Schwarzesbrett » managed to redirect a pass from Crosby into Fasths chest.

Spains 5-1 humiliation at the hands of the Netherlands on Friday came as a shock to everyone who follows the beautiful game. It also served as a reminder that at the highest level of the game, the margin for error is incredibly small. Up 1-0 in the first half after Xabi Alonso had converted a dubious penalty kick, Spain had a glorious chance to double their lead in the 43rd minute. An exquisite reverse pass from Andres Iniesta (pictured below) sent David Silva in alone on the Dutch goal. Unfortunately, Silvas finish wasnt up to the same standard as Iniestas pass. (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE) Just one minute later, the Netherlands equalized through a spectacular Robin van Persie diving header. With no apparent danger coming from the Netherlands, Spain set up in a very narrow defensive shape. (Spains opponents will do well to take note – exploiting this is a key to success against the reigning World Cup champs.) Yet just two passes later, the ball was in the back of the Spanish goal. The first pass came from Bruno Martins Indi to Daley Blind, who took up a wide position on the left flank. It was a free pass, with no Spanish player in a position to put pressure on Blinds first touch. (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE) Once Blind received the ball, Spains back four was vulnerable to the diagonal ball over the top to van Persie – because Sergio Ramos, the left central defender, fell asleep and got caught ball-watching. (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE) With no pressure on the ball, Blind was able to spot that van Persie managed to get a step in front of his marker, Ramos. (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE) The ball from Blind was exquisite, and it was matched only by the finish from van Persie - a diving, looping header over Iker Casillas in Spains goal. (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE) So what could Spain have done differently? In this situation, when the ball went wide to Blind, Gerard Pique was tight with Arjen Robben, the first striker – as he should be. His defensive partner, Ramos, needed to be in a deeper covering position, so that he could support Pique while also nullifying the threat of the ball in behind to van Persie. (CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE) It is only a matter of Ramos being 3-4 yards deeper, but at the World Cup, that is sometimes all that is needed to create scoring opportunities. Had Spains back-four been properly aligned (highlighted in yellow, above), Blind would never had played the ball forward for van Persie to run onto because Ramos would have been in a position to head the pass away. This goal, scored right before the half-time break, was a real blow to Spains confidence. From nearly doubling their lead a minute earlier, to conceding a wonder goal to the Dutch, the momentum turned in favour of the Netherlands going into the second half. The Spanish collapse after the break – where they conceded four unanswered goals – should have been prevented, though. The second goal was down to a combination of wonderful skill from Robben and slack marking from Pique and Ramos; the third and fourth goals down to mistakes from Casillas, with the fifth goal a classic counter-attacking move from the Dutch. It would be naïve to presume that this result – as shocking as it was – is an indication that Spains style of play is now ineffective. La Roja still possess a squad full of some of the worlds most talented players, and they will continue to employ their tiki-taka possession game to great effect. Players like Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta and Silva are still a joy to watch, and they will go into their next game with Chile knowing they must win, as a loss will effectively end their tournament. What it does prove, though, is that even the best are fallible on an off day. Cheap Indians Jerseys .cas NHL Play of the Year showdown continues today with a man whos spent most of his career on highlight reels and a goalie actually "reaching back" for a save. Cleveland Indians Shirts .C. United on Wednesday night. Forward Bright Dike scored the games only goal in the 85th minute on a foggy night in Bradenton, Fla. https://www.cheapindiansonline.com/2438u-tyler-naquin-jersey-indians.html .com) - The Miami Heat will try to close out the Charlotte Bobcats Monday night in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first round series. David Justice Indians Jersey . