Saturday, December 19, 2009
Anggarkan Rp 4,5 M untuk Lampu Stadion
Pemkab Bojonegoro menunjukkan komitmennya untuk melengkapi fasilitas Stadion Letjen H. Soedirman. ''Kita akan bangun lampu stadion,'' kata Bupati Suyoto.
Dia menuturkan, rencana tersebut masuk dalam APBD Bojonegoro tahun depan. Menurut Suyoto, jika Persibo lolos ke superliga, maka tentu akan banyak bermain malam hari. Sehingga, diperlukan lampu penerangan yang mencukupi guna menggelar pertandingan malam hari. ''Dan dana yang kita siapkan Rp 4,5 miliar,'' tuturnya.
Dana sebesar itu, lanjut dia, nantinya digunakan membuat empat buah lampu untuk menerangi seluruh lapangan. ''Jika Stadion Letjen H Soedirman diberi lampu, maka tentu saat Persibo lolos superliga tak perlu menjalani partai usiran,'' katanya.
Suyoto menjelaskan, stadion kebanggaan warga Kota Ledre yang berkapasitas 15 ribu penonton itu memerlukan banyak kelengkapan. Pemkab akan melengkapi kekurangan fasilitas di stadion secara bertahap. (ade)
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Jersey Sky Blue 2, Washington Freedom 3
Christie Welsh's two goals and one assist propelled the Washington Freedom past Jersey Sky Blue 3-2 in Basking Ridge, New Jersey avenging the 3-0 defeat the Freedom suffered at the Maryland SoccerPlex back on June 27.
'Disrespected,' Shannon MacMillan decided to retire and get on with her life
Shannon MacMillan didn't have any reservations – didn't get cold feet, or in this case a cold index finger – when she clicked the "send" button on her computer in August. The e-mail was to U.S. Soccer, and it was informing them she was retiring after 12 mostly glorious years on its famed women's national team.
"At that point, it was just a formality for me," MacMillan says. "I was definitely frustrated and I was definitely (upset) before. I felt disrespected, and I felt insulted ... But by then, I was like, 'That's enough. I'm over this.'
Auburn 0, Mexico WNT 2
"The first goal was a bomb and Fiser really didn't have a chance," Hoppa said. "It was in a crowd, and the kid just hit it great. The one thing about the national team, every single player on that team can strike the ball with her right or left foot, and that's a little different from what we see in college."
Trotter quits
India Trotter has retired from soccer.
Will she un-retire within 12 months? I expect her to.
MotoGP : 2008 Ducati: Cry for help...!!
Monday, 14th April 2008
As quoted on gpone.com (an Italian website) that Suppo has finally decided that Melandri, Guintoli and Elias need help and since Ducati can't find a solution, they're probably going to call in Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi who both have MotoGP experience and test ride the GP8 and help find out why the Italian bike is so difficult to ride for anyone except Stoner.
Ducati must! really be in big trouble if they have to call in WSBK riders to find out how to tame their MotoGP bike!
Weekend Club Rugby wrap
The Deputy CEO of Western Province Club Herman Abrahams is satisfied with the outcome of the first weekend of club rugby.
The big match of the weekend saw Greenpoint rivals SK Walmers and Hamiltons FC do battle. Hamiltons took away honours with a convincing 20-8 win in front of six thousand fans. Rivalry is something both teams are aware of but the match took place incident free. Abrahams praised both clubs.
In other fixtures, a suprise victory 30-5 victory for Dur-Bell over NNK and Villages got a comprehensive 48-25 win over Tygerberg, however Tygerberg showed the! y will be a force to be reckoned with.
Waratahs Name Final Squad
Tatafu Polota-Nau and David Lyons return to the selection frame for
the Waratahs who have named a 24-man squad for Saturday's Super 14 final against the Crusaders at the AMI stadium in Christchurch.
Waratahs: Backs: Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Matt Carraro, Tom
Carter, Sam Harris, Rob Horne, Sam Norton-Knight, Brett Sheehan, Timana
Tahu, Lote Tuqiri, Lachie Turner.
Forwards: Al Baxter, Will Caldwell, Matt Dunning, Rocky Elsom, Adam
Freier, David Lyons, Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Beau
Robinson, Benn Robinson, Dan Vickerman, Phil Waugh [c].
The final kicks off at 9:35 SA time.
Boss Bernie backs SA!
The South African Kart Racing Academy was officially launched last week, with an announcement that a 5 year funding programme has been set up by Formula 1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone. The academy will run from the Killarney circuit, with the aim being to provide kids from all backgrounds with the skills in both driving and technology to reach the pinnacle of motorsport. The cash involved remains confidential, but it's believed to be in the region of 'millions'.
Ferguson is confident
Manchester United Coach Sir Alex Ferguson says he is certain that Cristiano Ronaldo will remain at the club for more than a year.
Ronaldo who was on the shopping list for Real Madrid has ended speculation over his future when he stated he will remain at United. The 23-year-old has been the centre of controversy this summer when reports surfaced that Real wanted to buy him. Ronaldo then stated he would love to play in Spain.
However Ferguson believes that Ronaldo will be a part of the team for many years to come. He says as he (Ronaldo) gets older I think he will appreciate being here more and more. The longer people stay at this club you tend to not want to leave. The winger has said Real Madrid have been a childhood favourite of his. If someone gets the oppotunity to fulfil a life long dream they will most likely grab the chance with both hands.
