Iceland and Wales are the best part of Euro 2016

The biggest surprises of Euro 2016 should not be big surprises.

Wales features probably the best player in the whole tournament (sans Ronaldo) in Gareth Bale and Iceland was one of the best teams in qualifying. While these two factors does not always equate to wins, they are usually prerequisites to success.

Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale
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However, what sets these two teams apart is their pride. The passion the players from Wales and Iceland have for their teammates and their country is incredible.

Gareth Bale gave one of the quotes of the year when asked whether anybody on England would start on Wales. He said “none,” despite the fact England, heading into the tournament, appeared to have the better team.

That is not only the sign of a leader, but of someone who believes in his teammates. Bale plays with some of the world's best at Real Madrid, yet supports his countrymen to the upmost degree. That epitomizes what this Wales team is all about. Yes, Bale is the man. But, for his teammates and his country, Bale will do anything to get the victory.

This mentality has rubbed off on his teammates. Aaron Ramsey is playing some of his best soccer ever in his attacking midfielder role. It is a shame he will be suspended for the semifinal against Portugal.

Ashley Williams
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Up front, Bale is getting some inspired play from his striker partners: Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes. Robson-Kanu, who is currently a free agent, has scored two game-winning goals so far. Vokes, who did not play in the first two matches, has gotten some playing time and scored a lovely header to put the Belgium game out of reach.

And it is not just the attackers who are playing well. Captain Ashley Williams is leading a good five-back defense that managed to hold a potent Belgium offense to one goal.

With all that being said, there are some issues facing the Dragons. Ramsey and defender Ben Davies are suspended for the semifinal due to yellow card accumulation. Ramsey’s role will be extremely difficult to fill as he and Bale have developed some good chemistry over the tournament. Their lackluster win over Northern Ireland also gives some pause, but their effort against Belgium dispels most grievances after that victory.

These issues, however, can be overcome. Portugal is coming into the semifinal with many questions. Their attack has been poor and they have not been able to win either knockout round game in 90 (or 120 minutes). While they performed better against Poland, Portugal was extremely lucky to beat Croatia in the Round of 16. If there is any team that Wales can afford the loss of Ramsey and Davies, it is most likely Portugal.

As for Iceland, their success is a little more difficult to understand. They do not have a superstar like Bale and almost all of their players do not play on the same club team. Of the team’s 23 players, only two players play on the same team. They are also spread across 12 different countries.

However, this breakthrough was coming for years. The team was the closest it has ever been to the World Cup when it lost in the final round of qualification in 2013. Instead of sulking in defeat, the team came back stronger and qualified for Euro 2016 despite being in a group with the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Turkey, who have a combined 20 Euro appearances between them.

Iceland after the team's victory over England
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Iceland was not great in the group stage of the tournament, but thanks to a late goal by Arnór Ingvi Traustason in the final game against Austria, Iceland was able to finish second in their group.

That set them up with a match-up with England. Few people gave Iceland a chance against the Three Lions and when Wayne Rooney put England up after just four minutes, soccer fans all across the world thought the game was over.

It was far from it.

Iceland equalized two minutes later when Ragnar Sigurdsson scored off a throw-in and then took the lead just 14 minutes later after some exquisite passing led to Kolbeinn Sigthorsson beating Joe Hart.

While Iceland could have parked the bus and played it safe, they continued to play their game. England could do nothing against the Iceland defense and had few actual scoring chances.

Now Iceland has a chance to cement itself in the history books with its match Sunday against France.

The tournament hosts, besides the heroics of Dimtri Payet and Antione Grizemann, have been underwhelming. They are more than vulnerable and Iceland may be the team to take them down.

Iceland and Wales have been the most interesting teams of the tournament. If all goes their way, it might set up the most unlikely Euro final of all-time.

2014 FIFA World Cup Preview

Group A: The Hosts and The Hopefuls

1. Brazil: If the hosts are to win glory, they need to give it their all on the pitch and block out what might be going on outside of the stadium.

2. Croatia: Luka Modric will be the force behind all Croatia attacks and if he can get the ball to the their strikers (Mario Mandzukic, Ivica Olic), they can have some success.

3. Cameroon: Samuel Eto'o and Alex Song are greta players, but they can't win by themselves, they are going to need others to step up.

4. Mexico: After struggling to qualifiy for the World Cup, Mexico will struggle in on the big stage.

Underrated Star - Hulk, FW, Brazil: While Neymar gets all the attention, Hulk can be even more effective as the main goal scoring threat up front. Coming off a 21 goal season fro Zenit St. Petersberg, Hulk is a dark horse for the Golden Boot.

