NPSL Week 10 Midwest Region Review/Preview

Central Conference

Quad Cities is ahead and the group behind seems to taking good pieces of each other...

The Eagles lead is 5 over Madison (20-15) while FC Bordo (11) and the Minnesota squads TwinStars (9) and United Reserves (also 11) are all within reach of one another for the home stretch. Eau Claire Aris are still looking for their first win of the season.

Last week, QC pulled out 4 points against the Minnesotans while Madison watched. TwinStars lost to FC Bordo and Quad Cities while United reserves drew the conference leaders. Aris also had the weekend off.

This week, QC are at United. Madison also travel there. Aris also travel to TwinStars.
The Eagles did a little behind the scenes thing to let us know how they hold up before games
((HT: QC Eagles))


Great Lakes East Conference

This is one of the most fun conferences to pay attention to all season long...
Four teams now separated by five points... AFC Cleveland (15), Fort Pitt Regiment (14), Erie Admirals (11), and FC Buffalo (10)

Last week, AFCC beat FCB but lost at Erie. Fort Pitt lost a crossover match with Indiana Fire, but beat Cincinnati. FC Buffalo also lost to Lansing United, 2-1.

Here are those highlights
((HT: Lansing United their ownselves))


This week, Erie hosts Buffalo but then travels to Cleveland. Fort Pitt also goes to Buffalo Sunday.

Great Lakes West Conference

Another scramble, but in two separate groups...

Indiana Fire are a point ahead of Le Rouge (21-20) with Lansing at 18. Then, Cincinnati and Michigan are paired at 9 points heading into the weekend.

After beating Fort Pitt, Indiana lost 4-0 at DCFC.
Here's goal number two for DCFC, a spectacular free kick
((HT: Sam Raffa))


Michigan was idle.

This week, Indiana are off and Detroit City can make some serous moves with a game at Michigan before a home game with Cincinnati. Lansing does the reverse- hosting Cincinnati before heading to Michigan.

Sydney Leroux Assists In Her Own Goal

((HT: NWSL Soccer))

This goal was pretty filthy, so check in at the 1:59:00 mark for the decider in the WNY Flash-Seattle Reign match


It's almost like nutmegging someone yourself, working around the pick, and scoring that way...

Only this was over the top... in more ways than one...

Seferovich At The Death Gives 3 Points For Swiss

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

The talk was all but three minutes away...

A DRAW of all things in the World Cup...

Haris Seferovich had something to say about it in the last few minutes for the first game in Group E- a manageable group for the better squads in the table...

Here's the highlights


Now, the two who are done pay attention to France and Honduras to see if the Group has to go nuts all over again at the beginning a the round-robin stage...

This Is Why Drew Doughty Was Drafted 2nd Overall

((HT: LA Kings their own selves))

Doughty tied Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at twos with this move...


Yeah...

Not bad...

The game still goes on at present...

Post-Season Goal Of The Year...???

((HT: WBS Penguins their own selves))

Just watch the guy taking the face-off...

Post by Official Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

See what we mean...???

Pop-Up Video: Canes Get A Goal Off Goalie's Back

((HT: FS South/NHL))

Nothing like water off a duck's back, but what about rubber off a goalie's back...???

Happened last night for the Carolina Hurricanes in their 4-1 win over Dallas...


Eric Staal got credit for it... and it made the west wild card interesting...

Phoenix and Dallas are now tied with 85 points with five games left in the regular season...
Carolina is six points out with five games left...

Stamkos Has Awesome Hand-Eye Coordination

((HT: Sportsnet))

Just watch what he was able to do last night in putting the puck in the net against Ottawa...

More than anything, the HQ is impressed that he was able to choke up on the bat and make contact...

Nicely done...

Messi Sets History at 26

((HT: beINSports USA))

370 Goals for Lionel Messi by the age of 26...

Lionel Messi has become FCBarcelona's all-time top scorer- passing Paulino Alcantara
Here's 370...

Post by beIN SPORTS USA.

NPPA Has No Fear From Thierry Henry's Skills

((HT: MLS/Altitude))

Thierry Henry scored in the Red Bulls game against Colorado and had this for a goal celebration...


After the videographer was startled, the HQ wonders if he was rolling and what Henry's skills actually are...

Anyone find the inside video yet...???
Let us know... and would this be called a photobomb or a video bomb...???

Hard To Win When It's 8 on 5

((HT: Sportsnet))

That is the jingoistic part of the HQ speaking here...

With a ref crew that didn't call two previous penalties for "too many men" and getting in the way for the breakaway goal, the larger issue today in the Team Canada-Team USA game in Sochi was the goal that made it 2-1.

Sure, it was a goal for Hayley Wickenheiser putting her on top in the history of the event for goal scoring over Cammi Granato. But the dynamic is the issue- the puck was lost under USA goalie Jessie Vetter, a whistle sounded, the puck went in to the net...

In that order...

The play was reviewed and the blindness by all the officials- on ice and off- screwed it up for Team USA in an eventual 3-2 loss.

