http://sayenglish.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/se-12-8-09-1.mp3

• Instant replay
• More substitutions
• Inside-the-box fouls
• Post-game diving punishment

http://sayenglish.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/se-12-1-09.mp3

For the brave:

http://sayenglish.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/se-11-17-09.mp3

http://sayenglish.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/5-4-09.mp3

First Round Analysis and Second Round Picks after the break

What Went Wrong

Western Conference

San Jose – I don’t know where you start here. Forget all the crap about Anaheim being one of the strongest 8 seeds ever. They should not have been good enough to beat this Sharks team. Nabokov was no better than decent, Joe Thornton put up his usual zilch and I swear I saw Patrick Marleau once, I just can’t prove it. I don’t know if you keep this team together.

Columbus – They were plucky, but not good enough. Detroit is a serious squad. Check back next year when the BJs are more than just happy to be there.

St Louis – Injuries and maybe the bubble burst on a journeyman goaltender. Also, Roberto Luongo is officially serious business in the post season.

Calgary – The dual losses of Rhett Warrener and Dion Phaneuf were tough to overcome, but the Flames were mostly in a nose-dive anyways. I love Mike Cammalleri, but this team could not find secondary scoring.

Eastern Conference

Montreal – No real story here, the Habs were not in the same class as Boston. With a boatload of free agents, there will be summertime drama.

New York Rangers – How about Lundqvist? He stole 3 of the first 4 games this series, but could not hold up behind the Rangers’ pop-gun offense. If New York can find a goal-scorer that scares anybody, they’ll be contenders.

New Jersey Devils – Great series, but I have to say Martin Brodeur seems to have misplaced his playoff mystique. It’s nothing tangible, he was great in this series, but there’s something missing.

Philadelphia Flyers – A bigger disappointment than people realize, I think. This team should have been good enough to hang with the Pens. They should have been good enough to close out a 3-0 game 6 lead. Also, losing a playoff game in OT with 3 men on the ice is the height of stupidity.

Second Round Picks

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston v (7) Carolina

The Bruins win because… They’re the top seed in the East. They’re healthy and there are no holes in their lineup. The big guns have shown up for the post season, and I especially love the Chara/Staal matchup in round 2.

The ‘Canes win because… I love Cam Ward in the playoffs. I also think the short layoff is going to help Carolina carry a little momentum into game one. They need to take one of the first two to have a shot.

What is going to be more of a factor… Carolina’s fatigue from going seven, or Boston’s rust from the sweep.

Boston in five.

(2) Washington v (4) Pittsburgh

The Capitals win because… Alexander Ovechkin does something special. The Caps are going to hope Sergei Varlamov holds up for another round and do their best to turn this into a ‘Last Goal Wins’ series. I don’t know that the Pens defense/goaltending will give Washington as much trouble as New York did.

The Penguins win because… Fleury is no Lundqvist, but he’s certainly good enough to win this series. It’s also impossible to ignore the huge step up offensively between New York and Pittsburgh. This series will be about the job Jordan Staal does on the pk and against big number 8.

What is going to be more of a factor… the supposed ‘bad blood’ between Ovechkin/Semin and Crosby/Malkin, or the players on the ice?

Pittsburgh in six

Western Conference

(2) Detroit v (8) Anaheim

The Red Wings win because… They will not pull the same disappearing act San Jose did. They have the edge on offense, defense and special teams. As he always is, Chris Osgood will be the perceived weakness. As he always does, Chris Osgood will play well enough to win 4 games.

The Ducks win because… Jonas Hiller channels J.S. Gigure (2007 vintage). The Ducks are more physical, if they can beat on Detroit without taking dumb penalties they’ve got a chance. Chris Pronger and Ryan Getzlaf are key.

What is going to be more of a factor… travel for an older Detroit team or PIMs for an exuberant Anaheim squad.

Detroit in six

(3) Vancouver v (4) Chicago

The Canucks win because… Roberto Luongo is the best goalie left standing. Calgary’s size gave Chicago trouble at times, and Vancouver is a similar team. Ryan Kesler and his merry band will need to adjust quickly to a physical, punishing Blackhawks team.

The ‘Hawks win because… Their big stars carry them at important moments. Patrick Kane, Martin Havlat and Jonathan Toews will need to overcome a big-bodied defense and unforgiving netminder. Watch the young Chicago defense, they are quietly an elite unit.

What is going to be more of a factor… Chicago’s speed and skill or Vancouver’s size and strength?

