FRANCE FOOTBALL "GOLDEN BALL" 2009: 30 CANDIDATES OF WHICH 6 ARE SPANISH

Rookie of the Year

1. O.J. Mayo - I know his team doesn't win enough and everyone has picked Derrick Rose but O.J. Mayo is my rookie of the year at the midseason. O.J. is leading the Memphis Grizzlies in scoring, averaging 19.1 PPG and shooting 37% from three point land. O.J. has scored over 25 points in a game 10 times this season and scored over 30 four times. Mayo is living up to the expectations thrown on him in high school. If he were in a bigger market he would have had a shot at the All Star team.

2. Derrick Rose - Rose is as good as advertised averaging 16.7 PPG, 6.3 APG. Rose has done a solid job playing the most difficult position on the court as a rookie. Rose's game has superstar written all o! ver it. Give him another year or two and he will be an All-Star. DRose is a great example of the hometown boy making good.

3. Brook Lopez - Brook Lopez has been a surprise. I had no idea what the Nets were thinking on draft night taking Lopez. They proved me wrong. The big man has been solid averaging 11PPG, 8 REBS, 2 BLKS. His season highlight is a 31 point, 13 rebound performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

4. Russell Westbrook - Westbrook, Durant and Green have the makings of a deadly threesome. Westbrook is averaging 14.5 PPG, 5REBS, 1.5 STEALS. Westbrook has been up and down at times but has shown signs of explosiveness.

5. Eric Gordon & D.J Augustin - Both have been wildly inconsistent following great games with duds. You never know what they are going to give you from night to night.

Biggest dissapointment - Michael Beasley..I expected him to be a starter from da! y one and to put up big numbers. He has all all the talent in ! the worl d. The only thing that holds him back is his mental focus.

Ryan announces roster for Norway

GOALKEEPERS (2): Briana Scurry (Dayton, Minn.), Hope Solo (Richland, Wash.);
DEFENDERS (6): Marian Dalmy (Lakewood, Colo.), Tina Ellertson (Vancouver, Wash.), Stephanie Lopez (Elk Grove, Calif.), Kate Markgraf (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant, N.J.), Cat Whitehill (Birmingham, Ala.);
MIDFIELDERS (6): Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis, Mo.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Marci Jobson (St. Charles, Ill.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Leslie Osborne (Brookfield, Wis.);
FORWARDS (4): Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Kristine Lilly (Wilton, Conn.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.).

Notre Dame wins Big East

Kerri Hanks scored 57 seconds into the game and found the net again nine minutes later, giving the Notre Dame women's soccer team an early 2-0 lead en route to a 4-2 victory over Rutgers in the BIG EAST Conference championship game.

Fair Game magazine

Until now, no soccer publication in the US offered much in terms of women's soccer coverage. Publications such as Soccer America offered coverage that can be described as medicore at best.

Finally, I am excited!
A friend gave me the pilot issue of Fair Game magazine and I am impressed.
For any serious fan of the women's game, Fair Game is a must read. Good layout, quality photos, good articles and features. 
The pilot issue is now available from www.fairgamemagazine.com

Marta ready for WPS

"We feel it's great not just for our franchise but for our whole entire league," Sol General Manager Charlie Naimo said. "It's big news. We've been getting contacted by as much international media as we have local, but we're definitely getting a lot of media attention. New York Times, L.A. Times. The big dogs. We're obviously very appreciative of the coverage."
The Los Angeles Sol are building their roster around Marta, the three-time FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.

MotoGP : 2008 Estoril - Kawasaki wants Valentino Rossi 2009

Saturday, 12th April 2008

Kawasaki competition manager Michel Bartholemy has told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport that he wants five-time MotoGP world champion Valentino RossialongsideJohn Hopkins at Team Green next year.

This is hardly a surprise.

Any MotoGP team serious about success will surely try to acquire the services of the Italian superstar, whose Yamaha contract expires at the end of 2008.

English Premier League going down to the wire

The English soccer season is heading for a grandstand finish.

With only five matches remaining in the Premier League and six points separating first from third, every game will have the atmosphere of a cup tie, where defeat means elimination and winning brings hope. Even draws are no longer just bumps on the road to victory, but massive trenches pulling down confidence and belief.

Log leaders Manchester United had one such setback against Middlesborough over the weekend, fighting hard for a 2-2 draw. Not only has it made United put the champagne back in the cellar for the mom! ent, but it has also given Chelsea more hope. The Blues beat Man City 2-0 at the once impenetrable City of Manchester Stadium, to go within three points of the Red Devils.

Arsenal also know all about how ineffective, frustrating and wasteful draws are having racked up 11 this season, including a 1-1 result against Liverpool on Saturday, compared to United five tied matches. This puts them six points off the pace ahead of Sunday's mammoth dwarfing clash at Old Trafford. Chelsea must be expected to get the three points at Wigan, which means it could be even tighter at the top.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Sir Alex Ferguson says it's all about which team keeps their nerve...



Neutrals have never had it this good, as there's also the battle for the fou! rth Champions League place between Merseyside rivals Liverpool! and Eve rton.

Cardenas consistent at Giro

Team Barloworld's Felix Cardenas went into Tuesday's Giro d'Italia rest day sitting a comfortable 15th in the general classification after yesterday's second individual time trial. The 12.9km uphill time trial between San Viglio Di Marebbe an Plan De Corones, saw Cardenas, who has been riding a strong and consistent race, finish 17th.

Italian Franco Pellizotti, from Liquigas, clinched stage 16 and Spanish Tour de France champ, Alberto Contador, from Astana, still has the overall lead. CSF Group - Navigare leads the overall team standings, while Barloworld is 16! th.

Stoner's back!

Australia's MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner kept Valentino Rossi behind him at Donington Park to win the British Grand Prix for the second year in a row yesterday.
The Ducati rider, who started on pole for only the second time this season, crossed the line 5.789 seconds ahead of championship leader Rossi to seal his second win of the year and go third in the overall standings. Rossi beat Dani Pedrosa to secure 2nd in his 200th race, with the injured Jorge Lorenzo finishing a brave 6th, after starting 13th. Rossi extended his overall lead over Pedrosa to 11 points while Stoner moved ahead of Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, 45 poin! ts behind the four-times champion after eight races. There is suddenly a spring in Stoner's step, and it's not going to be leaving the Rossi or Pedrosa camps feeling very comfortable.

SA strike early

South Africa have taken an early wicket, Andrew Strauss was caught by Graeme Smith of a ball from Makhaya Ntini.

Eng 31/1

SA ended their first innings on 194 all out.

Murray mania

Its a big day for Andy Murray as he faces Roger Federer in the US Open final later today.

The Brit booked his place in the final when he beat world number one Rafael Nadal 6-2;7-6;4-6;6-4. Murray was leading two sets to love when rain interrupted play once play resumed Nadal fought back wining the third set 6-4 but in the end victory belonged to Murray.

The 21-year-old faces one of the toughest challenges when he takes on Federer. The former darling of tennis is the reigning champion at Flushing Meadows, with four titles to his name. If Murray is to go all the way and dethrone Federer he will become the first British man to win a Grand Slam title in 72 years. And too think if the pressure of playing Federer wasn't enough!

From Beijing to Langebaan, Eray to focus on surf

Cape Town Olympian Michele Eray won the most recent leg of the Discovery Mens Health Surfski Series, and she's aiming to continue her good form on the West Coast on Saturday.

Michele is using the series, like Dawid Mocke, to train for the Dubai-Shamaal, which sees a huge increase in prize money for the current season. Whilst she enjoys the sprint discipline of K1 racing, Michele said that she is planning on switching her focus to surfski racing for 2009, where she is planning to compete on the international circuit. Following that, she will make her dec! ision as far as the Olympics of 2012 are concerned.

What now for Rubens and Jenson?

With Honda making the shock announcement that they'll be pulling out of Formula One if they don't get a new owner within the next two months, a big cloud has been cast over the futures of drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button.

Honda has blamed rising costs of running a F1 team and the global financial crisis for it's downfall. The Japanese manufacturer bought BAR in 2000 and had it's strongest run in 2006 when Button won the Hungarian Grand Prix and helped Honda to fourth in the constructors standings. Unfortunately, the team has slumped since then and scored just 14 constructors championship points in 2008.

If Honda doesn't find a buyer by the end of January 2009 they'll be forced to completely end their participation in the sport completely which will leave the very experienced Barrichello and Button without a drive for next season. Barrichello is the most experienced driver in the field at the moment and it was speculated ! that he's call it quits quite soon but Button on the other hand still has quite a few years left in racing and to be without a team at this point in his career can't be good.

Most of the teams have already confirmed their driver lineup for next season apart from Toro Rosso which could present Button with an opportunity if the team is open to the possibility.

Breakfast headlines

Football:

Orlando Pirates have moved to second in the ABSA Premiership after a 2-0 victory over third placed Sundowns. Log leaders SuperSport beat Bloem Celtic 1-0. Ajax Cape Town are still fifth despite a 1-0 defeat to Wits. Santos are into the top eight after a 2-1 win over Thanda Royal Zulu at Athlone. Chiefs are fourth after a 1-0 win over Golden Arrows.

