2013 - Current Topic - Football - Basketball - Media

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Thursday, October 3, 2013

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Sevilla vs Freiburg En Vivo

Trabzonspor Lazio izle

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Tottenham vs Anzhi Live Stream

Monday, May 27, 2013

Yillardir blogun icinde oldugumuz piyasayi bildigimiz servisleri kullandigimiz Mustafa Ozcan olarak seo deneyimi ile kişisel blog makalelerime yer verebildigim deneyim ile karsilikli olarak mustafa ozcan olarak firsatlari sunuyoruz.

Günümüzdeki değişimleri sizlere fırsatlar şeklinde sunmayı hedefleyen sitem çok yakında çok iyi br seviyeye getirecem.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Benfica vs Newcastle United April 4, 2013

Newcastle United face a daunting but glamorous Quarter-Final against Benfica, as they head to Lisbon to contest the first leg of the game.

Typically, both bosses were full of praise and warning for their opposite number's teams, although the Portuguese will be favourites over the tie and certainly in the first leg. Newcastle's task will be made harder by injury problems continuing to plague their squad, whereas their hosts have a full roster to choose from.

Newcastle's last game saw them thrashed by Manchester City, but the Magpies should improve for this tie as they welcome back some players to their side. Nonetheless, with key defenders absent and the quality of Benfica's attack considered, both teams will be strongest on the front foot and should look to attack in what promises to be an entertaining tie.

Benfica injuries and suspensions

None

Newcastle United injuries and suspensions

Out: Cheick Tiote (hamstring), Massadio Haidara (knee), Fabricio Coloccini (back), Hatem Ben Arfa (hamstring), Mathieu Debuchy (ineligible), Yoann Gouffran (ineligible)

Benfica have no injuries or suspensions to any major players and will thus have the luxury of a full-strength squad to field against the Magpies.

Newcastle, on the other hand, have plenty. January signings Mathieu Debuchy and Yoann Gouffran are cup-tied, while first-team players Coloccini, Tiote and Ben Arfa are all also absent. Massadio Haidara is also ruled out. There is some good news however, with other injured players returning: Tim Krul and Davide Santon both return to action.

Match Date\Time: Thusday, 20:05 p.m. local\BST, 15:05 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal

Tottenham vs Basel April 4, 2013

The Swiss outfit have been regulars in continental competition in recent years and last season reached the last 16 of the Champions League having seen off Manchester United in the group phase. Since then the club has lost talented young midfielders Xerdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, while Murat Yakin has taken over as manager, but Basel showed the quality they still possess by knocking out one of the tournament favorites, and conquerors of Liverpool, Zenit St Petersburg, in the last round.

The team has changed and the manager has changed but this is a team that is used to winning trophies and used to playing European football,” Villas-Boas said, according to Tottenham’s official website. “So they are in the same line as teams we’ve faced before, Lyon and Inter Milan, perhaps not with the same European pedigree and trophy cabinet, but a team that is used to winning and that makes them a difficult opponent.”

Chelsea vs Rubin Kazan April 4, 2013

Chelsea: Cech; Azpilucueta, Luiz, Terry, Bertrand; Lampard, Ramires; Moses, Mata, Benayoun; Torres.
Subs: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Oscar, Mikel, Hazard, Ferreira, Marin.
Rubin Kazan: Ryzhikov, Cesar Navas, Kuzmin, Kaleshin, Ansaldi, Sharonov, Orbaiz, Roman Eremenko, Karadeniz, Natcho, Dyadyun.
Subs: Arlauskis, Ryazantsev, Kasaev, Kisliak, Marcano, Tore, Rondon.
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)

The Russian visitors will be without striker Alexander Ryazantsev and French midfielder Yann M'Vila, who both miss the trip to London through injury.
They also have fitness concerns over midfielder Alan Kasaev, who was ruled out of their weekend league win against Lokomotiv Moscow.
Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez is expected to reshuffle his starting XI as the Blues prepare for their third match in six days.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Real Madrid vs Galatasaray April 3, 2013

Stay tuned for Ahram Online's special coverage of the Real Madrid match against Galatasaray SK on Wednesday, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Captain and World cup winner Iker Casillas has been left out of this game despite resuming full trainings. Mourinho thinks that he has to keep working hard in trainings and wait for his chance.

The Merengues manager Jose Mourinho will be up against some familiar opponents in the Turkish team, as he coached Didier Drogba at Chelsea before moving to Inter Milan in 2010 to win the championship with Wesley Sneijder on his team.

Madrid will be heading into the match on a high after eliminating Manchester United in the previous round and two Clasico wins against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals and the league.

Real Madrid: 41-Diego Lopez; 17-Alvaro Arbeloa, 3-Pepe, 4-Sergio Ramos, 5-Fabio Coentrao; 6-Sami Khedira, 14-Xabi Alonso; 22-Angel Di Maria, 10-Mesut Ozil, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo; 9-Karim Benzema

Galatasaray: 1-Fernando Muslera; 27-Emmanuel Eboue, 26-Semih Kaya, 13-Dany Nounkeu, 11-Albert Riera; 14-Wesley Sneijder, 10-Felipe Melo, 8-Selcuk Inan, 4-Hamit Altintop; 17-Burak Yilmaz, 12-Didier Drogba

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

New York Knicks vs Miami Heat April 2, 2013

The New York Knicks (46-26) are travelling to take on the Miami Heat (58-15) in a highly anticipated contest between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Anytime these longtime rivals meet on the same floor, you can be sure that a back-and-forth, chippy battle will occur. Things should be no different in the final regular season matchup of the 2012-13 campaign, even if some of the key players for each team could be missing.

Let’s take a look at where you can watch the game, check out the latest injury report, highlight some players to watch, predict the final score and much more in our Knicks vs. Heat preview.

When: Tuesday, April 2 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, Fla.

Watch: TNT

Live Stream: TNT Overtime

Knicks Injury Report
C Tyson Chandler, Questionable, Neck

F Kurt Thomas, Out, Foot

F Amar’e Stoudemire, Out, Knee

F Rasheed Wallace, Out, Foot

Heat Injury Report
F LeBron James, Questionable, Hamstring

G Dwyane Wade, Questionable, Ankle

G Mario Chalmers, Questionable, Ankle

PSG 2-2 Barcelona Highlights April 2, 2013

PSG 2-2 Barcelona Highlights

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have numerous brilliant players worthy of attention in their UEFA Champions League encounter on Tuesday, but the spotlight will be on one above all others. And it's not Lionel Messi.

Though Zlatan Ibrahimović scored 21 goals and won a La Liga title during his lone season at Barcelona, it was the only club at which he did not excel during his career. He was expected to become the centerpiece of the team's attack and the perfect compliment to Messi when he was brought in for Samuel Eto'o, plus €40 million, but he was so unwanted by Pep Guardiola that he was loaned to AC Milan with an option to buy for just €24 million one season later.

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-2-1): Salvatore Sirigu; Maxwell, Thiago Silva, Alex, Gregory van der Wiel; Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi, Clément Chantôme; Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi; Zlatan Ibrahimović

FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Victor Valdes; Jordi Alba, Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves; Sergio Busquests, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta; David Villa, Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodriguez

Bayern Munich 2-0 Juventus April 2, 2013

Juventus will enter Tuesday's heavyweight clash with Bayern Munich with smiles on their faces, an 18-match unbeaten record in Europe behind them and no concerns about the Bavarians' nine-goal demolition of Hamburg.

The match kicks off at 20:45 CLT (18:45 GMT)

Probable line-up:

Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel Neuer; 21-Philipp Lahm, 5-Daniel Van Buyten, 4-Dante, 27-David Alaba; 6-Bastian Schweinsteiger; 25-Thomas Mueller, 39-Toni Kroos, 10-Arjen Robben, 7-Franck Ribery; 9-Mario Mandzukic

Juventus: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 15-Andrea Barzagli, 3-Giorgio Chiellini, 19-Leonardo Bonucci; 21-Andrea Pirlo; 23-Arturo Vidal, 6-Paul Pogba, 8-Claudio Marchisio, 22-Kwadwo Asamoah; 32-Alessandro Matri, 27-Fabio Quagliarella.

Monday, April 1, 2013

WWE Raw - Wrestlemania April 1, 2013

With Wrestlemania 29 just a mere six days away, tonight's Monday Night Raw surely won't be pulling any punches (no pun intended) in terms of its action. The three-hour show will be airing live from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
In order for the WWE's grandest stage of them all to be a success, the company's upper card feuds need to generate some serious heat and pops on the WWE's flagship show.

The top three matches on the Wrestlemania 29 card are as follows:
The Rock vs. John Cena - WWE title
Undertaker vs. CM Punk - Wrestlemania Undefeated streak
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar - Triple H's Career On The Line

While the Wrestlemania rematch between The People's Champ and Cena for the WWE Heavyweight title is surely one of its top matches, The Undertaker against CM Punk is arguably the most must-see match on the card. The Deadman will go into the WWE's most popular event with a historical 20-0 winning streak.
Since the self proclaimed "Best In The World" is definitely one of the company's top guys, and now a Vince McMahon favorite, many people do believe that there is indeed a possibility that he'll be the one to snap the streak.
However, many wrestling fans had assumed that Taker would pass the torch in the past and be defeated, but the respective outcome hasn't happened yet.

