It has been more than 50 years since India won its one and the only gold medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games and the man to achieve the feat, Milkha Singh expects the drought to continue this year as well.Current crop of athletes don’t work hard, says the legendMilkha said that while Indian athletes do not have the will to work hard these days, the majority of blame for India’s inability to succeed at the world stage should go to the people sitting at the helm.”If India was serious about winning medals at the Commonwealth Games at all, their preparations should have started long back but now I don’t expect India to win any medals in athletics,” Milkha told Mail Today. “Things cannot be changed in a few months because it takes years of hard work to succeed, especially in athletics which is the most followed event at any Games,” he said.The 81-year-old is the only Indian so far to win a gold in athletics at the Commonwealth Games, a feat he achieved in 1958 at Cardiff in the 440 yard/quarter mile race.But since then, no Indian has managed to repeat his feat.”Athletes do not want to work very hard these days and you don’t see the same enthusiasm in them that we had in those years.”But the people who are sitting at the top positions are to be blamed for the state of athletics in the country. The whole world looks up to athletics as the main event of any Games but the people at the helm of affairs in our country have hardly paid any heed on improving the standard of our athletes,” he charged.advertisementHe claimed that it has been eight years since he asked Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi to focus on the preparations of national athletes but all his suggestions fell on deaf ears.”For years, I have been asking to provide our athletes good training but no one was bothered to listen to me. Eight years ago, I had told Mr Kalmadi to focus on athletics but none of my views were taken.”India can win medals in shooting, boxing, badminton, wrestling and other disciplines as well but it is the medals in athletics that everyone wants to see India win,” he added.The ‘Flying Sikh’ said he was pained by the allegations of corruption in the various Commonwealth Games projects and added that it was very damaging for India’s image.”I regularly go outside India with my son (Jeev Milkha Singh) and people do ask me about the stories of corruption in the Commonwealth Games here.”It (allegations of corruption) has left a very negative impact on the world community. At a time when the Indians should have been training hard to grab the home advantage, it is very embarrassing that the country has to go through all this,” he rued.The memories of his gold medal- winning feat at the 1958 Games, in which he outsprinted South African stalwart Malcom Clive Spence in a photo-finish, still remain fresh in Milkha’s mind.He remembers the warm reception he received on his homecoming and the congratulatory messages that flooded in.”I still remember that moment when I saw those stunned faces around me as they never expected me to beat an athlete like Spence, who was the then world record holder in the 440m.”But I had the will to do it and I did. I hope to see some of the Indian athletes to be amongst the top sprinters of the world but there is too much of hard work required to achieve that,” he signed off. read more

The much awaited Asus Zenfone 2 is going to launch in India till the last week of April. This is according to a company statement made on Monday. This statement is in accordance to another statement by Asus Taiwan, which had also claimed an April launch. The smartphone will come in several versions. While one will have a 5-inch display, another will have a 5.5-inch display and a maximum of 4GB RAM. The top-end version, Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML will have 64GB inbuilt storage and 4GB RAM, and was recently unveiled at a price of TWD 9,990 (around Rs 19,900).Previously, Asus Taiwan had revealed the price of the Asus ZenFone 2 ZE551ML(4GB RAM, 32GB storage) at TWD 8,990 (roughly Rs 18,000), Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML (2GB RAM) at TWD 6,990 (roughly Rs 13,900), Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML at TWD 5,990 (roughly Rs 11,900) and the Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500 CL at TWD 4,990 (roughly Rs 9,900).All of the above mentioned variants run on the ZenUI , which is based on the Android 5.0 Lollipop and sport Intel Atom SoCs. All versions also come with storage expandable upto 64GB.Also Read: Asus ZenFone 2 with 4GB RAM to retail sans flash sales or invitations in India read more

