ATLETICO DE MADRID: TEAM LOOKS TO YOUNGSTERS TO FILL GAPS - KEKO

Pelatih Rekomendasikan Melky

Sebagai Pemain Persibo

BOJONEGORO - Pelatih Persibo Bojonegoro Sartono Anwar merekomendasikan Melky Pekey untuk menjadi pemain tim berjuluk Laskar Angling Dharma tersebut. "Setelah kita melihat dan mengamati dengan seksama, saya merekomendasikan nama Melky Pekey untuk masuk Persibo," kata Pelatih Persibo Sartono Anwar usai memimpin latihan rutin pemain di Stadion Letjen H. Soedirman kemarin (28/10) sore.
Sartono tidak asal memberi rekom. Menurut dia, dari hasil pengamatannya selama ini,
pem! ain berusia 28 tahun tersebut masih mempunyai kecepatan, naluri dan skill mencetak gol dengan baik.

Saat latihan kemarin sore, Melky memang mencetak sebiji gol. Gocekan bola dan umpan-umpannya juga bagus. Bahkan, gol yang dicetak Melky melalui proses yang baik, dan diakhiri dengan skill individu yang mumpuni.

Sebelumnya, pemain asal Papua itu merupakan pemain cadangan di Persija Jakarta serta pemain inti Deltras Sidoarjo. Sebelum di Persibo, pemain itu sempat menjadi rebutan tim superliga saat dirinya menjalani diklat sebagi PNS di Papua. Namun, setelah pendaftaran pemain superliga ditutup, dia baru selesai menjalani diklat.

Sartono menjelaskan, dengan adanya Melky Pekey, maka komposisi tim depan menjadi

lebih matang. Sebab, saat ini formasi 3-4-3 yang digunakannya menjadi lebih hidup lagi. "Dan tentunya kita punya banyak pilihan di lini depan," terangnya.

Asisten Manajer Bidang Teknik Persibo Ima! m Sardjono menyatakan bakal segera

menindaklanjuti ! rekomend asi pelatih. Selanjutnya, manajemen akan melakukan negosiasi dengan pemain yang bersangkutan. "Dia memang pemain bagus dan berkelas nasional,'' imbuhnya.

Yang jelas, tambah pengusaha saprodi ini, manajemen tidak akan menyia-nyiakan kesempatan untuk mempunyai striker handal berkelas nasional. "Sebab, hal ini akan membuat Persibo lebih mudah lagi memenuhi target lolos ke superliga musim depan," tambahnya. (ade)

WPSL playoffs

FC Indiana 2, Ajax America 1
New England 2, Tampa Bay 1

FINAL
FC Indiana vs. New England, Sunday 1:00PM

Wisonsin coach steps down

Dean Duerst, the winningest coach in University of Wisconsin women's soccer history, stepped down abruptly Friday, ending a 19-year relationship with the program.
A statement released late Friday afternoon by the UW stated Duerst resigned to pursue other interests. It is unclear whether the sides parted amicably.

PREMIER LEAGUE: San Diego 2, Las Vegas 1

Red Stars sign Carney

The Red Stars made England's Karen Carney their first official signing Tuesday.
The 21-year-old forward joins the Red Stars from England's Arsenal Ladies F.C. and will be reunited with Emma Hayes, who was an assistant with Arsenal before accepting the Red Stars head coaching job in May.

Honda Delays the Pneumatic valve in Catalunya Race

Friday, 06 June 2008
Honda has confirmed that the pneumatic valve bike will not be used in Catalunya race this weekend. Pedrosa and Hayden have confirmed that they will not take a risk changing the engine while in the race. The wise choice because it is too risky doing so. It is absolutely good decision, as the saying goes, do not change the horse during the race...

Both rider will test a new bike on Monday and Tuesday after the race and the decision will be taken (again and again) whether to race it in British GP. What's ! wrong with Honda anyway?



Casey Stoner in the other hand is expecting the 2009 spec bike in the post race of Catalunya.

Semi's for Stormers?

What a game we saw on Saturday, easily the best first half performance we've seen from the Stormers this season so far. But it is worrying that the Stormers allow the opposition to get back into the game in the final 20 minutes.

To me it looked like fatigue because of all the running they did in the first 40 but it's probably something alot deeper. Are the Stormers running on empty?

A bold question I know, but think about it. They've played the same brand of rugby with the same personel for most of the season (with a change here or there obviously) and it's only a matter if time before fatigue sets in.

Here's the conundrum for Rassie Erasmus: Does he keep playing his starting fifteen for the next five games and risk losing them for the semi-finals through injury or does he rest key players and lose a few matches?

Either way, it's going to be tough for the Cape outfit to reach the semi's. I hope I'm wrong, but that's how it looks! at the moment.

Bafana outclassed

Bafana Bafana still have a lot of work to do if they want to be competitive at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The boys were separated from the men in Abuja, when the Super Eagles clinched an easy 2-0 win in their first 2010 qualifier.

As hosts, South Africa, don't need to qualify for the World Cup, but it would be very embarrassing if the hosts of Africa's first World Cup can't even qualify for the Continental tournament.

Besides Nigeria fielding a much more settled, balanced and experienced team, they were also light-years ahead in the one on one exchanges, being faster, stronger and more skilled than their Bafana counterparts.

Rowan Fernandez seemed obsessed with punching the ball clear instead of catching it, something expected of any world-class keeper.
Bevan Fransman outplayed the average Aaron Mokoena at centre-back, with better! timing on the tackles and pressing up and hassling the strikers.

Bryce Moon showed great speed and still has a nice cross, but his positioning left him missing at the back and out of the game up front.

Tshepo Masilela never got forward and failed to cope with Nigeria's strong right side at times.

Kagiso Dikgacoi's positioning was outstanding, despite his lack of pace.

Lance Davids stuck to his job, but showed nothing special on attack and defence.

Macbeth Sibaya got through a match without making a fatal error, but also failed to get Bafana going forward.

Steven Pienaar tried hard, but seems to have lost his golden touch and had no one to play off.

D! elron Buckley seemed out of sync and Surprise Moriri did almost nothing.

So it's no wonder the Super Eagles had about 70 percent of the possession and a clean sheet.

Breakfast Headlines

It's the North / South Currie Cup Derby at Newlands tomorrow afternoon. Former Vodacom Western Province skipper Corne Krige says he's got to back Province to get a 22-15 win over the Blue Bulls. He says he doesn't remember to many defeats against the Pretoria side when he was captain and says Province are much stronger now than they were over the past few years.

***

Vodacom Western Province will be running the ball, with Springbok centre Gcobani Bobo saying he'll try to get the ball to the wings as quickly as possible. Bobo, who ! missed the cut for the Tri-Nations, says he's happy to be running out at inside centre tomorrow with Dylan des Fountain.

***

Tonight it's the Sharks against Boland in Durban. The Cavaliers wing John Daniels will want to add to his record 77 career Currie Cup tries after scoring a hat-trick last week. Kick-off is at 7 o'clock.

***

The Springboks are en route to New Zealand for the away leg of the Tri-Nations. Back to back tests against the All Blacks will be followed by a clash with the Wallabies. Former Bok, Brendan Venter says Tonderai Chavhanga should've been travelling instead of Odwa Ndungane.

***

Spain underlined their billing as pre-tournament favourites to clinch the European Championship after a 3-0 win over the in-form Russia. They'll face Germany in the final on Sunday, but it could be without influential striker, David Villa, who got injured in the first half.

***

Wimbledon second seed Rafael Nadal managed to get through to the third round after a tough match against Ernests Gulbis, but sixth seed Andy Roddick was knocked out by Janko Tipsarevic. Eighth seed Richard Gasquet beat Sebastian Grosjean in an all French affair and Andy Murray kept British hopes alive, as Englishman Chris Eaton bowed out.

!

***

A major upset in the women's draw as third seed Maria Sharapova was humbled 6-2, 6-4 by fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva. Defending champ Venus Williams is through along with French Open runner-up, Dina Safina.

***

Virendar Sehwag scored 119 as India chased down Pakistan's total of 299 for a 6 wicket win in the Asia Cup.

***

Kevin Pietersen will lead England for the first time in tomorrow's one-day international against New Zeala! nd, with Paul Collingwood ser! ving a f our-game ban for a slow over-rate. That ban will still be in force when the first ODI against South Africa takes place in August.

