Sportsbrain

U-20 World Cup USA vs New Zealand Round of 16 U.S. Lineup : Klinsmann, Acosta, Redding, Palmer-Brown (c), Glad, Williamson, Adams, Lennon, De La Torre, Ebobisse, Sargent The United States started the knockout stage against New Zealand, the runners up in Group E. The Yanks came in undermanned, but they came out with a confidence that set the tone for the game. The first third of the game was all Yanks, as they controlled possession and continuously found themselves with solid chances. It was not until the 32 minute that the 17 year old Josh Sargent got the Yanks on the board with a seeing eye ball from Justen Glad that deflected its way past the New Zealand goalie. With his fourth goal of this tournament Josh Sargent found himself tied with some great Yanks for most goals in a U-20 tournament. Sargent just continues to impress coming straight off of a good performance in the CONCACAF U-17 Championships. The Yanks didn't make mistakes, and they controlled the pace of the game and really took complete control in the second half. It started with a laser from Jeremy Ebobisse in the 64th minute, and then a minute later Brooks Lennon muscled his way past the defender to put in the third goal of the game for the Yanks. The depth of this team was really on display today, as the team looked as good as they have all tournament with three guys out and only 4 bench players available. Two subs, Jeremy Ebobisse and Justen Glad, both had goals in the game. Justen Glad was originally credited with the first goal of the match, but he left no doubts when he powered a header in off a corner in the 76th minute. The Yanks never sat back, as the dominating attack continued when Auston Trusty came on and scored a rocket to make it a 5-0 scoreline. Then to pour salt in the wound, Lagos Kunga finished off a nice run of play to put in the final goal for the 6-0 scoreline. Going into this game I thought the Yanks had a good chance to win, but given the suspensions I wasn't completely confident. Well damn did the Americans put on a show for everyone who woke up early. With the win the Yanks advance to the semi-finals, and face a very strong Venezuela squad. Venezuela has yet to concede a goal in this tournament, so it will be a tough test for the Baby Yanks. It's rare to see this, but Saturday night the senior squads will battle in Salt Lake City just hours before they square off in the U-20 quarterfinal early Sunday morning. The game is scheduled for a 2am kickoff here on the west coast, and will be shown on FS1. Given today's performance it will be interesting to see what lineup Tab Ramos goes with, but it's a good problem to have so many quality options.

U.S. Lineup: Klinsmann, Acosta, Carter-Vickers, Palmer-Brown (c), Herrera, Jones, Adams, Saucedo, De La Torre, Sargent, Lennon Before the game started the U.S. got some good news when we found out the team had enough points to advance to the round of 16. The Yanks faced a very game team from Saudi Arabia. The first 40 minutes of this game was a very physical battle, and the refs wanted to be seen with 5 yellow cards in the first third of the game. The Yanks opened up the scoring in the 30th minute, when Brooks Lennon knocked in an easy put back that was started by a great attack from the United States. But shortly after the Yanks took the lead they were dealt a huge blow. Cameron Carter-Vickers was shown a second yellow prior to half that put our boys down a man. Both yellows were extremely questionable, and for for U.S. to lose a player of this caliber for this game and the first knockout game is tough. You can't help but question the referees decision making in the first half as the crew really altered the game in the first 45. With the U.S. down a man, they brought on RSL defender Justen Glad, who returned from a knee injury suffered during the CONCACAF Championships back in March. The Yanks looked very impressive playing a man down, and did a great job protecting the lead. Jonathan Klinsmann made his biggest save of the tournament so far in the 67th minute, and helped the U.S. hold onto their slim lead. But after 74 minutes Saudi Arabia found the equalizer on an easy header off of a corner. After that goal, the Yanks did everything they could to help save the draw. At this point I think Saudi Arabia was satisfied with the draw which also got them through to the next round. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and that paired with the draw between Ecuador and Senegal the U.S. ended the group stage atop of Group F. The yanks will move onto the knockout stage where they will battle New Zealand at 4am west coast time on June 1st. The United States played a good group stage, and we saw great play from quite a few guys. For me you have to look at guys like Derrick Jones, Tyler Adams, Erik Palmer-Brown, and Luca De La Torre who weren't all over the stat sheets but played important roles in helping this team top the group. Josh Sargent led the team with 3 goals, and for me was the player of the group stage. The Yanks will have 3 players (Jones, Carters-Vickers, Herrera) out due to yellows, so it will be interesting to see how the team adjusts.

