Brazil´s Copa America capitulation: Did Vinicius flop and does Dorival deserve time?

Where did it all go wrong for Brazil at the Copa America?

The Selecao went into the tournament as the second favourites, with the Opta supercomputer rating their chances of lifting the trophy at 23.2%.

Yet the nine-time Copa America champions were instead left licking their wounds after losing 4-2 to in-form Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Brazil could have avoided that tie with Marcelo Bielsa s team, and instead have faced Panama, had they shown more in the group stage.

But as it was, an opening 0-0 draw with Costa Rica and a closing 1-1 draw with Colombia, another of the Copa America s most impressive teams, meant a 4-1 win over Paraguay marked the only bright spark in a disappointing campaign.

Dorival Junior, who took over as head c…

FIFA concern over 2014 World Cup venues

FIFA have revealed that a host of new stadiums being built for the 2014 World Cup will not be ready in time to be tested at a tournament next year.

On Thursday, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and Fortaleza were named as the host cities for the 2013 Confederations Cup, but a number of venues currently under construction are running behind schedule.

FIFA communications director Walter Gregorio revealed that it was hoped the new stadia could be used next year, as a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup, but this will now not happen as a result of concerning delays.

We always said that the stadiums should be delivered by the end of the year, and only two of them will meet the deadline, he revealed at a press event in Sao Paulo.

Belo Ho…

Spain 2-1 Germany (aet): Merino´s last-gasp header sinks Euro 2024 hosts

Mikel Merino s last-gasp header sent Spain into the semi-finals of Euro 2024 as La Roja beat hosts Germany 2-1 after extra time.

Florian Wirtz s 89th-minute strike had cancelled out Dani Olmo s calm finish in a frantic encounter in Stuttgart on Friday.

Yet having had the best chances of extra time, Germany became the first Euros hosts to lose a quarter-final when Merino brilliantly headed home Spain s latest ever goal in the competition in the 119th minute.

Niclas Fullkrug s header was just inches away from rescuing Germany and setting up penalties, but Luis de la Fuente s team, who had Dani Carvajal sent off late on, held on to tee up a clash with either Portugal or France.

118:52 In the 119th minute, Mikel Merino has scored the third-latest winning goal…

Low: Muller´s Euro 2016 hard to explain

Germany coach Joachim Low believes Thomas Muller s poor Euro 2016 was unexplainable, but normal for a forward.

Muller endured a poor European Championship, failing to score in 570 minutes as Germany were beaten in the semi-finals by hosts France.

But the Bayern Munich star has started the World Cup qualifiers in fine form, netting four times – including twice in a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday.

Low struggles to explain Muller s problems at Euro 2016, but said every forward had their patches.

I don t think we have to look for a specific reason, he said.

A striker has phases, where he doesn t score goals and is a bit unlucky. And that was the case for Thomas Muller at the Euros.

But he is a player, who can always score goa…

2014 FIFA World Cup: Tweets of the tournament

The 2014 FIFA World Cup has seen great goals, fairytale stories, moments of madness and huge wins, and Twitter has chronicled them all.

For this World Cup, I wish good health to all the players, safety and enjoyment to all the fans, and most importantly: strength and unity for my country. Go Brazil! Brazil legend Pele before the tournament began with a 3-1 win for the host nation against Croatia.

What an incredible night yest [yesterday] v spain a night Holland will never forget! We got to push on and make our time in Brazil even more special!! Netherlands 5-1 win over then-world champions Spain on day two was stunning, with striker Robin van Persie hailing it as a great moment.

11 on the field, more than 300 million cheering them on. #WorldCup #USMNT United S…

Anderton: England would have won Euro 2024 under Guardiola

Former England winger Darren Anderton believes the Three Lions would have won the Euros if Pep Guardiola had been in charge.

Following England s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday that Gareth Southgate had stepped down as manager.

Since then, a host of names have been linked with the vacant job, with Eddie Howe and Graham Potter among the reported frontrunners.

One of the others being linked with the position is Guardiola, who is going into the final year of his contract at Manchester City.

The Spaniard won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title with the Citizens last season, though conceded at the end of the campaign he was closer to leaving than staying .

Guardiola exp…

Guardiola signs City deal: Which Premier League records did they break in 2017-18?

Pep Guardiola ended speculation over his future by signing a new two-year contract with Manchester City on Thursday.

The deal, which runs until 2023, will see the former Barcelona boss extend his stay in England to seven years.

While Champions League glory has eluded them, City have hit new heights since Guardiola s arrival in 2016. They have won six major domestic trophies, including two Premier League titles, winning 181 of their 245 games in all competitions.

Guardiola s first league title in England two years ago saw City set some remarkable records

HE S STAYING! 

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— Manchester City (@ManCity)

100 A late Gabriel Jesus goal at Southampton on the final day meant City finished the season on 100 points, the first time …

Bears vs Raiders Week 5 Picks and Predictions: Can Vegas Rebound From First Loss?

Justin Fields will make his third career start, and first out from under the looming, red shadow of Andy Dalton, against the Las Vegas Raiders as the Chicago Bears head to the desert having embraced the future.

Fields will now be tasked with injecting some life into a 2-2 Chicago team, while Las Vegas tries to rebound from a humbling first loss of the season against the Chargers.

Keep reading for our free NFL betting picks and predictions for Bears vs. Raiders, with kickoff on October 10. 

New York Giants Odds, Predictions, and Betting Preview 2022: G-Men Bank on Soft Schedule

The New York Giants are injecting their franchise with a dose of spicy Buffalo sauce after poaching new GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll from the Bills. 

The expectations are tempered for this transition, especially with much-maligned quarterback Daniel Jones under center. The Giants’ NFL odds don’t paint a pretty picture in terms of futures, but there could be betting value in Big Blue as it pertains to their win total and early-season spreads.

Now that we have your attention, here’s our New York Giants 2022 betting preview.

New York Giants futures odds

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A.J. Brown Super Bowl 57 Prop Odds and Prediction: KC Defense Keeps Brown Under Receptions Total

We haven’t seen the best of the Philadelphia passing game of late but that hasn’t stopped Super Bowl player prop bettors from driving up A.J. Brown’s receiving markets.

Today, I’m looking specifically at his reception total and how the addition of some more mouths in the passing game and an underrated Kansas City pass defense are working against Brown having a high-volume performance in Super Bowl LVII. 

The Birds may be favored in our Super Bowl odds, but I break down why it may not all come easy for the Philly wideout – read more in my Super Bowl picks below.