Mary C

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: TORONTO FC: GK | Quentin Westberg LB | Carlos Salcedo RB | Chris Mavinga CB | Luca Petrasso CB | Kosi Thompson MF | Michael Bradley MF | Jonathan Osorio MF | Federico Bernardeschi CF | Alejandro Pozuelo F | Lorenzo Insigne F | Ayo Akinola CHARLOTTE FC: GK | Kristijan Kahlina LB | Harrison Afful RB | Guzmán Corujo CB | Anton Walkes CB | Christian Fuchs MF | Kamil Józwiak MF | Quinn McNeill MF | Brandt Bronico CF | Sergio Ruiz F | Yordy Reyna F | Karol Swiderski This Sunday, Toronto FC will be facing off against Charlotte FC in a desperate attempt to garner points for the team as they host the upcoming match this Sunday, July 24, at the BMO Field Stadium at 7:30 AM (PST). Will Toronto be able to rack up the eight points needed for a playoff spot? That is what we are hoping to find out. Currently, in the season, Toronto FC is standing at 13th place in the Eastern Conference with five wins, four draws, and twelve losses. Their last five games put the team in a winless drought with four losses and one draw. It is apparent that the team lacks the strong offensive bottleneck that is needed to get past their opponent's defense and score goals. However, the Reds do have a trick up their sleeves, two in fact. The new signings Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi are available for the rooster this game, and it could be the much-needed turning point for Toronto FC to get out of the drought that they are in. Not to mention, Toronto has had their best matches throughout the season within the confines of their home stadium at BMO. On the other end of the pitch, Charlotte FC stands higher in the Eastern Conference at 8th place with eight wins, two draws, and eleven losses. When we look at their last five games, the team has been struggling to play at their best with only three wins and two losses. Another point of concern for the team this match is that the Crown has had one of the worst road teams in the season with only five points scored in 11 road games. Since Toronto will be hosting the game this Sunday, it is a point of concern for Charlotte FC that they may not be playing to the best of their abilities, especially with Insigne and Bernardeschi in Toronto’s rooster. With the gleaming new hope of the two new players for Toronto FC and their ability to play matches better on home turf, it is looking like Toronto FC will be able to break out of their five-game winless drought this Sunday against Charlottle FC. 7:30 AM (PST), Sunday, July 24, 2022. BMO Field stadium, Toronto City, Canada.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: C | Curt Casali FB | Brandon Belt SB | Thairo Estrada S | Brandon Crawford TB | Evan Longoria LF | Joc Pederson CF | Mike Yastrzemski RF | LaMonte Wade DH | Tommy La Stella This Friday, July 22nd at 10:09 AM, one of the most competitive and long-standing rivalries to grace the MLB will battle it out once again. It’s the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the San Francisco Giants at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. In June, the Giants left the Dodgers sulking after they pulled off their first sweep against the LA team since 2016. With only one team destined to come out on top, have you taken your pick? The Dodgers' last game was against their LA counterpart, the Los Angeles Angels. They piled on the Angels in a 7-1 game just this Sunday, and the series was a complete sweep— it was like taking candy from a baby. They’re back to being directly behind the Yankees in the overall MLB rankings as they have garnered 60 wins and 30 losses while the NY kings have 64 wins and 28 losses. Tony Gonsolin and Julio Urias lead the Dodgers’ pitching performance, and Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Trea Turner take over for batting. For their injured players, the Dodgers only have players Dustin May who has been on a 60-day indefinite leave since May and Andrew Heaney suffering a shoulder injury and placed under a 15-day IL. The Giants' last game was against the Milwaukee Brewers wherein the brewers suffered a four-point deficit in the 9-5 game. The Brewers beat them at the first game of the series, but the Giants took it quite personally, so much so that they’ve floored Milwaukee for the remaining games. The team has a collective 3.82 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Though not as impressive as the Dodgers’ 2.96 and 1.07, they still have something to work with. The Giants have Joc Pederson, Thairdo Estrada, and Wilmer Flores as batting leaders and Carlos Rodon and Logan Webb for pitching. San Francisco has five injured players at the moment; Mauricio Llovera on a 15-day IL, Brandon Crawford under a 10-day IL, and Bryce Johnson, Wei-Chieh Huang, and James Glowenke all classified under day-to-day. While the designated home team exhibits numbers that are arguably hard to beat and are relatively more impressive than their San Francisco rivals, there is no denying the unpleasant sweep the Giants put them through in June. 7-2, 3-2, and 2-0, respectively, not necessarily something we’d expect given the current standings with the Dodgers on top. However, they’re archenemies for a reason. This adds another level of excitement this Friday. This time around, we’re vouching for the Dodgers, just to even out the embarrassment from June. Catch it live this Friday, at 10:09 AM in Philippine Standard Time. 10:09 AM (PST), Friday, 22 July 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: DYNAMO KYIV: GK | Georgiy Bushchan RFB | Oleksandr Karavayev RCB | Vladyslav Dubinchak LCB | Illya Zabarnyi LFB | Oleksandr Tymchyk LCM | Serhiy Sydorchuk DM | Mykola Shaparenko RCM | Viktor Tsyhankov RW | Denys Harmash CF | Benjamin Verbič LW | Vladyslav Supryaha FENERBAHÇE: GK | Altay Bayındır RFB | Filip Novak RCB | Kim Min-jae LCB | Attila Szalai LFB | Ferdi Kadıoğlu LCM | İrfan Kahveci DM | Dimitrios Pelkas RCM | Miguel Crespo RW | Diego Rossi CF | Serdar Dursun LW | Bruma In a journey to qualify for the Champions League, Dynamo Kyiv and Fenerbahçe are facing off this Thursday at the Stadion KLS. For the first part of their second qualifying round tie, the teams are facing off after 14 years, and they’re coming in with history. In the four times, they’ve gone head-to-head in the UEFA Champions League; there’s been two draws and two wins for Kyiv. Do these instances foreshadow the results of the upcoming game? That’s what we’re here to find out. To be stationed at the Stadion KLS in Łódź, Poland, since