Premier League Week 3 2014-2015

Another week of Premier League actions kicks off with...

Burnley hosting Manchester United. David de Gea and Tom Heaton are in goal. In the thirty-eighth minute, Manchester United was given a yellow card to Darren Fletcher. In the sixty-eighth minute, Manchester United was issued another yellow card for a Tyler Blackett foul. In the seventy-sixth minute, Dean Marney of Burnley got a yellow card for his foul. Burnley had another yellow card go to Steven Reid in the ninetieth minute. The goals never came, and the game ended in a scoreless draw.

Over to Manchester City, where they welcome Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Joe Hart are the keepers. In the twenty-second minute, Phil Bardsley of Stoke City took a yellow card for a foul. Manchester City's Fernandinho matched with a yellow card of his own in the fifty-third minute, also for a foul. Stoke City struck first in the fifty-eighth minute on a Mame Biram Diouf goal, coming from a headed pass by Erik Pieters following a fast break. Yaya Toure of Manchester City picked up a yellow card in the eighty-seventh minute. Stoke City held on for the 1-0 victory.

Next up, Newcastle United brings in Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Tim Krul man the nets. Crystal Palace struck very quickly in the first minute on a Dwight Gayle goal from close range. Newcastle United tied it in the thirty-seventh minute on a Daryl Janmaat goal, courtesy of Emmanuel Riviere. Crystal Palace took two yellow cards late in the first half, going to Adrian Mariappa in the forty-first minute and Marouane Chamakh in the forty-fourth minute for fouls. Crystal Palace retook the lead in the forty-eighth minute on a Jason Puncheon goal, passed from Yannick Bolasie. Newcastle United tied it again in the seventy-third minute with a goal by Rolando Aarons, a header after a corner kick. In the eighty-eighth minute Glenn Murray of Crystal Palace took a yellow card for a foul. Later that minute, Michael Williamson put Newcastle United on top with a close range goal after Aarons' shot hit the post. Five minutes into stoppage time, Crystal Palace tied it with a Wilfried Zaha goal, assisted by Scott Dann after a set piece.  Seven minutes into stoppage time, Aarons was given a yellow card for a foul. The game ended 3-3, after a wild finish.

Moving along to where the Queens Park Rangers host Sunderland. Vito Mannone and Robert Green are guarding the woodwork. In the thirty-seventh minute, Sunderland's Lee Cattermole took a yellow card for his foul. In the second minute of first half stoppage time, QPR got on the board with a Charlie Austin goal, via Leroy Fer's header pass after a corner kick. QPR took a yellow card for a Jordon Mutch foul in the fifty-seventh minute. In the second minute of second half stoppage time, Sunderland was given another yellow card for a dive by Emanuele Giaccherini. The Queens Park Rangers held on for a 1-0 victory.

Out to Wales, where Swansea City welcomes West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Lukasz Fabianski are in the six-yard boxes. Swansea City opened in the second minute with a Nathan Dyer goal, via Gylfi Sigurdsson. Swansea City added on as Wayne Routledge scored in the twenty-fourth minute from outside the box. In the twenty-seventh minute, West Brom's Graham Dorrans was given a yellow card for a foul, followed by another West Brom yellow card in the sixty-second minute for a foul by Craig Gardner. Swansea City extended the lead as Dyer scored again in the seventy-first minute, thanks to Sigurdsson's through ball. Swansea City took a yellow card for a Ki Sung-Yueng foul in the seventy-third minute. Swansea City coasted from here to a 3-0 win.

Following that, West Ham United brings in Southampton. Fraser Forster and Adrian are called on to start in goal. West Ham was first to score in the twenty-seventh minute on a Mark Noble goal from long range, set up by Mauro Zarate. Southampton tied it on a Morgan Schneiderlin goal in the forty-fifth minute, coming off of a set piece. West Ham took a pair of yellow cards in the second half, going to Aaron Cresswell in the fifty-sixth minute and Joey O'Brien in the sixty-second minute, each for fouls. Southampton pulled ahead in the sixty-eighth minute on another Schneiderlin goal, passed from James Ward-Prowse's cross after a corner kick. Southhampton took a yellow card in the seventy-ninth minute for a foul by Graziano Pelle, but he made up for his transgression in the eighty-third minute by extending the Southampton lead. This produced the 3-1 final score.

Wrapping up on Saturday, Everton hosts Chelsea. Thibaut Courtois and Tim Howard are the goalies. Chelsea started in the first minute with a Diego Costa goal, coming off of Cesc Fabregas. Chelsea added on in the third minute as Branislav Ivanovic scored, courtesy of Ramires with the through ball. Everton got one back in the forty-fifth minute on a Kevin Mirallas goal, via Seamus Coleman's cross. Chelsea took a pair of yellow cards to lead off the second half, going to Costa in the fifty-sixth minute and Ramires in the sixty-fourth minute for fouls. Chelsea extended their lead as Coleman put the ball in his own net for an own goal in the sixty-seventh minute. Everton clawed back with a Steven Naismith goal in the sixty-ninth minute, set up by Aiden McGeady. Chelsea replied in the seventy-fourth minute as Nemanja Matic scored, and Ramires picked up another assist. Everton got it back in the seventy-sixth minute on a Samuel Eto'o goal, guided in by Leighton Baines with the cross after a set piece. Ramires continued his big day with a goal in the seventy-seventh minute to reestablish the two goal lead for Chelsea, and Matic was there with the assist. In the eighty-first minute, Fabregas was shown a yellow card for a foul. Costa iced the game in the ninetieth minute for Chelsea, making it 6-3 with his second of the game, and John Obi Mikel provided the assist on the final goal.