Group B: The Two Finalists from Four Years Ago

1. Spain: The defending champs and two-time European champs are again one of the favorites to win the World Cup again and become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back championships.

2. Netherlands: The runner-ups of the 2010 World Cup Finals, the Netherlands are going to have to play up to their potential to make a run. If they can hide the facts that their defense sucks.

3. Chile: Chile has a lot of potential to make a big impact in this tournament. Led by Arturo Vidal, they 

4. Australia: The lowest ranked team in the tournament in the FIFA Rankings (62nd), Australia has little to no chance of advancing in the knockout stage

Question Mark to Watch: Diego Costa, ST, Spain: The biggest problem the defending champs have faced is finding a consistent threat at the striker position. Costa, after a successful club season, may be that man.

Group C: Wide Open

1. Ivory Coast: Led by Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, the Ivory Coast have a ton of talent. The problem has always been winning with all that talent. They should at least make it to the knockout round. 

2. Japan: Japan has a very good team that struggled in Brazil last year for the Confederations Cup. However, they will make up for their losses last year this time around. 

3. Colombia: The loss of striker Radamel Falcao would have all but ruined their chances in almost any other group. However, they have a chance to make through in this group.

4. Greece: Ten years ago, Greece pulled off one of the most shocking tournament wins in national team history when they won the 2004 Euros. This year, they will need to capture a lot of that magic to make a serious run in the knockout rounds.

Midfielder to Watch - James Rodriguez, MF, Colombia: Without Falcao, Colombia is in need of someone to step up. That man will be the 22 year-old who currently plays for AS Monaco. Rodriguez is a playmaker who can set up himself and others. He is going to make a name for himself in this tournament if Colombia makes an impact. 

Group D: Group of Death Jr. 

1. Uruguay: With Luis Suarez healthy for the tournament, Uruguay can make another run into the semi-finals

2. Italy: While their defense has more holes than a screen door and they do not have the talent they are accustomed to, Andrea Pirlo and Mario Balotelli will connect to score some goals and get them out of the group.

3. England: Even with Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturidge up top, their midfield and defense is too suspect and inexperienced for the Three Lions to make a run.

4. Costa Rica: Will have a difficult time playing against the more experienced and talented squads.

Playmaker to Watch - Nicolas Loderio, MF, Uruguay: Uruguay's potential front line of Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan, and Luis Suarez is deadly, but they need someone behind them to set them up. That man is Loderio. He is going to be the playmaker for this squad and for them to make a deep run, Loderio needs to play at a world class level.

Group E: 

1. Switzerland: The Swiss are hiding in the shadows and are ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey. If they can stay confident, the number six team in the FIFA Rankings will shock fans across the globe

2. France: Were lucky to get a favorable draw, but a serious run was all but shattered when star winger Frank Ribery was ruled out for the tournament

3. Ecuador: Ecuador could 

4. Honduras: Honduras is in for a tough time in Brazil. They will have a chance to steal a couple of points, but advancing to the knockout round is very wishful thinking.

Breakout Star - Grandit Xhaka, CM, Switzerland: While Xherdian Shaquri will most likely get most of the headlines, Xhaka will be the playmaker in the middle for Switzerland and he could be a breakout star and become a transfer target after the tournament

Group F: Argentina and the Question Marks

1. Argentina: They have a surplus of attackers that can score with ease (Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain). If their questionable defense can play well, Argentina will

2. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia and Herzegovina is making it's first ever appearance in the World Cup and thanks to a favorable draw, are in line to make it to the knockout round.

3. Nigeria: Nigeria has had a great past two years. However, they have not had much success in the World Cup. 

4. Iran: Iran has some good and promising young players, but they do not have enough experience to make a serious impact.

Forward to Watch: Vedad Ibisevic, CF, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ibisevic and Edin Dzeko will both be playing at the striker spot. Dzeko is the better and more intimidating striker and will get more attention. Because of that, Ibisevic 

Group G: The Group of Death

1. Germany: The strongest midfield in the tournament will dictate games and if they can make up for the lack of depth up front, they will be in the finals

2. Portugal: Everything lies on Christian Ronaldo's shoulders. How far they go will depend on how far he can take them.

3. USA: Even without Landon Donovan, the US squad is still a decent roster. Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey are great players in the field and Tim Howard ranks amount the best in the world in net. 