Kevin Ware | Injury

University of Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware suffered a horrific broken right leg during Sunday’s NCAA Midwest Regional final that left his teammates and coach in tears.
Ware, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, was contesting an outside shot right in front of his own team’s bench when he landed awkwardly and his leg buckled, bending almost at a right angle.
Ware, 20, was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis to repair his leg. School officials said the leg, broken in two places, was reset and a rod inserted into his right tibia. ESPN reported Ware will remain in Indianapolis until at least Tuesday.

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said Ware immediately thought about his team the moments after sustaining the injury. Ware told the team that he would be fine and to win the game, according to Pitino.
“The bone’s 6 inches out of his leg and all he’s yelling is, ‘Win the game, win the game,’” Pitino said after the game. “I’ve not seen that in my life. … Pretty special young man.”
Pitino said Ware will need a year to recover from the injury before returning to basketball.
Louisville drew inspiration from Ware’s message and rolled over Duke, 85-63, in the Midwest Regional at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Cardinals will play Wichita State in the Final Four next Saturday.
The injury was so gruesome that CBS decided to halt replays of the injury after showing it two times.
The brutal mishap occurred after Ware jumped to contest a 3-pointer by Tyler Thornton. Ware’s leg buckled when he landed. Nearly six seconds ran off the clock before the officials, at Pitino’s urging, stopped the game with 6:33 left in the first half.
Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theisman famously sustained a broken leg on “Monday Night Football” in a game against the New York Giants in 1985 when he was tackled by Lawrence Taylor. Theisman tweeted, “Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware.”
The training staff quickly placed towels over the Ware’s leg. A few feet away, many of Ware’s teammates dropped to the court and cried as they looked on.
“The bone was literally out. I saw white, it was literally out,” said Louisville’s Chane Behanan, who collapsed to his hands and feet at the sight.
The rest of the team eventually huddled at the free throw line with their arms wrapped around each other.
After a lengthy delay, Ware was taken off the court on a stretcher to a rousing ovation from the crowd.
Behanan said he spoke to Ware at halftime.
“He said ‘Don’t worry about me, I’m good, I’ll have my surgery tonight,’” Behanan said. “Go win it for me.”
The Louisville Cardinals celebrated at the end of the game hoisting the Midwest Regional trophy and Ware’s #5 jersey. Overnight, many of Ware’s friends and teammates tweeted a photo of him in his hospital bed with the trophy nestled under his arm.

Chelsea vs Manchester United April 1, 2013

Two days after Manchester United and Chelsea played Premier League matches, the pair will take to the pitch yet again, this time in a FA Cup replay. It's a task made even worse for the Red Devils, who got off to a flying start in the first leg and figured they were through to the semifinals without this replay.

United will rue the fact that they are even in this replay after blowing a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford in the first leg. Goals by Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez put them in front after just 11 minutes and they played Chelsea off the pitch in the first half, but the Blues stormed back in the second and netted a pair of goals through Eden Hazard and Ramirez to force another match, this time at Stamford Bridge.

It's a tough turnaround for both teams and Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez both had this fixture congestion in mind over the weekend when they made several chances to their teams. They had to keep players fresh, but some are going to have to make t two matches in 48 hours, and that could lead to a match-changing mistake that sends one team to Wembley for the semifinals.

Chelsea made seven changes in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Southampton, while United rested Rooney, Hernandez, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs in their Saturday morning victory.

The winner of this match will face a tough semifinal against Manchester City, after the draw split the power clubs and the hopefuls for the penultimate round. Millwall and Wigan are in the other semifinal.

Match date/time: Monday, April 1, 7:30 a.m. ET

Sunday, March 31, 2013

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtic March 31, 2013

The New York Knicks are in third place in the Eastern Conference, but they sit just half a game behind second-place Indiana.

Neither the Knicks nor Pacers has the time and steam to catch the Miami Heat, but securing the No. 2 seed and the homecourt advantage will be important should the Knicks encounter a tough Pacers team in the second round of the NBA playoffs (the Pacers are 29-8 at home).

New York has been very good at home, too. The Knicks have won 26 of 36 at Madison Square Garden. Sunday night's game against the Boston Celtics could potentially bolster that record, but the Celtics have won two straight and are also engaged in a battle for positioning with the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks for the final four spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Knicks are without Tyson Chandler, who they've encouraged to take his time recovering from his neck injury since the playoffs are of greater importance than the team's final position in the Eastern Conference standings.

As for Boston, it should be able to retain the No. 7 spot at least—but moving up to as high as fifth is a possibility. Should it do so, the Celtics would play the fourth-seeded Brooklyn Nets, against whom they are 1-2 this season. They also would avoid Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks, a tough Pacers defense and a Miami Heat squad that no one wants to face. Only if the Celtics are overtaken by eighth-seeded Milwaukee would they be forced to play the Heat in the first round.

So, this game is of great consequence for both teams. Boston has battled injury problems, and Kevin Garnett has been sitting with knee issues. That has only compounded the depth issue for Boston, as it was already without playmaker Rajon Rondo and standout rookie Jared Sullinger.

Called into duty has been Chris Wilcox and Shavlik Randolph, who just turned in arguably the best game of his pro career, scoring nine points, grabbing 13 boards and blocking two shots, all in 22 minutes of action, in Friday's 118-107 victory over Atlanta.

While Randolph isn't the most awe-inspiring athlete, his work ethic, size and hustle will help the C's plug the gaps for the remainder of this season, whatever it turns out to be.

Boston is now nearly five years removed from its 2008 championship, and though the main pieces are intact from that squad (minus Ray Allen), they're older, slower and further removed from their waning primes. While Paul Pierce is still playing at a high level, KG is battling injuries and the youngest of what became a Big Four (Rondo) is injured, as well.

Thus, while ostensibly the Celtics are much the same squad they were during their title run, they are also far different. They have different role players—and perhaps most importantly—have lost their championship swagger.

They'll try to regain some of that in one of the NBA's most storied venues Sunday night. But few analysts consider the Celtics true contenders without the league's leading assist man in an Eastern Conference held firmly by its throats by LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs March 31, 2013

This is it—the biggest game left of the 2012-13 season for the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.

Both teams are looking to seal up the best record in the NBA, the Heat with a 57-15 record and the Spurs sitting at 55-17 overall. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET Sunday night from AT&T Center.

The last time the Heat and Spurs faced off, Gregg Popovich made headlines by sending Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Danny Green and Manu Ginobili home before the meeting in South Beach.

Without their star players, the Spurs gave the Heat all they could handle, but ultimately Miami came out on top, 105-100.

This matchup is taking an entirely different form. Not only will it help decide which team will hold home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, it is also a potential 2013 NBA Finals preview.

While the players say that they take every game just one day at a time, there's no doubt that this one means a little bit more for the Heat and Spurs.

Over the past five games LeBron James has averaged 30.6 points, 7.6 assists and 7.2 rebounds.

Not only will he be looking to keep those numbers going, he'll also be trying to prove that no one is going to stand in his way of leading the Heat to back-to-back titles.

You don't want to miss this one. It's got Dwyane Wade vs. Tony Parker, LeBron vs. Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan vs. Chris Bosh. You can't get much better than that.

Roda JC - PSV March 31, 2013

KERKRADE -
PSV begint zondag met Jeremain Lens en Memphis Depay in de ploeg aan de uitwedstrijd tegen Roda JC. Lens keert terug na een lange schorsing, die hij kreeg voor zijn aandeel in het 'tunnelincident' na de wedstrijd in De Kuip tegen Feyenoord. De international krijgt in de spits de voorkeur boven Tim Matavz en Jürgen Locadia, die op de bank zitten.

Depay vervangt zoals verwacht links voorin de geschorste Dries Mertens. Ola Toivonen is de meest vooruitgeschoven pion op het middenveld, met verder Mark van Bommel en Kevin Strootman. De wedstrijd in Kerkrade begint om 12.30 uur.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Zaragoza vs Real Madrid March 30, 2013

Madrid’s recent run has had little impact on Barcelona’s lead in the Liga standings, yet, despite the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal with Galatasaray coming up on Wednesday, assistant coach Aitor Karanka has said that his side is keen to maintain their form at the La Romareda.

“[Zaragoza] are in a difficult position, and for us it is an important match after the international break, where luckily we did not have any serious injuries as has happened on other occasions, because we are on a good run of form,” he said, according to Real Madrid’s official website.

“We want to win and carry on the run of wins we were having before this break. The team is doing very well and the decisive part of the season is starting. We have to finish like this.”

There is likely to be some rotation to the side, however. Much of the intrigue surrounds the goalkeeping situation with captain Iker Casillas now back in training. Yet Diego Lopez looks set to continue between the sticks for at least the time being with Karanka stating that Casillas is not yet ready for a return to action.

“He was cleared by the doctors some time ago, but he still is not ready to play as he is not one hundred per cent match fit,” he explained. “When he is one hundred per cent, he will be ready to play, but he is the goal keeper which makes it more difficult.”

Madrid’s recent run contrasts sharply with that of a Zaragoza side that has gone 10 games without a victory in La Liga. Manolo Jimenez’s side have dropped to within two points of the relegation zone, but the coach will be boosted by the return of midfielder Apono against Madrid.

