SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM: DEL BOSQUE HANDS IN HIS LIST OF 23 PLAYERS

The West Is Still The Best

Despite the Boston Celtics NBA Championship last season the Western Conference is still the best conference in the NBA. All 8 teams vying for the playoffs possess records well above .500. Even the Phoenix Suns who are in 9th place are 5 games over .500. In the Eastern Conference only 6 teams have a winning record. The Phoenix Suns would be battling for homecourt advantage and a 4th seed if they played in the Eastern Conference. After Boston and Cleveland there is no legitimate contender to make the NBA Finals. In the West, the Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Jazz or Nuggets could all realistically win the West. Houston even had a chance before the McGrady injury. As good a ! season as Orlando is having, does anyone really believe that the Magic can get to the Finals? Do the Bulls and 76ers even belong anywhere near the playoffs? The West is still the dominant conference in the NBA.

Women's Pro League to Start in 2009

Abby Wambach and her U.S. teammates will have a new pro soccer league to look forward to after the Women's World Cup and the Olympics.
Its launch has been bumped back a year to 2009, when the seven-team pro Women's Soccer LLC is set to begin in the spring, league commissioner Tonya Antonucci announced Tuesday.
Teams will be based in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington. Several teams are expected to play in MLS soccer-specific stadiums.

Wambach to Washington?

"I don't understand why Rochester has yet to be mentioned as a possibility for a relaunch of a women's pro soccer league next year. Put Abby Wambach on her hometown team and Rochester probably would lead the league in attendance. But I wouldn't buy any stock in a Rochester team if she weren't on the roster. Perhaps a proposed large-market team wants to make Abby the face of the franchise."

More cheating allegations in W-League

"The question is why were the Ottawa players allowed to play in that Division Championship game vs the NJ Wildcats but Charmaine and Karina were not allowed to play. When that question was posed to Even, his answer was that the NJ organization did not ask. First of all, they were smart not to ask because any sane person knows that the national team should come first. What this shows it that Ottawa needed to tip the scales in their favour, with the help of the Canadian National Team coach, Even Pellerud, in order to win that Division Championship game.

The deal was if Even would allow those four national team players to play in the game and not allow Charmaine nor Karina to take part, then Ottawa would have a greater chance of winning the Division Championship. If the NJ Wildcats, 2005 W-League Champions, were kept out of the final four, then the Vancouver Whitecaps, who is hosting the W-League Championships and is overseen by Even Pellerud, would secure their cha! nces of winning the championsips and protecting their investment there in Vancouver. In the end, this is the sad reality of this whole soap opera and I, as a representative of Canadian soccer, I am embarrassed that this is what some very desperate people have to resort to in order to try to win."

US women's team to hold camp

Pia Sundhage invited 23 players who played in the inaugural season of the WPS professional league.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart, Ashlyn Harris, Hope Solo.
Defenders: Brittany Bock, Rachel Buehler, Lori Chalupny, Stephanie Cox, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Megan Schnur, Cat Whitehill.
Midfielders: Yael Averbuch, Shannon Boxx, Tina DiMartino, Tobin Heath, Angela Hucles, Brittany Klein, Lori Lindsey, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Leslie Osborne, Megan Rapinoe, Kacey White.
Forwards: Lauren Cheney, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.

Rossi will pay an additional eight million more to Italian tax authorities

Friday, 17 October 2008

Not everything is happiness this year for Valentino Rossi. After achieving his eighth title of world champion, the Italian pilot had received bad news that, as it can not be otherwise, the Treasury reaches of their country. And is that the great champion will have to pay eight million euros over the Italian Treasury, so the final amount of the penalty imposed on Valentino, for tax fraud, has increased from 35 to 43 million euros, according to published 'La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Again acc! ording to the newspaper Italian, this significant increase is due to a review by the tax authorities of the period between 2005 and 2006, from 15 to 23 million penalty. The other 20 million to be paid by the Doctor, for the period 2001-2004, have not undergone changes. In this way, Valentino reached a settlement with the tax authorities of his country, last February, to pay for these 35 million euros, a distant figure at 62 million that, initially, he asked for in Italy, Looks like now the figure has risen again.

I took some part of this article from marca Spain. Thanks.

Who's Joel Santana?

Bafana Bafana goalkeeper coach, Hans Vonk, says he's never heard of Brazilian coach, Joel Santana, who's rumoured to be in line to take over from Carlos Alberto Parreira. Parreira announced his resignation yesterday and it's understood he suggested SAFA consider his compatriote to carry on preparing the team for 2010. Santana's Brazilian club, Famengo, has already stated that he's set to join Bafana at the end of the season. Vonk says he hopes the new coach doesn't change the structure. Vonk says he had to 'Google' Santana to see what he looks! like and check out his record.

Bok Matches to Get Local Flavour

South African Rugby has teamed up with top local musicians and the South African music industry to provide the pre-match entertainment during this year's Vodacom Incoming Tours Test programme.

Chart-toppers Kurt Darren, David Fourie, Fredi Nest, Ray Dylan and trio The Broers will be on display before kick-off in the opening two Tests of the year against Wales in Bloemfontein and Pretoria. During the Vodacom Tri-Nations series SA Rugby will explore other South African musical genre.

The pre-match entertainment will also include 30 dancers who will back up the singers with 'music-vid! eo-style' performances.

Will he stay or will he go?

Pre season training is underway at Manchester United but there is still no clarity on Cristiano Ronaldo's future. United's Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has made his feelings clear over the transfer of his star winger. Ferguson's says this season is going to a big one and players like Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Anderson will emerge and be top players.

However Ronaldo could prove his ultimate commitment to the Red Devils. Reports say United are thinking of offering him a two year contract extension worth 50 million pounds which will keep him at the club till he is 29. If he accepts this would mean the chances of Real Madrid signing in the near future are minimal. Only time will tell.

What did you say?

Who is saying what at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"Everyone is saying it's unfair. I got ripped. Everyone is saying I got ripped. I could crawl up and cry like a baby but I am trying to be strong... I guess this wasn't meant to be, I guess God has other ideas for me."

Ivett Gonda aims some kicks at the judges after the Canadian lost
in the preliminary round of the women's -49kg taekwondo to Sweden's
Hanna Zajc.


"It was a bit rough in the pack, there was a bit of dunking going on, it's always dangerous, but you just have to make sure you don't panic."

South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, the first amputee swimmer
to compete against able-bodied athletes at an Olympics, on how she got
no favours in the women's 10 kilometre marathon event where she
finished 16th.


"I might not get the best start or be the fastest but if you want to bea! t me you have to fight me. I will fight to the line and I do not give up."
Britain's Christine Ohuruogu explains how she won gold in the
women's 400 metres.


"It would be no more than a daydream to make archery as popular as table tennis and volleyball, but with a gold medal in Beijing, it is within reach."

Olympic individual women's archery champion Zhang Juanjuan puts the rest of the world on notice. And given China's rise in other events, who would argue with her?

"It sucks. Renato struggled with Dalhasusser's block and that made him change his strategy and make a lot of mistakes. It was a bad performance."

Georgia's Jorge Terceiro on why he and fellow Brazilian-born
colleague Renato Gomes lost their beach volleyball semi-final against
the American duo of Todd Rogers and Philip Dalhausser.


"What determines the success of an athlete's ca! reer is the kind of high level overall results he achieves dur! ing the career. You have to forget this race. The road is long, keep going."

Basketball star Yao Ming does his best to console fellow Chinese
sporting icon Liu Xiang after the reigning 110 metre hurdling
champion's injury-enforced first round withdrawal.


"Losing the game to Argentina in this way is really shameful."

Brazil's footballers get rather less than a 'well-done' from
President Inacio Lula de Silva after their 3-0 Olympic semi-final
defeat against arch-rivals Argentina.

Breakfast Headlines

Team South Africa are sixth on the medals table at the Paralympic Games in Beijing this morning. Hilton Langenhoven, from Somerset West, grabbed his third gold medal when he added a 200 metre victory to his wins in the pentathlon and the long-jump. Fanie Lombard won his eighth career Paralympic gold medal after winning the men's discus to take South Africa to 19 gold medals.