4. Ghana: While Ghana is not highly ranked in the FIFA Ranking, they have made it to the knockout round the last two World Cups (They were a shootout away from the semi's). They are always a threat to produce some magic.

Winger to Watch - Nani, RW, Portugal: With Cristiano Ronaldo possibly not at full strength, Nani is going to have to play extremely well. If he can create for himself and others, it will leave more room for Ronaldo to do work on the opposite wing.

Group H: One Lock and Three Others

1. Belgium: Led by Vincent Kompany in the back and Eden Hazard on the wing, the Red Devils have the potential to make a deep run in the tournament

2. Russia: After struggling in the 2012 Euros and failing to reach the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, Russia has a good chance to redeem themselves and make it to the knockout round. 

3. South Korea: The South Korean squad is full of young and up-and-coming stars (Five players are returning from 2010). They have the potential to make a big run in the tournament.

4. Algeria: Algeria is just happy to be in the tournament. They may win a game, but it would be hard pressed anyone who has Algeria being in the top two of the group. 

Keeper to Watch: Thibaut Courtois, GK, Belgium: Courtois shined on loan for Athletico Madrid this season and if he shines in the World Cup, he may force Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to move away from current goalie Petr Cech. 

European Champions League of Soccer, Volleyball, and More

UEFA Champions League (Soccer)

Cristiano Ronaldo
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The Round of 16 for the UEFA Champs League has ended with three teams from La Liga (Spain), two from the Bundesliga (Germany), and one team from Serie A (Italy), Ligue 1 (France), and Super Lig (Turkey) making the quarters. No teams from England have made the quarterfinals, a first since the 1995-96 Champs League. The premier teams in the final eight are Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. Borussia Dortmond, Juventes, and Paris Saint-Germain. Galatasaray is a good team that will be undervalued. Malaga is a few steps below the other seven. They have the smallest chance of making it to the semi-finals. The quarterfinals games will be played on in early April, with the first leg on the second and third and the second leg on the ninth and tenth.

The draw for the quarterfinals were on Friday. The match-ups are Barcelona-PSG, Bayern Munich-Juventus, Borussia Dortmond-Malaga, and Galatasaray-Real Madrid. Of all the games, Boruissa Dortmond has the easiest road against Malaga. Every other game will be close. Barcelona vs. PSG will be closer then you would think at first glance. Bayern Munich is better then Juventes, but after being blown out by Arsenal in the second leg of their Round of 16 series, Munich may be vulnerable. The German club will need to put that behind them to win. The final match-up is between Real Madrid and Galatasaray. The winner of this match-up will be the team does performs it's best on the road. This, and Barca-PSG, are my favorite games. 

Euroleague (Basketball)

Jordan Farmer
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The Euroleague is also in it's Round of 16. Unlike other sports, the basketball league's round of 16 has two groups of eight teams.  Each team will play fourteen games against the the other seven teams in their group. All the teams have just finished eleven games. Group E features Alba Berlin, 
Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Brose Baskets, CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos Athens, Real Madrid, Unicaja Malaga, and Zalgiris Kaunas. In the first Group E game of week eleven, Anadolu Efes won a close game against Brose Baskets. Anadolu Efes, led by former NBA player Jordan Farmer, enhanced their record to 9-2, while Brose dropped to 0-11. Next up was Zalgiris Kaunas at CSKA Moscow. CSKA Moscow improved to 8-3 with the 70-61. Zalgiris record is now 4-7. After that, Liga ACB members Unicaja Malaga and Real Madrid went at it in Madrid. Malaga pulled off the upset away from home, winning 77-74. Real Madrid, who with the loss slid to 9-2, were without 3 time MVP of Week Rudy Fernandez. Malaga enhanced their record to 6-5. The last game of the week for Group E teams was a blowout. Panathinaikos beat Alba Berlin 82-58. With the win, Panathinakos record became 7-4, while Alba Berlin dropped to 1-10.

BC Khimki MR, Besiktas JK, Caja Laboral Vitoria, FC Barcelona Regal, Fenerbahce Ulker, Maccabi Electra, Montepaschi Siena, and Olympiacos Piraeus are the teams of Group F. The first game of the week for Group F was between BC Khimki MR and Maccabi Electra. In a game that went down to the wire, Maccabi Electra won 80-79. The win boosted Maccabi Electra's record to 6-5 and BC Khimki MR slid to 6-5. The next game was also a nail-bitter between Olympiacos and Montepaschi. With Olympiacos up by one, Montepaschi's star player Bobby Brown drove and then kicked it out. However, they could not get a shot off in time, and Olympiacos got the win away from home, 68-67. After the game, both teams had a record of 7-4. Caja Laboral then went up against Fenerbahce. At home, Caja Laboral destroyed Fenerbahce by a score of 87-67. Caja Laboral, who improved to 6-5, had five players who scored in double figures. Fenerbahce dropped to 2-9. The final game was also a blowout. FC Barcelona, in front of their home crowd, defeated Besiktas by 25, 88-61.