***

The deadline for Blade Runner, Oscar Pistorius, to qualify for the Beijing Olympics has been extended to the 17th of July. He must run the 400 metres in under 45.55 second in a competition.

Medal hopes

The Olympics are well underway, things could be getting better for team South Africa in the pool. Lyndon ferns has qualified for the 100 meter freestyle finals that takes place today. Pietermarizburg born Darien Townsend will compete in the 200 meter individual medley semifinal. Both swimmers are our greatest hope of getting a medal in the days to come at the games.

Golden boy Ryk Neethling may have swan his last Olympic race. The 30-yeard finished last in his heat however he says he still has another Olympics in him.

Hopefully we can add at least one medal to our collection this year.

Percy at 13 for WP?

Vodacom Western Province coach Allister Coetzee will have done quite a bit of head-scratching about who to replace the injured centre Gcobani Bobo in the starting lineup for Saturday's clash against the Valke at Newlands.

Coetzee names his match 22 at the High Performance centre this afternoon and if rumours are to be believed, Percy Montgomery could run out at outside centre on his return to the blue and white hoops. That's ironically enough where he made his debut 12 years ago. Montgomery has recovered from the stomach bug which kept him out of action last weekend and will be included in the team. He won't play fullback because it's safe to say Conrad Jantjes has made the jersey his. So it only leaves the outside centre berth available.

But judging by how the team practiced this week, it's more likely that Coetzee will go for the big Fijian, Sireli Naquelevuki who's served his country in that position before.

There we! re a few niggles in the team this week from last weekend's bruising encounter against the Cheetahs but they should all be fit to play the Valke on Saturday.

Probable WP Team:

15. Conrad Jantjes

14. Tonderai Chavhanga

13. Sireli Naquelevuki

12. Jean de Villiers (c)

11. Joe Pietersen

10. Peter Grant

9. Ricky Januarie

8. Luke Watson

7. Francois Louw

6. Schalk Burger

5. Andries Bekker

4. Adriaan Fondse

3. Brian Mujati

2. Schalk Brits

1. Wicus Blaauw

Replacements:

16. Deon Fourie

17. JC Kritzinger

18. AJ Venter

19. Nic Koster

20. Bolla Conradie

21. Percy Montgomery

22. Wylie Human

Cape Town welcomes Volvo Ocean race Leg 1 winners

Ericsson 4 sailed into Table Bay to take the line honours in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean race, with skipper Torben Grael and an exhausted crew onboard.

They were followed nearly 12 hours later by Puma Ocean Racing, with Ken Read at the helm. The first South Africa in port was Jono Swain, on Telefonica Blue, the entry from Spain, and this stage, 7 of the 8 boats are in, with just a damaged and limping Telefonica Black still expected.

The Very Best of Peter de Villiers

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has certainly made sure of a few laughs whenever he addresses the media before a big game or tour. I've had the pleasure (or displeasure, depending on how you look at it) of sitting in on these press conferences and for me, this was some of his very best.

Unofficial IPL Fixtures

An unofficial schedule of the IPL has been published in the sub-continent.

The tournament will be hosted in South Africa from the 18th of April, with two opening matches at Sahara Park Newlands.

We're still waiting for the official schedule, but cricinfo.com reports that PTI and the Hindu have released a fixture list.

Here's the unofficial programme:

April 18: Rajasthan Royals (RR) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) (4 pm) at Cape Town; Mumbai Indians (MI) v Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) v Deccan Chargers (DC) (4 pm) at Cape Town; Delhi Daredevils (DD) v Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 20: RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 21: RR v MI (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v KXIP (8 pm) at Durban

April 22: DD v CSK (4 pm) at Durban; RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 23: KKR v RR (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 24: KXIP v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg

April 25: KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town; DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban

April 26: RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town; RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth

April 27: KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town; CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban

April 28: DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria

April 29: MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

April 30: DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria; RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 1: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London; MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban

May 2: RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port E! lizabeth

May 3: MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v K! KR (8 pm ) at East London

May 4: DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 5: DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban

May 6: MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 7: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria; RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 8: DD v MI (4 pm) at East London

May 9: DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CSK v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 10: KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London; RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 11: DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein

May 12: RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria; KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 13: DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban

May 14: MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban; CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

May 15: KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley

May 16: CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 17: RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley; KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 18: CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 19: DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg

May 20: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban

May 21: DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria; MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 22: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria

May 23: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg

May 24: Final at Johannesburg

Da Professor Driver File: Robert Kubica

BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One and my goodness he is mighty quick. His rise to stardom has been very quick and almost came out of nowhere. In late 2001, he was selected as a Renault development driver which paralleled their return to Formula One as a full manufacturer.

As Kubica developed a successful career in lower formula, it appeared that he had his first shot at participating in a Formula One Grand Prix in 2005 with Minardi at the Chinese Grand Prix as the team's third ! driver. However, it was not to be as Kubica did not have a superlicense and did not have the necessary testing mileage. Nevertheless, the wait would not be long for Kubica. After some testing with Renault, BMW-Sauber signed Robert as their test and reserve driver for the 2006 season. He would get an opportunity to drive the Formula One car at Grand Prix during practice sessions. During the signing, BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen said, "we have been following Robert's progress and are very impressed by his performance in recent years. He has worked hard to achieve his success without major support. We are convinced that he has the potential and the will to make the leap into Formula One and are delighted to be able to give him the opportunity to do so. As the number three driver he will gain experience while at the same time helping the team develop the car."

Well, Theissen's words could not be more prophetic. After running as 3rd driver during part ! of the 2006 season, BMW-Sauber gave Kubica his racing opportun! ity when they replaced 1997 F1 Champion, Jacques Villeneuve due to ill effects suffered by Villeneuve in a crash. Kubica did not disappoint as he burst on the scene in beautiful fashion in a chaotic and memorable Hungarian Grand Prix, where he outqualified his more experienced teammate Nick Heidfeld. Although he was disqualified for being underweight after finishing 7th, it was clear that Kubica had the speed and talent to be a top level Formula One driver. In his 3rd start, he finished on the podium in another memorable race, the 2006 Italian Grand Prix thus becoming the first Polish driver to lead a Grand Prix and finish on the podium. His performances seem to light a fire under veteran F1 driver and teammate, Nick Heidfeld.

2007 seemed to be more of a learning year for Kubica as he struggled some to come to grips with having to switch to Bridgestone tires from the Michelin tires he was used to. By Kubica's own admission, he was worried that the tire switch was goin! g to be problematic for him and that he had to switch his style. Kubica was outscored 61 to 39 by his newly rejuvenated teammate.

In 2008, a more experienced Kubica seemed to take more of a leadership role in the team and had no issues dealing with the ban on traction control. He wasted no time in showing who was going to be the lead driver at BMW by putting his car on the front row in the Australian Grand Prix. He secured the first ever pole position for BMW-Sauber in Bahrain becoming the first Polish driver to achieve a pole position. Then, he secured BMW and his first ever ! Formula One win at the Canadian Grand Prix. Kubica has run ove! r his te ammate Nick Heidfeld in qualifying and currently sits 3rd in the World Championship Standings. Kubica looks ready to be really be number 1 material. BMW has recently confirmed that they are speaking with double World Champion and current Renault driver, Fernando Alonso and Kubica says he will welcome Alonso. Given Kubica's development I would say Kubica is not near his peak. Even with the potential addition of Alonso, Kubica can take on any challenge.

Next Driver File: McLaren's Hekki Kovalainen.

Five Key Questions On Liverpools Midfield

The Liverpool midfield has borne the brunt of most of the criticism that has come the team's way since their 2-0 defeat away to Fiorentina on Tuesday. The Times answers the five key questions about why the usually reliable Liverpool midfield failed to function so badly and what can be done to improve it.

Why was Fábio Aurélio paired with Lucas Leiva in central midfield against Fiorentina?

Rafael Benítez's idea seemed to be to try to dominate possession, hence the selection of Aurélio, a gifted ball player, in the heart of his midfield. The problem came when Liverpool did not have the ball, because they lacked the energy and physicality to stop the Serie A side from cutting through their midfield, a failing that was most apparent when Cristiano Zanetti, the Fiorentina midfield player, was allowed to waltz through a couple of half-hearted challenges on the halfway line before creatin! g the opening goal for Stevan Jovetic.

Would Benítez have been better off asking Steven Gerrard to revert to a midfield role?

