CONCACAF SCORES AND SCHEDULE

Scoreboard

Sunday, July 7 (Group A ACTION)

Canada 0- 1 Martinique

Mexico 1 -2 Panama

Monday, July 8 (Group B ACTION)

El Salvador 2- 2 Trinidad & Tobago

Haiti 0-2 Honduras

Tuesday, July 9 (Group C ACTION)

Costa Rica 3-0 Cuba

Belize 1-6 USA

Thursday, July 11 (Group A ACTION)

Canada 1-0 Martinique

Mexico 2-0 Canada

Friday, July 12 (GROUP B ACTION)

Trinidad & Tobago 0-2 Haiti

Honduras 1-0 El Salvador

Saturday.July 13 (Group C ACTION)

United States 4-1 Cuba

Costa Rica 1-0 Belize

Read more IN THE BLEACHERS BLOGS

Sunday,July 14 (Group A ACTION)

Panama vs Canada 3:30 pm

Martinique vs Mexico 6:00 pm

Monday, July 15 (GROUP B ACTION)

El Salvador vs Haiti 7:00 pm

Hondura vs  Trinidad & Tobago 9:30 pm

Tuesday,July 16 (GROUP C ACTION)

Cuba vs Belize 5:30 pm

USA vs Costa Rica 8:00 pm

Greg Oden to Miami?

Miami Heat to resume talks with former first round draft pick

The Miami Heat will resume talks with 2007 first round draft pick, Greg Oden, according to his agent Mike Conley Sr. Oden will resume talks with Heat President Pat Riley who has been taking care of other business like resigning Chris Birdman Andersen. The 2007 first round draft pick who hasn’t played in an NBA game since December 2009, because of knee injuries, remains very interested in signing with Miami and believes that the Heat want Oden. The Heat mid-level exception is at $3.183 million, but Oden’s agent said it wouldn’t require that amount. The Heat signed Chris Birdman Andersen earlier this week, which made it easier for them to know how much money they have to spend. Here is what Oden’s agent had to say about Birdman’s deal and how much money the Heat has available “I think it obviously makes it easier because they know how much money they have available,” Conley said of Andersen having signed a deal essentially for the minimum next year of $1.68 million while the Heat didn’t use the taxpayer mid-level exception on him. “We haven’t been down that road yet but I anticipate we will be shortly.” Other teams that are interested in Oden include San Antonio, Boston, and Charlotte. Cleveland was pursuing Oden but since they signed Andrew Bynum to a two year $24 million dollar contract they are out regarding Oden’s sweepstakes.

Cavaliers take a risk and signed center Andrew Bynum to a two year deal

 The Cleveland Cavaliers have won the Andrew Bynum sweepstakes as they signed him to a two-year deal worth 24 million dollars. In the second year Cavaliers have a team option and only 6 million is guaranteed. In order for Andrew Bynum to received the full $12 million he would have to stay healthy and games-related benchmarks. Both Atlanta and Dallas were after Bynum, but neither made an offer and Bynum decided to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Andrew Bynum made his decision on Wednesday after three consecutive meetings with Cleveland, Dallas, and Atlanta. The Dallas Mavericks were concerned regarding his health and decided not to outbid the Cavs. The Cavaliers are encouraged by recent MRI results and hope Bynum will be ready for training camp. The Cavaliers have had a good offseason signing Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, and drafting Anthony Bennett. Andrew Bynum will be reunited with Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, who coached with the Lakers in 2011-2012 season. The 2013-2014 starting lineup for Cleveland Cavaliers will be PG Kyrie Irving, SG Dion Waiters, SF Anthony Bennett, PF Tristan Thompson, and C Andrew Bynum.