***
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has urged all South Africans to get behind preparations for the 2010 World Cup. Blatter's in the country on an official visit to host venues and was at the Greenpoint stadium yesterday. He says Bafana Bafana must improve drastically. Blatter also warned South Africa not to take the Confederations Cup lightly. He says he's disappointed at Bafana Bafana's recent form.
***
In the English Premier League, Spurs are bottom of the log after a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
***
The UEFA Champions League group stage kicks off toni! ght with two anglo-franco clashes. Cheslea host Bordeaux, while Liverpool travel to Marseille. Barcelona take on Sporting. Liverpool travel to Marseille and are hoping Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres can start, while Javier Mascherano will have a late fitness test. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is on track to return for Man United when they face Villarreal tomorrow.
***
Maritzburg coach Gordon Igesund says he will take action against defender Gary Goldstone, after he watched a replay of his elbow on Chiefs striker Tshepo Bulu, who is likely to be out of football for a month.
***
It seems likely that Ricky Januarie will be included in the Western Province side to face Griquas at Newlands on Friday night, despite his pending court appearance on drunk driving charges tomorrow. Allister Coetzee has two injury worries. Lock Adriaan Fondse has sustained a head knock and Schalk Brits has complained of a chest problem.
***
Former Western Province win! g, Breyton Paulse, believes the Currie Cup will return to Newl! ands if the 'Streeptruie' make it to the semi-finals. Province are five points behind the fourth placed Cheetahs with three matches to play. Paulse says Province are playing a good brand of rugby. He's confident they can qualify for the Currie Cup semi-finals ahead of the Cheetahs.
***
Europe's Ryder Cup golfers are in the US today for their first practice session ahead of this weekend's Ryder Cup clash. The biennial event starts on Friday at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who's not in the team this time, says the rookies could make the difference.

Did we actually hear what Watson was saying?

This is by no means a platform to defend Luke Watson. But I think we should look hard at the facts here. Let's face it anything Watson does or has done since his ill-fated selection to the Jake White's Springboks, in our eyes, will be negative. Nothing will make us love him and nothing will endear him to a nation who now believes he would actually throw up on a Springbok jersey.

So Watson? As a player at provincial and Super level he is a great fetcher and although in my opinion never passes the ball enough, he makes ground and is always willing to get in there and have a go. I could name several players from various teams that certainly don't carry that attitude at Springbok level currently (just need to review the Wales game to see that). But let's look at Springbok level – Watsons not Springbok. I agree with Jake White when he said that Watson comes with his limitations (and not just his Father). He is fairly predictable and perhaps at int! ernational level is unable to show the same flair that he occasionally carries when playing for the local sides back home. But he is a hard worker and as we all know he was voted Player of the year back in 2006. Just a shame that the following season was a far more lackluster.

But do ever look at Watson as player? Luke has made more press than anyone else in recent rugby history but none of it is for his prowess on the feild. As is so often the case in SA, it's less about the sport than the politics behind it.

Do we HONESTLY believe that he wanted to throw up on the jersey? No. It's a figure of speech to convey how he felt.

Should he of said it? Hell no. but it made a damn good story.

Is rugby run by a bunch of good old boys at the top (I am staying away from quoting Watson directly here…) who inevitably control the game? Who are we kidding? Of course it is! To be honest the same can be said for soccer in this country. Dutchm! an, Welshman or Chinamen, it's big business and there will be ! those wh o want to get their hands on the cash and control it as tightly as they can – it's a legacy sport and certain people feel they own it and won't give that up for anything. The only thing he is guilty of in this case is attacking that stranglehold in public – however to get it out in the open where else do you do it?

Returning to my first point Watson is damned whatever he does – we will never love him because he attacked something we love and live by. That game we watch on a Saturday – get passionate about, scream at the ref for. However very few of us are involved behind the scenes. Very few of us know the truth and doubt we ever will. We just want to see a game being played and a team that wins. We don't want to know about the dirt behind emblem or the fact that it's run by an old boys club. We just want to see the side lift the trophy at the end of the day and anyone who distracts or detracts from that will be vilified and attacked – be it Watson or the Ref on t! he day.

I challenge anyone to look at their lives and their jobs and say that they are completely happy with the corporation that they work for. That there aren't niggles in the system – stuff we would love to change and shout out about. Make no mistake rugby as a business is no different.

Watson sadly, in the eyes of the media, had no leg to stand on from the start. Whatever he said would get shouted down. We would find a reason to hate him even if he hadn't offered us one on a silver platter. Largely the media's fault and somewhat his fathers, he hasn't chosen his battles well in the press – but I doubt that was ever his intention.

Isn't it funny though, that when Herschelle Gibbs's is dropped from the side for breaking curfew or arrested for allegedly driving drunk, we just shake our head and say, "oh well that's just Hersch, what do you expect from the bugger – what a character!". But when it somebody we are trained to hate via the pres! s, we immediately request nothing less than a roasting at the ! stake an d nothing less ban from the sport. Had Watson been an anti-hero like Gibbs, Botham or Warne maybe we would have cut him slack and actually listened to what he was saying. Read between the lines as it were. He obviously had something to say.

At least it looked like he wanted to play, albeit he had an odd way of expressing it.

Selectors must look at Bodi

Nashua Titans opener, Gulam Bodi, has to be taken into consideration when the Proteas one-day squad for the return leg of the one-day international series against Australia is announced.

Bodi showed yet again in the MTN Domestic Championship final against the Gestetner Diamond Eagles that he is the in-form opening batsman in the country at the moment. He scored an aggressive 69 and ended as the tournament's top scorer with 530 runs at an average of 48.

Granted, Bodi hasn't delivered his best ! when he got the chance to play for the Proteas, but his performances this season suggests he's ready to fill that opening role alongside Graeme Smith for South Africa. He can't be much worse than our current national openers. Hashim Amla is still finding his feet in the shorter versions of the game and probably isn't suited to opening the innnings while Herschelle Gibbs has been given countless chances and not delivering. How many more times are we going to hope that one day he'll come good? I'm afraid this will be the last tour Gibbs plays for his country.

Bodi's batting has often laid the platform for the Titans to do well, no wonder his good form and his franchise winning the domestic title coincides.

Bodi, on form deserves to be in the Proteas one-day team and if given the chance now and if the selectors show faith in him like they've done with Gibbs, he'll be opening the innings for the Proteas in the 2011 World Cup and scoring bucket-loads of run! s in the process.

Daredevils flex muscles early

Even though the weather may not have been the best, the opening weekend of the 2009 Indian Premier League in Cape Town provided some red-hot action. The Mumbai Indians, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers recorded wins in the opening weekend.

Out of the four winners, the Daredevils have been tipped as early favourites for this year's title even though their depth in batting hasn't been tested yet. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir showed why they're regarded as the most explosive opening pairing in the tournament, blasting 58 runs within the f! irst four overs of their rain-interrupted match against the Kings Eleven Punjab. That turned out to be enough for the Daredevils to record a 10-wicket win on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

The Deccan Chargers last night showed quite literally that they're a completely different side to the one who ended stone-last in the inaugural IPL last year. They've swapped their beige strip for a deep blue uniform and the restructure in the management team also seems to have helped. The Chargers gave absolutely nothing away in their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, eventually restricting Sha Rukh Khan's team to 101 all out. Herschelle Gibbs was at his brilliant best, scoring a majestic 43 not out to guide the Chargers to an eight-wicket victory.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers also look a different side under Kevin Pietersen's leadership. The early log leaders reduced the Rajasthan Royals to 58 all out in their match, the lowest total ever in the IPL's short ! history.

Sachin Tendulkar showed why he's regarded ! by many as the world's leading batsman. He handled the tough weather conditions like the pro that he is and helped the Mumbai Indians to 165 for 7, scoring 59 of those runs. In reply, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Flintoff gave the Chennai Super Kings a chance but in the end they fell 19 runs short.

All in all, a start to the tournament that has exceeded many expectations and it can only get better from here.

2009 Pre-Season Testing: Vettel tops Day 2

Sebastian Vettel topped the times on the second day of testing at Barcelona. At the wheel of the Red Bull RB4, he was 0.266s faster than yesterday's fastest driver Takuma Sato. Sato is in the timesheet followed by the other two Toro Rosso drivers. Pedro De La Rosa who debuted at Force India was slowest, despite completing 81 laps.