Real Zaragoza (probable)

G: Franco

D: Sapunaru, Loovens, Gonzalez, Abraham

M: Apono, Movilla

Rodriguez, Romaric, Montanes

F: Postiga

Real Madrid (probable)

G: Lopez

D: Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo

M: Essien, Modric

Callejon, Ozil, Ronaldo

F: Benzema

Celta Vigo vs Barcelona March 30, 2013

La Liga: Balaidos, Vigo (Spain). 1 p.m ET, 6 p.m CET

Celta Vigo 0-0 Barcelona (1st half)

Celta Vigo: Varas; Jonny, Demidov, Cabral, Lago; Pranjic, Oubiña; Natxo Insa, Augusto, Orellana; Park

Barcelona: Pinto; Alves, Piqué, Bartra, Montoya; Song, Thiago, Fàbregas; Alexis, Messi; Tello

Southampton Vs Chelsea March 30, 2013

Rafael Benitez insists Chelsea can still claim second place in the Premier League ahead of a trip to Southampton on Saturday that marks the start of a testing run of fixtures for the Blues.

Benitez’s third placed side will attempt to increase the pressure on Manchester City, who sit five points ahead in second spot, with victory over the relegation-threatened Saints at St Mary’s.

That marks the first of six games in a 16-day period for Chelsea, with the FA Cup sixth round replay against Manchester United next up just 48 hours later.

The programme will test Benitez’s squad to the limit but the Spaniard said: “It is better to have this problem than be at home watching it on the television.

“It is better to have this schedule because it means you are still competing.

“With a top side, the last month in the season is when you fight for trophies. We are still there and it is a positive.

“At this stage of the competition, you have to win games and then you can win trophies. It has to be now, in this period.”

Chelsea moved one point ahead of Tottenham in the last round of fixtures before the international break, with Arsenal another four points adrift in fifth place.

Arsenal vs Reading March 30, 2013

Arsene Wenger believes the experience gained from Arsenal’s long run of successful attempts to qualify for the Champions League will serve his team well in the battle to finish in the top four.

Wenger has overseen 15 consecutive years in Europe’s elite club competition, but Arsenal’s place in the Premier League’s top four has appeared more under threat than ever this season.

Despite Arsenal’s spluttering form, the Gunners boss has been encouraged by the win over Swansea before the international break and their failed effort to overturn a first leg deficit against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16.

“We just want to continue our form,” Wenger said ahead of Reading’s visit to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

“Bayern and Swansea is a good inspiration to continue our run-in. There are nine games to go. We play five at home and four away. With the form we have shown at Bayern and at Swansea, I think we have a very good chance to finish in the top four.

Manchester City vs Newcastle United March 30, 2013

The Magpies are almost clear of a relegation battle they drifted too close for comfort to, although they will find it a tough task to pick up something at the home of the Premier League champions. The job will be made all the tougher by a swathe of injuries to hit the Newcastle squad as they endure yet another injury crisis, although the likes of Mathieu Debuchy and Cheik Tiote should return for their next fixture.

In all, it should on paper be a comfortable win for the Citizens, but they've been rather unpredictable this season, and Newcastle certainly have a lot more to play for. They'll also still have the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse in their ranks, so can certainly not be dismissed as a threat.

Manchester City injuries and suspensions

Out: Maicon (knee), Micah Richards (knee), Jack Rodwell (hamstring)

Newcastle injuries and suspensions

Out: Hatem Ben Arfa (hamstring), Fabricio Coloccini (back), Mathieu Debuchy (hamstring), Massadio Haidara (knee), Tim Krul (ankle), Ryan Taylor (knee), Davide Santon (thigh), Cheik Tiote (muscle), Haris Vuckic (knee)

Match Date\Time: Saturday, 3 p.m. local, 11 a.m. ET

VFB Stuttgart vs Borussia Dortmund March 30, 2013

Stuttgart look to ascend higher in the league table but it is always difficult task when the opponents are Dortmund. Stuttgart are currently 12 in the league table and they face second placed defending champions Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund are currently ranked second with 49 points and are 20 points below the league leaders Bayern Munich but they still face competition with third ranked Leverkusen.

Stuttgart has suffered poor form recently as they have won only 4 out of their 5 recent matches but their recent win ends thei loosing streak. Dortmund on the other hand has enjoyed 3 win in their 5 matches while their loss includes 1-0 defeat in Allinaz Arena.

Inter Milan vs Juventus March 30, 2013

Serie A: Inter Milan vs. Juventus (kickoff 10 a.m. ET; 2 p.m. GMT)

30 March 2013

San Siro, Milan

Inter Milan XI (3-4-1-2): Handanovic; Ranocchia, Samuel, Chivu; Zanetti, Kovacic, Gargano, Pereira; Alvarez; Palacio, Cassano

Juventus XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Padoin, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Quagliarella, Matri

Sunderland vs Manchester United March 30, 2013

Meanwhile at the other end of the table, Manchester United are still 15 points clear, having not been beaten in the league since November. On a run of six straight league wins, they really ought to extend their streak, even if they were hardly convincing in their 1-0 win over Reading before the international break.

Sunderland's task is made even more difficult by their injury list. Steven Fletcher is the team's only true striker to have scored in the league this season, though after he picked up an ankle ligament injury on international duty with Scotland, he's unavailable for the rest of the season, sidelined with captain Lee Cattermole.

Elsewhere, former United player Wes Brown is out with a knee injury, while his defensive counterpart Carlos Cuellar's ankle injury renders him doubtful. David Vaughan and Stéphane Sessègnon face fitness tests to determine their availability.

Sir Alex Ferguson may well opt to rest a few of his stars ahead of United's FA Cup replay against Chelsea on Monday night, with Anders Lindegaard possibly set to start in goal ahead of David De Gea, while Robin Van Persie could also be benched as Javier Hernández comes into the attack. Paul Scholes, Phil Jones and Nani could all return from their recent injuries.

United will be looking to banish the bad memories of the last time they played at the Stadium of Light on the final day of last season -- when, despite a 1-0 victory, a late comeback at the Etihad Stadium saw Manchester City snatch the title.

Sunderland injuries and suspensions

Out: Steven Fletcher (ankle), Lee Cattermole (knee), Wes Brown (knee) In doubt: Carlos Cuellar (ankle), David Vaughan (groin), Stéphane Sessègnon (groin)

Manchester United injuries and suspensions

In doubt: Paul Scholes (knee), Phil Jones (ankle), Nani (hamstring)

Match Date\Time: Saturday, 12:45pm local, 7:45am ET

Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England

Friday, March 29, 2013

Miami Heat v New Orleans Hornets March 29, 2013

The one NBA team I wouldn't want to be playing against right now is the Miami Heat.

Not only did their 27-game winning streak end on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls, but they also got outworked and overpowered by a Bulls team without Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose.

A tough loss is usually followed by a beat down, at least when you're the reigning NBA champs, and that's exactly what the Heat will be looking to do against the New Orleans Hornets.

New Orleans is no pushover though, as they snapped the Denver Nuggets' 15-game winning streak after beating the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies.

Led by Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis, the Hornets have the perfect blueprint for beating the Heat—an inside presence mixed with strong perimeter shooting.

The Heat won't have an easy time beating the Hornets, but they'll need to if they want to get back on track after their loss to the Bulls.

A strong win by LeBron James and company can make a bold statement to the entire NBA, specifically as to their ability to rebound on the road after tough losses.

Washington Wizards vs Orlando Magic March 29, 2013

The Orlando Magic host the Washington Wizards on Friday, looking to end their eight-game losing streak. Tipoff is set for 7 PM Eastern on Fox Sports Florida in the Orlando market. The Orlando Pinstriped Post GameThread will appear at 5 PM in this StoryStream and on the cover.

Orlando's last time out: The Magic built a 19-point lead on the road against the Charlotte Bobcats, the league's worst team, on Wednesday, but squandered it by allowing Charlotte's 28th-ranked offense to score 94 points over the final three periods. Orlando got career-bests from Tobias Harris (29 points and six assists), Kyle O`Quinn (13 points, six assists), and DeQuan Jones (13 points), but simply couldn't defend the likes of Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson (34 points apiece).

Washington's last time out: The Oklahoma City Thunder drilled the Wizards, 103-80, on Wednesday, outscoring the visitors in every quarter. John Wall scored 18 points for the Wizards, but missed 15 of his 18 shots. Overall, Washington shot 32.1 percent and committed 15 turnovers.

PSG Vs Montpellier March 29, 2013

Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti shrugged off David Beckham’s trip to China on Thursday and admitted that he’d be delighted if the former England skipper extended his deal with the French giants.

Beckham, 37, left on his 16,500km round-trip last Wednesday before returning to Paris on Monday, visiting three Chinese cities as part of a long-planned ambassadorial role.

Ancelotti has included the veteran midfielder in the squad for Ligue 1 leaders PSG’s home clash against Montpellier on Friday despite some fears that he may not be fit enough to feature for the full 90 minutes.

“If he were to come on with five minutes left in the match, then that would be manageable. If it was for an hour and a half, then that would not be reasonable,” club doctor Dominique Savelli told AFP.

“It all depends on how well he sleeps. He is used to travelling. But these are not optimal conditions, flying for five days with a time difference. You are not in the shape that you would be if you were sleeping for the normal amount in your own bed.”

But Ancelotti said he had no concerns over Beckham’s fitness and would also be happy to see the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star remain at the club beyond his current deal which expires at the end of the season.

“I would be totally in agreement if Beckham prolongs his contract,” said the Italian.

On the player’s trip to China, where he also took part in three training sessions, Ancelotti said he was mystified why the visit had sparked so much discussion.

