phelps

I wouldn't say the US guys are safe in Bronze Medal match...they still need TPE to beat AUS tomorrow and KOR not to end with a 2W-3L record (since they can't match the Team Quality Balance of both KOR and TPE in a 3-way tie with them)... meanwhile, if TPE lose to AUS, the USA are 5th and out of the medal matches in any case (as they lost to both KOR and AUS, the only teams they can still reach in the standings -not counting TPE, as they are going to end up behind the USA whatever it happens in the remaining games)... on the other side, in the top half of the standings, if MEX lose to KOR, they are mathematically out of the Gold Medal game (tomorrow's JPN vs KOR becomes a warm-up match towards Sunday's Gold Medal game between the 2 Asian powerhouses), as they would have lost the direct match-ups with both KOR and JPN, the only teams they can finish tied with (a 3-way tie is not possible)... they really need to win today, if they want to make their first ever senior global big final...

so, at least 1 between EGY or GHA will qualify for the Olympics...

Group A, Day #3 Egypt b. Cameroon 2-1 Ghana b. Mali 2-0 Group A, Final Ranking Egypt, 9 Pts (Q) Ghana, 4 Pts (+1 Goals Difference, Q) Cameroon, 4 Pts (0 Goals Difference, eliminated) Mali, 1 Pt (eliminated)

not only...they did show at the last world cup that the best African teams are not so poor...now we have at least NGR and SEN who are even better than some European and Panamerican team (SEN beat LAT + NGR beat ARG, TUR and GRE last year...and even when they lost, they did it by a reasonable margin -except for NGR being thrashed by the USA in the quarterfinals)... there are sports granting very weak teams places because of Home and/or Continental representation...and where they are technically entitled to have something safe, they don't get it...

following today's loss, Marcello Lippi resigned from his role of coach of the Chinese National team... having watched the match, I wouldn't name Iran's loss a surprise...they were really out of synch, not acting as a team, too much focused on complaining against the ref...add to that a stupid red card with still about a quarter of an hour to go and bad attitude overall and you get what they got...losing badly in the stoppage time... I feel sorry for our friend @MHSN...it must have been very painful watching today's match...

Knockout Stage Round Of 16, Part 2 Wednesday 13.11.2019 - Results 18:00 Mountfield HK (CZE) - Adler Mannheim (GER) 1-0

correct...

no, we have no chance anymore... Israel won the European spot and the Netherlands will have a (remote) last chance at the global tournament next Spring in Taipei...

next Friday, Nicola Tumulero will make his comeback with the Italian National team after about 1 and 1/2 years out because of that infamous injury sustained in the placing races of the Team Pursuit in Pyeongchang... I really hope he can get back to the same level he had before that dog day of February 2018...

the living legend Mike Piazza is back with the Italian National team... and this time he's the new manager of the team, after the previous stint as hitting instructor during the WBC 2006 and from 2009 through 2017...

forgot to post them at the right time..but these are the final tables of the 2 main Asian Leagues... CENTRAL LEAGUE POST-SEASON BRACKET Playoffs, Round #1* Climax Series** Yokohama DeNA BayStars 1 Yomiuri Giants 3 Hanshin Tigers 2 Hanshin Tigers (PO, Rd #1 winners) 1 PACIFIC LEAGUE POST-SEASON BRACKET Playoffs, Round #1* Climax Series** Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2 Saitama Seibu Lions 0 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PO, Rd #1 winners) 4 * = Best-of-3 Series (all games played on the turf of the higher seeded team) ** =Max-of-7 Series (all games played on the turf of the higher seeded team) JAPAN SERIES (Best-of-7 Series) Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks b. Yomiuri Giants 4 - 0 (7-2; 6-3; 6-2; 4-3) KBO PLAYOFFS BRACKET Wild Card Series (Best-of-3, with all games on the turf of the higher seeded team, also starting from 1-0 in the series) LG Twins (#4) b. NC Dinos (#5) 2-0 (Bonus Win; 3-1) Semi-Playoffs Series (Best-of-5 Series) Kiwoom Heroes (#3) b. LG Twins (WCS Winners) 3-1 (1-0; 5-4; 2-4; 10-5) Playoffs Series (Best-of-5 series) Kiwoom Heroes (#3, Semi-Playoffs Series Winners) b. SK Wyverns (#2) 3-0 (3-0; 8-7; 10-1) 2019 Korean Series (Best-of-7 series) Doosan Bears (#1) b. Kiwoom Heroes 4-0 (7-6; 6-5; 5-0; 11-9)