1. S. Vettel- 1:19.751
2. T. Sato- 1:20.017
3. S. Bourdais- 1:20.034
4. S. Buemi- 1:20.223
5. G. Paffett- 1:21.340
6. R. Kubica- 1:21.521
7. N. Rosberg- 1:21.525
8. J. Button- 1:21.770
9. A. Sutil- 1:22.073
10. L. Di Grassi- 1:22.283
11. N. Piquet Jr.- 1:22.348
12. L. Badoer- 1:22.425
13. M. Gene- 1:22.772
14. N. Heidfeld- 1:23.080
15. van der Garde- 1:23.2! 50
16. P. de la Rosa- 1:23.499

F1 Technical

Full test summary to follow after final day of testing.

Rafa Has Four Games To Save Liverpool Career

If under-fire Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez had been hoping for a break in the form of a return to match fitness for his big summer signing Alberto Aquilani, he was sadly mistaken if he thought that fate would throw him a six.

The Spaniard gave an optimistic report on the 25-year-old Italian midfielder's status, saying that the £19m signing from Roma could make it on to the subs bench for the Merseysiders within the fortnight, although a full debut was still some way off.

"Two to three weeks", Benitez estimated. "I have been speaking to the doctors and things are going well with him. Alberto is progressing all the time. It could be two to three weeks before he is back. But we need to use caution." Aquilani has not played a competitive game for more than half a year, having been signed by Liverpool while injured.

"If it is two weeks everyone will say 'that is fantastic' but if it is three,! everyone will say it is not a problem," Benitez continued. "We will take it one step at a time and we have the international break to look forward to now. That will be good for him, as he will have some more time."

How Benitez could do with the boost though of being able to field the visionary Italian for the crucial eleven days of football that face Liverpool after the international break and which could decide the manager's future at the club.

Saturday 17th sees a visit to the Stadium of Light to take on Steve Bruce's confident Sunderland, fresh from hold Manchester United at Old Trafford and enjoying one of their best starts to a season for years.

Then French champions Lyon visit Anfield just three days later in the Champions League. Lyon top Group E with six points from two games, and a defeat would leave Liverpool facing a make-or-break return trip to France in early November where they would have to win to stay in Europe.

T! he next visitors to Anfield on Sunday 25th are Manchester Unit! ed in th e Premier League, and while last season saw Benitez break a seven-year winless sequence against Alex Ferguson's team, the context of their position (unbeaten last season, not so this year) will make for a tense time on the bench.

Finally the club travel to the Emirates for the fourth round game in the Carling Cup against Arsenal. Arsene Wenger may field teams of youngsters in this competition, but a defeat by the second string would surely herald the end of the Benitez era at Anfield.

Has The Time Come For Kenny Dalglish To Replace Rafa Benitez At Liverpool?

I don't know whether Rafa Benitez has had the time to study Shakespeare but if so he may be pondering on the words of Brutus in Julius Caesar.

There is, indeed, a tide in the affairs of man - and for Benitez that tide appears to have turned against him.

After starting what Jamie Carragher declared would be a "massive week" with the already-infamous "beach ball" defeat at Sunderland, the pressure really is on the Spaniard tonight, especially with Fernando Torres definitely missing against Lyons.

Even a victory over the French side would be little more than a temporary balm if Anfield plays host to a Manchester United party on Sunday, while a fourth straight loss, meaning Liverpool head into the weekend showdown under real strain, could prove the beginning of the end for Rafa the Gaffer.

It does not take a genius to see that something is wrong at Liverpool, seemingly intent on t! urning into the Graeme Hick of the Premier League - flat track bullies who can dismiss the likes of Burnley, Stoke and Hull as if swatting away flies, but crumble against sides that have more about them.

Four defeats in nine games is not quite fatal yet - even if a fifth would make that seem even more the case - but what it does is send out signals to any opponents that there is a mental vulnerability that can be exposed.

Benitez himself, in a wide-ranging but deeply worrying pre-match analysis yesterday, touched upon all the problems that are besetting his side.

There is no denying that his complaints about the contribution of "senior players" - taken, by the players themselves, to mean Carragher and Steven Gerrard - after the home defeat by Aston Villa was a huge and needless own goal.

And where Benitez was arguably right to suggest his squad need to rediscover the esprit de corps that allowed them to find so many late winners l! ast term, his gripes about the "nutritional" excesses of those! players he deems as slaves to carbonated drinks were again self-defeating.

It is under pressure, under scrutiny, that the great managers do prove their greatness.

Benitez himself, albeit thanks to the superhuman and talismanic efforts of Gerrard, got out of a similar scrape in December 2004, the season which ieded with his finest Liverpool moment amid the bedlam of Istanbul.

But nearly five years on from that remarkable night against Olympiacos Liverpool look arguably as far away from regaining the title that was theirs by right for the best part of two decades until 1990.

Benitez cannot afford to fight any more unnecessary battles, not when the conflict seems more about himself and proving his own power than in getting his players to perform for him.

So far Anfield, rightly, seems to be behind the Spaniard, offering him a bulwark against any knee-jerk reactions from the increasingly despised - and, it appears, increasingly dis! tanced - ownership duo of Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

But what happens if the worst does come to pass this evening and on Sunday? Does Benitez want to ride it out, to show he does have what it takes, that his way is the right way?

There are no guarantees of that. Tonight does not, quite, represent make or break. But it could, indeed, presage what may follow.

And for those who would counter by pointing out that Benitez would have to be replaced, at least on a temporary basis, by somebody who understands the club and the fans and who possesses the personality to hold it all together, then perhaps the presence of a certain Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish MBE might become important.

Gerrard Could Miss Key European Tie

Rafael Benitez is facing the very real prospect of trying to save Liverpool's European dream without Steven Gerrard.

The Liverpool boss is without his skipper at Fulham in the Premier League, and is seemingly clutching at straws that Gerrard will be available for Wednesday's Champions League trip to Lyon.

Liverpool have lost back-to-back Group E matches to Fiorentina and the French club, and a victory in the Stade Gerland is now the only result that will realistically keep the Reds in with a chance of reaching the last 16.

With Fiorentina at ho! me to Hungarian club Debrecen on Wednesday, having already won in Budapest convincingly against the group's bottom club, Liverpool know they are up against it if they want to snatch one of the two qualifying places.

Lose to Lyon and the French side will have 12 points to Liverpool's three. If Fiorentina win their match in Florence, they will have nine points.

And that will mean Liverpool are all but doomed with just two games left, with the top two sides being able to engineer a result when they meet in Florence on November 24 that will eliminate the Anfield club.

It is a shattering prospect for Benitez, and would cost Liverpool £20million of UEFA prize money.

Benitez said: "We must win in Lyon. No matter what happens elsewhere, anything but a victory will leave us facing a really bad situation."

Gerrard is battling to overcome a groin injury, and is facing surgery if he fails to make the Lyon match.

Benitez ! added: "I do not know yet whether Steven will play in Lyon, we! must wo rk with him. But it is true there is a problem.

"We do have a problem if he is not fit for Lyon, it is a crucial time. In three days we will maybe have a better idea.

"He is doing well, and maybe he could be available. But Glen Johnson will be out for five days with a calf tear, so he is a problem too."

He added: "We know we have to win in Lyon, we do not know what will happen in the other group game with Fiorentina at home to Debrecen, but the Italian club have already won in Hungary, so they must be favourites to win in Florence.

"If they do then we know we just have to win. But we really know that anyway, we already know we have to win to stay in contention.

"We expect Fiorentina to win their match, but football can produce surprises. We can only look after ourselves and try to win our match."

Without Gerrard, the spotlight will fall elsewhere for the inspiration to keep Liverpool in the European hunt.

And Benitez sees Argentina captain Javier Mascherano as the perfect answer, despite claims of late that the midfielder is not happy and not at his best.

Benitez said: "Javier played his best game of the season when we won against Manchester United last weekend, I am happy with his form now.

"He was worried about whether Argentina would qualify for the World Cup finals, and sometimes you cannot stop players worrying about their countries.