“It was an agreement that he made before his contract with PSG, everyone agreed. There was no problem for me, I also agreed,” said Ancelotti.

“The players that remained in Paris during the international break had three days off; Beckham had four. He missed just one training session, that’s all. He could perhaps start the game against Montpellier.”

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors March 27, 2013

Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors online watch, Atlanta Hawks vs Toronto Raptors live stream, Following a disappointing defeat, visiting Atlanta seeks a 13th victory in 15 meetings with the Toronto Raptors, who could have Rudy Gay back in the lineup Wednesday night.

The Hawks (39-32) had a chance to wrap up their sixth consecutive playoff berth Monday, but they instead fell behind by as many as 28 points in a 100-94 road loss to an Indiana team that played without four key contributors.

Josh Smith scored a game-high 20 points as Atlanta lost for the second time in three games.

“It was a game that we should have, I thought, should have been a little more focused and played a little bit more composed,” Drew said. “We allowed the pressure to speed us up, and we allowed some (foul) calls to just completely take us out of what our focus should have been.”

The Hawks are tied with Chicago for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, 2 1/2 games behind Brooklyn for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The bench made the game interesting in the fourth quarter Monday, but Drew was surprised his squad played so poorly in a contest that meant so much.

“The disappointing thing was that we just lost our composure,” Drew said. “We didn’t handle it the right way. It just took us out of our game.”

The Hawks, in the midst of a four-game trip that concludes Friday against Boston, can clinch a playoff spot with a fifth straight road victory over the Raptors, who are hoping Gay’s sore back will be healed enough for him to play.

Gay suffered the injury in Friday’s 99-94 home loss to New York, then sat out Saturday’s 110-84 defeat to the Knicks. He practice Monday and Tuesday and said he is planning to play against the Hawks.

With the playoffs out of reach, coach Dwane Casey is already beginning to prepare for next season.

“What I would like to have is for (Gay) to be healthy and where we can get a rhythm and a style of play established with he and DeMar (DeRozan) and he and Kyle (Lowry) and that group,” Casey said. “That would be the only thing I would like to have is some continuity going into the end of the year. That way we kind of know what we have coming into next year.”

It’s been a disappointing season as Toronto (26-44) has played half its games without the injured Andrea Bargnani. The Raptors, who have lost four straight and 11 of 14, turned the ball over 18 times Saturday.

Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls March 27, 2013

Chicago is on a two-game winning streak of its own, but they’ve done so without one of their top stars. Since Derrick Rose has missed the entire season with an ACL injury, Joakim Noah has become the team’s best player. He’s sat out the last two games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He’s listed as a game-time decision.

Mario Belinelli is also a game-time decision. Like Noah, he practiced on Tuesday.

For Miami, Dwyane Wade has been banged up recently. The Chicago native has also missed the past two games with an injury. He is expected to suit up against his hometown team.

It hasn’t mattered much who LeBron James has played with this season. Even in games that Wade or Chris Bosh have been forced to sit out, the three-time MVP has been the league’s best player by far. In the past five games, James is just 1.2 rebounds per game shy of averaging a triple-double.

Despite their dominance, Miami has had a few close calls of late. In two of their past five wins, they’ve had to overcome deficits of 17 and 27 points.

Even on the road against a playoff team, the consensus betting line in Las Vegas has Miami favored by six points. The Heat will likely be favored in every game for the remainder of the season.

Prediction: Miami 90, Chicago 80

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers March 27, 2013

In a battle between intra-conference foes, the Boston Celtics will battle the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although Cleveland is all but eliminated from postseason contention, Boston is in need of a win for the sake of their positioning.

So how will it all transpire?

Boston enters this game with a record of 36-34 overall and 12-23 on the road. They've also lost five games in a row, which displays their need for a momentum-building victory.

As for Cleveland, they're 22-47 on the season and 13-21 at home. While the postseason is out of the picture, the Cavaliers would make tremendous strides in the right direction by earning a win for their young players.

It's youth against experience in this Eastern Conference battle.

Time: Wednesday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m. EDT

Records: Boston Celtics (36-34, 12-23 road) at Cleveland Cavaliers (22-47, 13-21 home)

Betting Line: N/A

Boston Celtics Injury Report

Kevin Garnett, Ankle Inflammation, Doubtful

Courtney Lee, Sprained Ankle, Doubtful

Rajon Rondo, Partially Torn ACL, Out

Jared Sullinger, Two Herniated Discs, Out

Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report

Kyrie Irving, Sprained Left Shoulder, Out

Anderson Varejao, Blood Clot, Out

Dion Waiters, Knee Soreness, Doubtful

Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers March 27, 2013

The Milwaukee Bucks will try to snap a three-game losing streak Wednesday night when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Bucks have lost three in a row, including a pair of losses to the Atlanta Hawks and a setback to the Indiana Pacers. Milwaukee has dropped three in a row on the road as well.

This type of play doesn't bode well for a team that is headed to the playoffs. The Bucks haven't clinched a postseason berth yet, but they are not in a desperate situation. Milwaukee is 7 1/2 games ahead of the Sixers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Against the Hawks in Milwaukee on Sunday, the Bucks lost the fourth quarter, 30-25, and that proved to be the final margin as Milwaukee fell, 104-99.

"Our guys battled, played hard, had a lot of good effort from people," said interim head coach Jim Boylan.

Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats March 27,2013

Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats live stream, Orlando Magic vs Charlotte Bobcats online watch. The two teams with the worst records in the NBA hook up late in the season when the Charlotte Bobcats host the Orlando Magic Wednesday night.

Orlando is 1 1/2 games ahead of the Bobcats for the worst mark in the league.

These two teams were the latest victims of the Miami Heat and their epic run at NBA history. On Sunday, the Heat bested the Bobcats, then knocked off the Magic on Monday. Those were wins No. 26 and 27 in a row for the Heat.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Magic have lost seven straight games. Their last win was a home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10. The Magic have lost five in a row on the road.

Against the Heat, Orlando was led by a great effort from point guard Jameer Nelson. He finished with 27 points and 12 assists, but the Magic fell 108-94 to the defending champion Heat.

“We were short-handed and giving ourselves a chance to stay within striking distance,” said head coach Jacque Vaughn. “You have to give yourself a chance against a great team like that.”

The Magic were without Nikola Vucevic, Al Harrington and Arron Afflalo. Vucevic is listed as questionable after a concussion. Harrington’s availability is unknown and Afflalo will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Mexico vs USA March 26, 2013

Sure, Jurgen Klinsmann and a relative B roster managed to pull off a win at the Azteca last August, but that was not a qualifying match. The stadium was nowhere near full (it's sold out for today's match) and there was none of the pressure that will be felt today.

The US will be without midfielder Jermaine Jones after he suffered a sprained ankle in the now officially protested win over Costa Rica on Friday night. US Soccer announced late Monday that Michael Orozco Fiscal had been called in to replace the injured Jones on the roster. With the physical midfielder out, either Maurice Edu or Kyle Beckerman are expected to be Klinsmann's choice to start in place of Jones.

Mexico will be without captain 'Maza' Francisco Rodriguez due to suspension. They previously believed that Jorge Torres Nilo would be suspended for the match, but he is not suspended and should start at left back.

Match Date/Time: 8:30 p.m. local, 10:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Spain vs France March 26, 2013

From Sept. 8, 2007, to Oct. 16, 2012, Spain did not draw or lose a single major tournament qualifying match. It won its final four matches of Euro 2008 qualifying, put together perfect qualifying records en route to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, then won its first two qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup. That's 24 consecutive wins in major qualifiers.

France ended that streak back in October, snatching a stoppage equalizer in Madrid to seal a shocking point and grab the upper hand on the Spaniards en route to the 2014 World Cup. On Friday, with both sides almost certainly looking ahead to Tuesday's rematch, France coasted to a win over Georgia while Spain slipped up, inexplicably dropping two more points at home, this time to Finland. Les Bleus now head into Tuesday's match two points ahead of Spain, knowing they only need a draw to put themselves in pole position to qualify for the World Cup directly and send Spain to a playoff.

However, given the recent form of the two sides and their match in Madrid, a draw shouldn't be France's goal. There's no reason to believe it doesn't have an excellent chance to do something that only one team -- Switzerland -- has managed to do in any competitive fixture since 2006 by defeating La Furia Roja. A victory would give France a five-point cushion, and given the relative weakness of Group I, it would be unthinkable for France to throw that away and fail to win the group.

Team news

France doesn't have any serious fitness issues among the players it called up onto its squad. Its midfield is light on experience, but that's down more to Didier Deschamps' current preferences and form than injuries. Lassana Diarra, Alou Diarra, Yann M'Vila and Etienne Capoue are among the central midfielders recently part of France teams that have been left out. Samir Nasri has also been left out, along with experienced defenders Philippe Mexes, Adil Rami and Bacary Sagna.

Spain has some minor fitness issues among players on its team. Jordi Alba isn't expected to be available against France, and should be replaced by Nacho Monreal. Xavi Hernandez's fitness is also in question. Victor Valdes has taken over in goal in the absence of injured captain Iker Casillas. Carles Puyol, Fernando Torres, Roberto Soldado, Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez are among the other big names who were left out of the Spain squad.

