Fern Mc Costigan

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Colorado delivers an important win over Toronto at home

Colorado Rapids 2, Toronto FC 0

Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado

For the defending champions Toronto FC and his manager Greg Vanney are not taking any attention to league play as well of delivering notable results. By the looks and plans of manager, Greg Vanney his focus aimed at the grand shield of CCL.

Still his group is one fighting machine and coming to play at Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado to a mere 11,000 in attendance, to play the local and improved Rapids squad.

Whenever the TFC play, in league matches these come with the labels of all around favorites but so far, in the campaign their manager is focusing all of his attention to their upcoming CCL final matchup against Mexican side Guadalajara.

Seeded in the Eastern Conference table in 10^th place with just a point earned after a win and three losses, which seems to be out of Vanney worries as this club getting back in track these can rally to a meritorious finish in the end.

Coming to Colorado with their entire arsenal, the Reds were to face off a newly improved and determined Rapids squad looking forward to a win and start looking for positions above the red line.

Something that Colorado took advantage of their foes after their midweek compromise in the international theaters and jetlag these had after coming back from Mexico City and then to Commerce City, Colorado.

With a couple of scores from Jack Pierce in minute 2 and alter in the second half their newly incorporated player in Albanian Shkelzen Gashi via a penalty kick in the 78 minute, were enough to take care of business for the locals.

Very well getting a clean sheet was their goalkeeper in international Tim Howard to deliver a blow to last edition champions and catapult into fourth place with eight points versus three of the Toronto FC seeing another heartbreaking loss.

In this, match first year manager Anthony Hudson he had the right moves in his lineup and with a more defensive 3-5-2 formation sending an overzealous threesome in Axel Sjoberg, Deklan Wynne and Tommy Smith.

Accompanied by a five some midfield and a twosome attack, the strategy worked wonders for Hudson and company and despite the Rapids win, with the visitors showing off their dominance with 57% possession, the Rapids had the last laugh.

At the end this match loss did not left a bit of worry but concern for manager Vanney, still after his CCL compromise being sealed and coming as slight favorites over one of Mexico’s’ traditional teams but not doing so well doing in its league.

Despite making some moves in his initial eleven after the one that played against Club America, this is not a loss cause for manager Vanney as the whole of his squad getting playing time and developing a contender soon his international compromise is over.

A win worth of gold with three valuable points that will uplift this squad momentum on their next week match considered a Derby against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium and the TFC starting their first leg of the CCL final against Guadalajara.

Photos Credit and Property of USA TODAY 2018

Burnley delivered a notable win over Leicester City

Burnley 2, Leicester City 1

Turf Moor Stadium, Burnley

Early bird gets the worm, the adage states, but in the case of the hard fighting Clarets, these can take advantage of all of its opportunities as they did in the initial minutes of the match. With two initial goals scored by Chris Wood and Kevin Long were enough to hold a weak lead, after a late Jamie Vardy goal.

However, defense wins games and the locals put on a tight knit on the Foxes game.

In less than ten minutes of game time that was enough for the home side to deliver what was considered an important win over Leicester City considered a serious foe and these looking forward to net a European spot.

So far, the possibilities of netting an international spot in the UEFA Europa Cup in the knockout rounds are endless but not sure with Southampton being in the FA finals and winning it this can crumble the dreams of the Clarets.

For Sean Dyche if I had an influence in manager of the year balloting, for sure I will consider him as a candidate for the work performed with his squad considered as one of those so called small entities and look at the results these have performed.

Also being in a close race for sixth and fifth place and within striking distance of Arsenal and Chelsea, anything can happen in the reminder matches of the campaign with a furious reaction and if these London based squads suddenly stumble.

Still this was a one of a kind match for a the ones in attendance in a total sold out Turf Moor Stadium and for the Burnley followers seeing how this squad as always putting on a fighting stance delivered their fifth win in a consecutive way.

In addition of a notable win also sealing the deal with Chris Woods the Kiwi delivering against his former employer in the 6 minute to send the whole of Turf Moor into a state of total madness and putting the locals up in the score.

Despite the efforts of City keeper Kasper Schmeichel on his initial stopping on Woods shoot the Kiwi persistence delivered on his club first score, no later three minutes pass by when Kevin Long in the 9 minute with a pass from Johann Berg Gudmondsson.

The second play of goal was after a corner taken by Gudmondsson to a well-placed Long who rose above his defenders and headed in what became the go ahead and winning goal.

This comes after what almost became a comeback by the visitors when Jamie Vardy scored in the 72 minute via assistance from Kyle Iheanacho but after that play, Dyche and company tightened his defensive backfield. The Clarets defense rose to the occasion a stop cold in their tracks the likes of Vardy and Mahrez of displaying their game.

As Leicester City were not a walk in the park and in the tale of the tape, the stats favoring them with 15 shoots to goal and six on target versus Burnley eight and three shoots on target, but the locals held their ground in the end.

Europa here we come, maybe but with a few matches left, the Clarets can catapult to six or fifth place and take over the Gunner or Blues and deliver a direct pass to play against the elite of European football.