Texas Tech is allowing 41.8 points per game, which is good for 124th in the country. Loyal readers of this blog know that we would never rely on points per game to tell us how good (or in this case, bad) a defense is. Let’s take a closer look at how this defense stacks up to other units across the country over the past few years.For this post, I’ll use Brian Fremeau’s Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI), which is a ratings system based on drive efficiency. It is adjusted for opponent strength and garbage time. It looks at how many points an opponent scores per drive compared to how many an average offense would normally score given the starting field position. Maybe Tech performs better in this advanced system (spoiler: they don’t).I looked at all Power 5 defenses from 2012 to current under the FEI system, a group of 314 defenses. Here’s how Texas Tech’s defense ranks over each of the five years in my analysis:Texas Tech defense2012 – 214 out of 3142013 – 2272014 – 3012015 – 3042016 – 308Hey Kliff. Might be time to start focusing a little time on your defense. Three consecutive years below the fourth percentile is willfully incompetent. Only one team in the lower 10 percent (one out of 31 teams) of this group has a winning record (Texas A&M 2014 – and the defensive coordinator was fired after the season). You absolutely cannot have a winning program with a defense this bad.So, 308th out of 314 is how bad this defense is. They are 313th in this group in Fremeau’s average yards percentage rating, which is simply How Many Yards Did You Allow/How Many Yards Were Available on a drive. Tech allows opponents to gain 62.5 percent of available yards per drive, which is better than only one other team on this list: the 2015 Kansas team that went 0-12. Yurcich’s bunch could light this team up in their sleep.Now, how does OSU’s defense stack up on this list?Oklahoma State defense2012 – 93 out of 3142013 – 182014 – 2422015 – 1822016 – 186Not great, but no surprise. Three consecutive below-average years on a national basis, but the last two years have been just below average even in the Big 12. Still, it could be much worse.Curious how the offenses stack up? Me too. No commentary on this section, but here you go:Texas Tech offense2012 – 100 out of 3142013 – 932014 – 1322015 – 312016 – 36Oklahoma State Offense2012 – 102 out of 3142013 – 902014 – 2262015 – 1132016 – 147 While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. read more

I have been thinking about it for over a day now, and I honestly think my biggest grievance when it comes to Bedlam 2016 of all the grievances is what Mike Gundy didn’t do just before halftime. Standing on the 50 after a long Barry Sanders kick return with 18 seconds left, the ball, and a timeout, OSU ran one play (a handoff) and took it to the locker room.It did not try to get 20 yards and kick a field goal. It did not attempt a deep pass from one of the best deep passers in the country to one of the best deep-threat receivers in all of college football. It did none of the myriad options it had at its disposal to try and grab a little momentum in front of a break that would see OU get the ball on the other side of it.This is egregious (as I pointed out) but was actually defended by some. Here is Robert Allen of Go Pokes (shocking, I know) on Gundy’s decision at the end of the half.At the end of the half, Gundy let the clock run out instead of using his final time-out after Sanders had the kickoff return to the 50. I have no problem, it was a long shot at best and without a time-out it would have been hard to get even a field goal out of it. I wouldn’t have trusted Rudolph on a throw to the end zone at that point. However, at the end of the day, you’d probably like to have it back. I just think it was a long shot. [Go Pokes]I’ll ignore the fact that OSU actually did have a timeout (according to TV broadcast).This is a master class in missing the point. It doesn’t really matter if you hit on the FG or touchdown. There is a small chance of getting the FG (although grabbing 20 yards in 18 seconds with a TO in your pocket doesn’t seem insurmountable) and an even smaller one of getting the TD. I get that.That’s not even close to the crux of the matter, though. Gundy tucking his mullet and running to the locker room is less about points and more about what you’re telling your team.We’re not even going to take shots. We’re not even going to throw haymakers at our biggest rival with the entire season on the line. We’re not going to try even with little to lose.That was the message. That was the message all day. What was the downside here? It’s not as if you were backed up on your own five-yard-line. As Berry Tramel pointed out in his excellent column on Gundy’s overall conservative attitude, Gundy’s explanation about what happened might be worse than what actually happened.