Sold-out games and knockout ties as race for Sam heats up

Sold-out games and knockout ties as race for Sam heats upImage source, Getty Images & InphoImage caption, Donegal and Derry are in action on Saturday while Tyrone face Mayo on SundayByMatt GaultBBC Sport NI senior journalistPublished2 minutes agoWhile World Cup fans must wait a couple of weeks for the knockout stages to start at Fifa's expanded 48-team quadrennial showpiece, jeopardy will be prominent during this weekend's All-Ireland SFC fixtures.Like Fifa, the GAA tinkered with the format of its blue riband competition this year, meaning no county was eliminated in round one. It means that for the first time this year, all 16 counties competing for the Sam Maguire Cup will be in action across the same weekend.Four counties will secure a quarter-final spot, while it will be the end of the road for another four. And with four of this weekend's games having already sold out, there is a sense of intense anticipation as the All-Ireland series heats up. Can Derry breathe new life into championship challenge?Published9 hours agoHeavyweights hope to avoid early exitFor those competing in Round 2B, there is no more safety net. Lose and they are out. They include Kerry and Dublin, the championship's two most decorated teams. Having lost a bad-tempered round one encounter at home to Donegal, holders Kerry travel to Newbridge to face Kildare on Saturday (17:30 BST).The Kingdom have had three weeks to regroup from that defeat in Killarney, and while boss Jack O'Connor is without the suspended Micheal Burns and injured trio Sean O'Shea, Tom O'Sullivan and Shane Ryan, he has welcomed captain Paul Geaney, Gavin White and Paul Murphy back into the panel. Kildare, who famously beat Kerry in the 1998 semi-final to reach their first decider since 1935, fell to a heavy 3-21 to 0-17 loss to Galway in the last round. The Lilywhites have not beaten Kerry since the 2013 league, and while the defending champions will be expected to progress, the prosp...