Great Barr Harriers vs Hamstead Diamonds Match report

A waterlogged pitch isn't a great Pitch to play on but at this level the players just want to be getting match fit. A friendly game between two local rivals served up a treat. Great Barr Harriers edged a 5-3 game in the not ideal conditions but a win nonetheless. With striker Conor Bynre scoring all 5 for The Harriers it was very easy to pick a man the match.

The game started in a quiet fashion with no side able to conjure up a chance. Soon Great Barr were up 2-0 after a quick-fire double from  Conor. Hamstead then took the lead after scoring from 3 corners. But Conor Byrne made sure the game ended 5-3.

Interestingly after the game both sets of fans went down to the local Pub and drank together which I thought was very interesting as rival team fans don't normally get along.

Although the friendly also brought about some bad news, the waterlogged pitch meant that many players were getting injured and captain Bradley Gun for the Great Barr Harriers gained a twisted knee in the 5-3 win.

Firmino WOrld cup player to watch out for

Brazil. Synonymous with attractive, flowing football. Over the years they have been blessed with an abundance of world class strikers, including probably the best of them all in Ronaldo. However, times have changed for the once feared Nation. With Diego Costa opting to play for Spain there was gap up front. Firmino ceased the opportunity and made his debut in November 2014, which led to him leading the line in the Copa America.

Liverpool have a lot of strikers at their club. Origi, Sturridge, Danny Ings but Klopp insists on playing Firmino. No doubt this very talented individual is the first name on Klopp's team sheet each week. He may not score the most goals but he is a classy player who works hard for the team and creates space for others to run into and score. As we can see by the scoring Charts Liverpool love to share their goals around.

Before Firmino signed for Liverpool,  a lot of pundits and fans questioned whether Firmino's stats were up to the standard of the Premier League. Many fans of Manchester United were quick to compare him to Memphis Depay believing they had captured a better player. However, Firmino was quick to hit back at his doubters and become a top Premier league player. Whereas Memphis Depay can't get a game at Manchester United.

Brendan Rodgers seemed to utilise him all wrong. Under Rodgers, Firmimo wasn't playing like a player that had just cost 29m. Then in came Klopp. The 8th of October 2015 was the date Firmino never looked back. He changed the way he played; he tracked back a lot more, never stopped running and began to regain his confidence. Him and Coutinho soon became the Brazillian duo no defenders wanted to face. Adding in Mane, Wijnaldum and Lallana,, Liverpool now have one of the most potent counter attacks in world football.

Not only has Klopps Influence on Firmino improved the Liverpool team. The Brazilian Naional team has also reaped the benefits with the star scoring 5 goals in 18 games. When Coutinho and Firmino both play for Brazil they really do light it up. Pre 2015 Neymar was literally the only player who stepped up for Brazil. Now he has players around him, particularly Firmino, who are willing to put their bodies on the line to get the win.

When Messi and Ronaldo retire a new superstar needs to step up. I firmly believe that player can be Roberto Firmino.

Kabaddi Live event- Featured game Oxford vs Biringham

After attending last years IC Kabbaddi cup I thought it would be appropriate to head back this year with a better understanding of the game. One thing I noticed about the competiton this year was that their were a lot more teams involced and a lot more fans watching too. As well as this there were also more female matches this year too. My main intention of attending this live event wa to see how the Birmingham team did as that is my home town and I know a few of the players on the team.

Birmingham did very well in the tournament and ended up in the semi finals vs Lse, Unfortunately missing out in a gruelling extra time affair. For those who want to see highlights of the semi final they can be found here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehIc4ocF_xg

The tournament was hosted in Imperial college in London and involced university teams from all around the country. The first game Birmingham beat Oxford A team 37-0 which is a very huge score . This incidentally is the main game I focused on for this live event .In the sport of Kabaddi it is very rare for a team to concede 0 points to the opposition and you could tell from the players reactions and the fans faces that confidence was very high after the first game. The defenders were strong and agile, the attackers nimble and clinical. Birmingham were one of the form teams heading into the competition and the first match showed just how good they were.

After the game I caught up with Birmingham star player and captan Vinay Gupta who is also part of the England set up training for the next Kabaddi world cup in Tokyo. The full Interview can be found here

https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/kabadi-match-reportinterview

With Kabbaddi gaining more and more popularity throughtout the uk, I feel as though many schools may now start to implement this sport into the curriculum and that the sport will grow as a result.

Englands World cup group

With Germany, Argentina or Brazil waiting as potential opponents, many England fans would have been feeling a bit nervous ahead of the draw. However I feel like most of the fans will be very happy with the draw that was given to us.

Group G

1. Belgium
2. Panama
3. Tunisia
4. England 

Facing Belgium is no where near as bad as facing one of the bigger teams and couple that with the fact that Panama and Tunisia aren't great England should be optimistic. Howver, We all know how hard England find it to break down defensively set up sides. We struggled to break down Iceland. Costa Rica And Slovenia in recent years so this tournament wont be easy by any means. 

As well as this it potentially means we have to face Brazil or Germany on the way to the final which will not be an easy feat, although if we are aiming to win the tournament we have to face the big teams anyway. Its a case of when not if.

One thing that will worry the England fans though is the fact that Southgate has already been told whatever happens he is safe.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn says the manager will retain his position "for the next few tournaments". ''We go out there wanting to win it but also being realistic. No-one wants to have a bad World Cup but we're confident he's the right guy to take us through for the next few tournaments."

Hopefully Southgate uses this as motivation to succeed and not as a safety net as England will need all the motivation they can get.

Wolves Vs Birmingham Live event

Birmingham City were beaten by their local rivals as they sink back into the relegation zone following Wolves 1-0 Victory at St Andrews.

As a result of the win , Wolves have regained a four-point lead above Cardiff at the top of the Championship with the team in 3rd place 10 points behind.

 Leo Bonatini, the loan signing from Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal,casued a stir on the 8th minute when he scored. However being in the crowd there was a little bit of confusion at first especially in the Birmingham city end as many of the fans believed it didn't cross the line. However after some discussion and the use of goal line technology, Wolves were rightfully granted the goal.

Goalkeeprs keeping teams in the game seems to be a trend at the moment with the Birmignham keeper David Stockdale being responsible for keeping wolves out with some De Gea esque magic

The Birmingham side rarely threatened Wolves and things went from bad to worst in the 83rd minute when Harlee Dean picked up a second yellow card earning him a red.

Once the game was over I noticed that even thought their team lost a lot of the bimringham fans seemed optimistic and in good spirits.I feel as though many of them know the January market is round the corner and are expecting the side to strengthen signicifantly to secure safety.

Audio Portfolio

https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/lcc-sports-podcast







https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/training-the-next-genertation





https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/kabadi-match-reportinterview