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. James Hoyt Jersey . - The Cleveland Indians will place centerfielder Michael Bourn on the disabled list before their opener at Oakland on March 31.PITTSBURGH -- When Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma shuffled the lines in search of a spark for his slumping offence, putting Evgeni Malkin and rookie Brian Gibbons on the ice together wasnt what he had in mind. Still, hell take it. Gibbons converted a slick backhand pass from Malkin for his first NHL goal at 3:56 of the third period, starting a late burst as the Penguins beat the weary Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Monday night. Called up from the minors 12 hours before the opening faceoff, the 25-year-old Gibbons was thrown immediately onto Pittsburghs third line. He ended up on the ice with Malkin after the Penguins were caught in the middle of a shift change. While watching Malkin do a full lap through the Anaheim zone, Gibbons sprinted to the slot, took the pass and sent a shot over Viktor Fasths right shoulder to break a scoreless tie. "I was just trying to get to the net and bang home a rebound or something," Gibbons said. "Somehow it ended up right on my stick." Gibbons earned his first NHL assist 62 seconds later when Brandon Sutter deflected Olli Maattas shot from the point past Fasth. Anaheims Ryan Getzlaf quickly pulled the Ducks within one, but Sidney Crosbys 10th goal of the season capped a flurry in which the Penguins scored three times in just over four minutes. The outburst was a welcome development for a team that for all its considerable offensive talent has struggled to score recently. The Penguins came in riding a 1-4 slump, scoring just one goal in each of the four losses. "It was actaully a good game for us," Bylsma said. "We wanted to be in that tight game and stayed the course and came through with a couple of big goals." Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26 shots for Pittsburgh as the Penguins leapfrogged Washington to move back into first in the Metropolitan Division. The teams will meet in the nations capital on Wednesday. Getzlafs fifth goal in four games provided all of the offence for the Pacific Divison-leading Ducks, who earned just one point during a four-game East Coast road trip. Fasth made 24 saves but struggled in the final 20 minutes. "Im not seeing any secondary scoring from anybody," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When you dont have four lines contributing scoring its tough to win. I dont care how good the guys are, its touugh to win.dddddddddddd." Anaheim totalled just six goals in four games during a swing through Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina and Pittsburgh. "Weve been getting chances and stuff and weve been working hard, but like I said weve had sickness and injury throughout our team and we havent dealt with it well this trip," Getzlaf said. The Penguins have their own issues, particularly an offence that has looked spotty at best over the last three weeks. Bylsma decided to experiment. He moved Pascal Dupuis from the top line with Crosby to the second line with Malkin, replacing Dupuis with Beau Bennett. Jussi Jokinen, second on the team in goals, was bumped down to the third line to give Sutter a little help. The initial results were underwhelming. Then again, Anaheim had a little something to do with it. The Ducks, in the midst of their first rough patch following a brilliant start, dominated the first period. They clogged passing lanes, gave Pittsburghs talented forwards little room to freelance, and controlled play for long stretches. Pittsburgh didnt record a shot on Fasth until 2:02 left in the first period, when Bennett managed to redirect a pass from Crosby into Fasths chest. "Theyre a big team," Crosby said. "They got a long reach and they clog up the neutral zone pretty well." The arena roared in mock celebration, though for all of the Penguins offensive issues, the game remained scoreless thanks to Fleury. Starting for the 19th time in Pittsburghs 22 games, Fleury turned aside several early scoring chances, including a pair of opportunities by Getzlaf. The Penguins grew so frustrated at one point that Bylsma paired Malkin with Crosby and Chris Kunitz for a couple of shifts, looking to get something started It produced better flow but nothing that found its way by Fasth. Pittsburghs best chance came when Malkin skated behind the Anaheim net and deftly dropped the puck to a sprinting Kunitz, whose backhand shot banged off Fasth -- who wasnt looking because he thought Malkin still had the puck -- and then hit the crossbar before rolling out of danger. NOTES: Anaheim F Matt Beleskey returned to the lineup after missing 19 games with an upper body injury. ... The game was the 600th of Jokinens NHL career. ... The Ducks head home to face New Jersey on Wednesday. Anaheim is 8-0 at home. ' ' '