Vancouver in five

http://sayenglish.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/se-4-21-09.mp3

The first leg of the Man U vs. Arsenal Semi-Final and the first of three matches in 18 days between the perennial English powerhouses kicks off at Old Trafford on April 29th, with plenty of question marks on both sides.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has enjoyed a dream start to his managerial carrer and put Barca in pole position to win La Liga. Chelsea stuttered under Big Phil, but have seen a revival under Guus Hiddink. Fans of these two giants will expect a pair of explosive meetings, kicking off on April 28th at Camp Nou.

Predictions follow, after the break.

———

Man U – Arsenal

Arsenal’s keys to success: A healthy Adebayor could be the difference maker. With Arshavin cup-tied and Van Persie sidelined by a groin pull, Arsene Wenger is mum on the severity of Adebayor’s hamstring problem. His recovery would give Arsenal a much needed attacking threat and allow them to focus on more important things … namely a sieve-like defense that allowed Liverpool 14 shots on target and would probably concede 3 goals against my local AYSO team. With William Gallas out for the season, and Gael Clichy set to be out at least until May, there is no easy answer at the back. Mikaël Silvestre and Kieran Gibbs must improve rapidly. With one of them surely required to mark Ronaldo, it could otherwise turn into a horror-show.

Man U’s keys to success: The Red Devils have their own injury woes to consider. Their defensive line suffered a blow against Portsmouth after John O’Shea and Gary Neville hobbled off. United will need an assured performance from young fullback Rafael, and Rio Ferdinand will need to be at 100% to restore his formidable partnership with Vidic. If Jonny Evans is forced to take the field, costly lapses are likely. Additionally, their midfield pairing (presumably Carrick and either Scholes or Fletcher) must pass the ball efficiently and minimize mistakes in order to capitalize on those that Arsenal’s less experienced mids are likely to make. United will also need an offensive lift. Since the beginning of March they have narrowly scraped wins against Sunderland, Villa, Newcastle, and Porto and have been beaten convincingly by Liverpool and Fulham (and not-so-convincingly by Everton). Berbatov and Ronaldo need to regain their form, and Rooney must maintain his.

And the winner is … Man U by a hair’s breadth. Arsenal are the form team right now, having gone 18 games unbeaten in the league, but the experience is in Manchester. Arsenal’s scrappy young squad will fight admirably, but with so many important players sidelined, they’re still a year or two from a return to the final.

Prediction: Man U (3) – (2) Arsenal (agg)

———

Barcelona – Chelsea

Barcelona’s keys to success: The Catalan team will have to maintain their current strong run of defensive form. Seven consecutive clean-sheets in La Liga have made a real statement, but opposition has been less than stellar. The 26-point gap between first and third place in La Liga suggests that they haven’t faced a true domestic challenge (aside, possibly, from Real), nor have they had a real test in CL. They lost to Shakhtar in the group stage and have since played Lyon and Bayern, neither of whom possess great depth or even look likely to win their relatively weak leagues. Barcelona will need to prove that they can cope with Chelsea’s physicality (especially that of Drogba and midfielder Michael Essien) and dynamic offense. Attacking prowess will not be in question for a side that fields Messi, Henry and Eto’o, but central defenders Marquez and Pique must overcome size and inexperience, respectively, to shut down Chelsea’s forwards.

Chelsea’s keys to success: It will be essential for Chelsea to dominate the midfield against Barca. If Xavi and Iniesta are allowed to pull the strings and dictate the tempo of the game, Chelsea could be sliced apart. The contributions of Michael Essien and Michael Ballack (and, depending on strategy, John Obi Mikel) in winning and maintaining the ball will make all the difference. Terry is a stalwart at the back for Chelsea, but none of Chelsea’s center-backs have the pace to cope with Barca’s forward line. With the usually brilliant Carvalho on a run of poor form it will likely fall on Alex’s shoulders to partner Terry and it will be critical for the pair to have a good understanding and maintain their composure. If this tie becomes a shoot-out, Chelsea are likely to lose. Grinding out a gritty, ugly result is their best chance.

And the winner is … Chelsea. Hiddink has a tactical edge over Guardiola, and his troops have something to prove after last season’s penalty meltdown in the final. Barca will pressure early but will break down in the long-run, unable to cope with the size and strength of Chelsea’s squad.

Prediction: Barcelona (3) – (4) Chelsea (agg)

———

Schedule:

Barcelona - Chelsea

1st leg Apr. 28th: Camp Nou, Barcelona (ESPN2, 2:30EDT/1:30CDT)

2nd leg May 6th: Stamford Bridge, London (ESPN2, 2:30EDT/1:30CDT)

Man U – Arsenal

1st leg Apr. 29th: Old Trafford, Manchester (ESPN2, 2:30EDT/1:30CDT)

2nd leg May 5th: Emirates Stadium, London (ESPN2, 2:30EDT/1:30CDT)

http://sayenglish.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/se-4-16-09.mp3

Listen at your peril.