“We were not having the best of luck throwing the ball downfield accurately, with the way the ball was rotating,” Gundy told the Oklahoman. “Eighteen seconds left at that time. Just didn’t think it would be much of an advantage for us. Long field goal at that time also would not have been the easiest play for us.”What?! You were at midfield! This man makes $300,000 a month?! Just try something!I’ve never gotten real caught up in the whole “Gundy coaches Bedlam scared” bit. I think this is sort of just how he coaches. When is the last time OSU ran a fake punt in any game? A fake field goal? It feels like it’s been since the last time Gundy wore a mullet that Oklahoma State let its cojones hang in a big game.This works out because OSU has more talent than most teams it plays. It does not work against OU (obviously). I think OU’s talent simply reveals a flaw (if you can even call it that) that is more or less always there for Gundy.All of that having been said, this non-attempt made no sense to me. There wasn’t even really anything to lose. Gundy presents himself as a gunslinging CEO bold enough to rock hair down his neck, but he’s not bold enough to throw a 20-yard pass to the sideline in a game in which he stands to make a couple hundred thousand dollars in bonus money just for scoring more points than the other team? The logic just does not add up.There are a number of ways Oklahoma State lost Bedlam — most of them have to do with how poor Mason Rudolph played. But it was this play before halftime and not any decision or indecision Gundy made on the fourth-quarter field goal attempt from Ben Grogan that was the greatest misfire from the head ball coach.The irony, by the way, of Oklahoma State losing to Central Michigan on a Hail Mary that never should have happened and then losing to OU on a Hail Mary that never actually did happen is not lost on me.When there’s blood in the water, great coaches sniff it out. The opposite is also true. When you’re bleeding out, your players, coaches and fans know it. We all watched. We know. Gundy knows. Everybody knows. There is no doubt that Gundy was more conservative than a NASCAR watch party on Saturday. It was bad even for him. It was beyond the conservative attitude he normally displays.And it started right as the first half ended. Oklahoma State would only score three more points after standing on the 50 with 18 seconds left and a conference title in front of them.“I just feel like we lost our edge,” said safety Jordan Sterns.“We didn’t have the same enthusiasm as we did in the first half.”I wonder why. While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. read more

While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. Oklahoma State’s haul of early enrollee’s is highlighted by several players at key positions of need. Perhaps none bigger than inside linebacker, where junior college inside linebacker Patrick Macon will fit like a glove.The former Arizona Western recruit signed with OSU over offers from San Diego State and Utah State, committing months after the Pokes offered just 3 days before the early signing period.In other words, he was a very well-kept secret by Glenn Spencer.In a sense, the inside linebacker is the quarterback of the defense. Remember Ryan Simmons? He was the vocal leader. He knew where guys needed to line up. And he had the instinct to call out plays ahead of time.That’s what Oklahoma State is getting with Macon. He’s a very decisive pass-rusher and, in my opinion, has better lateral agility than Chad Whitener that could make OSU more dynamic at the position. That’s not a knock on Whitener. Just a fact that Macon is a more athletic player on the inside. Kind of like throwing a more physical, larger Jordan Burton on the inside.Check out the first play of his highlight tape here. Even with a step behind after a pause, Macon still gets to the QB and blows up the play.At inside linebacker as I mentioned, being able to sniff out tendencies of teams before a play rolls out is critical. And Macon certainly has that. Scroll to the :24 mark here where he not only sniffs out a screen play, but annihilates it by tossing the running back WWE style.That’s insane.At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, he has the physical size to compete from day one on campus. In fact, he should be able to play immediately given the linebacker depth on the inside.Most junior college prospects that Oklahoma State takes in generally need some fine-tuning before taking the field. Outside of Tyreek Hill, there’s a learning curve for many. But Macon, a junior college all-american, should be ready to step in and play in some capacity from day one. And OSU has him as an early enrollee, so he should be able to get a leg up in the offseason condition program.Mr. Macon, meet Robert Glass. read more