U.S. Lineup : Klinsmann, Acosta, Palmer-Brown (c), Herrera, Carter-Vickers, Williamson, Adams, Jones, De La Torre, Lennon, Sargent The United States faced a tough test in Senegal, but the Yanks came in riding high coming off the late equalizer in their first match. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Derrick Jones made their way into the starting line up, and Carters-Vickers addition has made a world of improvement to the back line. In a game where the Yanks controlled the first half of the game, it took until the 34th minute to see their work rewarded. Josh Sargent continued his high level of play with a great goal on his left foot, and the United States took their first lead of the tournament. We saw quite a few quality chances in the first half, and guys like Tyler Adams and San Diego kid Luca De La Torre were a big part of it. The second half showed much of the first, with the U.S. controlling things and keeping Senegal from getting any strong chances. They did get some runs in the final minutes, but the Yanks stayed strong and did just enough to hold on for the 1-0 victory. With this win the Yanks have gone to the top of Group F, and look in prime position to advance to the knockout stage. I really like what I have seen from this team in the first two matches. They have a great chemistry up front, and the back line looked vastly improved today against a very quick Senegal squad. The United States will play Sunday morning at 2:00am against Saudi Arabia, who just knocked off Ecuador 2-0. The Yanks only need a draw to advance to the knockout stage.

U-20 World Cup USA V Ecuador Group Stage Game One U.S. Lineup: Klinsmann, Acosta, Redding, Palmer-Brown (c), Herrera, Williamson, Adams, Zelalem, De La Torre, Sargent, Lennon Ecuador is a very good squad, but the United States came in as CONCACAF Champions for the first time. In a game that had its share of moments, Ecuador struck first early in the fifth minute when Lino put one into the open net after a break on the counter forced Klinsmann out of the net. Things went from bad to worse as Cabezas scored just two minutes later on a similar run on the U.S. defense's right side, which was torched on both goals. Though the Yanks continued to deal with a strong Ecuador attack in the early stages of the first half, they started to show signs of life on their attacking front. Josh Sargent was finding some spaces, and the US was only a final pass away. They did suffer a huge blow when Arsenal tied player Gedion Zelalem went down on what looked like a non-contact injury in the 30th minute. But the Yanks showed their heart by finding their opening goal on a great effort by Josh Sargent just two minutes after the injury sub. Sargent was called up from the U-17 squad and made quite a strong statement throughout the game. The first half ended with the US getting some real chances, but trailing 2-1. The team seemed to find a spark after the Zelalem injury, but I think that had more to do with how Derrick Jones fit into the formation. The second half started off back and forth, but in the 52nd minute we saw a thing of absolute beauty from the Yanks. Brooks Lennon found space on the right side, and put in a perfect cross to the head of Josh Sargent who did what he does and finished the equalizer. You need to see the replay, because that cross was sublime. I could see these two linking up for years to come. Right after the goal Klinsmann made a point blank save on Lino that kept Ecuador from taking back the lead. But goalies can give and take away, and in the 64th Klinsmann did just that. Klinsmann decided to try and play a pass out and got caught surrounded by 3 Ecuador players, surrendering the ball and giving them another easy one to take back the lead. The next 18 minutes or so was the Yanks pressing too hard, and Ecuador coming close to putting it out of reach. The United States looked to be heading for an opening match loss, but in extra time the team found some chances and continued to work. The hard work paid off, and in the 93rd minute De La Torre put back a deflection out of the box and the Yanks were rewarded with a goal, and a massive point at the dead of the game. Brooks Lennon was the spark in extra time continuing to put the crosses in the box, and it was his cross that led to the goal. So the United States came back from: giving up 2 goals in the first seven minutes, losing Gedion Zelalem early in the game, a terrible mistake by the goalkeeper; and yet still found a way to find the equalizer. The United States has some things to work on, specifically the back line. But I t is games like this that can be sparks in tournaments like these, and the Yanks will look to build off of this when they face Senegal early Thursday morning.

