Indy 11 Win Again, Indy Women’s Team 1st Game Fri 7 pm Grand Park
Our Boys in Blue Win again (highlights) 1-0 over the Hartford Athletic and the weather – as they started 45 minutes late and had a 90 minute delay – but found a way to win it 1-0 in the end. That’s 4 wins in a row and 6 unbeaten at our 11 jump to 4th in the East. The Indy 11 USL Women’s League kicks off this FRIDAY NIGHT at WestField Grand Park Events Center Field 2 vs Kings Hammer (Tix are just $8 click here) – and the vote for best Crest is on – make your vote for our Indy 11 by 12 noon on Wed. The inaugural roster of the first Indy 11 Women’s team – includes local standouts Cassidy Lindley from Carmel, Katie Soderstrom from Carmel High and Butler, Abby Isger of Indy and Butler, Selena Barnett MF from Carmel, Rachel Dewey MF from Indy, Heather McNabb MF from Carmel, IN, GK Nona Reason from Noblesville, Jenna Chatterton DF from Noblesville. Plan to head out and catch a game this Friday night – as they will be on the road until June 3rd. Full schedule.
NWSL Challenge Cup Final Sat 1 pm CBS
The NWSL Challenge Cup has reached its final stage, and the North Carolina Courage will host the Washington Spirit on Saturday, to see who will take away the title. North Carolina and Washington ended their last meetup in the group stage on April 23 of the Challenge Cup with a 2-2 draw. Now they each play on a quick turnaround from playing their semifinal matches on Wednesday. North Carolina defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 and Washington ending its match with the OL Reign in a scoreless draw. For North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit, Herrera is backing North Carolina to win the title match by a score of 2-1. The expert notes Washington’s power trio of Ashley Hatch, Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman were slowed down in their semifinal match against the OL Reign, being outshot 21-12. They could be in bigger trouble on Saturday facing a sturdy North Carolina defense including Merritt Mathias and Carson Pickett.”Heading into the final on a short week could mean the game comes down to impact off the bench, with North Carolina having the edge with more options at the fullback position, as they battle it out for the Challenge Cup,” Herrera told SportsLine.
An MLS Team my Seattle Sounders won the CONCACAF Champions League Title Thursday night at home – in front of a record 67,000 crowd and a national Fox Sports 1 Audience on board.
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BIG GAMES ON TV
(American’s in parenthesis)
Sat May 7
9:30 am ESPN+ Kohn vs Wolfsburg (Brooks)
9:30 am ESPN+ Furth vs Dortmund
10 am USA Chelsea (Pulisic) vs Wolverhampton
12:30 pm NBC Brighton vs Man United
1 pm CBS NWSL Challenge Cup Final
2:45 pm USA Liverpool vs Tottenham
3 pm TUDN Charlotte vs Inter Miami
3 pm ESPN+ Real Bettis vs Barcelona (Dest)
7 pm Para+ NC Courage vs Portland Thorns NWSL
7 pm Para + Chicago Red Stars vs Washington Spirit
10 pm Para+ San Diego Wave vs NY/NJ Gothem
11 pm ESPN+ LAFC vs Philly Union
Sun, May 8
9 am USA Arsenal vs Leeds United (Jesse Marsch)
9:30 am ESPN+ Frankfurt vs MGladbach (Joe Scally)
11:30 am USA Man City vs New Castle United
1:30 pm ESPN+ RB Leipzig (Adams) vs Ausburg
3 pm ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid – Madrid Derby
6 pm Para+ OL Reign vs Racing Louisville
7 pm FS1 Austin vs LA Galaxy
9 pm Para+ Angel City vs Orlando Pride
EPL
EPL predictions this weekend
Man City refocus after loss
Conte urges Spurs to be ‘brave’ against fearsome Liverpool
us on Premier League title push as Leeds sweat
Champions League
Real Madrid and Liverpool set for Paris rematch
Man City suffer most painful Champions League meltdown in Madrid
Real Madrid’s ‘history keeps us going’, says Ancelotti
Real Madrid stuns Man City with unreal rally, advances to Champions League final
Liverpool survive scare to beat Villarreal en route to Champions League final
Villarreal vs Liverpool final score: Reds reach 10th European Cup final
‘We never make it easy,’ says relieved Alexander-Arnold
Champions League Semifinals Leg 2 Highlights: Real Madrid vs.
