minute walk” technique can be irritating. It’s like a yo-yo. They pass you, then you pass them when they are walking, then they pass you again. It’s a little awkward.
14) One of the great little quirks of the JMC is watching the leaders blow by as they lap you. I was talking to my wife at the end of the third loop when marathon winner Mike Mackinnon of PEI went flying by on his way across the bridge to the finish line. Some spectators thought he was going the wrong way and started yelling. Defending champion David Maclennan pulled up with a cramp at about the 40th kilometer but still managed to finish 2nd with a time under three hours.
15) After two marathons I’ve at least established some consistency. My km pace has been 5:33 for both races. Now if I can just take off a little weight…damn Garrison and Propeller! Why must you make such delicious beer!

Lots of friendly folks, water, and chocolate milk at the finish line complete with a public announcer who did a great job. Also, there is nothing better than a slight downhill grade to the finish. Great job to the committee and the folks in New Glasgow!

Next up: Marathon by the Sea in beautiful Saint John.

Bill McLean lives in Halifax. Bill McLean Sports Show can be heard on ckdu.ca/88.1 every Tuesday morning at 10:30 am. Email: bill@haligonia.ca

Related: http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/sports/104-haligonia-sports/10668-what-to-yell-to-a-marathoner-and-other-random-thoughts-from-the-blue-nose.html

Breaking Down Dalhousie's Recruits

Looks like deja vu all over again in 2010 for Jack Hutchison's Dalhousie Tigers.

By Dylan Matthias

We now have a much better idea what the Tigers women's soccer team will look like in 2010: very similar to 2009.

That's not a bad thing, because 2009 was a good season until November 7th, when it all ended disastrously. It's easy to rely on clichéd excuses: they were too young, the weather was bad, bad games happen, goalkeepers occasionally miss 35-yard shots. Sometimes, though, clichés are clichés because they're true.

And it's true the 2010 Tigers will be a year older and a year better. Players who were too quiet in 2009 will be more comfortable in 2010.

And that's why depth is the most important thing for the Tigers. Sure, it would have been nice to see a tried and tested attacking mid transfer player or a true target striker. Instead, Tigers Coach Jack Hutchison focused on defense and will rely largely on the same attackers next year.

The depth gives the Tigers versatility. Bianca Jakisa and Sheena Cayer could blossom, but are unlikely to play much with Katie Richard, Emma Landry, and Joanna Blodgett all playing wing at times.

But injuries and bad form can provide an opportunity to impress. Both have some solid provinical youth experience, meaning they'll be a little more used to a highly competitive atmosphere. Judging by Hutchison's descriptions, Cayer especially is an atatcking specialist, something the Tigers really don't have. Hutchison likes two-way players, but a little more creative flair might help, especially in late-game situations when a goal is needed.

The Tigers defense is already rock-solid, conceding a league-lowest four goals in 2009. But they shipped two when it counted in November and the addition of Andie VanderLaan will help Hutchison adapt to multiple situations.

Four midfield recruits will make-up for the losses of Ashley Donald, Teresa Morrison, and Laura Johnstone. None of them can likely bring the same level of talent, making it imperative that Beth O'Reilly have a far better season in 2010 than she did in her rookie year.

A larger crop of true midfield players will allow a lot more flexibility, possibly allowing Richard or Landry to see more time up front.

Tigers fans shouldn't expect much from the recruits, and Hutchison doesn't expect them to do much more than simply acclimatise and get ready for 2011 when they will be needed.

The biggest potential pitfall lies in the sophmores Landry, Blodgett, and O'Reilly. They scored a measly one goal between them in 2009, which for attacking players who got plenty of minutes isn't good enough. If they break out, Hutchison will be able to ease his new attackers into their roles. If Landry, Blodgett, and O'Reilly don't perform, then the Tigers could risk relying on the recruits or risk becoming one-dimensional with only Kate MacDonald a real threat to score.

In a way, there's more responsibility on the sophmores than the rookies, which is probably appropriate.

It will be hard to replicate 2009's league form. But if they can find a way not to replicate 2009's playoff form, then the league form doesn't matter as much. The recruits might give Hutchison more options in that big game in November.

Overall recruiting grade: B. Nothing spectacular but room for pleasant surprises and depth is undervalued in AUS soccer.

Dylan Matthias is the incoming sports editor at the Dalhousie Gazette. He runs Dal Soccer Live on the side to provide more in-depth coverage of AUS and ACAA soccer. He has been a Toronto FC fan since Danny Dichio scored the team's first ever goal. It showed him the magic of soccer.

University of Waterloo Drops the Ball

Haligonia Sports' Steve Betts argues that the University of Waterloo misplayed the steroid scandal that has rocked university football in Canada.

Although the Waterloo Warriors do not have a big influence on the AUS, this is a significant matter for CIS football.

The Waterloo suspension serves as a big warning shot over the heads of all programs and players concerning the issues of steroids and other drugs in the CIS game.

However, the University of Waterloo is not handling this right and surely someone can step in and tell them this.