Park at the Park, followed by the in stadium seat upgrade. These will do for today.. (at Petco Park)

We didn't get 3 points, but we got one and that is crucial in the hex. Friendship was had, love my AOSD family!! (at FOX Sports San Diego Grill)

Man, I've got 34 minutes of video to edit down. I should be asleep ha. So yea, video coming soon @americanoutlaws but here's a preview!! #AORoadTrip #1N1T #threepoints (at Avaya Stadium)

Man U/Hull City English League Cup Semifinal - First Leg 1/10/17 So much English football going on at the moment. This weekend we saw FA Cup action, we are in the heart of the Premiere League season, and today we got a midweek English League Cup semifinal game between the mighty Red Devils of Manchester United and the Tigers of Hull City. I love that Hull City took on the Tiger name, mostly because it was done a couple years ago and there fans lost their minds over it. So every time I see them play or hear the name, I quietly whisper to myself "Rawr, I'm a tiger." I have issues, I'm aware... With games like these, it is so easy to cheer against the likes of Man U, because you want these smaller clubs to get the opportunity to have that moment they don't normally get. It's also very interesting for a team like United, who are also dealing with balancing the FA Cup, the league cup, and Europa League. Hull City started the EPL season barely able to field enough players, and that has reflected on the team's lack of success on the pitch. United got the attacking started very early. As Juan Mata put a great effort on net, and shortly after Wayne Rooney was just out of reach of putting one in the back of the net. The Red Devils controlled the action throughout the first half, and the Tigers were forced into an early sub due to injury. The one thing that stood out about United today was there inability to finish without Zlat on the pitch. They had at least 5 or 6 chances where guys just completely botched the attempt. Mkhitaryan was the winner of the can't finish game, as he was responsible for most of the terrible misses. United manager Jose Mourinho saw enough of the first half before it was even over, as he headed to the locker room before stoppage time even began. Manchester United finally broke through in the 56th minute. Valencia started it with the cross, Mkhitaryan headed it across goal, and Juan Mata was there to finish. You could sense the relief in the stadium at the moment, because when you are dominating a contest without leading it can lead to mistakes. Wayne Rooney was subbed out in the 59th minute, and was not able to find the net to make him stand alone atop the United goals scored leaderboard. Rooney has always been a fascinating player to me, and I equate him to a Matt Ryan. Everyone is quick to point fingers at him when his team struggles, and yet he continues to perform well. Rooney is one of those players who I have had the chance to actually follow a good portion of his career, and he is a joy to watch. And no, I'm not just saying that because he is a Toffee through and through. Speaking of Toffees, another familiar face to me came on for Mata late and scored in the 87th minute. Mario Fellani scored by using his giant hair to power the ball in, and gave the Red Devils the 2-0 lead. United held that lead until the final whistle, and they will take that advantage into the second leg at Hull City next week. United will have a much tougher test this weekend, as they get back into EPL play with a huge battle against Liverpool. Should be a good one. One last though: screw Manchester United.

Anaheim Ducks/Minnesota Wild 1/8/17 After a great morning hike and a little bit of football, I got the chance to sit down and watch my Anaheim Ducks take on the Minnesota Wild. I almost missed the start because I am not used to Anaheim being on a national broadcast. The Ducks were without captain Ryan Getzlaf for the third straight game, and his absence was felt on the power play. Minnesota capitalized on another sloppy second period for Anaheim holding onto the 2-1 victory. The Wild are now 9-0-2 in their last 11 road games. The game felt lifeless early on, but as things picked up it was Ryan Kesler who got the scoring started for Anaheim. Anaheim lead 1-0 after one, but the nightmare that continues to be the second period continued. Anaheim was outshot 16-6 in the period and were outplayed by the Wild. Anaheim had some great opportunities in the final minute, but the Wild played some great defensive hockey and were able to escape with the win. That was an incredibly frustrating game to watch for me, as the Ducks really had trouble getting shots on net throughout the night. But the Ducks remained tied with San Jose at the top of the Pacific Division. It's going to be fun to watch this team in the coming months, as some young names are starting to emerge as contributors. It's been great to see it start in San Diego with the Gulls.

