Highlights of the Week

Just here sipping away at my Pepsi I must apologize for the lack of a post this week. I have been pretty busy although I have to say I have managed to catch some sport here and there. This hopefully won't be my only post, I still need to catch up on Greg Dyke and his motion of the 'Rooney Rule'. So it will hopefully integrate with my previous post on international football.

Anyway moving on to just a few sporting highlights from my week. These are sporting moments that caught my eye for one reason or another.

Australia Diamonds - New Zealand Silver Ferns The Constellation Cup

Australia GD Julia Corletto and New Zealand's Cathrine Latu GS/GA

I will be honest I have not watched this from the start, we don't get a great deal of netball on our television. But I was having breakfast one morning and as always put some sort of sport on. That morning it was the first game in the Constellation Cup series. 

The game was at such a high level and high intesity if you looked away for one second you missed something. Since I saw that first game the Diamonds have impressively swept the cup series 4-0. A rather tighter affair in the final game.

Injury affected Silver Ferns with there captain Casey Kopua out for a long period with a knee injury,  put up significant resistance. But it wasn't to stop the Australians coming back at them in the final game. 

A- 59 NZ- 42

A-49 NZ- 40

A-47 NZ- 34

A-51 NZ- 47

My player of the series was the Diamonds GS Caitlin Bassett. At 6ft3in, 193cm she seemed to be everywhere, passes thrown into her never easy catches. Making catches and always making the scores. Always going to be tough for any defence, constantly shooting over 90%.

If you haven't seen any of this I'd recommend watching at least one game. If your a sports fan you will enjoy it.

Euro Qualifications Madness 

Slovakia 2 Spain 1
Italy 2 Azerbaijan 1
Poland 2 Germany 0
Estonia 0 England 1 
Iceland 2 Holland 0
Bosnia & Herzegovina 1 Belgium 1
Croatia 6 Azerbaijan 0
Malta 0 Italy 1
Germany 1 Rep Ireland 1
Poland 2 Scotland 2

This has happened throughout the week with these results popping up very surprisingly just as you wouldn't expect. But as many people would suggest, it's the nature of the game it can throw all sorts at you. But when Germany, Spain and Holland all lose away to what they would call inferior opposition. It does bring a small smile to your face. Even if Scotland are doing moderately well for a change. That's football.

The WSL Title Decider

The WSL (Women's Super League) is not something a lot of people are familiar with. I have been to a few women's football matches and maybe that's why I keep tabs on it. Or perhaps it's because I'm a Liverpool fan, and in the women's game Liverpool aren't doing at all bad.

The story of this year's WSL title is quite unique. In a way that it was a three horse race up until the very last stages. Liverpool Ladies started third in the table at the start of the day. Only 3 points behind leaders Chelsea who were bidding for there first WSL title. In second lay Birmingham Ladies who were again just 2 points behind. So this gave Liverpool a lot of work to do at the start of the day having two other teams with a clearer chance of title success.

It was a topsy turvy afternoon for all sides involved. But all the luck seemed to be favouring the Reds. Both Chelsea and Birmingham needed to win against Manchester City and Notts County respectivly to make sure of the title, depending on the result from the other, in the case of Birmingham. For Liverpool nothing other than a win against Bristol Academy would be acceptable for them to be acceptable to retain there title.

As I've mentioned I think luck was with the Reds on Sunday afternoon with them achieving an emphatic 3-0 victory over Bristol Academy. There rivals however did not fair so well. Chelsea came out on the end of a 2-1 defeat by the hands of Manchester City when Toni Duggan scored there second to break Chelsea hearts and seal the win. Birmingham only faired a little better with the result and could only manage a 2-2 draw with Notts County.

The 3 goals scored by Natasha Dowie, Lucy Bronze, and a penalty from Fara Williams for Liverpool Ladies ended up being very important as they secured there second successive title on goal difference.

A very dramatic afternoon with a very bizarre end to the WSL.

Green Bay Packers v Miami Dolphins - Final Packers Drive

I don't think this needs to many words to describe this. But what a fantastic game this was. And with three seconds to go Aaron Rodgers manages to find TE Andrew Quarless in the end zone to cap off a magnificent 11 play drive. It was looking for so long like Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins would come back to take this one but Green Bay had other plans.
I can only say so much about this game I would recommend watching the highlights on NFL.com especially of the final drive itself. There is a little on the video above.

This ends my chatter for this week. Technically could be about 3 mini posts. But anyway. Hope you enjoyed it. If you managed it. Speak later Anthony