Northern Ireland vs Israel March 26, 2013

Israel blew a 3-1 lead in its match against Portugal and lost the opportunity to create separation for the second spot in Group F.
However, the team will get another chance as it takes on a resurgent Northern Ireland... if the game between the two sides is allowed to happen.
The game between Northern Ireland and Russia was postponed on Friday due to a snowstorm and the match never took place. However conditions seemed to have improved since and the game between Israel and Northern Ireland should take place.

fter losing their opening game against Russia 2-0, Northern Ireland has mustered three straight draws including a stunning 1-1 tie against Portugal in October. With three points, the team still has a long wait to go toward catching Israel (eight points) and Portugal for the elusive second place berth. A win on Tuesday would close the gap to just two points with one match in hand.
Predictions: Israel draws 1-1 with Northern Ireland.
Start Time: 3:45 PM EST
TV: Sky Sports 3

Malta vs Italy March 26, 2013

Italy are unbeaten in their qualifying campaign so far, and put in an impressive performance to come back from two goals down to draw 2-2 in friendly match against Brazil last Friday. They are a point clear of second placed Bulgaria with a game in hand, while their hosts here, Malta, are rock bottom, having lost all four of their matches.

Cesare Prandelli will be without Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, with the Roma duo absent through suspension. Juventus' Claudio Marchisio will come into the midfield in place of De Rossi after he missed the friendly, whilst AC Milan's full-back Ignazio Abate is also available for selection. Stephan El Shaarawy is expected to start alongside Mario Balotelli after the former was omitted from the Brazil match.

The Italy coach has been flipping a coin between a 4-3-1-2 and a 4-3-3 for the most part, and could do so again here. Reports suggest he could select a starting eleven made up entire of bianconeri and rossoneri players, with Abate expected to displace Napoli's Christian Maggio at right-back, with his domestic teammate Mattia De Sciglio set to keep his position at left-back after debuting for the Azzurri against Brazil. However, should Prandelli make the decision to start Alessio Cerci again -- ahead of Emanuele Giaccherini -- there will be a Torino player on the field.

Malta haven't won a competitive match since they upset Hungary back in 2006. Playing that day -- but alas, not scoring -- was their all-time top scorer Michael Mifsud, who is expected to start again. However, he'll find it difficult to find the net, with Malta having only scored once in qualifying thus far. Another interesting note is that Malta's coach, Pietro Ghedin, knows the Italy team well, having been their assistant coach under Cesare Maldini, Dino Zoff and Giovanni Trapattoni.

These sides have met in Malta a couple of times before and on both occasions Italy have won, though not by much. In 1992 goals from Gianluca Vialli and Beppe Signori were enough for a 2-1 win, with their sole prior meeting on the Mediterranean archipelago being a 2-0 victory in 1986.

Match Date/Time: Tuesday 26th March 2013 8:45 p.m. local, 3:45 p.m. ET

England vs Montenegro March 26, 2013

England have named five Manchester United players in their starting lineup as they take on Montenegro in Podgorica.

Chris Smalling partners Joleon Lescott in defence, while Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick comprise England's midfield two. Danny Welbeck is on the wing while Wayne Rooney leads the line up front. There is also space for Steven Gerrard and James Milner in a conservative-looking England lineup, although there may be concerns over the limited amount of gametime Lescott and Smalling have received this year, with the Montenegrin team identifying it as a potential weakness.

Montenegro are largely as expected, with a fairly tight-looking team behind Mirko Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic, their two star players, up front.

England starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Joe Hart; Glen Johnson, Chris Smalling, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole; Tom Cleverley, Michael Carrick; James Milner, Steven Gerrard, Danny Welbeck; Wayne Rooney.

Montenegro starting lineup (4-5-1): Mladen Bozovic; Marko Basa, Vladimir Volkov, Miodrag Dzudovic, Stefan Savic, Vladimir Bozovic, Simon Vukcevic, Mitar Novakovic, Elsad Zverotic, Stevan Jovetic, Mirko Vucinic.

Netherlands vs Romania March 26, 2013

The Netherlands will be looking to preserve their perfect record in qualifier so far and secure their hold on first place in Group D. Louis van Gaal has made a single change from his side's win over Estonia last week with Rafael Van der Vaart replacing Wesley Sneijder in the center of the midfield.

Adrian Mutu has been dropped for Romania in favor of Cristian Tanase while Florin Gardos takes over in the back line for Nicolae Goian. Romania is tied on points with Hungary and will hoping to get a result to keep pace with, or jump past Hungary into the playoff spot.

Netherlands starting lineup (4-3-3): Kenneth Vermeer; Daryl Janmaat, Stefan De Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi, Daley Blind; Kevin Strootman, Jonathan De Guzman, Rafael Van der Vaart; Jeremain Lens, Arjen Robben; Robin Van Persie.

Romania starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Costel Pantilimon; Razvan Rat, Gabirel Tamas, Florin Gardos, Vlad Chiriches; Alexandru Bourceanu, Mihai Pintilii; Adrian Popa, Gheorghe Grozav, Bogdan Stancu; Cristian Tanase.

Germany vs Kazakhstan March 26, 2013

These two sides only met on Friday, with Germany emerging 3-0 winners in Kazakh capital Astana. Now the fixture is reversed, and Kazakhstan face the unenviable task of travelling to Nürnberg to face certain demolition. Germany haven't lost a competitive match since going out of Euro 2012 at the hands of Italy last summer, Kazakhstan haven't won one since they squeezed by Azerbaijan two years ago.

Unsurprisingly Germany are comfortably top of this qualifying group, only dropping a couple of points so far -- when Sweden came back from 4-0 down to draw in Berlin back in October. Sweden have a game in hand in second place, though are five points in arrears of the Germans. Kazakhstan have picked up only a point so far, after they impressively held Austria to a goalless draw in the same month.

Germany played their last match without a recognised striker, with midfielder Mario Götze operating as the most advanced player. Intriguingly, coach Joachim Löw has suggested that could continue to be the case here, though with the team's best pure striker Maro Gómez an injury doubt, he may not have much of an option.

For the hosts Gómez and Benedikt Höwedes both have thigh strains, and probably won't play despite staying with the squad. Bastian Schweinsteiger will miss out after he picked up a booking in Astana on Friday, and will have his place taken by İlkay Gündoğan. Julian Draxler has been declared unfit to play after he suffered concussion in the last match, and Marco Reus will probably slot right into his place after returning from suspension, ahead of Arsenal's Lukas Podolski.

As for Kazakhstan, domestic-based midfielder Tanat Nuserbaev will return from suspension to play, while they are set to make a few changes to their starting lineup. FC Astana duo Valeri Korobkin and Ulan Konysbayev are both expected to come into the starting eleven.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Kazakhstan vs Germany March 22, 2013

Germany still have a bad taste in their mouths after blowing a big lead against Sweden at home in their last World Cup qualifier. A draw against the Netherlands and a narrow victory over France in friendlies have done little to reassure fans and injuries will make this just a little bit tougher for Joachim Löw in this round of games.

Not that anyone should be panicking of course as even traveling to Astana to play Kazakhstan should offer an excellent chance for the Germans to get their mojo back.

Löw will have to make several adjustments however with regular starting defenders Mats Hummels and Holger Badstuber both out injured. Per Mertesacker and Jerome Boateng are expected to team up and cover the back line for the Germans. The Bender boys, Lars and Sven, both dropped out of the squad to injuries but Sami Khedira will be available despite an injury scare in training.

Kazakhstan, who sit in fifth place with no wins and a single point, will be without the services Marat Shakhmetov and Azat Nurgaliev.

This match will kick-off at midnight local time. Seriously.

Match Date/Time: 12 p.m. local, 2 p.m. ET

Venue: Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan

Slovenia vs Iceland March 22, 2013

Slovenia is not in great form as they have managed to win only once in last five matches while visitors have double wins in same number of matches.

Slovenia lost to Bosnia 3-0 in last match where Iceland gave away 2-0 victory to strong opponent Russia in their last meeting.

Last Five matches both teams

Slovenia: Loss, Loss, Loss, Win, Loss( Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania, Cyprus, Norway)

Iceland: Loss, Win, Loss, Win, Loss ( Russia, Andorra, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus)

Croatia vs Serbia March 22, 2013

When Serbia and Croatia take to the field at Zagreb's Maksimir Stadium on Friday, memories of a bloody, war-torn history between the neighboring countries will be brought sharply into focus.
The 2014 World Cup qualifying tie will be the first time the two teams have played each other since the break up of the former Yugoslavia and then the Croatian War of Independence, which raged between 1991 and 1995.
The break up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s caused the bloodiest conflict on the European continent since World War II, with an estimated 140,000 people killed.
As the wounds of war continue to heal, Croatia coach Igor Stimac has urged fans not to use the game as an attempt to settle old scores.

Bulgaria vs Malta March 22, 2013

Bulgaria vs. Malta 2013 (live score results below) heads into a group two soccer showdown in World Cup qualifying action today. In Group 2 currently, Italy is ranked first with ten points, Bulgaria in second with six. Malta is in last place, officials tell news. Malta has three losses, no wins and no draws. Bulgaria, in contrast, has one win, three draws and no losses. Bulgaria in second place is currently ranked to advance into wild car action, news analysts note.

Bulgaria vs. Malta 2013 (start time 9 am PST) is critical for Bulgaria. Only the top ranked team of each group advances in the WC qualifiers. Bulgaria, if it holds onto its current position, will advance to a wild card match. If it gets defeated today by Malta, Bulgaria might be in trouble for the WC.