I'm just going to start off by saying I'm sick right now. So I drank some nighttime cold meds about an hour ago, then decided to write. So let's get weird.... Honestly, this has been one of the more forgettable seasons I can remember. The season has had a black cloud over it, and I can't help to think this is just the norm for the Shield going forward. The off the field stories, the declining ratings, what seems to be a constant flood of relocation stories has found a good amount of people not watching on Sunday. But, the playoffs are here and they always bring another level out in the action. I am so hyped I will be at work for most of the games. Football! The one game I wish I could watch is that Lions/Seahawks game. There is something about the Seahawks that makes me think the Lions will pull off the upset. Seattle went 3-3 down the stretch, including a 38-10 loss at Lambeau. While the Lions did lose their final 3 it was against playoff teams. I know, really digging deep into the stats on this one. Matt Stafford has had a great year, and I think that is going to be a big Saturday night for him. On the opposite end of the scale, the Raiders will head to Houston a couple weeks early for a battle with the Texans. Only two weeks ago I thought the Raiders had a real shot at the Super Bowl. And honestly, I think they still do. Connor Cook is not a bad quarterback, and I think he has the tools to do what they need him too. A win in Houston would mean a trip to New England for the Raiders, at which case all they will hope for is no snow. The Steelers are playing the Dolphins, and I am confident it will be a horrible game. It seems we always get one solid blowout in this round. Well the Dolphins are starting Matt Moore and the Steelers have won seven straight. If this game is within 10 at halftime the Steelers will be to blame for sucking. I will be hiking at that time, and I highly recommend finding anything else to do Sunday morning. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy this Dolphins team. I watched them rip my heart out earlier in the season. But losing Tannehill for the season is just too much to overcome. The Giants are heading to Lambeau in January. This had to be worse case scenario for Packers fans. Aaron Rodgers has been on a tear to end the season. His last seven games he has thrown 18 TDs and NO picks. But yet all I can think is Eli is going to derp this win out somehow. Eli Manning is somehow an elite quarterback come January. It's one of life's great mysteries. - How does Eli Manning turn into Peyton come playoff time? - What if Jerry Jones bought the Chargers in the 70s? - Why does Rodger Goodell get to keep sucking at this job? Raiders 19-6 Lions 20-16 Steelers 38-10 Giants 17-16

Barcelona/Athletic Bilbao Copa Del Rey - 1st Leg 1-5-17 I don't really get the chance to watch Barca play live very often. But when I do, I just sit back and enjoy the show they put on. So today I was limited in my times I could watch a game, and this Copa Del Rey battle fell right into the window. I got to see flashes of that Barcelona brilliance, but today three minutes were the difference. This game was very chippy throughout and Bilbao felt the most of it, getting two players sent off in the second half. In the end Bilbao survived with Messi hitting one off the post in the final seconds as Barca fell 2-1 in the first leg of this quarterfinal match. Aritz Aduriz was a centerpiece in this game for Bilbao. It was Aduriz starting and finishing the first goal, but later in the game appearing to punch a Barca defender in the face on a corner. No card was given, but it set the tone for a physical game. Bilbao got the scoring started in the 25th minute. Aduriz started the run and found space in the box to put the header on net giving the home team the early advantage. Just three minutes later, a Barca turnover was turned into a quick strike from Inaki Williams. While Barca controlled the possession battle, they just could not score on multiple chances throughout. We did see a flash of brilliance from Lionel Messi on a perfectly placed free kick in the 52nd minute. Messi put the ball in the top corner, and even with a hand on it the Bilbao goalie could not keep the ball out. It is moments like that from Messi that make him what he is. The second leg will be next Wednesday as Barcelona looks to overcome the 2-1 deficit at Camp Nou. Since 2008, the only side to eliminate Barca from Copa Del Rey has been Real Madrid. Athletic Bilbao has a tough challenge ahead, but they should go in with some confidence. I don't watch enough Spanish league, but it is a very fun style to watch. Look forward to watching more throughout the year!