Breakfast Headlines
Roger Federer says he's not stopping at 13 grand-slams after winning his fifth straight US Open title. He beat Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 in the final. Federer is only one grand-slam away from equaling Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand-slam titles.
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Oscar Pistorius is op soek na sy eerste goue medalje by die Paralimpiese spele vandag. Hy sal meeding in die 100 meter naelloop, wat agt minute voor twaalf plaasvind. Natalie du Toit het haar tweede goue medalje gekry in die 100 meter vryslag en Charl Bouwer het ook 'n goue medalje gewen in die 400 meter vryslag. Nicholas Newman het 'n brons medalje gewen in die spies-gooi. Ons basketball span het 80-55 verloor teen die wereld kampioene, Kanada.
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Western Province flank Schalk Burger could be suspended at a disciplinary hearing today. The Bok flank was cited for a dangerous tackle in the victory over the Cheetahs.
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The Wallabies have made five changes for their Tri-N! ations decider against New Zealand in Brisbane on Saturday. Centre Ryan Cross, flanker George Smith, lock Nathan Sharpe, tight-head prop Al Baxter and hooker Stephen Moore all return to the starting 15.
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Centre-back Matthew Booth will be back in defense for Bafana Bafana when they face Guinea in a friendly tonight. Benni McCarthy, Bradley Carnell and Chiefs left-wing, Siphiwe Tshabalala, will be rested. Kick-off is at 18h00.
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Dale Steyn and Graeme Smith are both in line for the ICC Cricketer of the Year award. The award ceremony will be held in Dubai tomorrow night. The other two contenders are Shivnarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies and Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardena.
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American cyclist Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement and look for an eighth Tour de France title, according to the VeloNews website.
The report claims Armstrong is ready to join the Astana team and compete in five road races, but Astana says he is! not officially part of their team.
Bok Squad Gets Thumbs Up
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has named a fairly predictable squad for the end-of-year tour to Britain, with one or two selections raising a few eyebrows.
As expected, de Villiers stayed with the tried and tested for most part but did include a few players which made me sit up and think for a while. I don't even know why I was so surprised because that's what de Villiers does. Never will he name a Springbok side without one or two surprise inclusions. Here are the one's that made me think a bit:
Ruan Pienaar: I never once questioned that he would make the squad. A player with his talent and ability should walk into any international team. What bugs me though is the fact that he'll probably be wearing the number 10 jersey in the three tests against Wales, Scotland and England. There's no Butch James, which is a debate all on it's own, so logically it will be Pienaar to be the first choice ! flyhalf with Frans Steyn staying on in his role as the utility back. Conversely, who can forget Pienaar's massive side-step in the Boks' 53 - 8 win over Australia this year, when he broke the line and dived over the tryline untouched? That's what Pienaar can do at flyhalf so after careful consideration, I'd say not a bad call.
John Smit: He's been selected as a tighthead prop. A TIGHTHEAD PROP FOR PETE'S SAKE!!! I still fail to see the logic in this selection. He's our captain and surely he should play in the position he's specialised in during his entire senior professional career. This is the first sign that Smit is being phased out. No doubt Bismarck du Plessis is the best hooker in the country at the moment, but you can't move your very inspirational captain to a position he hasn't consistently played in since age-group rugby. Bad call.
Chilliboy Ralephele: Many say he'! s the future Springbok captain and generally the future of Sou! th Afric an rugby. A lot has been invested in him and he no doubt has considerable talent, but he's so injury-prone and hasn't played enough rugby to warrant a call-up. He hasn't made the Blue Bulls starting lineup this year. If I were John Smit I'd be really worried. Bad call.
Otherwise I think it's a great squad, a squad capable of beating the Northern Hemisphere sides and a squad who've been together the whole year. Well done to Heinrich Brussouw for his call-up to the national side. He's been a menace on the ground for the past 18 months now and will fill Luke Watson's boots with distinction.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Breakfast Headlines
Proteas skipper Graeme Smith says he's expecting the off the pitch verbal battles to intensify as the build-up to the first test against Australia continues in Perth. Meanwhile the national selectors will be looking to finalise the one day squad soon.
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England have arrived in India under tight security ahead of the first test on Thursday. Reports say Chennai police will use five thousand security personnel, including 300 commandos, to provide cover for both teams.
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South Africa have been snubbed at the Cosafa elections with Molefi Oliphant losing his seat on the executive.
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In England, Tottenham beat West Ham 2-0.
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Chelsea will be hoping to put their stuttering home form behind them tonight. They need at least a draw from their final Champions League group game against Cluj to make the next round. Boss Luiz Felipe Scolari claims he's not feeling the pressure though. Liverpool are already through, b! ut will be looking for a win at PSV Eindhoven to help them leapfrog Atletico Madrid at the top of their group. They're likely to leave key players out though, including Dirk Kuyt who hasn't even travelled with the squad.
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History is against PSV Eindhoven tonight as they look to become the first Dutch side in more than 40 years to beat Liverpool.
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SA's best swimmers have the World Championships in their sights after a good showing at the African Swimming Champs over the weekend. George du Rand was one of the performers and set a championship record in the 100 metre back stroke.
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Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says several parties are interested in buying the Honda team which has pulled out of the sport.
Protea Women on the back foot
The Proteas Women's Cricket team have to play catch up at this years tournament. The South Africans lost their opening game to the West Indies at the World Cup in Australia. There were three run outs in the game but two of them came late in the game which lead to our side to being bowled out for 116 in 45.2 overs. The Windies reached the target in 48.4 overs with two wickets to spare.
