USA 1-0 Panama Gold CUP Final 2013

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USA wins the 2013 Gold Cup with a 1-0 win over Panama. Brek Shea score the tournament-winning goal for the Team USA.
Jurgen Klinsmann will not be on the sidelines for the U.S. after CONCACAF handed down a suspension for his conduct in their semifinal game. He reacted poorly to a questionable call and threw a ball, for which the referee ejected him. A CONCACAF committee decided late Friday night that Klinsmann would not be allowed to coach the USMNT in the final. Assistant Martin Vasquez will take his place.

Match date/time: Sunday, 4 p.m. ET

Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

Though the CONCACAF headliners–Mexico and the United States–entered this Gold Cup with experimental lineups and b-teams, the USMNT got here on cruise control against the third world because its veteran stalwarts picked up where Juan Ponce de León left off and found the fountain of youth. Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, and Eddie Johnson have also overcome boilerplate athlete duress (bargaining chip politics between soccer clubs, injury, divorce, hair dye); their leadership and chemistry is so apparent that I didn’t bat an eyelash when Klinsmann was suspended on Saturday from coaching this final because of his on-field temper tantrum in Wednesday’s semi-final.

Speaking of Wednesday, Panama overcame the best homefield advantage Cowboys Stadium has ever hosted—a sea of jeering paisanos with flags, drums, and sombreros. You know the old cliché of taking the home crowd out of the game? The Panama-Mexico semi-final was Panama fearlessly prodding a lion, getting it more and more riled up through the fruitless stoppage time. It took patience and focus–this is the best team non-Mexican or American Gold Cup contender we’ve ever seen.

F1 Hungary Grandprix 2013 July 28, 2013

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Lewis Hamilton will start on pole for third successive race after another stunning qualifying lap yesterday nudged Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean down the pecking order.
Even the Mercedes man could not quite believe what he had done but now starts a race he has won three times previously, in the prime spot.

LAP 3: Hamilton responds with the fastest lap of the race at 1.27.640. His lead on Vettel is back up to 0.8 seconds with Grosjean close behind in third. Big gap behind to Alonso in fourth.
It was Massa who ran into the back of Rosberg on the first lap after a good start for the Mercedes man. Both seem to be ok.
LAP 2: Button is up to eighth from 13th after a good start. Meanwhile Vettel takes 0.6 seconds out of Hamilton, whose lead was cut from 1.1 seconds after lap one to 0.5 seconds after the second lap.
LAP 1: GO! GO! GO! Good start for Hamilton as he gets away cleanly. Vettel seemed a bit slower to get off the line and he was challenged by Grosjean. Vettel retained second with Grosjean third. Alonso completes lap one in fourth with Massa fifth. There was contact between Rosberg and a Ferrari and the German is down in 12th.
The top eight all started on the soft tyres. Perez and Webber both on the mediums, as is Button.
1pm: Hamilton leads the field away for the formation lap, not long to go now.
12.52pm: The Hungarian national anthem has played around the Hungaroring and we are less than 10 minutes away from lights out. There looked to be a problem for Rosberg as the team called him back to the pits as he made his way towards the grid. The Mercedes driver made it onto the grid, though, albeit very late at just before 12.45pm.

Composed: Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton arrives at the circuit in Budapest looking relaxed

Liverpool vs Thailand July 28, 2013

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Liverpool will wrap up their preseason tour of Asia and Australia on Sunday. Having already triumphed in friendly matches against Indonesia XI and Melbourne Victory, the Reds will aim to end their trip to the Far East with a 3-0 record by defeating Thailand. 

As the Reds continue to deal with the Suarez saga, work on their fitness and infuse new transfers Kolo Toure, Simon Mignolet and Iago Aspas into the lineup, Sunday's match will give Rodgers an excellent chance to gauge his club's progress before they return to Anfield to face Olympiacos in a friendly on Aug. 3.

Who: Thailand vs. Liverpool

When: Sunday, July 28, at 6:40 a.m. ET (11:40 a.m. UK)

Where: Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

Real Madrid vs PSG July 27, 2013

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Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are set for a high-profile preseason match. The European powers are each looking forward to successful campaigns, and the clash should provide an early measuring stick for both clubs.

The Blancos are coming off a second-place finish in La Liga behind rival Barcelona. Although they weren't able to defend their title, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. already have their sights set on a return to the top under new manager and former PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti.

PSG captured the Ligue 1 crown with a dominant showing that saw the club finish 12 points clear of its nearest competition. The Parisians will look to build off that success to make a deeper run in the Champions League.

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Although the outcome of preseason matches have very little long-term impact, the elite level of competition should help both clubs in their quest for top form. So let's check out all the key information for the match, followed by a preview and prediction.



Where: Ullevi in Gothenburg, Sweden

When: Saturday, July 27 at 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. BT)

Valerenga vs Barcelona July 27, 2013

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Norwegian side Valerenga hosts Barcelona on Saturday in what will be a midseason game for the hosts, and a second preseason game for the Spanish side.

As stated on Barcelona's website, the game was set up as part of of Valerenga's 100-year anniversary celebrations. The two sides have met in a similar situation before, with Barcelona coming out 4-2 winners in an encounter before the 2010/11 campaign.

One of the main points of interest for this match will be the arrival of Barcelona's new coach, Gerardo Martino.

The result won't be of major importance for either side, as Valerenga will be enjoying the celebrations, and the opposition, while Barcelona will be focused more on the fitness and well-being of their players.

Here is a complete preview of the match, with the latest team news and a projected lineup for Barcelona.



Valerenga Team News

It's been two weeks since Valerenga has played a match of any kind, and they will be using this Barcelona fixture as a tune-up for the return of Norwegian league play.

They play against Sarpsborg SK just two days after the Barcelona match.

Valerenga currently sits in eighth place in the Tippeligaen. They have a record of six wins, three draws and seven losses.

The Norwegian side will likely start with their strongest squad and then make changes in order to be ready for their next league game.


Barcelona Team News

Though Gerardo Martino is set to be presented to the media in Spain on Friday, it's likely that he could fly out to meet his side before their game on Saturday. If he does, it will be interesting to see what he may or may not do.

The Blaugrana played their first preseason game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and lost 2-0. The game against Valerenga presents the second of six preseason games before the season kicks off.

With first-team players like Andres Iniesta, Pique and the newly signed Neymar still on holiday, Barcelona will likely line up as they did against Bayern Munich.

Barcelona Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Pinto; Martin Montoya, Marc Bartra, Javier Mascherano, Adriano; Jonathan dos Santos, Alex Song, Sergi Roberto; Alexis Sanchez, Lionel Messi, Cristian Tello



Valerenga: Mohammed Fellah

Mohammed Fellah recently made his way into the Norwegian national team setup, making his debut for the side in January of this year.

The attacking midfielder has missed most of the season so far through injury, but he may turn out against Barcelona after playing in Valerenga's last game.


Barcelona: Alex Song

Alex Song will have a lot to prove in his second season at Barcelona, and a good way start off a positive campaign is to play well in preseason.

The Cameroonian midfielder should have a fairly simple game, considering the opposition, but cannot take anything for granted. Any poor slips in a game like this could give his new boss cause to question whether he should remain at the club.