Liverpool’s Salah wants ‘revenge’ in Real Madrid rematch
Another stunning comeback brings Real Madrid’s next generation to the fore
Three things we learned from Real Madrid v Manchester City
Guardiola says ‘no words can help’ ease pain of Man City Euro exit
European wrap: Leicester, West Ham fall but Rangers reach final
West Ham see red as Frankfurt reach Europa League final
Conte praises Liverpool model as he mulls Spurs future
MLS
Seattle defeat Pumas UNAM to win CONCACAF Champions League
My 3 Thoughts on Real Madrid-Manchester City
Real Madrid Defies Belief Yet Again, Scores Three Times Late to Reach the Men’s UEFA Champions League Final
| Grant Wahl May 4 | ||||
Karim Benzema and Real Madrid did it again, scoring three goals late and miraculously advancing to the men’s UEFA Champions League final (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s Rodrygo scored goals in the 90th and 91st minutes and Karim Benzema fired home the decisive penalty in extra-time to carry the Spanish giants to a miraculous comeback against Manchester City, winning 6-5 on aggregate, and advance to the men’s UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool. Here are my three thoughts on the game:
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• God, this really is the best sport. What other sport gives you moments like the one we just witnessed? Not one. Real Madrid looked dead and buried, down by two goals in the 90th minute after Riyad Mahrez had put City up by two in the 73rd minute. People were openly talking about a City-Liverpool Champions League final. But in the dying moments of the game, not long after City’s Jack Grealish had seen one shot cleared off the line by Ferland Mendy and another saved gorgeously by Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo directed in a Karim Benzema pass to give Real Madrid life. And then, less than 90 seconds later, Rodrygo somehow did it again, heading home past Ederson to level the scoreline. Then Benzema did what Benzema does, earning a penalty early in extra-time and converting the spot kick to make the difference. You cannot deny that Real Madrid as a club has created a culture of winning in this tournament that showed itself again today—or that Man City now has created a culture that continually comes up short in the biggest moments of the Champions League. I used to think that wasn’t a thing. After seeing what happened with Real Madrid against PSG and now City this season, it’s a real thing.
• It was more than just Rodrygo and Benzema for Real Madrid. So many Madrid players made a difference in the end of a game that was rather uneventful until the 70th minute before going completely haywire. Courtois was absolutely massive, making giant saves on Grealish and Phil Foden to save the day. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, all of 19 years old, came on in the 75th minute for Luka Modric and made Real Madrid instantly better, more dangerous, more alive. And Mendy’s goal-line clearance will become a permanent part of Real Madrid club lore. Give the preternaturally unflappable Carlo Ancelotti plenty of credit for the changes he made that helped his team the chance to survive in the most unlikely circumstances possible. And what can you say about Pep Guardiola? He just seems to have a block in this competition. No fewer than 11 seasons have now passed since he last won the Champions League, with Barcelona, despite the several times that Guardiola has had the tournament’s best team on paper during that time (including, quite possibly, this season). City’s defending just crumbled in the final minutes of regulation to the point that it’s hard not to think there was something mental in play, something close to a choke.
• Real Madrid-Liverpool is going to be a fantastic final. In the rematch of the 2017-18 final won by Real Madrid, at least we won’t have to see Sergio Ramos injuring Mohamed Salah or, if you’re a Liverpool fan, Loris Karius in goal. On paper, Liverpool will be the favorite, having been the best team in Europe and in England during the 2022 calendar year so far. But this game will not be played on paper, and the intangible “winning-time” exploits that we have seen from Real Madrid during this incredible Champions League run figure to come into play again. Benzema (at 34) and Modric (at 36) have played like they were 10 years younger this entire tournament, and you can be certain that they will be ready to go on May 28 in Paris. One suspects that Jürgen Klopp will have learned his lesson from not starting Luis Díaz against Villarreal on Tuesday and will deploy Días, Salah and Sadio Mané up top and hope that Virgil van Dijk continues anchoring Liverpool’s spine the way he has all season. The crazy thing is I sense that Liverpool would have preferred to play City instead of this cosmically charmed Real Madrid squad that now appears like a team of destiny.
The Ole BallCoach 