Western Province Women's Cricket Captain Olivia Anderson says these run outs are unnecessary.
"A run! out is always a tragedy because it's a waste of a wicket and to have three was a total disaster. I think South Africa is a much stronger side than the West Indies are."
South Africa faces a tough task when they meet Australia in their next game on Tuesday.
Anderson says it's important for our side not to lose early wickets if they want to make a big score.
"South Africa need to build a steady platform, it doesn't matter how quickly they score in the beginning as long as they have wickets in hand in the end. They must also be able to attack in the last 15 overs, then they might be able to get a competitive score."
Da Professor Driver Files: Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton burst on the scene in 2007 as the first black driver in Formula One history and nearly stole the title from luminaries like his then World Championship teammate Fernando Alonso and eventual 2007 titlist, Kimi Raikkonen as a rookie. From a young age, Lewis knew he wanted to be a Formula One driver and he was already being tipped as one as early as 2000. For those that follow F1, we have heard the stories of Hamilton at age 10, approaching McLaren team principal, Ron Dennis telling him "I want to race for you one day" and eventually getting signed by McLaren and Mercede! s-Benz to their Young Driver Support Programme. However not as publicized is that in 2001, Michael Schumacher said of Hamilton, "he's a quality driver, very strong and only 16. If he keeps this up I'm sure he will reach F1; it's something special to see a kid of his age out on the circuit. He's clearly got the right racing mentality."Hamilton cleaned up in lower formula and in 2006 won the title in the GP2 Championship, Formula One's feeder series. Although there were a few doubters about Hamilton's ability, there were many that claimed he was ready for the challenge of F1 and ready to be Alonso's teammate. 3 times F1 World Champion, Jackie Stewart said, "I think he has an enormous future, he has got clearly great talent and now he has to step up to the next level." Renault's director of engineering, Pat Symonds believed, "we are in the situation of always judging whether a new driver can come straight in, and I believe they can. It is a simple as that! ." Frank Williams said, "if I were Ron, I would have no hesita! tion in putting Hamilton in the car. He looked outstanding this year, a super talent." Moreover, Hamilton himself relished the opportunity to challenge Alonso, saying, "... but if I end up alongside Alonso it definitely would not intimidate me. I've never had a teammate who's beaten me over the course of a season. So I would love that challenge." In November of 2006, Hamilton was confirmed as a McLaren-Mercedes F1 racing driver, partnering double World Champion Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton began the 2007 season in spectacular fashion, by scoring 5 straight podium finishes (4 straight 2nd place finishes) before scoring his first F1 pole position and victory in the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal. A week later, Hamilton won the United States Grand Prix also from pole position and became only the second person, after Jacques Villeneuve, to win more than one race in his rookie F1 season; his podium streak eventually ended at 9 races. During the course of the season, it bec! ame clear that Fernando Alonso was not expecting the challenge posed by Hamilton, and the relationship between the two drivers and eventually between Alonso and McLaren soured. However, through the turmoil, Hamilton seemed poised to continue to a record setting season; then there was the Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton retired from the race which saw changeable weather conditions. He experienced considerable tire wear, notably his right rear, and he ran wide into the gravel trap in the pitlane, where he got stuck in the gravel trap. This was Hamilton's first retirement of his Formula One career. It was a crushing situation, however, he left China with a 4 point lead in the championship with one race to go. At the final race in Brazil, he suffered a gearbox problem in the first 10 laps after starting on the front row. He did recover to finish 7th, but the championship was lost to Kimi Raikkonen, by a single point. Hamilton said of the result, "I have to put the result into pers! pective, this is only my first year in Formula 1 and overall i! t has ju st been phenomenal. I am still very young and have plenty more years in me to achieve my dream of becoming World Champion.
In 2008, he did not get off to the incredible start he made in 2007, but it was productive nonetheless and Hamilton leads the championship again and is looking to seal the deal this time. He has 4 wins this year and a 6 point lead. With a year's worth of experience under his belt, it is well within his abilities to capture the 2008 F1 Driver's Title. Next Driver File: Felipe Massa
Benitez Hails 'Magician' Ancelotti
Rafael Benitez insists he will not be at war with the latest Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, claiming he considers the Italian a coaching "magician".
Benitez's verbal battles with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho were a major feature of domestic and European battles between the teams in previous years.
But the Spanish tactician promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti on Sunday at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Barclays Premier League clash.
"I am looking forward to seeing him again, I have great respect for him," said Benitez, who went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was AC Milan coach.
"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the seas! on.
"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.
"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."
He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.
"He has experience of working with top-class players, that is important.
"In Athens (in 2007) it was very close, but after they scored he was on top of things. As a manager he does not change very much, but that makes him a magician, someone who can alter very little but then produce a victory."
Benitez's verbal battles with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho were a major feature of domestic and European battles between the teams in previous years.
But the Spanish tactician promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti on Sunday at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Barclays Premier League clash.
"I am looking forward to seeing him again, I have great respect for him," said Benitez, who went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was AC Milan coach.
"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the seas! on.
"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.
"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."
He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.
"He has experience of working with top-class players, that is important.
"In Athens (in 2007) it was very close, but after they scored he was on top of things. As a manager he does not change very much, but that makes him a magician, someone who can alter very little but then produce a victory."
Liverpool Share Deal Talks Continue, Says Saudi Prince
Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdulla has said his F6 company hopes to finalise talks over a major Liverpool share deal.