Milan vs Sion March 22, 2013

Milan vs Sion Friendly Match

MILAN - It was Adriano Galliani today who announced that the friendly match Milan-Sion would be played at the San Siro. "We will play on Friday at 3pm and seeing as we know that a lot of fans would like to come and watch the match and support Gattuso, we decided to play it at San Siro, open for all to come."

Israel vs Portugal March 22, 2013

Israel made disappointing start in World cup qualifiers being held on a draw with Azerbaijan and crushed by Russia. They face new Challenge when they play Portugal which lies 67 places ahead in the FIFA rankings.

Although they made good comeback defeating Luxembourg with huge margins and winning Finland in home matches, they are yet to prove themselves as if Israel are to pipping them to qualified spot, this is the must-win game for them.

Israel has not qualified in world cup since 1970, so Guttman would like to grand them World cup gift after taking over from Luis Fernandez.

Portugal are favorites of the game but their recent loss to Russia in World cup qualifiers suggests they must win .

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Ecuador vs El Salvador March 21, 2013

Ecuador vs El Salvador 2013 (start time 2:30 PM PST) follows recent struggles by El Salvador. The team has only one win in their last five matches, officials tell news, giving up two losses and two draws. In fact, El Salvador’s only win since October has been against the weak team of Belize.

El Salvador lost its Copa Mundial qualifier against Mexico last October, news analysts note. Since then, the team drawed in two Copa Centroamericana games, first against Honduras and then against Panama. Thereafter, the team was beat by Costa Rica in the Copa. Despite its single win against Belize, El Salvador went through three Copa matches with only earning a single goal. Since then, El Salvador has been defeated by Paraguay again.

Italy vs Brazil March 21, 2013

Italy take on Brazil in Geneva Thursday night in a friendly encounter that will mean much to two of the most decorated countries in world football.

For Italy, it is a rare chance to face South American opposition ahead of upcoming tournaments, while Brazil head into the encounter looking for a first win under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Neymar (pictured) will come face-to-face with Italy's young pretender Stephan El-Shaarawy for the first time with the young Brazilian looking to respond to recent criticism of his international form from the legendary Pele.

Kicking off at 15:30 ET (19:30 GMT), the whole game will be brought to you live, right here on Bleacher Report, with team news and build-up to come from now until kickoff.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics March 18, 2013

Exactly five years to the day when the Boston Celtics stopped the second-longest winning streak in NBA history, they can make sure the Miami Heat don't take it all for themselves.

The Heat would have to do it by becoming the first visiting team in nearly two months to win in Boston -- the only Eastern Conference city where they have no regular-season victories during the LeBron James era.

All of those facts provide even more intrigue to a game which would be extremely significant regardless of the opponent or location because Miami is seeking a 23rd consecutive victory Monday night.

"If there's any group that would be motivated in a circumstance like this, it's that team in green," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I don't know if the streak will be a big factor but they love playing against us, and vice versa."

Spoelstra's squad now must play on the road for a second straight day, having stretched its win streak to 22 with a 108-91 victory in Toronto on Sunday afternoon. That matched the 2007-08 Houston Rockets for No. 2 on the NBA's list of top winning streaks, shy of only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers' run of 33.

"It's a special ride right now that we're on," James said. "The best thing about it is we're doing it together."

Houston's streak of 22 straight victories ended March 18, 2008, with a 94-74 home loss to the Celtics.

Miami's run began five days after a 100-98 double-overtime loss in Boston on Jan. 27, the same day the Celtics (36-29) learned Rajon Rondo was out for the season with a torn ACL. Shockingly, they've won all 11 of their games in Boston since losing Rondo, recording the team's longest single-season home winning streak since 2008-09.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano March 17, 2013

Barcelona assistant manager Jordi Roura has said he always believed his side could produce the sort of comeback they did against AC Milan on Tuesday to progress into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The Catalans overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first-leg with a 4-0 demolition of the Italians and despite two recent defeats to Real Madrid, Roura claimed he never doubted they would find their form at just the right time.

“If anyone has believed in the team it has been me. I am perfectly conscious of what this team can do,” he told a press conference.

“On Tuesday we took an extraordinary step forward and I have never doubted this team. But this is football and sometimes there are things that go against you that make you better.”

Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks March 17, 2013

Orlando and Milwaukee will face each other for the first time since their deadline exchange of age for experience. Both teams have solidified fates, with the Bucks firmly entrenched in the Eastern Conference playoffs and the Magic headed for one of the top spots in the 2013 NBA Lottery. Roles of prominence for Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic, Mo Harkless, and Andrew Nicholson over the last 11 games have improved the Magic's offense (97.5 ppg vs. 94.4 ppg season avg.) at great expense to their defense (107.4 ppg vs. 100.3 ppg). That's kind of what you expect when games become formalities.

The Return of the Harris. Tobias Harris is currently averaging 15.9 ppg, 49.6% fg, 40.6% 3fg, 7.3 rpg, and 1.2 bpg playing most of his minutes at power forward. Over the Magic's last five games, Harris' shooting (especially at the rim) has fallen back to earth (14.8 ppg, 39.4% fg), but increased time at the four has subsequently helped his rebounding (8.6 rpg). Given all the discussion and dissection about Harris' three-week coming out party, I'm guessing he'll get a decent welcome back to the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

The LARRY SANDERS Show. The first trio of sarcastic post-ejection thumbs up were great. The second trio, appearing late in the fourth quarter of Friday's loss to the Miami Heat, were embarrassing. Larry Sanders is the cornerstone of a Bucks' defense that is everything but when he's on the sidelines. Sanders is entering DeMarcus Cousins territory with ejections and technical fouls, and nothing good (for the team or otherwise, long and short term) comes from consistently badgering refs. It's amazing how quickly parts of Sanders' game have matured, while others languish behind. That's as encouraging to Sanders' potential as it is dangerous to his long-term reputation.

Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors March 17, 2013

It's 21 and counting for the Miami Heat, who are riding an NBA-best 21-game win streak into their matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.

Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors March 17, 2013

Interestingly enough, the Heat's first win of their current streak came against the Toronto Raptors back on Feb. 23 in Toronto.

The most impressive piece of the Heat's streak is that they've been dominating opponents by an average of 10.9 points per game.

Toronto has dropped seven out of its last 10 games, including losses to playoff contenders in the East like the Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

While the Heat's Big Three have been dominant during their 21-game streak, LeBron James hasn't had the most impressive production in the past few games—at least according to his legendary standards.

In his last five games, LeBron has averaged just 21.6 points, eight rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field.

Finding his way back to his normally efficient shooting and explosive offensive production will be key to the Heat leaving our "friends up North" with their 22nd straight win.

Stay right here at Bleacher Report as we move toward the 1 p.m. ET tipoff of this Eastern Conference battle, which airs on Sun Sports in Miami and TSN2 throughout Canada.

Wigan Athletic vs Newcastle United March 17, 2013

Roberto Martínez will look to kick-start a league fightback by building on Wigan’s recent FA Cup success against Everton. Martínez’s side lie 18th, three points shy of Aston Villa in 17th position. “I do see it as the strongest fight out of the last four I’ve been involved in,” said the Wigan manager. Still needing a couple of wins to steer clear of a relegation battle themselves, Newcastle will hope their in-form striker and Thursday night’s Europa League saviour, Papiss Cissé, can add to his three goals in his last six Premier League games. (Guardian)

Venue DW Stadium, Sunday 4pm

Last season Wigan 4 Newcastle 0

Referee M Halsey

Hearts vs St.Mirren March 17, 2013

Hampden Park has often been awash with green and blue, but this Sunday (March 17) a sea of maroon, black and white will take over as Hearts and St.Mirren contest the first piece of silverware up for grabs in the Scottish football season.

Hearts and St.Mirren meet in the final of the Scottish Communities League Cup and the drama is already under way with a ticket dispute erupting between the two clubs and the Scottish Football League (SFL).

With St.Mirren well on their way to selling out their allocation, and requesting the remainder of the allocation promised to them should they do so, the SFL in all their wisdom saw fit to hand the remaining 3,500 tickets over to the Edinburgh club.

The tie is hot on the heels of a league meeting between the two sides, which resulted in a 2-0 victory for the Buddies and the departure of Hearts manager, John McGlynn, in the process. With Saints fielding a significantly weakened team that night, many of theirs fans would have felt that the omens were on their side, after all, Hearts could not cope with what was effectively a reserve team and Hearts looked a million miles away from the team who lifted the Scottish Cup at Hampden last May.

However, as many St.Mirren fans know, things are never that straight forward.

Hearts have an exceptionally good record at Hampden as of late, with Scottish Cup wins in 1998, 2006 and 2012. St.Mirren on the other hand have not picked up any major honour since a Scottish Cup win in 1987.

However, after dumping Scottish champions, Celtic, out in the semi final some Saints fans believe that their name is already on the cup. Yet league results have been far from inspiring for a club on the hunt for silverware for the first time in 26 years, loosing to Hibs, St.Johnstone, Celtic and Dundee since sealing their place in the final.

Chelsea vs West Ham March 17, 2013

Eden Hazard admits Chelsea have no margin for error as the Blues try to remain in control of the race to qualify for the Champions League.

Rafael Benitez’s side, fourth in the Premier League, host London rivals West Ham on Sunday with victory essential to keep ahead of fifth placed Arsenal and in touch with third placed Tottenham.