Starting Sunday, Aston Villa welcomes Hull City. Allan McGregor and Brad Guzan are set to start in goal. Aston Villa began with a fourteenth minute goal by Gabriel Agbonlahor, assisted by Andreas Weimann. Aston Villa added on in the thirty-sixth minute with a Weimann goal, passed from Kieran Richardson. Hull City took a yellow card for a Curtis Davies foul in the forty-second minute. Hull City got on the board in the seventy-fourth minute as Nikica Jelavic headed in a header pass from Stephen Quinn after a set piece. Hull City took three yellow cards in the last ten minutes of regulation, going Jelavic in the eighty-second minute, Ahmed Elmohamady in the eighty-fourth minute, and Quinn in the eighty-seventh minute, all for fouls. Aston Villa's goal Guzan was shown a yellow card in the ninetieth minute for wasting time. It worked, to an extent, as Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory.

Next up, Tottenham Hotspur brings in Liverpool. Simon Mignolet and Hugo Lloris are the keepers. Liverpool struck first in the eighth minute on a Raheem Sterling goal, passed from Jordan Henderson. Liverpool took a pair of yellow cards in the first half, going to Joe Allen in the twenty-seventh minute and Javier Manquillo in the thirty-seventh minute. Liverpool added onto their lead in the forty-ninth minute as Steven Gerrard buried the penalty kick into the bottom left corner of the net. Liverpool extended the lead with an Alberto Moreno goal in the sixtieth minute after a fast break. Liverpool's players were booked twice more in the second half, as Sterling was given a yellow card for his seventy-fourth minute foul, and Moreno also had a yellow card in the ninetieth minute. The final stood favoring Liverpool at 3-0.

The last game of the week has Leicester City hosting Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Kasper Schmeichel protect the nets. In the twentieth minute, Alexis Sanchez put Arsenal up with a goal. In the twenty-second minute, Leicester City drew level with a goal by Leonardo Ulloa, on a cross by Jeffrey Schlupp. The game was fairly quiet until the eighty-fourth minute, where Leicester City's Marc Albrighton was given a yellow card for his foul, and a minute later, Dean Hammond, also of Leicester City, was booked for a foul. In the first minute of stoppage time, Leicester City was again visited by the referee for a Liam Moore foul, earning him a yellow card. Despite the late aggression, the final held at 1-1.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. While there is no Premier League action next week, be sure to get your hockey fix through my KHL recaps. 

MLS Wednesday August 27, 2014

One game tonight, as the Los Angeles Galaxy host DC United. Bill Hamid and Jaime Penedo are the goalies. Los Angeles struck first in the second minute on an Alan Gordon goal, going in unassisted. The teams exchanged yellow cards, as Landon Donovan of the Galaxy and Luis Silva of DC got one apiece for fouls in the eighteenth and twenty-first minutes, respectively. In the twenty-fifth minute, Los Angeles added on with an Omar Gonzalez goal, set up by Donovan. The Galaxy extended the lead in first half stoppage time with a Baggio Husidic goal, via A.J. DeLaGarza and Donovan. DC got a goal as Leonardo put the ball in his own net for an own goal in the fifty-eighth minute. Los Angeles shot back by putting the ball in the right net in the seventy-fifth minute when Donovan converted a penalty kick. United took another yellow card for a Fabian Espindola foul in the eighty-first minute. The Galaxy won 4-1, and Donovan was the man of the match.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

Premier League Week 2

This week, the games include six on Saturday, three on Sunday, and one on Monday. We begin with...

Aston Villa hosting Newcastle United. Tim Krul and Brad Guzan man the nets. Aston Villa had the first four yellow cards in the game, all in the second half after an uneventful first half. The cards went to Charles N'Zogbia in the fiftieth minute, Philippe Senderos in the sixty-seventh minute (both for fouls), Andreas Weimann in the sixty-eighth minute for a hand ball, and Carlos Sanchez in the eighty-fifth minute for a foul. In the eighty-sixth minute, Newcastle United's Michael Williamson was shown the yellow card for a foul, and then he was sent off in stoppage time with his second yellow card. The scoring just wasn't there, so both teams escaped with a point from the 0-0 draw.

Next up, Chelsea welcomes Leicester City. Kasper Schmeichel and Thibaut Courtois are the keepers. This was another match in which the first action came in the second half, with a yellow card being given to Dean Hammond of Leicester City for a foul in the fifty-first minute. Chelsea started the scoring in the sixty-third minute with a Diego Costa goal from close range. Chelsea added on in the seventy-seventh minute with an Eden Hazard goal, passed from Cesc Fabregas. This provided the 2-0 result in favor of Chelsea.