CEV Champions League (Volleyball)- 16th-17th

This weekend was the Final Four weekend for the CEV Champions League. The four teams that reached the semi's were Bre Baanc Lannutti of Italy, Lokomotiv Novosibrsk and Zenit Kazan of Russia, and Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle of Poland. The first game of the semi's was between the two Russian teams, Lokomotiv Novosibrsk and Zenit Kazan. Novosibrsk, playing in front of the home crowd, lost the first set 25-19. Novosibrsk then rebounded in the second set, winning 25-20. The next set was close, but Zenit Kazan pulled it out with a score of 25-22. The fourth set was all Novosibrsk, winning 25-16. In the fifth and deciding set, the home team won 15-12 to advance to the final. In the other semi, Bre Baanc and Kedzierzyn-Kozle also went to the fifth set. Kedzierzyn-Kozle took the first and fourth set, while Bre Baanc won the second and third set. In the fifth set, Bre Baanc got out to the the early led and never looked back. They won the final set 15-10 and won the game, setting up a Lokomotiv Novosibrsk vs. Bre Baanc Lannutti.

Lokomotiv Novosibrsk celebrating their championship
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Before the championship game, they had a third place game between Zenit Kazan and Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle. The two teams split the first two sets with Kazan taking the first one and Kedzierztn-Kozle taking the second. The next two sets went to Kazan as they took the match 3-1. The championship game went all the way to the wire. Bre Baanc Lannutti took the first set 25-22 against Lokomotiv Novosibrsk. Novosibrsk, playing at home, then took a really close set 26-24. They then took the next set too, 25-23. The fourth set went to Bre Baanc 25-20, setting up a winner-take-all fifth set. Novosibrsk took the early lead, but by the third partial they were only up by one. In the end, Novosibrsk won the match 16-14, and the match, three games to two. This is Novosibrsk's first ever CEV Champions League championship.

EHF Champions League (Handball)- 14th-17th and 21st-24th

The EHF Champions League finished up their first leg of the Round of 16. In the first game of the week, HC Dinamo Minsk and HC Metalerg faced off in Dinamo, Belarus. HC Metalerg won the match 26-23. Chekhovskie Medvedi upset the defending champions THW Kiel in a shootout, 36-34. Celje Pivovarna Lasko went up against HSV Hamburg. Even though Celje's Borut Mackovesk had thirteen goals, Hamburg still won easily 29-38. Pick Szeged and KS Vivie Targi Kielce went down to the wire. Pick Szeged had the one point led at half. They kept the lead and won 26-25. 

MKB Veszprem KC beat Reale Ademar Leon away from home, 23-20. FC Barcelona Intersport beat Bjerringbro-Silkeborg 32-26. FC Barcelona had four players, Enterrios Rodriguez, Gurbindo Martinez, Jesper Brian Noddesbo, and Siarhei Rutenka, who scored five goals and two players who scored four goals. Athletico Madrid and Fuchse Berlin played to a 29-29 tie. The last game of the first leg of the Round of 16 featured Gorenge Velenje and SG Flensburg-Handewitt. SG Flensburg-Handewitt won 28-25.

LEN Champions League (Water Polo)

The LEN Champions League is currently in it's round of 16, called the Eight Finals. The first leg of this round was played on the ninth and tenth of March, with the second and final leg being played on the twentieth. In the first leg, there were nail-bitters and blowouts. The blowouts included Jug CO Dubrovnik 19-1 demolition of Schuurmanea BZC and CN Atletic Barceloneta annihilation of CSM DiGi Oradea 15-5. These two matches have almost, but guaranteed the two winners will make the next round. Crvena Zvevda also helped their chances tremendously with their 13-6 defeat of ZF Eger.

The other five games are still up for grabs. The closest of these match-ups is Olympiakos and Spartak Volograd. Their first leg ended in a 9-8 victory for Olympiakos. This grouping could go either way. Another good match-up is between Galatasaray and Sintez Kazan. Galatasaray won the first game 9-6. The second game looks to be a nail-bitter. In a high-scoring affair, Vouliagmeni NC beat CN Marseille 16-12, setting up an interesting second leg. The last game of Final Eight is between Partizan Raiffeissen Belgrade and AN Brescia. After winning the first game, Partizan is looking to win the second game to confirm their advancing. 