In hindsight this would probably have been the solution, particularly given Gerrard's athleticism. The problem is, the Liverpool manager is loath to split up the prolific attacking partnership Gerrard has forged with Fernando Torres. By filling one hole in midfield he would have created another in attack, a situation that can be resolved in the long term only by the replenishment of the Liverpool squad because Benítez is short of options.

Could these problems have been avoided had the services of Xabi Alonso been retained?

In a word, yes. But once Alonso had set his heart on a move to Real Madrid, all Benítez and Liverpool could do was ensure they received a large fee for his transfer and then move on. Another "if only" revolves around Gareth Barry, the Manchester City and ! England midfield player. His form for club and country suggest! s that, had he been attracted to Anfield in the summer, he would have given Liverpool the kind of midfield balance that was absent in Florence.

Is Alberto Aquilani the solution to Liverpool's problems?

Not directly. The Italy player is not a holding midfield player; he is best deployed in a more advanced position, similar to that which Gerrard operates in. As a temporary measure, Aquilani, when fit, could support Torres in attack, allowing Gerrard to revert to central midfield, where he has spent most of his career. But the ideal long-term scenario for Benítez would be for his captain to remain in the position just off Torres in which he excels. For this to happen, though, it is likely that another midfield player will need to be recruited in January.

Do Liverpool's problems in midfield on Tuesday highlight the importance of Javier Mascherano?

Undoubtedly. At his best, Mascherano protects his back four at ! least as effectively as any other player in world football. Having been ruled out because of a tight hamstring, his presence was sorely missed against Fiorentina. However, the 25-year-old has been a long way short of peak form this season and there is concern on Merseyside that he might have allowed himself to become distracted from the job in hand by a combination of interest from Barcelona and the worry of captaining an Argentina team who are struggling to qualify for next year's World Cup finals.

Rafa Benitez Has Every Reason To Cry Foul Over FA's Manchester United Favouritism

It is a little known fact that Charles n Eddie, that legendary duo who were widely regarded as the Lennon and McCartney of the 90s, were Crewe Alexandra fans. Now c'mon, would I lie to you baby?

Which is probably what the spokesman from the Football Association was nervously humming to himself, even as he was dialling the number for Anfield to inform Rafael Benitez that his skipper Steven Gerrard was, in fact, injured after all, and would be allowed to return to Merseyside.

You can probably guess that Rafa wasn't exactly thrilled o! n Monday morning when he discovered that Gerrard would be forced to stay with the England squad, despite picking up an injury that saw him limp out of the game against the Ukraine at half time.

And I'm sure you don't require a fevered imagination to realise that his mood darkened somewhat when he discovered that Wayne Rooney was allowed to leave the squad on Monday morning, despite playing the entire game in Kiev. That would be Wayne Rooney of Manchester United, by the way.

Now, I'm not one to induce paranoia, (though can anyone tell me how the internet knows your name?!), but maybe the Liverpool manager has a point when he suggests that a certain club not a million miles down the M62 seems to get preferential treatment from a certain governing body.

Benitez was up against the beak on Tuesday, answering a disciplinary charge because he happened to take off his glasses and clean then when asked about the performance of a referee. He didn't sp! eak, mind, just cleaned his specks.

A certain rival! manager , on the other hand, who operates not a million miles down the M62, has yet to be charged even after suggesting that the entire refereeing body in England is unfit to officiate matches. It is 10 days and counting without charge, by the way.

If Gerrard misses the weekend league programme, I think there might just be a certain anger down L4 way. And if Rooney happens to play this weekend, then I think the FA might just have a few more "facts" to contend with.

And when they answer, I think Mr Benitez may be entitled to quote another line from those gifted lyricists, Charles and Eddie. "Look into my eyes, can't you see they're open wide" they sang, like the sweet-voiced angels they were.

As Gerrard hobbles back to Merseyside, perhaps the FA might realise that all our eyes are open just a little bit wide at the moment, incredulous at their apparent favoritism towards a certain club at the eastern end of the M62.

Cissokho Dreams Of England

Highly-rated Lyon full-back Aly Cissokho has conceded he would one day love to play for either Manchester United or Liverpool.

The talented 21-year-old only moved to France in the summer from Porto after a switch to AC Milan was scuppered by a problem with his medical.

Cissokho has quickly acclimatized to life in Ligue 1 having not let his hefty €15million (£13million) price tag weigh on his mind.

It has been reported some of Europe's biggest clubs are monitoring his progress at Lyon and, should interest ever be expressed from England, it would appear the feelings would be reciprocated.
"I have always loved the Premier League," he told Le 10 Sport.

"Manchester United and Liverpool are teams that make me dream. Why not?"

Korean Celebrity Music Video

Cyndi Wang Xin Ling, Korean Celebrity Music Video. She has good news and not bad rumor.

BGPR school grows

By John Hopkins

CALGARY, AB -- More one-on-one training, a revamped classroom and video instruction are among the developments planned for Calgary-based BGPR Schools in 2005.

The road racing school, which operates out of Race City Motorsport Park and is run by CMRA Pro racer Brad Gavey has four standard courses planned for the coming season, along with an Executive School and track nights.

The basic courses are scheduled for May 18, June 8, June 20 and Aug. 10 and cost $240. The Executive Course, which features one-on-one instruction will run June 29 and has a pricetag of $425.

Gavey also has eight track nights booked for the summer, which cost $100 per session, and has packages available as well.

Information is available by emailing gaveybgpr@shaw.ca or visiting the school's new website at www.bgprschools.com.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

KTM supports Canada at ISDE

From the Canadian Motorcycle Association

HAMILTON, ON -- The board of directors of the Canadian Motorcycle Association is very pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached for sponsorship of the Canadian Trophy Team at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE). The World Championship for National Teams will be held in New Zealand next November.

KTM Canada in association with ALDO SHOES will provide travel, housing and bike transportation assistance to the six riders who are selected for the Trophy Team.

Information with respect to team applications and the qualifying criteria will be available from CMA sometime in December.

The Association is grateful to KTM Canada and Aldo Shoes for providing this exceptional support for our ISDE Team which is especially welcome in the year of the CMA 60th Anniversary and our first hosting of a World Championship Enduro, which takes place in July! in Parry Sound, ON.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Move over Arroyo....

Do you need your easy listening Christian music fix? If so go to Ben Utecht's website and purchase his latest inspirational CD. ChristianMusicToday.com said "Combining killer vocals with hard-hitting pop tunes, Utecht proves this is no vanity project." Utecht's self titled debut album includes such tunes as "Heal Me," "We all Bow Down," and "Glimpse of Heaven."

(SHU, do you still have that jersey?)

Update on some former Reds

I was curious to find out what some of the guys we traded this year are doing since the trade. Here's a quick update...

Edwin Encarnacion (Toronto) .185 BA, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .236 OBP, 65 AB
Alex Gonzalez (Boston) .280 BA, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .280 OBP, 75 AB
Jerry Hairston (NY Yankees) .255, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .371 OBP, 51 AB
Josh Roenicke (Toronto) 5.11 ERA, 8 BB, 12 SO, 12.1 IP
David Weathers (Milwaukee) 4.05 ERA, 8 BB, 8 SO, 13.1 IP

Not missing much I guess.

What happened in Vegas?

-Rich Keefe

Just a few days ago the Celtics finished up their 5 game Las Vegas Summer League where they finished with a dazzeling 3-2 mark. Of course its not about wins and losses rather how these guys play. Who will help and who will hurt their chances of making the roster. As the five games unfolded Celts fans saw the good and the bad. I'll break down the performances of the players who have a realistic chance of wearing green this season. So no Eric Hicks or big Greek guy grades here.

(in alphabetacal order)

Glen Davis: A
Davis, who the Celtics picked in the 2nd round as part of the Ray Allen for Jeff Green, Wally, and Delonte deal played the best of any Boston player in the 5 games. He finished second in points (12), first in rebounds (9.8), first in blocks (1.8), and even first in assists (1.8). Pretty good debut for Big Baby. Not good enough to earn a spot on the Summer League All-Star team, but no Celtic was so honored. ! In a league that is always dominated by guards and wings, Davis as well as Leon Powe were the lone bright spots for the squad. Looking forward to seeing what he can do behind Jefferson this season. More on how all these guys will factor in later on.