Waterloo has suspended their own program due to 9 players who have tested positive for steroids of some sort. One player was pointed out as a supplier of these steroids and will be investigated at length.

This obviously does not bode well for the team, the school, the athletes or any living thing around this situation. There is a catch to all this though as the CIS has said that all drug free players can transfer to another school without issue. This means they can go play in September at a competitive school.

Not good at all for anyone involved in Waterloo.

I like what the CIS has done here, allowing movement of players to allow them to continue their careers as football players.

Good call CIS.

Waterloo has dropped that long ball that needs to help the school win and they have dropped it in open field. All they had to do was think, catch the ball and score, but they dropped it.

The CIS should not have the problem of making this call but they do and they are doing the right thing. Although should the CIS could be the voice of reason here and tell Waterloo to keep the program moving?

For once the bad people have been caught and clearly ID'ed. So why hold the whole program up due to a few players? This is a big deal as there are usually 65 players on a team so that means 56 players are able to play and drug free. This is so cliche because a few bad apples are ruining the whole program and it does not have to be that way.

Do the right thing, continue on, move on, get that team on the field together and start to heal. Suspending Waterloo will only make this program feel more pain and suffering for a year or two longer than needed.

Steve Betts is a writer and commentator for Haligonia Sports and lives in the HRM. Steve is the colour commentator for Dalhousie Tigers Men's Hockey. Follow Steve on twitter @bettszee

World Cup: Day 5

The defending champions got their World Cup defence off to a stutter and the Netherlands showed they aren’t crashing out this year, but much more football today!

Today starts with a mouth watering matchup between minnows New Zealand and Slovakia, a matchup unlikely to provide many goals and even less likely to provide any entertainment.

That match is followed up by the start of the Group Of Death, with Ivory Coast playing Portugal in a match that could easily decide who comes second in the group. Didier Drogba has been cleared to play with a protective task and will be raring to go, while the hopes of Portugal seem squarely placed on the spoiled shoulders of Christiano Ronaldo.

The beautiful part of the beautiful game arrives in the next matchup when Brazil opens their tournament against North Korea, a team shrouded in secrecy and under much scrutiny after recent global events.

New Zealand 1 – 1 Slovakia

Well then, it’s tiny New Zealand led by captain Ryan Nelson, who could probably play for the All Blacks, facing Slovakia, a team that cannot afford to drop points today.

The opening half lacked finish and had very few quality opportunities and surprisingly it was New Zealand that carried much of the early play before a late barrage of shots by the Slovakian forwards.

Early in the second half the deadlock would be broken and through Slovakia’s first ever goal at a World Cup final, they took a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute. This seemed to spark the game and both teams started to push forward, trying to get the next goal, and this opened up the run of play.

Although New Zealand had a few chances, it was the Slovakians that dominated the second half, going forward in droves and pushing hard for their second goal. Time was running out for the All Whites and their chances were becoming few and far between.

There was to be late drama at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, with just 30 seconds left in injury time New Zealand put a ball into the box and unlikely hero Winston Reid headed home from just 8-yards out to steal a point away from Slovakia.

Man Of The Match: Winston Reid


Ivory Coast 0 – 0 Portugal
In a match that many see as a decider between who goes through to the next round in second place, the African side Ivory Coast would have to beat Cristiano Ronaldo and an inspired Portuguese side.

The Ivorians were without Didier Drogba in the starting lineup but that did not seem to affect them, as they came out hard and showed clear attacking intent. Portugal countered well and weathered an opening barrage, while Ronaldo came close with a long-range effort that clanged off the woodworks.

However, the Ivorians were able to get Ronaldo off his game and after some handbags both he and Guy Demel were booked after Demel sent him tumbling. From that point the Portuguese Captain seemed ineffective and some heavy tackling by the Ivorian defence kept him in check.

The best player on the pitch for the Ivory Coast was Gervinho, only handed a start because of Drogba’s absence, and he terrorized the Portuguese defence with his pace and sent cross, after cross in the box.

With 25 minutes to go, Ivory Coast manger Sven-Goran Eriksson introduced Drogba and his presence injected some more life into the game. Although he was unable to find the score sheet, the iconic African striker came close in the dying seconds but this match was destined to be a nil – nil draw.

Man Of The Match: Gervinho

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Brazil 2 – 1 North Korea

On paper this was a match not worth playing, but that’s the beauty of the World Cup, where any team can win on any given day and with North Korea having a history of being World Beaters on the big stage, this match was always going to be an interesting one.

This was the first time many fans would see a Brazilian side that didn’t feature Ronaldinho and in fact, focused more on preventing goals than scoring goals. Under coach Dunga, a defensive specialist when he played, the team has been built around a strong defensive base and moves forward from the back.

The five time World Champions started strong but a determined North Korean side showed discipline and an intensity that was slightly unexpected. With 104 positions between the two sides in the FIFA rankings, the Brazilian players were clearly frustrated by a resilient defensive line.

