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Copa America 2024: Argentina now through to Sunday’s Final after a 2-0 win v Canada

by Sports Benches

We all love the joy of witnessing these fairy tale moments such as Canada who made it as far as the semis off the back of a undefeated performances bar the opening round defeat v Argentina including that Quarter-Final win the other day v Venezuela via penalties. However, facing a top side like the Argentinians again were never easy indeed with the likes of Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez following a 2-0 semi-finals loss earlier this afternoon at MetLife Stadium in New York. Although Canada’s unreal Copa America run isn’t over just yet with a third-place Playoff match coming up this weekend against the loser of the 2nd semi-final match as we turn our attention to Colombia v Uruguay in Charlotte, NC tomorrow morning.

First of all, Canada weren’t bad for the most part defensively other than a couple of mis-timed tackles and passes that led to two Argentina goals where it could’ve been 0-0 to give themselves a lifeline like another 30 mins of extra time and maybe penalty shootouts or even a successful goal or two would do it to stop Argentina from bothering them. They did have a couple of late chances though to try and hold back Argentina but then there was very little time left against the clock unfortunately as the game well and truly belongs to the Defending Champions. As said, they had a spectacular run as being the best North American side in this competition across the Americas & sure Canada will keep on grinding towards regular silverware like the future CONCACAF Gold Cup editions sooner rather than later. But it’s all about South America for now when Canada is now out of the tournament with three nations left in the running that will become two in less than 24 hours time.

Meanwhile, it’s great to see Argentina advance to the Final once again following an easy 2-0 win v Canada having dominated the pitch for most of the game. Yes, they could’ve done a bit better as if Argentina was using this semi as a practice match for the Final as no opponent will ever them a free run. However, they did profit the defensive errors Canada couldn’t capitalise at their own end where Argentina successfully found the net on both occasions by Alvarez and Messi before the clock ticks down ahead of full-time & Argentina are now step closer towards hopefully winning their record 16th title. At the moment, Argentina currently have 15 titles which is tied with potential finalists Uruguay who might be there to spoil their championship-winning celebrations come Sunday & maybe be the most successful team in Copa America history – if Uruguay can beat Colombia in the other semi tomorrow. Regardless of what happens, Argentina wouldn’t mind to come up against anyone whether if it’s Uruguay or Colombia as long as they can get the job done with goals to win them yet another trophy.

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Thoughts on Craig Bellamy now replacing Rob Page as Head Coach for the Wales Men’s National Team rather than staying at Burnley

by Sports Benches

Craig Bellamy has just made up his mind and he will be moving back closer to home in Wales where he will be replacing Rob Page with the national team job there. It will his be first big job as No.1 having been through a few backroom coaching stints such as Anderlecht in Belgium’s Pro League & most recently with Burnley in England whose side will be returning to the Championship for the new season. The timing is looking right now at 45 when he first couldn’t take over the Oxford United job back then while he was not selected for the previous Wales head coach vacancy at the time that all goes back to 2018 but sure he’s learned a lot from someone who’s been there and done that by winning many games and silverware in the past.

Plus, he is someone who is attack minded based on his previous coaching experiences including stints with the Cardiff City and Anderlecht youth teams and also willing to adapt to the modern game off the back of his playing days as a forward in spite of his managerial inexperience. Although it’s not exactly domestic/club level, but at least he will managing with pride for the heart of his country where he’s been there and done that many times as a player while getting to spend more time with family. Not only that, he will have the best squad available to him on occasions throughout the year in the hope of leading Wales towards another World Cup run in 2026 and a return to the Euros come 2028 – even though it will be in the UK/Ireland.

It’s been a wild last 2-3 months when Vincent Kompany left Burnley for Bayern Munich with Craig taking temporary charge of the club before Scott Parker replaced the Belgian for the full-time head coach position a few days ago and even though Scott wanted to keep him as one of his No.2 assistants, Craig wants to still test himself as the leading man in the dugout someday and that time begins now with Wales. Yes, it’s going to be a blow for Scott who wants to keep him around so he can help him get Burnley go straight back to the Premier League after he two promotions there with Fulham and Bournemouth. But there’s always another decent No.2 to replace Craig soon enough if possible as we wish Craig all the best with Wales as a head coach.