By the time Chelsea kick off this weekend they could be only two points in front of Arsenal, if the Gunners win at Swansea on Saturday, and Belgian playmaker Hazard is aware the pressure will start to mount on his team if they slip up against the Hammers.

“Three points are a must for us on Sunday, we need to win the match,” Hazard said.

“Chelsea are a big club. We have to win titles and to qualify for the Champions League. There’s a lot to do but we’ll try to do it all.”

After months of abuse from Chelsea fans, interim boss Benitez is no closer to winning over the Stamford Bridge faithful judging by the empty seats and poisonous atmosphere that provided the backdrop for Thursday’s Europa League win over Steaua Bucharest.

Chelsea vs West Ham March 17, 2013

Chelsea

Subs from Turnbull, Hilário, Ferreira, Bertrand, Terry, Azpilicueta, Ake, Benayoun, Mikel, Moses, Marin, Torres

Doubtful Torres (nose)

Injured Romeu (knee, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide WLWLDW

Disciplinary record Y40 R2

Leading scorer Ba 15 (13 for Newcastle)

West Ham

Subs from Spiegel, Tomkins, Pogatetz, McCartney, Diarra, C Cole, Vaz Tê, Maïga, Chamakh

Doubtful J Cole (hamstring), McCartney (knee)

Injured Nolan (toe, 23 Mar), Noble (arm, 23 Mar), Potts (concussion, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WLLWLL

Disciplinary record Y55 R1

Leading scorer Nolan 6

Tottenham vs Fulham March 17, 2013

Tottenham come into today's match against Fulham looking to bounce back from a couple of poor performances against Inter and Liverpool. With Manchester City losing, Tottenham can inch within two points of second place in the Premier League with a victory today.

On the surface, Fulham don't have a lot at stake, but they do still need a few more points to confirm Premier League status. The Cottagers currently sit 11th in the table with 33 points, which is only three points more than 17th-placed Aston Villa. There are always bragging rights at stake when two London clubs face each other, though.

Both teams come into the match fairly healthy, so it should be an entertaining fixture. Check back for pregame updates from White Hart Lane as kickoff approaches.

Tottenham: Lloris, Naughton, Caulker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Sigurdsson, Dembele, Parker, Assou-Ekotto, Adebayor, Bale.

Subs: Freidel, Walker, Carroll, Holtby, Livermore, Defoe, Dempsey.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Reither, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise, Dejagah, Sidwell, Karagounis, Duff, Ruiz, Berbatov.

Subs: Etheridge, Hughes, Richardson, Eyong, Emanuelson, Petric, Rodallega.

Sunderland vs Norwich March 17, 2013

Wellity, wellity, Martin O'Neill has decided to ring the bells and ring the changes for his Sunderland side. Cuellar, Vaughan and Rose (who was a hamstring-gah! doubt) all come in, with Bramble, Colback and N'Diaye all going out. McClean, who was an illness-ouch! doubt, makes the bench where he is joined by Connor Wickham after his loan spell at Sheff Wednesday. Norwich also do some tinkering of their own with Elliott Bennett and Hoolahan back into the starting line-up. Grant Holt, Norwich's leading scorer with 5, is on the bench. "Our priority is to always win a game. I want a performance that can do that," says Chris Hughton to the boys in Sky.

Sunderland: Mignolet, Gardner, Rose, O'Shea, Cuellar, Vaughan, Larsson, Johnson, Sessegnon, Fletcher, Graham

Subs: Bardsley, N'Diaye, Wickham, Colback, Bramble, McClean, Westwood

Norwich: Bunn, R Martin, Bassong, Turner, Garrido, Johnson, Howson, E Bennett, Snodgrass, Hoolahan, Kamara

Subs: Whittaker, Holt, Jackson, Fox, Becchio, R Bennett, Camp

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Real Madrid 5-2 Mallorca Highlights March 16, 2013

Mallorca got started early with the pressure on Real Madird. In the 3rd minute Giovanni Dos Santos too advantage of a misplayed ball by Sergio Ramos, breaking into space outside the Madrid area and sending his shot over the crossbar. Three minutes later Dos Santos was back, this team whipping a ball back across the area to an open Emilio Nsue who powered a header past Diego Lopez into the bottom corner, gibing Malaga a 1-0 lead.

Madrid battled back and equalized in the 15th minute when Luka Modric's pass into the center of the Malaga area got past defender and met with Pepe who timed his run past the defensive line. Pepe executed a rather amazing piroutte right in front of the charging Malaga goalkeeper Dudu Aouate, passing the ball out left to the wide open Gonzalo Higuain on the left side for the easy tap-in.

In the 21st minute Malaga went back in front when Alfaro out-jumped Ramos and headed the ball off the far post and into the net. Pedro Bigas provided the service off a corner kick.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a couple opportunities as the half wound down to pull Madrid back even but he wasn't able to find the target. The best chance came in the 30th minute as Ronaldo's open shot from the center of the Malaga box grazed the post and went wide. His frustration was on display after the miss as he unleashed a bit a gyration tantrum at himself.

Manchester United vs Reading March 16, 2013

Manchester Utd

Subs from Lindegaard, Johnstone, Buttner, Evans, Smalling, Powell, Giggs, Anderson, Young, Hernández, Welbeck

Doubtful None

Injured Jones (ankle, 30 Mar), Scholes (knee, 30 Mar), Fletcher (illness, unknown), Nani (hamstring, 30 Mar)

Suspended None

Form guide WWWWWD

Disciplinary record Y43 R0

Leading scorer Van Persie 19

Reading

Subs from McCarthy, Andersen, Gunter, Karacan, McCleary, Guthrie, Morrison, Blackman, Shorey, Carrico, Cummings, Pearce, Henley

Doubtful None

Injured Federici (ankle, 30 Mar), Kébé (groin, 30 Mar), Roberts (hip, Aug)

Suspended Pogrebnyak (3/3)

Form guide LLLLWD

Disciplinary record Y35 R1

Leading scorer Le Fondre 10

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has warned his side not to give Manchester City even a glimmer of hope in the Premier League title race.

Alex Ferguson’s side face Reading at Old Trafford in Saturday’s late kick-off knowing second placed City can trim their rivals’ lead at the top to nine points if they win at Everton earlier in the day.

Last season United let slip an eight-point lead with just six games to go, but Evans believes they have learnt from their mistakes and are determined to ensure a similar meltdown does not happen with 10 games to go this term.

“This is the business end of the season,” he said. “We are in a great position in the league. We want to make sure we don’t give City any sniff of getting back in and closing the gap on us.

“It is an important couple of weeks. At this club you have this experience on how to deal with that.

“We have all seen what happened last year so it is up to us to make sure that does not happen again.

“I know we keep saying it but I think there will be an extra determination from us this year.”

However, Evans did give City a tiny piece of good news as the centre-back admitted United have been feeling drained following their Champions League exit and FA Cup quarter-final draw with Chelsea last week.

United lost controversially to Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 before surrendering a 2-0 lead to Chelsea at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.

“We had a couple of days off after the Chelsea game,” Evans said. “The manager decided to give us an extra day or so to rest so we came on Wednesday and got the legs going again but it wasn’t too hard out there on the training pitch.

“Obviously, I didn’t play in the Real Madrid game so I wasn’t feeling physical tiredness but, on Sunday, I did feel a bit tired and a bit drained in the second half.

“I think the mental side of it drains you. There were a lot of emotions during the week and we have to try to switch off from that and prepare for the next match.

“I think what caught us out a bit against Chelsea at the weekend was we got off to a good start but the mentally-drained side really showed in the second half.”

Aston Villa vs QPR March 16, 2013

Another huge relegation battle for Aston Villa, who climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win at Reading last Saturday. While that result has given Villa a timely confidence boost and opened up the possibility of winning back-to-back league games for the first time since May 2011, QPR are in good form themselves and will arrive in buoyant mood after defeating Sunderland and Southampton. With Fabian Delph still suspended, Paul Lambert is expected to name the same Villa side. Júlio Cesar and Adel Taarabt return to the QPR squad.

Venue Villa Park, Saturday 3pm

Tickets Here

Last season Aston Villa 2 QPR 2

Referee K Friend

This season’s matches 15 Y53, R1, 3.60 cards per game

Stoke City vs West Bromwich March 16, 2013

Venue Britannia Stadium, Saturday 3pm

Tickets £30-£40 (01782 367 599)

Last season Stoke 1 West Brom 2

Referee M Dean

This season's matches 19 Y68, R3, 3.74 cards per game

Odds Stoke 3-2 West Brom 19-10 Draw 9-4

Stoke

Subs from Sorensen, Whitehead, Palacios, Shotton, Adam, Crouch, Shea, Owen, Ness

Doubtful Etherington (back), Jerome (knee)

Injured None

Suspended Huth (3/3)

Form guide LLLWLD

Disciplinary record Y58 R3

Leading scorer Walters 6

West Brom

Subs from Myhill, Reid, Tamas, Popov, Rosenberg, Fortune, Odemwingie, Thomas, Long, Nabi, Brown, Allan, Hurst, Daniels

Doubtful Long (ankle), Reid (groin)

Injured Thorne (knee, Sep), Gera (knee, Oct)

Suspended None

Form guide WLWWLL

Disciplinary record Y50 R2

Leading scorer Lukaku 13

Southampton vs Liverpool March 16, 2013

Southampton’s forward line is a point of strength but Mauricio Pochettino was still disappointed to have missed out on signing Philippe Coutinho from Internazionale in January. The Brazilian, who had a loan spell under Pochettino at Espanyol, signed for Liverpool and is likely to be in opposition at St Mary’s on Saturday. “Coutinho has that same quality that Ronaldinho and Messi have, but he has much to prove yet,” said Pochettino. Despite recent progress, so too do Liverpool, whose record on the south coast is wretched.