In the English Premier League, Man United have extended their lead to seven points after a 2-1 win over an impressive Newcastle side. Fourth placed Aston Villa suffered a 2-0 defeat to Man City and sixth placed Everton were held to a goalless draw by Blackburn. Tottenham continued their surge up the table with a 4-0 drubbing of relegation bound Middlesbrough.

In Spain, Barcelona drew 1-all with Real Mallorca to setup a King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao next Friday.

Sampdoria shocked a ten man Inter 3-0 in an Italian Cup semifinal first leg.

Rugby:

Die Vodacom Stormers afrigter Rassie Erasmus het vier veranderings gemaak vir Saterdag se kragmeeting teen die Bulle op Loftus. AJ Venter sal op slot begin, Nick Koster vervang Sireli Naqelevuki op vleuel, Willem de Waal is in vir Peter Grant en Wicus Blaauw begin in plaas van die beseerde JD Moller. Die Bulle is sonder Bryan Habana, maar Victor Matfield is op die reserwe bank. Stormers hakker, Schalk Brits, se die span is nog steeds positief oor hulle seisoen, ondanks twee nederlae op Nuweland.

Cycling:

Team Barloworld's Robbie Hunter has clinched the first race of the Giro del Capo in Wellington. The second race takes place in Durbanville today. Hunter says it doesn't really matter that the format has changed from a five stage tour to four individual races because of non-compliance with UCI regulations. Based on yesterday's dominance I think it's safe to say Hunter is the favourite to win yet another! Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycletour victory on Sunday.

Spa-Francorchamps: One of the Best

This weekend, the Formula One circus will make its way to truly one of the great circuits of all time, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. In addition to its status as the place to go for hydrotherapy and is the namesake for getaways to relax and drink the waters, Spa brings visions of wet, variable weather conditions, circuit topography that is second to none and corner names that feel like destinations onto themselves, Les Combes, Malmedy, Slaveot, Pouhon, Blanchimont, La Source and of course, Eau Rouge.

This circuit is truly admired by driver, team and fa! n alike. Spa-Francorchamps is one of the last true road racing circuits that still gives you the feeling that the drivers are truly going somewhere. The circuit used to be laid out on public roads and if you look hard enough, you can still see where the old circuit diverges from the current circuit at Les Combes, and goes off into the Belgian countryside. In 1979, the track was shortened to its current distance of 4.3 miles from the original, daunting and frightening 9.3 miles that snaked its way through the Ardenne forest and several Belgian towns. This old circuit included rather deadly sections of road, such as Masta Kink. The old circuit was so dangerous, F1 abandoned Spa until the circuit was shortened.

Take a tour with 2 times F1 World Champion, Fernando Alonso.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26snvONnLZU

Torres Aims For Silverware

Fernando Torres admits it would be a "massive blow" if Liverpool finished this season with no silverware.

The Spain striker, who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2008 final to secure his country's first major trophy for 44 years, arrived at Anfield two years ago from Atletico Madrid but has yet to claim any honours with the Reds.

He is determined to put that right this season and would love to help clinch the club's first league title in 20 years.

"It is so important for me to get my first club medal with Liverpool but I am young, I am just 25," said Torres! , who will be looking to add to his tally of five goals in six appearances against Chelsea when Rafael Benitez's side visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

"I have won top honours with Spain now and, yes, there is a desperation to win a trophy for the fans at Liverpool.

"Three years without a trophy is too much for Liverpool and especially the Premier League - it is far too long for this club.

"We have to improve and try to win the league, the Champions League or maybe a cup because to go another season and have four years without a trophy would be a massive blow for Liverpool.

"After winning the European Championship with Spain I know exactly how it feels to win a major trophy and I know that, if we can win at Liverpool, it will feel the same or even better than it did with Spain."

Dirk Kuyt Fit To Play In Liverpool FC's Clash At Sunderland

Dirk Kuyt has given Liverpool's preparations for Saturday's trip to Sunderland a much-needed lift by declaring himself fit for duty.

The Holland international picked up an ankle injury during his country's trip to Australia last weekend and exacerbated the problem during the 0-0 draw in Sydney.

However, Kuyt has responded to treatment since returning to Melwood on Tuesday and he should keep his place in the starting line-up at the Stadium of Light.

That will come as a relief to boss Rafa Benitez, who has concerns over the fitness of Steven Gerrard and Fernan! do Torres and who yesterday lost Sotirios Kyrgiakos for between four and six months.

Neither Gerrard – who had a scan on an adductor problem on Wednesday – or Torres trained at Melwood yesterday after returning from international duty but both will be given every chance to prove their wellbeing.

Similar sentiments apply to Argentine pair Javier Mascherano and Emiliano Insua, as well as Brazilian midfielder Lucas, who were not expected back at Melwood from South America until Friday afternoon.

The news, though, is not looking good for Kyrgiakos, who suffered a suspected rupture of his anterior cruciate ligament during Greece's 2-1 win over Luxembourg in Athens on Wednesday night.

Kyrgiakos was examined by Liverpool's medical staff at Melwood last night after arriving back from Greece but if scans realise the worst fears of both player and club, he could be out until March at the earliest.

That will leave Benitez short of! experienced cover at the back but Andreas Dossena is determin! ed to gi ve his manager something to think about by forcing his way back into the fray.

The Italian defender has struggled to show his true form since arriving on Merseyside and was linked with a move away during the summer but he is adamant that he wants to stay and fight for his place.

"I want to play, but what is important for me is to work hard every day and be ready for when the boss calls on me," he said. "It's difficult, but I am a professional. I am a football player and sometimes you have to sit on the bench. That is part of my job.

"I want to work hard and keep a good mentality, which is important for all players, even those that play every game. You have to work hard and be ready.

"I have never said that I want to leave. I want to play, like every single other player, but I like it here and I like playing for Liverpool Football Club. The life here is perfect for me, the football is fantastic and I want to win something with Liver! pool."

Benitez Blasts Carra Critics

Rafa Benitez believes Jamie Carragher proved with his performance against Manchester United that he is not at the end of his career just yet.

The Liverpool defender has been criticised for some of his displays during the early part of the season and there have been suggestions he is not the player he once was.

However, he was at his defiant best on Sunday and helped the Reds seal a crucial 2-0 victory over fierce rivals United.

Benitez insists he never had any doubts about the 31-year-old, while he expects Liverpool to get back on track now key players are returning to fitness.

"Jamie played well," said Beni! tez. "He had been having a difficult time but the only thing to do in such a situation is to try again and try again.

"It was only a question of keeping working hard, and he proved that he is a good centre-back and not at the end of his career just yet.

"He showed what a good defender he still is and (collectively) we have shown that we are not a bad team, not a bad squad. Maybe next April people will again judge us but at this moment we have enough quality.

"We have had five players injured, all at once. But when we are all fit we are difficult for anyone to beat."

Benitez and his players had come under pressure after a run of four straight defeats in all competitions but he maintains he always had confidence in the character of his squad.

He explained: "The players responded to the messages they had been given. It was simple, keep training the same way, keep working hard and things will change.

"In football! you can talk a lot but if you do not work hard you will not c! hange an ything.

"We worked hard on lots of things, but the main thing was that everyone was together, the team, the fans, the staff. The attitude was fantastic, and you can see that we can beat anyone.

"This was the perfect answer, the perfect response because we were not winning.

"Against a good team you have to perform really well and be focused to achieve what you want. All the players wanted to impress, that was the difference.

"It was a result that will please a lot of people, maybe not United. But I have been saying all season that the top sides will lose more points that you would expect, that will make the title race more open.

"This is the proof. I was determined to keep my confidence, to keep my faith in my players."

Barberá continues Ducati apprenticeship at Jerez

Friday, 27 November 2009

Aspar’s MotoGP rookie completes the first of three days of testing at the Spanish circuit, despite rain making conditions difficult.

A fortnight after he rode the Ducati Desmosedici for the first time at the post-season Valencia test, Héctor Barberá was given the opportunity to take out the 800cc machine he will ride in his debut MotoGP season in 2010.

On the first of three scheduled days of testing for the Aspar rider at Jerez, Barberá came up against rain as he gained valuable experience of riding the Ducati prototype on a wet track.

Throughout Thursday morning Barberá continued his education aboard the bike, and despite the rain stopping at midday the track failed to dry sufficiently, so the team decided to work in the garage and avoid an unnecessary fall. Barberá completed 35 laps and recorded a fastest turn of 1’50.5 towards the end of his session.

“The first day has been very positive, because I have ridden on water and achieved a decent time,” said Barberá. “I adapted quickly to the track conditions and the modifications we have made.”

“It was a pity we had to finish early because there are many things that still need to be tested. Anyway, I’m very satisfied with the feeling of the bike after the first day. To find a comfortable feeling when riding on water is complicated at the beginning, so it is more than enough reason to be happy. Here in Jerez I’ve realised the bike has plenty of power and incredible traction.”

Barberá added, “Each time I get on the Ducati I feel it’s mine a little more and I enjoy driving it more, and I think that’s a good sign of progression. The day was short and we could not ride with slicks or wets, so it would have been stupid to continue and risk having a fall.”

The Aspar team plans to continue testing until Saturday, weather permitting, as the forecast for days two and three is rain.

Latest After the Flag episode now available

Friday, 27 November 2009

After the Flag presenter Gavin Emmett presents a special edition, in which the most memorable moments of the 2009 MotoGP season are reviewed.

