Left field

from Mark Meadows:

Real’s psychological barrier key to Barca’s 3-1 win

By Drazen Jorgic

Annoyingly for Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, the supposed plot line of  El Clasico on Saturday did not follow the script. The much-anticipated power shift from Catalunya to Madrid did not take place and his team are back to the drawing board as far as playing against Barcelona is concerned.

Mourinho blamed bad luck for the loss, as you would expect, but a lot of the press have zoomed in on Real's psychological barrier when it comes to facing Barca.

These things are always difficult to quantify but the awe-inspiring Real team that crushed everyone so far in 2011 simply crumbled when Barcelona reversed a one goal-deficit and went 2-1 up.

Even Mourinho conceded the third Barca goal was a 'psychological blow', though I would argue it was the second goal that mentally defeated them.

Perhaps the players -- a bit like many of the Madrid fans -- had that feeling of 'here we go again'. The doubts crept in, slowly but surely, and Barca took what is now their customary control of latter parts of El Clasico clashes.

Real Madrid began to play like a team that was facing an opponent who had whipped them in six of the previous seven encounters under their current coach, including a 5-0 drubbing.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Time for UEFA to revert to goal difference in Champions League

My head is hurting after all the mathematics that has been needed to work out qualification chances in the Champions League.

It is all because UEFA believes head-to-heads rather than goal difference in all group games should be the first deciding factor.

Many don't see the logic of this. Using goal difference as the first determining factor, like many domestic leagues, encourages attacking play for a start which is surely a laudable aim. Head-to-heads don't especially.

The reason head-to-heads is preferred seems to be because one team could have scored many more goals against the group whipping boys than their rivals and this is deemed an unfair advantage. Why?

If Team A batter Team C 7-0 and Team B only beats Team C 1-0, why should Team A be penalised if their head-to-head with Team B is worse. The head-to-head could be 0-0 and 1-1 and Team A would go out on one away goal.

It would be so much more accessible and understandable for the average fan if it was just goal difference (and then goals scored and then perhaps a playoff on a neutral ground) rather than the sometimes mindboggling head-to-heads which can get very tricky when three teams are involved.

Most of the media organisations in Europe got it wrong when trying to work out what Chelsea needed to do in the final round of matches because the rules were so complex. That can't be right.

Spain, Nadal and the Davis Cup

By Greg Rusedski

The Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina was always going to be a great tie. The atmosphere was electric due to the huge Argentinian contingent in Seville who were present to support their team. Both the Spanish and Argentinian fans got into the tie and with 26,000 plus spectators the atmosphere was more like a football match.

The tie all depended on how well Juan Martin Del Potro played on the opening day. The feeling was that he had to win his opening match on day one for Argentina to have a chance to win the tie. No one was going to beat Rafa on clay, and the only player to have done so all year was Djokovic. The other problem for Del Potro was that Nadal and David Ferrer were 25 and 0 on clay in Davis Cup. Yes, Nadal and Ferrer were a little tired after the ATP World Tour Finals but playing on clay at home was a huge advantage. Nadal looked physically strong at the ATP World Tour Finals but was unlucky to have picked up a stomach bug and never recovered properly for the event. This was bad news for the Argentinians because he was going to take out his frustration on the clay courts of Seville.

Nadal won the opening match easily against Juan Monaco to get Spain off to the perfect start. This meant Juan Martin Del Potro was under immense pressure to win. It was Ferrer and Del Potro’s first meeting on clay. Their head to head was two a piece, Ferrer came through in five sets after being down 2 sets to 1. Ferrer is a terrier and never gives up, Del Potro physically fell away in the fifth set while Ferrer seemed to only get stronger – the lack of matches played by Del Potro really hurt him.