Following that, Crystal Palace brings in West Ham United. Adrian and Julian Speroni are in the six-yard boxes. West Ham began with a Mauro Zarate goal in the thirty-fourth minute, following a corner kick. West Ham added on as Stewart Downing scored with an assist provided by Cheikhou Kouyate in the thirty-seventh minute. West Ham took a pair of yellow cards, going to Winston Reid in the fortieth minute and James Tonkins in stoppage time, both for fouls. Crystal Palace got one back in the forty-eighth minute on a Marouane Chamakh goal, via Mile Jedinak. West Ham countered with a Carlton Cole goal in the sixty-second minute, converted off of a set piece. Joey O'Brien of West Ham was given a yellow card for his foul in the seventy-sixth minute. Jedinak of Crystal Palace was later booked on a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-ninth minute. The final stood at 3-1, favoring West Ham.

Up next, Southampton hosts West Bromwich Albion. Ben Foster and Fraser Forster are given the starting nods in goal. In the forty-second minute, West Brom's Chris Brunt was given a yellow card for a foul. Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne was booked in the sixty-sixth minute for his foul. West Brom had another yellow card given to Craig Gardner in the eightieth minute for a foul. This was it for the action, with the game ending in a scoreless draw.

Continuing to where Swansea City welcomes Burnley. Tom Heaton and Lukasz Fabianski are in goal. Swansea City was first to score with a Nathan Dyer goal in the twenty-third minute, assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson. Swansea City's Jonjo Shelvey was given a yellow card in the seventy-third minute for a foul. Burnley picked up a yellow card for a Michael Duff foul in the seventy-ninth minute. Swansea City's Sigurdsson also had a yellow card-worthy foul in the eighty-fifth minute. It did not impact Swansea City winning 1-0.

Wrapping up Saturday, Everton brings in Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny and Tim Howard are guarding the nets. Everton opened in the nineteenth minute with a Seamus Coleman goal, courtesy of Gareth Barry off a cross from a set piece. Everton's Leighton Baines was given a yellow card in the twenty-ninth minute for a foul. Arsenal had the next yellow card, given to Per Mertesacker for a foul in the forty-third minute. Everton extended their lead with a forty-fifth minute goal by Steven Naismith, coming on a through ball from a fast break. Arsenal was visited by the referee three times in the second half, for Jack Wilshere's foul in the fifty-fourth minute, Calum Chambers' offense in the fifty-seventh minute, and Mathieu Flamini in the seventy-seventh minute for another foul. After having their fair share of discipline, Arsenal took control with an Aaron Ramsey goal in the eighty-third minute to cut the deficit in half, made possible by a cross from Santiago Cazorla. Olivier Giroud completed the comeback for Arsenal by tying the game in the ninetieth minute on a goal, coming off of Nacho Monreal's cross. This salvaged a point as the game would end 2-2.

On Sunday, there were three games, beginning with Hull City hosting Stoke City. Asmir Begovic and Allan McGregor are the keepers. Hull City went down to ten men when James Chester was sent off on a straight red card in the fourteenth minute. Stoke City saw a yellow card given to Mame Biran Diouf in the thirty-eighth minute for a foul. The shorthanded Hull City was first to score with a forty-second minute goal by Nikica Jelavic. Phil Bardsley had the next yellow card in the forty-fourth minute for Stoke City. Hull City's Andrew Robertson was also booked on a yellow card for his offense in the fifty-first minute. Stoke City took another yellow card in the sixty-first minute for a Bojan foul. Stoke City tied the game in the eighty-third minute with a goal from close range by Ryan Shawcross. This provided the final score, which was level at 1-1.

The next game was Tottenham Hotspur welcoming the Queens Park Rangers. Robert Green and Hugo Lloris are the goalies.  Tottenham Hotspur began with a twelfth minute goal by Nacer Chadli, assisted by Emmanuel Adebayor. Tottenham Hotspur added on in the thirtieth minute on an Eric Dier goal, fueled by Erik Lamela's cross off of a corner kick. Tottenham Hotspur extended the lead in the thirty-seventh minute, as Chadli scored again with the help of Lamela on the cross. In the sixty-fourth minute, Leroy Fer of QPR was shown a yellow card for a foul, and a minute later Tottenham padded the lead again on an Adebayor goal, made possible by Danny Rose. The final stood from here as 4-0 for Tottenham Hotspur.

Finishing off on Sunday, Sunderland brings in Manchester United. David de Gea and Vito Mannone draw the starts in goal. Manchester United started in the seventeenth minute with a Juan Mata goal from in close. Sunderland tied it on a Jack Rodwell goal in the thirtieth minute, via Sebastian Larsson's cross after a corner kick. In the sixty-second minute, Ashley Young of Manchester United was given a yellow card for a dive, followed by another yellow card to Manchester United's Tom Cleverley in the sixty-seventh minute for a foul. The final was a 1-1 draw.