Gerald Green: F
Green showed great scoring promise at times last year. He won the slam dunk contest, and looked like he could become one of the next great stars of the league. He will be in his third year this season, and playing in the summer league... well he should have just dominated. Not only did he not dominate, but he was terrible. For someone who could have partied all night in Vegas and still dropped 25 the next day against potential D-leaguers, he was flop. Green averaged 11.4 points, which was good for 3rd on the team behind two low post scorers, who did most of their damage off offesive rebounds. And it wasn't just the lowing scoring that warrants his grade but his "shooting." How about 29! .8% from the field and 15.4% from 3 sound? Not to mention his! free th rows were in the low 60s. And this guy was supposed to be the scoring spark off the bench? Hopefully Green's Summer League game will stay in Vegas.

Leon Powe: A-
His overall numbers were down because he played just 18 minutes in their final game against Dallas. But Leon certainly impressed fans with a 19-9 game against Portland and a 23-12 vs. China. He shot over 54% in the 5 games he started, and looks like he will be figting for time all season long on the C's frontline. He's a hustle player, but considering he was a 20-10 All-American at Cal, teams can't sleep on him either. He'll do whatever it takes to get on the floor. With Pierce, Allen, and Big Al handling most of the offense, Powe just needs to get rebounds, loose balls, and play D.

Gabe Pruitt: D+
Pruitt is another of the C's second round picks to play in the Summer League. I thought he would be the perfect fit to step in and take most of Delonte West's minutes as he is! combo guard out of the same mold as West. Probably a natural shooting guard he had to play point at USC out of necessity. Therefore he should be comfortable at either spot. The first three games he did a bit of both, but didn't record one damn assist. Rondo sat out the last two games giving Pruitt more control of the offense. In the first game without Rajon, Gabe played well going 6-9 from the field for 14 points to go along with 3 rebs, 3 dimes, and 2 steals. But that was really his only signs of life in Vegas. I haven't given up on this guy, but he really needs to improve. The problem for him is Doc Rivers will be the one responsible for developing him. Goodluck Pruiit.

Allan Ray: D
27.8% from behind the arc isn't going to get it done for a 3 point specialist. With rumors surrounding that Ray may not make the team this year, he really struggled through the first three games. He came on a little in the final two, 14 and 15 points, but still a! disappointing 5 game set as he could only muster 10 points a ! night. As I said before its usually scoring wings who really dominate the summer league, so guys like Green and Ray should have lit it up. They did not.

Rajon Rondo: Incomplete
How many starting point guards in the NBA play in the summer league? Probably not a good sign. 4 assists in 3 games... definitely not a good sign. I'm not going to panic because his assist totals will certainly improve with Pierce and Allen on the wings compared to Green and Ray. He got into double figures in scoring 2 of the 3 games he played. The Celtics coaches and staff obviously felt good about Rondo as he sat out the final two games. He's always had the defense just needs to work on his shot, which may have been the worst in all of basketball last season.

Brandon Wallace: ?
The only reason this rookie is on the list is because the C's, for some reason, decided to sign him up to a 2-year deal. I don't get it. If I average 4.2 points and 5 rebounds could I g! et a contract? Wallace never got into double digits in any statistical category... well besides minutes. And his 1 point 1 rebound performance in the team's final game against Dallas has to leave you wanting more. Hey Danny nice sign.

So those are the 7 guys who played in the summer league that have an opportunity to make this roster. How will these guys factor in with a roster that already consists of: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Theo Ratliff (and his contract), Sebastian Telfair (yes he's still on the team), and Brian Scalabrine (yes he's still on the team too). It'll be interesting to see how the summer leaguers blend with this group. Obviously Rondo will be a big part, but I feel that Powe and Davis deserve time in the rotation as well. What will Gerland Green bring to the table or will he be traded? The C's look like they're still one move away from being a serious threat in the East, but will the! y pull the trigger?


-Rich Keefe

WGAM Wing Challenge

Here is the WGAM Wing Challenge from last Friday where I ate 4 pounds of wings. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Frank Mir - UFC 100 weigh-in pic

The best we've ever seen Frank Mir. Anyone have some laundry to do?

Almagro ousted in Bucharest

Second seed Nicolas Almagro crashed out of the BCR Open Romania at the second-round stage as he was beaten by Fabio Fognini in Bucharest.

The Spaniard was roundly outplayed in an hour and 43 minutes and slipped to a 6-4 7-6 (6/3) defeat against the Italian, ranked 87 in the world.

Fognini will next meet another Spaniard, fifth seed Albert Montanes, who was a comfortable 6-1 6-3 winner against countryman Marcel Granollers.

Another all-Spanish match, between q! ualifier Santiago Ventura and Alberto Martin, ended prematurely as the latter was forced to retire due to a leg injury while leading 5-4 in the first set.

Awaiting Ventura is another Spaniard, Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, who battled to a 6-3 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 win over Romanian teenager Marius Copil.

Also today there were first-round wins for eighth seed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay and Germany's Simon Greul.

Wild cards progress in Malaysia

Wild cards Marcos Baghdatis and Taylor Dent both advanced to the second round of the Proton Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

Former world number eight Baghdatis needed almost three hours to edge past Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu 4-6 6-3 7-6.

Dent also had to come from a set down to beat Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 4-6 6-3 7-6.

The victory sets up a second-round clash with top seed Nikolay Davydenko in what will be their first meeting since the 2003 US Open, where ! Dent won in straight sets.

American Brendan Evans beat compatriot and fellow qualifier Michael Yani 6-3 6-4 and will face third seed Robin Soderling in the second round.

Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0

The Premier League match between Sunderland and Liverpool at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, Oct 17 2009.

Liverpool's Premier League title challenge suffered another debilitating blow today – this time courtesy of a big red beach ball.

In what will go down as one of the most bizarre goals since the league was launched in 1992, Darren Bent's shot was helped in by a Liverpool-branded inflatable released by fans congre! gated behind the visitors' goal.

The beach ball diverted Bent's low shot away from Pepe Reina who seemed to have the effort covered and just inside his right-hand post of who reacted in furious fashion with his indignation directed in particular at one of referee Mike Jones' assistants.

Really the Spaniard should have been berating left wing-back Fabio Aurelio whose hesitancy allowed Andy Reid to dance past him, destabilising his three-man defence of Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger, to such an extent that Bent was allowed a free pop at goal following Steed Malbranque's cross.

Somewhat fittingly, Liverpool, runners-up last term despite losing just twice, quickly bounced back but Sunderland's goal led a charmed life following the shaky Michael Turner's slip but without big-hitters Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard the visitors lacked a finishing touch.

Liverpool, with ! Jay Spearing starting in midfield as the jet-lagged Javier ! Maschera no watched from the substitutes, were, though, restricted to long-range efforts for much of the first half as Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon was hardly troubled.

Indeed, Sunderland looked more potent as an attacking force and Darren Bent wasted good chances to take his tally for the season to nine either side of the break.

Former Liverpool midfielder Bolo Zenden was handed a debut by Bruce when combative midfielder Lee Cattermole was stretchered off and Sunderland grew in stature with Bent striking a post from an acute angle after getting the better of Reina.

Dirk Kuyt, Yossi Benayoun and Andriy Voronin wasted half-chances but otherwise Liverpool offered little offensively despite dominating possession and despite seeing Kenwyne Jones stretchered off, Malbranque should have made Benítez's side pay by puttin! g the game beyond the visitors but was denied by Carragher.

The luck almost evened itself out in the closing stages as Glen Johnson's in-swinging left-footed cross seemed certain to beat Gordon but the Scottish international pushed his shot' over before home fans groaned with the announcement that seven minutes of nerve-shredding added time would be played, allowing Gordon the chance to be a hero with a double save to deny Agger and Ngog.

The outcome put Liverpool on course for their fourth league defeat this season and enabled Steve Bruce's Sunderland to leapfrog visitors who have now slipped to eighth place in the table with a potentially critical Champions League match against Lyons on Tuesday now looming large.

Swedish Allsvenskan Review

IFK Gothenburg moved above AIK to the top of the Swedish Allsvenskan table with a 3-0 win away to struggling Brommapojkarna.

Tobias Hysen (49 and 82) provided two of the second-half goals, and Niclas Alexandersson (80) was on target with the other.

There was also a win tonight for Orebro, who had to come from a goal down at home to Halmstad to prevail 2-1 - after Emir Kujovic's 29th-minute penalty had opened the scoring.

Roni Porokara hit back with an equali! ser within three minutes and then added the winner in the 68th.