The first half finished drawn at no goals apiece, but Brazil came out enthused in the second half and threw a barrage of shots at the North Korean keeper. Defender Maicon worked all the way up the field, and from a terrible angle beat the goalkeeper on the short side, and the goal woke up Brazil, as Robinho set up Elano and he made no mistake to double the lead to 2-0 in the 71st minute.

The Koreans would add a consolation goal in the 90th minute, but in all fairness this result was never in doubt.

Man Of the Match: Robinho

Daily Roundup

- Today’s match between Ivory Coast and Portugal was a lacklustre affair, and seemed like two teams who were playing not to lose, instead of trying to go out there and win the game. Fortunately we had the theatrics of Ronaldo to keep us entertained, diving no less than four times in the match.

- Gareth Barry will be available for England’s matchup with Algeria on Friday and this will give manager Fabio Capello room to tinker around and move his Captain Steven Gerrard to the left or up front.

- It is quite interesting that the team who has done the best so far in this World Cup, Germany, was able to use the World Cup ball all season in their domestic league. Coincidence? Not sure, but look for an article coming your way soon.


Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield.

Ricky Goodall Ready for Ringside

Halifax's Ricky Goodall will be fighting Alex Garcia this weekend.

By: Derek Leblanc

When going into a fight, you want to keep on making a big step up in competition to prove yourself as a fighter. When you have a winning streak to go on top of that, it just adds the pressure. Ricky Goodall (5-1) will be trying to do both this weekend against Alex Garcia at Ringside: No Escape. Goodall seems more then edger to get things started.

"I feel better then I ever had," says Goodall.

"We train a lot for this one with a lot of great guys. A lot of wrestling, a lot of ground work. This is my lowest weight class, which I am really pumped for that. I have never felt as good as I feel right now."

While Goodall may feel good now, it has not been an easy training camp for the Halifax fighter. His trainers and teammates at Titan's gym have broken him down. Besides the day to day combat, he has been put through a bigger strength and conditioning program and has even have to pull automobiles up and down hills.

The big advantage that Goodall has had for himself in this match is that he was able to focus full time for training. Most of the year he is managing the training with college and his job as a bouncer. The summer vacation seems to be helping out for him.

"I've been really focused for a few weeks now," says Goodall.

"I only work a couple of days a week and the fights are on TV and I am sitting in the bar vibrating in my chair for this fight. I felt like I could have went the next day. That has only increased and things have only gotten better. My weight is where it needs to be. I have never had more time and focused. Everything is working out perfectly."

While Goodall may be ready for this fight, he knows that his opponent will be ready as well. With this fight, there has been hype around Garcia. Garcia is coming in with a 3-0 record. He has surrendered all of those three fighters by the form of TKO.

Besides his record, he trains out of Tristar gym where he was brought in by UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre. Also after recently talking with sherdog.com's Andy Conterill had high praises for Garcia. While Goodall knows the dangers he can bring into this fight, he is not afraid of him or his credentials.

"When we get in the cage, it's only his ability's against mine," says Goodall.

"I am confident in my training partners. We have wrestlers who are just as good. We have jiu jistu guys who are world ranked and Maui Thai guys who are world ranked at our clubs. I have no questions in are ability's and training camp. Just to say you may come from a club with well known fighters, everybody has their own camps and its only him when we get inside."

It is not hard to tell Goodall is ready for Friday night. While Garcia may live and train out of Montreal, Goodall does have friends and family making it out to the event so he will be having a few fans in the crowd.

Win or lose though, Goodall will be going down swinging.

World Cup Day 4 Roundup

Well then, the Germany football machine truly got off to a heck of a start yesterday, putting the rest of the football world on notice and announcing they were here and ready to go to the finals.

Remember you can always check right here for my pre-tournament predictions, and see how off they were.

Today’s matchup’s saw Le Oranje taking on Denmark, a battle of European nations and a nice first test for a perennial under achieving Dutch side.

The second match of the day gives us as much excitement as watching tumble weeds go by, with Japan taking on African side Cameroon. The only bonus here is that we may see another African side pull off a win and the celebration in the stadium after that is guaranteed to be explosive.

Last up we have the defending World Champions taking on an underrated but equally dangerous Paraguay side. Italy have been known as slow starters in most tournaments and will be looking to change that, as anything but a win will be seen as a disastrous way to start their defence of the Jules Rimet Trophy.

Netherlands 2 – 0 Denmark

Instead of their usually attack, attack, attack mentality, the Dutch seemed happy to pass the ball around and wait for an opening, however, as the first half carried on and there score was held at nil-nil, the Netherlands started to go for it.

The best chance of the first half however went to Denmark, who were playing a boring long-ball game, when Arsenal boy Nicklas Bendtner sent in Thomas Kahlenberg , who put in a tight angle shot that Maarten Stekelenburg stretched to tip around the post.

