Author Archives: @sourcefrias

CRISTIANO RONALDO: The CR7 Effect Is Undeniable

Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to play a game for Juventus, but his signing is already showing how admired he is worldwide.

Juventus collected $60 million in jerseys sold with the name Ronaldo on it just 24 hours after the signing was announced. On their YouTube channel, Juventus had 18.3 million views from January to June, but in July alone (after Ronaldo joined) had 36 million. Their stock price increased 32% between July 2nd and 19th.

The numbers speak for themselves. You can see people either watch him because they love him or are hoping for his failure. The one thing that is undeniable is his marketability and what he brings to whichever team he plays for.

The King of Social Media

ESPN has signed a multi year deal to show Italian Serie A league games. Similarly, Facebook announced that his first game will be streamed live. These announcements prove the inarguable point: everyone wants to be part of the Ronaldo world. At age 33, some have mentioned that he is on his final turn. But as we’ve seen here in the Boston market with Tom Brady, if you take care of yourself physically and mentally, the opportunity is there to play longer than ever expected.

His first game is going to be August 12th and the ratings are sure to be astronomical. He also has his own clothing line and cologne, which are sure to help in the style capital of Europe. Ronaldo has already opened a CR7 Museum in his homeland of Madeira, Portugal. New York City is also scheduled to have his CR7/Pestana hotel opening in the future. This would add to the two he has already. He has been popular off the field as much as he has been on it. If the first month is any sign, Juventus will be rewarded in making his transfer the sixth highest in futebol history.

His performances in England and then in Spain were unmatched. If he is able to replicate those statistics and bring a Champions League trophy to Juventus, which would be his sixth, We could only imagine Christiano Ronaldo net worth being he could be the greatest footballer of all time.

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Middleton’s Number 16 is Headed to the Garden Rafters

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Photo courtesy:
NHL / Boston Bruins

Nifty’s #16 Is Being Retired

Bruins fans and media have been wondering who would be the next Bruins player to have his number retired. On July 31st, Bruins President Cam Neely made the call to Richard D. Middleton to announce he would be the next to have that honor.

How Middleton Stacks up in Bruins History

The right-winger played 12 seasons for Boston, scoring 402 goals with 496 assists for 898 points. He had five straight seasons with at least 40 goals. He is currently fourth on the Bruins’ all-time scoring list, behind Bourque, Bucyk and Esposito.

Middleton’s #16 is the 11th number sent to the rafters by the Bruins. Lionel Hitchman, Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore, Milt Schmidt, Bobby Orr, Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Ray Bourque, Terry O’Reilly, and Cam Neely have also had this honor.

Nifty and Pasta

Middleton got his nickname for his skills when handling the puck and for his highlight goals. Many Pastrnak fans would probably agree that him and Nifty share many similarities. Many highlights of Rick’s highlights resemble David’s moves today. Both can masterfully fake out goaltenders for a goal.

Current Role with the Bruins

Rick Middleton is currently the President of the Bruins Alumni team. Him and other greats such as Bourque and O’Reilly play games across the area to support charities and youth hockey teams.

Photo courtesy:
Boston Bruins Alumni

The date for the retirement ceremony is November 29th, before the Bruins face the Islanders.

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Juventus Beat MLS All-Stars

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Photo courtesy:
Major League Soccer

Italian Champions Juventus beat the best of MLS in a shoot-out.

Before a crowd of 72,317 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Juventus was victorious 5-3 in the shoot-out after the game ended 1-1 in regulation.

Andrea Favilli of Juventus began the scoring in the 21st minute, heading in a cross by Matheus Pereira.

The MLS All-Stars then evened the game in the 26th minute when Josef Martinez the MLS’s leading scorer and game MVP beat Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny to make it 1-1.

It was the second straight year that the MLS All-Star Game ended in a 1-1 draw and had to go to a shoot-out. Last year, Real Madrid beat the All-Stars 4-2 on penalties at Soldier Field in Chicago.

This year’s crowd was the largest ever for an MLS All-Star game.

Photo courtesy:
Juventus F.C.

Unfortunately their summer superstar signing Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the trip. The game was one of four matches for Juventus on their North American tour. They currently have three wins from three matches, their most current against Portugal powerhouse Benfica in New Jersey. They will look to make it a clean sweep this Saturday night against Spanish giants Real Madrid at in Washington, D.C.