The last game was the featured Manchester City hosting Liverpool on Monday. Simon Mignolet and Joe Hart will protect the nets. Manchester City had the first yellow card for a twenty-ninth minute foul by Yaya Toure. Manchester City began the scoring with a Stevan Jovetic goal in the forty-first minute. In the fifty-fifth minute, Jovetic added on for Manchester City with another goal, set up by Samir Nasri. Manchester City extended the lead in the sixty-ninth minute with a goal by Sergio Aguero, courtesy of Jesus Navas with the through ball. Liverpool's Emre Can was shown the yellow card for a seventy-sixth minute foul. Liverpool got on the board, but it wasn't their own doing, as Pablo Zabaleta put the ball in his own net for an own goal. This produced a 3-1 final favoring Manchester City.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

MLS Weekend, August 22-24, 2014

We have another set of nine games this weekend, beginning with...

FC Dallas hosting Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando and Raul Fernandez make the starts in goal. The first half was marred by disciplinary action. Dallas saw yellow cards go to Blas Perez in the thirty-first minute for unsporting behavior, Michel in the thirty-third minute for a foul, and Perez again in the forty-fifth minute for a dive, causing him to be sent off and Dallas to fall to ten men. Salt Lake's Chris Schuler also had a yellow card for unsporting behavior in the forty-fifth minute. With the behavioral issues out of the way, the second half was all about goals. Dallas began in the fiftieth minute on a Je-Vaughn Watson goal, via Michel. Dallas added on with a Fabian Castillo goal in the seventy-fourth minute, courtesy of Tesho Akindele and Michel. Real got one back with an Olmes Garcia goal in stoppage time, set up by Sebastian Velasquez. They failed to tie it, dropping the game 2-1. The man of the match was Michel for setting up both goals with Dallas being shorthanded.

Beginning on Saturday, we have the New York Red Bulls welcoming the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Luis Robles are in goal. Montreal got going in the thirty-seventh minute on a Dilly Duka goal, assisted by Calum Mallace. New York tied it on a fifty-third minute Thierry Henry goal, fueled by Eric Alexander. The Red Bulls took the lead in the sixty-seventh minute as Henry scored again, with the help of Dax McCarty. New York added on with a Bradley Wright-Phillips goal, coming off of Henry in seventy-fourth minute. The Impact made it interesting with a seventy-ninth minute Andres Romero goal, set up by Wandrille Lefevre. The Red Bulls finished it at 4-2 with a Wright-Phillips goal in the ninetieth minute, thanks to Peguy Luyindula. Henry was the man of the match.

Up in Canada, Toronto FC brings in the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Joe Bendik are guarding the nets. Toronto got an early gift as Chicago's Bakary Soumare put the ball in his own net for an own goal. Chicago also had a pair of yellow cards in the first half, going to Lovel Palmer in the twentieth minute for a foul and Alex in the thirty-ninth minute for persistent infringement. The teams exchanged yellow cards in the second half as Soumare got one for a foul in the forty-sixth minute for the Fire, followed by Toronto's Collen Warner being booked in the fifty-seventh minute, also for a foul. The Fire tied it in the seventieth minute as Robert Earnshaw scored, with the help of Grant Ward. Toronto retook the lead as Gilberto deposited a pass from Luke Moore in the seventy-ninth minute. Chicago got another equalizer in the ninetieth minute on a Quincy Amarikwa goal, fueled by Palmer. The Fire took a yellow card in stoppage time for a Gonzalo Segares foul, but they escaped the game with a point in the 2-2 draw. Amarikwa was the man of the match for the timely tally.

Back stateside, the Columbus Crew host the Houston Dynamo. Tally Hall and Steve Clark are the veteran goalies. Columbus began with a thirty-fifth minute goal by Justin Meram, going in unassisted. The Crew added on in the fifty-ninth minute as Adam Bedell scored, with the help of Meram. Houston's Corey Ashe took a yellow card for a foul in the sixty-first minute. Columbus extended their lead with a sixty-fourth minute by Aaron Schoenfeld, via Waylon Francis. The Dynamo had another yellow card in the seventy-ninth minute for a Brian Ownby foul. The final stood at 3-0, with Meram being the man of the match for his goal and assist.

East to New England, where the Revolution welcome Chivas USA. Dan Kennedy and Bobby Shuttleworth are the keepers. The teams exchanged yellow cards early in the second half as A.J. Soares forty-eighth minute yellow card for persistent infringement for New England, matched by Chivas' Tony Lochhead getting a yellow card in the fifty-third minute for a foul. The Revolution began in the fifty-sixth minute as Lee Nguyen scored, thanks to Kelyn Rowe and Daigo Kobayashi. Chivas took another yellow card in the seventieth minute on a foul by Oswaldo Minda. This was it for the game, with the Revolution winning 1-0, and Shuttleworth was the man of the match for four saves and a clean sheet.

