![]() ![]() eventually blew the game open in the 9th inning to win 9-4 and finish in first place in pool D. He hit a line drive into the gap in left center, driving in both runs to give the USA a 4-3 lead. Adam Jones stepped to the plate with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, and he delivered the biggest hit of the tournament so far. found themselves needing a big hit while trailing 3-2 in the top of the 8th inning. After repeatedly failing to produce clutch hits with runners in scoring position throughout this tournament, the U.S. They entered play today in full desperation mode, needing a win against Canada to move on to the next round. Team USA has advanced, but it wasn’t easy. Group play is finished, and now the real fun begins with the double elimination second round. The 2013 World Baseball Classic is starting to heat up. LA will need Howard to continue playing like the superstar that he is if they want to finish this second half run with a spot in the postseason. But more importantly, it allowed the Lakers to keep their hot streak going, putting them back into the #8 seed in the Western conference playoff race. It was definitely a great night for D12 to have his best game of the season, as he was able to send a big statement to his former team. Howard shot 16-for-20 (80%) when he was fouled intentionally. The Magic tried to use the Hack-a-Howard strategy, and it did not work. ![]() Howard tied an NBA record with 39 free throw attempts, and he hit 25 of them, which is a great shooting night for his standards. However, his most important stat came at the free throw line. Howard had a season-high 39 points to go along with 16 rebounds and 3 blocks. With Kobe Bryant having an off night, Howard put the team on his back and carried the Lakers to an important victory. He was flat out dominant in a 106-97 Lakers win. Howard was greeted with a chorus of boos, but D12 ended up getting the last laugh. It was his first game back there since he was traded to the Lakers this past summer. Germany wins 2-1.ĭwight Howard made his much-anticipated return to Orlando tonight. attack and put enough pressure on whoever is in the USA goal to be able to repeat as Algarve Cup champions. still has plenty of talented playmakers (Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, etc.) but the Germans are just so talented and balanced at each position. ![]() Plus, not having key players like Solo, Lloyd, and Cheney will be big against this difficult opponent. Players are still getting used to his tactics, while Sermanni is still experimenting with different lineups. The USWNT has only been with coach Sermanni for a couple of months, so there’s still an adjustment period happening within the team. being ranked #1 in the world, I think the German women have to be the favorite in this game. Germany comes in as the defending champs, and despite the U.S. Prediction: The United States (8) and Germany (2) have won 10 of the 19 Algarve Cups since this event was created back in 1994. has plenty of depth to overcome injuries, especially in the midfield, but will a backup GK be able to hold off the talented German squad? ![]() Carli Lloyd has a broken bone in her shoulder and will miss a couple months, while Lauren Cheney left Portugal to return stateside after her grandfather passed away. will also be without two of their central midfielders. Two of their goalkeepers are out for several weeks, with Hope Solo breaking her wrist and Jill Loyden breaking her hand. Injuries are mounting for the Americans, and it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll be able to overcome them. will have a tough time beating the Germans today. New coach Tom Sermanni is at the helm now, and an Algarve Cup championship victory over Germany would be a great start to his tenure. However, that was during the Pia Sundhage era. These two teams faced off twice last October, and both of those games finished in a draw. Meanwhile, Germany made it through Group A unscathed to set up this showdown between the world’s top two teams. defeated Iceland 3-0, China 5-0, then tied Sweden 1-1, winning Group B to advance to this championship match. The game can only be seen via online pay-per-view at 1:00 pm ET. The USWNT is back in action today as they take on Germany in the final of the prestigious Algarve Cup. ![]()
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