Europa League 2013 Group Stage Results

If you're a soccer fan and loves making online sports bet, here is something that might interest you. The results of the group stage matches for Europa League 2013 are out. I'm not going to bore you with introduction so here you go.

Group A

• Kuban Krasnodar defeated St. Gallen 4-0
• Valencia defeated Swansea City 1-0

Group B

• Ludogorets defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-0
• Chornomorets Odesa defeated Dinamo Zagreb 2-1

Group C

• Esbjerg defeated Standard Liège 2-1
• Salzburg defeated Elfsborg 1-0

Group D

• Rubin Kazan drew Maribor 1-1
• Zulte Waregem defeated Wigan Athletic 2-1

Group E

• Dnipro defeated Pandurii 4-1
• Paços Ferreira drew Fiorentina 0-0

Group F

• Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Bordeaux 1-0
• APOEL drew Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-0

Group G

• Genk defeated Dynamo Kyiv Aviv 3-1
• Rapid Wien defeated Thun 2-1

Group H

• Freiburg defeated Liberec 2-1
• Sevilla drew Estoril 1-1

Group I

• Rijeka drew Guimarães 0-0
• Lyon defeated Real Betis 1-0

Group J

• Lazio defeated Legia 2-0
• Trabzonspor defeated Apollon 4-2

Group K

• Anzhi drew Sheriff 1-1
• Tottenham Hotspur defeated Tromsø 2-0

Group L

• PAOK defeated Shakhter 2-0
• AZ defeated Maccabi Haifa 2-0

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Rose Injury: Early and Painful Conclusion to the Season for the Bulls

The return of Derrick Rose gave the Chicago Bulls and its throngs of fans a good reason to be hopeful prior to the start of this season. Everyone has seen what the former MVP can do when he is healthy and playing at his best. He gives the tough defensive team a boost on offense that allows them to stand toe-to-toe with the best clubs in the league.

However, less than a month into the season, the hope has been dashed with another potentially season-ending injury to Rose. This is a big blow to the team and the player who missed the entire previous season while recovering from a left knee ACL injury.

Rose injured his right knee on Friday when the team played against the Portland Trailblazers. It was late in the third quarter and he was trying to make a backdoor cut when his knee seemed to have buckled. He limped to the sidelines and had to be assisted while heading to the locker room. There wasn't any details released at that time, but the non-contact nature of the injury gave fans a big reason to be scared.

On Saturday, reports came out that Rose has suffered from a torn meniscus and will require him to undergo surgery. Recovery from such injury is estimated to last between 4-6 months.

The Bulls who have been playing impressive after a rough start has a murky future ahead of them. They can still make the playoffs, but any hopes of contending for a title is very much out of the question right now.

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A Good Way to Have a Bad Season

In the NBA, there are really only three ways a team can improve. The first one is the acquisition of talented players through trades. The second one are the free agency signings. The third one is through drafts.  There is the argument for the fourth way which is the development of the players, but there will always a be ceiling when it comes to individual improvement. When a team signs a player, the salary already covers the potential and whatnot.

Anyways, in the above-mentioned ways for improvement, the acquisition of a talent through drafts is one of the most cost-effective method. Topnotch talents that can be acquired through trades and signings can demands maximum contracts that could cost more than $20 million per year while the rookie-scale salary is just around $4 million.

That said, it is easy to understand why certain teams prefer to improve or build team's through drafts. However, in order to have a good chance of being able to pick the best players in the draft, a team has to be one of the worst in the league. And this is the reason why there are teams who are willing to throw away or tank the current season so that they can build a better future.

However, throwing away a season is not an easy thing to do. As wise of a decision it might be, the loyal fans of the team can't help but feel the pain of constantly losing. That is why teams need to find a way to have a bad season that is less agonizing. A team that is able to do so can be considered as one who is tanking the season right.

This season, the Philadelphia 76ers are tanking the right way. By winning against some big-named teams at the start and playing hard every game, the 76ers have allowed the fans to take a glimpse of the possibility of a bright future, thus giving them hope and making them understand that although the season might be bad, something great will come out of it at the end.

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Premier League Must-Watch: Arsenal vs. Southampton on November 23

If you are into soccer online betting, you are in for a treat this weekend as two of the best teams in the Premier League are set to battle on Saturday. The league-leading Arsenal will face-off against the rank 3 Southampton.

Arsenal are coming off a lost against Manchester United last November 10 while Southampton hasn't lost a game for more than two months now and had a dominant win against Hull during their last match on November 9. The successful stretch by Southampton has allowed them to rise in the rankings. 

In their last six games, Arsenal has  4 wins, a loss and a draw. Southampton, on the other hand, has 4 wins and 2 draws.

The last time the two team met was more than a year ago, when Arsenal beat Southampton 6-1. There's no doubt that Southampton will be looking for a payback when the two teams meet this weekend. However, Arsenal also has a pretty good motivation to win this match after losing their last game.

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Houston Rockets Defensive Problem Continues

Last reason, the Rockets had one of the most exciting offense in the league. With their youth, they were always attacking aggressively on transition that allowed for easy layups and uncontested three-pointers as there weren't many teams who were able to run with them. This type of offense gave them a chance even against the better teams in the league. The only weakness for the team back then was the lack of defense.

The acquisition of Dwight Howard over the summer made everyone believe that the defensive woes for the Rockets have been solved. However, more than two weeks into the new season, the same defensive problem from last year is still haunting the Rockets. And here's the reason why.