Out west, Sporting Kansas City brings in DC United. Bill Hamid and Jon Kempin are the goalies. DC struck first in the twenty-fourth minute on a Fabian Espindola goal, assisted by Luis Silva. United added on in the twenty-eighth minute with a Chris Rolfe goal, passed from Silva. DC extended the lead in the thirty-first minute on a Perry Kitchen goal, via Rolfe. United's Taylor Kemp was given a yellow card in the sixty-first minute for time wasting. Kansas City's Igor Juliao was booked in the eighty-third minute for a foul that drew a yellow card. DC won 3-0, with the man of the match being Rolfe for his insurance goal and an assist.

Finishing up Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy host the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Jaime Penedo are set to start in goal. Los Angeles started with a fourth minute goal by Landon Donovan, set up by Robbie Keane. The Galaxy's Dan Gargan was given a yellow card in the twenty-first minute for a foul. Los Angeles added on in the thirty-second minute with a Marcelo Sarvas goal, fueled by Keane. The second half was all about discipline. Vancouver saw yellow cards go to Mehdi Ballouchy in the sixtieth minute for a foul and Kendall Watson for unsporting behavior in the eighty-seventh minute, followed by a ninetieth minute red card to Johnny Leveron for a fight. The Galaxy had yellow cards go to A.J. DeLaGarza in the seventy-eighth minute, Sarvas in the eightieth minute, and Omar Gonzalez in the eighty-third minute, all for fouls. The final was 2-0, and the man of the match was Keane for his two assists.

Finally on Sunday, we have the Portland Timbers welcoming the Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Donovan Ricketts are the keepers. Seattle opened in the eighteenth minute with an Obafemi Martins goal, passed from Brad Evans and DeAndre Yedlin. In the twenty-third minute, Liam Ridgewell got a yellow card for a foul. The Sounders added on in the thirty-fourth minute with a Clint Dempsey goal, made possible by Martins turning away from a Portland corner and threading the ball to the scorer. The Timbers took another yellow card for a Norberto Paparatto foul in the thirty-eighth minute. In the forty-sixth minute, Chad Marshall was booked for a foul on a yellow card and Zach Scott gave another yellow card to Seattle for his foul in the fifty-third minute. The Sounders took another yellow card for an Osvaldo Alonso foul in the sixty-first minute. Portland's Maximiliano Urruti received a yellow card in the sixty-fourth minute for dissent. Seattle extended the lead with a Chad Barrett goal in the seventieth minute, via Dempsey. The Timbers got one back in the seventy-third minute with a Fanendo Adi goal, set up by Rodney Wallace. The Sounders got it right back in the seventy-sixth minute as Martins scored his second of the game, with an assist from Gonzalo Pineda. Portland refused to roll over, as Adi scored again in the first minute of stoppage time, thanks to Steve Zakuani. The final stood at 4-2, and Martins was the clear man of the match.

Finishing off the weekend, the Philadelphia Union bring in the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Rais Mbolhi are protecting the woodwork. Philadelphia led off with a tenth minute goal by Andrew Wenger, assisted by Sebastien Le Toux and Conor Casey. The Union added on in the fourteenth minute with a Le Toux goal, going in unassisted. San Jose got one back in the fifty-ninth minute on an unassisted Sam Cronin goal. Le Toux marred his good night by taking a yellow card for a sixty-seventh minute foul for Philadelphia. The Earthquakes pulled even on a seventieth minute Chris Wondolowski goal, set up by Shea Salinas. The Union retook the lead in the seventy-second minute as Sheanon Williams buried a pass from none other than Le Toux. Philadelphia kept going in the seventy-ninth minute with Wegner's second of the game, again set up by Le Toux. The final stood at 4-2, and Le Toux was the man of the match for factoring in on every goal.

MLS Wednesday August 21st, 2014

Two games tonight, beginning in...

Colorado, as the Rapids host the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and Clint Irwin control the nets. Colorado began with a fourteenth minute goal by Marlon Hairston, going in unassisted. The Rapids added on in the seventeenth minute with an Edson Buddle goal, via Dillon Powers. Los Angeles got on the board with a Robbie Keane goal in the twentieth minute, courtesy of Dan Gargan. Colorado shot back in the thirtieth minute as Marc Burch scored an unassisted goal. The Galaxy replied on a fifty-fifth minute goal from Omar Gonzalez, assisted by Landon Donovan. Los Angeles tied it in the sixty-eighth minute when Alan Gordon scored, thanks to Gonzalez and Marcelo Sarvas. The Galaxy took the lead in the eightieth minute on a Donovan goal, passed from Keane. Los Angeles saw Sarvas get a yellow card in the eighty-fifth minute for a foul. They held on to win the wild game 4-3, with the man of the match being Donovan for helping begin and putting a cap on the end of the rally.

The other game was in Seattle, as the Sounders FC host the San Jose Earthquakes. Jon Busch and Stefan Frei guard the woodwork. Seattle's DeAndre Yedlin was shown a yellow card in the twenty-seventh minute for a foul. The Sounders were first to score in the forty-sixth minute with a Chad Barrett goal, via Obafemi Martins. San Jose tied it in the sixty-fifth minute on a Chris Wondolowski goal, passed from Cordell Cato. The Sounders' Martins took a yellow card in the seventy-seventh minute for a foul. The Earthquakes also had a yellow card, going to J.J. Koval for a foul in the ninetieth minute. The score held even at 1-1 until the end, and the man of the match was Busch for making six saves to give the Earthquakes a result.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

MLS Weekend August 15-17, 2014

Nine games for the weekend, beginning in...