Southampton
Subs from K Davis, Richardson, Forren, Hooiveld, Ward-Prowse, Chaplow, S Davis, Do Prado, Puncheon, Mayuka

Doubtful None

Injured None

Suspended None

Form guide DLLWDL

Disciplinary record Y34 R0

Leading scorer Lambert 12

Liverpool
Subs from Jones, Gulacsi, Wisdom, Coates, Skrtel, Henderson, Shelvey, Allen, Sterling, Suso

Doubtful Allen (shoulder), Reina (calf)

Injured Kelly (knee, 22 Mar), Borini (shoulder, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WWWLDD

Disciplinary record Y41 R2

Leading scorer Suárez 22

Swansea vs Arsenal March 16, 2013

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup is hopeful of having midfielder Leon Britton available for Saturday's Premier League meeting with Arsenal.
Britton picked up a hip injury against West Brom last weekend but has made good progress in his recovery, while Luke Moore is set to shake off a calf problem.
Chico Flores (ankle) and Kemy Agustien (thigh) are again absent, but there is encouraging news for Neil Taylor after the left-back made his return from a broken and dislocated ankle for the Under-21s on Thursday.
Arsenal may be without Jack Wilshere this weekend, but Angel Rangel knows Swansea have no grounds for complacency as they look to continue their good recent record against the Gunners.

Swansea: Vorm; Rangel, Williams, Monk, Davies; Britton, de Guzman, Ki, Dyer, Hernandez; Michu

Subs: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Bartley, Lamah, Routledge, Schechter, Moore

Arsenal: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Diaby, Cazorla; Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud

Subs: Szczesny, Vermaelen, Rosicky, Ramsey, Gervinho, Gibbs, Coquelin

Dortmund vs. Freiburg March 16, 2013

In Live-Streams zur Bundesliga warten heute Leverkusen gegen Bayern, Nürnberg gegen Schalke, Hoffenheim gegen Mainz, Hamburg gegen Augsburg, Bremen gegen Fürth und Dortmund gegen Freiburg. Bis auf das Spiel des Rekordmeisters fangen alle Partien um 15:30 an. Anpfiff für das Bayern-Spiel in Leverkusen ist um 18:30. Bayern und Dortmund trennen bereits 20 Punkte, auf Leverkusen hat der Spitzenreiter 21 Punkte Vorsprung. Dieser könnte heute auf ganze 24 Punkte wachsen.

Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass Bayern heute siegreich vom Platz gehen wird, ist groß. Auch wenn sich die Münchener in der Vorwoche fast einen Ausrutscher im eigenen Stadion gegen Düsseldorf geleistet haben. Am vergangenen Samstag konnte sich Bayern noch zu einem 3:2 retten, nachdem die Fortunen zweimal in Führung gegangen sind. Doch Leverkusen hat sich auch nicht mit Ruhm bekleckert. 1:0 hat die Werkself in Mainz verloren.

Everton vs Manchester City March 16, 2013

Manchester City face a difficult battle to keep their slim title hopes alive as they travel to Goodison Park in Saturday's early kick-off.

The Toffees are coming into the game off the back of a foul-tempered 3-0 defeat to Wigan, which could lead them to anger or misery in response, and will be without Tim Howard and Phil Jagielka for the game - although the Citizens have injury problems themselves, with Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero still missing.

Everton are still an outside bet for fourth place, so both sides will be desperate for a victory and indeed will likely require one to satisfy their mutual goals. Key Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini was booed off in his last outing, so it will be intriguing to see his approach to the game. Combined with the fact it could be the last time these two managers lead their respective clubs out in this fixture, it could be a feisty one.

Everton injuries and suspensions

Out: Tim Howard (back), Phil Jagielka (ankle), Tony Hibbert (calf)

Manchester City injuries and suspensions

Out: Vincent Kompany (calf), Sergio Aguero (knee), Micah Richards (knee), Maicon (knee), Jack Rodwell (hamstring).

Match Date\Time: 12:45pm local, 7:45am ET

Venue: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England

Friday, March 15, 2013

Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks March 15, 2013

With an outright chance to claim the NBA’s third longest win streak in history, the Miami Heat face the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The Heat have won 20 straight games, tied for third with the 1970-1971 Milwaukee Bucks, and the Washington Capitols of 1947-1948 and 1948-1949 seasons.

Miami could own the mark with a victory, and then challenge the 2007-2008 Houston Rockets 22-game streak.

Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks March 15, 2013
Start Time: 7:30 PM (E.T)

His second straight MVP, and fourth overall, essentially sown up, LeBron James carried Miami to a close 98-94 over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. James netted 27 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, but also suffered four turnovers. Dwyane Wade shot 7-for-14 for 21 points and eight rebounds, but the Heat were outscored 55-47 in the second half.

Of Miami’s 14 losses this season, all but three were against playoff teams, including a 19-point 104-85 blowout in their last trip to Milwaukee back in December.

The Bucks forced 20 Heat turnovers, and center Larry Sanders swatted four Miami shots, along with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Point guard Brandon Jennings scorched the net for 25 points and seven assists, with four steals.

Sander leads the NBA with 3.16 blocks per game, and if the playoffs began today, Miami would face the eighth seeded Bucks in the first round.

Barring a huge collapse, 32-31 Milwaukee should hold onto the East’s final playoff spot, with the Toronto Raptors eight games back.

The Bucks are coming off a disappointing 106-93 loss to the Washington Wizards, who stomped them for 58 points in the paint.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Indiana Pacers March 15, 2013

The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing better ball as of late, but could be in for a real test this Friday when they take on the Indiana Pacers on the road.

The Pacers have been one of the better home teams in basketball this season and their 26-7 record is proof to that.

To make matters worse, the Lakers may be without superstar Kobe Bryant after he suffered a severe ankle sprain on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Bryant is currently listed as a game-time decision and it wouldn't be a surprise if he does in fact suit up. But if Bryant does sit out, the Lakers will desperately need big games from a few people. Here are three players that must step up if Bryant is unable to play.

Dwight Howard

Since returning from the All-star break, Dwight Howard has been huge for the Lakers and has shown glimpses of returning to his old dominant self. Over the past five games, Howard has put up superb numbers of 21.8 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. Howard will not only need to put up a great scoring night, but will also need to put together a solid rebounding performance.

The Pacers currently rank first in the NBA in total rebounds per game with 45.6 and will have the advantage over the Lakers with Pau Gasol still out. Howard may have to have himself a 20-20 game if the Lakers want to come away with the victory.

With Bryant potentially sidelined for Friday's game, Steve Nash could be going back to his ball-dominating ways. Since joining the Lakers this season, Nash has had to adjust his game the most by having the ball less in his hand and becoming more of a spot-up shooter.

Nash will be the main distributor of this team if Bryant doesn't play. With Nash set to be at the wheel for the entire game, look for him to put up double-digit assists Friday night.

Jodie Meeks

Jodie Meeks may be on the verge of receiving his first start of the season and will need to perform. In his first season with the team, Meeks put up decent averages of 8.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. As the potential replacement for Bryant in the starting lineup, Meeks will have to be a consistent threat from downtown in Friday's game in order to keep the Pacers from clogging up the paint and harassing Howard.

Meeks is currently shooting 38 percent from downtown and will need to provide multiple threes in Friday's game. If Meeks can get hot early, he could prove to be the key in unlocking Howard and Nash's big performances against the Pacers.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Newcastle United vs Anzhi Makhachkala March 14, 2013

idfielder Hatem Ben Arfa will miss Newcastle’s Europa League second leg with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
The 26-year-old France international started the goalless first leg in Moscow but has suffered a setback on a hamstring he tore in December.

Striker Shola Ameobi will undergo a late fitness test on the ankle problem he suffered in the Luzhniki Stadium.

Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran are ineligible and keeper Tim Krul (ankle) and Fabricio Coloccini (back) are out.

This is Newcastle’s 12th game in the Europa League in 2012-13, but boss Alan Pardew says his side’s efforts will mean nothing unless they win the competition.

The Magpies, without a major trophy since 1969, have recorded wins over Atromitos Athens, Bordeaux, Club Bruges and Metalist Kharkiv so far.

Another against Anzhi will leave Pardew’s men in the quarter-finals after a goalless first leg in Russia.

“We are in it to win it,” said former West Ham boss Pardew.

“There’s no point saying to me, ‘Would the quarter-finals be a great achievement for you in your managerial career?’

“It would be something I could put on my CV, but it wouldn’t really mean much to me unless I win the trophy.

“I have been to the FA Cup final twice and lost twice, and I see this competition as a higher standard of competition

Newcastle United

Elliot
Debuchy, Taylor, Yanga-M’Biwa, Santon
Tiote, Cabaye
Ben Arfa, Sissoko, Gutierrez
Cisse

Anzhi

Gabulov
Yeschenko, Carlos, Ewerton, Zhirkov
Ahmedov, Diarra, Jucieli
Eto’o, Traore, Willian

Friday, October 11, 2013