It all happened in the early stages of the big match... Japan scored twice in the 1st inning and once in the second against a shaky Mexican starting pitcher (Horacio Ramirez), meanwhile Mexico could only answer with a solo HR by Jonathan Jones in the top of the 4th... apart from that, the game was totally under control of the pitching staffs, with Imanaga (starter), Kaino, Yamamoto (relievers) and Yamasaki (closer) givin'up only 1 hit and 2 base-on-balls in 9 innings... Final score: Japan, 3 b. Mexico, 1 Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3965 following this game, the standings before the rest day (tomorrow) look like this: Japan, 3W - 1L Mexico, 3W - 1L South Korea, 2W - 1L Chinese Taipei, 1W - 2L Australia, 1W - 3L United States, 1W - 3L the key games on Friday and Saturday are: USA vs TPE above all, because a US loss would eliminate them from both the Olympic race for the Panamerican spot and the chance to reach the Bronze Medal match... then, MEX vs KOR, with a lot of implications for both teams (and JPN, too)... finally, according to the results of those 2 match-ups, JPN vs KOR and/or TPE vs AUS could also become decisive for the Olympic qualification and also the final placements in the Super-Round (and the consequential qualification to the Gold and/or Bronze Medal matches)... in a few words, we have 4 games left (all of them with potential big implications in the outcome of the whole tournament) and a totally undetermined situation in the standings...could someone ask for more?

sure, no... I'm saying that Pro boxing people are servant to other interests, which are not part of the aiba boxing spoil system... so, hiring people who are not better than others in overall terms, but they are stranger to the aiba dynamics, it would lead to a smaller number of controversies than keeping the same people who caused so many "accidents" on the driving seat... it's just a real change of environment and dynamics rather than the cosmetic only manouvre they're doing right now... the situation is so desperate that any attempt is better than doing nothing and letting things go by themselves...

really unexpected loss by the United States against Australia earlier this morning (1-2 the final score, with the 2 Aussies' runs scored in the top of the first inning that proved to be enough to earn them a historic win and a small hope to still be able to play for the Asia/Oceania Olympic spot)... with this result, Mexico is a lot closer to earn the Panamerican Olympic spot and with only 1 more win in the last 2 games, they would also qualify for the first time ever to the Gold Medal match of a senior WBSC Global event (qualification that would be really deserved, imho)... Australia, 2 b. USA, 1 Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3964

Question: Who will be the referees and judges at the qualification events? Answer: Only AIBA certified referees and judges will take part in the Olympic Qualifying Events and in the Olympic Games. However, the selection process for the referees and judges will be different, enhanced by the evaluation of individuals and a thorough education programme. basically, it won't change anything...it's all a "cosmetic" farce only... the first thing they should do, instead, is to get rid of any AIBA previously related people and hire refs and judges from the other Pro boxing organizations, especially those in open conflict against aiba...

Knockout Stage Round Of 16, Part 1 Tuesday 12.11.2019 - Results 17:00 Yunost Minsk (BLR) - Red Bull Munich (GER) 2-3 18:00 HC Pilsen (CZE) - Lausanne HC (SUI) 1-2 18:00 Skellefteå AIK (SWE) - Djurgården Stockholm (SWE) 3-3 18:00 Färjestad Karlstad (SWE) - Frölunda Indians (SWE) 6-3 18:00 Tappara Tampere (FIN) - EV Zug (SUI) 3-3 19:30 Augsburger Panther (GER) - EHC Biel/Bienne (SUI) 2-2 19:45 SC Bern (SUI) - Luleå Hockey (SWE) 0-3

yes... but the 5th world cup score is the tie-breaker in case of 2 (or more) teams ending up with the same amount of points in the "regular" 6 tournaments (4 WC stages + WChs + Cont. Chs), so, better not to miss any chance...