While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. Recruiting the state of Texas has been a staple to the success at Oklahoma State in the Mike Gundy era, and the current staff is looking to keep that rolling with Houston area safety Leon O’Neal Jr. — a four-star recruit who recently named Oklahoma State in his top 12 schools along with Texas, Oregon, Texas A&M, Clemson, Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, TCU, Ohio State, Alabama and USC. O’Neal is rated as the No. 8 safety in the 2018 recruiting class, and a top 100 national recruit.Although he is a defensive recruit, he was being recruited in part by Marcus Arroyo — who jetted off to Oregon to take a new role in Eugene. He visited Stillwater at the end of January along with another OSU target, Taye Barber, who indicated the two might be a packaged deal.Take a deep breath 9 and Pick 12? pic.twitter.com/P6owLKEBon— Leon O’Neal Jr 9️⃣ (@WakeEmUp9) April 2, 2017 read more

The 2013 Cowboys earn top marks in this category during this period but 2011 was just behind with an impressive 1.53 per drive. It’s even more impressive when you consider that the 2011 Cowboys scored at an ultra-high clip and ran an equally high-tempo style. They were 115th in time of possession nationally, leaving the defense out on the field for well over half the game, on average.Last year’s team ranked 85th in that metric and with the possibility of OSU spreading it out on offense even more in 2017, the defense could be in for even more time on the field. If they want to replicate the 2011 defense’s success, forcing turnovers will be key.That 2011 defense came in 3rd in adjusted defensive efficiency (DFEI) which is based on average points scored in non-garbage time and is adjusted for strength of schedule. The 2016 defense came in way behind at 47th in that category.Both defenses had the benefit of elite-level help from special teams. In 2016, OSU led the nation in defensive field position which represents an opponent’s starting field position. Zach Sinor and OSU’s punt coverage team was the most effective in the nation last year. But 2011 was not far behind at 9th nationally in that category.The 2016 Cowboys tied for 72nd nationally in long passing plays given up (10-plus yards) with 113. The 2011 team was actually worse in this category with 145 (tied for second worst nationally). But it made up some of the difference in turnover margin.That brings us to the biggest issue facing the 2017 Cowboys: the young and very inexperienced secondary.The only returning cornerback that has any starting experience is Ramon Richards – and he’s no longer a cornerback.  Help could be on the way in the form of Clemson grad-transfer Adrian Baker who is considering the Cowboys for his final year of eligibility. But that’s still one guy and a bunch of practice reps to look at.Either way, Gundy thinks the Cowboys are still in better shape to handle a long season against the elite offenses the Big 12 showcases.“I just think we have more depth. I think that we’ve recruited longer and that our culture is in place so we have more depth than we did then. We’ve got to get a couple of corners. We need to get a couple of guys that we trust that can play. We’re going to play multiple guys, but at some points we need to get a couple of guys in there in key situations that are fresh that you trust because you’ve got to be able to cover a little bit in this league.“We’ve got to develop some guys. I think we’re going to be a lot better at those two positions in October than we are September 1. It would be difficult to think we could be that good on September 1 because a lot of those guys haven’t played.“It’s difficult because there’s no substitution for experience and we don’t have any experience right now at those positions.”One thing is clear. Mike Gundy is not afraid to make a change. Last season, the defense put on an embarrassing display in the road loss to Baylor. Glenn Spencer’s ensuing flight from Waco to Stillwater probably felt longer than the party side of Mike Gundy’s orange visor.Whatever was said along the way, when the team landed, Spencer had traded in his sideline pompoms for a head set and a cozy seat in the booth.They also started the move to a 3-3-5 “stack” scheme mid-season, similar to the one West Virginia has had success with. The Cowboys will now employ both 3-down and 4-down sets this coming fall. Gundy even brought on former NFL and Notre Dame DC Brian VanGorder, who is well-versed in the alternate scheme, as a second defensive analyst.Maybe OSU can overcome its youth in the secondary. Maybe the defensive line is even better and deeper than we think. Maybe Mason Rudolph is going to scorch the earth and they’ll just outscore everyone.Maybe Mike Gundy knows something we don’t. 20160.85 (+11) 20162.09 (54th) 20151.00 (+13) 20131.15 (+15) 20120.0 (even) Mike Gundy is feeling pretty confident these days. Not cutting the mullet regardless of test scores confident. Like snake-hunting-with-Wild Bill confident.And its not just because he looks to field one of the most potent offenses in the nation this fall. Gundy thinks his defense in 2017 may be the best he’s had in years.