Speaking to the press as Liverpool co-owner George Gillett visited Riyadh, Prince Faisal said: "Our negotiations to buy shares in Liverpool are ongoing, meetings are taking place and we might be in the final stages in the coming days."
Gillett, who owns Liverpool along with fellow American Tom Hicks, was in Riyadh to discuss a project regarding the creation of Liverpool football academies around the region, Prince Faisal said.
I! n recent weeks, both parties have admitted that potential investment from Faisal has been firmly on their agenda.
Gillett and Hicks have been seeking new investment in the Anfield club after refinancing some of its debt during the summer.
The two met with Prince Sultan bin Fahd, president of the Saudi Youth Welfare organisation and chairman of the Saudi League.
"The purpose of the visit of the owner of Liverpool Football Club to Saudi Arabia is to understand the sports industry and to learn about the facilities and the potential of the main clubs in order to set up the Liverpool Academy in Saudi Arabia," Prince Faisal said.
The agreement between Liverpool and F6, a sports marketing and investment firm controlled by Faisal, would also provide opportunities for young Saudi players to train at the Anfield club, he said.
Speaking to the press as Liverpool co-owner George Gillett visited Riyadh, Prince Faisal said: "Our negotiations to buy shares in Liverpool are ongoing, meetings are taking place and we might be in the final stages in the coming days."
Gillett, who owns Liverpool along with fellow American Tom Hicks, was in Riyadh to discuss a project regarding the creation of Liverpool football academies around the region, Prince Faisal said.
I! n recent weeks, both parties have admitted that potential investment from Faisal has been firmly on their agenda.
Gillett and Hicks have been seeking new investment in the Anfield club after refinancing some of its debt during the summer.
The two met with Prince Sultan bin Fahd, president of the Saudi Youth Welfare organisation and chairman of the Saudi League.
"The purpose of the visit of the owner of Liverpool Football Club to Saudi Arabia is to understand the sports industry and to learn about the facilities and the potential of the main clubs in order to set up the Liverpool Academy in Saudi Arabia," Prince Faisal said.
The agreement between Liverpool and F6, a sports marketing and investment firm controlled by Faisal, would also provide opportunities for young Saudi players to train at the Anfield club, he said.
Rafael Benitez Should Have Signed Gareth Barry Instead Of Glen Johnson - Gary Lineker
England legend Gary Lineker has proclaimed that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez made a mistake during the summer by signing Glen Johnson, when he should have opted to bring in Gareth Barry instead.
The current Manchester City midfielder was being chased by the Spaniard, as the boss intended to edge out Xabi Alonso to lure the Englishman into being a part of the 'Rafalution'.
"I know the modern-day manager doesn't publicly admit mistakes but Benitez must regret letting Barry walk straight into City's arms this summer after chasing him so enthusiastically the previous year," Lineker said in his column for the Mail on Sunday.
"Barry is just what Liverpool ! need right now and it must be galling for Benitez that he'll be in Mark Hughes's team today and not his.
"It puzzles me why Barry did not end up at Anfield and I can only assume Benitez had the finances to sign either Glen Johnson or Barry and chose the wrong option."
The current Manchester City midfielder was being chased by the Spaniard, as the boss intended to edge out Xabi Alonso to lure the Englishman into being a part of the 'Rafalution'.
"I know the modern-day manager doesn't publicly admit mistakes but Benitez must regret letting Barry walk straight into City's arms this summer after chasing him so enthusiastically the previous year," Lineker said in his column for the Mail on Sunday.
"Barry is just what Liverpool ! need right now and it must be galling for Benitez that he'll be in Mark Hughes's team today and not his.
"It puzzles me why Barry did not end up at Anfield and I can only assume Benitez had the finances to sign either Glen Johnson or Barry and chose the wrong option."
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ducati joins Edmonton police
From Ducati North America
CUPERTINO, CA -- Ducati North America today announced that a 2005 Ducati 749 Biposto, customized by Argyll Motorsports of Edmonton will join the Edmonton Police Department in a unique capacity. Rather than being outfitted as a traditional pursuit or traffic enforcement motorcycle, the exotic Argyll Motorsports-Ducati support vehicle has been assigned to the Department's special Blue Line Racing division, which conducts an innovative STREET LEGAL Program that attempts to get youngsters and their high performance vehicles off the streets and onto local drag strips.
The STREET LEGAL Program, operated by a group of Edmonton Police Department constables, includes two drag racing cars and now the new Ducati 749. STREET LEGAL's goal is to reduce death and injury of youths age 15-25 caused by traffic-related collisions, by developing an awareness for young drivers and riders to operate motor vehicles in a safe and responsible manner.
Rather than cracking down with increased traffic patrols and tickets, Edmonton's Police Department has opted for a different tactic, using the stylish and powerful Ducati to reach out to young riders and drive home its "take it to the track" safety messages.
"Edmonton has seen an increase in the number of sport bike rider deaths in the past few years peaking with a total of eight sport bike-related deaths in 2004," says Edmonton Police Constable Ryan Sparreboom, an avid motorcycle racer and the officer in charge of the specially prepared Ducati 749. "We'll be using our race cars and the eye-catching 2005 Ducati 749 Biposto to bring added attention to our program and, hopefully, save some lives in the process."
Win a title, drive a Mini!
By John Hopkins
WHITBY, ON -- BMW Motorrad Canada has unveiled its racer support program for the 2006 Canadian Thunder series and released details on a new motorcycle that will be eligible for the class.
In the BMW contingency program, $1,000 will be paid to the top five BMW finishers in each Canadian Thunder round in 2006, with $400 going to the highest placing BMW racer, $250 for second highest, $150 for third, $100 for fourth and $100 for fifth.