GAIS had to settle for a point at home to Malmo, for whom a penalty within seconds of the final whistle from substitute Wilton Figueiredo saved the day after Mattias Lindstrom's 24th-minute strike had seemed destined for so long to be the winner.

Chardy through at a canter

Jeremy Chardy made light work of Romania's Petru-Alexandru Luncanu to claim his place in the second round of the St Petersburg Open.

The fourth-seeded Frenchman needed just 62 minutes to post a 6-2 6-2 victory against the qualifier and set up a meeting with Ernests Gulbis.

Fifth seed Igor Andreev was also a comfortable winner in his opening match, beating Italy's Potito Starace 6-4 6-2.

But Russian compatriot Evgeny Korolev was not so fortunate, the sixth se! ed slipping to a surprise 6-4 6-3 loss at the hands of Ukrainian qualifier Sergiy Stakhovsky.

Eighth-seeded Argentinian Horacio Zeballos battled past Yuri Schukin of Kazakhstan 7-6 (11/9) 6-3, while there were also first-round successes for Andrey Kuznetsov, Michail Elgin, Illya Marchenko and Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr.

Williams 'shocked' by Agassi admission

Serena Williams admits she was "shocked" when she heard fellow American Andre Agassi had taken drugs while on the ATP tour.

Agassi last week revealed in his autobiography he had tested positive for the highly-addictive drug, crystal methamphetamine, in 1997 and then duped the Association of Tennis Professionals into believing he had taken it by accident to escape a ban.

Williams said: "I was shocked. I was like 'wow,' but he was always a different character and so ! I wasn't really that shocked because he was kind of a wild child.

"Pete Sampras was more like an arrow and he (Agassi) was a punk rocker kind of guy.

"It was unfortunate for tennis because players in the last six, seven, eight years have been tested all the time. The anti-doping laws are very strict and severe to the point where they recommend you not to take some vitamins because they could be cross-contaminated.

"It is disappointing for tennis because tennis is one of the cleanest sports."

Williams, who claimed the number one spot for the fifth time in her career when beating sister Venus in Doha on Sunday, revealed she was tested for drugs on a regular basis.

Serena added: "If a girl played me and I ended up losing a big match and she was taking a performance-enhancing drug that would be very disappointing, but I've never been in a situation like that.

"It's not very good being in the sport and being clean and working so hard and! always getting tested and then having someone come into the s! port and do that (take enhancing drugs).

"I think what he (Agassi) was doing would have decreased his performance.

"The best thing is to say no to drugs, that's my policy. I make that plain and clear."

SORRENTINO, PINZI, PELLISSIER: PERCHE NO?

di Marco Spinelli
fonte: L'arena

Là dove si costruiscono sogni a buon mercato, perché mai non se ne può aggiungere un altro? Già, perché no la Nazionale? Sono in tre nel clan di Mimmo Di Carlo a tenere aperta una porticina sull'azzurro. Uno di loro, Sergio Pellissier, in azzurro c'è stato qualche mese fa. Toccata e fuga, si dice così, no? Ma una toccata e fuga che ha comunque lasciato il segno. Dentro mezz'ora, un gol (da campione) e un altro lasciato per strada. Gli altri due sono Stefano Sorrentino e Gi! ampiero Pinzi. In tre sulla rotta del Sudafrica, o, almeno, in lizza per entrare nel 'listone dei 40', insomma, nella manica di LippiSorrentino ci sperava. "Se devo dir la verità - ha confessato il portiere – ci pensavo di più alla fine della scorsa stagione, in vista della tournée di fine campionato. Venivo da un bel campionato, si parlava di sperimentare facce nuove, un pensierino l'avevo fatto. Poi, hanno chiamato De Sanctis, che è sicuramente forte, ma non veniva da un grande momento e allora me la sono messa via. La Nazionale è il sogno di tutti, ma so che per pensarci non ho che una strada, far bene nel Chievo. Poi vedremo. Certo, se arrivasse, andrei di corsa…"Sorrentino, oggi come oggi, è uno degli osservati speciali di Lippi. In azzurro, ci sono Buffon, Amelia, Marchetti. "Ma di bravi ci sono anche Curci, lo stesso De Sanctis, la concorrenza è tanta" aggiunge Sorrentino. Il quale, dalla sua, ha comunque grande esperienza, anche internazionale (ha già giocato la Cam! pions League) e una maturità fondamentale in un torneo come la! Coppa d el mondo. Il resto, tocca a lui. Se continua ad esprimersi come fa nel Chievo, se la gioca fino all'ultimo

TEDESCO: "PRONTO AL RIENTRO"

di Davide Pampanin
GIOVANNI TEDESCO: "PRONTO AL RIENTRO"


Giovanni Tedesco, centrocampista del Palermo che il mese scorso si era rotto il malleolo durante un allenamento, è pronto a tornare in campo. "Sto bene - ha detto -, ieri ho giocato 70 minuti in allenamento e il mio recupero procede bene. Il merito è soprattutto dello staff medico del Palermo che mi ha seguito in questi giorni, con cui ho ! lavorato mattina e pomeriggio, e in particolare del preparatore atletico Franco Chinnici e del fisioterapista Francesco Bruno".
La vittoria contro la Juventus ha portato grande entusiasmo al gruppo e, ovviamente, anche ad un palermitano Doc come Tedesco. "Siamo consapevoli di aver disputato la partita perfetta - ha spiegato -, adesso dobbiamo dare continuità ai risultati, soprattutto fuori casa, ma siamo un gruppo affiatato e siamo sempre usciti fuori a testa alta, continuando a sfruttare le nostre qualità che sono veramente tante. Abbiamo un allenatore capace e di esperienza, che non si affida ad un solo modulo e ha la fortuna di avere buoni giocatori da alternare. Per quanto mi riguarda, Zenga sa che io sono sempre pronto e non ho mai preteso nulla".

IL BARI AL BENTEGODI EVOCA BEI RICORDI

di Marco Spinelli
fonte: Corriere di Verona

C'è chi va indietro nel tempo e c'è chi si affida a Padre Pio. Come il Chievo, che sfoglia l'archivio con gli occhi lucidi. Come il Bari, che giovedì scorso ha fatto capolino al santuario di San giovanni Rotondo dedicato al frate di Pietralcina. Sarà perché vanta pochi santi in paradiso, come sussurrano maliziosi a Veronello, ma il club della Diga, nella settimana del primo confronto in serie A contro i pugliesi, guarda in basso, anzi indietro, a quel 1° giu! gno 2008, quando festeggiò al Bentegodi il ritorno tra le grandi (matematicamente conquistato la settimana precedente a Grosseto) pareggiando proprio contro il Bari per 2-2 e issandosi al primo posto. Uno dei tanti 'miracoli' della favola clivense, appena un anno dopo la retrocessione in serie B

Sono trascorsi sedici mesi, sulla panchina del Chievo siede Mimmo Di Carlo, che di miracolo ne ha già collezionato uno l'anno scorso, con una salvezza che pareva impossibile. Il Bari di Ventura è la sorpresa d'inizio torneo: se n'è reso conto soprattutto il Milan, che ha dovuto subire a San Siro la furia dei pugliesi, con l'unica consolazione di essere riuscito a strappare un pareggio a reti inviolate

Campidoglio, Zàrate è il più acclamato: "Voglio vincere l'Europa League"

di Orazio Resta
Fonte: tuttomercatoweb.com

Il più acclamato, il più fotografato, il più applaudito: Mauro Zarate è il volto della Lazio vincente che si presenta in Campidoglio. L'argentino ha l'aria scansonata e la faccia su cui è ancora impresso il segno del cuscino: una notte vissuta davanti alla tv, a fare il tifo per la sua Argentina e a guardare - dall'altra parte della barricata - il suo amico Muslera. Il sorriso del bomber si illumina quando, sul maxischermo, scorrono le immagini del suo go! l alla Sampdoria nella finale di Coppa Italia. Poi, con aria quasi sorpresa riceve in premio dal Circolo «Lazio in Campidoglio» una targa come miglior realizzatore dell'anno passato. «Sono felice di questo premio che voglio condividere con tutta la mia squadra - sussurra timidiamente al microfono - se sono stato in grado di realizzare tanti gol, il merito è anche dei miei compagni. Ora sono concentrato sul campionato: ci aspetta un impegno importante contro la Sampdoria. All'Olimpico arriva la prima in classifica: meritano questo primato, sono una squadra organizzata che arriverà a Roma con il desiderio di riscattarsi dopo la finale dell'anno passato. E' un appuntamento importante che arriva dopo la sosta di campionato: sono convinto che faremo una grande prestazione, vogliamo ripartire con il piede giusto». La sfida con i blucerchiati è particolarmente sentita dal bomber di Haedo. Alla Samp segnò il suo primo gol all'Olimpico, presentandosi con un «biglie! tto da visita» spettacolare: dribbling spalle alla porta e sin! istro al l'incrocio dei pali. Ricordi a parte, Zarate vuol vincere, sempre e comunque. La notte di Pechino appartiene al passato, il campione argentino pensa già a nuovi traguardi. «Al di là del campionato ci aspetta un periodo ricco di appuntamenti: giovedì prossimo arriverà il Villarreal, e sarà una sfida fondamentale. Teniamo molto all'Europa League e vogliamo arrivare fino in fondo: sarebbe importante vincere anche in Europa, alzare la coppa darebbe ulteriore prestigio alla nostra stagione».