Houston, as the Dynamo host the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Tally Hall are in front of the woodwork. Houston's David Horst had the first yellow card twenty-eight minutes in, for a foul. Philadelphia matched that with a first half stoppage time yellow card for Danny Cruz expressing his dissent. The Dynamo were first to score in the fifty-first minute on a Will Bruin goal, via Giles Barnes and Brad Davis. Houston got another yellow card for unsporting behavior by DeMarcus Beasley. The Dynamo got another goal in the ninetieth minute when Raymon Gaddis put the ball into his own net for an own goal. The final was 2-0, and the man of the match was Blake, who made seven saves despite the loss as Houston came in firing often and accurately.

On Saturday, the first game was a matinee affair between Real Salt Lake and the visiting Seattle Sounders FC. Stefan Frei and Nick Rimando are the solid keepers. Salt Lake and Seattle traded yellow cards around the fifteen minute mark, with Olmes Garcia and Zach Scott each getting one for a foul. Salt Lake took the lead in the fifty-third minute on a Joao Plata goal, via Luke Mulholland. In the fifty-seventh minute, Real got a gift as Osvaldo Alonso put the ball in his own net for the own goal. The Sounders' DeAndre Yedlin picked up a yellow card for dissent in the sixtieth minute. Seattle tied it in the seventy-second minute with a Chad Barrett goal. They couldn't tie it up, dropping a 2-1 decision. The man of the match was Mulholland, who drew fouls and factored into the offense as well.

Northeast to Montreal, where the Impact bring in the Chicago Fire. Sean Johnson and Evan Bush are in goal. Chicago took a yellow card for a twenty-fourth minute foul by Patrick Ianni. Montreal matched it in the seventieth minute on a Gorka Larrea foul that saw him booked on a yellow card. Marco Di Vaio gave the Impact the lead with an eighty-fourth minute goal, and this held up to make it a 1-0 final. The man of the match was Di Vaio for the timely goal.

Down to New England, where the Revolution host the Portland Timbers. Donovan Ricketts and Bobby Shuttleworth man the nets. New England opened in the twenty-seventh minute with a Charlie Davies goal, passed from Diego Fagundez. Portland's Gaston Fernandez took a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-third minute. The Timbers tied it in the sixty-fifth minute on a Liam Ridgewell goal, going in unassisted. This was good enough to make it a 1-1 final, and the man of the match was Ricketts with his five saves to preserve the tie.

West a bit to Columbus, where the Crew welcome the Los Angeles Galaxy. Jaime Penedo and Steve Clark draw the starts in goal. Columbus struck first in the twenty-third minute on a Justin Meram goal, passed from Tony Tchani. The Crew added on with a thirty-third minute Ethan Finlay goal, made possible by Meram. Los Angeles got on the board with a forty-ninth minute goal by Gyasi Zardes, guided in by Dan Gargan and Robbie Keane. Columbus answered in the seventy-fifth minute on a Ben Speas goal, assisted by Finlay. The Crew finished it at 4-1 with an eighty-fourth minute goal by Giancarlo Gonzales, coming off of Federico Higuain. The man of the match was Meram for being included in the making of the critical goals in the match.

Down in Kansas City, Sporting brings in Toronto FC. Joe Bendik and Jon Kempin protect the woodwork. Kansas City began as Dominic Dwyer converted a penalty kick in the eighteenth minute. Lightning struck twice for Sporting, as Dwyer converted another penalty kick to extend the lead in the thirty-third minute. Toronto got one back in first half stoppage time on a Gilberto goal, via Dominic Oduro and Collen Warner. Kansas City answered in the sixty-fourth minute with a Soony Saad goal, going in unassisted. Sporting finished it at 4-1 with a C.J. Sapong goal in the seventy-seventh minute, coming off of Saad and Graham Zusi. The man of the match was Dwyer for his game-winning brace on PKs.

Out in California, Chivas USA hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. David Ousted and Dan Kennedy are called on to start in goal. Vancouver's Matias Laba was given a yellow card for a foul in the thirty-seventh minute. Chivas picked up a yellow card for an Agustin Pelletieri foul in the forty-ninth minute. Chivas had two more yellow cards late in the second half, going to Mauro Rosales in the seventy-ninth minute and Leandro Barrera in the eighty-second minute for fouls. This was it for the game, ending in a scoreless draw. Ousted's four saves earned him man of the match honors.