“The good news is that we may be better on defense than we were then [in 2011],” Gundy said before spring camp. “Those teams were really good at forcing turnovers which allowed us to get more opportunities so we could outscore you. A lot of what we do in this league has come down to that anyways.”Takeaways are huge and that 2011 team was great at them. It led the nation in turnover margin at 1.62 (+23) thanks to its opportunistic tendencies and the kind of ball-hawking confidence that justified that “WTIB” moniker the Cowboys later adopted.But over the last five years, some Cowboy teams have been better than others at “taking it back”. 20111.62 (+21) YEARDEFENSIVE PPD 2014-0.62 (-8) 20131.29 (5th) 20152.24 (73rd) Last year’s team was tied for 10th nationally at 0.85 (+11) in the turnover department. They grabbed 11 fumbles and reined in 14 interceptions. But the Cowboys lost a lot on that side of the ball. They will be without the players responsible for half of those picks (7) and half of their forced fumbles (6) from last year.Maybe the most important stat for gauging the effectiveness of a defense is the amount of points per drive it allows. YEARTURNOVER MARGIN 20121.93 (46th) While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. 20111.53 (17th) 20142.25 (79th) read more

This isn’t of the utmost importance, but hey it’s almost May, and there is not a lot going on right now. The AP Top 25 poll will be released in August, and I’m already excited to see where Oklahoma State will rank on it. They ended last year at No. 11, return their most important pieces and figure to be somewhere in that area come the fall.But one man who has some experience in predicting these thing says OSU will not start the season in the top 10. Phil Steele has been predicting the AP Top 10 for a long time now, and last year he nailed all 10 teams (albeit in a slightly wrong order). Here was his prediction in March:AlabamaClemsonOUFlorida StateLSUOhio StateMichiganStanfordTennesseeNotre DameAnd here was the actual AP Top 10 released in August 2016: AlabamaClemsonOUFlorida StateOhio StateLSUStanfordMichiganNotre DameTennesseeSo yeah, that’s pretty impressive. Here is his prediction for this year:AlabamaOhio StateFlorida StateUSCOklahomaClemsonPenn StateWashingtonWisconsinFloridaNo Pokes. Again, this is all subjective and could change over the next few months, but Steele is pretty good at this.The eight year totals are very strong. When I predict the AP Top 10 in February/March (about a half year ahead of the actual AP poll), I have now hit on 76 of 80 teams. That means hitting all 10 teams in four of the eight years and missing by just one team in the other four years. Once again, predicting the top ten teams in the AP poll 5-6 months in advance, the record is now 76 out of 80 or 95%!This is not a particularly difficult exercise. I would liken it to predicting all 68 NCAA Tournament teams. It sounds difficult, but it really comes down to guessing on which one or two teams is going to sneak in at the very end.Pollsters are predictable. They don’t know how good teams are going to be so they gravitate towards blue bloods (especially in the top 10) when filling these things out.I would expect OSU to check in somewhere between 11-13 when the top 25 comes out in August. For what it’s worth, OSU is currently No. 26 in FPI and behind OU, TCU, Texas and just ahead of Baylor in the Big 12. ? While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. read more

Oklahoma State’s No. 1 target at the wide receiver position has been acquired, as four-star prospect CJ Moore announced he has committed to Oklahoma State. Here’s his message he posted to twitter on Monday morning.“First I wanna thank God! I’m beyond blessed to do what I’m about to do! Also thanks to my family, teammates, coaches and friends for making me strive for greatness! With that being said I’ll be a dual-sport athlete long jumping and playing football at OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY!!!!!”Moore held offers from 20 big time schools, and committed to OSU over his top 6 schools that included Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss, Nebraska and Mississippi State. He becomes the second pass-catcher in OSU’s 2018 class joining tight end Nic McTear, and the first true wide receiver in the recruiting class. While you’re here, we’d like you to consider subscribing to Pistols Firing and becoming a PFB+ member. It’s a big ask from us to you, but it also comes with a load of benefits like ad-free browsing (ads stink!), access to our premium room in The Chamber and monthly giveaways.The other thing it does is help stabilize our business into the future. As it turns out, sending folks on the road to cover games and provide 24/7 Pokes coverage like the excellent article you just read costs money. Because of our subscribers, we’ve been able to improve our work and provide the best OSU news and community anywhere online. Help us keep that up. read more