the Ukrainian team has been displaced due to ongoing conflict, thus Dynamo’s ‘Stop the War, Play for Peace’ tour has been underway. Kyiv has most recently suffered a loss against Antwerp in a 2-1 game. In terms of injuries, Dynamo will be without the playmaking of Volodymyr Kostevych, Vladyslav Kulach, and Ibrahim Kargbo Jr. Besides these absences, there’s no other cause of concern or worry for manager Mircea Lucescu. The Istanbul club Fenerbahçe, on the other hand, has been national champions not once, twice, or even 10 times but 19. However, they have not gotten a grasp of the Super Lig trophy since 2014. They’ve won their last five games, so things are looking stable for the team. Only Nazim Sangare is injured in the whole Fener squad and has no doubtful or suspended players either. There are some things to be said regarding Dynamo’s current run, and their preparation has not been the most optimal, to say the least. Then again, the team’s drive towards their cause due to conflicts at home is beyond good measure for a persistent and interminable performance for their upcoming game. Their opponents from Turkey are formidable, especially under the hands of the highly-regarded manager Jorge Jesus. They have enough firepower to outdo Kyiv as well; however, it will all come down to motivation from the looks of it, and Dynamo is more desperate more than ever. We say it’s 2-1 in favor of Dynamo Kyiv in a close game with their winning point to be gained last minute. 2 AM (PST), Thursday, 21 July 2022. Stadion KLS, Łódź, Poland.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton BOSTON RED SOX: C | Christian Vazquez FB | Bobby Dalbec SB | Trevor Story S | Xander Bogaerts TB | Rafael Devers LF | Alex Verdugo CF | Enrique Hernandez RF | Jackie Bradley Jr. DH | J.D. Martinez The third fixture of the three-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox will take place this Monday, July 18, at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. After a win off their first game against the Yankees, will Boston’s Red Sox be able to produce the same results against the MLB’s top dog from New York? Or will the Yankees show them that you don’t get lucky twice? Here’s what we think: Currently, the New York Yankees still hold their first place spot in the American League East with a winning percentage of .689, 62 wins, and 28 losses. However, it is starting to look like the Bombers may be slipping off their thrones as they have only won four of their last ten games, placing the Yankees in a pretty tight spot, but still a ways ahead of the other teams in the AL East. In terms of players, Aaron Judge continues to lead the Yankees with a batting average of .274 and 31 home runs. In terms of injuries players for the Yankees as of the 15th of July, they’ve got Miguel Andujar (Day-to-day), Miguel Castro (Day-to-day), Aaron Hicks (Day-to-day), and Josh Donaldson (Day-to-day) sustaining a couple of minor injuries. As for the latest victor, the Red Sox were able to end their dreary four-game losing streak by defeating the Yankees. They are now tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL Wild Card’s third spot. That’s a pretty sizeable comeback if you ask us! Currently, they still stand in third place in the AL East with 48 wins and 43 losses, creeping up behind the Rays in second place. When looking at their rooster, Rafael Devers has played a big part in guiding the Red Sox to their victories with a batting average of .326 and 21 home runs. Trevor Story holds an RBI of 58, and Xander Bogaerts holds an on-base percentage of .392. With a rooster strong enough to carry out a handful of wins, along with their latest victory against the Yankees, the team is confident in their upcoming fixture. Alas, as bats go swinging and balls go flying this Monday, will all things considered, it will be an exciting game that will keep everyone on his or her toes. While we expect the match to be neck-and-neck, we see the Yankees come on top in the end. Saturday’s loss serves as a reminder to the Yankees, and frankly all of us, that being on top doesn’t mean you won’t have your fair share of adversity. Their recent loss is bound to fire them up for retribution this time around, and this time it’s for the Yankees to take home. 1:35 AM (PST), Monday, 18 July 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

Day 3 of the BLAST Premier Spring Finals 2022 will feature a best-of-three showdown between FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere (NAVI) for a semifinal spot. Who will face OG for a spot in the Grand Finals will be decided by the much-anticipated confrontation between the two sides. The upcoming quarterfinals game will also mark NAVI's first encounter with FaZe after losing to them in the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 Grand Finals. FaZe will try to maintain their position as the top team in CS: GO while NAVI tries to exact revenge for their Major loss. With a 1-1 record, FaZe and NAVI will both enter the BLAST Premier Spring Finals 2022 Playoffs. While FaZe defeated paiN Gaming in their initial game, NAVI was unsuccessful in beating OG. But in the subsequent match, NAVI triumphed over BIG while FaZe lost to G2 Esports. With recent form taken into consideration, FaZe has the upper hand over NAVI. They have ascended to the ranks of CS: GO's #1 ranked team due to their recent streak of success. NAVI, on the other hand, is ranked third according to HLTV, and sixth as per ESL's rankings. When recent performance is considered, FaZe defeats NAVI. Due to their recent winning streak, they are now the top-ranked team in CS:GO. NAVI, on the other hand, is ranked sixth according to ESL and third according to HLTV. NAVI didn't get off to the start they wanted after an early defeat in the Group Stage. However, if NAVI prevails in this thrilling rematch between these two esports titans, it may provide them with the boost they need to take the BLAST Premier Spring Finals and challenge for the top rank among CS:GO teams. FaZe Clan and NAVI have played nine official matches since 2021, using a total of 21 maps. NAVI has won seven of these games, resulting in 14 map victories. Both of FaZe's most recent victories over NAVI came in 2022 when they defeated NAVI by a score of 2-0 in the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and the 15th season of the ESL Pro League. Even though NAVI has a strong overall record against FaZe Clan, recent results may favor FaZe more than NAVI. 10:00 PM (PST), Sunday, July 17, 2022.