Finishing off Saturday, the San Jose Earthquakes welcome FC Dallas. Raul Fernandez and Jon Busch are the keepers. Dallas started in the thirtieth minute on a Fabian Castillo goal. Dallas added on in the forty-third minute as Tesho Akindele scored, thanks to Castillo. San Jose's Victor Bernardez was shown a yellow card in the forty-fourth minute for a foul. In the fifty-sixth minute, Akindele struck again with his second goal of the game to extend the Dallas lead. Castillo struck again to get himself a brace as well in the seventy-fourth minute, with the help of Blas Perez. In the eighty-sixth minute, Akindele finished off his hat trick to pad the lead for Dallas. This made it a 5-0 final, and Akindele was the man of the match for obvious reasons. 

Closing out the weekend, DC United brings in the Colorado Rapids. Clint Irwin and Bill Hamid get the starts in goal. Colorado's Nick LaBrocca was shown a yellow card in the third minute for a foul. DC took the lead with a Luis Silva goal in the twelfth minute, passed from Taylor Kemp. The Rapids' Chris Klute was given a yellow card for a foul in the forty-third minute. Colorado tied it in the fifty-second minute with a Dillon Serna goal, fueled by Jared Watts. United retook the lead in the sixty-seventh minute as Silva scored again, thanks to Sean Franklin and Perry Kitchen. In the sixty-eighth minute, DC's Davy Arnaud picked up a yellow card for a foul. In the seventy-second minute, Kitchen was shown a yellow card for a foul. Chirs Rolfe extended the United lead with a goal in the eighty-first minute, via Kemp. DC got another in the eighty-sixth minute with a Fabian Espindola goal, passed from David Estrada. The Rapids took one back in the first minute of stoppage time with a Deshorn Brown goal, helped along by Dillon Powers. The final stood at 4-2, with the man of the match being Silva with his brace.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion. 

Premier League Week 1

I know that this is short notice, but I have decided to take my blog in a new direction. I will no longer be covering American football, and there will be no further attempts at baseball either. Instead, I have grown into being a big fan of soccer/association football/futbol (it all depends on what you want to call it). With this change, I will continue coverage for the USA's Major League Soccer, and also add the Barclays Premier League. These will be paired with hockey in both the NHL and KHL as I have done for the past two seasons. I hope to attract a more global audience with this change, and I apologize to those who read my NFL coverage, but it is simply too intense to keep up with while I am attending college. With that, the 2014-2015 Premier League season begins with...

Manchester United hosting Swansea City. Lukasz Fabianski and David de Gea are in goal. Swansea City's Nathan Dyer was first in the book with a yellow card for a foul in the twenty-sixth minute. Swansea City took the lead with a Ki Sung-Yueng goal in the twenty-eighth minute, made possible by Gylfi Sigurdsson. In the forty-eighth minute, Swansea City took another yellow card for a foul by Neil Taylor. Manchester United tied it on a fifty-third minute goal by Wayne Rooney from in close. In the fifty-fourth minute, Jonjo Shelvey was given a yellow card for Swansea City. Swansea City took the lead back on a seventy-second minute goal by Sigurdsson, with the help of Wayne Routledge. Swansea City's Sung-Yueng took a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-second minute, but this was matched by Manchester United a minute later for Tyler Blackett's yellow card earning foul, and again by Ashley Young's foul and yellow card in the eighty-sixth minute. Swansea City came away with an impressive 2-1 victory to open the season.

Moving along to Leicester City welcoming Everton. Tim Howard and Kasper Schmeichel are the goalies. In the twentieth minute, Aiden McGeady was able to corral the ball after a corner kick and put it in the upper right corner for an early Everton lead. In the twenty-second minute, Leonardo Ulloa answered with his own goal following a corner kick to tie the game for Leicester City. Everton retook the lead as Steven Naismith ricocheted the ball off the crossbar and into the top left corner in the forty-fifth minute, with an assist by Steven Pienaar. In the sixty-eighth minute, Everton's Gareth Barry was shown a yellow card for a foul, but this was matched by Leicester City's Liam Moore getting a yellow card for a handball. In the eighty-sixth minute, Leicester City got the equalizer with a Chris Wood goal. This held up for a 2-2 draw.

Next up, the Queens Park Rangers bring in Hull City. Allan McGregor and Robert Green are guarding the nets. In the twenty-seventh minute, Curtis Davies of Hull City was shown a yellow card for a foul. Hull City took the lead in the fifty-second minute, as James Chester headed the ball in off a cross from the assisting Stephen Quinn. The sides exchanged yellow cards later, with QPR's Richard Dunne getting one for his sixty-ninth minute foul, followed by Hull City's foul in the seventy-ninth minute, committed by Nikica Jelavic. The Chester goal held up to give Hull City the 1-0 win.

On to Stoke City hosting Aston Villa. Brad Guzan and Asmir Begovic are the keepers. Aston Villa had a yellow card shown to Ashley Westwood in the fourteenth minute for a foul. Aston Villa took the lead with a fiftieth minute goal by Andres Weimann. Aston Villa was booked for two more yellow cards, going to Alan Hutton in the eightieth minute and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the eighty-sixth minute. They still hung on for a 1-0 win, beginning their season on the right foot.