Photo courtesy:
Los Angeles Galaxy

The MLS All-Stars were also without one of the league’s main superstars LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who chose not to play after playing in his third game in seven days.

Wilfried Zahibo was the lone representative for the New England Revolution.

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International Champions Cup – (@SOURCEFRIAS)

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International Champions Cup 2018: Man United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Benfica among teams in pre-season tournament.

The International Champions Cup 2018 gets underway this weekend. This has become the go-to pre-season tournament for elite clubs from Europe.
Eighteen clubs are set to play games in US, Singapore, and Europe.

Here’s everything you need to know:

What is the International Champions Cup?

The International Champions Cup is a preseason tournament for European clubs played in stadiums around the globe.

Each team appears in three matches in a group format (like the World Cup).

Which teams are taking part this year?

Photo courtesy:
International Champions Cup

The 18 participants are well-known names to soccer fans of European football leagues.

Representing the English Premier League are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

La Liga in Spain has Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid all taking part.

Italy’s Seria A will feature Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma and Juventus (who recently signed Cristiano Ronaldo).

France has two teams: Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.

Germany also has two: Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Benfica represents Portugal. They are the country’s most successful team with 36 titles.

Where are the games held?
The majority of games this year are in the United States, and two games are in Singapore. The rest of the matches are in Europe.

What happens at the end?
The best-ranked side will be crowned champions and receive the International Champions Cup trophy. Real Madrid are the most successful club in the ICC with three titles.

Where can I watch the games?

Below is a link to the television schedule: http://worldsoccertalk.com/international-champions-cup-tv-schedule/

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World Cup Final: France are World Champions (@SOURCEFRIAS)

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Photo courtesy:
FIFA

‘Les Bleus have won the

2018 World Cup’

Photo courtesy:
FIFA

32 countries battled for title of best soccer team in the world. In the end it was France who prevailed.

France was just a little too much for Croatia as they ran away with a 4-2 victory.

The scoring began with an own goal that came from Mandzukic after a French free kick. As has been per usual in this tournament, France took the lead and never looked back. Croatia was able to tie the game at 1-1 with a stunning goal by Perisic. But right before the end of the half and with the help of VAR, a correctly called penalty was awarded. Griezman buried it to put France ahead 2-1.

In the second half, France began to run away with the game. It got to the point where Croatia had to take chances to equalize. Consequently, they became vulnerable on the counter attack. Pogba and Mbappe quickly netted two quick goals to extend the lead to 4-1. Croatia was able to make it 4-2 to close out the game’s scoring. Lloris became sloppy with the ball and Mandzukic capitalized to score for their second goal.

French Fans in Euphoria

This is the second title for France and first since 1998. They currently trail Brazil (5), Germany, and Italy (4) who have won more. They now share the same amount of titles as Argentina and Uruguay.

Photo courtesy:
GOAL.com

Below are the highlights: credit FOX Sports

https://youtu.be/fY3Z3od-kE8

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Cristiano Ronaldo- Adding to His Legacy (@SOURCEFRIAS)

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At the age of 33, Cristiano Ronaldo has won 26 trophies in his career and is looking for more.

Photo courtesy:
CR7 Museum

He started his career playing in Portugal and was noticed by Manchester United during a friendly game. The rest is history.

Over the course of his career, Ronaldo has received five Ballon d’Or Awards, the most for a European player tied for the most all-time. Ronaldo also holds the records for most official goals scored in the top five European leagues. He has scored 670 goals for clubs and country.

His time at Manchester United

Photo courtesy:
GOAL.com

He won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 with United. During his time in England, he was able to accomplish many personal awards as a young player. As a team they also won the English Premier League in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He also added to those championships with four other domestic trophies. In the 2007 season he also won his first UEFA Champions League trophy and added a FIFA Club World Cup in 2008.

He spent six years in Manchester and in 2009 decided it was time to move on and play for his favorite childhood team: Real Madrid.

In his prime at Real Madrid

Photo courtesy:
GOAL.com

At 24, Ronaldo was set to become the most expensive footballer in history following United’s decision to accept Real’s offer. At his time at the Bernabeu, he faced off annually against Messi and Barcelona, but still managed to add to his awards and trophies. They were able to win the Spanish La Liga in 2011 and 2016. Some of the historic moments for Real were winning the UEFA Champions League in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, giving them the most of any other team. During that time they also won another nine domestic trophies in competitions and more FIFA Club World Cups in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

His international career with Portugal

Photo courtesy:
ABOLA

Cristiano is Portugal’s all-time leader in goals and games played. He was able to captain the team to the Euro 2016 Championship and they also placed in the World Cup and Confederations Cup as well.