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ANZ Premiership: Central Pulse capped off an amazing finish to Round 13 with the five goal win over the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic with two key players back tonight from injury

by Sports Benches

So there we have it, the Central Pulse have stole the show that was supposed to be the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic at Globox Arena in Hamilton by five goals, 48-53. It was a Magic first half who controlled the court very nicely despite some good moments from the Pulse off the back of an excellent start to the match where Pulse were four goals behind at half-time, 26-22. Now the 3rd quarter might still be under the Magic for a bit longer but a series of changes off the bench from the Pulse forced their hand with the win including two key players back from injury, such as Amelia Warmsley & Maddy Gordon. Not only that, the Pulse regained top spot ahead of the Mainland Tactix yet again on the ANZ Premiership ladder while Magic need to show something special now if they wish to play Finals netball this year as we go into Round 14 of 15 this weekend.

Whitney Souness has been working so hard throughout the full hour that got away with the Pulse win in Hamilton at wing attack. She’s got the athleticism and mobility to manufacture her team’s impressive start where goals were made there off her passing supply despite being a bit behind for the most part. However, gotta say the 2nd half got the best out of her game thanks to a few returning players off the bench from the treatment room including reserve goal shooter Amelia Warmsley while turning the tide from the Magic’s series of late errors. She knows what it takes to be at her best in a winning side and tonight was another of these matches Whitney took part in the starting 7 in the hope of holding off 1st with two rounds to go and then some extra preparation if possible would do it to sweep home towards the Grand Final and go all in for the win.

Then we’ve got another Pulse standout star this time in the back three in none other than goal defender Parris Mason, who as said kept the Magic attack quiet, particularly when she & her side were able to turn things around big time throughout the 2nd half. Every time the Magic felt hesitant or isolated, Parris read really well before she applied with excellent physical and multi-sport skills to keep that ball play going alongside her towering team-mate Kelly Jackson – which was job well done where goals and the eventual lead towards the finish line went her way. She’s doing the best she can now to finish off the regular season on a high as the No.1 ranked team by proving to the Tall Ferns (women’s b’ball) that Parris is indeed looking to win from somewhere that isn’t the Olympics after being left out a few months ago but with the ANZ Premiership crown.

And Magic goal shooter Saviour Tui did the best she can to put her team on the map where her side just couldn’t stay up front as the clock ticks down at goal shooter. As said, the Magic led the way for the most part thanks to a functioning back three defense of their own alongside a hard-working Claire O’Brien present to give Tui the shooting stuff she needs to get into the net. But what really lets her down is Magic benching her off the court later on while witnessing a series of mistakes that slipped away to the hands of the Pulse towards the end. It didn’t work unfortunately without Tui’s fun-loving goal scoring opportunities to finish off inside the circle. With two rounds to go, Tui needs her team’s support to wrestle back that 3rd and final spot for the elimination final & hope that Northern Mystics lose the last two games v Pulse & Northern Stars.

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What now for ex-Wales forward Craig Bellamy following Scott Parker’s appointment at Burnley either as one of his assistants or finally take over the Wales Head Coach role

by Sports Benches

With Scott Parker now in charge at Burnley for however long that might be depending on his performances this season in the EFL Championship, what does it mean for ex-Wales forward and seasoned first-team coach Craig Bellamy? He’s been at the club long enough having rejected the chance to follow Vincent Kompany following his move to Bayern Munich in Germany’s Bundesliga league last month after being around his corner for a couple of years in Belgium on top of coaching the Anderlecht youth U-21 team. Although he did take a year off back home for some time back in 2021-22 due to a toll on his mental health before he came back once Kompany moved to England a year later with Burnley following its straight relegation from the Premier League last time around at Championship level. According to some reports earlier this week, he is expected to stick around rather than being let go as one of Parker’s assistant coaches alongside Henrik Jensen – even though he is still on the radar when it comes to Wales’s head coaching position. It’s still up for grabs until at least September for their next set of matches after Rob Page was gone a few months back having failed to help them qualify for the Euros via Play-Offs v Poland.

At age 44/45 now, he would’ve at least liked to have one senior head coaching job under his belt when he was unsuccessful 1-2 times several years ago all within 2018 – such as the previous Wales Head Coach position to Ryan Giggs while he thought he was going to take over the Oxford United job in League 1 (now a Championship side via Play-Offs) but then that club had a change of owners at the time and he didn’t agree with the way the owner wanted to go in the end. Not even being the acting head coach for a while would count when Burnley needed to move on uninterrupted like taking charge of pre-season training.

If he was to take over the Wales head coach job at last, then good for him. He will bring a lot of Welshness alongside some excellent coaching experience that he studied and taught across Belgium and England’s top 2 leagues into the squad where he’s been there & done that so many times as a player – which will translate well for these players who have plenty of International caps between them while some will benefit from his coaching methods for those who are new into the setup.