Additionally, should a BMW rider win the 2006 Canadian Thunder title, they will receive a bonus prize of a one-year lease of a Mini Cooper, on behalf of BMW Motorrad Canada.
The new model, the BMW R1200S is an air / oil cooled 1170cc twin with a claimed horsepower of 122 and dry weight listed at 418 lbs. (190kg).
The R1200S would normally retail for $19,000 but as part of the Canadian Thunder program it is available for $13,500. Serie! s competitors would also get a $1,000 parts allowance.
To qualify for the BMW Motorrad Canada Racer Support Program, all interested individuals must supply a copy of their valid RACE license and a rider bio / race resume. For new competitors, a copy of receipt to attend a RACE or FAST school and a letter of intent will be sufficient.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Jodie Meeks Declare Eligible for the Draft
According to a source on Yahoo Sports, Kentucky Guard Jodie Meeks has decided to enter his name into the NBA draft. Meeks will not hire an agent which will make him eligible to return to the Wildcats if his is not happy with his draft position. Currently Meeks is projected as a second round pick.
Personally I think this is a good move for Jodie, you cannot blame him for at least testing the waters. If Meeks stays he will be playing for his third head coach in four years at Kentucky. I think in the end he will return to school for his Senior season. He knows that he can flourish under John Calipari and be part of a real special team for Kentucky. By participating in these workouts Jodie will be critiqued by NBA scouts which will help him elevate his game for next year.
Still no word on Patrick Patterson.
Photographers Response to Nike
This story of Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron James has just been blown up by all forms of media. (This site included.) I really find the whole situation to be intriguing. What I think is interesting is it is obvious that LeBron James had the Nike representatives get the tapes to avoid a media storm and attention to this video. However, by confiscating the tapes it has created that little internet story that everyone latches on too and now has this "Legend of Jordan Crawford" surrounding it. If it were released it would just be a flavor of the week and could be put on You Tube with the rest of the posterizing dunks. But the way that James and Nike handled the situation it has really been blown out of proportion. We don't even know how impressive the dunk was. It could just be mediocre.
One of the camera men who has his tape taken responds here.
The Top 10 Sports Movies of the 2000s
(1) Cars (2006) – Yes, I made a Pixar movie numero uno!
(2) Remember the Titans (2000)
(3) Friday Night Lights (2004)
(4) Dodgeball (2004)
(5) Blades of Glory (2007)
(6) Green Street Hooligans (2005) – my sleeper but a movie that is under the radar but a must see.
(7) Invincible (2006)
(8) The Longest Yard (2005)
(9) Talladega Nights (2006)
(10) Radio (2003)
Just didn't make it...
Million Dollar Baby (2004) – Yes, I may be criticized for this one but although it won academy awards I just ! wasn't into it.
Seabiscuit (2003)
We Are Marshall (2006)
Miracle (2004)
The Replacements (2000)
The Rookie (2002)
Coach Carter (2005)
Ali (2001)
What's Your Top 10?
An open letter to Bruin1968...
Bruin1968,
First off, thanks for visiting the site.
The objective here at The Sports Brief isn't to win a Pullitzer or write a moving, riveting, heart-warming piece on something the general public absolutely needs to know.
It's a website where we can write reactions, thoughts, opinions and predictions for others to read, enjoy and comment on like yourself.
While we certainly appreciate the comment, I am livid at the fact that you would accuse some start-up website of plagiarizing a Steve Buckley article from the Herald. I challenge you to present us with that article, or have Steve do so himself. I happen to be an acquaintence of Steve's, having worked alongside him at Fenway and played in his OldTime Baseball Game last summer.
It is not uncommon that people often share the same thoughts, nor write about them in a similar fashion, particularly when it is strictly opinion-based. So again, I challenge you to present us wit! h hard evidence that we did in fact commit plagiarism.
As far as the content on this website, we are all from New England and happen to be fans of the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots, as well as the UFC and MMA in general.
We aren't fans of the Bruins, so if you're looking for an article about the Hub of Hockey, look elsewhere, you won't find it here. Unfortunately, we don't find the team to be of interest to us. Again, that's strictly one's opinion.
In the interim, please continue to visit the site with an open mind. We don't need you coming with your red pen in hand, telling us how we rambled on about a particular subject, or if our grammar needs a bit fine-tuning. I don't know if that's what you do for a living, and frankly I don't care. But we don't issue grades on The Sports Brief. We just write about topics that interest us and hope it will spark interest in those that stumble onto our website and read it.
Apparently we've don! e that with you. It's just unfortunate you couldn't do it with! an open mind and be more supportive of a few guys who are doing this in their spare time merely for kicks and entertainment. That's all it is, just an attempt to entertain those that visit.
Thanks again, and please continue to visit The Sports Brief.
-Bess
The Sports Brief's Week 12 NFL picks
Sorry these picks didn't get up until today, but I wanted to make sure we posted them to keep the season going. Besides, Rich is finally over .500 and he needs to be commended for that. I would have posted them Friday as usual, but I actually had to do work. God forbid.
Then I wanted to post them yesterday, but had to work the Northeastern football game against URI. For the record, it was the coldest experience of my life. I now know what hikers/climbers are going through ascending Mount Everest, Kilimanjaro, whatever. It was awful. The only positive that came of the weather was that the two teams rushed a combined 74 times. That clock just kept burning and the game only went 2:50.