On the other hand Nadal and Ferrer have had lots of matches coming into the tie, proving that practice can never substitute match play for sharpness on the big points. In the doubles, Argentina’s Nalbandian and Schwank beat Spain’s Verdasco and Lopez to send the tie to a final day. In my opinion Spain’s captain, Albert Costa made a tactical error picking Verdasco to play instead of Granollers. At the moment Verdasco is not playing well. This would have been a big mistake had Del Potro won on the opening day. In the end though, when you have Rafael Nadal to play on the final day in the first singles you are going to get your decisive third point. Nadal found a way, as always, against an inspired Del Potro to clinch Spain’s fifth Davis Cup title.

Lineman NFL picks Week 13

We got our season back pointed in the right direction with a 4-2 Week 12 but now the always-interesting Week 13. The Lineman has had some bad luck this season but expecting only good things this Sunday and a first 6-0 of the season.

Record: 37-35. Last week 4-2; Pick of the Week: 10-2

PICK OF THE WEEK San Diego Chargers (4-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8) (Line Chargers minus-2.5) The Chargers have zapped me so many times this season I am starting to feel like a Tazer test dummy.

Normally, taking a team on a six game losing skid making a cross-country trip would be like sticking  your finger in an electric socket but not when the opponent is the toothless Jaguars, who have benched  their starting quarterback (Blaine Gabbert), fired their head coach (Jack Del Rio) and sold the team all  in the last seven days.

In past year’s you would include Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in the same conversation with  Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers but this season he has played more like Colts Curtis  Painter tossing more interceptions (a league worst 17) than touchdowns (16).

San Diego is loaded with explosive offensive talent with tight end Antonio Gates, speedy wide  receivers Vincent Jackson and shifty running back Ryan Matthews but Rivers has just not been able to  light the fuse.

Still the Bolts offensive woes seem minor compared to the Jaguars who are last in the league in  scoring (12.5 point per game), total offense (250 yards per game) and passing yards (131.3 ypg). The one and only real scoring threat the Jags have is running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who ranks  second in league rushing yards with 1,040-yards.

Raikkonen can put victory hopes on ice

By Abhishek Takle

Kimi Raikkonen’s return to Formula One after a two-year hiatus has enthused media, fans and rivals alike. But the question remains — does the Iceman’s comeback mean a cooling of double world champion Sebastian Vettel’s hopes of being red-hot favourite again next year?

Almost certainly not. Raikkonen’s return is certainly a good thing for Formula One. For the first time ever, the sport will see six world champions line up on the starting grid.

Known for his often monosyllabic approach to the media and love of a good party away from the racetrack, the return of the steely-eyed Finn will add another welcome storyline.

But don’t expect him to win a second world title.

For one, Raikkonen makes his return with what will be called the Lotus team next year. While a solid midfield team of late in their Renault guise, they haven’t won a race since 2008 when Fernando Alonso was driving for them.

Also, while they got off to a strong start in 2011, scoring podiums in the first two races of the season, their form tailed off towards the end of the year and they only just managed to hang on to fifth in the final standings ahead of Force India.

Watch out for Federer in 2012

By Greg Rusedski

There was a lot going on in the press at The ATP World Tour Finals before the event started. The press asked Roger Federer who was the favorite for the event. The press had implied that Andy Murray was the favorite because of the three tournaments he had won in Asia. Federer answered this question by saying that neither he nor Novak Djokovic had played in Asia so how could he be the favorite? Federer came into this event having won the last two tournaments of the year, this event on five different occasions and also as the defending champion. This set up the tournament in a great way because the only way to settle this discussion would be on the court.

The two groups were Group A; Djokovic, Murray, David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych and Group B; Federer, Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mardy Fish. Group B was the more interesting and stronger group.

Federer cruised through his group and won all three matches. Nadal looked in great shape but unfortunately had stomach problems and had to run off court at 2-0 up on Fish in the third set of his first round match to have a washroom break. He ended up winning the match, but looked drained after the match and did not recover to win another match in his group. Fish was a debutant at only 29 and did not win a match, but played well. On the other hand, Tsonga played great and beat Nadal and Fish to qualify for the semi-finals with Federer.