Only seconds into the second half the Danes fell apart after a cross from Robin Van Persie is cleared by Simon Poulson only to go off Daniel Aggers back and into the net, just outside of the reach of goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Reacting to the goal the Dutch pushed forward and imposed their will upon the game, all the Danes could do was put 11 men behind the ball and brace for wave, after wave of Orange coming forward. In the 75th minute Denmark seemed ready to go for a goal and introduced youngster Christian Eriksen, but even his introduction didn’t spark the Danes and Dirk Kuyt put the game out of hand sweeping the ball into the back of the net and giving the Dutch a 2-0 lead.

Man Of The Match: Robin Van Persie

Japan 0 – 0 Cameroon

Well, I would be lying if I said I was excited for this match. Cameroon can be an exciting side, but Japan isn’t exactly known for their football skill.

The first half lulled me into a deep sleep and was quite a bore, with both sides lacking any finish or real quality chances. Against all odds, Japan opened the scoring in the 39th minutes after a cross into the box was missed by two Cameroon defenders and striker Keisuke Honda put it away easily.

Cameroon would throw the kitchen sink at Japan in the final moments, but were unable to pull back a goal and get a draw. Cameroon will be disheartened after they controlled the pace for much of the game but just couldn’t find an answer.

Man Of the Match: Keisuke Honda

Italy 1 – 1 Paraguay

After Germany threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the teams in the tournament, the pressure was on defending champions Italy to shrug of their usual slow starting mentality and pick up the full points against Paraguay.

The craft South Americans however were not ready to go down without a fight and it set the stage for an exciting match.

Italy dominated the possession for much of the opening half, while Paraguay seemed more than happy to sit back, stay disciplined and wait for counter-attacking opportunities. They made the most of their opportunities and took a shock lead in the 39th minutes courtesy of a Antolin Alcaraz header on a free kick. The striker made it look easy as he towered over both Fabio Cannavaro and Daniele de Rossi.

Italy managed to scrap into the half, still down by just one goal, but were dealt a major blow when Gianluigi Buffon was taken off at half time with a back injury.

The champions continued to press and try to find an equalizer and were gifted a goal due to another horrendous goaltending gaffe, and Daniele de Rossi was there to put the ball away.

The Azzuri picked up their game and came close a few more times before the end of the match, but will be disappointed to only walk away with the single point.

Man Of The Match: Daniele de Rossi

Daily Roundup

- A big kudos to the CBC live streaming of the games, I had to watch Japan v Cameroon on my laptop and got perfectly streamed football, without any glitches. This is a great boost to fans of the game that are stuck at work or don’t have access to the matches via television.

- After watching, re-watching and watching again, I am thoroughly convinced that the red card to Tim Cahill was in fact no more than a yellow card offence. It’s a shame because even if the Australians are justified in their appeal, he’ll still be out for the next match against Ghana.

- Thoughts go out to Paul Gazza Gascoigne, former England star, who was in a terrible car accident last evening and is ‘seriously injured.’ After a long battle with alcohol and drugs, it’s terrible to see another tragic event surrounding the English start of the 1990 World Cup.

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter

Five Reasons Why England Fans Shouldn't Worry.

Haligonia Sports Contributor Henry Whitfield advises England fans to not panic...yet.

Anyone watching the World Cup by now has seen the howler by England Keeper Robert Green by now.

Clint Dempsey’s speculative shot turned into the net by Green and the England squad seemingly could find no way to respond to that drastic turn of events.

Logging into Facebook post-match, I was quite prepared for abuse and boy was it ready and waiting. Almost 70 comments, posts and messages reminding of the most painful footballing experience since we failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

That being said, here’s the Five Reasons Why England Fans Shouldn’t be worried:

5. In Capello We Trust: The Italian maestro engineered an almost flawless qualifying campaign for the World Cup and although he may have gotten it wrong with Robert Green, Ledley King and James Milner, you’d have to be crazy to think he’d get it wrong again. Fabio Capello is one of the best minds in football and will not take this draw lightly; Look for a truly inspired performance in England’s next match.

4. Gareth Barry Returns: Now fully fit, Gareth Barry will return to the lineup and allow Stevie Gerrard to go play on the left and Frank Lampard to get forward again. Without a holding midfielder both Gerrard and Lamps were forced to play in the central midfield and England fans all know how well that works…

3. Slow Starts Can Be Lucky: Italy in 2006 anyone? The defending World Cup champions had a torrid start back in Germany before going on to lift the Jules Rimet trophy. England will learn from this early trouble and come back stronger than ever, this could be the catalyst for a truly memorable run deep into the tournament.

2. Rooney Will Score: With so much pressure on Wayne Rooney, it seemed he took edge off and played with less intensity than usual as the nerves settle but when Rooney gets into rhythm he will start to score and when he does, I’m not sure he’ll stop.

1. It Can’t Happen twice.. Right?: Let’s be serious, that howler of a save by Robert Green had to happen to England at least once in this tournament. Paul Robinson’s missed back pass? David Seamen caught of the line by Ronaldinho? With our crucial mistake out of the system in game one, we’re good to go for the next month.