"But they have reached the finals now and he is more relaxed and playing up to his best levels again.

"What happened in the summer with Barcelona is in the past now and not bothering him. We all knew about that interest, but it is not a consideration now.

"He is now doing really well and back to the very best level he was before."

Liverpool's form against French clubs, having won their last four matches on French soil in Europe, is good. A fifth is now critical.!

I am Thailand Girl Model

One day I take the air a mall, when someone draw near me and gives the visiting card. Simply she a photographer a woman magazine. Brief of story, she successfully make me as a model photo girl who famous. Thank you many......

Innocent Sexy Asian Girls

Asia girl with a sexy white shirt

Chamberlain's orange crush

By Brett Lee

COURTLAND, ON -- Over 760 rider entries signed up for Round 1 of the Motovan.com Ontario Provincial Motocross Championship Presented by SixSixOne at Gopher Dunes last weekend.

Defending Ontario champion Pierce Chamberlain, aboard his factory KTM took a convincing overall win in the 250cc Pro class with a strong 2-1 moto finish. Machine Racing's Ryan Gauld raised more than a few eyebrows when he check out on the competition in Moto 1 and finished the day a strong 1-3. Gauld spent the day before winning the +25 class and then hosting a popular on-site Radio show. Third went to Machine Racing's Kyle Keast. Keast muscled and willed his way through the pack for a hard fought 5-2 finish.

Label It/Machine-backed Jason Burke took a convincing 1-1 overall win in 125cc Pro. Lightning Suzuki rider Joel Saarits scored second overall with 4-2. Chamberlain kept the two-stroke faithful cheering with a ! 3-4 for third overall aboard his 125SX.

Billy Mullin grabbed a strong overall win in the intense 125cc Intermediate class; Tim Burke took the checkers in 125cc Junior; Cole Thompson grabbed 1 -1 finishes in 80cc 7-11 for the overall; London Women dominated Ladies action with Jolen Van Vugt, Kassie Bonne and Kim Emery going 1-2-3.

For complete results visit www.cmrcracing.com.

The series moves to Auburn Hills Raceway for Round 2 May 14-15.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

KTM gets Royal treatment

From Royal Distributing

GUELPH, ON -- Royal Distributing, in conjunction with KTM Canada has formed the Royal Distributing Pro Xtreme Motocross Team. The team will compete nationally in the CMRC aboard KTM motorcycles and ride out of the RoyalDistributing.com hauler.

Contending for the MX2 West title will be Micheal Sleeter, from Escondido, CA. Sleeter, who turned Pro in 2001, is a KTM factory test rider and helped develop the new 250SXF. This past winter he rode KTMs as a privateer in the AMA Supercross Lites, made finals and posted excellent results against well-funded factory opposition.

Contending for the MX2 East title will be Iain Hayden, from Espanola, ON. Hayden is fresh off a dominant season aboard the Royal Distributing Ski-Doos, winning the CSRA National titles in both Pro Stock and Pro Open snowcross. He will start the CMRC season riding the western national rounds aboard a 450SXF KTM.
Contending for the MX1 National title will be Marco Dube, from Montreal. Dube will ride the 450SXF nationally. He is a two-time Canadian champion, five-time Canadian Arenacross champion and the 2002 U.S. Open Four-Stroke champion.

Royal Distributing will use the team to display its various brands with a unique rider gear package. Hayden will ride with Answer gear, Sleeter with Shift gear and Dube with FXR gear.

Royal Distributing also sponsors the Royal Distributing holeshot award, which awards $200 for each Pro moto in the national rounds in MX1 and MX2 to the holeshot winner. Royal Distributing will also remain a major sponsor of the KTM/Stoneridge/Royal factory KTM national team.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

This week in Reds Baseball- April 27th

- The Redlegs opened the week rather strong with a win against Houston on Monday, they were shelled on Tuesday in Chicago but rebounded to win the series against the Cubs. Through this pivotal road trip in April the Reds took 2-3 in Milwaukee, 3-4 in Houston, 2-3 in Chicago, and then 1-2 at home against Atlanta.

- Cincinnati so far is 7-3 on the Road and 3-5 at home.

- Cincinnati will open their series with Houston facing Roy Oswalt, Oswalt threw six scoreless against the Reds for a no decision when the Astros beat the Reds 2-1 in Houston.

-Chris Dickerson was replaced in the lineup Sunday with Laynce Nix. Dickerson has been struggling thus far this season but this doesn't look like a long term move at this point.

- Micah Owings got his first win as a Red Sunday, and first win since May 25, 2008. Owings went seven innings on the mound and 2-3 at the plate.

- Jay Bruce had an excellent week last week going 10/22 for a! .455 average with 4 HR and 8 RBI.

- Last week we took a look at the hitting statistics for the Reds, and this week continues to bring the same issues. Despite flashes of offense the Reds are still struggling at the plate only averaging about 7 hits per game. Lets compare the progress that was made:

AVG as of 4/27
C- Ramon Hernandez .255 +
1B- Joey Votto .371 +
2B- Brandon Phillips .167 -
SS- Alex Gonzalez .152 +
3B- Edwin Encarnacion .136 -
RF- Jay Bruce .286 +
CF- Willy Taveras .273 +
LF- Chris Dickerson .190 -

+ denotes increase in average, - denotes decrease in average

NL Central Standings

Cardinals 13-6
Pirates 11-7 (1.5)
Reds 10-8 (2.5)
Cubs 9-8 (3)
Brewers 8-10 (4.5)
Astros 7-12 (6)

This week's Schedule:
Monday Apr. 27 7:10PM Houston
Tuesday Apr. 28 7:1! 0PM Houston
Wednesday Apr. 29 7:10PM Ho! uston Friday May 1 7:05PM at Pittsburgh
Saturday May 2 7:05PM at Pittsburgh
Sunday May 3 1:35PM at Pittsburgh

Reds Statistical Leaders
AVG 0.371 Votto
HOME RUNS 5 Bruce
RBI 19 Votto
STEALS 4 Taveras
ERA 2.00 Harang
WINS 3 Arroyo
STRIKEOUTS 22 Volquez
SAVES 6 Cordero

Andre Smith Hold Out

The Cincinnati Bengals and first round selection Andre Smith have yet to come to terms of an agreement and it does not look like they are going to get a contract signed any time soon. Mike Brown and the Bengals are notorious for digging in their heels and holding strong to their offer, and it seems like Smith's agent, Alvin Keels, may be a little bit in over his head at this point. And honestly the Bengals offer is pretty strong, they are offering Andre Smith a 5 year $33 million offer. What is complicating the deal are the contracts that were signed around Smith.
Andre Sm! ith is the highest pick yet to sign at #6. The number 5 selection Mark Sanchez signed with the Jets at 5 years $60 million. Where the trouble comes is the deal the #7 selection Darrius Heyaward-Bey signed with the Raiders at 5 years $38 million dollars. Most believe that the Raiders overpaid for Heyward-Bey, but Smith and his agent are holding strong that they will not sign for less than the player selected after Smith. Smith's representatives are seeking a five year $40 million dollar deal.
As far as the other Offensive Tackles taken in the first round Jason Smith taken at #2 signed a deal for 5 years $62 million, Eugene Monroe has not yet signed with the Jaguars at the #8 pick and #23 selection Michael Oher signed for 5 years $13.8 million.

Tampa Bay Bucs sign FB Chris Pressley

Check it out here

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed FB Chris Pressley from the Bengals practice squad. Pressley was one of the players who were followed on HBO's Hard Knocks. Personally I think that Pressley could be a nice contributor one day. He has all of the physical abilities and seems to have the drive to be good. I don't think he will be great but I think he can be a very good fullback for the Buccanneers.

UFC 86 Predictions

With Keefe on vacation this week in the lovely town of Auburn, NY, I'm flying solo for this rendition of The Sports Brief's UFC 86 predictions. I'll actually be on vacation myself in Virginia Beach, VA, but don't think for a second that I'll miss two of my favorite fighters on this card in Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Ricardo Almeida.