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2018

Friday, April 13, 2018

The Dublin Derby goes again to the Bohemians

Shamrock Rovers 1, Bohemians 2

Tallaght Stadium, Dublin

In this edition of the Dublin Derby, it looks like the Bohs have the upper hand in this competition between them and their cross-town foes the Shamrock Rovers. After their season opening win over the Hoops, the Gypsies repeated the dose to their foes.

With a late goal in injury time by Darragh Leahy, the visiting Bohs came away with the win.

Still this match was one contested one ever since the get go as the Rovers were looking forward to end their losing streak after last week stumble against league leaders Dundalk FC and today against their foes.

As the locals after going up in the scoreboard with an early goal in the 28 minute by Daniel Carr putting the home ahead and sending the whole of Tallaght into frenzy from its supporters while the opposing side was silent.

After the goal the local Hoops kept the visitors strikers at bay and away from their posts and maintain their lead going to halftime with a goal lead and looking for more in the upcoming second half to seal the deal and even the series.

Unfortunately, that did not happen as the reaction of the visiting Gypsies came in the 70 minute with the equalizer scored by Daniel Byrne thanks to an opportune cross from Dylan Watts and tying the match at one goal apiece.

That play provoked a hefty delay after both squads’ supporters invading the pitch and staging an all-around confrontation, that lead to the game official to add some injury time in the game clock that led to the locals demise.

For the local Rovers in this campaign in eleven matches losing five and with back-to-back losses coming from the Bohemians, no wonder the whole of the Hoops supporters in Tallaght disapproved of their side performance surrendering against their cross-town foes.

Very well, with three notable absences but with a young initial eleven in the field, for manager Keith Long improvising in his lineup filled with a bunch of lads aged fewer than 21 and among one of them a teenage prodigy named Dan Grant.

As the game official adding nine more minutes of injury time after the time loss during the pitch invasion at the end this became lethal for the local Hoops that saw their luck go down in the 99 minute.

As the Bohemians fullback with an accurate and opportune position in the area, he just kick the ball past the Rovers keeper Kevin Horgan getting a vote of confidence from manager Bradley and today he just succumbed to the heroics of Leahy.

This win the Bohemians end a negative streak and by earning their third win of the campaign and two of those against the Shamrock Rovers both of these wins coming a visitors Tallaght Stadium, were it hurts the most to the Hoops.

This win and three points of gold for Long and his Gypsies put them in seventh place with twelve points and within a point of the Saints and four of the Hoops.

So far, the Dublin Derby count is Bohemians FC 2, Shamrock Rovers 0.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Welcome back to Champions Elite Liverpool

They did it; these Reds consummated one of the most daring of feats in this edition of the UEFA Champions League after eliminating all around favorite Manchester City. With a total dominance in both legs, Jürgen Klopp and company did it to advance to semifinals.

With a 2-1 final score in the second leg and playing at always difficult Etihad Stadium the home of the Citizens, today they were reduced to super to minus and exposing once again the fracas for this club of making it into this event finals.

After having one of the most amazing and expensive of payrolls, now Pep Guardiola is looking forward to next campaign and maybe doubling his projected budget and sees it with a maybe of winning the long ear trophy.

Give credit to an amazing manager in Jürgen Klopp who has built patiently building a contender in the Anfield bunch. Remember that near 2013 miracle that the Kop Boys came in short after that spoiler.

Now the whole group with a Dejan Lovren who had a grand match and being a man of the match for his participation in the Liverpool backfield and a rookie Trent Alexander- Arnold who both raise to the occasion. By stopping one of the most dynamic and explosive of offenses in Premiership but once again, the Citizens were victims of their own success.

Surrendering to an inspired Liverpool push and exposing next campaign finally, we can say that Klopp can have a contender if not a favorite to win it all in Premiership next campaign.

After a long absence in this stages of the Champions League and last time these won it in 2004-05 edition, Liverpool is on the brink of knowing its foe in next semifinals draw were the likes of Roma, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and off course Liverpool.

Now wait and see who it will be as in semifinals you have the best four for the ball and the next step is the always coveted and desired pass into the finals of this prestigious tournament, with squads with experience especially Real Madrid coming with the labels of all around favorite.

Still for Jurgen Klopp it will be business as usual and another taks and challenge to surpass whoever of these three titans comes their way in the semifinals with both league and this event competition, players are in the stage of exhaustion. However, they do have little fight in them when they are in these stages.

Ask these Reds after a campaign struggling with notable players injured, Coutinho departure and some with low performances defensively subject to criticism, now they are the subject to praise and admiration after doing the unthinkable.

In addition of this feat Klopp nows that work is to be done and prepare themselves physically and mentally to face off whoever comes their way and play on a one to one basis and not being overwhelmed by their presence will be their path to their success.

Welcome back Liverpool to your rightful place in the elite of Champions League, with that arsenal you possess you can go all the way and deliver that coveted trophy in the long ear that makes you the best of Europe.

Photos Credit and Property of Liverpool Football Club 2018