There is plenty to look back on with the 2009 season having come to a close, and Gavin Emmett presents an extended episode of After the Flag.

There is a review of the post-season Valencia test with a look forward to the 2010 season, season highlights, and the unforgettable Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya is also recalled.

The best clips from the After the Flag series are also present, and Espargaró brothers Aleix and Pol speak to Gavin.

Clickto watch this latest installment of After the Flag, or visit the iTunes Store to download it as a free podcast.

CEV Buckler calendar 2010

Friday, 27 November 2009

The RFME and Dorna Sports have announced the calendar for the CEV Buckler 2010 season.

The 2010 CEV Buckler Spanish Championship season will consist of seven events, with the incorporation of Motorland Aragón which will host the fifth round on October 3, 2010.

The CEV Buckler 2010 calendar:

Date - Circuit
April 18 - Catalunya
May 9 - Albacete
June 13 - Jerez
September 12 - Albacete
October 3 - Motorland Aragón
November 14 - Comunitat Valenciana
November 21 - Jerez

Further information on the Championship is available at: www.cevbuckler.com and www.rfme.net.

Thailand welcomes Jorge Lorenzo

Friday, 27 November 2009

MotoGP World Championship 2009 runner-up receives a hero’s reception on the first day of his South East Asian trip.

Jorge Lorenzo was met by a huge crowd in Thailand on Friday as he started his South East Asia trip with a visit to the Yamaha Motor Factory in Bangkok, before spending the afternoon at the capital city’s most important dealership, the Yamaha Rider’s Club.

The 22 year-old was welcomed by the factory President Frank Nagashima and Chief Operating Officer Praphan Phornthanavasit, and was then given a tour of each department of the plant where no fewer than 3,000 people work.

After, Lorenzo pulled on his race leathers to test ride a Yamaha YZF-R1 which was decorated in Fiat Yamaha livery, and delighted 800 onlookers with a burnout.

It was the first time Lorenzo had been aboard a motorcycle since an operation in Barcelona on November 16 to remove a plate from his left collarbone, and he enjoyed his experience.

“It is incredible to see so many happy people here in Bangkok, where they don’t get to see this kind of event very often,” said the Mallorcan. “Motorcycling is not one of the most popular sports here but it is certainly one of the most important businesses. To be able to come here and give the people at Yamaha a boost gives me a lot of pride. Tomorrow we’ll head to Indonesia and I’m sure we’ll find out even more about the secrets of this great brand.”

Barberá concludes the Jerez test

Saturday, 28 November 2009

The Valencian had been riding the Ducati Desmosedici for two days. Now he will stop until February when he will reappear in the Sepang test.

On Friday Héctor Barberá completed his second day of testing the handlebars of the Aspar Team’s Ducati Desmosedici at the Jerez circuit.

The new Aspar rider carried out two runs of ten laps each, alternating each exit between motorbikes configured in a different way. In the afternoon he completed five more turns and finished off his work with a best time of 1’41.7, less than 2 seconds off the record he established in this season’s Gran Premio de España.

"Today has been a day of very complete work. We have centred our efforts in doing tests with the motorbike and the traction control. We have not pursued the times, more we were seeking a good line of work. At the end of the day I have given 20 good laps and I am happy. The results are not excellent but I feel that we are on the right road" said the newcomer to the premier category.

The next time that the new Aspar rider will ride the Desmosedici again will be in the month of February next year, in the scheduled test in Malaysia.

“Now I am going to prepare myself very well, to return to Sepang at one hundred percent. I think that one of the keys of the season will be to strengthen the physical form during the winter months” said the Valencian rider.

Italtrans STR on track in Moto2

Monday, 30 November 2009

The new Moto2 team will be on track in 2010 with Roberto Rolfo and Robertino Pietri.

Italtrans have announced a new and exciting venture into the world of motorcycle sport, launching a Moto2 team in partnership with STR (Sprint Technology Racing) with Roberto Rolfo and Robertino Pietri having been selected to ride for the team.

Confirming their planned participation in the debut season of the new class, the team will be led by Luigi Pansera and Massimo Biagini, the latter of whom has worked with Carlos Lavado, Raymond Roche, Randy Mamola, Eddie Lawson, Doug Chandler, Freddie Spencer, and most recently Casey Stoner and Roberto Locatelli during his time in the sport.

Turin-born rider Rolfo, now resident in Lugano, is a vastly-experienced rider who was runner-up in the 2003 250cc World Championship. The 29 year-old also has experience in MotoGP, and will now have the chance to transfer his skills onto the Moto2 machine built by Suter Racing. Venezuelan rider Pietri has ridden in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship this year. Both riders will test for their new team December in Spain, having tested in Italy in mid-November.

Massimo Biagini (Technical Manager STR Racing):

“A dream is coming true. STR hopes to introduce a new method of working, involving 360 degree sponsor, management and technical divisions. We can never thank the Bellina family enough for their sponsorship, on behalf of all the people involved in the project: the technical sponsors, Suter Racing, Regina (chains), Mivv (exhausts), Brembo (brakes), Marchesini (rims) and Dunlop (tyres). Now let’s do our job!”

Roberto Rolfo (Italtrans STR Rider):

“I am very happy to be back into the Motorcycle World Championship, and it’s even more satisfying to do it in Moto2. This was my objective and now I’m very motivated because I’m back in the game and I aim to secure results. I cannot wait to begin the tests. There will be a lot to do because motorbikes in this category will continually evolve. I’m not afraid of the challenge, I look forward to it.”

Robertino Pietri (Italtrans STR Rider):

“This is a great opportunity for me. I’d like to thank Massimo Biagini and the whole STR team, and my fellow countrymen Vito Ippolito and Carlos Lavado. I’m happy and excited by this opportunity and I’m confident that the team will succeed. I’ll be 100% ready to have a great season in the Motorcycle World Championship.”

Italtrans is a leader in logistics and transport of foodstuffs, and already has a presence in the motorsport world having participated in the Paris-Dakar and Pharaohs rallies.

Perfect Body by Paola Stein

Paola Stein, cute from Spanish, laughs is happy because she to win ticket see ball to Italian. sexy model will leave with group of the other models.

Jun Hasegawa Pose with Casual Wear

Jun Hasegawa Pose with Casual Wear

Veterans lead Suzuki charge

By John Hopkins

RICHMOND HILL, ON -- A pair of veteran riders will lead the Suzuki charge in the 2005 CMRC Canadian Motocross Nationals.

Thirty-four-year-old Keith Johnson and Mike Treadwell, 36, will ride in the MX1 class for the OTSFF Motorsports Suzuki team, which has been appointed as the official factory Suzuki squad for the Canadian nationals.

Also running in the MX1 class will be 18-year-old Nick Adams.

In the MX2 class, Bruce Prochnavy will run an OTSFF Suzuki in the west while Jean Yves Allard will compete in the eastern series. Iain Hayden will also run under the factory Suzuki banner in the east with support from Two Wheel Motorsports.

"We're extremely happy to be working with OTSFF this coming season," said a press release from Suzuki Canada Inc. "They will be focusing their energies on the nine rounds of the CMRC Nationals and the Montreal Supercross."

Ac! cording to the release, "Team Suzuki will be the only full four-stroke factory team on the MX1 circuit riding the new Suzuki RM-Z450."

Ron Ashley will act as team and rider manager. Battleford Supercycle and Sport Plus will join Two Wheel Motorsport as regional dealer supporters of the program.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Hayden and Sagan on fire

From Royal Distributing

Eagle River, WI -- Only a small mechanical problem unsurped what would have been another perfect weekend for Team Royal at the famed Eagle River Derby last weekend.

In Friday Night Thunder at the Derby, Pro Iain Hayden continued his winning ways, taking the checkered in both PRO OPEN and PRO 440. Hayden dominated the finals and at times had lapped the field to fourth place.

Semi Pro Joey Sagan continued to impress by bumping to Pro for the evening and ran fourth in PRO 440 and sixth in PRO OPEN finals.

In the Sunday Snowcross finals, Sagan went back to back to back in SEMI-PRO 600, SEMI-PRO 440 and SEMI-PRO OPEN, taking all three final wins. He is now perfect in his last nine SEMI-PRO finals south of border. Sagan also bumped up to PRO OPEN and stood on the podium, running a strong third against the Pros.

Hayden continued to dominate and easily won PRO 44! 0 and had a comfortable lead in PRO OPEN when a faulty rad-hose took away the win. He ended up in fifth place.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Mens Hoops: Early 2009-10 preseason top 25

From Fox Sports. Obviously you should take these rankings with a grain of salt as recruiting classes have yet to shape up and players on these 25 teams may enter the draft or transfer.

1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Villanova
4. Purdue
5. Duke
6. Clemson
7. Washington
8. North Carolina
9. Kentucky
10. Butler
11. Xavier
12. UCONN
13. West Virginia
14. Wake Forest
15. Minnesota
16. Louisville
17. Texas
18. Illinois
19. Ohio State
20. Tennessee
21. Gonzaga
22. Siena
23. Michigan
24. California
25. UCLA

6 teams from the Big 10 and only 4 from the Big East and ACC, this guy may be on crack......