Top to bottom, I don't think this card has the luster and allure as others, such as UFC 84 have had in the past. Part of the reason is the lack of marketability in the fighters. "Rampage" and Griffin is a very marketable main event, but with both fighters being shelved for the taping of TUF7, I think it's hurt their appeal and interest from the fans, which is becoming a bit of an unfortunate trend for some of the high-profile stars in the UFC. The most recent case has come in the announcement of TUF8, which will pit former Heavyweight champ Frank Mir opposite current interim UFC Heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. They'll mo! st likely fight at the end-of-the-year show around New Year's, which means neither will have fought for over 10 months when they finally clash. God forbid one of them gets hurt, Matt Serra.

But that's enough ranting from me. On to the picks!

Preliminary bouts

Jorge Gurgel def. Cole Miller via decision
Ben Saunders def. Jared Rollins via 2nd round submission
Melvin Guillard def. Dennis Siver via (T)KO in the 1st round
Justin Bucholz def. Corey Hill via submission in the 2nd round
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Justin McCully via decision

Televised bouts

Tyson Griffin v. Marcus Aurelio
Aurelio fought some of the best lightweights in the world for three years over in PRIDE; he's never been stopped in his career. Griffin, meanwhile, hasn't finished an opponent since 2006. You can credit Griffin for stopping several opponents early in hi! s career, including current WEC featherweight champ Urijah Fab! er, but I attribute that more to Faber fighting out of his weight class as opposed to being soundly beaten by a better opponent. I thought Griffin elevated his status in his last victory over Gleison Tibau at UFC 81, but Aurelio has rattled off two impressive wins since dropping three straight fights. One of those wins came on one of the best armbar maneuvers I've seen since watching MMA. Aurelio is a proven veteran, and while Griffin will be game, I think Aurelio will simply be too wily, smart and more prepared.

Marcus Aurelio def. Tyson Griffin via decision

Joe Stevenson v. Gleison Tibau
This is a great matchup for Stevenson in a comeback fight after his championship loss to BJ Penn earlier this year at UFC 80. He was outclassed by Penn in that fight, but show he can compete at an extremely high level. In Gleison Tibau, I think Stevenson gets to face a fringe prospect at best whose name carries more weight than his game. He'll b! e a low level threat for "Daddy", and I think he'll look for the takedown to control the fight from there. However, I see Stevenson working well out of guard and eventually sweeping Tibau, achieving the mount and then working a rear-naked choke.

Joe Stevenson def. Gleison Tibau via submission (rear-naked choke) in the 2nd round

Josh Koscheck v. Chris Lytle
For me, this is one of those classic fights where I am completely biased to one of the combatants and pick for him out of adoration or against him out of pure spite. I'd say I've been wrong on picks like that 9 out of 10 times. And something tells me this is one of those trap fights, so I'm going to pick Koscheck even though I'll rooting for Lytle. Koscheck has always come across as an arrogant d-bag since his days with Bobby Southworth on the original TUF series. He was a lay-n-pray guy back in his early days, and for the most part, I still think he is. I thought he wa! s fortunate in his victory over Hazelett, and I don't think he! 'd beat him in a rematch.
Lytle, meanwhile, is becoming the Chris Leben, Heath Herring and Tito Ortiz of the welterweight division. He's essentially a gate-keeper; if you're a rising prospect or fringe contender, throw him in with Lytle and see how it pans out. I'm hoping Lytle catches him with a right hook then pounces for the finish in the 2nd round, but something tells me Koscheck will utilizes his incredible wrestling skills and ride out a lackluster decision.

Josh Koscheck def. Chris Lytle via decision

Patrick Cote v. Ricardo Almeida
This is my favorite fight on the card. I enjoy watching both of these fighters, but Almeida has become a personal favorite. His black belt jiu-jitsu is world class, and his submission over Rob Yundt was amazing. I think there's still ring rust there, as he took off almost four years from MMA competition. But if he gets this fight to the ground, it'll be over before Cote's back even hits the ! mat. Cote has dynamite in his hands and has put that on full display in his recent string of knockout victories over Jason Day, Kendall Grove and Drew McFedries, who was a feared and respected striker in his own right. If Cote keeps this on his feet, he'll certainly prevail, but I don't see that happening. I look back on his losses to Travis Lutter and Joe Doerksen; those give me enough support to believe that Almeida will lock in a submission and re-establish himself as one of the elite contenders at 185.

Ricardo Almeida def. Patrick Cote via submission in the 1st round

Main Event

Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson v. Forrest Griffin
Up until his victory over Shogun, I can't say that Griffin had a substantial victory over a big name opponent yet. In my eyes, he was still a fringe contender who had yet to prove he belonged among the UFC's elite, nevermind the world's. A! nd while I do believe Rua's health – or lack thereof – played ! a role i n that fight, Griffin smother him with attacks and wore down the last man to defeat Jackson before finally securing a fight-ending rear-naked choke. It was an impressive victory for Griffin, and while I don't think he was the most deserving of a title shot, he was certainly a very marketable solution.

I'm reading comments by many people who seem to think that Griffin training with Wanderlei Silva means he'll have the gameplan to dethrone the champ by smothering Jackson up against the cage and overwhelming him with strikes. It's a valid argument, and certainly one worth discussing. But I don't agree with it. At all.

Silva is a completely different fighter than Griffin. He has a better chin, better, more compact and powerful strikes, and knees are at a premium in his arsenal. Griffin is a more tactical fighter. He'll throw kicks and his punches are accurate, precise and very deliberate. But that's when he's on the outside. He has a tendency to stand in th! e pocket when he's in trouble and trade, and when you have a glass jaw and your punches aren't as powerful as your opponents, that won't work out very well.

Jackson, meanwhile, has evolved into one of the most complete MMA fighters in the world. Against Eastman and Liddell, he showed that his striking is efficient, powerful and well groomed. Against Dan Henderson, he displayed an excellent ground game, terrific cardio and has shown time and time again that he has a solid chin.

I think Griffin will put up a solid fight here, and I think he may actually have the champ in trouble at some point. But Jackson is too well rounded and very tough. He'll work his way inside, sustaining any punishment on his way in, and find himself in the pocket with Griffin trading bombs. At that point, advantage goes to Jackson, who will wobble the challenger, land a big takedown and finish the fight with some ground-n-pound before the ref stops the fight and Jackson retains t! he belt.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson defeats Forr! est Grif fin via (T)KO in the 2nd round

I'd love to hear your feedback on these fights and who you think will win this weekend in Las Vegas. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the fights.

-Bess

UFC 97 Results

Undercard:
Eliot Marshall beat Vinny Magalhaes by unanimous decision
T.J. Grant beat Ryo Chonan by split decision
Mark Bocek beat David Bielkheden by first-round submission (rear-naked)
Ed Herman beat David Loiseau by unanimous decision
Nate Quarry beat Jason MacDonald by first-round TKO (strikes)
Denis Kang beat Xavier Foupa-Pokam by unanimous decision

Main Card:
Luiz Cane beat Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision
Cheick Kongo beat Antoni Hardonk by second-round TKO (strikes)
Krzysztof Soszynski beat Brian Stann by first-round submission (kimura)
Mauricio Shogun Rua beat Chuck Liddell by first-round TKO (strikes)
Sam Stout beat Matt Wiman by unanimous decision
Anderson Silva beat Thales Leites by unanimous decision

Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg certainly seem to believe its the last time we've seen Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, after getting knocked the hell out by Shogun. Who knows. I've seen Ken! Shamrock and Tank Abbott far to many times, and speaking of that Matt Hughes battles Matt Serra next month at UFC 98. That one actually should be decent, but still, you can't ever say in MMA that a guy is done. Dudes come back faster than Brett Favre.

Quick comments from the fights, Kang and Quarry get important wins on the undercard. Could they see each other in the future? Luiz Cane is the real deal at light heavyweight, add him to the ridiculous list of talented 205 pound fighters the UFC has to offer. Kongo is enormous. Shogun will be champ, it's just a matter of time.