Juventus welcomes CR7

Photo courtesy:
Bleacher report

Ronaldo is now 33 and is still proving his tremendous skill. He is determined to rule Italy as he has done previously in England and Spain. The team is hoping to add more titles and trophies, and he wants nothing more than to add to his already impressive collection in the CR7 Museum.

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WORLD CUP FINAL – Preview and Prediction – @SOURCEFRIAS

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It all comes down to this.

France vs. Croatia

Photo courtesy: @SOURCEFRIAS

Can the second smallest country in the World Cup take down a soccer giant?

Croatia won their group by beating Argentina, Nigeria, and Iceland.

From that point on they won in penalties against Denmark and Russia. Just when you thought they were headed to a third consecutive shootout, they scored in the second half of extra time to reach the place we are at now: the World Cup Final.

Photo courtesy: FIFA

Croatia Possible Starting Lineup:

GK- Subašić;
D-Strinić, Vida, Lovren,Vrsaljko
MFs- Brozović, Perišić, Rakitić, Modrić, Rebić;
F- Mandžukić

France also won their group with victories over Australia, Peru, and a draw versus Denmark.

Their prize for winning the group was a matchup against Argentina, which may go down as the most exciting game of the World Cup tournament this year. They then had to beat Uruguay and everyone’s dark horse favorite Belgium to reach the final for the first time since 2006, where they lost to Italy in penalties.

Photo courtesy: FIFA

France Possible Starting Lineup:

GKLloris
Ds- Hernández, Umtiti, Varane, Pavard
MFs-Kanté, Pogba, Matuidi
Fs- Griezmann, Mbappé, Giroud

France – Croatia History

France leads 3-0-2 overall, 1-0 in World Cups, and 1-0-1 in official competition.

Past Meeting

In Euro 2004, France fought back in a memorable game to help Les Bleus to a 2-2 tie with Croatia in the second game of the group stage. Croatia seemed to never recover from that game and lost to England in the knockout stage. The French lost in the quarterfinals by Greece.

The most recent game was a friendly played by these teams in 2011.

Verdict: France is a well-organized team and has had to play tough teams to reach this point. They have also tasted defeat in a final in Euro 2016 as Portugal beat them on their homeland, and will do whatever necessary to avoid another defeat in the last game.

Croatia has been beating the odds this whole tournament and have played more minutes than any other team. They will dig deep to reach the pinnacle of being a champion.

Croatia will lift the trophy for the first time this Sunday as 2018 World Cup Champions.

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Recapping the World Cup Semi Final – @SOURCEFRIAS

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The Final Four Battle for a Spot to Play for the World Cup.

Photo courtesy: FIFA

FRANCE ADVANCES PAST BELGIUM

Photo courtesy: FIFA

Once again, like in previous games France got the lead and never relinquished it, winning 1-0 over Belgium. It was a hard-fought, physical and emotional game that kept going back-and-forth from the start. The goalies for both teams had to make incredible stops to keep the game tied until in the 51st minute. A goal by France’s Samuel Umtiti was the difference and all they needed to secure a spot in the Final this Sunday.

France last won the title in 1998 when they beat Brazil 3-0 in a World Cup they hosted.

Belgium will face England on Saturday, July 14th to battle for the third place spot.

Croatia stuns England in Extra Time

Photo courtesy: FIFA

Croatia went undefeated in their group and beat both Spain and Russia in matches that went to penalty kicks. Their semi-final game against England also needed two periods of extra time, but the match ended before penalties. The game started with a remarkable free kick goal in the opening minutes by Trippier of England. Croatia put the pressure on and in the 68th minute Persic tied the game at 1-1. It stayed scoreless until the decisive moment came in the 109th minute of extra time. Striker Mario Mandzukic found the back of the net and placed Croatia in the Final versus France.

Croatia will be playing in their first ever Final this Sunday.

Up next, the preview and prediction of the 2018 World Cup Final between Croatia and France on Sunday, July 15th.

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World Cup Semi-Finals Preview and Predictions

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The final four teams are set for the semi-finals and it is shaping up to be two memorable games to decide the World Cup bout. In one matchup, we have the great story of Belgium going up against the favorites France. The second match pits two countries that were not expecting to be here: England and Croatia.