Liga MX Despite deep team, America can’t overlook Club Tijuana Jon Arnold Click here to see more stories from this author @ArnoldcommaJon Last updated 1 year ago 07:00 24/2/2018 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) Pedro Pardo Liga MX América América v Tijuana Tijuana Opinion Key players like Mateus Uribe will get a rest Saturday ahead of next week’s Clasico Nacional, but Xolos could be tougher than expected Miguel Herrera has been particularly blunt lately. After a 5-1 thrashing of Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions League, he said he had “no need for diplomacy” and acknowledged his team was far superior to Saprissa. That much was clear from the result. Why not say it?Herrera is enjoying himself. He should be. His undefeated America team tops the table. The offseason additions, made mostly to shore up an attack that managed to score in zero of four playoff matches last tournament, have worked perfectly. Las Aguilas have 15 goals in eight matches so far this tournament, tied atop the league.Yet with his old charges in town, Herrera needs to make sure not only that his team is feeling the good vibes he’s putting out but also that they’re ready to face a Tijuana team that could surprise. Next week is a big one for America. The second leg of the CCL against Saprissa looks easier — it now would take an absolute calamity to fail to reach the quarterfinals. But next weekend brings the Clasico Nacional against Chivas. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Williams case shows Solskjaer isn’t holding Man Utd’s youngsters back – he’s protecting them Goalkeeper crisis! Walker to the rescue but City sweating on Ederson injury ahead of Liverpool clash Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Always in touch with the America supporters, Herrera is looking ahead to that game. He’s resting Mateus Uribe, who sits one yellow card away from picking up a suspension for accumulation, against Tijuana to make sure he’s available to face Chivas. Instead, William da Silva will move into the midfield with Carlos Vargas fit to play at left back. Andres Ibarguen will start as well.”I see Ibarguen as a really good player. He’s very good, nice, he brings a good atmosphere and he’s taking advantage of the minutes he’s had,” Herrera said. “Fortunately we chose well when putting the group together and everyone knows they have to be at a good level.”Herrera does have a deep team at his disposal. After signing Ibarguen and forward Jeremy Menez in the offseason to bolster the attack and seeing a surprising emergence from Henry Martin, he has plenty of weapons going forward. That’s not even mentioning veteran Oribe Peralta, a streaky player who looks to be entering a good run of form after struggling in December and January. Darwin Quintero, the Colombian winger, would start at most teams in North America but isn’t making the 18 with America. That’s partly because of foreign player rules but partly because of the glut of talent the team has.At the back, signing Emanuel Aguilera from Tijuana and getting Paul Aguilar back from injury has America tough to beat. If the defenders do fall short, Agustin Marchesin is making a case he’s the best goalkeeper in Liga MX.All in all, Herrera has a dynamo of a team and has it playing like the best side in Mexico and a favorite to win the CONCACAF Champions League. Still, looking past Xolos and on to Saprissa and Chivas could set his team up for failure.Tijuana’s coach may not have any history with the former players, but several of his players know how they play. Center back Aguilera, left back Vargas and midfielder Guido Rodriguez were Xolos under Herrera, as were likely substitutes Martin and Joe Corona. The opposing players will know the tendencies, how players like to attack, what they can and can’t get away with. That’s not to mention the fact that Tijuana is a better team than Chivas in the first place. Diego Cocca has been conservative on the road and Tijuana is struggling with injuries to Gustavo Bou and Ignacio Malcorra. There still are capable attackers, and the veteran defense has allowed just five goals in eight matches this tournament.Herrera says his team knows that, and last weekend’s comeback draw against Veracruz showed the fight it has in all situations.”I like the attitude, the determination and the desire to not let a single point go,” he said. “This point meant a lot for our attitude, how we didn’t let it go. That’s the good thing about this team, that it doesn’t fall down. Losing the undefeated run could happen at any time, but the attitude of the guys is what stands out.”America must show plenty of desire for the undefeated run to continue this weekend against a tough Tijuana side that knows America inside and out. Overlook Xolos, and America will open itself up to a slip-up that will blunt Herrera’s happy mood ahead of a critical week. read more