The Champion’s League Semi-Final matchups have been set after the Quarters wrapped yesterday. Here’s a quick recap of the round-of-8 action:

Man U (3) – (2) Porto

Following a tense 2-2 draw in the first leg at Old Trafford, which saw Christian Rodriguez and Mariano nick two crucial away goals off of a shambolic Man U defense, the stage was set for an epic showdown at Porto’s Estadio Dragao. Unfortunately, the anticipated tension failed to materialize as Ronaldo’s stunning 35-yard strike on 6 minutes and the forced withdrawal of Porto’s star midfielder Lucho Gonzalez after half an hour combined to kill off the game in its early stages.

Villarreal (1) – (4) Arsenal

A somewhat drab first-leg was punctuated by stellar goals in the form of Marcos Senna’s 30-yard cracker and Emmanuel Adebayor’s stunning, scissored volley. Arsenal’s away goal gave them a slight edge heading into the second leg, but perhaps a greater advantage came in the form of the injuries that ruled both Senna and Ariel Ibagaza out of Villarreal’s squad. Arsenal made the most of their absences, rolling to a convincing 3-0 win at the Emirates. Theo Walcott latched onto a delightful flick from Fabregas and deftly chipped goalkeeper Diego Lopez to open the scoring on 10 minutes. Adebayor extended the lead on the hour-mark and Van Persie slotted home a penalty shortly afterwards to seal the win. The already-booked Villarreal midfielder Sebastian Eguren saw red for his petulant reaction to the penalty, effectively ending the Spanish side’s comeback hopes.

Barcelona (5) – (1) Bayern Munich

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Zee Germans. Since their 12-1 aggregate win over Sporting Lisbon (a record in the CL knockout stages), Bayern have faced an uphill battle. Their first leg match against the Catalan giants came on the heels of a 5-1 drubbing by their Bundesliga-title rivals Woflsburg, and any hopes of a strong rebound were quickly dashed by the dynamic Barcelona forwards. Within 12 minutes, goals from Messi and Eto’o had given the Spaniards a formidable lead, and by the end of the half it was 4-0 to the hosts with Thierry Henry netting and Messi doubling his tally. So dire was Bayern’s performance (Beckenbauer claimed it as the worst showing in the team’s history) that Barca’s flowing attacks could easily have produced 3 more goals. Bayern earned a 1-1 draw in the second leg with a much improved showing, but the result was never in doubt and Barcelona emerged as seeming favorites for the CL crown.

Liverpool (5) – (7) Chelsea

Chelsea emerged victorious from a roller-coaster tie with their frequent CL rivals Liverpool. The first leg belonged to the Blues as 2 goals from Branislav Ivanovic and another from Didier Drogba more than cancelled out Fernando Torres’ coolly slotted opener. Despite Chelsea’s commanding lead, the second leg promised to be a tense affair with Liverpool seemingly convinced that they could claw their way back into contention. In the first half they did just that, thanks to a 30-yard Fabio Aurelio freekick and a Xabi Alonso penalty. Liverpool were hungry, and fans on both sides sensed a potential upset, but Chelsea were not about to give up. In the 51st, Nic Anelka clipped in a vicious, low cross. Drogba got the slightest of touches to guide it towards the goal and Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina allowed it to bundle across the line. Moments later, Alex smashed a bullet of a freekick past a helpless Reina, and when Frank Lampard got on the end of a superb Chelsea buildup in the 76th, the Blues lead seemed insurmountable. Liverpool, however, responded admirably with goals in the 81st and 82nd minutes, the first a lucky deflection from a Lucas shot and the second a powerful Dirk Kuyt header. The Reds needed only one goal to go through, but Lampard guided a brilliant shot in off of the post just before stoppage to end the scoring in a thrilling match and secure Chelsea’s passage to the semi-finals.

Semi-Final Matchups:

Barcelona - Chelsea

1st leg Apr. 28th: Camp Nou, Barcelona

2nd leg May 6th: Stamford Bridge, London

Man U – Arsenal

1st leg Apr. 29th: Old Trafford, Manchester

2nd leg May 5th: Emirates Stadium, London

———

Semi-Final Predictions Coming Soon

Commence wicked-awesome analysis…

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Boston (1) v. Montreal (8)

The Bruins win if… they focus on beating the team on the ice rather than their dodgy playoff history in Montreal. Watch for Mark Savard and Tim Thomas to shake the labels of selfish playmaker and plucky underdog respectively.