After the game I parlayed that by working a CAA women's volleyball tournament game between Delaware and Towson. It pays bills so relax. Northeastern won the regular season and claimed the rights to host the tournament. I'm going to make a bold prediction right now. You may no! t care, but four years from now when you catch wind of it, you'll have this tucked away and you'll go, "Wow, Besse from The Sports Brief called that." Here it is:
Delaware may or not win the tournament this year. After watching them yesterday, they'll pose a tough challenge to the other remaining three teams. But I'm predicting that after this season, they'll win the CAA title three consecutive years. And here's why. Two All-CAA rookies Kim Stewart and Elena Delle Donne. For those of you that follow women's college basketball, Delle Donne is former high school player of the year in basketball out of Ursuline (Del.) Academy that committed to UConn, then abruptly left to play volleyball at Delaware citing she was burned out and no longer wanted to play basketball. She's 6'5 and an absolute smokeshow.
I also went ahead and pulled a YouTube video that highlights her career at Ursuline. She started as an 8th grader and dropped 2,818 points in her career, a state record. Oh and she missed most of her senior year with mono. Go to the 8:20 mark of this video and watch her drop 51, a career high, in a game her senior year with eight 3-pointers. 6'5 and she's sniping 3's like it's NBA Jam.
Oh and if that wasn't enough, she was also on ESPN's "N! EXT".
I guess it goes to show that no matter how good you may be it's not worth playing if you're miserable. I applaud Delle Donne for making the decision. You can only hope other young student athletes can use her as a guide in assessing their situations and making a similar decision. Parents and coaches are getting increasingly overbearing on young players in all sports these days, vicariously living through them and pushing for college scholarships and professional contracts; it's becoming more about their egos than the success of the players, and ath! letes burning out as Delle Donne did will not be uncommon. Non! etheless , Delle Donne and Stewart are absolutely ridiculous volleyball players, especially as freshmen. If they don't win three straight after this year something had to have gone horribly wrong.
Onto the picks…
Keefe's picks:
Last week: 12-4; overall: 81-79
Steelers -10.5 over Bengals
Panthers +1.5 over Falcons
Browns -3.5 over Texans
49ers +10.5 over Cowboys
Lions +8.5 over Buccaneers
Titans -5.5 over Jets
Chiefs +3.5 over Bills
Rams +7.5 over Bears
Patriots +1.5 over Dolphins
Vikings +2.5 over Jaguars
Ravens -1.5 over Eagles
Raiders +9.5 over Broncos
Cardinals +3.5 over Giants
Redskins -3.5 over Seahawks
Chargers -2.5 over Colts
Packers +2.5 over Saints
Besse's picks:
Last week: 11-5; over! all: 85-75
Steelers -10.5 over Bengals
Panthers +1.5 over Falcons
Texans +3.5 over Browns
Cowboys -10.5 over 49ers
Buccaneers -8.5 over Lions
Jets +5.5 over Titans
Bills -3.5 over Chiefs
Rams +7.5 over Bears
Patriots +1.5 over Dolphins
Vikings +2.5 over Jaguars
Eagles +1.5 over Ravens
Broncos -9.5 over Raiders
Cardinals +3.5 over Giants
Seahawks +3.5 over Redskins
Colts +2.5 over Chargers
Saints -2.5 over Packers
Random Rob's picks:
Last week: 8-8; overall 91-69
Steelers
Panthers
Browns
49ers
Lions
Jets
Chiefs
Rams
Pats
Jags
Ravens
Raiders
Cardinals
Seahawks
Chargers
Packers
-Besse
Don't call it a comeback
"Uh oh, light heavyweights. Tito Ortiz is baaaaaaaaaack."
Yesterday, Dana White held a press conference to make a litany of announcements regarding UFC. First and foremost, he addressed the Fedor situation, expressing disappointment in negotiations and clarifying that he had made every effort to sign the top heavyweight in the world, but felt negotiations were at an impasse.
In addition, White also announced the new main event for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas, TX. Rich Franklin is still one half of that main event, but instead of a rematch with Dan Henderson, he'll be taking on newly signed Vitor Belfort, who will take part in his first UFC fight since a split decision loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 51.
Speaking of Tito Ortiz, White confirmed after weeks of speculation that the former UFC light heavyweight champion is in fact returning to the UFC fold. After setting aside their differences, the two polarizing figures were able to reach an agreeme! nt that, according to White, will allow the fighter to "retire in the UFC."
Ortiz, who last fought at UFC 84 in a decision loss to current light heavyweight kingpin Lyota Machida, returns after back surgery which actually fused his spinal cord. It's similar to the surgery Nate Quarry had a couple years ago. Ortiz, battling back injuries dating back several years, has stated that this surgery will allow him to compete at 100% for the first time in a long time. While it remains to be seen how much of a difference this procedure will make at this stage of his career, the prospect of a "healthy" Ortiz is certainly enticing. Couple that with his incredible drawing power as a PPV machine, and you can see why White made a concerted effort to bridge the gap and make amends with the former champion. Certainly a victory for everyone involved, and personally, I'm hoping "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" has one more run left in him.