One rain check and a year after, Ryan Garcia and Javier Fortuna will go head-to-head in the ring after all. The original plan for this feisty pair was a match last July 2021. Garcia, however, withdrew due to his mental health. Now, it’s July 2022, and Garcia vs. Fortuna is finally about to happen. This 135 lbs fight is set for July 17th, at 11 AM (PST) at the Crypto.com Arena in LA. Following 23-year-old Garcia’s withdrawal, Garcia was set to fight Joseph Diaz Jr. in November but had to undergo surgery for a wrist injury. However, more recently this April, this American boxer won against Emmanuel Tagoe in a unanimous decision. He’s now on a feat for one of the toughest matches of his life if not the toughest. Fortuna is ESPN’s top 10th lightweight, and the 33-year-old Dominican can pack a punch— literally. Javier has a record of 37 wins (26 of which were knockouts), three draws, and one loss. He’s an aggressive and powerful left-hander, and it’s clear he has his eye out for Garcia. From Fortuna’s perspective, on the other hand, Garcia is a viable threat. Being ESPN's No. 6 lightweight, having a record of 22-0 (18 of which were knockouts), and youthful vitality, Garcia is a force to be reckoned with. If we’re being technical, Fortuna is the underdog as Garcia has a 100% win record and ranks higher in power rankings among lightweight boxers. Garcia is expected to prepare for this match with precision, granted that the Dominican opponent is older and has more years of experience in the field. Fortuna just needs to ensure that his aggressive, free-swinging ways won’t make him predictable to young gun Garcia. Nonetheless, the Garcia vs. Fortuna event is a decent and sizeable matchup on paper; both fighters are more or less of the same caliber, have great records, and have notable strengths. In the end, we’re seeing Garcia come on top for a few reasons. As much as Fortuna would love to taunt him with a knockout as Sunday draws nearer, his age is definitely a disadvantage now. He’s also considerably smaller than Garcia (5’9 ft) being 5’6 ft and a half. We can anticipate Garcia to be the one to put Fortuna to sleep this 17th, and it should be no problem unless he gets caught up with something major. 11 AM, Sunday, July 17, 2022. Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: DENMARK: GK | Lene Christensen RFB | Stine Ballisager RCB | Rikke Sevecke LCB | Katrine Veje LFB | Sara Thrige LCM | Sofie Junge DM | Kathrine Kühl RCM | Janni Thomsen RW | Janne Madsen CF | Pernille Harder LW | Signe Bruun SPAIN : GK | Sandra Paños RFB | Ona Batlle RCB | Irene Paredes LCB | María Pilar León LFB | Leila Ouahabi LCM | Aitana Bonmatí DM | Patricia Guijarro RCM | Mariona Caldentey RW | Esther González CF | Nahikari García LW | Athenea del Castillo Hungry after their victory over Finland, Denmark is ready to battle it out with Spain for match day three of Group B in the UEFA Women's EURO 2022. The upcoming match will take place this Sunday, July 17, 3 A.M (PST) at the Brentford Community Stadium in Brentford, West London, UK. At the moment, Spain stands just one spot ahead of Denmark with one win, zero draws, one loss, and a GF (goals for) of four, leading them to only need at least one point to get out of group B. However, in their previous matches, Spain has not started their matches to manager Jorge Vilda’s standards, falling behind Finland within a mere 49 seconds of kick-off previously in the tournament. Despite this, Spain is still a more technical team than they always were and can keep the ball away from their opponents consistently throughout their matches. La Roja just needs to work on their ability to seize any opportunities for a goal successfully, and they should be able to play a good game against Denmark this upcoming match. Denmark, on the other hand, hasn’t completely exhibited their capabilities yet despite their win against Finland. Around 2017, they qualified for the semifinals, but there’s not much belief in them to outdo the Netherlands at the present day. Their greatness during the EURO 2017 proves how they should not be casted aside with such judgment. However, they can maintain this underdog facade to their advantage. Denmark just needs to make certain that they’ve learned from their mistakes at the hands of Germany to best Spain in the upcoming fixture. Ultimately, there’s a more likely victor arising from this pair. While Denmark’s success in 2017 isn’t to be discredited, they haven’t shown higher distinction and eminence among their competitors, Spain in particular. To own this game and claim victory, Spain just needs to better recognize and carry out clear-cut opportunities because if not, Denmark might just surprise them like they did the world in 2017. Spain has displayed better vigor and mastery of the sport this season. It’s Spain’s game this Sunday, July 17, 2022. 3 AM (PST), Sunday, 17 July 2022. Brentford Community Stadium, West London, UK.

To advance to the IEM Cologne 2022 playoffs, MOUZ had to end a true curse. The German team has never advanced to the championship's deciding round during the Global Offensive era in a city whose name began with the letter K. In an interview conducted before to the commencement of the $1 million competition, Dennis "sycrone" Nielsen, coach of the European team, mentioned the fate. The organization had been plagued by this calamity for about ten years, traveling from Katowice via Kraków and ending up in Cologne or Köln as it is known in German. But the classification was earned after a lot of effort. After losing to Natus Vincere in the main phase opener, the European team had to travel through Heroic, Vitality, and Ninjas in Pajamas to get a passport stamp for the LANXESS Arena. Prior to 2019, when Finn "karrigan" Andersen took over as team captain, the greatest finish the European rats have ever had in one of the most illustrious CS:GO tournaments in the world was a 7th or 8th place finish. Now that the competition is at its most crucial point, MOUZ will have the opportunity to compete on the LANXESS Arena stage in front of the German public, who has already sold out of tickets and has promised to fill the "Cathedral of Counter-Strike." By the way, the team led by the Australian Christopher "dexter" Nong will be back in action on Friday, May 15, at 9:30 PM when they take on the Danes from Astralis in the first of the quarterfinal matches of IEM Cologne 2022.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: FC CINCINNATI: GK | Roman Celentano CB | Geoff Cameron FB | Tyler Blackett FB | Nick Hagglund MF | Raymon Gaddis MF | Obinna Nwobodo MF | Allan Cruz MF | Alvaro Barreal F | Luciano Acosta W | Brenner S | Brandon Vasquez VANCOUVER WHITECAPS: GK | Thomas Hasal CB | Ranko Veselinovic CB | Tristan Blackmon FB | Ryan Raposo FB | Cristian Dájome MF | Sebastian Berhalter MF | Russell Teibert MF | Leonard Owusu MF | Michael Baldisimo W | Deiber Caicedo S | Brian White It’s an interconference game with FC Cincinnati and the Vancouver Whitecaps this Thursday, July 14. For the East, Cincinnati is here to represent and coming in at 7th with 7-5-7. Vancouver covers the West at 10th and 7-3-9. Both teams are displaying average form so far this season, and it’s time for their showdown at the TQL Stadium to see who is the better ‘Average Joe’. This pair has gone only head-to-head once in the past in 2019 when the Whitecaps won 1-2. Now, however, Vancouver started the season abysmally. Unfortunately winless, they opened up the season with five defeats. Then again, regardless of this unpleasant start, they’ve undeniably improved since then as they’ve climbed up to 10th place. As for recent numbers, they have 20 total goals, -11 goal difference, and seven assists. If they happen to win this match, they will be able to replace Portland at ninth, and that’s a pretty good incentive as they meet Cincinnati once more. For Cincinnati, they’ve managed three draws in a row: 4-4 with New York City FC, 2-2 with New England, and most recently, 1-1 with the New York Red Bulls. Five matches undefeated, there’s fuel and fire for Cincinnati to keep that streak hot. Their form is slowly but steadily improving, so keeping that streak on for longer, especially against Vancouver should be well attainable. 30 total goals, -3 goal difference, and 21 assists, their stats show a noticeable upper hand against their visitors. Though a little unimpressive on the defensive side of their play, their offense is in a good, buildable momentum. With all things considered, it’s clear who’s the likely victor. The visitors from Vancouver are undeniably showing inconsistent and fluctuating form, along with underwhelming team stats. Cincinnati is more expected to secure this win as they’ve cultivated better momentum leading up to this match. Both teams lack an efficient defense system, but in terms of offense, Cincinnati has a better edge and control. We’re left to back FC Cincinnati for these reasons and hope for nothing but a good game this Thursday against Vancouver. 