Les Habs win if… Alexei Kovalev can be bothered to spark a relatively docile Montreal attack. It would also help to get Andrei Markov back at some point or end Carey Price’s almost yearlong vacation from quality hockey.

You have to ask yourself… is Phil Kessel going to be tough enough to score in the playoffs? Will Milan Lucic finally accept his post as Cam Neely’s successor?

Prediction: Boston in 4

Washington (2) v. New York Rangers (7)

The Caps win if… it isn’t suddenly 1994 again. Jose Theodore will do enough behind a Washington team that is superior in all other respects to New York. Alex Ovechkin proved last year he plays well in April, this season he’s got more help.

New York wins if… Henrik Lundqvist manages to score from his own net. Or Wade Redden isn’t suddenly criminally over-paid. Or Markus Naslund isn’t old. Or Washington inexplicably and completely collapses under the weight of being a favorite this time around.

You have to ask yourself… when Glen Sather runs out of credit for winning a Stanley Cup almost 15 years ago.

Prediction: Washington in 5

New Jersey (3) v. Carolina (6)

The Devils win if… Martin Brodeur bucks a recent trend of playoff underperformance. New Jersey bucks a recent trend of being awful. Zach Parise is going to need to be a difference maker.

The ‘Canes win if… the back half of the season was a return to form instead of a blistering hot run. The core of this team has won before. They need Eric Staal to lead the way, but watch for an underappreciated defense to excel behind Cam Ward.

You have to ask yourself… does All-Time Great Martin Brodeur have one last dance in him?

Prediction: Carolina in 6

Pittsburgh (4) v. Philadelphia (5)

The Penguins win if… The Flyers can’t keep themselves out of the penalty box. Health will also be important as Peter Sykora is knocked. Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko are keys as somebody will need to stand up to the aggressive Flyers.

The Flyers win if… Pittsburgh can’t keep their composure under pressure. Martin Biron has been mostly up this season, but Philly can’t afford him to slip now. How much has this team learned from last year’s crushing loss?

You have to ask yourself… is there a better series in the first round? Throw Washington into the mix and you’ve got the heart and soul of the Eastern Conference for the next decade.

Prediction: Philadelphia in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

San Jose (1) v. Anaheim (8)

The Sharks win if… their power play keeps Anaheim from playing nasty. It’s funny to consider the #1 seed an under-dog, but Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton deserve every bit of scorn they receive for past post season failures.

The Ducks win if… they get superior goaltending and win the special teams battle. Anaheim isn’t going to stay out of the penalty box, but they should try. Chris Pronger has not been great this season, he needs to step up.

You have to ask yourself… if this isn’t the year the Sharks are finally good enough to win the Cup, when is it going to be?

Prediction: San Jose in 5

Detroit (2) v. Columbus (7)

The Wings win if… their best players show up and play well. They have the depth and talent to overload a plucky Columbus squad, but we haven’t had a repeat Stanley Cup winner since the 90s.

The Blue Jackets win if… we find out Rick Nash is a playoff demigod, or rookie Steve Mason validates Hart Trophy hype. Columbus needs to take one early in Detroit and ride what should be an intense home ice crowd into the second round.

You have to ask yourself… if Joe Lewis Arena is actually going to be an advantage this year. Nowhere is harder hit by the recession than Detroit, will fans still be able to show up?

Prediction: Detroit in 6

Vancouver (3) v. St. Louis (6)

The Canucks win if… Ryan Kesler chips in timely goals. Roberto Luongo is going to be good, that’s never been the problem. The mid-season addition of Mats Sundin has to pay off for the ‘Nucks to advance.

The Blues win if… the bubble doesn’t burst. A journeyman goaltender, a battered squad, St. Louis is asking a lot expecting their monster second half run to continue. They remind me of Dan Ellis’ Nashville squad from a few years back, which isn’t a good omen.

You have to ask yourself… what about next year for Chris Mason? Goaltenders can emerge late – Tim Thomas for instance – but is the man who supplanted Manny Legace a long term solution?

Prediction: St. Louis in 7

Chicago (4) v. Calgary (5)

The Hawks win if… the kids handle the stress of playoff hockey. Both are otherwordly talents, but Jonathan Toews struggled early in his first season as captain, and Patrick Kane needs to find a way to produce in a seven game series. Goaltending depth is nice, but can this young team recover if they have to make a switch?

The Flames win if… Jarome Iginla has another year like 2004. Mikka Kipprusoff has been merely good, which qualifies as a down year, but he’s always a threat to steal a series. Health is also an issue for this group.

You have to ask yourself… how Olli Jokinen’s first playoff run is going to go. In what is probably the West’s most competitive series, his play will be the difference between success and failure for the Flames.

Prediction: Blackhawks in 5