Not only that, he will always be at home for the most part with his family in the heart of Wales while getting the chance to lead them Internationally on a few occasions throughout the year including training sessions to cover as well. They have some unfinished business such as qualifying for the World Cup again in 2026 before he might get the chance to lead them for the home next Euros tournament in 2028 across the UK and Ireland depending on the next Euros qualification process as they will either have to go through it manually or win the automatic berth since it’s been hosted by several different UK & Irish nations.

But having been out and about for so long where the shipped has sailed when it comes to being the No.1 in a coaching side while currently living around the North of England in Manchester, continuing to be second in charge would be best for him since Parker needs him whom they know each other well from his playing days at West Ham back in 2007-2009. Now he might not be with Kompany anymore when the Belgian is now in Germany but at least he will be working with someone – who shares the same attacking football philosophies including some Belgium Pro League combined experiences too – which they’ve done it many times before on their own, although Parker’s one was short-lived with Club Brugge though for 67 days.

If he was to move again, then it will have to be somewhere within the UK unless Parker gets sacked again at Turf Moor unexpectedly and he will finally be No.1 there. Other than that, the choice is his to take whichever way it might be. But having experienced some mental toll after being away from the UK, it seems he will rather stay at Turf Moor as No.2 to Parker to help support for himself and his family – see Mark Hudson for reference when he was sacked at clubs every now and then when his family was really worried about him not being able to continue to work when Football moves so fast with coaching nowadays.

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Soccer: Colombia too good 5-0 that ended Panama’s extended run in the Copa America Quarter-Finals en route towards yet another semi-final this time against Brazil or Uruguay

by Sports Benches

Colombia absolutely too good on what has been an excellent team showing that ended Panama’s good run up until the Quarter-Finals with a 5-0 win just now as they will either take on Uruguay or Brazil for the 2nd Copa America semi-final match on 10am Thursday morning at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. So that leaves Canada now as the only North American team in the running alongside three other South American sides including their semi opponents Argentina which is going to be incredibly difficult since they’re the current champs. However, they have the team spirit to hopefully give them a tough time having made excellent progress over the last few years – even with Jesse Marsch in charge now who is doing well.

All good things has to end at some point unfortunately when Panama had a great group stage campaign such as wins against the USA and Bolivia off the back of a deep CONCACAF Gold Cup run to the Final last year (Finished 2nd to Mexico with a 1-0 loss) despite losing to Uruguay in the opening match. This is a team Panama should be proud of as there’s unfinished business ahead that would make them stronger as one of the North American teams out there alongside Canada, Mexico and the USA like qualifying for the 2nd time since 2018 to compete in the next World Cup in two years time across North America as well as another excellent next Gold Cup and Copa America showing if possible would be their next two targets. For now, it’s been a disappointing end when they so vulnerable defensively for the most part. Although they did had some ball on occasions with a bit more progress later on where 1- 2 goals could’ve been theirs, but then the match was already over way before full-time.

Meanwhile, Colombians including the some of its huge supporters groups all over the US have been partying all match to see them advance into the semi-finals yet again & this time it won’t be a semis rematch after all unless they make it into the Final with Argentina in it. They were simply destructive mainly in attack with so much possession to put themselves ahead of the game including an excellent 3-0 first-half performance. Yes, things might have slowed things down a bit as the game goes on but they were still way comfortable up front despite some improved Panama ball before a few changes off the bench helped Colombia finished off the match on a high including their 5th and final goal off a successful quick penalty kick past the keeper & into the net. Whatever that is, Colombia needs their full strong support worldwide in the hope of advancing to their 3rd Copa America Final and the last time they’ve done it was back in 2001 with the one and only triumph v Mexico 1-0 at home.

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Thoughts on Scott Parker returning to management now with Burnley after 2 x Championship promotions but also underwhelming spells in the EPL & Belgium

by Sports Benches

And just before the weekend, Burnley FC have finally got a replacement onboard to replace the now Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany in none other than ex-England midfielder Scott Parker. He’s the man who guided both Fulham via the Play-Offs in 2019-20 and Bournemouth as runner-up in 2021-22 to also Fulham to Premier League promotions over the last couple of years in the EFL Championship but has yet to cut it in the top flight, having experienced one full season relegation in West London while being sacked only a few matches into the new season with Bournemouth.