Following that, West Bromwich Albion welcomes Sunderland. Vito Mannone and Ben Foster are in the six-yard boxes. In the fifth minute, Lee Cattermole put Sunderland up with a goal after a set piece. West Brom had three yellow cards in a row, going to Craig Dawson in the tenth minute, Graham Dorrans in the thirtieth minute, and Jonas Olsson in the thirty-second minute. The first two were for fouls, while the third went undefined. In the forty-second minute, Valentin Roberge of Sunderland was shown a yellow card for a foul, allowing West Brom to tie the game on the ensuing penalty kick by Saido Berahino to the bottom left corner of the net. Berahino struck again in the seventy-fourth minute, converting a cross from Craig Gardner from in close. Sunderland salvaged a point as Sebastian Larsson scored in the eighty-fifth minute with an assist by Patrick van Aanholt. This made it a 2-2 draw in the end.

We continue to where West Ham United brings in Tottenham Hotspur. Hugo Lloris and Adrian are playing in goal. Tottenham Hotspur went down to ten men in the twenty-ninth minute as Kyle Naughton was given a red card. West Ham's James Collins got a yellow card for a fifty-fourth minute foal, but he was later ejected in the sixty-third minute for a second yellow card on another bad foul. West Ham had another yellow card issued to Cheikhou Kouyate in stoppage time for a foul, and about forty-seconds later, Eric Dier gave Tottenham Hotspur the win with a late goal, assisted by Harry Kane on the through ball. Tottenham Hotspur took the game 1-0.

The last game for Saturday's opening festivities was Arsenal hosting Crystal Palace. Julian Speroni and Wojciech Szczesny protect the nets. Brede Hangeland put Crystal Palace up first with a thirty-fifth minute header goal, assisted by Jason Puncheon with the cross. In the forty-fourth minute, Calum Chambers of Arsenal was given a yellow card for his foul. Just into stoppage time for the first half, Arsenal tied it up on a Laurent Koscielny header goal via Alexis Sanchez off the set piece. Crystal Palace's Puncheon was given a yellow card in the forty-eighth minute. In the sixtieth minute, Arsenal's Santiago Cazorla was given a yellow card for his foul. Crystal Palace was booked three more times in the game, with a sixty-eighth minute yellow card to Marouane Chamakh for a foul, a Martin Kelly yellow card for a foul in the seventy-seventh minute, and then Puncheon's second yellow card got him ejected in the eighty-ninth minute for his foul. With the manpower advantage, Arsenal cashed in as Aaron Ramsey scored from close range thirty-five seconds into stoppage time, coming off a corner kick. The final stood favoring Arsenal 2-1.

Sunday had two games, the first from Liverpool, who welcomed in Southampton. Fraser Forster and Simon Mignolet guard the nets. Liverpool started in the twenty-third minute with a Raheem Sterling goal, made possible by Jordan Henderson with the through ball. Liverpool's Javier Manquillo took a yellow card for his foul in the thirty-fourth minute. Nathaniel Clyne put Southampton level with a goal in the fifty-sixth minute, guided in by Dusan Tadic. In the sixty-fifth minute, Morgan Schneiderlin of Southamption was shown a yellow card for his foul, followed by another yellow to Steven Davis in the seventy-eighth minute. Liverpool was able to build from here and score in the seventy-ninth minute as Daniel Sturridge buried a header pass from Sterling. Liverpool held on for the 2-1 win.

The other Sunday game saw Newcastle United bring in Manchester City. Joe Hart and Tim Krul are the goalies with short names. In the thirty-fourth minute, David Silva was booked for Manchester City on a yellow card foul. Silva made up for his error by putting Manchester City ahead in the thirty-eighth minute with a goal off a pass from Edin Dzeko. The next bit of action was three consecutive yellow cards issued to Manchester City players, beginning in the fifty-fourth minute with Martin Demichelis, followed by Aleksandar Kolarov's foul in the fifty-seventh minute, and Vincent Kompany's foul in the seventy-fifth minute. Daryl Jaanmat picked up a yellow card for Newcastle United in the seventy-seventh minute, also for a foul. Manchester City had the last yellow card in the eighty-seventh minute on a Fernando foul. About a minute and a half into stoppage time, Manchester City iced it at 2-0 with a Sergio Aguero goal, coming from an odd angle but finding the net.

Finally, on Monday, Burnley hosts Chelsea to wrap up the first week. Thibaut Courtois and Tom Heaton are the keepers. In the fourteenth minute, Burnley struck first with a goal by Scott Arfield, assisted by Matthew Taylor. Chelsea tied it in the seventeenth minute on a Diego Costa goal. In the twenty-first minute, Chelsea took the lead on a beautiful goal by Andre Schurrle, kicking on the half-volley after a well-placed pass by Francesc Fabregas. In the thirty-first minute, Costa was booked for a foul while trying to outrun Heaton for the ball. Chelsea added on with a thirty-fourth minute goal by Branislav Ivanovic, off of a corner kick by Fabregas. Burnley's Marvin Sordell got a yellow card for a foul in the eighty-seventh minute. Chelsea shut it down in the end for a 3-1 victory to ascend to the top of the table at the end of the first week.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.