Finally, Anderson Silva was frustrated by the "effort" put forth by Leites. Bottom line Leites just didn't want to be embarrassed, so he just layed around and did not attack. Meanwhile the fans in the Bell Centre were chanting "GSP, GSP!" Is that next for the Spider? He just broke the record for most consecutive wins in the UFC (9), the previous record of 8 was held by Jon Fitch and! Hall of Famer Royce Gracie. Check out Silva's 9 victories: Ch! ris Lebe n, Rich Franklin (2), Travis Lutter, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderon, James Irvin (at 205), Patrick Cote, and Thales Leites. Not a gimmie on that list. But what should he do next? There's not a sinlge 185 pound guy who should be in the ring with him. It's either GSP or one of the many great light heavys. We'll have to wait and see.

-Keefe

BJal's Lock du Jour - Wednesday, October 21

BJal texted me yesterday and said he needed to take a day off. I don't blame. He's lost 5 straight and caught in a downward spiral that seems like it may never end. It was like a star player coming into his manager's office, in the midst of an 0 for 30 slump, asking skip for a day to gather his thoughts and ponder suicide. And being the player's manager I am, I happily obliged. But he's back today, and back with a vengeance, picking UTEP (+7.5) against Tulsa. You may remember Tulsa from BJal's Lock last week, in which he had Boise State covering 9 points until Tulsa scored a TD in the middle of the 4th quarter. Let's see if they can screw him again...

BJal's Lock du Jour: UTEP (+7.5) over Tulsa
Overall Record: 4-9

-Bess

Gambrinus Liga Saturday Review

Teplice extended their lead at the top of the Gambrinus Liga by a point as they drew 2-2 at Banik Ostrava.

They twice came from behind to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and go two points above second-placed Jablonec, who are away to Sigma Olomouc tomorrow.

Miloslav Strnad put Banik in front in the first minute but Stepan Vachousek instantly brought Teplice level. Mario Licka restored the hosts' lead (48) but substitute David Kalivoda equalised again 20! minutes later.

Slavia Prague maintained their one-point lead over city rivals Sparta as both drew, Slavia's match against Bohemians 1905 finishing 1-1 and Sparta held goalless at home by Plzen.

Slovan Liberec beat Slovacko 2-0 in the night's other game.

Maria Sharapova beats Jelena Jankovic to clinch Pan Pacific Open title

Russia's Maria Sharapova has captured her first title since her injury lay-off by beating Jelena Jankovic to win the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo.

The 22-year-old, who returned to action in May after a right shoulder injury, won the battle between the former world number ones to regain the title she won in 2005, when the Serbian seventh seed retired with an arm injury at 5-2.

"It was very tough because Jelena started off so strong. It was my second final of the year, so I was a little bit nervous," said Sharapova. !

"I wanted to perform really well. I feel like I played good enough tennis to give her a go today and I just wanted to keep fighting out there."

Sharapova found herself 0-40 down in the opening game, which she lost two points later, hitting a backhanded drop shot wide.

She then went 0-2 down before moving into top gear, hitting an array of power-packed strokes and aggressive service returns to take the following four games in a row.

Jankovic, who needed court-side treatment to her right arm in the semi-finals on Friday, took a medical time-out for the same injury at the beginning of the eighth game.

But Jankovic abandoned the match when she went down love-30.

"It's never easy to win a match like this. Obviously, it's very important for Jelena to be healthy and we want to compete at our 100 percent," said Sharapova.

"It's very difficult for her to perform at her ! best right now. We have gotten a lot of injuries. This is t! owards t he end of the year. I wish Jelena a speedy recovery," added Sharapova.

It was Sharapova's fifth win against Jankovic in seven meetings, earning her the 350,000-doller top prize.

For Sharapova, who claimed her first career WTA singles and doubles titles at the 2003 Japan Open on the same court here, it was her first title since Amelia Island in April 2008, and 20th overall, four of them won in Tokyo.

Youzhny through in Moscow

Mikhail Youzhny eased into the second round of the Kremlin Cup with a straight-sets win over Argentina's Horacio Zeballos.

The Russian third seed had the support of the Moscow crowd as he posted a 6-1 7-6 (7/5) victory against the world number 54.

Fifth seed Pablo Cuevas was also a convincing first-round winner, the Uruguayan beating Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4 6-2.

Italy's Potito Starace overcame local favourite Evgeny Donskoy 6-3 6-3, while Teimuraz Gabashvili fought ! back from a set down to end Karol Beck's challenge 3-6 6-4 6-4.

In the women's event, fifth seed Nadia Petrova ensured there was further Russian success with a 6-2 6-0 victory over compatriot Yana Buchina.

Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, the seventh seed, was less fortunate however, slipping to a 6-2 6-2 loss at the hands of Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Alona Bondarenko, Lucie Safarova and Olga Govortsova also came through their first-round matches.

Turkish Super Lig Review

Bursaspor climbed above Galatasaray into second place in the Super Lig after thrashing eight-man Istanbul Buyuksehir 6-0.

Omer Erdogan (12) and Ozan Ipek (16) put hosts Bursaspor in early control and Pablo Batalla added a third shortly before half-time. Volkan Sen made it four after 65 minutes, Turgay Bahadir (74) added the fifth and Ali Tandogan wrapped it up with nine minutes to go.

It was a day to forget for the visitors, who had Kanfory Sylla, Ibrahim Akin and ! substitute Okan Buruk sent off in the second period.

The defeat for Istanbul allowed Besiktas to move above them into thanks to a 1-0 win away to Eskisehirspor. Ekrem Dag got the only goal for the Black Eagles.

Yuvraj, Dhoni win it for India

India romped home by six wickets against Australia in the third ODI after brilliant knocks by skipper MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.

Click here for SCORECARD

Moises Henriques picked up his maiden ODI wicket on debut, getting rid of Yuvraj Singh, who perished for a fabulous 78.

Dhoni ! continued his good form with another ODI fifty as India inched towards a victory against Australia.

Yuvraj Singh stormed away to his half-century as India started to turn the heat on Australia.

Dhoni and Yuvraj stitched up a gutsy partnership to help India find a footing after Australia picked up three quick wickets.

Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir are back in the hut.

Mitchell Johnson knocked off Virender Sehwag's middle stump to give Australia the first breakthrough.

Sachin Tendulkar after looking in great touch for most part of his 47 ball 32.

---

Australia are 229 for five

Brilliant half centuries by Michael Hussey and skipper Ricky Ponting helped Australia post a challenging total against India on a turning wicket in Delhi.

Ravinder Jadeja snapped up debutant Moises Henriques to claim his second wicket of the match.

Harbhajan Singh picked up his first one of the match when ! Adam Voges lost his patience and consequently his wicket, hold! ing out to Praveen Kumar in the deep.

Michael Hussey brought up his third ODI fifty after battling hard in trying batting conditions in Delhi.

Suresh Raina was perhaps lucky to get Cameron White, who did not seem to edge the ball before MS Dhoni pouched it up.

Ravinder Jadeja struck a lethal blow on Australia, claiming skipper Ricky Ponting, who perished for a well made 59.

Ponting played a captain's knock for Australia, bringing up yet another ODI fifty on a wicket that has been tough to bat on.

Yuvraj Singh struck in his first over to lure Aussie opener Shane Watson out of his crease as MS Dhoni whipped the bails off in a flash.

Watson and Ricky Ponting had started to accelerate for Australia after a slow but steady start to the innings in Delhi.

India's new ball bowlers kept a tight leash on Australia's opening pair, who looked solid despite a difficult track.

The Toss

Australia have won the toss and ! opted to bat against India in the third one-dayer of the seven-match ODI series.

Buoyed by their emphatic victory in the last game, a confident India will seek to keep the momentum going in the third ODI.

India would be hoping to exploit a slow and low track.

With the seven-match series tied 1-1, both the teams will be keen to regain the initiative in what promises to be a thrilling floodlit contest at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.

While the Indians looked a confident lot, the Aussies have a few problems to sort out, particularly in their bowling department with pace spearhead Brett Lee ruled out of the series because of an elbow injury.

The spate of injuries to some of their key players has weakened the World Champions to some extent and a depleted bowling attack have only compounded their misery.

Teams:

India: SR Tendulkar, V Sehwag, G Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*†, RA Jadeja,! Harbhajan Singh, A Nehra, P Kumar, I Sharma.

A! ustralia : SR Watson, RT Ponting*, CL White, MEK Hussey, AC Voges, MC Henriques, MG Johnson, GA Manou†, NM Hauritz, PM Siddle, DE Bollinger.