CERH European League (Roller Hockey)

Group Play for the CERH European League just finished up. There were four groups of four teams that play each other twice over six weeks. The top two teams in each group make the quarterfinals. Group A was set before the sixth game. FC Barcelona and Igualada clinched were the top two teams, while HC Dinan Quevert and Candelria SC were the bottom two. These games were just for placement. Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Quevert made them the group winner, while Candelria beat Igualada. In Group B, Porto had clinched their spot in the next round. However, the second spot was still up for grabs between Noia and Amatori Lodi. Noia won their match, 4-2 against Porto. Amatori Lodi also won, 10-3 over SCRA St. Omar. Noia sealed their spot in the quarters due to having more points then Amatori Lodi.

Group C had their top two teams set with Benfica and Reus Deportiu. Benfica defeat the winless Cronenberg, 12-3. Reus Deportiu lost to CGC Viareggio, 8-3. That was their only loss in Group Play. In Group D, Lieco, the defending champ and Valdagno went head-to-head to see who would be the group winner. To win the group, Lieco needed to win and have a better goal differential. Valdagno beat Lieco 7-3 to win the group. In the other game, UD Oliverense beat Geneve RHC, 11-2. The loss dropped Geneve to 0-6 in group play. The quarterfinals start on April 6th with the first leg and the April 20th is the second leg. The four match-ups are FC Barcelona vs. Lieco, Benfica vs. CE Noia, Igualada vs. Valdagno, and Porto vs. Reus Deportiu.

Match Fixing in the World of Soccer

Europol announcing the Scandal
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There is a major scandal brewing in the world of soccer. Europol, the European Union's police force, announced that more then 680 soccer matches from 2008-2011 have ties to being fixed. 380 of the matches occurred in Europe, with the other 300 occurring mostly in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. These matches are not just minor, unimportant games. They include World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and UEFA Championship League matches.

The investigation by Europol took about 18 months. Evidence suggests a crime syndicate based in Singapore is a main player in many of the fixed matches. A warrant has been placed for the leader of the gang. 425 people from more then 15 countries, including players, officials, and criminals were involved in the fixed matches in Europe. The names of these 425 people and other have not been released to not affect ongoing investigations. The country with the most cases of fixed matches was in Turkey with 79. 

The bribes involved more then two million euros and eight million euros in betting profits. That equals 2.7 US dollars and 10.9 million US dollars respectively. The crime group from Singapore would spend up to one hundred thousand euros, or one hundred and thirty-six thousand US dollar per match for bribes.

This scandal will have an enormous impact
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This scandal has the potential to be on, maybe even above, the level of the Lance Armstrong and cycling community doping scandal. If you have some of the top teams and players in world involved in the scandal, soccer's reputation will take a tremendous hit and will set the sport back. Even if the sports' major teams or players did not take part in the fixing, the game will take a hit. Soccer's lower leagues still draw very well and have the fandom of some of the higher level league, too. From the information  released so far, I would expect to see a mixture of mostly top tier teams and players as well as some lower profile players and teams. Europol director Rob Wainwright said that acts of the Singaporean crime-syndicate "threatens the very fabric of the game." When a major Europol official says that the game is threaten by this, that means there is lots of information not yet released. No matter the outcome, the impact the fixings' will be major.

Friedhelm Althans, a German investigator, summed up what this might mean for soccer and the integrity of the game. He said, "This is the top of the iceberg."

2012 Summer Olympics in London Preview

2012 London Summer Olympic Logos
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The 2012 Summer Olympics are being held in London. This is going to be London's 3rd ever Olympics. The 1st was held in 1908 and the 2nd in 1948. The 1908 Olympics were supposed to be held in Rome, but due to a volcano eruption, London got to host the Olympics. The 1948 Olympics were the 1st held after World War II and the 1st in 12 years since the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

The selection process for the 2012 Olympics started in 2003 when London announced they were bidding for the 2012 Olympics. In 2005, they won the vote to become the host of the Olympics. Then, in 2008, the Olympic Flag went to London from Beijing. Then, from 2011 to a few months ago, test events called London Prepares were held to prepare London for the Games. 