Just like last year, the team's backcourt struggles in slowing down or stopping penetrations and they are also unable to properly cover pick-and-roll plays. This flaw of the team compromising its entire defense and even the best defensive center won't be able to help the team.

The insertion of a pesky defensive player in Patrick Beverly into the starting unit was supposedly going to solve this problem. But as you can see, it seems like it hasn't really taken effect at all. After the injury early in the season, Beverly hasn't played the fierce defense that he showed last season. Also, opposing teams are more conscious of James Harden's pathetic defense and are taking advantage of it.

Although a better defensive scheme would help, the Rockets could really use some better individual defense.

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A Breakout Season for Anthony Davis

With the current 3-4 record, the New Orleans Pelicans aren't really doing as well as fans are hoping for. However, there is always something to be glad about every time the team steps on the court. Although it is still quite a bit early into the season, Anthony Davis has looked quite impressive for the team. He has taken a huge leap from the previous season wherein he was pretty much overlooked by NBA fans.

In the first 7 games of the team this season, Davis has definitely made his presence felt on the basketball court. His work on both offense and defense are reflected not only by his stats but by the way the team is being able to compete well even against quality competitions. He is currently averaging 21.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. These impressive numbers are a result of his adjustment to the NBA game and taking advantage of his natural abilities.

Although he did show some glimmers of his potential to be great last season, Davis somewhat struggled in his first year in the NBA as he got outmuscled by stronger and more experienced players. So far this season, he is using his speed and athleticism to get the better out of his opponents. His ability to run the court at high speed is a problem for anyone trying to guard him. His speed is also useful in defense as it allows him to cover a wider area of the floor, blocking shots from non-suspecting players.

Again, it is a little bit too early in the season. However, his ability to adjust and make use of his advantages is something that will last not only this season but throughout his career. It's an amazing and frightening thought.

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Credits: Image from NBA.com

The Bulls Troubles

Many Bulls fans were hyped up during the summer due to the return of Derrick Rose on the team for this season. The hype was further exacerbated by the media, such as proclaiming the team as the one that could dethrone the defending Champs.

However, in the first week of the new NBA season, the Bulls have been a frustrating team to watch. The offense is a mess and their well-regarded defense seemed to have taken a vacation during the summer and is yet to return. I'm not too worried about their defense though as the lapses in rotation that they showed in their games can easily be fixed, especially as they have one of the best defensive coach on the league. However, their offensive woes is certainly worrying.

The issue on offense isn't even just about Rose being rusty. The team doesn't run enough plays that allows for easier shots for the other players on the team. As a result, they become quite similar to the Knicks wherein they give the ball to their rusty superstar and pray for a miraculous play. If the Bulls are serious about playing for title, they are going to have to do better than put the fate of the team on one player. They already did that in 2011 and we all know what happened then.

The good news is that there is still a long way to go for the season. There's all the time and opportunity to improve. The coaching staff might come up with some creative plays or they might add some personnel later in the year.

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After Disappointing Opening, Clippers Dominate

After a disappointing first game to the NBA season that saw them lose against their same-city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers in their last three games has been the dominating team that many experts have envisioned them to be. They were impressive in their last three games that featured other potential contenders from the western conference.

In their first win against the Golden State Warriors, they showed a much improved defense and a smoother offense. They forced the Warriors into tough shots, they rebounded and pressured well on defense that resulted to plenty of steals and fast break points. The offense also looked quite better as there was better ball movement that created good shot opportunities for the team. It also helped that Chris Paul had a monster game.

Against the Sacramento Kings, the Clippers had a very good offensive game wherein they hit 50 percent of their field goal attempts and their three-pointers. They were in control the entire game as the Kings never really looked dangerous in the game. Every time the Kings tried to make a run, the Clippers always had an answer.

In their most recent game against the also much-talked about Houston Rockets, the Clippers were dominating in every way possible. They negated Rocket's Dwight Howard's potential impact on the floor by getting the center into foul trouble early in the game. Without Howard on the floor, the Clippers were able to attack and score against the Rockets' interior. Couple that with some good 3-point shooting and the game became a one-sided affair all throughout. 

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The Knicks are Back, And They Suck

After a successful regular season run last year, the Knicks disappointed in the playoffs as they got trounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Pacers, a team that was widely ignored by most NBA fans. During the said playoffs, one problem that really showed was the team's stagnating offense at crucial parts of the game.

Mind-boggling

The Knicks are most effective on half-court offense when they move the ball. Due to ball movement, they have an easier time finding openings to the basket which allows for easier lay-ups.

That is why it is mind-boggling during crucial times, they prefer to call an isolation play for Carmelo Anthony that usually ends up with a perimeter shot. It's great if Anthony is hitting shots at high percentage. Unfortunately, for all the praise he's gotten for his offensive game, he isn't really the most efficient scorer in the game when it comes to one-on-one situations.

Opening the Season Looking the Same

During their first game of the season wherein they faced the Milwaukee Bucks, there were some periods in the game wherein the offense just stalled as they seemed to have relied on jumpers that weren't just going in. As a result, what could have been a blowout resulted to a tight game at the end.

Almost the same thing happened when they played against the Chicago Bulls wherein they trailed for the most part of the game but was able to take the lead around the last 3 minutes by hustling on defense and attacked the basket more that resulted to layups, dunks and fouls.

However, as the game was about the end as the Knicks leading by 2, they decided that it is better to give the ball to Anthony and watch him work. He turned the ball over one time and missed on another possession.

I just wonder when they will realize that giving the ball to Anthony and rely on him isn't really the best thing they can do.

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