Ascoli: missione fallita.

di Marco Fundoni

Missione fattila : è questa l'aria che si respira in casa Ascoli dopo la sconfitta interna con il Torino. Ci si aspettava la rinascita, invece è arrivato un altro risultato negativo che mette in allerta tutta la squadra.

L'Ascoli cerca di fare la partita, per limitare al massimo le qualità degli 11 di Colantuono, però al 41' arriva il vantaggio con Belingheri, l'ex della giornata, su assist di Bianchi. Unico acuto di un primo tempo in cui si vede solo la buona volontà del giovane Lupoli. Il secondo tempo si apre con l'Ascoli alla ricerca del pareggio, che lascia molti spazi ai contropiedi granata. Prima Luci sfiora il pareggio poi grande opportunità per Bianchi che cerca un improbabile cucchiaio e sbaglia la palla che avrebbe chiuso la partita. Al 19' ecco il pareggio, Ogbonna trattiene Portin in area ed è rigore, dal dischetto si presenta Bernacci (subentrato a Lupoli) e trasforma. Rabbiosa la reazione granata che trova il goal del vantaggio al 32' con un pasticcio del portiere Frezzolini, che controlla prima male e poi scivola sulla linea di fondo consegnando il pallone a Bianchi.

il tabellino :

ASCOLI: Frezzolini; Gazzola, Portin, Marino, Micolucci; Sommese, Luci (36' s.t. Aloe), Amoroso, Giorgi (34' p.t. Di Donato); Lupoli (15' s.t. Bernacci), Antenucci. A disp.: Guarna, Ciofani, Jaager, Mattila. All.: Pane

TORINO: Sereni; Colombo, Zoboli, Ogbonna, Rubin; Coppola (18' Bottone), Loviso, Belingheri (22' s.t. Diana), Saumel (35' s.t. Pratali); Di Michele, Bianchi. A disp.: Calderoni, Vantaggiato, Arma, Pisano. All.: Colantuono

Arbitro: Sig. Romeo di Verona

Reti: 42' p.t. Belingheri (T.); 19' s.t. Bernacci rig. (A.); 32' s.t. Bianchi (T.)

Note: il capitano Vincenzo Sommese prima della gara ha deposto un mazzo di rose bianche sotto la Curva Sud in memoria del tifoso Nazareno Filippini, scomparso 21 anni fa.
Ammoniti Zoboli, Saumel, Ogbonna. Rec. 4' p.t. e 3' s.t.
Spettatori 6.415 (2.688 abb. e 3.727 paganti) per un incasso di 45.290,50 euro (13.960 quota abb. e 31.330,50 incasso biglietti).

Abbruzzese squalificato per un turno

di Massimo Scavello
Fonte: fccrotone.it

Giuseppe Abruzzese (nella foto), già diffidato e ammonito durante Crotone-Vicenza, sarà fermato per un turno dal giudice sportivo e salterà quindi la trasferta di Salerno. Torneranno invece disponibili dopo aver scontato il turno di squalifica, Antonio Galardo ed Elia Legati.

#033 Super Sintesi della 20a di Serie A

#128 Highlights della 34^ giornata di Serie B

Il trentaquattresimo turno della serie cadetta ci regala 27 reti. In testa vittoria del Parma a Bari, le due formazioni sempre più sole in vetta visto il pari del Livorno. Zona play-off bellissima con sei squadre in quattro punti. Anche la parte bassa della classifica registra una classifica molto corta, insomma saranno otto lunghissime ed avvincenti giornate. Ma vediamo nel dettaglio le partite:

Mantova – Albinoleffe 1-0: Importante vittoria dei mantovani che si tirano momentaneamente fuori dalla zona play-out. I virgiliani non disputano una bella prova , ma alla fine riescon! o ad avere la meglio su un Albinoleffe sprecone e a guadagnare posizioni in classifica. Il Mantova centra la sua seconda vittoria consecutiva in casa. L'Albinoleffe resta in zona play-off, ma ora si trova in compagnia di altre cinque squadre. Per i bergamaschi prima sconfitta dopo quattro gare utili consecutive.

Empoli – Frosinone 1-1: Grande rammarico per il Frosinone, che si vede raggiunto nel finale dall'Empoli. I toscani guadagnano un punto insperato e restano attaccati al treno per i play-off, per loro terzo risultato utile consecutivo. I laziali, dopo aver disputato una partita ordinata dal punto di vista tattico, ottengono un punto utile per la zona play-out, per loro secondo pareggio consecutivo.

Ascoli – Pisa 1-0: L'Ascoli continua la sua ottima serie di partite interne, dove nelle ultime dieci gare ha ottenuto otto vittorie e due pareggi. Per i bianconeri tre punti im! portanti e posizione stabile a metà classifica. Il Pisa contin! ua la su a serie negative ed ora è a tre sconfitte consecutive, la classifica ora non è tranquilla per i toscani, che si trovano a tre punti dalla zona play-out.

Avellino – Ancona 3-0: Vittoria tonda per gli irpini che con questi tre punti agganciano il Treviso all'ultimo posto e devono ancora recuperare una partita. Per l'Avellino quinto risultato utile consecutivo in casa, dove nelle ultime cinque gare ha centrato tre vittorie e due pareggi. L'Ancona invece subisce la seconda sconfitta consecutiva. Per i marchigiani dodicesima sconfitta esterna della stagione e meno due punti dalla zona play-out.

Bari – Parma 0-2: Il Parma si aggiudica con una bella prestazione il match-clou della giornata. Gli emiliani disputano un'ottima gara, dimostrando una buona forma fisica. I parmensi allungano sul Livorno e vanno a più sette sul terzo posto. Il Bari perde una partita importante per poter allung! are in classifica, ma resta in testa. Il Bari interrompe la sua striscia di sedici partite utili composta da undici vittorie e cinque pareggi. Per il Parma decimo risultato utile consecutivo e terza vittoria esterna consecutiva.

Cittadella – Sassuolo 1-1: Pareggio senza grandi emozioni tra le due squadre. Il Cittadella ora è a pari punti con il Frosinone in zona play-out e nelle ultime quattro gare interne ha raccolto cinque punti. Il Sassuolo resta tra le formazioni in corsa per la zona play-off, ma non vince da cinque partite, in queste ultime solo tre pareggi e due sconfitte.

Livorno – Vicenza 1-1: Ancora pareggio per il Livorno che sembra aver dimenticato la vittoria. Per i toscani sei pareggi ed una sconfitta nelle ultime sette gare, e le prime due della classe si allontanano sempre di più, anche il Parma ora vola a più sette punti. Il Vicenza con questo pareggio resta a m! età classifica e guadagna un punto sulla zona play-out. I vene! ti nelle ultime sei trasferte hanno ottenuto tre pareggi ed altrettante sconfitte.

Modena – Grosseto 1-1: Il Grosseto torna a far punti fuori casa dopo quattro sconfitte consecutive, ma poteva centrare l'intera posta in palio visto il vantaggio iniziale. I toscani ora sono a quattro punti dalla zona play-off. Il Modena evita la seconda sconfitta consecutiva e guadagna un punto nella sua rincorsa alla salvezza.

Piacenza – Brescia 2-2: Spettacolare partita a Piacenza con gli ospiti per ben due volte in vantaggio e per due volte raggiunti. Ben tre espulsioni in una gara ben giocata dalle due compagini alla ricerca di punti importanti per le proprie classifiche. Alla fine il pari sembra il risultato più giusto. Per il Piacenza secondo pareggio consecutivo e quarto risultato utile consecutivo in casa dove gli emiliani hanno raccolto dieci punti in quattro gare. Per il Brescia tre pareggi ed! una sconfitta nelle ultime quattro gare. I lombardi restano sempre in zona play-off.