Result of EURO 2008 Group C

June 9th

Group C First Match at Letzigrund Stadium

Romania 0 : 0 France

Referee: Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez - Spain

Spectators: 30,585

Statistics:

Shot on target: 0 - 1

Shot off target : 4 - 8

Possession : 46 - 54 %

Corner Kicks : 3 - 3

Off-Side:1 - 1

Fouls: 18 - 21

Yellow Cards : 3-1

Red Card :0-0

Group B Second Match at Stade de Suise Wandkorf Stadium

Holland 3 : 0 Italy ( R. V. Nistelrooy 26', W. Sneijder 31', G. V. Bronckhorst 79' )

Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt - Sweden

Spectators: 30,777

Statistics:

Shot on target: 8 - 5

Shot off targe : 5 - 11

Possession : 51 - 49 %

Corner Kicks : 3 - 5

Off-Side: 4 - 3

Fouls: 16 - 10

Yellow Cards : 1 -! 3

Red Card :0-0

2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics: Was it a Good Choice?

by Simon Lowenstein

The 2016 Summer Olympics have been awarded to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, over Chicago in the United States, Tokyo in Japan, and Madrid in Spain. Many viewed Rio as the favorite to become the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, since the Olympics have never been held in South America; Rio is also a cosmopolitan city host to many cultural events such as the Brazilian Carnival, or "Carnaval", a yearly celebration of culture where people wear costumes and have a massive block party. It also helps that Brazil is emerging as a world power, economically and politically, which certainly helped Rio's cause in the race to be the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. But was Rio De Janeiro a good choice? There are reasons why it was, and a few good reasons why it probably will be risky. But all in all, since South America has never played host to the Olympics, it probably was time for them to join the party.

With an ethnically diverse population of o! ver 6 million inhabitants, Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's second largest city, only to Sao Paulo. Despite it being the second largest city, Rio is actually considered to be Brazil's cultural capital, since it is home to a multitude of museums such as the Quinta da Boa Vista, and libraries, and its buildings are heavily influenced by Portuguese, English, and French architecture. Rio is also home to the Brazilian Carnival, or "Carnaval", an annual showcase of costumes and Brazilian music and dance that draws millions of visitors worldwide. In addition, the city is rich in athletic tradition, home to numerous football (soccer) teams, including Flamengo, one of the best-supported football (soccer) clubs in the world, according to FIFA. Brazil as a whole also boasts an impressive list of popular figures, including esteemed author Paulo Coelho, Pele, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Ronaldinho.

Detractors point out that Rio de Janeiro's serious problems with crime,! drugs, and poverty are reasons why the Olympics could be a ri! sky prop osition. It is known as one the most dangerous cities in South America and the world, with a poor police force and drug lords that are known to rule the poor areas. Since the event draws spectators from all over the world, a strong police force would obviously be needed to prevent crimes that could become a problem. Of course, Rio has 7 years to rectify these problems, but relatively speaking, that's not a very large amount of time. Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid, the three other cities bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games, are located in better-developed countries with much better infrastructure, which is why many are surprised Rio de Janeiro was awarded the games.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that despite its downfalls, the time has come for South America to host an Olympic Games. As one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, located in a country that is on its way to becoming an international power, Rio de Janeiro is certainly deserving of hosting the 2016! Olympic Games. However, there are quite a few people who are upset over the selection. If you feel the need to vent about it, check out the "Sports" section over at Ventnation.com - a new website that allows individuals to share their innermost, truest feelings about a variety of topics. No matter what your feelings are about Rio being awarded in 2016 Olympic Games, the truth is that it will be the chance for Brazil to showcase its progress to the world.

About the Author
Representative at Ventnation.com, the Internet's premier destination for individuals wishing to vent their innermost thoughts and feelings.

Bari - Rivas e S. Masiello svolgono il differenziato

di Tiziana Garofalo

Terminati i due giorni di riposo, la squadra di Ventura si è ritrovata questa mattina sul campo dell'antistadio del San Nicola. Adesso si deve pensare al Chievo, prossimo avversario in campionato. Una partita che come più volte hanno detto in casa Bari non avrà nulla di facile dunque meglio arrivarci in ottime condizioni psico-fisiche.

Ventura ha ritrovato in gruppo Allegretti e Parisi che continuano a migliorare e se anche la loro presenza a Verona appare improbabile è! pur sempre una buona notizia. I due hanno lavorato regolarmente con il gruppo (nella foto, fonte RealSports.it). Chi invece continua a preoccupare sono Rivas e S. Masiello, oggi alle prese con un lavoro prettamente differenziato.

Palestra e fisioterapia per Sforzini che continua il personale recupero dopo l'operazione al ginocchio. Come annunciato poi, questa mattina, all'antistadio si è rivisto anche l'argentino Donda. Il giocatore, dopo essersi "presentato" al mister si è limitato a fare qualche giro di corsa unito al lavoro in palestra. Domani è prevista una seduta doppia.

A volte ritornano...in nazionale

di Rocco Fortunato

fonte:laroma24.it

Tornare in Nazionale dopo l'addio. Con la qualificazione dell'Italia alla Coppa del Mondo in Sud Africa è riesplosa la"questione Totti". L'ultima partita in azzurro del numero dieci risale al 9 Luglio 2006, la vit! toriosa finale contro la Francia al Mondiale tedesco. Un anno di pausa per decidere, poi la conferenza per annunciare il congedo. Adesso si profila un clamoroso ritorno di Totti. In questi giorni si sono detti possibilisti Ranieri e lo stesso giocatore, mentre rimbalzano le aperture dalla Federazione e da Lippi. Andiamo alla ricerca di qualche illustre precedente tra i fuoriclasse del passato, richiamati per le grandi occasioni ( Mondiali o Europei ).

Johan Cruyff. Come quello di Totti un ritiro già annunciato durante il Mondiale del 1974. A torneo in corso Cruyff comunica che quella inGermania (altro ricorso storico) sarebbe stata la sua ultima competizione con gli! "Orange". Dopo prestazioni sontuose della sua squadra, sconfitta solo in finale, l'abbandono. Ma il richiamo degli Europei due anni dopoè troppo forte, Cruyff partecipa trascinando l'Olanda al terzo posto. Il ritiro definitivo avviene nell'ottobre 1977 per litigi con la federazione ( sul compenso sulle sue partecipazioni ritenuto inadeguato) e per il rifiuto i prendere parte al Mondiale in Argentina ( segno di protesta contro la dittatura militare ).

Diego Armando Maradona. Un'altra separazione dopo una finale di Copp! a del Mondo e un ritorno in vista della successiva edizione. Nel1990, prossimo ai trent' anni Maradona lascia la nazionale e viene trascinato poco dopo nello scandalo doping. Il ritorno in patria e poi con l' Albiceleste contro l'Australia per gli spareggi di qualificazione a Usa 1994. In America per "El pibe de oro" un inizio sfavillante con la rete allaGrecia all'esordio, poi il sogno si spezza a causa di un nuovo controllo antidoping che lo trova positivo all'efedrina, sostanza stimolante proibita. L'Argentina viene eliminata agli ottavi.

Franco Baresi. In una conferenza stampa, nel 1992, l'allora trentaduenne difensore del Milan dice basta alla maglia azzurra. Poi è una telefonata con il commissario tecnico Sa! cchi a decretare il ritorno suoi propri passi per giocare l'ultimo Mondiale della sua carriera. L'esperienza americana è un'avventura che si conclude con una finale amara persa ai rigori col Brasile, il penalty fallito dallo stesso Baresi e le lacrime. Nuovo distacco, poi ancora un ripensamento e la convocazione per gara di qualificazione Italia-Slovenia.

Giuseppe Bergomi. Il caso di Bergomi è significativo per l'intervallo di tempo trascorso. Nel 1991 da colonna dell'Italia passa all'esclusione, visto male da Sacchi. Il capitolo Nazionale per lo Zio è chiuso. Passeranno sette lunghi anni e il ritorno si avrà solo per i Mondiali del1998, a trentaquattro primavere, titolare in mezzo alla difesa dopo l'infortunio di Nesta senza farlo rimpiangere. Agli Azzurri saranno fatali i calci di rigore ai quarti.