Kovalchuk leaves $77 million dollars on the table and calls it quits

The New Jersey Devils lose their star player Ilya Kovalchuk to retirement after eleven years in NHL. Ilya Kovalchuk, who has 12 years remaining in his contract decided to go back to Russia and leave $77 million dollars on the table. The New Jersey Deals will be able to void the remaining $77 million dollars when Kovalchuk retirement becomes official. This was something that Ilya Kovalchuk has been thinking about for quite a time now and even goes back to 2004-2005 lockout. When the lockout occurred that year, Ilya Kovalchuk spend a lot time with his family in Russia. "This decision was something I have thought about for a long time going back to the lockout and spending the year in Russia," Kovalchuk said in a statement released by the team. The New Jersey Devils President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello wasn’t surprised about his decision and what he had to say regarding Kovalchuk retirement. "After many conversations with Ilya over the past year on his desire to retire from the National Hockey League, Ilya's decision became official today," Lamoriello said in a statement. "On behalf of the entire organization, I wish Ilya and his family all the best in their future endeavors." During the lockout he played with KHL with SKA ST Petersburg and returned to New Jersey played 48-game regular season. Kovalchuk scored 417 goals and registered 816 points in 816 career games with the Devils and Atlanta Thrashers.

The Dwight Howard saga is winding down as he announced that a decision would be made by this Friday, but can we really believe Dwight? Howard, met with Houston, Golden State, and Hawks on Monday, and also met with the Lakers and Mavericks yesterday. Today, it was stated to a source close to the talks, ESPN’S Adam Schefter, that free-agent center Dwight Howard hopes to decide which team he will sign with on Friday. At this moment the teams that are most likely to sign Dwight Howard are either Dallas or Houston and that is bad news for Lakers fans.Also, a team that has a long shot on signing Dwight Howard is the Golden State Warriors, who would have to a do a sign and trade deal in order to land the seven time all-star center. ESPN’S Marc Stein is reporting that the Golden State Warriors who met with Dwight Howard on Monday really impressed the all-star center and got his attention. When you look at the teams that have a chance to add the all-star center, Houston Rockets with James Harden and Jeremy Lin have to intrigue Dwight Howard.What about the Mavericks? They have a championship winner in Dirk Nowitzki and head coach Rick Carlisle, but what must intrigue Dwight Howard must be that Dirk is willing to take pay cut in the summer of 2014 creating more cap space to add another star player. Can we really believe Dwight Howard that a decision will be made by Friday? Unlikely, remember what happened when he was in Orlando and he kept on telling the media that he was going to stay, but ended up leaving to LA. Or what about the reports of wanting Stan Van Gundy to get fired in order for him to commit to staying in Orlando for long term. We really can’t trust in what Howard said about making his most important decision of his young career, but we will find out if he makes his decision by Friday.

Hernandez facing first-degree murder and five gun related charges

The former tight end for the New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez has been charged with first-degree murder and five counts of gun-related charges. Hernandez signed a 5 years $40 million dollars contract last summer with the New England Patriots and he may never see that money. The former tight end was cut shortly after been arrested at approximately 8:45 am Wednesday morning in his North Attleborough home. Hernandez is being charged with the first-degree murder of 27- year-old Odin Lloyd, whose body was found in an industrial park about a mile from the former New England Patriots tight end’s home. When you look at what may of cause Hernandez to commit such a violent crime and destroying families in the process. It all started on a night out at a Boston club called Rumor on June 14. Prosecutor, Bill McCauley stated that Hernandez was upset about certain things, including that Lloyd had talked to some people Hernandez “had troubles with. Hernandez texted two friend on June 16 and asked them to hurry back to Massachusetts, said McCauley said. Around 2:30 am three men picked up Lloyd at his home 2:30 a.m., according to authorities.Lloyd started to get nervous when they started to talk about what happened at the nightclub and that was the beginning of the end for Lloyd life. The last time that Lloyd family heard from him was when he texted his sister, “Did you see who I am with?” When she asked whom, Lloyd answered, at 3:22 am., ” NFL, ” then, a minute later, “Just so you know. Within a few minutes after that, people working the overnight shift at the industrial park reported hearing gunshots, McCauley said. The former tight end is set to have a bail review hearing later on today and will have a probable cause hearing on July 24 at 9 a.m. ET. This is not looking good if he is convicted he will be spend the rest of his life in prison and without parole.

How the Big Three became One Team

The Miami Heat proved once again to the basketball world why the big three got together.

Do you remember back in the summer of 2010, when Lebron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami.

Do you remember the prep rally at the triple A ? LeBron James saying not only to the HEAT fans but to the world “Not 1…Not 2…Not 3…Not 4…Not 5…Not 6 and Not 7 championship.”