But, let’s be serious here. England faces both Algeria and Slovenia in the next two matches and there is no way that the Three Lions put in the same lacklustre performance in those games.

They may have entered the tournament with a whimper but the Three Lions will start to roar and show the true class of their team as the World Cup goes on.

Don’t forget to check out my pre-world cup predictions and keep checking back for your daily recaps throughout the tournament.

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield.

World Cup: Day 2

Robert Green's miscue cost England a win vs. the United States.

The second day of the World Cup allowed some big guns to come out with Diego Maradona and his Argentinean wonder-kids against Nigeria and the much-anticipated matchup between England and the USA.

South Korea 2 – 0 Greece
The cinderella South Koreans of the last world cup opened their scoring account just seven minutes in and continued to pressure Greece for the rest of the match.

The good news is that match fixing seems to be a thing of the past for South Korea, as a blatant penalty shout was turned down for the South Koreans in the 15th minute.

But the South Koreans showed they are no pushovers and dominated the Greeks throughout the match, adding a second goal from Manchester United midfielder Ji Sung Park. However, it could have easily been five or six goals from the crafty Koreans as they weaved in and out of a mostly static Greek defence.

Man Of The Match: Ji Sung Park.

Argentina 1 – 0 Nigeria

On paper Argentina should have walked out with a much larger margin of victory and Diego Maradona will not be pleased that his team wasted so many opportunities. Playing in a 4-3-3, Diego’s boys played attractive attacking football and looked dangerous for the entire 90 minutes.

The only saving grace for a clearly outmatched Nigerian side was their goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama who made countless saves to keep his team in the match.

Gabriel Heinze broke the deadlock with a diving header to the top corner and both Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi will be disappointed to not have added goals.

Man Of The Match: Vincent Enyeama

England 1 – 1 USA

When this game was announced back at the 2009 fixture draw it was circled and underlined by fans on both sides of the pond. The USA were looking to upset the big dogs and England were looking to show the World they had become much more than an underperforming nation on the World stage.

The Three Lions kicked things off in style with newly appointed captain Steven Gerrard scoring just 4 minutes into the game after a deft pass from none other than Emile Heskey. Unfortunately for England that was the only contribution from the striker and he failed to make an impact on the game, missing a few golden opportunities.

The turning point in the match came just before halftime when Clint Dempsey took a weak shot from outside the box and Robert Green turned the ball into his own net instead of around the post. It was a howler that crushed the English spirit and seemed to shake the team to its core.

Although they dominated down the stretch, England just couldn’t find a goal to take the lead and the USA seemed content with playing to a draw.

Man Of The Match: Steven Gerrard

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Daily Roundup

- Unfortunately for the beautiful football style of the Argentinean side, it was Diego Maradona, who stole the spotlight. The crazy manager was shown over 30 times throughout the match, a tad bit of overkill no?

- England will look to find some replacements in the back four with Ledley King going off injured at halftime and Jamie Carragher looking slow and exposed throughout the rest of the second half.

- It appears that South Korea put the rest of the teams at the World Cup on notice with a dominant performance over Greece and showed that they have the skill and fitness to go deep in this tournament

Live blog of the buildup to and game between England vs Algeria on Friday, but keep your eyes open for more daily roundups!

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield.

World Cup Day 1 Roundup

by Henry Whitfield

The World Cup kicked off amid scenes of jubilation and celebration, a colourful display South African pride as Africa invited the World into to their month-long World Cup party.

The day started with mixed emotions with a stark reminder of the dangers of South Africa with Nelson Mandela‘s 13-year-old great-grandaughter becoming victim to a car accident just moments after the World Cup Concert. It was yet another reminder of the grim reality of life in South Africa and the many dangers that follow.

South Africa – Mexico

The high-flying Mexican side started by flexing their muscles over the home side but failed to register a goal in the first half despite out playing Bafana Bafana for the full opening 45 minutes.

The Coach must have said something at half time as his South African boys came out to play and saw their dreams come true in the 50th minute when Siphiwe Tshabalala scored a howler of a goal and the host nation went wild.

Unfortunately, Mexico denied the hosts full points on the day when Rafael Marquez scored just 12 minutes from extra-time. Still, South Africa can be happy to steal a point from an encounter that had disaster written all over it just months ago.

Man Of The Match: Siphiwe Tshabalala

France – Uruguay

In an odd turn of events France Manager Domenech dropped in-form Florent Malouda just moments before kick-off and made the rift in the Les Bleus camp even wider when he put influential striker Thierry Henry on the bench to start.

France showed no real attacking force until the pair finally came on at the end and even against 10-men Uruguay they failed to score. This game played out to a nil-nil draw and the gaffer can certainly only point fingers at himself for his team failing to score in a must win match.

Man Of the Match: Diego Forlan

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Daily Roundup

- In today’s press conference Fabio Capello hinted at a healthy Gareth Barry starting on the bench but refused to tip his hand to the media. He will announce his line up at 1:30pm EST.