That being said, Ortiz posted a v! ideo on YouTube yesterday documenting his first full day back ! in train ing. While it shows nothing ground breaking, the brutal honesty of the video should be received well. After showing several minutes of footage of Ortiz jump roping, working on strikes on a heavy bag and then practicing his infamous ground and pound, the video actually shows Ortiz rise up from the bag and scurry over to a garbage can, where he spends several moments vomiting into a garbage can in the corner. Props to Ortiz for including this in the video. I assume most fighters would be too embarassed to admit it even happened, never mind let you see first hand. He's embracing the fact that he's a long way away from being ready, which is a reason he declined a co-headliner at UFC 103 and is looking towards a November or December return. According to White, that could be against former UFC heavyweight champion and current Hall-0f-Famer Mark "The Hammer" Coleman. That could be an excellent matchup given that Coleman always comes to fight and would pit two extremely talented wre! stlers against each other. For Ortiz, Coleman would present a solid threat, but also be the type of fight where Ortiz could likely survive the ring rust he'll expectedly have and still be able to earn a victory.
Here's the video of Ortiz's first day back training. It's a good watch, and a great intro into the LL Cool J track...
-Bess
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Copa Sudamericana Wed Review
Velez Sarsfield had to work until the last minute to beat Union Espanola 3-2 in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana.
The Chileans were 2-1 ahead but Velez netted two goals in the final two minutes to claim a crucial win ahead of the second leg in Santiago next week.
Uruguayan striker Hernan Rodrigo Lopez gave Velez the lead in the 23rd minute, but Union Espanola went ahead with a 33rd-minute goal by David Ramirez and a 60th-minute strike by Raul Estevez.
! But an own goal by Diego Resende levelled it up in the 90th minute before Rolando Zarate's header secured the victory.
Velez coach Ricardo Gareca said: "We won the kind of match you usually lose. I am proud of my guys.
"Sometimes you don't get to know the rivals so well. You can watch some videos but things change on the field. Tonight, we played a team who play similarly to us and it was difficult."
In Porto Alegre, the reigning Copa Sudamericana champions Internacional could only draw 1-1 at home to Universidad de Chile.
The visitors went ahead thanks to a long-distance shot by Argentinian midfielder Walter Montillo in the 23rd minute.
Inter only managed to level the game 32 minutes into the second half, when Kleber beat Miguel Pinto after good work by Andres D'Alessandro.
Inter midfielder Andrezinho said: "We started the game very badly, as we took too much time to mark well. When we managed to do that, we dominated.
"We s! till have a return match in Chile. We know it will be tough, b! ut the t eam is used to playing this type of knock-out match."
In Rio de Janeiro, Botafogo defeated Ecuador's Emelec 2-0, with Renato scoring the first goal in first-half injury time.
Eighteen minutes after the interval, Andre Lima headed a Juninho cross.
Brazilian side Fluminense drew their away game against Alianza Atletico of Peru.
Fluminese took an early lead with Luiz Alberto Da Silva scoring at the sixth minute.
Second-half goals by Saulo Aponte and Marcio Valverde put Alianza Atletico ahead before Argentinian playmaker Dario Conca equalised in the 74th minute.
Montanes claims Romania title
Albert Montanes edged past third seed Juan Monaco 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (8/6) to claim the BCR Open Romania title.
The match was a tight affair but fifth seed Montanes dominated the tie-break after the first set went with serve.
It appeared as if the momentum had swung the other way in the second set as Monaco took a 3-0 lead, but the Argentinian picked up a leg injury when he was 5-2 up.
And Montanes took full advantage of his opponent's struggles to come back into the match and lift the trop! hy at the second time of asking, having lost in the final in 2001.
It is the second title of the season for the Spaniard, who triumphed in Estoril in May, and sees Monaco's final hoodoo continue.
The 25-year-old has now lost his last five finals on the trot.
Pennetta reaches Linz final four
Flavia Pennetta clinically took her chances to defeat Ioana Raluca Olaru 7-5 6-2 and book a semi-final place at the Generali Ladies tournament.
A closely-fought encounter was decided on Pennetta's ability to convert her break-point opportunities when they came along.
Pennetta converted five of her seven chances to tie up victory in one hour and 33 minutes. In contrast her 20-year-old Romanian opponent wasted five of seven break chances.
Pennetta will meet th! ird seed Yanina Wickmayer in the last four after the Belgian defeated Sara Errani 7-5 6-3.
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, the second seed, won through to her third consecutive WTA Tour semi-final with a 6-3 7-6 (11/9) victory over Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova.
Radwanska will meet another Czech in the last four after Petra Kvitova upset fourth seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5 6-4.
Panathinaikos 1-0 Sturm Graz
A Dimitris Salpigidis penalty proved enough to seal a narrow Europa League victory for Panathinaikos over Sturm Graz in a tightly-contested encounter at the Olympic Stadium in Athens.
The Greece international slotted home on the hour after being upended by Mario Sonnleitner and despite chances for both teams as the game opened up afterwards, Henk ten Cate's men claimed the three points.
The win means Pana remain second in Group F, one point behind Galatasaray, who ! defeated Dinamo Bucharest 4-1.
While monopolising much of the first-half possession, Panathinaikos failed to fashion any clear-cut chances as their final pass let them down, Salpigidis in particular disappointing with his crosses from the right.
It was no surprise then that the visitors, playing a counter-attacking game, were the first to threaten when Haris Bukva fired into the side netting from Peter Hlinka's cross.
Sebastian Leto with his penetrating runs down the left was the hosts' main outlet and he was twice denied by Sturm keeper Christian Gratzei with shots from the edge of the box.
The best chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Sturm though when Manuel Weber was put clean through on goal from Samir Muratovic's quickly-taken free-kick but blazed over with only home keeper Alexandros Tzorvas to beat.