The new approach for the medal distribution is different than most sports- qualifiers were put in the semifinals already. And both of these teams are in the final four of the event. So, now the stars and stripes have to play a tough Finnish squad in another bracket entirely to, hopefully, get a rematch against the Canadians for the gold...

Here's analysis of Round One...

OSG Prem: How To Celebrate A Goal...??? How About A Haircut...???

((HT: BPL on NBC))

Hull City even gave their manager, Steve Bruce, reason to say "Wow!" on the sidelines with their shocking 6-0 win over Fulham at the KC Stadium this afternoon...

But Tom Huddlestone scored his first goal in three years...

So, his afro took a bit of a side chop as a celebration...
Evidence Below...


It was also his 27th birthday...

So, not a bad way to work it all out on the day...

Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen wondered if there was some other factor:

”I’m shocked. I don’t know if there was something in the tea. I did not see that coming and the players did not see that coming.”

Well, there's that...

OSG NAIA: Another Miracle In Montgomery... A Goal With :01 Left...

((HT: AUM Athletics))

Here's one way to get yourself to a national final...

The game-tying goal by Mathis Kroeger came off a set piece with :04 left in regulation to send the #11-seed Auburn University-Montgomery Warhawks into overtime against #2-seed (and 9-time NAIA national champ) Lindsey Wilson during the NAIA Men's Soccer National Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama.

AUM was down 1-0 and only had 10-men. They went on to defeat Lindsey Wilson in overtime.

Here's the play...


AUM will take on Martin Methodist in an all-SSAC showdown for the second year in a row...

OSG Prem: Welcome Back, Liverpool...Suarez Makes A Point

After the two-week international break, the top soccer league in the world was back at it this morning with the Everton-Liverpool match-up and it hasn't disappointed...

A goal by Cutinho was matched by Kevin Mirallas to tie things up at one...
Then, Luis Suarez decided to take advantage of an Everton wall that had a big hole in it...
The HQ has no idea what Steven Pienaar was thinking at the tim of set-up...


Mirallas' game status was in serious question after a challenge to Suarez- which, really, should have been a red card dismissal... and he started the second half by crowning Suarez in trying to avoid a tackle.

And when physios get involved, you know that Merseyside Derbys are as normal as they can be...

OSG Prem: Stoke's Begovic Scores... And It's A Big Deal...

((HT: BPL on NBC))

After just 12 seconds in today's Stoke-Southampton match, Potters goalie Asmir Begovic scored for Stoke City- joining the likes of Tim Howard, Paul Robinson, and Peter Schmeichel as goalies who scored in Premier League action.

It was 1-1 at the break...

Enjoy...

Mike Smith Adds Name To Goalie Goal-Scoring List

((HT: FS Arizona/NHL))

Pop quiz, rookie...

There's a second left in the game... what do you do...???

SHOOT!!!!!


Only 11 goaltenders are on the list now, but it has happened three times in the last three years now...

San Marino Actually Scored

((HT: TalkSport))

It took the tiny principality of San Marino five years to do it, but Alessandro Della Valle put the ball in the net against Poland yesterday...

First goal in five years... not bad off the set piece...


They would go on to lose 5-1, but hey, they put one in the net...
It's progress...

And We're Off: Sturridge Nets First Prem Goal Of 2013, Mignolet Comes Up Huge In Debut

((HT: BPL/Canal+))

Daniel Sturridge is the answer to your trivia question... as he opened the scoring of the 2013/14 Premier League season as Liverpool took on Stoke and their pesky defensive-minded soccer.

Iago Aspas found Sturridge on a pass across the outside of the box before Sturridge's shot went through the legs of Robert Huth and found the far post beating Asmir Begovic for the goal.

Liverpool's hearts were almost broken in the 88th minute at Anfield as Daniel Agger was called for a hand ball in the box. But Jonathan Walters penalty kick attempt was saved by Simon Mignolet- as was the follow- to preserve the shut out.

Here's the first of the firsts of this season in the 1-0 win...


And the HQ wonders if new Stoke manager Mark Hughes still thinks his squad stinks...

Goal From 70 Meters Out Gives Red Bull Wings

((HT: Star Football Live TVV))

It's the season of friendlies overseas as we get closer to the beginning of football season...
Or soccer season... whichever you prefer...

And Red Bull Salzburg was playing Schalke 04 when Martin Hinteregger shot this laser...


Not bad from your own defensive end...

Abby Wambach Now Has The Record

((HT: NBCSN))

Abby Wambach had a hat trick inside 30 minutes and scored a fourth goal in first half stoppage time to reach 160 goals in her international career, breaking Mia Hamm’s previous world record of 158.

Here's the record breaker against South Korea as the US Women's National Team beat the visitors 5-0...

And it didn't even seem that close at Red Bull Arena...

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

A 44-Story Goal Light...??? Yup... In Pittsburgh...

((HT: CBS Sports/Adam Gretz))

This is what happens when you have a city fully involved in their post-season...

Pittsburgh has turned their 44-story Gulf Building into a gigantic goal light that goes off every time the Pens score...

The building was very busy last night...
Evidence below...

Pittsburgh Penguins on WhoSay