Then things went from bad to worse when he took the chance to cut his teeth abroad at Club Brugge in Belgium’s Pro League but he only won just 2 games out of 12 that only lasted 67 days en route towards yet another sacking as he’s been out of management a little over a year until he’s now back at Turf Moor to try and get this club straight back into the Premier League. The new season will start in early August on Tuesday 13th at 5am AEST against fellow Premier League relegation side Luton Town in the hope of topping this table once again throughout the 2024/25 season, would look pretty nice for him to guide a 3rd Championship promotion to the PL but this time with the finish for 1st.

Burnley has been there before back in 2022/23 with Kompany before they struggled to keep up with the Premier League table following another relegation finish in 19th and sure they’ll do it again this time under Parker.

Yes, there will be some people who will criticise him for not being good in the Premier League when he complained of Bournemouth not being backed to succeed there upon his 2nd head coach firing after Bournemouth lost too much v Liverpool 9-0 nearly two years ago and yet they did well in 13th under Gary O’Neil – who is very good with the coaching side of things rather than him feeling like he has the responsibility of what a traditional old-fashioned manager does in English soccer- which is now predominantly redundant nowadays. Although O’Neil wasn’t kept on when Bournemouth wanted to do things differently with really good football under Androni Irola, he didn’t do bad though at Wolves last season in 14th.

Don’t forget Scott witnessed the same thing when Fulham spent 100 million pounds of players upon their return into the Premier League at the first attempt back in 2020-21 & unfortunately, that didn’t go well for him despite winning a couple of games on what has been a mostly underwhelming season where they returned straight to the 2nd tier in 18th place.

However, he has some qualities that is relevant to the modern game such as playing possession-based/attacking football, knows how to get the best out of young players and can be expansive on how he coaches them too with a back four for the majority and sometimes back three/five on occasions if required. Not only that, he will be sorely be responsible of the coaching since he will take over the head coach title while Burnley will continue to buy players soon enough to help Scott dominate this Championship table that suits his tactics. The club have already began their transfer activity with right-back Shurandy Sambo from PSV for free the other day when they were still managerless at the time not long before Parker’s arrival.

Now he will soon get back to work to coach the players starting next week under a three-year deal as time will tell if he can finally do better in the Premier League at some point should Burnley be promoted once again, so clubs like West Ham (his old playing club) can give him a chance to try and compete in the Top 6-7 every season alongside some deep domestic cup runs.

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UEFA Euro 2024: Spain to meet France in the 1st semi-final having seen Spain eliminate the hosts Germany while France escaped Portgual’s endless attempts via penalties

by Sports Benches

What a day it has been this morning through the first of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship Quarter-Finals that went through the very end across Germany where the hosts were beaten by Spain 2-1 in Stuggart even though they’ve kept the game going for a bit longer while France defeated Portugal via penalties in Hamburg when no score was settled for both sides through 90 mins of normal time and 30 mins of extra time. Now that the first semi-final match is set to go on Wednesday morning between Spain v France, all eyes on 2021 runner-up England if they can get the job done tomorrow morning v Switzerland with a hint of a formation change by going with a back three defensive strategy before we will find out soon enough whether or not if Turkey’s fairy tale run will continue going into the semis at the same time v the Netherlands,

Heartbreak from the hosts who did the best they can to keep the match going having responded well to Spain’s 2nd half lead with a few attempts to try and get the job done towards goal. Yes, great to see Bayer Lekekusen forward Florian Wirtz who gave his country a lifeline off a clean strike through the middle – having his side held back Spain’s early celebration a bit longer ahead of extra time. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the match they wanted to finish off when the keeper should’ve saved that header which turned out to be Spain’s 2nd goal as it could’ve gone onto penalties to try & boot Spain out of the tournament. Then another series of hit and misses in the last few minutes despite being given three minutes more than the added 2nd extra time period have clearly summed up their disappointment from the last eight on home soil as the next time Germany will seek their next European crown will be 2028 in the UK/Ireland – 32 years from their one & only title back in 1996.

Meanwhile, Spain did so well to put themselves ahead straight after half-time through a brilliant straight line strike off Dani Olmo when the first half didn’t go their way when it comes to the possession. They had a few scares at times every time the Germans tried to get the job done like that poor goal kick before Wirtz at least levelled the scoreboard that led to another 30 minutes of play at extra time. But they’re glad to wrap up the game with a huge sigh of relief thanks to a brilliant header by Mikel Merino when the opposition keeper hesitated to save the ball before it led to the Spaniards regaining the lead for their 2nd goal just in time for his side’s own keeper to stop Germany from slipping away towards the very final full-time whistle at the 126th minute. Now they will be in the semis yet again in the hope of advancing into the Final since 2012 when they did well last time out v Italy in Ukraine & if Spain can go all the way, then this could be their record 4th title in the Euros history.