Chelsea/Tottenham 1-4-17 The one thing about this challenge that makes it more doable is these weekday soccer matches, and we got a great English Premiere League match today. Chelsea is on top of the table, and on a 13 match winning streak. The Spurs sat in 5th heading into this game. Both teams are so great in the attacking half, and it makes for a very fun game to watch. Within the first 10 minutes Hazard and Kane both had chances on net. But through the first third of this match it was Tottenham with the scoring chances. Danny Rose was impressive early, as he made some great runs and created some chances. Spurs are just a damn talented team, they are deadly on the break. After a tightly contested 45, the Spurs took the lead right at the break on a brilliant header by Dele Alli. Chelsea started on the attack coming out of the half. Getting some chances but not able to get the equalizer. Well moments later, a Spurs run was finished off by a great cross from Erickson to Dele Alli. Credit to Dele for finishing it but Erickson set that up, with a great hesitation move which helped create the space. As great as Chelsea is, the Spurs were just the better squad today. It felt like Tottenham had more than 11 on the pitch, because they seemed to have someone around the ball at every moment. In the end it was a festive White Hart Lane singing for their Spurs, as they leap into 3rd after this very impressive performance. Chelsea was going for history tonight, but their match winning streak ends at 13, tying them for most all time. This had to be a tough one for the Blues, as they really were outplayed on both sides of the ball. Chelsea is still top of the league, and without any European obligations they should rebound from this nicely. It's going to be a fun few months watching the Top 6 battle this out, as each team has the ability to put a run together to take the league title. This was a damn fun game, but in the end it showed me how far off my Toffees are.

Another thing that was great about the game was seeing Keith Jackson in the booth. It has been 11 years since he called his final game, but he is still the voice of college football to me. When I was growing up, you knew it was a big game when Keith was on the call. Though it was sad hearing him struggle with his voice, we did get little glimmers of that legendary voice throughout the segment. When I think of the Rose Bowl, Keith Jackson is one of the first things that comes to mind. The Rose Bowl itself is still one of my favorite venues in all of sport. It is not state of the art, parking sucks, but it is timeless once you walk inside. There is something about big games in this stadium just living up the hype. There have been some legendary ones, but this game is going to go towards the top of the list. College football is wild, unpredictable, and fun as long as your team isn't playing.

Los Angeles continues to suffer from the growing pains, but that is expected given all the changes this year. The team did shoot the ball well, shooting 40% from the field and 47% from three. Nick Young did Swaggy things, as he was 7-9 from beyond the arc. The bench players continue to surprise me, and Sunday night it was Thomas Robinson that put together a nice night. Robinson only played 17 minutes but he complied a nice line of 12 points and 9 boards. Brandon Ingram continues to show flashes of what is to come, and he brought the house down with a thunderous dunk in the second half. I am really looking forward to watching this team over the next coming years, if the Lakers stay in tact they will be a force. I still think the Lakers can make the playoffs this year, and at 12-25 they only sit four games back of the 8th seed. If they can put the pieces together, who knows what will happen come May and June.

After the game my friends and I stayed in the stadium until security started clearing people out, and it was tough to take it in. The PA played a bunch of cryptic songs and it seemed to fuel the chants of the people who stuck around to keep the team in San Diego. At this point I don't know what else can be said about the future of the San Diego Chargers. We will find out the teams fate in the coming weeks, and my gut tells me this team will stay for at least 2 more years. As much as I have prepared myself for the team leaving, I'm not sure I still truly believe it could happen. Give me closure one way or another Dean Spanos, I think it's the least we as fans deserve.