8 AM (PST), Thursday, July 14, 2022. TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton CINCINNATI REDS: C | Tyler Stephenson FB | Joey Votto SB | Jonathan India S | Kyle Farmer TB | Mike Moustakas LF | Tommy Pham CF | Nick Senzel RF | Jake Fraley DH | Tyler Naquin It’s been a hot minute for the New York Yankees as they finish up their series against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. Now, they’re one more game left before they trot back home and welcome the Cincinnati Reds. Wednesday, 7:05 AM (PST) at the Yankee Stadium in New York City. The Cincinnati Reds have been dealing with the Tampa Bay Rays at home and have been successful thus far. The Reds have already won two of three games and are expected to even sweep the 11th placers on the board. They’ve been playing pretty consistently this time around, and fans and analysts alike even believe the underdog has a good fighting chance against the Yankees. Being the 5th in NL Central and 28th in the MLB, that’s a good sign for improvement. Graham Ashcraft is most likely to pitch this Wednesday. Ashcraft bears a 4.35 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 49.2 IP, and 29 strikeouts. For batting, Brandon Drury leads the Reds in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in. The New York Yankees are currently recovering from a loss at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. They’re extra dangerous coming into the series with the Reds as they’ll want to cover up that unpleasantness quickly. Gerrit Cole will be pitching, and as baseball fans know, Cole is a force to be reckoned with, but he has his off days and miscalculations like everyone else. The Yankees tower over all teams right now, and they have been for quite some time. Getting comfy in their position, we just hope they’re not getting complacent. Their recent loss to Boston is partly attributed to Cole being caught off guard by Boston’s Rafael Devers. We are quite certain he has underestimated the very capable offensive Devers, and if other players share that view because they’re on top, then they’re in trouble. As we conclude, we’ve chosen a side to support for Wednesday’s game. Counterintuitively, we’re not backing up the Yankees. We’ve chosen the Reds as they’ve been playing skillfully, especially with a prospect like Luis Castillo on the team even the Yankees want to snag him. Whether the Yankees will learn from underestimating the Red Sox is up in the air, the Reds have something to prove. To say they’re a mere underdog is an understatement as they are echelons away from the Yankees; making a victory far more interesting and sweet. The Yankees might sell themselves short if they look down on Cincinnati, and Cincinnati has proved to be quite the surprise. 7:05 AM (PST), Wednesday, 13 July 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: FRANCE: G | Pauline Peyraud-Magnin D | Eve Perisset, Sakina Karchaoui, Marion Torrent, Griedge Mbock Bathy MF | Clara Mateo, Charlotte Bilbault, Sandle Toletti F | Kadidiatou Diani, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Delphine Cascarino ITALY: G | Laura Giuliani D | Sara Gama, Elena Linari, Lisa Boattin MF | Arianna Caruso, Manuela Giugliano, Valentina Cernoia F | Valentina Bergamaschi, Cristiana Girelli, Barbara Bonansea Being primarily expected to dominate this upcoming UEFA event, France will be aiming to start the tournament with a win. Italy, on the other side of the field, is definitely plotting to cause some ruckus at the New York Stadium. July 11th, 3 AM Philippine Standard Time at Rotherham in South Yorkshire. The success of Lyon in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final this season has positively emphasized the caliber and potential that France carries in their seventh consecutive Women’s EURO. They still have to work their way through the quarterfinals, but there is immense talent in their current squad, so it’s not an impossible feat. As France is the favored team, Italy will likely attempt to play precisely and intelligently. Italy has strength in maintaining defensive discipline, remaining compact, and exploiting France’s mistakes to the fullest. Italy has definitely seen better days, but they’ve been on the road back to glory, and they won’t be caving into their opponents so easily. Ultimately, Italy has definitely shown that they have what it takes to win among the best in Europe with their recent win against Spain. However, if we put them side by side with France, we see them cutting it short when it comes to the number of superb players competing for France. France’s squad is ranked third best in international football by FIFA as of late and that’s because they are consistently improving in the game. This is France’s seventh consecutive qualification for the tournament wherein they reached the quarterfinals in each of the last three. With that, we have to vouch for France this time. 3 AM (PST), Monday, 11 July 2022. New York Stadium, Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy CHICAGO CUBS: C | Van Gomes FB | Frank Scwindel SB | Nick Madrigal S | Nico Hoerner TB | Patrick Wisdom LF | Ian Happ CF | Christopher Morel RF | Trent Grisham DH | Willson Contreras 4:10 AM on Monday, we’ll be starting our week right with the last Chicago Cubs versus Los Angeles Dodgers game. Having games one and two secured, the Dodgers are on a strong winning streak of five. The Cubs are on their last two chances for retaliation, and it’s time to see whether they can make the cut. Still playing home, this fixture will take place at the Dodger Stadium courtesy of the LA Dodgers. The Cubs are showing some teeth this time around. They were ahead by three points in game two, but the Dodgers pulled quite the crafty comeback with Will Smith’s winning single. Will Smith concluded the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning after Freddie Freeman's critical two-out scoop at first base held the Cubs off the board in the top half of the inning. The catalyst for the Dodgers’ late-game comeback was the pitcher’s block. The entire rally might not have happened if pitcher Tyler Anderson hadn't blocked home plate when he received a lowered shoulder from Cubs baserunner Ian Happ. After that nail-biter, game three is to follow and therefore game four. The greatest chance for the Cubs to beat the Dodgers is in game three as they get into the groove of how the LA team plays. This Monday, however, with the amount of finesse the Dodgers have shown so far, it’s only going to get better with Julio Urias pitching. The Cubs will make it harder for the Dodgers with these last two games, but it’s unlikely for them to pull it off with the amount of quality players present and at the top of their game from the Dodgers. Game four is the Dodgers’ game, and we expect nothing less but a full sweep for this series in favor of them. 4:10 AM (PST), Monday, 11 July 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy CHICAGO CUBS: C | Van Gomes FB | Frank Scwindel SB | Nick Madrigal S | Nico Hoerner TB | Patrick Wisdom LF | Ian Happ CF | Christopher Morel RF | Trent Grisham DH | Willson Contreras After owning game one, the Dodgers are on a mission to extend their winning streak against the Chicago Cubs once again. Can the Cubs fend them off this time around though? For game three on Sunday, July 10, Dodger Stadium will be hosting this LA Dodgers versus Chicago Cubs feat. This time around, it’s no surprise that the Cubs will be playing the role of the underdog against the Dodgers. Staying put at 26th in the league, it’s 34-49 for the visiting team with an undecided and/or undisclosed pitcher for game three. Kyle Hendricks was one of the definite choices for the third game of this series, but he’s stationed on a 15-day indefinite leave for injury. Whoever may be pitching for this match, they’ll likely be up against LA’s Julio Urias, and that’s where the trouble comes in. For game two, Tyler Anderson was the Dodgers’ bet, but with Urias, he’s a bigger threat if we look at the numbers. A 2.57 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 87.2 IP prove he’s distinguished as an excellent pitcher. The Cubs need to level with him if they want even a speck of a chance of winning. Being the better team on paper, the Dodgers have no time to be complacent. Still behind current second placer Houston Astros, this home team needs to take all the wins they can get from the Cubs to advance up the MLB ladder. With Urias being the probable pitcher, expecting to sweep the Cubs series as they did with the Colorado Rockies isn’t far from being a reality. There’s a considerable upper hand when going against the Cubs, but the Dodgers can’t be pleased with themselves just yet. If and once they do outdo the Astros in the charts, there’s still the challenge of besting the best-performing team of this season: the New York Yankees. Call us cliché or predictable as much as you want, but it’s impossible to see the Cubs breaking the winning streak of the Dodgers right now. As long as no new injuries will come forth after game two, the Dodgers should be in the clear for game three. It’s expected that people won’t side with the underdog often, but numbers don’t lie, and the Dodgers have been managing great so far. The LA Dodgers are dedicated to coming on up, especially since they already placed second last season. They’re on a quest to take on the Yankees, and that motivation is definitely shining through. 10:10 AM (PST), Sunday, 10 July 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