- Drenched in irony, Diego Maradona, the scorer of one of the most controversial goals in football history, said to media that he wished for the World Cup to play with the spirit of fair play. Fair play?! Hand of God anyone?

- With two matches played and two draws, the complainers are out in full force saying that Football is a boring game. Hold on a second here, if it’s boring how is it the most popular sport on earth? Sure we had two draws, but both had a level of excitement to them and as the opening games continue to roll out the big teams will start to score.

- Although Canada will not be sending a team to the World Cup, they did send grass. Their grass is being used during the World Cup and it allows Canada to do their part. Now if only we could put a home-grown team out there too…

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Recap

The Youthful Blackhawks celebrate what could be first of several Stanley Cup championships.

by Henry Whitfield

A month of competition, thousands of minutes of hockey played and countless highlight reel plays the Stanley Cup was decided in one of the most anti-climatic moments in recent sport history.

Patrick Kane danced along the side boards, drove to the net and put a bad angled shot through Michael Leighton.

The puck lodged itself into the side of the net and the celebration was delayed by the confusion. It was an awkward moment as the Chicago coaching staff didn’t celebrate but their team swarmed the goal scorer as he skated full length celebrating his goal.

Moments later it was confirmed: The Chicago Blackhawks were the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions.

With that goal the dream came to fruition for the Chicago Blackhawks, who had gone 49 years without a championship, and in that same moment the come-back kid Philadelphia Flyers were dealt a final, crushing blow in what had almost been a Cinderella-like playoffs.

When Scotty Hartnell scored to take the game to overtime with under five-minutes left, I high-fived my friends and cried out “Flyers in Seven,” maybe it was my premature excitement that cost the boys the cup but it meant that I had failed to get a series correct since the second round.
Jonathan Toews was deservedly awarded to the Conn Smyth trophy, an award that almost certainly would have gone to Chris Pronger if his team had pulled off another come from behind victory, and the famously serious captain finally cracked a smile.

Here are some final thoughts on the Stanley Cup Finals and the 2010 Playoffs:

•Love him or hate him, Chris Pronger made the 2010 playoff’s more fun than usual; Whether it was his antics in stealing the game puck after Chicago victory in game 2, or his quick quips to the media throughout, he gave the fans something that we haven’t seen since Jeremy Roenick was in the playoffs.
•With 28 Canadians playing in the Stanley Cup final last night and another 11 that were not dressed, it is safe to say that Canada is on top of the Hockey world. As I pointed out after round one, it just doesn’t seem that European players in the NHL have that desire or passion to go after the Cup like their North American counterparts.
•This year marks another season that the Stanley Cup has gone south of the border and it has now been too many years since a Canadian team has lifted hockey’s holy grail. The Montreal Canadiens almost ended the drought but only time will tell when the Stanley Cup will come home next. Leafs in 2011 anyone? You heard it here first!
•Get ready for some outrageous contract signings in this offseason. Players like Jaroslav Halak, Dustin Byfuglien and had outstanding playoff performances and will look to cash in on their new found stardom.
•This year’s Stanley Cup finals may have been short on goaltending excellence but made up for it with some of the best offensive battles in recent memory. Not being a goalie, I don’t mind seeing games finish with goals galore and this year’ finals should help grow the game down south, with some of the most exciting hockey in years.
•Last but not least, Jonathan Toews showed a lot of class last night as he passed the Cup straight to Marian Hossa after lifting the cup himself. Hossa was trying for his third straight year to win the Stanley Cup and it was a touching moment as all the gathered Blackhawk players chanted his name.

Playoff Awards

Breakout Player – Although the Canadiens didn’t hoist the cup, it was definitely a coming out party for Jaroslav Halak. He posted a neat 2.55 GAA and led all goalies with a .923 save percentage.

Biggest Disappointment – Although Ilya Kovulchuk was an utter failure for New Jersey and helped them flop, the biggest disappointment in the playoffs goes to Washington Capital’s forward Alex Ovechkin. The talismanic forward failed to drive his team forward and elimination in the first round is unacceptable.

Top Defencemen – Chris Pronger was a beast throughout the playoffs and often played more than half of most games in the 2010 playoffs. The Canadian battled not only the ice but with the media storm around his team, and once again he threw an underachieving team on his back and carried them deep into the playoffs.

Top Forward – Hard to argue against the numbers Jonathan Toews put up throughout the playoffs but I am going to and put it out there that Daniel Briere was the top forward in this year’s playoffs. The small forward had 12 goals and 18 assists to give him the playoff point lead at 30 points. We finally saw his talent come to the forefront and he was a catalyst for the Flyers. He also added a +9 plus/minus throughout the playoffs.

Top Goalie – Sure he let a terrible goal in to allow the Chicago Blackhawks to hoist the cup but Michael Leighton was by far the best goalie in the playoffs. Registering 3 shutouts in the last series allowed the Flyers to get as close as they did this year and the kid finished with a GAA 2.46 of and a .916 save percentage.