Now, it is time for London to be on the Worlds Biggest Stage. It has been 9 years in the making  with ups and downs, highs and lows. London will shine with the light on them. Here is the Olympics Preview of sports and a look at some of Olympics uniqueness.

Basketball

The United States basketball team, for both men and women, are the favorites for both tournaments. The women's team hasn't loss an Olympic game since 1992, making them the large favorite to win. The men's team has some challengers that believe they can beat them. These teams include 2008 runner-ups Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and France. Russia also has a chance, led by former NBA Forward Andrei Kirilenko, but I don't believe they will be much of a threat to the US team. 

The US will most likely face Spain in the final. Spain has what the US doesn't, big men. They have the Gasol brothers, Pau and Marc, and Serge Ibaka coming off the bench. Their backcourt features Raptors' Jose Calderon and former NBA player and currently on Barcelona's basketball team Juan Carlos Navarro. Also in the backcourt is former NBA player Sergio Rodriguez. Rudy Fernandez, who just left the Denver Nuggets to play for Real Madrid, is also on the team. Ricky Rubio, who is out with a torn ACL, is going to missed a point guard to be a back-up or even a starter. 

Brazil also has good big men. The Wizards' Nene, Cavilers' Anderson Varejao, and Spurs' Tiago Splitter. Leandro Barbosa of the Pacers is going to be a key player in the backcourt for them. Argentina is going to be led by the Spurs' Manu Ginobili, Bucks' Carlos Delfino, and Suns' Luis Scola. Guard Pablo Prigioni, who recently signed with the Knicks, will be a key to success for the team. France is not just Tony Parker. They have Nicolas Batum at small forward, Boris Diaw, Kevin Seraphin, and Ronny Turiaf as the big men. These teams look to be very good.

The US Team Pumped Up
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I predict that the US will win. They have the best all-around roster, even with 1 true center (Tyson Chandler) and 1 power forward who has played in NBA (Kevin Love, the other PF, Anthony Davis, was drafted 1st overall in the 2012 Draft). All 3 of the big men need to be strong off the glass and be a force in the post on defense. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are the leader for this team and are going to perform very well. Those 2, and Kevin Durant, need to be consistent scorers. Carmelo Anthony needs to bring scoring as the 6th man off the bench. Andre Iguadala is going to be a big help to the team. He is probably the 2nd most veristale player on defense in the NBA, 1st is LeBron. He going to be a big help on the team. Chris Paul is going to be a great distributor. Deron Williams will do a good job also at the point. 

Football (Soccer)

The Olympic Football Tournaments for the men and women are different, but somewhat the same. For the men's tournament, each team has a minimum of 15 players that must be born before January 1st, 1989 and can have 3 overaged players play on the team. For the women's team, they can send the national team. The US women look to their 3rd consecutive Gold Medal and 4th in the last 5 Olympics (This is the 5th Women's Soccer Tournament in the Olympics history). Japan is looking to win the Olympics after winning the Women's World Cup. The Men's tournament has many good team's looking to win, like Brazil, Spain, and Great Britain.

Alexandre Pato (Wearing 17, not 9, for the Olympics) and Neymar
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Brazil is my pick to win the Men's Olympics Football Tournament. They have won 5 FIFA World Cups, but never an Olympic Gold Medal. Brazil has some of the best forwards in the world. AC Milan's Alexandre Pato, Santos' Neymar, 1 of the 3 overaged players Porto's Hulk, and Internacional's Leandro Damiao. The other 2 overaged players are Defenders Real Madrid's Marcelo and Thiago Silva, who just moved from AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain. The front line are going to score a lot of goals and all have experience on the Brazil national team. 

Spain has won the last 2 European Championships and the last FIFA World Cup. Adding an Olympic Gold Medal would be very. 2 goal-scorers in the 2012 Euro Final are on the team, defender Jordi Alba, who recently was moved to Barcelona, and striker Juan Mata of Chelsea. In net, for the team is Manchester United's David De Gea. The 21 year old started 29 games in the English Premier League and 39 games in all of the competitions Man U competed.

