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Queenstown Rovers are looking to make history this weekend in the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup.

The Jamie Whitmarsh-coached side will host Nelson Suburbs on Saturday at the Queenstown Events Centre as they look to make the quarterfinals for the first time in New Zealand Footballs premier knockout cup competition.

Nelson Suburbs have decided to drive to Christchurch and then fly from there to Queenstown. The match which will be played in bitterly cold conditions a high of 2 degrees Celsius and a low -2 is forecast for Saturday in Queenstown and is expected to be an evenly fought contest.

Whitmarsh said playing at home would be a big factor as they look to go one step further than last year when they were edged by Southern Premier League champions Caversham in the fourth round.

There is a history and tradition associated with the Chatham Cup and like any cup competition there is that added sense of excitement that comes with playing a one of knockout game, said Whitmarsh. For our club this is only the second time we have reached this stage so the excitement levels are that bit higher.

Whitmarsh said it has been great to get his team back into full training after they lost their facilities for a few days when the British and Irish Lions rugby team were training in town.

Queenstown Rovers made their way into the fourth round thanks to a first half hat-trick from Carlos Herrmann which helped them defeat Dunedin Technical 3-2 away from home.

Meanwhile, Nelson Suburbs progressed to the fourth round courtesy of Ross McPhies goal in the 39th minute to overcome Coastal Spirit 1-0.

Whitmarsh is expecting a tough challenge from Suburbs who have also never won the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup.

I get a sense that they will be similar to us in the way they play. Any team that gets to this stage cant be taken lightly and needs to be respected.

Whitmarsh described his Queenstown squad as a global team. Historically Rovers have had players from all over the world and this season is no different with players from Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Germany, England, Scotland, New Zealand and Japan to name a few.

He said it would mean a huge amount to his squad to book their place in the quarterfinals and be one step closer to ISPS Handa Chatham Cup glory.

We all still remember the buzz around town when we played Caversham at the same stage last year for a developing club like ours it would be massive. We have hopes and aspirations to one day become a household name in New Zealand football circles and this is another opportunity to show the people of the country that continue to do good things in football.

Meanwhile, Dunedin club side Caversham face a tough away clash with Mainland Premier League heavyweights Cashmere Technical in the other match featuring South Island teams.

Defending champions Birkenhead United, who made history with their first win of the title last year, are away to Three Kings United.

Miramar Rangers, four-time champions of the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup, are again drawn away from home and will have a tough challenge on their hands when they come against Wairarapa United who have former Wellington Phoenix star Paul Ifill in their squad.

Six-time champions North Shore United, who have not lifted the trophy since 1986, will look to upset another five-time champions in Central United at Kiwitea Street.

There are also other great matches in store when Onehunga Sports hosts Melville United and Western Springs are at home to meet Bay Olympic.

The final match of the round is Stop Out Sports Club hosting Western Suburbs in the Capital / Central region.

The ISPS Handa Chatham Cup is an open knockout competition from throughout New Zealand which is one of the oldest sporting trophies in the country dating back to 1923.

The most successful teams in the history of the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup are Mount Wellington (seven wins, two of them since amalgamation with Auckland University), Christchurch United and North Shore United (six wins each).

Posted on Thursday, July 13th, 2017

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Queenstown look to make history - New Zealand Football

The Brumbies are the only side to have qualified from the Australian conference for the Super Rugby quarter-finals and the duo were injured in Friday's 16-15 loss to the Queensland Reds.

Toua has been ruled out for between four to six weeks after being diagnosed with a grade one high ankle sprain while Godwin is expected to miss up to three months after being taken off in the second half with a knee injury.

"We are disappointed for the guys who have done so much for us this year," head coach Stephen Larkham said in a Brumbies statement.

"The boys may not be able to take to the park in finals but they will certainly take part in the preparation with the rest of the team."

Flanker Chris Alcock sustained a deep gash to his thigh but is expected to be in contention for the knockout game at home against the Highlanders on July 21, the Brumbies added.

Wallabies lock Rory Arnold suffered a shoulder injury but has recovered well and will be in contention for the last-eight clash. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

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Brumbies lose backs Godwin and Toua to injuries - Eurosport.com

A random attack inEast Price Hill, Ohio last Saturday looks suspiciously like another incident of theknockout game.

Will Griffith, a 54-year-old man, was allegedly attacked byKeith Capell at random. Griffith was left with fractures in his skull, jaw, and eye.(RELATED:Texas Couple Brutally Attacked In Knockout-Game Style Incident)

Griffith reportedly said, All I know is I was walking home and I ended up in the hospital.

Capell has been charged with, felonious assault and possession of heroin, WKRC Cincinnati reports.

The knockout game, which went viral in 2013, is a trend where groups of people on the street, often African-American, sneak up on others and punch them in the head with the goal of knocking them out.

Many on the leftmock concern over the game, calling it over-covered, or a myth, despite the fact that people have been killed over it before.

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Apparent 'Knockout Game' Attack In Ohio Sends Man To Hospital - The Daily Caller

William Griffith, Jr. said he was just minding his own business walking home last Saturday afternoon following his job cleaning elderly peoples apartments when he got a very unwelcome greeting from a fellow pedestrian on a Cincinnati sidewalk.

Surveillance video shows a man approaching Griffith from behind and sucker punching him in the head.

The blow crumpled the victim to the pavement and knocked him out, WCPO-TV reported, citing Hamilton County court documents.