Once again, the O2 Arena is about to witness a momentous battle. This Sunday, July 10 at 2 AM (PST), we’re about to witness a rematch between two heavyweight dinosaurs Derek Chisora and Kubrat Pulev. The O2 has long been a favorable hunting ground for 38-year-old Chisora as he’s won five of six of his consecutive games there in the past. 41-year-old Pulev, on the other hand, has not had that much luck in London. That said, Pulev won against Chisora six years ago. Will we see triumphant revenge on Chisora’s behalf? Or will Pulev school him for the second time around? Here’s what we think. Derek Chisora is a British boxer, 6’1 ½ ft in height with a 74 in reach. This heavyweight has had a total of 44 fights; 32 wins, 12 losses, and 23 of the corresponding wins as knockouts. He’s waited more than half a decade for this rematch against former Pulev after the European heavyweight title in 2016. Back then, Pulev was Chisora’s 6th defeat. Due to health concerns and aging, Chisora has been plagued with suggestions of retirement, but with this upcoming match, there’s no denying both boxers have gone against time. With Pulev being 41 now, there’s a chance his abilities have been diminished all the same. Kubrat Pulev is a Bulgarian fighter, 6’4 ½ ft in height with a 79 ½ in reach. This boxer has a total of 31 fights; 29 wins, two losses, and 14 of the corresponding wins as knockouts. The only two fighters to defeat Pulev are Wladimir Klitschko and Joshua, and they are considerably above Chisora’s class as they are unified world champions. This shows that there’s a technical level of caliber in play that puts Pulev in an advantageous position against Chisora. With both fighters being taunted by retirement (Chisora especially), neither seem to be considering that option anytime soon. Pulev even provokes that he’ll be the one to send Chisora to retirement. Chisora, consequently, says he will not be retiring whether he wins or loses Sunday’s face-off. As this battle is already set in stone, there’s no backing out now. However, we have reason to believe Pulev will prevail. Greater record and better health and shape, he can tumble the mighty Chisora despite his eagerness for revenge. We just hope Chisora reconsiders retirement while his record is still high and dignified. It’s Pulev for this bout. 2 AM, Sunday, July 10, 2022. O2 Arena, London, UK.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: SPAIN: GK | Sandra Paños RFB | Ona Batlle RCB | Irene Paredes LCB | María Pilar León LFB | Leila Ouahabi LCM | Aitana Bonmatí DM | Patricia Guijarro RCM | Mariona Caldentey RW | Esther González CF | Nahikari García LW | Athenea del Castillo FINLAND: GK | Tinja-Riikka Korpela RFB | Tuija Hyyrynen RCB | Anna Westerlund LCB | Elli Pikkujämsä LFB | Emma Koivisto DM | Adelina Engman AM | Emmi Alanen CM | Eveliina Summanen CF | Ria Öling CF | Linda Sällström RW | Sanni Franssi What an exciting time this Saturday to kick off another match of the UEFA Women’s Championships League with Spain’s La Roja heading to face Finland for one of three matchdays at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England. Spain has always had a powerful presence in the UEFA Women’s Championships League with Barcelona dominating the field in the previous seasons, which is in stark contrast to Finland, who is only back in the finals after 2017. As of now, Spain holds excellent form with 2.60 points per game and eight wins, two draws, and zero losses in their last ten games. Their stats show 5.70 goals scored per match and only 0.20 conceded. Not only does this emphasize the team's ability to work together cohesively and create a powerful offensive, but it shows the cohesiveness of their defensive lineup that can help keep up against the competition. However, it is not looking all positive for Spain as the ACL injury of superstar Winger/Midfielder Alexia Putellas alongside Jenni Hermoso has left a huge gap in Spain’s offense. It is now up to Caldentey to fill in the shoes of the two superstars and hopefully bring in some hope to the team after the devastating injuries of their top players. On the side of the pitch, Finland seems to be struggling this season with only three wins, two draws, and a disappointing five losses in their last ten fixtures. They currently hold an average form of 1.10 points per game, 1.70 goals score per match, and a very poor 1.60 goals conceded per match. Their last match ended in a loss, and they have yet to prove themselves with more wins to move up the ladder of the Championships League, especially against such a formidable force that is Spain. Despite the injuries of their opponent, Finland will have to make sure to play a careful and extremely cohesive defensive game against Spain if they want to have a chance of possibly winning against the team. Center midfielders Summanen and Alanen have to make sure to keep a slight defensive playstyle alongside their defensive lineup in order to support the team against the dominating of Spain’s top strikers. The most important thing Finland can do for now as this is only the first game is to get a feel for any weak points in Spain's defense. Will they fend off attacks from them? Overall, despite big blows to their offensive lineup, the odds seem to be in favor of Spain, who have racked up a significant amount of wins this season and are seemingly out for blood this coming match for the first of three matchdays in the UEFA Women’s Championships League. 12:00 AM (PST), Saturday, 9 July 2022. Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy CHICAGO CUBS: C | Van Gomes FB | Frank Scwindel SB | Nick Madrigal S | Nico Hoerner TB | Patrick Wisdom LF | Ian Happ CF | Christopher Morel RF | Trent Grisham DH | Willson Contreras Hoping to bounce back after a 2-point deficit loss against the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs are now making their way to California. Courtesy of the Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers are hosting their next match against the humble Cubs this Friday, the 8th of July. Coming to represent the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs come into this match with 33-48. Down in the depths, the Cubs are 26th in the MLB. They could climb up to 24 if they win this one, but we all know that’s a giant ‘if’ since they’re playing against one of the big boys in the league. We’re expecting Keegan Thompson to be pitching this Friday. Thompson is a fairly decent player with a 3.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 66 K. For the Dodgers, ranking third in the league is a precarious position to be in right now, especially for a team pining for the top. With 51-29, the LA team is sandwiched between the Houston Astros (53-27) and the New York Mets (50-31). If the Dodgers want to replace the Astros in second, they’re going to need a couple more wins beyond this one, but the Cubs are likely to be a good starting point if they’re aiming for a streak. Tyler Anderson is expected to be pitching for the Dodgers, a tad better than the Cubs’ Thompson in numbers with a 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 73 K. There’s no hiding that the Cubs are at a disadvantage playing against the Dodgers, especially with Kyle Hendricks out of the roster among others. Four other players belong to Chicago’s injury report as of late. The Dodgers have five players listed along their report as well; however, Craig Kimbrel’s absence may be more appreciated than his attendance. In one of their most recent games, Kimbrel bungled his third save of the last five weeks. Fans and analysts are not fond of him on the team. His injury just might prove to be an advantage for the Dodgers. With all things in consideration, we’re seeing the Dodgers take this win home. As they say, to get to the top, you’re going to have to step on others along the way, and it looks like the Cubs are becoming that stepping stone on Friday. 10:10 AM (PST), Friday, 8 July 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California.