Great Britain is uniting to compete in the Olympics for the 1st time since 1960. However, no players from Scotland and Northern Ireland made the sqaud. There are 13 players from England and 5 players from Wales on the team. Manchester United and Wales' Midfielder Ryan Giggs is playing in his 1st major tournament. Giggs is a Man U legend (He's 38 years old and 1st played for Manchester United in 1991 and hasn't ever left) and is well deserving of being a member of the team. Other notables on the include Man U and England's Tom Cleverly, Man City and England's Micah Richards, another overaged players, Liverpool and Wales' Craig Bellamy, the other overaged player, and Chelsea and England Ryan Bertland

Athletics

Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt
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The big debate going into the athletics portion of the Olympics is the growing rivalry between Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. Usain Bolt won the gold medal for the 100 meters, 200 meters, and was a member of the gold medal winning 4x100 relay at the 2008 Olympics. He currently has the 100 meter Olympic Record (9.69 seconds) and World Record (9.58 seconds) and the 200 meter Olympic Record (19.30 seconds) and World Record (19.19 seconds). Bolt is trying to become the 1st sprinter ever to win two Gold Medals in both the 100 meters and 200 meters in back-to-back Olympics. Yohan Blake beat Bolt at the Jamaican trials in both events. These 2 are the favorites for the the 100 and 200 meters. They will also be on the Jamaican team competing in the 4x100 meters, also making Jamaica the favorites in that event. 

Going from the shorter track events to the longer events, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has 1 the last 2 Gold Medal in the 10,000 meters and won Gold in Beijing and Silver in Athens in the 5,000 meters. He has the World Record (26:17.53) and Olympic Record (27:01.17) for the 10,000 meters and the World Record (12:37.35) and Olympic Record (12:57.82) for the 5,000 meters. Bekele is looking to become the 1st person ever to win 3 straight Gold Medal in the 10,000 meters

The Men's Decathlon has 10 events that are going to be held over 2 days. On the 1st day, 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, and 400 meters. On day 2, 110 meters hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500 meters. Ashton Eaton is the current World Record holder, breaking the previous record this year with 9039 points. In the Women's Heptathlon,  the 7 events will be also be held over 2 days. The events include 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and the 200 meters, which will be held on day 1. The long jump, javelin throw, and 800 meters will be held on day 2. Jackie Joyner-Kersee has both the Olympic and World Record  with 7291 points from the 1988 Olympics. Defending gold medalist, Natalyia Dobrynska of Ukraine, is back to defend her title. 

Swimming 

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte
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Swimming is going to be about Michael Phelps vs. fellow American Ryan Lochte. Phelps won Gold Medal in all of his 8 events at the 2008 Olympics, and is 3 medals away from having the most medals in Olympics history. However, Lochte has beaten Phelps many times and could be in his way of more Gold Medals to add to his collection. Michael Phelps is swimming the 200 meter IM (individual medley), 400 meter IM, 100 meter butterfly, 200 meter butterfly, 4x100 meter freestyle relay, 4x100 meter medley relay, and the 4x200 freestyle. Ryan Lochte is in the 200 meter IM, 400 meter IM, 200 meter freestyle, 200 meter backstroke, 4x100 meter freestyle relay, 4x100 meter medley relay, and the 4x200 meter freestyle relay. That means there are 2 events where they go head-to-head and 3 where they team up. That means that every race is going to count to see who is the best. 

The US women are going to be led by 17 year old Missy Franklin. Franklin is going to be swimming in 7 events, 100 meter freestyle, 200 meter freestyle, 100 meter backstroke, 200 meter backstroke, 4x100 meter medley relay, 4x100 meter freestyle relay, and 4x200 meter freestyle relay. Franklin has never been in an Olympics, but she is expected to do really well. If the women want to do really well in swimming, they need to follow the lead of Franklin. 

The longest swimming competition is the marathon, which is 10km and is held in open water. There are no heats, just a finals in which 25 competitors compete. This is only the 2nd time the marathon is going to be held at an Olympics. It was 1st held in Beijing, where Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands won with a time of 1:51:51.6. He has retired from swimming. For the women, Russia's Lara Ilchenko won with a time of 1:59:27.7 at the '08 Olympics. She is not going to defend her title. 

Gymnastics 

At the 2008 Olympics, China was the top team in gymnastics. The men's team dominated by winning 7 of the 8 artistic gymnastics gold medals . The women's team won 2 of the 6 gold medals for artistic gymnastics. For the trampoline events, China won the gold for both men and women. The US has a chance to do some damage this year in London. 

The US Women's Gymnastics Team
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The US women's team is being called the best gymnastics team that the United States has ever sent to the Olympics. The team is lead by Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglass. Both are expect to perform very well and battle each other for the gold medals. Wieber won 2 gold medals at the 2011 World Championships. Douglass defeated Weiber at the Olympic Trials. For the US to do well, these 2 need to be leaders and win.