It will always haunt the Miami Heat, because they have to fulfill those expectations, while the “naysayers and doubters” will clearly remember it.
As the 2011 NBA Finals rolled in and Miami lost to the Mavericks. everyone knew that it poured fueled on the the fire for “the naysayers” who said this wouldn’t work.

While last year they proved why they are not your typical big three, being down two to one in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pacers, without Chris Bosh they over came the first hurdle and advancing.

Then on the brink of elimination against the Boston Celtics down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals and heading back to Boston for game six. Lebron James put on the greatest performance of his life, by scoring 45 pts and 15 rebounds, forcing a game seven back to the sunshine state. Which they ended up winning.

Then in the 2012 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat played against the Oklahoma City Thunders, they lost game one and that fueled “the naysayers” once again. That wouldn’t last long because the Miami heat never lost again and ended up winning that series 4-1.

Also, that would be the first championship in the big three era and “the doubters” weren’t silent.

This year was a different story because the headline was “Could Miami repeat?” While in the offseason Miami lured Ray Allen from Boston who took less money to play for a title. Everyone could clearly see that Miami had gotten better but a lot of questions still surrounded this team for what some would say was no reason.

The 2012-2013 season was the best one in Miami Heat history with a record of 66 wins including a 27 game winning streak, which is ranked second in NBA history behind the 71-72 Lakers with a 33 game winning streak and overall best record in the NBA.

While in the NBA Playoffs the Heat had an easy first round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, even after Brandon Jennings made a bold prediction stating the Heat were to be defeated in six games. You could feel that it motivated Heat players even more.

After sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks, they would face the physical Chicago Bulls team in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. While that would become a dramatic series, one of the headlines of the series was regarding all star point guard Derrick Rose, who suffered a torn acl last year in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Bulls made a statement in game one beating the Heat and giving “the doubters” ammo. It wouldn’t go that far because the Heat didn’t lose another game in that series and earning them a third Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

The Heat next round opponent was another physical team in the Indiana Pacers with a 7”2 center in Roy Hibbert and future superstar in Paul George. This was a great series which included the Indiana Pacers taking home court advantage from the Heat by winning game two.

This team would not back down, by winning game three in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, meanwhile regaining home court advantage. But it wouldn’t matter as this series went to distance to a game seven.

While the Miami Heat went on to wingame seven and head back to their third straight NBA Finals appearance against the veteran San Antonio Spurs.

A lot of “the doubters” were happy that the Heat were going against the Spurs, “the naysayers” saw the Heat lose game one of the NBA Finals on a miraculous shot by Tony Parker in the fourth quarter. The “naysayers and doubters” were firing at Heat fans and knowing that the next game wouldn’t be two days after game one.

The Heat responded in game two by tying the series at 1-1 and we were witnessing a battle between two great teams.

In game three of the NBA finals, the Spurs were on fire shooting 16-32 from three-point range 50 % from the field. Gary Neal and Danny Green were destroying the Heat perimeter defense a combine 13 of 19.

While the Heat and Spurs split the next two games, which gave the Spurs a 3-2 advantage in NBA Finals heading back to Miami for Game six and gave “the doubters” had even more ammunition.

One of the best games in NBA Finals history was game six why? The Heat were trailing by five points with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter and security was beginning to take out the ropes for the Larry O’bien Trophy ceremony. It motivated the Heat in a way that trailing by three with 16.7 seconds remaining in the game Lebron James takes a three pointer, which clank off the rim Chris Bosh soared in the hour to grabbed the rebound kick back out for a Ray Allen three pointer which made through the net making Heat fans jump in joy and “naysayers” in disbelief.

The Heat went on to win game six in over time and game seven, which Lebron James had a double-double with 37 points and 12 rebounds and was named finals MVP once again.

The Heat won back-back championship last team to do that was the 2009 and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers and making a mark in NBA history.

This is why Lebron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami not to compete for a playoff berth or second round appearance. It’s about making it to the NBA Finals and contending for a championship. “Naysayers and doubters” are running out of ammo, because the Heat have won two out of three NBA titles. The only thing they got left is Lebron James in prep rally saying not 7 NBA titles, but let’s just say Miami has five more title to silent “the naysayers and doubters”.