Billy Kopp Currently in 1st Place at 2009 World Series of Poker

It's now day seven of the 2009 World Series of Poker and local product Billy Kopp is currently the chip leader with $15,100,000 in chips. Kopp is being chased by seasoned vet Phil Ivey who currently has $12,200,000 in chips, good enough for second place. Kopp is way ahead of everyone else in the field when it comes to total chips considering the person in 10th place currently has a little over $7,000,000

With only 29 players left in the tournament Kopp is guaranteed to rake in some dough considering the the last person knocked out who came in 30th place made $254,000.

For Kopp's playing card, click here.

Kopp resides in Erlanger and attended St. Pius for grade school and Villa Madonna Academy for high school.

We'll keep you updated.

Sacked! Aaron Rodgers Working His Way Toward Most Quaterback Sacks in One Season

Aaron Rodgers has now been sacked 20 times this year through 4 games! I know I'm only 6'2, 175, but myself and my boy Gus Parrish are trying out for the Packers Offensive Line this week.

To put this is perspective, Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 46 times last year, the most out of any quarterback in the NFL. At this rate, Rodgers will be sacked 80 times this year! The NFL record is actually 76 times by David Carr in 2002.

Gerald Green: Dunked Out

-Keefe


When Gerald Green blew out the candle on that cup cake in the Slam Dunk contest I doubt he wished to be waived by the Houston Rockets. Well last weekend that became true. What makes this story even sadder is the recent entry on the Sports Brief where I went through the NBA and listed all 53 players who could still be playing college basketball. Gerald Green was very much on this list; in fact he would be a junior, presumably at Oklahoma State, where he committed to.

The 22 year old played nearly 3 full seasons in the leag! ue for a combined 3 teams, the Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and most recently the Houston Rockets. Growing up in Houston, Green was thrilled at the move on the deadline, and excited to get a chance to play for his hometown team. Yeah didn't make a lot of since to me either. Green played in just 29 games for the worst team in the West and just over 12 minutes when he did get in. Now he gets traded to a team who hasn't lost in years and are currently hosting a 1st round series. How is he going to play there? I'll answer that, he won't. Green managed to get on the court just once in his 3 weeks with the Rockets for a grand total of 4 minutes.

As a Celtics fan I closely watched Green's first 2 years in the NBA. It all started on draft night in 2005. The Celts had the 18th overall pick and two 2nd rounders. What kind of moves could they make? It was the last year for players to enter the league straight out of high school. Perhaps the C's would go to that w! ell again as they have taken Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson! in prev ious drafts. Green according to most experts was a sure fire lottery pick. Well he wasn't. Maybe those teams knew something. Green "fell" to 18 in the draft, and he was supposed to be such a steal. Most people thought he would go 6 to the Trail Blazers. Instead Portland went with another kid from high school in Martell Webster. The picks kept coming, Bynum, a couple foreign players, 2 from UNC, Antoine Wright, on and on. Hey that Green kid is still on the board. They pulled the trigger on the player with perhaps the most potential in the entire draft.



While we're here, by selecting Gerald Green with the 18th overall pick you might be wondering, who else could they have taken. The list really starts and ends with 2nd round steal Monta Ellis. Yeah they too! k the wrong high school kid. But other players who followed Green in the 1st round include: Jarrett Jack, Luther Head, Hakim Warrick, Jason Maxiell, Linas Kleiza, and David Lee. In the 2nd round the Celtics kept both there picks and went with Ryan Gomes (career numbers better than Greens in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, also played in 54, and counting, more games), and they picked Orien Greene, because they had to take someone.

Green did not exactly burst on to the NBA scene following the draft. He played in just 32 games, starting 3, as he was up and down all year to the D-League. He showed some improvement in his second season playing exclusively with the big club. In 81 games, 26 starts, Green average 10.4 points per game. Of course he did most of this during the tank-a-thon that was the Boston Celtics 2006-2007 season. He was the perfect player for that debacle. Zero defense, I mean none at all, but he can obviously dunk and can be fun to watch. He s! cored 33 points in a game at Atlanta last year, shot 5-5 from ! behind t he arc vs. the Bucks. The last 25 games of the season Green scored double figures in 14 of them. You just never knew what Green would show up. Would it be the guy who posted 33, 22, and 21 in three straight games or would it be the guy who scores a total of 13 points the following three games shooting 4-26 from the floor and 1-13 from deep? Way too inconsistent.

Despite nights where he looked like a guy who could get 20+ a night for an entire season and winning the dunk contest, the only thing the Celtics won last year, Boston traded him away. And as crazy as it is to say some people actually thought the Celtics gave up too much to get KG. Can you believe that? Trust me, in New England some thought Gerald Green would be the next Joe Johnson. Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff for Garnett. I still get a kick out of it. But some people, who I'm sure would not admit it now, didn't want to part with both Big Al and Green. Ha.
!

When Green could not crack the lineup with the young Timberwolves I saw that as a horrible sign for his NBA prospects. What's next for this kid? Maybe this will motivate him to work harder. That had always been the knock against him. In the off season he could join a team where he might fit in, and be back in the league. You've seen guys who declare for the draft, don't get picked, and then bounce around other organization and finally reach their goals. But how many guys are in the league so young, have mild success (I'll say winning a dunk contest, and averaging 10+ for a season is mild success), and then get waived come back and make it? It's going to be tough, but with all that talent some team will likely take a chance. The question remains will Gr! een make the most of that chance?

If a team does no! t go aft er Green, like the 17 franchises picking ahead of Boston back in 2005, what are his options? I hear Greece is nice this time of year. He may want to start at lower levels of European ball. And how would his game correlate over seas? It's going to be difficult. I think his best bet would be to join the And 1 Mix Tape Tour. I bet Green is better than the Helicopter. And 1 and Green would be the perfect marriage. Green gives them a little more basketball creditability, while And 1 give Green a place to play and some sneakers. Make it happen And 1. For Gerald Green maybe all is not lost, his former teammate Rafer Alston (Skip to my Lou) made a nice career for himself after playing street ball. Something to think about.

My life of unemployment

So I got laid off last week. Last Tuesday actually. Right after Barack O'Bama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. Right after he spoke about "hope". And "change". And "creating more jobs for Americans". Right after I got back from DSW and spending $120 on two pairs of new shoes, one of which was for an interview I had scheduled with another company the following day. Oh the irony.

But alas, I have already developed a solid daily routine. I wake up by 8am, sometimes earlier if I bring my brother to school. At 8am I begin switching between FoxNews and The Today Show. At 9am it's Regis and Kelly, then back to the Today Show at 10am. Finally, at 11am, it's PIR. Nothing else. No excuses. Easily it's the greatest show on television whether you hate Drew Carey or not. At this point, I don't even care. I love the games, bidding on prizes and the idiots they allow on television.

Which is why I'm blogging right now. This morning there's a ! woman named "Claire" in the far right position on bidder's row. Through the first two bids, she made two of the biggest blunders I've ever seen. EVER. First up for bid was a tailgating set by Coleman. It was a full set, with a couple grills, several pieces of equipment, the whole nine yards. Claire was last to bid, and the highest bid at that point was $850. Apparently Claire felt the tailgating set cost more than $850, a point which I whole-heartedly agree with. However, instead of just bidding $851 and giving her a victory with any price over that amount, she went ahead and bid $1975. Drew looked at her with this incredulous look, then said, "You went with the year I graduated high school. Best of luck to you." Claire must know something we don't. Or she doesn't know anything at all. Turns out it was the latter. Actual retail price was $900 and Claire did not win.

Second item up for bid was an elliptical. The two highests bids prior to Claire's bid were $850 (a! gain, please note) and $2200. Now, unless that elliptical come! s with a big screen TV, personal service and massage therapy, that thing is not more than $2200. And the massive gap between $850 and $2200 would have been much too enticing for me not to bid $851. Instead, Claire took the over and went $2201. She didn't win.

For the third bid, Claire was bidding on a steamer and seemed to have her wits about her, bidding $850 (the irony of this number is incredible). The last bidder went with $851 (poor Claire) and won, considering the steamer was $2200. I can't believe a freakin steamer costs $2200. That thing better make my stuff looks like it's fresh out of an Asian dry cleaner.

As I was typing this, we just saw a tremendous duel in the showcase showdown spinning the wheel. A man and woman both spun $.90 so they went to OT. In the first OT, the guy went first and rolled a dismal $.15. You can't get much worse. There are only 3 numbers she can spin that will keep him alive, it's a gimme. Fortunately for him the woman had eno! ugh in her to spin the wheel around EXACTLY two times and land on $.15. So we went to double OT. He spun $.40 and she blew him out of the water with $.80 for a thrilling victory.

Claire just lost again. I'm resigned to the fact that she's the dumbest contestant in the history of PIR and will not be leaving bidder's row today.

For those of you fantasy football lovers, my dad sent me this video today. My jaw was hanging the entire time. I have trouble believing any of these actually happened and that it's merely a product of computer engineering. Either that or they shot these clips all day. No way they did any of these in one try. The margin for error is too small. But what troubles me most is the player roster for this...

Chris Cooley
Jason Campbell
Marques Colston (The best of the bunch)
Chris Chambers (a flop every year, not even the best WR on his team)
Marc Bulger (seriously?)
Mason Crosby (not bad, but he's a ki! cker)
Laurence Maroney (maybe this is why he is always in! jured... he's doing stupid stunts like this. Although it was pretty incredible.)