Southeast Asia has always been a region with highs and lows; at times, it fields several teams that can compete with the best lineups from across the world, and at other times, it dips until only one or two rosters truly stand out on a global scale. In addition to BOOM Esports emerging as a team, they already positioned as a favorite to make a splash at The International 11 going into the Spring Tour of the 2022 Dota Pro Circuit, Fnatic, Team SMG, and T1 are prepared to outperform their prior performances from the Winter Tour. Teams to be aware of: BOOM has demonstrated their superiority over rivals in SEA by winning the Winter Tour and Regional Final. They have also already made a name for themselves internationally by winning the GAMERS GALAXY: Invitational Series Dubai 2022. Although they are the favorites to repeat as champions, they will face opposition. T1 is returning with the same squad to attempt to win the SEA championship for the first time in the 2022 DPC season after coming close to defeating BOOM in the Regional Final. In the Winter Tour, SMG and Fnatic also showed great promise, with the former coming from Division II and both teams taking care of business to set themselves apart from the teams that ultimately fought to avoid relegation.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES GALAXY: G | Jonathan Bond LB | Raheem Edwards RB | Julián Araujo CB | Nick DePuy CB | Derrick Williams MF | Rayan Raveloson MF | Marco Delgado MF | Efraín Álvarez CF | Javier Hernández F | Kévin Cabral F | Samuel Grandsir CF MONTREAL: G | Sebastian Breza LB | Joel Waterman RB | Alistair Johnston CB | Rudy Camacho MF | Lassi Lappalainen MF | Victor Wanyama MF | Ismael Koné MF | Mathieu Choinière CF | Matko Mljevic F | Mason Toye F | Kei Kamara Next on Montreal’s checklist: Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson California. Set for a little hustle and bustle with LA Galaxy, we’ll be seeing whether Montreal will be receiving a warm welcome with open arms or if our LA boys mean business. July 5th, 10:30 AM LA Galaxy versus CF Montreal. Team Stats TOTAL GOALS GOALS AGAINST GOAL DIFFERENCE ASSISTS LA 20 19 1 15 MTL 32 29 3 26 Our visiting team, Montreal, is dominating the Eastern Conference as of late. With nine wins, two draws, and six losses, they’ve earned themselves 29 points and the number one spot in the East. Javier Hernandez, Dejan Joveljic, and Marky Delgado are the team’s top scorers thus far, and their roster is well over impressive and efficient. Coming off of their win against the Seattle Sounders and Charlotte FC, Montreal will really be hoping the third time’s the charm with Galaxy as the new shiny notch in their belt. Los Angeles Galaxy is dealing with two losses after their games in the hands of Minnesota and Sacramento. Hoping to redeem themselves in this home game, they have Djordje Mihailovic, Romell Quioto, Kei Kamara, and Alistair Johnston as their top players. They place 7th in the Western Conference, but it’s not as far off from Montreal as it seems. The West is showing a bit more competitiveness and aggressiveness. When put next to Montreal, this LA team is only five points below. Galaxy boasts 7-3-6 with 24 points, just two wins behind their competitors. It might be a closer game than people expect. Alas, there’s much motivation for how both teams will play; Montreal will fight to stay on top in the East, and Galaxy will want to cut their losing streak of two short and climb up the ladder in the West. This time, we’re siding with Montreal, ladies and gentlemen. We’d say it could come close to a draw, but the Canadian team does not have a penchant for ties. It’ll be neck-and-neck, but Montreal will come out on top. Sorry, Los Angeles. 10:30 AM (PST), 5 July 2022. Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK CITY FC: GK | Sean Johnson LB | Malte Amundsen RB | Tayvon Gray CB | Alexander Callens CB | Anton Tinnerholm MF | Nicolás Acevedo MF | Maximiliano Moralez MF | Maximiliano Moralez CF | Valentín Castellanos F | Talles Magno F | Héber Araujo dos Santos ATLANTA UNITED: GK | Rocco Ríos Novo LB | Mikey Ambrose RB | George Campbell CB | Alex DeJohn CB | Alan Franco MF | Emerson Hyndman MF | Matheus Rossetto MF | Marcelino Moreno CF | Ronaldo Cisneros F | Luiz Araújo F | Josef Martínez On a mission to reclaim first place in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer is New York City FC who will be kicking off against Atlanta United this Monday at the Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York. As of late, both teams haven’t quite been on their A-game with the Pigeons on a winless streak in their previous four games and Atlanta United, not being able to scrape out a win in seven of their straight road fixtures. Despite this, New York City FC still stands high in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with eight wins, four draws, and four losses. This gives them a total of 28 points. Their game against Cincinnati did not go without a fight as they were able to keep a level score up until the end against the underdogs through consistent back and forth pressure on the offensive. That being said, head coach Cushings believes that the team has plenty to work on regarding their defense as seen in the many games conceded lately if they want to make it to the first place slot in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, Atlanta United stands a hefty number of spots below New York at 11th in the Eastern Conference with only five wins, four draws, and seven losses. Their total points amount to 19. With another long-term injury sustained by Gonzalo Pineda amongst a handful of other seriously injured players in Atlanta, the team has been struggling to keep a good pace against their competition despite the talented roster that they have. This is clear to see when looking at their standing in the Eastern Conference in which they are five points back of a playoff spot. If the team wants to move up the ranks this season, they would have to work on their offensive pressure and not be shy to oppose the defense of their opponents. When we pin the two teams together, New York City has a total goal amount of 32 versus Atlanta’s 24. Their goal difference is 14-0, the assists at 20-14, and goals against at 17-24. Their last five head-to-head games had the Pigeons at the lead with three out of the five games. Thus, for this upcoming match, it is looking to be in the favor of New York City FC. 5:00 AM (PST), Monday, July 4, 2022. Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York.