Looking at the other Quarter-Final match, France were relieved to get away with Portgual’s endless shooting attempts with some excellent saves alongside the solid defensive work they’ve put in that didn’t make it into goal all night long whereas Portugal would be very frustrated on what has been a painful end to the tournament following a scoreless first 120 mins that could’ve been their night like scoring 2-3 goals to wrap up early instead of walking away empty handed. Yes, France might not have found the opportunities they desired up front off the back of a strong Portugal ball. But they did however win this game via penalties when a mis-timed Joao Felix penalty shootout attempt went their way through the woodwork before Theo Hernandez scored the 5th and final winning penalty goal that sent France into the semis now v Spain. It looks like France has made Portugal pay when they broke their hearts back in the 2016 Final on home soil 1-0 at Stade De France as Portugal’s poor hit and misses ultimately gave them the exit boot while France is chasing their 3rd Euros crown in 25 years now since 2000.

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Argentina’s record 16th Copa America chase continues following a brilliant finish with the Quarter-Finals win via penalties v Ecuador

by Sports Benches

July 4 may have taken place today in the US but that doesn’t mean soccer can’t be played without them when Copa America began the knockout stages in the first of the four Quarter-Finals at the same time between Argentina v Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Texas. It was almost a quiet game for a start when Argentina took the early lead off a successful in the first 45 minutes where they led 1-0 before Ecuador gave themselves a lifeline that held them back a bit longer thanks to substitute left winger Keven Rodriguez just minutes towards the end of normal time (90 mins) as this match isn’t over just yet.

Although both teams were unable to break the equaliser over the next extra half-hour, but at the end of the day, one winner has to advance into the semis while the other will have to pack their bags back home early. The winner belongs to Argentina following a 4-2 penalty win where their supporters went wild while they got the share with the Americans on their birthday as a whole nation. Now Argentina’s US tour continues to New Jersey now at MetLife Stadium in five days time (Wednesday 10AM AEST) – the home of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final as it will either be Venezuela or Canada now in Quarter-Final match No.2 where one of them will go on to take on Argentina come tomorrow 10 AM also within Texas but this time at AT&T Stadium.

Heartbreak for Ecuador where they were so fortunate enough to keep the game alive until the very end but there were a few missed opportunities that could’ve seen them advance into the semis instead of the Argentineans. Yes, they weren’t bad to get the ball rolling but it was simply their poor executions that came back to bit them such as that back-to-back mis-timed shots on goal including that early 2nd half penalty before more & more of these hit and misses made it so easy for Argentina to put the ball away from the in-goal at the sudden death shootout – which ultimately confirmed their elimination from the last 8 yet again over their last 3 out of 4 campaigns. It would’ve been about three decades now since their last semi-final there on home soil back in 1993 if they did win v Argentina as Ecuador will have to try again next time for the next Copa America in 2028.

Meanwhile, congratulations to Argentina with the brilliant win after they escaped the threat of Ecuador unscathed via penalties. Great to hear they’ve got the lead early while trying to hold out until at least the end of normal time (90 mins or 100 mins you would like to call it these days) for the win but then those plans were held back by Ecuador last minute when Argentina could’ve done better to cash in on the opposition’s hit and miss attempts such as scoring 2-0 or 3-0 in order to give themselves a bit of an early mark ahead of the semis. But they’ve did well however to bring this game to a close where Argentina was always good to in penalties like we’ve seen in the past – such as their 3rd World Cup trophy after a long 36 years (1986) wait two years ago v 2 x champions France in Qatar. Now with Lionel Messi sticking around for a bit longer following his post-World Cup triumph pledge, let’s see if Argentina will go one step closer once again to try & defend their crown from 2021 for the record 16th time as this next contest wouldn’t be that difficult either way en route to the Final.

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Thoughts on Manchester United retaining manager Erik Ten Hag for at least another two years following their recent FA Cup triumph

by Sports Benches

So there you have it with Manchester United finished off their 2023-24 season a high with an FA Cup win over Manchester City despite being 8th in the Premier League & Erik Ten Hag is staying on after all at least for another two years. With a change of minor ownership at the start of the year when Sir Richard Ratcliffe and INEOS was onboard whilst the Glazer family still held majority control, there were rumours about the manager/head coach being fired – even if he did bring home the FA Cup trophy having won the League Cup on top of their good 3rd PL campaign during his first season back in 2022/23. 