Regardless, I'm already pumped for next year's Fantasy Football season. Enjoy.



Which one is your favorite?

-Bess

Gentlemen's Club Draft Results

Here are the results from last night's Fantasy Football Draft. Tristan Besse (Big Papsmear) had the 2nd pick while Rich Keefe (Bulletproof Tigers) landed pick #6. Meanwhile, Ryan Davey (author of www.pen15blog.blogspot.com) already took home one prize, that being for Best Team Name... "The Jackson 4" Enough said. Check out the round by round results below.

League starts QB-RB-RB-WR-WR-WR-TE-K-DST, basic scoring, 6 pts TD pass, No point per catch

Round 1
1 NYSackExchange Peterson, Adrian RB MIN
2 Big Papsmear Jones-Drew, Maurice RB JAC
3 Vaughn-o-matic Turner, Michael RB ATL
4 Doushmonsters* Forte, Matt RB CHI
5 LandSharks Brady, Tom QB NE
6 Bulletproof Tigers Brees, Drew QB NO
7 Ball Don't Lie Moss, Randy WR NE
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Williams, DeAngelo RB CAR 9 Clamdyke Bars Jackson, Steven RB STL
10 The Jackson 4 Fitzgerald, Larry WR ARI
11 Hennekey Slaton, Steve RB HOU
12 Shark Week Johnson, Andre WR HOU

Round 2
1 Shark Week Johnson, Chris RB TEN
2 Hennekey Jacobs, Brandon RB NYG
3 The Jackson 4 Gore, Frank RB SF
4 Clamdyke Bars Tomlinson, LaDainian RB SD
5 Ron Mexico: Redux Portis, Clinton RB WAS
6 Ball Don't Lie Manning, Peyton QB IND
7 Bulletproof Tigers Johnson, Calvin WR DET
8 LandSharks Barber, Marion RB DAL
9 Doushmonsters* Westbrook, Brian RB PHI
10 Vaughn-o-matic Wayne, Reggie WR IND
11 Big Papsmear Jennings, Greg WR GB
12 NYSackExchange Colston, Marques WR NO

Round 3
1 NYSackExchange Grant, Ryan RB GB !
2 Big Papsmear Rivers, Philip QB SD
3 Va! ughn-o-m atic Smith, Steve WR CAR
4 Doushmonsters* Boldin, Anquan WR ARI
5 LandSharks White, Roddy WR ATL
6 Bulletproof Tigers Owens, Terrell WR BUF
7 Ball Don't Lie Thomas, Pierre RB NO
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Jackson, Vincent WR SD
9 Clamdyke Bars Welker, Wes WR NE
10 The Jackson 4 Rodgers, Aaron QB GB
11 Hennekey Warner, Kurt QB ARI
12 Shark Week McFadden, Darren RB OAK

Round 4
1 Shark Week Schaub, Matt QB HOU
2 Hennekey Bowe, Dwayne WR KC
3 The Jackson 4 Addai, Joseph RB IND
4 Clamdyke Bars McNabb, Donovan QB PHI
5 Ron Mexico: Redux Ochocinco, Chad WR CIN
6 Ball Don't Lie Smith, Kevin RB DET
7 Bulletproof Tigers Brown, Ronnie RB MIA
8 LandSharks Jones, Thomas RB NYJ
9 Doushmonsters* Romo, Tony QB DAL !
10 Vaughn-o-matic Johnson, Larry RB KC
11 Big Papsmear Houshmandzadeh, T.J. WR SEA
12 NYSackExchange Ryan, Matt QB ATL

Round 5
1 NYSackExchange Cotchery, Jerricho WR NYJ
2 Big Papsmear Williams, Roy E. WR DAL
3 Vaughn-o-matic Witten, Jason TE DAL
4 Doushmonsters* Marshall, Brandon WR DEN
5 LandSharks Clark, Dallas TE IND
6 Bulletproof Tigers Gonzalez, Tony TE ATL
7 Ball Don't Lie Edwards, Braylon WR CLE
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Royal, Eddie WR DEN
9 Clamdyke Bars Gates, Antonio TE SD
10 The Jackson 4 Olsen, Greg TE CHI
11 Hennekey Evans, Lee WR BUF
12 Shark Week Lynch, Marshawn RB BUF

Round 6
1 Shark Week* Holmes, Santonio WR PIT
2 Hennekey Jackson, DeSean WR PHI 3 The Jackson 4 Gonzalez, Anthony WR IND
4 ! Clamdy ke Bars Ward, Hines WR PIT
5 Ron Mexico: Redux Cooley, Chris TE WAS
6 Ball Don't Lie Rice, Ray RB BAL
7 Bulletproof Tigers Wells, Beanie RB ARI
8 LandSharks Driver, Donald WR GB
9 Doushmonsters* Coles, Laveranues WR CIN
10 Vaughn-o-matic Cutler, Jay QB CHI
11 Big Papsmear Parker, Willie RB PIT
12 NYSackExchange Henry, Chris WR CIN

Round 7
1 NYSackExchange Carlson, John TE SEA
2 Big Papsmear Stewart, Jonathan RB CAR
3 Vaughn-o-matic Berrian, Bernard WR MIN
4 Doushmonsters* Keller, Dustin TE NYJ
5 LandSharks Moss, Santana WR WAS
6 Bulletproof Tigers Ward, Derrick RB TB
7 Ball Don't Lie Breaston, Steve WR ARI
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Palmer, Carson QB CIN
9 Clamdyke Bars* Hester, Devin WR CHI
10 The Jac! kson 4 Mason, Derrick WR BAL
11 Hennekey Steelers DST
12 Shark Week* Bryant, Antonio WR TB

Round 8
1 Shark Week* Winslow, Kellen TE TB
2 Hennekey Roethlisberger, Ben QB PIT
3 The Jackson 4 Moreno, Knowshon RB DEN
4 Clamdyke Bars* Giants DST
5 Ron Mexico: Redux Vikings DST
6 Ball Don't Lie Walter, Kevin WR HOU
7 Bulletproof Tigers Ginn Jr., Ted WR MIA
8 LandSharks White, LenDale RB TEN
9 Doushmonsters* Titans DST
10 Vaughn-o-matic Bush, Reggie RB NO
11 Big Papsmear Ravens DST
12 NYSackExchange Washington, Leon RB NYJ

Round 9
1 NYSackExchange Jets DST
2 Big Papsmear* Shockey, Jeremy TE NO
3 Vaughn-o-matic Smith, Steve WR NYG
4 Doushmonsters* G! ostkowski, Stephen K NE
5 LandSharks Benson, Cedr! ic RB CI N
6 Bulletproof Tigers Harvin, Percy WR MIN
7 Ball Don't Lie Brown, Donald RB IND
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Sproles, Darren RB SD
9 Clamdyke Bars* Crosby, Mason K GB
10 The Jackson 4 Mendenhall, Rashard RB PIT
11 Hennekey Moore, Lance WR NO
12 Shark Week Hightower, Tim RB ARI

Round 10
1 Shark Week Manning, Eli QB NYG
2 Hennekey Daniels, Owen TE HOU
3 The Jackson 4 Flacco, Joe QB BAL
4 Clamdyke Bars* Lewis, Jamal RB CLE
5 Ron Mexico: Redux Holt, Torry WR JAC
6 Ball Don't Lie Cowboys DST
7 Bulletproof Tigers Maclin, Jeremy WR PHI
8 LandSharks Patriots DST
9 Doushmonsters* Cassel, Matt QB KC
10 Vaughn-o-matic* Eagles DST
11 Big Papsmear Avery, Donnie WR STL
12 NYSackExchange Nicks, Hakeem WR N! YG

Round 11
1 NYSackExchange Sanchez, Mark QB NYJ
2 Big Papsmear Hasselbeck, Matt QB SEA
3 Vaughn-o-matic Favre, Brett QB MIN
4 Doushmonsters* Graham, Earnest RB TB
5 LandSharks Burleson, Nate WR SEA
6 Bulletproof Tigers Jones, Felix RB DAL
7 Ball Don't Lie Miller, Zach TE OAK
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Bironas, Rob K TEN
9 Clamdyke Bars* Jones, Julius RB SEA
10 The Jackson 4 Dolphins DST
11 Hennekey Washington, Nate WR TEN
12 Shark Week Buccaneers DST

Round 12
1 Shark Week McGahee, Willis RB BAL
2 Hennekey Taylor, Chester RB MIN
3 The Jackson 4 Crabtree, Michael WR SF
4 Clamdyke Bars* Norwood, Jerious RB ATL
5 Ron Mexico: Redux Edwards, Trent QB BUF
6 B! all Don't Lie Chambers, Chris WR SD
7 Bulletproof! Tigers Chargers DST
8 LandSharks Muhammad, Muhsin WR CAR
9 Doushmonsters* Jackson, Fred RB BUF
10 Vaughn-o-matic Taylor, Fred RB NE
11 Big Papsmear Gage, Justin WR TEN
12 NYSackExchange Celek, Brent TE PHI

Round 13
1 NYSackExchange Packers DST
2 Big Papsmear McCoy, LeSean RB PHI
3 Vaughn-o-matic Longwell, Ryan K MIN
4 Doushmonsters* Bradshaw, Ahmad RB NYG
5 LandSharks Gould, Robbie K CHI
6 Bulletproof Tigers Delhomme, Jake QB CAR
7 Ball Don't Lie Elam, Jason K ATL
8 Ron Mexico: Redux Williams, Cadillac RB TB
9 Clamdyke Bars* Orton, Kyle QB DEN
10 The Jackson 4 Bruce, Isaac WR SF
11 Hennekey Rackers, Neil K ARI
12 Shark Week Crayton, Patrick WR DAL

Round 14
! 1 Shark Week Akers, David K PHI
2 Hennekey James, Edgerrin RB SEA
3 The Jackson 4 Folk, Nick K DAL
4 Clamdyke Bars* Boss, Kevin TE NYG
5 Ron Mexico: Redux* Williams, Ricky RB MIA
6 Ball Don't Lie Shiancoe, Visanthe TE MIN
7 Bulletproof Tigers Kaeding, Nate K SD
8 LandSharks Campbell, Jason QB WAS
9 Doushmonsters* Morgan, Josh WR SF
10 Vaughn-o-matic Watson, Benjamin TE NE
11 Big Papsmear Brown, Kris K HOU
12 NYSackExchange Tynes, Lawrence K NYG

-Keefe

Umm Salal 3-2 FC Seoul

Umm Salal staged a thrilling comeback against FC Seoul in the first leg of their ACL quarter-final at Qatar Sports Club.