With the playoffs completed, I feel compelled to share my wonderful prediction record. After going 6/8 in the first round, I fell to bits and failed to keep up the pace. I finished with an 8/15 record, good enough for a 53% record but nothing to phone home about.

Now the playoffs are finished and the rest of the teams have joined Toronto on the Golf Course only one question remains: Taylor or Tyler

Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield

Butler Tosses A Gem

Mike Butler was stellar on the mound for the Canadians
by Joel MacDougall

The Molson Pelham Canadians rode the arm of Mike Butler to a 5-1 victory over the Kentville Wildcats in Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League action Tuesday evening.

Butler threw 7 2/3 innings, striking out 11 and allowing only three hits to record his second victory on the year. It wasn’t until the top of the eighth that the Wildcats were able to find any chink in Butler’s armour.

Following a couple of Halifax errors, Kentville was able to put one run on the board and brought the Cleve’s Player of the Week, Curtis Hall to the plate with the bases loaded. Hall represented the tying run, but relief pitcher Barrett Bellefontaine, forced him to ground out to end the inning.

Halifax jumped out to an early lead, touching up Kentville starter Kevin Nichols for five runs over three innings. Kevin Daurie and Shayne Conrad combined to pitch six scoreless innings in relief for the Wildcats, giving them a chance to try and mount a comeback. But it proved to be too little-too late, as Butler was just too strong on the evening.

Kentville travels to Dartmouth to take on the Mooshead Dry on Thursday, while Halifax is off until next Tuesday when they host the Truro Bearcats.

Mooseheads Add to Herd

Mooseheads First Round pick, Luca Ciampini. "I’m a goal scorer. I go to the net hard and put the puck in the net and make some nice plays."

by Joel MacDougall

Saturday June 6, 2010 marked another step in the rebuilding of the Halifax Mooseheads. The Moose had a number of picks in the early rounds of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft, to try and reload their roster with young talent. It all began with the second overall pick in the draft; a chance to pick-up top-end talent for the future.

Halifax selected Luca Ciampini, a sniper with the AAA midget Chateauguay Patriotes with that pick to try and add some much needed offensive flare to the squad.

The pick of Ciampini set the tone for the Herd’s strategy in the rest of the draft. In total the Mooseheads added eight forwards, four defencemen, and a goaltender on Saturday. “I really like the guys we got and I think we really improved ourselves today,” said GM Cam Russell.

Following the second overall pick the Mooseheads had to wait until the first pick of the second round to select again. They were surprised to forward Andrew Ryan is til on the board. Ryan is a big, skilled centerman from Paradise, NL who won the Telus Cup while playing with the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan AAA Midget Hockey League.

Halifax added some more Maritime offensive talent by selecting Darcy Ashley,a PEI native, who tallied 67 points in just 46 games in the Maritime Junior A League as a 16 yr old to finish 6th in league scoring with their second of three picks in the second round.

A number of local players were added in the later rounds. Forward Ryan Davis contributed offensively for the Dartmouth Subways, but the his physical edge and grit may prove to just as valuable in the future. In the tenth round, Halifax added defenceman Joshua Desmond, also from the Subways. Finally the Moose added Luke Warner of the Pictou County Weeks and Kyle Kavanaugh of the Cape Breton Tradesmen in the 12th round.

With eight of the 13 picks being forwards it is clear that Russell feels the Mooseheads’ young defensive core is solid, and added some more offensive talent will lead this team back toward the postseason.

Below is a full list of the Mooseheads’ picks from Saturday’s draft.

MOOSEHEAD DRAFT PICKS

1st Round — Luca Ciampini, forward
2nd Round — Andrew Ryan, forward
2nd Round — Darcy Ashley, forward
2nd Round — Simon Desmarais, defence
3rd Round — Francis Turbide, forward
6th Round — Anthony Terenzio, goal
7th Round — Ryan Davis, forward
8th Round — Alex Souligny, defence
10th Round — Joshua Desmond, defence
11th Round — Nicolas Dube, forward
12th Round — Luke Warner, forward
12th Round — Ryan Kavanaugh, defence
12th Round — Mike Vecchonie, forward


Joel MacDougall lives in Halifax and writes about all sports local and abroad. Follow Joel on twitter @jmdougall.

AUS #1 Storyline of 2009/10; Collapse and Rise of the Huskies

The Acquisition of Mike Danton provided an emotional spark to the Huskies.
Photo Credit: Richard Lafortune

(It took a lot longer to count them down than I thought it would, but here is the #1 storyline of the AUS season. )

Two months ago I interviewed Trevor Stienburg, the Head Coach of the Saint Mary’s Huskies national champion hockey team, and I asked him if the past calendar year had been the craziest of his career.

Considering that the Coach had spent the summer of 2008 in the hospital, he didn’t seem to think that the 2009/10 season was much of a big deal, but you have to imagine he’d be hard pressed to recall a season filled with so much disappointment, challenge, controversy, and success.