But his good track record of promoting youngsters from the academy including his ability to win silverware were the key reasons for the manager to stay at least a bit longer if he can help Man Utd compete Top 4 next season or else a Europa League winning campaign would do it to back up his two year contract extension today. Plus, the team’s training ground would get a much-needed change that is gonna cost at least £50 million in order to keep up to date with the other big clubs.

Looking to win back the Premier League is something everyone dreams of since Sir Alex Ferguson left on a high at the end of the 2012-13 season and looking at Man Utd’s position right now it’s still a long way to go. However, they are getting there depending on how good the manager will be to challenge up front like Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal soon enough. If not, they can always go to another manager maybe someone young for the long haul. 

Other than that, there’s lots of big changes other than keeping the manager with the possibility of either renovating Old Trafford or building a “Wembley of the North” Stadium elsewhere. I guess we will see a similar Camp Nou (Barcelona) v Bernabaeu (Real Madrid) battle for the best Football stadium across England if the plans do go ahead at some point.

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Thoughts on Josh Berry moving to Wood Brothers Racing next season & what does it mean for Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece ahead of team’s last race in early November

by Sports Benches

One of Dale Jr’s mentees Josh Berry is now set to replace Harrison Burton in the No.21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing from next season off the back of Stewart-Haas Racing’s shutdown. He will still carry the No.4 Ford in the meantime as planned up until SHR’s final ever race come early November at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona as his rookie Cup season isn’t bad so far in 19th and also leading the rookie-of-the-year standings too with some great Top 5 and 10 finishes including 2 x 3rd at Darlington (May) and New Hampshire (two weeks ago) going into the Chicago Street Course (Round 20 of 36) this weekend.

He is someone who has an excellent race pedigree as Dale Jr. discovered in his eyes when he gave him a chance at JR Motorsports back in 2022-23 at Xfinity Series level before Josh accepted the offer to replace the now-retired Kevin Harvick at SHR this year and then the organization suddenly ran its course with the announcement of SHR shutting down at season’s end a few months later. I’m glad though that Wood Brothers also needed a new direction and they somehow found a great driver who can hopefully get back to their best with Berry behind the wheel after Harrison Burton just couldn’t show the consistency they were after over the last few years despite bringing his own sponsorship via Dex Imaging. WBR still has yet to taste their 100th Cup win in their decades-long existence after Ryan Blaney last won there for the team’s 99th win at Pocono in back mid-2017 before he went on to do even better at Team Penske but time will tell with Berry in the No.21 Mustang being supported by Ford the whole way through alongside the manufacturer’s subsidiary sponsorship of Motorcraft & Quick Lane Auto Repairs.

So far the No.14 of Chase Briscoe has already been signed up to replace the retiring Martin Truex Jr. last week at Joe Gibbs Racing that will also begin at the start of next season in the No.19 Toyota Camry while Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson are still on the lookout for other rides.Now Gragson wouldn’t be short of suitors since his performances have been solid since his return from suspension in the No.10 where he will likely end up at Front Row Motorsports unlike the No.41’s Preece who would most likely drop down to Xfinity and/or Trucks level instead of trying to just stay there with Kaulig or Rick Ware Racing.

Plus, If you’re wondering what’s going to happen with SHR’s 4th and final charter? Well, It’s not going anywhere after all with Gene Haas keeping one for just himself under the newly created Haas Factory Racing organization by operating one Cup car and two Xfinity Series teams. Tony Stewart won’t have any involvement at all as he will be focusing on his drag racing team as well as his young family with his wife and veteran drag racer Leah Pruett expecting their first child together (a baby boy) this November. Who will be part of Team Haas? It will be easy to say Cole Custer whose dad is part of Haas’s management team while they will keep on running Fords, although it remains to be seen which alliance Haas will link up with at a later date.

I think though in my opinion that Brad Keselowski via his co-owned RFK Racing team (No.6 car) would love to team up with Haas together by turning from two cars into three under RFK-Haas Racing without him having to buy another charter that is worth $40 million nowadays. But again you never know and it would allow Ford to have a proper young driver pathway like Toyota is doing with Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing where Keselowski would love to have one of his drivers succeed at Xfinity level before being given the chance to race for him at the top level someday once his driving days are eventually over.

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