Seoul held a two-goal lead at the interval thanks to Jung Jo-gook's brace but Magno Alves' double either side of Fabio Cesar's sublime finish means the Doha club head to Korea for the return leg next week with a slender advantage.

Seoul got off to the perfect start, taking the lead inside the opening two minutes when Jung met Kim Seung-yong's ba! ll from the right and his first touch took him away from his marker, allowing him to turn and shoot past keeper Baba Malik.

Jung made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when Kim Seung-yong's driving run down the left ended with the defender cutting the ball back from the byline to the unmarked striker, who nonchalantly sidefooted home from eight yards.

Alves halved the deficit in the 56th minute when he sprang Seoul's offside trap and bore down on goal leaving three defenders in his wake before slipping a finish between the legs of advancing keeper Kim Ho-jun.

Seoul then saw a perfectly good goal ruled out as Ahn Tae-un's forceful run ended with the defender producing a curling left-footed strike from 20 yards that smacked the underside of the crossbar and bounced out but not before the ball had crossed the line by a couple of yards.

Worse was to follow as Umm Salal then snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with two late goals.

Fabio pu! lled the hosts level in the 83rd minute when he brought down A! lves' di agonal pass in the box and bent a shot around Kim Ho-jun into the far corner with the outside of his left boot.

Barely a minute later, Alves raced onto a long ball down the right in between two defenders and smashed a low drive from the edge of the area that beat Kim Ho-jun at his near post.

Ligue 1 Sunday Review

Wendel scored the only goal of the game as Bordeaux returned to the top of the Ligue 1 table with a win over Rennes.

The decisive moment of the game arrived after 23 minutes when Benoit Tremoulinas' cross to the near post was headed in by Wendel. It was the Brazilian midfielder's third league goal of a so far unbeaten season for Bordeaux who have now taken 19 points from a possible 21.

Despite their impressive start Bordeaux needed all three points to move back to ! the summit after Lyon had edged ahead of them by a point with their 2-1 win over Toulouse yesterday.

A late goal from Pierre-Alain Frau earned Lille a 1-1 draw and a share of the points at home to fellow strugglers Nice.

Frau popped up with the equaliser two minutes from time to cancel out Loic Remy's opener for the visitors.

The result does little to help either club, however, with Nice in the bottom two of the table, a point behind their opponents.

A dominant performance saw Le Mans record a resounding 3-0 victory over Lens, in a match which was even more one-sided than the scoreline suggests.

A first-half brace from Frederic Thomas set the hosts on their way before Anthony Le Tallec sealed the victory on the hour mark.

It would have been much worse for Lens had it not been for a stunning performance from goalkeeper Vedran Runje.

Pollard stuns Blues into submission

Kieron Pollard blasted a sensational 54 off just 18 balls to help Trinidad and Tobago snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against New South Wales Blues.

Pollard struck five fours and as many sixes to single-handedly drag out Trinidad & Tobago from the claws of defeat and seal the win with nine balls to spare.

Apart from Pollard, captain Darren Ganga (32 off 26), Darren Bravo (27 off 24) and Dinesh Ramdin (23 off 13) also shone with bat before the trio fell prey to unnecessary run outs.

For NSW, Brett Lee, Moises Henriques and Doug Bollinger picked up a wicket each.

Earlier, Philip Hughes (83 off 64) and David Warner (63 off 41) made merry against an inexperienced Trinidad & Tobago attack as the duo raised 121 runs for the opening wicket attack to help New South Wales post a mammoth 170 for four.

Dwayne Bravo was the most successful bowler for Trinidad with figures of three for 31, while left-arm chinaman bowler Dave Mohammed took one wicket, giving away 26 runs.
Chasing an imposing 171 for victory, Trinidad &! Tobago lost their way after the early burst of William Perkins.

Perkins (16 off 13) showed early promise hitting two boundaries and a six but his over-aggression led to his downfall, caught by Nathan Hauritz off Lee.

Trinidad & Tobago dug a hole for themselves losing two more quick wickets in the form of Lendl Simmons and dangerman Dwayne Bravo.

Simmons was caught in front of the wicket by Bollinger, while Bravo was held at fine-leg by Bollinger off Henriques.

However, Ganga and Darren Bravo were in no mood to give up without a fight as the duo put on 47 runs for the fifth.

Hauritz came for some beating at the hands of the duo as both Ganga and Darren Bravo hit the off-spinner for a six each to give some momentum to the Trinidad & Tobago run chase.

Just when Ganga and Darren Bravo started to accelerate the innings, both the batsmen fell to unnecessary run outs.

But wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin and Pollard had other plans as they welcomed Steven Smith with a 15-run over to keep alive the chase.

With Ramdin running himself out, Pollard took the onus on his shoulders and completely changed the complexion of the match in one over.

He demolished! Henriqu es for two back-to-back fours and then followed it up with three sixes to pile up massive 27 runs of the 17th over and reduce the equation for his side.

Needing 16 off 12 balls, Simon Katich made a blunder by handing the ball to Henriques as Pollard clobbered the pacer for a four, two sixes to finish off the match in style.

Earlier, opting to bat Warner and Hughes gave a rollicking start to the NSW innings, scoring 24 runs in the first two overs.

Both the left-handers were in a murderous mood from the word go as they clobbered Ravi Rampaul for three boundaries to pile up 14 runs in the opening over.

Sensing the ease with which the NSW openers were negotiating the pacers, Ganga introduced his brother Sherwin Ganga into the attack in the third over and the off-spinner did justice to his skipper's call, giving away just 17 runs in his four overs.

However, his good work was undone by Darren Bravo at the other end as Hughes struck him for two fours in the same over through midwicket to take NSW to 50 for no loss at the end of the powerplay.

The Caribbean side's problem was further compounded by their bowlers' inability to pick up wickets as Hughes and Warner piled up 71 runs at the halfway mark of their innings.

With wickets in hand, Warner cut loose in the 12th over and hit leg-spinner Samuel Badree for three sixes and a four to notch up his fifty in just 31 balls.

In search of quick runs, Warner's explosive innings, which included five fours and three huge sixes, finally came to an end when Dwayne Bravo caught him off Dave Mohammed.

It could have been double delight for ! Mohammed had the bowler managed to latch on to the straight forward chance of Hughes in the very next delivery.

The Caribbean side finally got something to cheer about in the final over as Dwayne Bravo scalped Henriques (17 off 10) and Hughes with back-to-back deliveries and then Ben Rohrer in the final ball of the innings.

Hughes was going great guns with 11 fours and a six before he was caught by Pollard off Bravo.

Click here for SCORECARD

FC Timisoara 0-0 Anderlecht

Anderlecht had the better of the chances in their scoreless Europa League match against Timisoara at Dan Paltinisanu Stadium.

Ajax's defeat of Dinamo Zagreb means the Dutch side join Anderlecht at the top of Group A on five points, with three matches remaining.

The Romanians are still propping up the four-man group with two points - one behind Dinamo - but still harbour hopes of qualification.

The first chance of the game came just past the 10-minute mark wh! en Anderlecht's Lucas Biglia's right-foot shot from 18 yards went wide of Costel Pantilimon's goal.

The hosts first threatened in the 32nd minute, and Artavazd Karamyan should have done better than head over from close range.

Anderlecht responded less than two minutes later when Kanu's header from Mbark Boussoufa was also headed over from six yards.

Pantilimon made the game's first save of note just six minutes before the interval when he punched Boussoufa's free-kick to safety.

The Belgian side finished the half strongly and would have had the advantage had Romelu Lukaku's not fired his right-foot shot from close range over in the 41st minute.

Karamyan's 51st-minute effort from 35 yards went wide of Silvio Proto's goal - and less than two minutes later at the other end, Boussoufa was similarly off target with an effort from 20 yards.

When Anderlecht's Olivier Deschacht fouled Bonfim Eder 20 yards out, it presented the home side wit! h an opportunity to break the deadlock. But Karamyan's left-fo! oted fre e-kick sailed over the bar.