What a rousing matchup this Sunday as one of the UFC’s best strikers, Israel Adesanya, goes head-to-head with The Killa Gorilla, Jared Cannonier to defend his championship title for UFC 276’s middleweight main event. The bout will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with the preliminary bouts taking place at 6:00 AM (PST) and the main card at 10:00 AM (PST). Let us take a look at the underdog of this match, Jared Cannonier. The tale of the tape shows Cannonier (38 years) standing in at 5.9 feet, weighing 185 pounds, and with a 77.5-inch reach. He was able to make his way to second in the middleweight division with 15 wins, 5 losses, and 0 draws. However, this will be his first shot at the UFC title, and carrying heavy hands, he is not a contender to be shrugged off. As seen in his bouts against Derek Brunson, Jack Hermansson, and David Branch, they all ended up in brutal victory knockouts. On the other side of the ring, we got the UFC superstar Israel Adesanya defending his championship belt for the sixth time since 2018 when he stole the title from Robert Whittaker. In terms of physique, the younger fighter, Adesanya takes an advantage over Cannonier. The tale of the tape shows Adesanya (32 years) standing in at 6.3 feet, weighing 185 pounds, and with an 80-inch reach. Adesanya has maintained his championship title with 22 wins and only 1 loss with impressive victories over UFC legends Robert Whittaker and Anderson Silva. Not much is needed to say about Adensanya that hasn’t already been said. His top-tier striking ability has been proven time and time again with every championship title defense. The question now is, will Cannonier’s heavy hands be able to connect a K.O this main bout, or will Adesanya once again dominate the middleweight division with ease? The odds are looking in Adesanya’s favor this Sunday at the main card of UFC 276. 10 AM, Sunday, July 3, 2022. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy SAN DIEGO PADRES: C | Jorge Alfaro FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Jake Cronenworth S | Ha-seong Kim TB | Manny Machado LF | Jurickson Profar CF | Trent Grisham RF | Will Myers DH | Luke Voit In this series of four, game one has already come and gone in favor of the home team LA Dodgers. On the board, rivals San Pedro Padres (5th) are quite too close for the Dodgers’ (3rd) comfort. Will the Dodgers be able to hold them off at a better distance? Or will the Padres grapple and trample on them to get higher to the top? Here are our thoughts so far: The San Diego Padres, who finished 17th in MLB’s 2021 season, are doing surprisingly well as far as this season has progressed. Currently fifth with 46-32, they’ve won 21-16 home and 25-16 away. Typically, teams are expected to perform better at home, but this phenomenon might just help the Padres outdo these MLB dynamos. Manny Machado currently leads the team in terms of batting, and Joe Musgrove takes the lead in pitching for the Padres. Both players are of sizeable caliber even when put side by side with the Dodgers’ own. On the Dodgers’ end of the spectrum, there’s definitely pressure to get back on top, especially when they started the season so neck-and-neck with the Yankees. As they’ve already managed to bag a win against the Padres, they definitely hold an advantage as we speak. With a combined ERA of 2.98, SLG of .428, and an OBP of .328, they outperform the Padres in numbers without a doubt. Their disadvantage for this upcoming match is their injured players. Their injury report is composed of five players; Daniel Hudson, Zach McKinstry, Caleb Ferguson, David Price, and batting score leader Mookie Betts. Our verdict. The Padres have come a long way from last season, and the Dodgers are proving to be just as sharp. The track record and experience of the Dodgers offer them this “leg-room”, especially when it comes to playing against a team like the Padres. However, this is where things might blindside them. Seeing how far the Padres have come, showing linear improvements and all, we expect them to show some teeth. We’ll be going against the grain and wager on the San Diego team for this match. They seem to be showing some fire at this point of the season, wanting to redeem themselves from last season’s mediocre finish. It will definitely be a close game, but it’s looking more and more for us that the Padres will take this one home without a speck of doubt. 7: 15 AM (PST), Sunday, 3 July 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: ROMANIA: L | Marius Antonescu P | Alex Gordas FL | Cristian Chirica H | Ovidiu Cojocaru L | Adrian Motoc SH | Gabriel Rupanu P | Basile Balan FL | Dragos Ser FB | Marius Simionescu W | Ionut Dumitru C | Hinckley Vaovasa C | Jason Tomane W | Nicolas Onutu FH | Tudor Boldor Boghita ITALY: L | Marco Fuser P | Danilo Fischetti FL | Giovanni Pettinelli H | Giacomo Nicotera L | Federico Ruzza SH | Callum Bradley P | Pietro Ceccarelli FL | Michelle Lamaro FB | Ange Capuozzo W | Monty Loane C | Juan Ignacio Brex C | Leonardo Marin W | Edoardo Padovani FH | Paolo Garbisi This Saturday, 2:00 AM (PST), Romania will be taking on Italy for a friendly game of Rugby at their home court in Arcul de Trumf, Bucharest, Romania. The match will be both teams' first time playing each other since 2019, and it is one to look out for this week. Looking over at Romania’s standings, the team stands in third place in the Rugby Europe Championships, totaling 14 points. In the World Rankings, Romania is at 17th. And so far into the season, the team has been strong in holding their own. In the last two games within Six Nations, they were able to garner two victories. They finished with a 37-27 victory against Portugal and a 34-25 victory against Russia. Throughout the season, they have garnered a total of 61 points, 140 carries, 47 kicks from hand, and 239 tackles. They caught a lucky break recently with Spain’s appeal against points deduction was rejected moving Romania in their place in the Rugby World Cup. For this game, the team will be taking a WLLWW form. When we take a look over at Italy, they stand at 14th place in the World Rugby ranking. However, they have not been faring too well in the Six Nations with their last five games only garnering them one victory of a close 21-22 score. The majority of the games contain a wide gap between scores such as a 0-33 loss against England and a 57-6 loss against Ireland. So far in the season, Italy has had 80 points, 392 carries, 99 kicks from hand, and 521 tackles. This shows a higher stats record from Italy than Romania, but that can be accounted for due to Romania not having played as many games as Italy. Italy will be taking a WWLLL form for this upcoming friendly match against Romania. For the upcoming match this Saturday, the odds are in the favor of Romania as they have kept a strong team with a good track record so far this season, and with the losing streak of Italy, it is not looking good for the Italians. 2:00 AM (PST), Saturday, July 2, 2022. Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest, Romania.