I was stunned, Griffith told WXIX-TV. I couldnt believe it. I mean, the dude came right up from behind me

He told the station he doesnt know his attacker who is seen on video walking away right after the sucker punch or why he did it.

This generation, I dont know, Griffith told WXIX. Im old school. Im 54 years old I dont know their motives I mean, just to have fun?

After the surveillance video hit social media, it was identified as the infamous knockout game, WCPO said a scary pastime in which pedestrians are randomly punched and cellphone videos of the assaults are often posted online.

Griffith suffered facial cuts, a black eye and a broken jaw and said if the attack on him was a kind of game, he doesnt find it amusing.

I mean if you wanna get a thrill, do something positive, he told WXIX.

If theres any silver lining in this situation, 29-year-old Keith Capell was arrested Wednesday and was charged with felonious assault in connection to the incident, WCPO reported, citing a complaint filed in the case.

Capell was in court Thursday morning and given a $260,000 bond, WCPO noted, adding that the presiding judge said he was frustrated by the limitations given him in setting Capells bond.

Capells attorney said the victim threatened [Capell] with a knife, WCPO reported, but the prosecutor said that wasnt true.

Capell also had less than 1 ounce of heroin in small baggies when he was arrested and was charged with possession of drugs, WCPO added, citing the complaint.

(H/T: Truth Revolt)

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Sucker punch from behind on city sidewalk knocks out man, 54: 'This ... - TheBlaze.com

MONTREAL It was a wild first half of the Major League Soccer season marked by last-minute goals at both ends of the field, but the bottom line forthe Montreal Impactis that they won only five of their 17 games.

So while the Impact (5-6-6) have rebounded from slow starts in the past, they have their work cut out for them to put wins together and pushto make the playoffsfor a third straight season.

That begins July 19, when play resumes after a two-week break in the MLS schedule.

"We can't dwell on that," defender Daniel Lovitz said after the Impact ended the first half of the 34-game regular season with a feeble 3-1 loss in Houston. "We need to use the timeto forget about it but also to look at ourselves and see what we could have done better.

"It's not rocket science what we need to do. We'll look at ourselves as a group and come back and turn it all around."

It should help that they will play seven of their next nine games at home, starting July 19 against Philadelphia. Theyplayed 10 of 17 games on the road so far.

Montreal is 4-2-1 at home and 1-4-5 away.

And management will be looking for reinforcementswhen the transfer window opens Saturday. The top prioritybecame left back depth whenAmbroise Oyongo's season ended with a knee injury sufferedon international duty for Cameroon last month. Lovitz took his place, but thenmissed time withaminor injury that forced right-footed Chris Duvall to play the left side.

The Impact entered the season with optimism after reaching the Eastern Conference final last fall, where they lost in extra time to rival Toronto FC after upsetting D.C. United in a knockout game and then toppling the New York Red Bulls in their semifinal.

Didier Drogba was gone, but the aging Ivorian star had become a bench player while newcomer Matteo Mancosu excelled up front late in the seasonand in the playoffs.

But things haven't gone as planned. The Impact have let points slip away repeatedly thus far, often through weak defensive coverage and mental lapses.

In their second game of the season at Olympic Stadium, they wasted a 2-0 lead as Seattle scored twice in the second half. On April 29 at Saputo Stadium, they lost 2-1 to Vancouver on a late Cristian Techera goal and on May 13, Justin Meram completed a hat-trick in added time to give Columbus a 3-2 win on Montreal turf.

Theyled 3-2 in Orlando on June 17 only to concede the equalizer in stoppage time. A 1-0 win on May 6 against last-place D.C. was their only away victory.

But they've had thrilling moments of their own, including Anthony Jackson-Hamel's added time goal for a 2-1 home win over Atlanta,a three-goal comeback for adraw in Chicagoand a late Mancosu goal to earn a 1-1tie in Kansas City.

Like most teams, they've also had to deal with injuries. Star winger Ignacio Piatti missed four games but still leads the club with eight goals. Defender Victor Cabrera has played only seven games, while midfielder Andres Romero, who they hoped to have back healthy after missing all of last season, has played only one league match.

Off-season signing Adrian Arregui proved ineffective and was released.

On the plus side was the in-season arrival of Swiss midfielder Blerim Dzemaili, a heady playmaker who has three goals and four assists in seven games and has become the leader of the attack. Jackson-Hamel emerged as a valid option at striker with five goals in only 10 games, with a team-leading 1.23 goals per 90 minutes played. Another academy product, 18-year-old Ballou Tabla, has shown dazzling skill.

Also, 2016 draft pick Kyle Fisher has earned regular minutes with his physical play alongside Laurent Ciman in the central defence.

With stronger team play and better focus, especially on set pieces and late in matches, the ninth-place Impact can still save their season. They are seven points behind Columbus for the sixth and final playoff spot with three games in hand.

In 2015, they were 5-7-3 at the mid-point, but rallied to make the playoffs andreach the conference semifinals.

Dzemaili will be given two weeks off to rest because he had no off-season between playing for Italian club Bologna FC and joining the Impact in May, but there will be no rest for Jackson-Hamel, captain Patrice Bernier and back-up goalie Max Crepeau, who are with the Canadian national teamat the Gold Cup tournament.

The Impact also have a friendly match July 12inOttawa against their USL affiliate, the Fury.

Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press

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Impact look to fix defensive lapses in second half of MLS season - GuelphToday