Inside the last 20 minutes, the hosts introduced Winston Parks and Alexandru Curtean at the expense of Gheorghe Bucur and Arman Karamyan - Lukas Magera replacing Dan Alexa in a similar attacking move with 10 minutes remaining.

But the change of personnel made no difference to the scoreline - and Anderlecht, who also made three changes in the second half, went closest to sealing the victory in the closing stages.

Boussoufa had an 82nd-minute shot saved - and although Artavazd Karamyan saw an 87th-minute effort parried by Proto, Pantilimon needed to be at his best to keep out a long-range effort from Deschacht soon afterwards.

Bacsinszky wins Luxembourg Open

Unseeded Timea Bacsinszky overcame a ranking deficit of 42 places to defeat Sabine Lisicki in straight sets and clinch the BGL Luxembourg Open.

The Swiss player produced a mixed display with a combination of three aces and four double faults but she had more success on her serve and inflicted a 6-2 7-5 defeat on her fellow 20-year-old.

The victory, achieved in just under one and a half hours, is the high point of a successful season for Bacsinszky after she reached! finals in both Prague and Istanbul.

Gombak secures third place

Kingsley Njoku's equaliser sealed third place for Gombak United as they finished their S-League campaign with a 2-2 draw against Geylang United.

Miroslav Latiak gave Geylang a fourth-minute lead at Jurong West Stadium but Gabriel Obatola levelled for the hosts 20 minutes later.

Yasir Hanapi then restored Geylang's lead in the 71st minute only for Njoku to strike with two minutes to go to salvage a point.

Final Second Leg AFF Suzuki Cup in Viet Nam

28-12-08

19:00 My Ding National Stadium

Viet Nam 1 : 1 Thai Land

Viet: Cong Vinh 90+3'.

Thai: Dangda 21'.

Viet Nam win 3 : 2 on aggregate

So Viet Nam wins AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 with the price 100.000.00$

Thai Land runner-up with the price 50.000.00$

Frosinone-Crotone: le interviste

di Massimo Scavello

Queste le dichiarazioni a caldo dei due tecnici:

Moriero:"bella partita squadre organizzate, peccato per le due reti annullate ingiustamente. Siamo sulla strada giusta, c'è rammarico per non aver incrementato il vantaggio sulle seconde.

Lerda:"siamo stati sfortunati, abbiamo giocato meglio della capolista, avremmo meritato la vittoria.

Fenucci giurà fedeltà al Lecce

di Filippo Capurso
Fonte: Corriere del Mezzogiorno

Il tam-tam me­diatico continua a riecheg­giare ma, puntuali, arrivano le smentite. A Napoli sper­giurano che Claudio Fenuc­ci, attuale amministratore delegato del Lecce, sarà il di­rettore generale del nuovo corso del presidente De Lau­rentiis. Ci sarebbe già l'accor­do e gli indizi continuano a convergere sul manager gial­lorosso che però, come già fatto in un recente passato, smentisce categoricamente e senza diritto di replica: «E' una non notizi! a - le sue tele­grafiche parole - il problema non si pone nemmeno e ogni commento è super­fluo». Fenucci è legato a filo doppio al presidente Semera­ro con il quale ha costruito un rapporto familiare da cir­ca quindici anni a questa par­te: amministratore delegato di Nexus Holding S.p.A, con­sigliere di amministrazione di R&G Semeraro S.p.A e am­ministratore Delegato del Lecce, oggi è investito di ul­teriori responsabilità in vir­tù del progetto varato dallo stesso presidente e che, escludendo la figura del di­rettore sportivo, delega ai di­rigenti maggiori responsabi­lità in tema di acquisti e ces­sioni. Sarà infatti Claudio Fe­nucci, insieme al vice presi­dente Mario Moroni ed al tecnico Luigi De Canio, ad operare sul prossimo merca­to di gennaio. La sua amicizia, conferma­ta, con Andrea Chiavelli, braccio destro di Aurelio De Laurentiis, ha innescato una serie di rumors made in Na­poli che il dir! etto interessato respinge al mittente. Ma la sua candidatura è! stata a n­che sponsorizzata dal diret­tore generale del Palermo, Rinaldo Sagramola, il quale a Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli ha di recente dichiarato: «Co­me dg del Napoli consiglio Claudio Fenucci che è un col­lega ed un amico stimatissi­mo ». In diritto penale tre in­dizi fanno una prova. E nel calcio?

SOTTO DUE BANDIERE, ADESSO GIOCA PERROTTA

di Marco Spinelli
fonte: L'arena

Lui, tra Bari e Chievo. Due maglie, due storie profondamente diverse. Simone Perrotta è il simbolo di questa sfida, nella quale c'è un bel po' della sua storia di campione. Ricordate? Il Chievo lo prese dal Bari, pareva un azzardo, invece fu una delle più gradi intuizioni di Giovanni Sartori. Lo seguì un paio d'anni, attese il momento giusto, per strapparlo al Bari. Costo dell'operazione, 3 miliardi, allora si parlava di vecchie li! re, sembra davvero passato un secolo. Allora Perrotta era un ragazzo di belle speranze (un po' sfumate, in realtà...) e il Chievo era una simpatica variante, che qualcuno s'era già affrettato a definire meteora. Poteva essere unazzardo per il Chievo, poteva esserlo per lui. Via dalla Juve, era finito al Bari, senza accendere la fantasia dei galletti. Così, a prima vista, sembrava la classica incompiuta, una delle tante promesse da archiviare alla svelta. Ci ha pensato spesso, forse senza mai trovare davvero una ragione, perchè le cose del calcio, spesso e volentieri, sono esattamente uguali a quelle della vita. Accadono, a volte senza motivi apparenti

Bari in chiaroscuro. "Sono state due stagioni in contrapposizione. La prima non è andata poi così male. La seconda, invece, l'abbiamo vissuta sempre in discesa e a fine stagione siamo retrocessi in B. E' stata dura, avevo voglia di rilanciarmi, di trovare qualcosa di importante che mi potesse dare nuovi stimoli. A B! ari c'era Cassano, e c'era anche Marcolini. Ci abbiamo messo i! l cuore. Ma a volte non basta neanche quello". Questo ha sempre detto di Bari, il primo Bari di Cassano, il Bari di Genio Fascetti

Il Chievo, la rinascita. "E' arrivato il Chievo, e io ho conosciuto Delneri. Tutta un'altra storia rispetto al passato. Fin lì ero stato abituato a pensare: primo non prenderle. Con Delneri è cambiato tutto. Sapevamo rischiare. non avevamo paura di nulla. La prima stagione in gialloblù è stata fantastica. Ci siamo rilanciati in molti. E quello è stato il punto di partenza per cambiare faccia alla nostra carriera. Chievo mi ha dato tanto. Mi sono ritrovato calciatore come piaceva a me. Ed intorno a quella stagione è ruotata poi tutta la mia carriera". No, non può dimenticare, perchè il Perrotta campione del mondo è cominciato da lì. Da quel gol alla Fiorentina, prima giornata in serie A

Di Carlo? Promosso. "Il Chievo di oggi è squadra da ammirare. Non so sinceramente dove potranno arrivare. Ma la squadra che scende in campo mi sembra! sicura, determinata e in grado di proporre un calcio interessante, divertente e cocnreto. Credo che grandi meriti vadano attributi a Di Carlo. Ha fatto grandi cose. Basta guardare la felice partenza di stagione avuta quest'anno dalla squadra e confrontarla con l'inizio dello scorso campionato. Secondo me faranno molto bene"

La sua partita. No, non chiedetegli da che parte sta, nè per chi fa il tifo. Non sarebbe giusto, non è questo il senso. Perchè lui è diventato campione, anche attraverso i sacrifici di Bari, la pagine in chiaroscuro della Juve, qualche inevitabile passaggio a vuoto. Certo, il Chievo ha rappresentato la svolta, il bivio fortunato della sua storia di campione e di uomo. Come se Verona gli avesse restituito quello che aveva lasciato alla Reggina. Quando il ragazzo, nato in Inghilterra, pareca spaccare il mondo. Poi è successo tutto così in fretta. La Juve, il Bari, l'orologio che si ferma, il Chievo, le lancette che si rimettono a correre. Forte! , sempre di più. Il mondo non l'ha spaccato, lo ha semplicemen! te conqu istato

L'Empoli di scena al Martelli

fonte: www.pianetaempoli.it

MANTOVA: Bellodi; Salviato; Gervasoni; Notari; Rizzi; Tarana; Nicco; Spinale; Caridi; Cavalli; Nassi.

EMPOLI: Bassi; Iacoponi; Angella; Kokoszka; Gulan; Marianini; Musacci; Valdifiori; Eder; Pasquato; Saudati.

Salviato: "Felice per la rete, rabbia per il rigore"

Di Pasquale Campanella
Fonte: tuttomantova

E' stato senza dubbio uno dei protagonisti della partita, oltre ad essere l'autore della rete del vantaggio mantovano (la sua prima da quando è all'Acm) Simone Salviato ha offerto una buona prova. Ecco le sue impressioni postpartita: "E' incredibile! L'arbitro ci ha detto che la palla era uscita sul cross, ma è impossibile dato che io ho battuto una rimessa laterale in diagonale verso la porta. E pensare che abbiamo messo sotto una squadra come l'! Empoli! La partita l'abbiamo fatta sempre noi perché avevamo una gran voglia di portare a casa i tre punti. Il pari ci va stretto, ma di questi tempi ce lo teniamo e andiamo avanti. [..] Sono molto soddisfatto per il gol, è il mio primo gol a Mantova e in B: lo dedico ai miei genitori e alla morosa, ma è chiaro che avrei preferito fosse stato utile per la vittoria".