Photo courtesy: FIFA

France vs Belgium

We must start with France, who has put together a remarkable tournament. Mbappe and Griezman have been two of the go-to guys for goals. Coupled with Pogba mastering the midfield, no team has been able to find a solution to beat this team.

Belgium has been the dark horse of the tournament. They are now one win away from playing in the championship game. Their road has been emotional and difficult at times, which may pay off in the long run.

These countries have faced each other 73 times. Belgium has won 30 games to France’s 24 victories. They have drawn in the other 19 games. The last time they met, in 2015, Belgium defeated France 4-3 in a friendly. It has been 32 years since the Red Devils had a chance in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Les Bleus looks to match their 1998 campaign.

Verdict: Belgium once again find a way to scrape by and play for the chance to raise the trophy for the first time.

England vs Croatia

Photo courtesy: FIFA

England has been an organized team – from the forwards all the way back to the goalkeeper. They have been great on set pieces and have used it to their advantage throughout the tournament. Kane has been the team’s main goal scorer. However, additional players have stepped up in that area recently. Pickford has been outstanding in goal and they will need him to be sharp again this time around.

Croatia was not expected to be in this position. Yet they find themselves right here. They have played the majority of their games into extra time and shootouts. This could prove to be costly in their bout with England.

These teams have only met five times prior. England won three and Croatia won the other two. They met most recently in the 2010 World Cup qualifying round. England took home the victory 5-1. This is the first time Vetrani will be playing in the semi-final game and the first since 1990 for the Three Lions.

Verdict: England wins it in penalties after three straight games of shootouts taking its toll on Croatia.

We await to see who plays for the Cup. But the only certainty today is that we’ve got you covered.

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Recapping the World Cup Quarterfinal Round

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We are down to the final four team remaining and there were some entertaining games to get us to this point. Here is a recap of how we got here:

Photo courtesy: FIFA

France vs. Uruguay

Photo courtesy: FIFA

France is beginning to solidify itself as one of the favorites to win the title. They made their 2-0 victory over Uruguay look effortless. In a game that was missing an integral part in Uruguay’s main goal scorer, there was a lack of excitement compared to how it looked on paper. France once again took a lead and never looked back. Varane put France ahead with a goal right before halftime and Griezman followed it up with another in the second half to put the game away. Uruguay was strong in its first four games, but the team was not able to muster the same amount of pressure without Cavani on the field. Les Bleus are now two wins away from the title, a feat they last accomplished in 1998.

Belgium vs. Brazil

Photo courtesy: FIFA

Belgium’s historic tournament proceeds as they end the road for powerhouse Brazil in a 2-1 victory. The scoring opened up on an own goal from a corner kick that put Belgium up 1-0. De Bruyne then followed up with a sensational shot to make it 2-0. From that point on, Neymar and Brazil did everything within their power to tie the game. But they could only cut into the deficit with 15 minutes remaining. Courtois had to make spectacular saves, none better than on one of the final shots. The Red Devils have had to win in many ways, from coming back two goals versus Japan and to outlasting Brazil. It seems this team has what it takes to win it all.

England vs. Sweden

Photo courtesy: FIFA

One of these two strong teams had to go home after this game; it was Sweden who were defeated 2-0 by England. England was able to score a goal in each half. Both were headers (via Maguire and Alli) to put them closer to the final.

England has been a team that has gotten better as the tournament progresses. Kane, who leads the World Cup in scoring, was held off the score sheet. But his team had help again as their goalie Pickford made incredible saves at timely moments. At times during the game, Sweden were close to getting the score level. But as Pickford had done in previous games, he held them off until the team in front of him scored again to put the game away. The Three Lions have not won the title since 1966. But they have as good a chance as the remaining four opponents to lift the trophy if they are able to get two more victories.

Croatia vs. Russia

Photo courtesy: FIFA

The magical run has come to an end for host country Russia. They were defeated by Croatia in penalties 4-3. Russia was able to get on the board first on a beautiful goal. But Croatia tied it up moments later to send the match into extra time. Croatia scored first and thought they had a victory. But the hosts were unfazed and tied the game to send it to a shootout. Russia shot first and it was stopped. A later try was sent completely wide of the net. It came down to Rakitic, who put it past the Russian goalie and sent Vatreni to the semifinal for the first time since 1998.

The semi-finals are sure to be even more thrilling. Stay tuned for a preview.

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