Salernitana – Treviso 2-2: Il Treviso sfiora il primo successo esterno della stagione passando in vantaggio per ben due volte, ma la Salernitana non molla e pareggia nel finale ottenendo un punto prezioso per la salvezza. Per i campani sette punti nelle ultime tre gare interne. Il Treviso, come detto, vede sfumare la possibilità del primo successo esterno e viene agganciato dall'Avellino che deve recuperare una partita.

Triestina – Rimini 4-0: Con un bel poker la Triestina torna al successo interno dopo due sconfitte casalinghe consecutive. Ottima la prova degli alabardati che guadagnano ben quattro posizioni in classifica ed ora si trovano al quarto posto. Il Rimini invece continua a perdere posizioni e vede avvicinarsi la zona play-out. Per i riminesi terza sconfitta consecutiva, la seconda ! di fila in trasferta.

! Classifi ca dopo 34 giornate: Bari 63, Parma 62, Livorno 55, Brescia e Triestina 52, Albinoleffe Sassuolo* ed Empoli 51, Grosseto 47, Ascoli 46, Piacenza 45, Vicenza 43, Pisa 42, Ancona e Mantova 41, Rimini 40, Cittadella e Frosinone 39, Salernitana 37, Modena 33, Treviso (-1) ed Avellino31* . (* Sassuolo ed Avellino una partita in meno)

Prossimo turno, 35^g. 10/4/2009 ore 19.00: Albinoleffe – Cittadella, Ancona – Bari, Brescia – Avellino, Frosinone – Modena, Grosseto – Empoli, Parma – Ascoli, Pisa – Mantova, Rimini – Salernitana, Sassuolo – Piacenza, Treviso – Livorno, Vicenza – Triestina.

Consentiteci in chiusura un caro abbraccio a tutti i nostri amici abruzzesi che in queste ultime ore hanno subito un tremendo evento. Tutti noi siamo loro vicini per aiutarli a superare questi momenti che lasciano senza parole e con un tremendo senso di impotenza.

Minuto x Minuto 22

Fermo il campionato, spazio alla Nazionale.
Dal canale You Tube di Minuto per Minuto, microfono e voce allo Stadio R. Anconetani di Pisa per la gara amichevole tra Italia e Nord Irlanda; radiocronaca di Riccardo Cucchi e Francesco Repice.

Highlights 2^ giornata Seconda Divisione Lega Pro

Anche in Seconda Divisione si è giocata la seconda giornata. Nel girone A solo una vittoria esterna, quella dell'Alghero ad Olbia per 1-3. Ben 6 i successi interni tra cui spicca il 2-1 tra Villacidrese e Spezia. In classifica comanda un terzetto formato da Alghero, Sambonifacese e Villacidrese a punteggio pieno. Nel girone B comandano la classifica Lucchese e Sacilese impostesi in trasferta rispettivamente per 3-4 sulla Giacomense e per 0-1 sulla Pro Vasto. Da segnalare il 5-2 tra San Marino e Carrarese. Nel girone C, infine, restano a punteggio pieno Catanzaro e Siracusa che hanno battuto rispett! ivamente 1-3 il Cassino ed 1-0 l'Isola Liri. Da segnalare anche il 4-0 del Gela sull'Igea Virtus. Vediamo ora risultati, classifiche e prossimo turno. Da domenica prossima nuovo orario, le partite avranno inizio alle ore 15.00!

Seconda Divisione, girone A
Canavese – Valenzana 1-1, Olbia – Alghero 1-3, Pavia – Mezzocorona 1-0, Pro Belvedere V. – Legnano 1-0, Pro Sesto – Crociati Noceto 3-2 (sabato 29/8/09), Rodengo Saiano – Feralpisalò 0-0, Sambonifacese – Carpenedolo 2-1, Sud Tirol A.A. – Pro Vercelli 1-0, Villacidrese – Spezia 2-1.

Classifica dopo la 2^ giornata: Alghero, Sambonifacese e Villacidrese 6; Pavia 4; Carpenedolo, Crociati Noceto, Pro Sesto, Spezia, Pro Belvedere V. e Sud Tirol A.A. 3; Canavese, Valenzana e Feralpisalò 2; Rodengo S., Mezzocorona e Olbia 1; Legnano e Pro Vercelli 1.

Prossimo turno, 3^ giornata 6/9/09! ore 15. 00: Carpenedolo – Alghero, Crociati Noceto – Rodengo Saiano, Feralpisalò – Sambonifacese, Mezzocorona – Villacidrese, Olbia – Pavia, Pro Sesto – Sud Tirol A.A. (sabato 5/9 ore 15.00), Pro Vercelli – Canavese, Spezia – Legnano, Valenzana – Pro Belvedere V.

Seconda Divisione, girone B
Celano Olimpia – Prato 3-0, Colligiana – Nocerina 1-1, Giacomense – Lucchese 3-4, Gubbio – Bellaria Igea M. 0-0, Poggibonsi – Bassano Virtus 1-0, Pro Vasto – Sacilese 0-1, San Marino – Carrarese 5-2, Sangiovannese – Itala San Marco 2-2, Sangiustese – Fano 1-0.

Classifica dopo la 2^ giornata: Lucchese e Sacilese 6; San Marino e Gubbio 4; Bassano Virtus, Celano Olimpia, Sangiustese, Poggibonsi e Carrarese 3; Bellaria Igea M., Nocerina e Colligiana 2; Giacomense, Pro Vasto, Fano, Itala San Marco, Sangiovannese e Prato 1.

Prossimo turno, 3^ giornata 6/9/09 ore 15.00: Bassano Virtus – Colligiana, Bellaria Igea M. – Lucchese, Carrarese – Fano, Celano Olimpia – Sangiustese, Gubbio – San Marino, Itala San Marco – Giacomense, Nocerina – Sangiovannese, Prato – Pro Vasto, Sacilese – Poggibonsi.

Seconda Divisione, girone C
Aversa Normanna – Vico Equense 0-0, Barletta – Melfi 2-1, Brindisi – Noicattaro 2-0, Cassino – Catanzaro 1-3, Cisco Roma – Vibonese 1-0 (sabato 29/8/09), Gela – Igea Virtus B. 4-0, Monopoli – Juvestabia 3-2, Scafatese – Manfredonia 1-2, Siracusa – Isola Liri 1-0.

Classifica dopo la 2^ giornata: Catanzaro e Siracusa 6; Gela, Brindisi, Aversa Normanna, Monopoli e Barletta 4; Cassino, Cisco Roma e Manfredonia 3; Vico Equense 2; Melfi, Juvestabia, Scafatese, Vibonese ed Igea Vir! tus B. 1; Noicattaro ed Isola Liri 0.

Prossimo turno, 3^ giornata 6/9/09 ore 15.00: Gela – Scafatese, Igea Virtus B. – Brindisi, Isola Liri – Monopoli, Juvestabia – Barletta, Manfredonia – Catanzaro, Melfi – Aversa Normanna, Noicattaro – Cisco Roma, Vibonese – Siracusa, Vico Equense – Cassino (sabato 5/9 ore 15.00).

Cari lettori, noi torniamo martedì prossimo con i risultati della terza giornata. Buon calcio a tutti....

Convocazioni n° 9

Convocazioni dal 5 Ottobre al 11 Ottobre 2009

Qualificazioni Mondiali
Sabato 10 Ottobre
Eire - Italia
Radiocronista: Riccardo Cucchi
Seconda voce: Francesco Repice

REGOLAMENTO

Grazie a tutti per l'imparziale...ma la discussione non ha motivo di esistere...seguiamo il REGOLAMENTO DEL FANTACALCIO UFFICIALE, rintracciabile su Fantacalcio.it Non esistono altre regole e altri Magic Cup che tengano, il risultato tra Celestino e Raffaele è di 0-0.

Aggiornamento MLK UNITED

Altri 3 colpi di Giggios. Serve un aggiornamento. Vediamo:

MLK UNITED
Acquisti: Canini (Campos -1); Dellafiore (Campos -1); Vieri (Campos -1); Figo (Campos -1); Coppola (Felix -1); Liverani (Cele -9); Kaladze (Piero -2); Sammarco (-1); Mesto (-1); Montella (-1) Totale uscite: -16

Probabili Vincolati:
1. COPPOLA (1)
2. KALADZE (9)
3. CANINI (1)
4. DELLAFIORE (1)
5. MESTO (1)
6. LIVERANI (1)
7. FIGO (5)
8. SAMMARCO (1)
9. VIERI (1)

Montella in riparazione.