It began in March of 2009 when the AUS Champion Huskies suffered a historic collapse vs. the Western Mustangs to leave them one game short of the National Championship. Leading 2-1 in the second period, only a monumental collapse would spell the end of the Huskies season, as they only had to keep from losing by more than two goals to advance to the final.

Western would go on to score 6 unanswered goals, eliminating Stienburg’s Huskies and leaving fans shaking their heads in bewildered disbelief.

Fast forward to this past season, and Stienburg had almost his entire team back. Rancourt, Thornton, Hotham, Fergus. The Huskies were stocked and ready for another championship run.

However by January, Saint Mary’s was well on its way to one of the most disappointing seasons in AUS hockey history. The Huskies were playing uninspired hockey and mired in an extended swoon that saw them stuck in third place behind the juggernaut UNB Varsity Reds and the overachieving Acadia Axemen.

There was no joy in Huskies land. Stienburg was frustrated, players weren’t having fun, and several of the big guns on the team couldn’t understand why their production had dropped so dramatically.

That’s when the biggest press release of the AUS season came forth, announcing the intentions of Mike Danton to enroll at Saint Mary’s and lace up the skates for the Huskies

Enter the ex NHLer and former convict to a program that was desperate for a spark. It was a perfect fit for Danton, a chance to play the game he loved for a coach who was well versed in giving young men a second chance. Stienburg’s father was a parole officer in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario.

Danton turned out to be a perfect fit for the Huskies and the spark the team needed so badly. Danton took to the ice like a kid in a candy store. His wide eyed enthusiasm to be back on the ice spread like wildfire throughout the lineup and Saint Mary’s began to play with renewed vigor.

After eliminating the gritty Axemen in four games, the Huskies rolled over a St FX team that did Saint Mary’s a huge favour by eliminating the Varsity Reds.

Although in retrospect, the mighty Reds probably would have lost to the Huskies anyway.

Saint Mary’s had turned into a runaway train that dominated the competition all the way to the national final.

This time there would be no collapse. The Huskies defeated a determined Alberta team in double overtime to secure Trevor Steinburg his first national championship.

Sportsnet would interview a deliriously happy Steinburg who looked like he was going to hug the cameraman. Stienburg was so excited he could barely speak coherently, complete with the suit that he said his players tease him about constantly.

The Coach, who refers to his players as brothers and who defied a nation of critics by giving Mike Danton a second chance, had his University Cup.

Twelve months after the worst loss of his career, Stienburg had his greatest victory.

Bill McLean lives in Halifax and anchors Haligonia Sports. Follow him on twitter @haligoniasports. Listen to Bill McLean Sports Show every Tuesday at 10:30 am on ckdu.ca/88.1 FM. Email: bill@haligonia.ca

Home Sweet Home; Flyers Fight Back

Matt Carle has been a steady presence for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Article by Henry Whitfield.

The Philadelphia Flyers headed home after Game 2 knowing they were in danger of letting this series slip away.

Hockey Pundits were claiming the Flyers couldn’t handle the wonder kids Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, let alone find an answer to the unstoppable force of Dustin Byfuglien.

Two games later and the Flyers now sit two games apiece with the Chicago Blackhawks, and the kids from Chicago look like they have no answer for the hard-hitting, aggressive, in your face play of the Philadelphia Flyers.

As predicted, Chris Pronger has been the catalyst for this team’s success and has completely shut down the high-powered, speedy offence that the Chicago Blackhawks bring to the table.

•All we hear about is Chris Pronger; well it’s his defensive partner that should get some praise too. Matt Carle is the other half to the best shutdown player in the NHL today and most wouldn’t be able to name him as Pronger’s defensive partner. He has logged an average of 25:39 minutes/game and has 13 points with a plus/minus of +10.

•Speaking of Chris Pronger, I called him a monster after game one and two and he’s continued to dominate this series. Whether it’s in the media getting under the skin of the Chicago players of manhandling their small forwards, Pronger has been all over this Blackhawks team. After going posting a plus/minus of +4 in game four, he is now +7 in this series. Not bad for a guy that plays almost half of every game.

•After being quiet so far this series Flyers Captain Mike Richards finally woke up and played like the player he can be; Picked up the opening goal on a smart, heads-up play and looked dangerous all night. If the Flyers want to keep the momentum going in Chicago they need Richards to keep his form.

•From a captain leading by example to a captain that has gone missing. Jonathan Toews has started to vanish in this series and topped it off missing an open cage with just minutes remaining in the game. The top line produced just one assist and looked pretty useless out there.
So far both teams have cemented their place at home but this is essentially a best of three series with two of the games in Chicago. Can the Flyers break down the Madhouse on Madison or will Chicago hold strong and break the hearts of Flyers fans all over.

My prediction, albeit mocked by all when made, of the Flyers winning in seven games still looks good but I’m worried they may pull it off in six.

That is for now, check later for breakdown of the QMJHL draft day and the rest of my Stanley Cup analysis.

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Henry Whitfield is an avid sports fan who covers everything and anything in the sports world, while focusing on hockey and football. Follow him on twitter @HenryWhitfield.