very surprising and interesting results in today's late games... and Mexico now are the only undefeated team in the tournament... United States, 4 b. Japan, 3 (no 3rd comeback for ther hosts...their pitching staff is definitely underperforming -and I have more than a doubt also about the personnel chosen by the manager & the pitching coach- and their batsmen...well, it looks they're in a true slump)... Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3963 Chinese Taipei, 7 b. South Korea, 0 (Taipei's starter Chang Yi having the night of his life, while the Koreans just didn't show up...sometimes it happens...luckily, thanks to this result in particular, we're going to have a more exciting next couple of gamedays)... Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3962 Tomorrow, 2 games are scheduled (from now on, all the remaining matches will be played in the Tokyo Dome): Australia vs USA @ Noon local time / 4 a.m. CET and a super-interesting Mexico vs Japan @ 7 p.m. local time / 11 a.m. CET... should the Mexicans win also tomorrow's match, they would be mathematically qualified to the Gold Medal game and the fight for the second spot into the super-Final would become a real mess, meanwhile should the Samurai win, we would likely have a 3-team (JPN, MEX, KOR) race for the 2 spots into Sunday's decider, with both MEX vs KOR and JPN vs KOR still to be played in the final 2 days of the round robin play...

meanwhile I don't like too much the game played under the sun... and, above all, I find the Yokohama Stadium so ugly... outdoor stadium for outdoor stadium, the ZOZO Marine stadium (where some games of this tournament are played) is a billion times more beautiful (capacity is the same of Yokohama's, just 30,000 seats, which I think it's more than enough for a low level Olympic tournament)...

I'm on board, too...

and it's looking even better for Mexico after today's win over Australia... strong start (1 run in the 1st inning and 2 in the 4th) and once again a perfect team effort & management of the pitching staff (4 guys givin'up no runs and only 4 hits -all against the starter, Eduardo vera, who went 5 innings- and 1 base-on-balls)... Final score: Mexico, 3 b. Australia, 0 Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3961 but yeah, they're still at risk of having to play a direct match-up for the Olympic spot against the USA in the Bronze Medal match (US boys who are expected to lose against Japan later today, so, nothing's gonna change in perspective at least until tomorrow)... menawhile the KOR vs TPE match-up could be a bit more decisive in the race for the Asia/Oceania spot... p.s. watching the Tokyo Dome basically empty is so sad... p.p.s. having a stadium like the Tokyo Dome and not using it for the Olympic Tournament is one of most idiotic decisions the Tokyo 2020 Organizers/IOC could take...

Knockout Stage Round Of 16, Part 1 Tuesday 12.11.2019 - Schedule* 17:00 Yunost Minsk (BLR) - Red Bull Munich (GER) 18:00 HC Pilsen (CZE) - Lausanne HC (SUI) 18:00 Skellefteå AIK (SWE) - Djurgården Stockholm (SWE) 18:00 Färjestad Karlstad (SWE) - Frölunda Indians (SWE) 18:00 Tappara Tampere (FIN) - EV Zug (SUI) 19:30 Augsburger Panther (GER) - EHC Biel/Bienne (SUI) 19:45 SC Bern (SUI) - Luleå Hockey (SWE) Round Of 16, Part 2 Wednesday 13.11.2019 - Schedule* 18:00 Mountfield HK (CZE) - Adler Mannheim (GER) *All times CET Watch live Check here for details of live TV broadcasts: https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/fans/where-to-watch All games are also live on the CHL website for free, subject to geo-blocking restrictions in certain countries due to TV rights.

Men's Foil Rankings updated after this weekend's events...

close, but not quite! Australia gave Japan a good scare, as they took a 2-0 (soon to be 2-1) early lead that they could maintain until the 7th inning, when Japan took advantage of the lack of pitching depth of the Aussie team and tied the game. Finally, in the 8th the hosts somehow also found the way to win today's match and keep their unbeaten record, together with Mexico and South Korea... Final score, Japan, 3 b. Australia, 2 Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3959 at the Tokyo Dome, instead, the Koreans didn't show any mercy against the young American team... first, they hit a 3-run homer in the first inning and then their experienced pitchers gave the talented but still impatient and undisciplined US hitters a lesson on how to contain the opposing hitting power and how to limit the damage with runners on base... as a result, the US boys, despite summin'up 13 hits and 16 left-on-base, could score only 1 run, which was definitely not enough to match the Koreans... Final score, South Korea, 5 b. USA, 1 Boxscore https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2019/schedule-and-results/box-score/3960 Tomorrow, another full set of games awaits for us: Australia vs Mexico @ Noon (local time) / 4 a.m. CET and then South Korea vs Chinese Taipei (ZOZO Marine Stadium) and USA vs Japan (Tokyo Dome), both starting at 7 p.m. (local time) / 11 a.m. CET