Murray limped out of the event after his match against Ferrer. He was up a break in both sets, but throughout the match you could see him pulling at his groin. He received treatment after the first set and was moving much better, but still decided that he could not continue with his groin strain. This allowed the alternate Janko Tipsarevic into the tournament which meant there would be two Serbian men in the end of season championships for the first time.

NFL Lineman Week 12 picks

Now that Thanksgiving is over, after the turkey we get to the meat of Week 12.

Not bad last week as the Lineman continued to undo some of the damage done by fill in Wichita  Lineman in Week 10.

So keeping with the Thanksgiving theme, no turkeys among this week’s picks.

Record: 33-33. Last week 3-3; Pick of the Week: 9-2

PICK OF THE WEEK

Minnesota Vikings (2-8) at Atlanta Falcons (5-5) (Line Falcons minus-9.5)

Let’s make this simple; no Adrian Peterson equals no chance for the Vikes.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Why Chelsea should keep Andre Villas-Boas

Three Premier League defeats in four games and Champions League last 16 qualification compromised. The last few weeks have been very tough for Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas.

Previous managers Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Avram Grant and Carlo Ancelotti were dismissed seemingly for less by ruthless owner Roman Abramovich.

Ancelotti won a league and cup double but was axed after the following season while Grant moved on despite being a John Terry penalty slip away from winning the Champions League.

However, there are several reasons to believe Villas-Boas may stay in his post long-term despite Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Bayer Leverkusen.

The first is the 13 million pounds Abramovich shelled out to Porto so the Portuguese could move back to Stamford Bridge in the close season. It may seem like peanuts to the Russian billionaire but he also has business sense. Then again, Villas-Boas mentioning this as a reason to be kept on probably isn't so wise.

Another factor is the merry-go-round of managers at Chelsea has to stop at some point. Alex Ferguson's success at Manchester United and Arsene Wenger's achievements at Arsenal, including pulling them out of their recent rut, demonstrate the pluses of longevity.

Chelsea invested in AVB for a reason and that reason can not have been completely destroyed by a bad patch of form less than halfway through the season.

from Photographers Blog:

Inside an NFL Locker Room

By Jason Reed, Larry Downing and Molly Riley

Hey football fans… imagine walking past the solid steel doors guarding the locker room outside one of the National Football League’s most treasured teams and standing inside watching 60 professional athletes preparing to take the spotlight in front of 70,000 expecting Baltimore fans.

Talk about fantasy football coming true; that ultimate “back stage pass” was given to Reuters’ photographers Jason Reed, Larry Downing and Molly Riley from the Baltimore Ravens as an early Christmas present last December, extending them complete photographic access of their cheerleaders during the production of an in-depth multimedia project by Reuters entitled, “Ravens Rule the Skies.”

(Image courtesy of Shawn Hubbard)

Three unobstructed first class seats inside Cinderella’s wonderland watching “girly girls” primp and polish their image into higher splendor while transforming themselves into NFL cheerleaders. All with total access!

Lineman Week 11 NFL picks

The Wichita Lineman had a bit of a rough outing last week but we have to remember it is always hard to step in mid-season and be at the top of your game.

But the Lineman is back for Week 11 so let us see if we can get this thing turned around.

Record: 30-30. Last week 1-5; Pick of the Week: 8-2

PICK OF THE WEEK

Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) at New England Patriots (6-3) (Line Patriots minus-14.5)

Tim Tebow completed just two (count em two) passes last week in the Denver Broncos win over the Chiefs and I cringe to think what damage Tom Brady (the best NFL quarterback not named Aaron Rodgers) will do at home on the Monday Night stage.

New England still has big questions on defence yielding a league worst average of 412-yards per game but should have no problem controlling a sputtering Chiefs attack that will be without starting quarterback and ex-Pat Matt Cassel.