#009 La superclassifica del 19 Dicembre

La SuperClassifica di Tutto il calcio mette in ordine i nostri radiocronisti, assegnado un punteggio, un gettone di presenza per ogni cronaca.
Il punteggio è così assegnato:

Partita di B 1,0
Campo Princ. di B 1,5
Anticipo - Post - Rec di B 1,5
Anticipo - Post - Rec di A 2,5
Campo Princ. di A 3,0
Partita di A 2,0
Bordocampo di A/Coppe 1,5
Bordocampo di B 0,5
Champions 2,5
Coppa Uefa/Altre coppe 2,0
Altri sport in Tutto il Calcio 1,5

Alla luce di questo sistema di punti ecco la prima classifica aggiornata al 19 Dicembre.
1 Giulio Delfino 6,5
2 Emanuele Dotto 5,5
3 Giuseppe Bisantis 4,5
4 Tarcisio Mazzeo 4,5
5 Tonino Raffa 4
6 Livio Forma 3,5
7 Riccardo Cucchi 3
8 Ugo Russo 2,5
9 Francesco Repice 2,5
10 Roberto Gueli 2
11 Antonio Monaco 1,5
12 Ettore De Lorenzo 1,5
13 Massimo Barchiesi 1
14 Gianfranco Coppola 1
15 Enzo Del Vecch! io 1
16 Enzo Baldini 1

Due note:

• Quest'anno la classifica è in fase sperimentale.... accetto tutti i consigli
• Per valutare questi dati bisogna considerare che è puro frutto di una mia idea liberamente ispirata alla classifica di Arbitri Blog e che è zoppa dei turni di campionato e di coppa precenti alla nascita di questo blog
  

#099 Convocazioni del 17 Marzo

Tutto il Calcio Serie B (Martedì 17/03 ore 20.30)
Conduce: Filippo Corsini

CP Grosseto - Bari Livio Forma

2 Parma - Mantova Emanuele Dotto

3 Rimini - Livorno Antonio Monaco

4 Albinoleffe - Triestina Tonino Raffa
5 Brescia - Modena Tarcisio Mazzeo

6 Sassuolo - Vicenza Antonello Brughini

7 Pisa - Empoli Enzo Baldini

S Ancona - Salernitana Aggiornamenti da studio

S Cittadella - Ascoli  Aggiornamenti da studio

S Frosinone - Avellino  Aggiornamenti da studio

S Piacenza - Treviso  Aggiornamenti da studio

Per motivi tecnici la SuperSintesi non andrà in onda. Ci scusiamo per il disservizio.

Highlights della 40^ giornata di Serie B

Dopo il Bari raggiunge la promozione anche il Parma. Gli uomini di Guidolin ottengono il punto necessario per avere la certezza matematica. Resta sempre molto viva la lotta per i posti nei play-off, con cinque squadre racchiuse in due punti. Stesso discorso per la zona play-out, con nove squadre racchiuse in cinque punti. Insomma sarà un campionato bello fino all'ultimo minuto della stagione regolare. Vediamo le partite in dettaglio:

Albinoleffe – Rimini 1-2: Dopo quattro sconfitte consecutive in trasferta torna a vincere fuori casa il Rimini ! che guadagna punti importanti, allontanando la zona play-out ora distante due punti. L'Albinoleffe invece subisce la seconda sconfitta nelle ultime tre gare interne e vede allontanarsi la zona play-off, questa dista ora quattro punti.

Ascoli – Salernitana 0-2: Altra vittoria importante nelle zone basse della classifica. La Salernitana con questi tre punti si tira momentaneamente fuori dalla zona retrocessione e aggancia il gruppo in lotta in zona play-out. Per i campani seconda vittoria consecutiva. L'Ascoli invece è al quinto ko consecutivo ed ora vede avvicinarsi la zona play-out, distante ora due punti. Lo stato di forma dei bianconeri ora preoccupa i tifosi.

Avellino – Treviso 1-0: Partita che in palio ha solo l'onore. L'Avellino rinvia la retrocessione ormai quasi certa, il Treviso invece ormai pensa al prossimo campionato in Prima Divisione. I Campani tornano alla vittori! a interna dopo i due pareggi consecutivi in casa, il Treviso s! ubisce l 'undicesimo ko esterno della stagione, per i trevigiani terza sconfitta di fila. Partita poco spettacolare tra due squadre rassegnate ai loro destini.

Bari – Modena 4-1: Il Bari festeggia, nel miglior modo possibile davanti al suo pubblico, la promozione in Serie A dopo otto anni di Serie B. I pugliesi onorano al meglio la gara ed esaltano i propri tifosi sugli spalti. Ora manca solo un punto per la matematica certezza del primo posto. Il Modena, dal canto suo, resta in zona play-out, interrompendo la serie di tre vittorie consecutive. La salvezza però è ancora possibile.

Cittadella – Parma 2-2: Arriva la seconda promozione, anche il Parma torna in Serie A dopo un anno di purgatorio nella serie cadetta. Congratulazioni ai ragazzi di Guidolin, che ha guidato in modo entusiasmante gli emiliani verso la promozione. I parmensi centrano il sedicesimo risultato utile consecutivo. Pe! r loro terzo pareggio di fila in trasferta. Il Cittadella recupera una partita subito in salita per il doppio vantaggio degli ospiti. Per i padovani secondo pareggio consecutivo.

Grosseto – Brescia 2-1: Il Grosseto archivia la pratica Brescia nei primi quarantacinque minuti. Solo nel finale di gara i bresciani tentano di riaprire la gara. I grossetani con questa vittoria rientrano nella zona play-off. Per loro terza vittoria nelle ultime quattro gare. Il Brescia invece conferma di non attraversare un buon momento, subendo la prima sconfitta dopo tre pareggi consecutivi. Il vantaggio sulla settima classificata è di soli due punti.

Mantova – Empoli 1-1: Un gol per tempo e pareggio giusto fra due squadre che inseguono obiettivi diversi. Il Mantova resta nel gruppo compatto che lotta per evitare i play-out, mentre l'Empoli resta in quinta posizione e perde un punto sulla settima i! n classifica. La lotta in zona play-off resta sempre apertissi! ma. I to scani sono al quarto pareggio consecutivo in trasferta.

Pisa – Piacenza 1-3: Partita subito in discesa per il Piacenza che va in vantaggio dopo i primi secondi di gioco. Immediata la reazione dei padroni di casa, ma nel finale di gara il Piacenza mette a segno i gol della vittoria. Il Pisa resta in piena zona play-out, mentre il Piacenza porta a cinque i punti di vantaggio proprio sulla zona play-out, manca un punto per la matematica certezza della salvezza.

Sassuolo – Livorno 2-3: Partita spettacolare tra Sassuolo e Livorno. Ospiti in doppio vantaggio, raggiunti dai padroni di casa e solo nel finale il 2-3 che sancisce la vittoria finale. Per i livornesi terza vittoria consecutiva in trasferta e play-off ormai sicuri, i punti di vantaggio sulla settima in classifica sono sei e mancano solo due giornate. Il Sassuolo invece subisce la seconda sconfitta consecutiva, ma resta anco! ra in corsa per un posto nei play-off.

Triestina – Ancona 1-0: Tre punti importanti per la Triestina che rientrano in lotta per un posto nei play-off. Per i triestini seconda vittoria consecutiva. L'Ancona subisce la quattordicesima sconfitta esterna della stagione e resta nella parte bassa della classifica in bilico tra la zona play-out e la retrocessione. Partita che non offre particolari emozioni, i padroni di casa in vantaggio nella ripresa, controllano agevolmente la gara.

Vicenza – Frosinone 0-1: Vittoria importante del Frosinone a Vicenza. I ciociari con questa vittoria si tirano fuori dalla zona play-out e guardano con più serenità alle ultime due gare da disputare. Per loro terza vittoria in trasferta della stagione, questa forse è la più importante delle tre. Il Vicenza sembra ormai sicuro della salvezza, avendo cinque punti di vantaggio sulla zona play-out. Per i vic! entini questa è la quinta sconfitta interna della stagione.

Classifica dopo 40 giornate: Bari 77, Parma 72, Livorno 65, Brescia e Empoli 61, Grosseto 60, Triestina e Sassuolo 59, Albinoleffe 55, Vicenza e Piacenza 52, Frosinone 50, Ascoli (-2) e Rimini 49, Mantova 48, Cittadella Pisa e Salernitana 47, Modena e Ancona 45, Avellino (-2) 40, Treviso (-1) 34 .

Prossimo turno, 41^g. 23 / 5 / 2009 ore 16.00: Ancona – Grosseto, Brescia – Sassuolo, Empoli – Triestina, Frosinone – Cittadella, Livorno – Albinoleffe, Modena – Avellino, Parma – Vicenza, Piacenza – Mantova, Rimini – Pisa, Salernitana – Bari, Treviso – Ascoli.