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: TORONTO FC: GK | Quentin Westberg LB | Carlos Salcedo RB | Chris Mavinga CB | Luca Petrasso CB | Kosi Thompson MF | Michael Bradley MF | Jonathan Osorio MF | Jayden Nelson CF | Alejandro Pozuelo F | Jesús Jiménez F | Ayo Akinola COLUMBUS CREW: GK | Eloy Room LB | Milos Degenek RB | Jonathan Mensah CB | Pedro Santos CB | Steven Moreira MF | Darlington Nagbe MF | Sean Zawadzki MF | Aidan Morris CF | Miguel Berry F | James Igbekeme F | Luis Díaz Toronto FC will be kicking off against Columbus Crew this Thursday, 7:30 AM (PST), at their home stadium in BMO Field, Toronto City, Canada. Will Toronto FC be able to maintain its three-game win streak? Or will Columbus Crew finally catch a break from their consistent losses in their past nine games? At the moment, Toronto FC is standing in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with five wins, three draws, and eight losses. Despite losing their game against the Bulls, they were able to come back with a 2-1 win against Atlanta in their previous game. The win gave a spotlight to 19-year-old sub, Ralph Priso, as he scored the games leading goal, which was also his first goal of the season. In terms of team leaders, the reds have Jiménez with seven goals in 16 matches, Pozuelo with four goals in 14 matches, and Osorio with four goals in 12 matches. Despite their three-game streak, Toronto is still six points behind the playoffs; meaning they would have to put in much more work to inch their way up the Eastern Conference standings. However, Toronto FC has fared pretty well for themselves when it comes to playing home games. Columbus Crew is currently behind Toronto FC at 12th place in the Eastern Conference with four wins, six draws, and five losses. Compared to last season, they are seven places off of where they used to stand. In their past few games, they have only been able to accomplish two wins with the rest either being draws or losses. Their most recent win was against Atlanta with a 1-2 score. However, they have only been able to secure draws in their games after against Charlotte FC and Real Salt Lake (nil-nil). Despite this, these results show that they are slowly moving out of their losing slump and may have a chance against Toronto FC in this upcoming game. In the two teams head to head record, Columbus FC was able to win two out of five games whereas Toronto won three of them. And for the upcoming game this Thursday, it is looking like the odds are in both teams' favor with a 1-1 draw. 7:30 AM (PST), Thursday, June 30, 2022. BMO Field Stadium, Toronto City, Canada.

Roobet Cup has set the playoff matchups. The group stage's final four games went the full distance on Sunday, paving the way for the Roobet Cup playoffs. In Group A, FaZe Clan defeated OG 2-1; in Group B, Astralis defeated Complexity; in Group C, Eternal Fire defeated MOUZ, and in Group D, 9z Team defeated FURIA Esports by identical scores. Reverse sweep victories were achieved by Faze Clan, Eternal Fire, and 9z. The top two teams from each group proceeded to the best-of-three, single-elimination playoffs. The grand final of the $250,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition where the victor will receive $150,000 is slated for Thursday. FaZe Clan responded to OG's opening 16-11 victory against Ancient with a 16-9 victory over Mirage and a 16-13 triumph over Overpass. With 71 kills and a plus-19 kills-to-death ratio, Canadian Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken headed the victorious team. Astralis sandwiched a 16-11 loss to Complexity Gaming on Overpass between victories of 16-5 on Inferno and 16-9 on Nuke. Benjamin "blameF" Bremer of Denmark led Astralis in kills with 67 and a plus-27 K-D differential. After suffering an early 16-2 defeat on Nuke, Eternal Fire quickly bounced back to defeat MOUZ by scores of 16-12 and 16-13 on Mirage and Inferno, respectively. With 69 kills and a plus-24 K-D differential, Ozgur "woxic" Eker of Turkey topped EF. FURIA started off strong, winning 16-11 on Overpass, only to see 9z Team come back and win 16-4 on Ancient and a crucial 19-17 in overtime on Mirage. David "dav1d" Tapia Maldonado of Chile contributed 69 kills for 9z, and Lucas "nqz" Soares of Brazil had a plus -26 K-D ratio. The match between forZe vs. Astralis is scheduled for Wednesday, June 29 at 1:00 AM.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: FC CINCINNATI: GK | Alec Kann LB | Ronald Matarrita RB | Ray Gaddis CB | Gustavo Vallecilla CB | Geoff Cameron MF | Junior Moreno MF | Yuya Kubo MF | Luciano Acosta CF | Allan Cruz F | Brandon Vazquez F | Brenner Souza da Silva NEW YORK FC: GK | Sean Johnson LB | Chris Gloster RB | Nicolás Acevedo CB | Alexander Callens CB | Thiago Martins MF | Keaton Parks MF | Alfredo Morales MF | Talles Magno CF | Santiago Rodríguez F | Thiago Andrade F | Valentín Castellanos New York FC is ready to face off the underdogs of this Thursday's upcoming match, FC Cincinnati, on their home field this June 30 at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, USA. Will FC Cincinnati be able to muster up the finesse to chip away at New York’s defense, or will New York FC continue dominating the league? FC Cincinnati has had an average run so far for the team, barely holding their own at sixth place in the Eastern Conference with seven wins, two draws, and seven losses and leading them to 23 points, just below Montréal’s fifth place. In their last 10 games, they won five, tied one, and conceded four games. Despite FC Cincinnati's four-game win streak back in May, they have not been able to keep that same momentum going. However, their last game against Orlando City was a close match but exciting win for the team, and despite slightly less possession of the ball, they fought their way to a 1-0 victory. Vasquez is the leading scorer for the Orange and Blue with eight goals and three assists and has led the team to sixth in the Eastern Conference with his offensive prowess. He holds a leading position in goals, shots on goal, and assists. Meanwhile, Celentano has a leading Clean Sheet of seven. Looking at New York FC, the team has done outstandingly this season, placing first in the Eastern Conference with an impressive eight wins, three draws, and a mere three losses. However, their seven-game win streak ended earlier this week to the New York Red Bulls in the United States Open Cup with a disappointing 3-0, possibly due to the recent change in management from Ronny Deila to assistant manager Nick Cushing. However, the player Cincinnati needs to watch out for this upcoming match is Castellanos, the Pigeons leading scorer with seven goals, one assist, and 17 shots on goal. Meanwhile, Rodriguez leads with five assists, and Johnson holds a clean sheet of 21. Despite the change in management and the slow down of their winning streak, New York FC still holds a strong and talented team that definitely has the potential to outmatch FC Cincinnati during the game this Thursday. Thus, the odds are in favor of the New York team. 7:30 AM (PST), Thursday, June 30, 2022. TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, USA.