Vincolati: 21 crediti
Mercato: -19
Crediti spesi: 40
Crediti disponibili: 220

Voto: 7.5. Ottimo Giggios. Altri due colpi, pensando al presente e al futuro.

Formazione ufficiale A&J

Handanovic
Bellini
Cannavaro
Siviglia
Galloppa (c)
Gargano
Perrotta
Dessena
Bellucci
Amauri
Castillo

Belardi
Ferrari
Criscito
Dzemaili
Saumel
Denis
Martinez

LA COPPIA DEL GOL: IAQUINTA-AMAURI

Pagherei per vedere la faccia del buon Piero: ciao Pancrazione, sei un amico e ti voglio bene ma quest'anno il mio obiettivo è sfotterti ad ogni gol della coppia juventina AMAURI-IAQUINTA. Ogni gol 4 SMS. E penso che essendoci diversi Juventini in lega non sarò il solo a mandarti SMS... Che divertimento. Voglio retrocedere ma la coppia bianconera deve fare un sacco di goooool. Smile :)

The view from South Africa

Karen Lotter runs the independent football blog Vuvuzela South Africa (http://www.vuvuzelasouthafrica.co.za/). I decided to ask Karen about preparations for the tournament and what visiting fans can expect next year. Here's what she had to say...

How are preparations for the tournament going?

"Well, it seems like all the brand new 2010 Stadiums are on track and will be handed over at the right time. Cape Town is preparing for the World Cup Draw on 4 December and people here are buying South Afri! can flags, learning to diski dance and making sure they know all the words of our four-language national anthem."

What makes you so confident?

"As Dr Irvin Khosa, Chairman of South Africa's 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee, has said, 'The days of planning are over, we are in the final straight'. I know there is still a lot being done on transport, but I feel very confident, because the new Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele was our provincial Premier here in KwaZulu-Natal and before that he was a brilliant provincial Transport Minister. So if anyone can sort out an improved transport infrastructure, it will certainly be Minister Ndebele."

In the UK we heard about the strikes which appeared to be disrupting construction work. What happened and how was it all settled?

"Winter is strike season - it's almost over. I think the strikes were bound to happen. The st! adium workers belong to a few unions and it took a while for t! he negot iations between the members and their unions and the minister of Labour and FIFA to begin."

"South Africa has only been a democracy for 15 years and we are still struggling to untangle the mess that centuries of colonialism and apartheid have created."

Could these strikes flare up again and further threaten preparations for the tournament?

"It's almost spring, so I don't think so."

What kind of a welcome can visiting fans expect in South Africa in 2010?

"South Africans are good at uniting for a big event, even if we tend to bicker among ourselves, so I think fans can imagine a multicultural rolling out of the red grass mat. Fans can expect great weather; very friendly people; first world facilities; good roads, accommodation etc."

"Besides the obvious - awesome football, I think fans will enjoy the space. Africa is big, the nights are still very dark in most places outside the! cities and you can see the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. Plus there is plenty of wildlife from coast to coast."

Which cities or stadiums are likely to generate the best atmosphere?

"Wow, all the cities have their own vibe. Johannesburg is the biggest city in the country and home to Soccer City. Cape Town has the curvaceous new Green Point Stadium and the wine routes and so much stuff to do. And then I'm naturally biased towards Durban with its Moses Mabhida Stadium (pictured) with the arch - because this is where I live. Durban is in the Kingdom of KwaZulu, the home of King Zhaka and we have the warm Indian Ocean with beautiful safe white beaches all year round."

Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso took offence to the Vuvuzela during the Confederations Cup. Will the African trumpet survive the calls for a ban during games?

"This is an African World Cup and we will do it the African way. The Vuvuzela is! very much part of the soccer games in South Africa. I have si! x of my own and I treasure them. Sepp Blatter has made it very clear that the Vuvuzela will stay. I know some Europeans are running Ban the Vuvuzela websites and blogs. I think it must be so hard for them to realize that they can't order us Africans around anymore!"

In your opinion who is the best player in the Bafana Bafana squad?

"Well, I like Steven Pienaar, Teko Modise, Benjamin Parker and Richard Henyekane now - we'll see what happens after the European tour in September - they have a series of friendlies coming up."

How far will Bafana Bafana go next year?

"It is too early to ask this - they performed well in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and with Joel Santana as coach I would hope at least to the quarter finals."

England 2018 Ambassadors Squad lacks 1966 sparkle

The England 2018 Ambassadors Squad has finally been unveiled:

Aaron Mokoena (South Africa), Alan Shearer, Alexandre Song (Cameroon), Andrew Cole, Ashley Young, Brian Deane, Bryan Robson, Carlos Edwards (Trinidad & Tobago), Chris Powell, Cyrille Regis, David Beckham, David James, David Seaman, David Clarke (England Blind Squad) Des Walker, Emile Heskey, Eniola Aluko, Faye White, Gareth Southgate, Gary Lineker, Gary Mabbutt, Gianfranco Zola (Italy), Glenn Hoddle, Graeme Le Saux, Graham Taylor, Howard Wilkinson, James Milner, John Barnes, John Obi Mikel (Nigeria), John Terry, Joseph Yobo (Nigeria), Kanu (Nigeria), Kenwyne Jones (Trinidad & Tobago), Kelly Smith, Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), Lucas Radebe (South Africa), Luther Blissett , Michael Ballack (Germany), Michael Barker (England Cerebral Palsy Squad), Michael Chopra, Michael Essien (Ghana), Muzzy Izzet (Turkey), Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina), Paul Elliott, Paul Ince, Paul Parker, Peter Beardsley, Peter Crou! ch, Peter Shilton, Phil Neville, Ray Clemence, Ray Wilkins, Rachel Brown, Ricardo Villa (Argentina), Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Earle (Jamaica) Roberto Di Matteo (Italy), Robinho (Brazil), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Sol Campbell, Steven Gerrard, Steven Pienaar (South Africa), Stuart Pearce, Sven Goran Eriksson (Sweden), Teddy Sheringham, Terry Venables, Tony Adams, Tony Woodcock, Victor Anichebe (Nigeria), Viv Anderson, Wayne Rooney, Zesh Rehman (Pakistan).

There isn't a single representative from the 1966 World Cup winning team. Do these men have some kind of aversion to handbags? Anyway, here's a great description of the squad by Harry Harris of ESPN. Harris's explanation of why Glenn Hoddle was sacked as England manager is a masterclass in understatement.

The Unofficial Football World Champ! ionships is ideal if you are bored of the World Cup, Scott! ish or b oth. I'm neither bored nor Scottish but I like this site anyway.

Mexico may come to England for a pre-World Cup friendly next May. Or they may not. Nobody really knows until the draw for the finals is made on December 4th.


And here's an interesting article on a relic of the Cold War: East Germany's DDR-Oberliga. Find out why "Relocation, Relocation, Relocation was a popular Thursday night filler on East German television throughout the Fifties and Sixties as fans tuned in to see where their club might go next".

Monday MLS Breakdown: Hand Me The Keys, Pl

With Dwayne De Rosario now in Toronto, Houston midfielder Stuart Holden has some big shoes to fill. Kyle McCarthy checks in with Holden and finds that the U.S. Olympian is comfortable with his new role and the higher expectations associated with it.

Americans in the UK: FA Cup Glory

Everton stalwart Tim Howard saved two shots during Sunday's FA Cup semifinal that went to a penalty shootout. The American stopped the first two tries from Manchester United and Everton never looked back, winning the duel 4-2.

The Rest

U.S. Releases Gold Cup Roster

U.S. Soccer released the Gold Cup roster today and only four members of the Confederations Cup squad will be with the team, with Charlie Davies being the only one of those four to have played in any of the U.S.'s first four Confed. Cup matches.








GOALKEEPERS (3): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Troy Perkins (IK Start), Luis Robles (FC Kaiserslautern)

DEFENDERS (7): Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Jay Heaps (New England Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Colin Clark (Colorado Rapids), Sam Cronin (Toronto FC), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Santino Quaranta (D.C. United)

The Mill + ++

Thursday's Rumours



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