The Men's gymnastics team will be led by Danell Leyva and John Orozco. Leyva is a world champ on the parallel bars, making him the favorite for that event. Orozco won gold in the All-Around at the US National Championships. The US team won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships, as they will try to improve on that in London. The 2011 World Champion on the All-Around portion was Japan's Kohei Uchimura, who is gold medal threat in that event and a few others. 

Water Polo

Water Polo for both men and women started at the beginning of a century. Men's water polo began in 1900 in Paris, women water polo was fist held at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The United States were the runner-up in both the men and the women's competition. The United States have never won a Gold Medal in Water Polo.

Hungary in 2008 Receiving Their Gold Medals
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The US men's team is looking to win it's 1st gold medal after coming so close in 2008. It was the 1st time they medaled since 1988. The men's team have to watch out for Hungary. Hungary is the returning Gold Medalist, having won the last 3 gold medals. Hungary has 9 Gold Medals in total and 15 medals overall. Since 2008, however, they haven't finished higher then 3rd in major tournaments. In the European Championships, they finished 4th in 2010 and 3rd in 2012. In the World Championships, they finished 5th in 2009 and 4th in 2011. Peter Biros, Zoltan Szecsi, Gergely Kiss, and Tamas Kasas are looking to win their 4th gold medal, which would make them have the most gold medals in water polo history. All 4 are going to have to be very good to win the 4th gold medal. 

The women are the favorites to win the women's tournament. They have medaled in every Olympics, 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal. They came in 1st in 2009 and 6th in 2011 in the World Championships. They won the World Cup in 2010. At the 2011 Pan American Game, they came in 1st place. In the FINA World League, they came in 1st place in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. They are looking for the lead. Heather Petri and Brenda Villa are looking to win their 1st gold medal and 4th medal overall.

Badminton 

Badminton has 5 events, men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Badminton was 1st held in Barcelona at the 1992 Summer Olympics. All of the events, except for mixed doubles, were 1st played in 1992, mixed doubles were 1st held in 1996. This year looks to be a very good year for badminton. 

Wang Yihan
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The men's singles number 1 seed is Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia. The Beijing sliver medalist is trying to get his 1st gold medal and Malaysia's 1st gold medal in badminton. His silver medal in 2008 was Malaysia's 1st since medal 1996. Lin Dan is the 2 seed and reigning Gold Medalist. "Super Dan" has won 4 World Championships, including the most recent championship in 2011, won Gold at the Asian Championships in 2010, and won 2 Asian Championships. Lin Dan is married to 2008 Olympics Women's Singles Silver Medlaist Xie Xingfang. These 2 players are my picks to be in the final. 

For women singles, the top 3 seeds are from China. They are Wang Yihan, Wang Xin, and Li Xuerui. Wang Yihan won the 2011 World Championship in London. Wang Xin has won a silver and bronze medal at the World Championship. The 4th seed is India's Saina Nehwal, winner of the 2010 Commonwealth Games women's singles. She went to the Quarterfinals in the 2008 Summer Olympics and in the last 3 World Championships. She has a good chance of making a run to the finals. 

For men's doubles, China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng are the number 1 seed. They were the runner-up's in the 2008 Olympics. They have 4 Gold Medals from the World Championships for doubles. The women's doubles favorite are Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang from China. Yang won a Gold Medal in Beijing with Du Jing for doubles. The Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang won the 2011 World Championship. Mixed Doubles 1 seed and 2011 World Champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei are looking to win their 1st Gold Medal. 

Olympic Stadium
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Olympic Stadium 

The Olympic Stadium is a new stadium made for the Olympics. It is in Olympic Park in Stratford, London.  It has an 80,000 seat capacity, but only 25,000 of the capacity is permanent. A temporary upper tier hold 55,000 people. The permanent lower tier hold the other 25,000 spectators. The temporary and permanent mix of a stadium has never been attempted before for an Olympic Stadium. It is going to the host Athletics, the Opening Ceremony, and the Closing Ceremony. The Stadium is surrounded by water on 3 of it's side. 

Wenlock and Mandeville
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Mascot

The mascot for the 2012 Olympics is Wenlock. His partner and 2012 Paralympics mascot is Mandeville. Wenlock is named after the town of Much Wenlock which held and still holds the Wenlock Olympian Society, a forebear of the modern Olympics. Mandeville is named after the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which was where the Paralympics were created. The two are drops of steel from mills in Britain. To tribute London taxi's, each has a taxi light on their forehead and have their initial in it. The mascots also have their own Facebook and Twitter accounts.