Pavel Nedved. In tempi più recenti, dopo gli Europei del 2004 è il Pallone d'oro ceco a lasciare i colori della suo Paese. A furor di popolo l'ex juventino viene rich! iamato per dare il necessario contributo negli spareggi di qua! lificazi one per i Mondiali 2006. In Germania l'apporto del quasi trentaseienne Nedved serve a poco, la Repubblica Ceca non supera il girone iniziale, dove sono proprio Italia e Ghana a spuntarla.

Zinedine Zidane. L'esempio di Zizou (trentatrè anni) è il più evidente, ma la colonia francese ritiratasi dalla Nazionale dopo l'Europeo portoghese del 2004 e richiamata poco dopo si arricchisce anche dei nomi di Lilian Thuram e Claude Makelele. Un'ondata di ritorni che permette ai transalpini di raggiungere la finale, persa (nuovi ricorsi) con l'Italia di Totti. Mentre Thuram e Makelele proseguono con i Blues fino all'ultimo campionato d'Europa in Austra&Svizzera, per Zidane sappiamo tutti come è andata a finire. A conti fatti una decisione di tornare opportuna dal punto di vista tecnico ma rovinata dalla vergognosa uscita di scena, con testata, espulsione e scomparsa con la Coppa alle spalle.

E in tema di ritorni, in "materia allenatori" merita la menzione proprio quello di Lippi, forse l'unico commissario tecnico in grado di convincere Totti per un'ul! tima scommessa. Per bissare insieme, magari, il trionfo di qua! ttro ann i fa.

Il capitano Sommese: "Torneremo quelli di un mese fa"

di Marco Fundoni

fonte: ilrestodelcarlino.ilsole24ore.com

Il capitano Sommese è cresciuto nella squadra granata, con cui esordì in un derby con la Juve nel 1996: "La gara contro il Toro è quello che ci vuole per risollevarsi". Riguardo le accuse di Cissè: "Bugie: lo scorretto semmai è lui"

Non sarà certo una gara come le altre quella che Vincenzo Sommese disputerà sabato contro il 'suo' Torino. Sommese, d'altronde è cresciuto con la maglia granata addosso ed è logico che giocarci contro sarà una bella emozione.

Sommese sarà ! una gara strana per lei? "Sono anni che non gioco contro il Toro, l'ultima volta fu con la maglia del Mantova nel famoso spareggio. Certo è che al Toro devo tutto. Fu il presidente Calleri a portarmi a Torino dal Nola. Sono cresciuto in maglia granata e ho esordito in serie a in un derby, nel 1996. Ricordo che in panchina c'era Lido Vieri, il preparatore dei portieri: a 5' dalla fine della partita, senza neanche farmi riscaldare, mi fece entrare in campo. Fu una giornata molto particolare perché esordire in un derby è una cosa assolutamente inaspettata. Credo fosse il 6 aprile e il fatto che ricordi ancora il giorno la dice lunga".

Qualche rimpianto? "Uno. Non aver avuto in squadra un giocatore capace di farmi crescere non solo tecnicamente, ma anche come uomo".

Il Sommese che ora fa la 'chioccia' ai bianconeri? "Beh, sì, diciamo che avendo un 'Sommese' al mio fianco mi avrebbe aiutato a crescere prima mentre in realtà sono maturato in questi ultimi tre anni qui ad Ascoli in una società che ha creduto in me, mi ha responsabilizzato e mi ha dato parecchie certezze. La cosa strana è che non mi sento gli anni che ho e se continua così gioco almeno per altri quattro anni".

Facciamo un passo indietro, all'episodio di domenica con Cissè: le è dispiaciuto essere accusato di razzismo? "Molto. Anzi, mi dispiace aver letto le sue dichiarazioni solo il giorno dopo. Le avessi sentite a Bergamo sarei andato in sala stampa. Mi dispiace perchè invece di ringraziare l'arbitro che non lo ha cacciato dal campo, Cissè si è messo a fare certe dichiarazioni che non esistono perchè non sono il tipo e perchè c'era il quarto uomo presente lì a due passi che non ha sentito nulla di ciò per cui sono stato accusato. Dispiace perchè Marco Bernacci per aver fatto una carezza ad ! un avversario ha preso tre giornate di squalifica e Cissè inve! ce l'ha scampata pur mettendomi entrambe le mani in faccia. Non solo. Mi ha anche urlato qualcosa in una lingua che non conosco. Chissà cosa mi ha detto. Noi facciamo tanto per queste persone, ma loro non se ne devono approfittare".

Sabato Ascoli modello partita col Brescia? "Sono convinto che troveremo le motivazioni giuste per tornare quelli che ravamo un mese fa. E' vero che in queste ultime quattro gare siamo stati meno brillanti e compatti, ma sarebbe un errore prendersela solo con la difesa. La squadra sta facendo bene e può ancora crescere. Sono convinto che una gara contro il Toro è quello che ci vuole per risollevarsi. Magari approfittando anche del loro momento di difficoltà mentale. Possiamo batterli".

1-1 tra Mantova ed Empoli

fonte: www.empolifc.com

Si e' concluso sul punteggio di 1-1 il confronto tra Mantova ed Empoli allo stadio Martelli.

Tutte nella ripresa le reti che hanno deciso il match: al 13' ha segnato il Mantova con Salviato, bravo ad anticipare tutti sugli sviluppi di un calcio d'angolo, mentre dieci minuti piu' tardi l'Empoli ha ristabilito la parita' con Claudio Coralli, in gol con un tap in preciso dopo che Luca Saudati si ! era visto negare il gol dal palo della porta difesa da Bellodi.

Tre i cambi effettuati nelle file azzurre: fuori Marianini dentro Antonazzo, fuori Pasquato dentro Coralli, fuori Coralli dentro Vannucchi; nel Mantova Nicco e' stato sostituito da Grauso e Cuneaz e' subentrato a Tarana.

Tre i calciatori ammoniti nel corso della ripresa: nell'Empoli e' stato ammonito Valdifiori mentre nel Mantova sono stati sanzionati Gervasoni e Spinale.

Martinetti: «Non mi sento titolare ma quando gioco segno»

di Marco Fundoni

fonte :gazzetta di modena

Sette presenze, 394' giocati dall'inizio della stagione, tre volte titolare, tre reti all'attivo. Fin qui difficile trovare difetti nell'avvio di stagione di Daniele Martinetti. Il centravanti teorica riserva di Zampagna, sta facendo vedere ottime cose e soprat! tutto va in rete con continuità.
Daniele, come valuti il tuo avvio di campionato?
«Al di là dei miei gol o di altro ancora, l'importante sono solo i risultati e noi facciamo i conti ora con la sconfitta (immeritata, a mio avviso) contro il Grosseto. E' vero che sto segnando con buona continuità e che quando sono partito dall'inizio ho segnato, ma contano solo i punti».
A questo punto ti senti tu il centravanti titolare del Sassuolo?
«Non è una questione di titolari o riserve. Siamo in tanti, tutti bravi, ed è fondamentale nel corso di una stagione se vuoi rimanere competitivo fino all'ultimo. Quindi non è una questione che si pone, titolari o meno siamo tutti importanti».
! Da Zampagna hai carpito qualche segreto in questo periodo?
«Diciamo che lui è un giocatore molto esperto, che ha fatto tanta serie A e da cui c'è sempre da imparare. Personalmente avevo giocato quasi sempre a due in attacco, lui nell'attacco a tre è più abituato e ho cercato di carpire qualche cosa sotto questo aspetto».
A proposito, preferisci giocare a 3 o con due punte?
«Con due punte mi trovo meglio, ma va bene anche il tridente. Certo è che, con questo modulo, noi attaccanti dobbiamo sacrificarci di più».
Lunedì sera c'è l'Albinoleffe, un pronostico secco.
«Sono convinto che torneremo a casa con i t! re punti, stiamo lavorando bene come prima della trasferta di Ascoli. E poi abbiamo un credito con la fortuna e con qualche arbitraggio non proprio positivo che ci è capitato. Su di me c'erano di sicuro un paio di rigori, ma è inutile stare a recriminare».