Ten Cate introduced Sotiris Ninis at half-time in an attempt to add attacking impetus and the 19-year-old's enthusiasm seemed to s! park the Greens into life, Djibril Cisse shooting narrowly wid! e under pressure from Gabriel's right-wing cross three minutes after the restart and Loukas Vintra trying his luck from distance.
The breakthrough finally came on the hour when Salpigidis surged into the penalty area before being fouled by Marios Sonnleitner.
Salpigidis dusted himself down to slot his penalty beyond Gratzei and into the bottom left corner.
The goal seemed to galvanise both teams with Sturm's Gordon Schildenfeld heading against Tzorvas' left post before Karagounis responded by cracking an effort off Gratzei's right post seconds later.
Tzorvas was then called into action to make a superb double save from Sturm striker Daniel Beichler, who twice failed to convert Jakob Jantscher's free-kick.
Pana responded through Cisse whose powerful shot was brilliantly diverted over the crossbar by Gratzei's sprawling save. The Frenchman, who had a disappointing match, then blazed a shot wide from 12 yards out with just Gratzei to beat in the last ! minute.
Youzhny triumphs in Kremlin Cup
Mikhail Youzhny took Russian domination of the Kremlin Cup into a sixth year after seeing off Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.
The event has been won by a Russian for the last five years and Youzhny made sure that trend continued after coming from behind to put in a dominant performance.
Youzhny, seeded third in the competition, had not lost a set coming into the showpiece but was soon behind after Tipsarevic took the opener 7-6 (7/5).
He responded in emphatic fas! hion, levelling the scores without reply to take the second set 6-0 and closed out victory by taking the decisive set 6-4.
Youzhny's dominance in the serve was a key factor as he hit 14 aces in a match which occupied two hours and 45 minutes.
Champions League Tuesday Review
Manchester United and Porto have been joined by Bordeaux and Chelsea in qualifying for the Champions League last 16.
However, AC Milan and Real Madrid could yet miss out on progression from the group stages.
Bayern Munich are in danger of missing out in qualification from Group A after Bordeaux claimed a 2-0 win at the Allianz Arena.
The pressure mounted on Bayern coach Louis Van Gaal after strikes from Yoann Gourcuff and Marouane Chamakh secured qualificati! on for Les Girondins, who are unbeaten at the top of the Group A standings.
Juventus are two points behind the French side and four ahead of Bayern following their 1-0 win at Maccabi Haifa, courtesy of Mauro Camoranesi's winner in first-half injury-time.
Chelsea booked their progression from Group D after a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
Sergio Aguero gave Atletico the lead in the 66th minute, but Didier Drogba - on his return to European action following suspension - netted twice in the last eight minutes to seemingly earn Chelsea the win.
It was not to be as Aguero struck his second goal from a free-kick in stoppage-time to earn Atletico a draw, but Chelsea are still assured of a place in the knockout stages courtesy of Porto's win over Apoel Nicosia.
The Portuguese side triumphed 1-0 in Cyprus, with Falcao on target six minutes from time.
Last season's runners-up Manchester United required a stopp! age-time equaliser from Antonio Valencia to secure their place! in the last 16 with a 3-3 Group B draw against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford.
The winger scored the winner in Russia and his effort this time around capped a rousing fightback by Sir Alex Ferguson's side following strikes from Michael Owen and Paul Scholes.
CSKA Moscow squandered a 3-1 advantage, with Alan Dzagoev, Milos Krasic and Vasili Berezutsky the men on target.
Wolfsburg are in pole position for second place behind United after a 3-0 win at Besiktas.
European giants AC Milan and Real Madrid, who have won the competition on seven and nine occasions, respectively, shared a 1-1 draw in Group C, with both teams a point above Marseille.
Karim Benzema gave Real the lead in the 29th minute, but Ronaldinho replied with a penalty 10 minutes before the break.
Alexandre Pato had a goal controversially disallowed moments later before Dida denied Raul a late winner in a dramatic game at the San Siro.
Marseille could yet progress at the exp! ense of Milan or Real after a 6-1 defeat of FC Zurich, with two goals in the opening 10 minutes and three in the final 10.
An own-goal from Silvan Aegerter put them on their way before Fabrice Abriel, Mamadou Niang, Vitorino Hilton, Benoit Cheyrou and Brandao were on target. The visitors' Alexandre Alphonse made it 2-1 after 31 minutes.
Match Reports
Friday, December 11, 2009
FIFA World Cup 2010- Johannesburg some cheap flights to Johannesburg
by Anney Mannings
Planning to watch FIFA World Cup 2010, you have chosen the best option to have a break from your hectic schedules. It will be full of excitement and lots of fun. FIFA world cup is going to be held in South Africa. It will be the 19th world cup scheduled to be held in the largest cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Orkney, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria (two venues), and Rustenburg of South Africa. You can go there by getting a cheap flight deal to South Africa. You can explore its beautiful cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, etc. You must visit Johannesburg. It is the provincial capital of Gauteng and the wealthiest province in South Africa.
Johannesburg is served by OR Tambo International Airport for both domestic and international flights. On visiting Johannesburg you will get the opportunity to explore Cape Town and Durban as these places are easily reachable from here.
F! IFA world cup is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010. Some of the matches are also scheduled to be held in Johannesburg.
Book your cheap flights to Johannesburg to watch this world cup. Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg Planetarium and the Apartheid Museum are worth to visit.
You can get cheap flights to Johannesburg by asking quotations, off season bookings, advance booking, negotiation, bargaining and various other methods. You can enjoy the world cup and can visit the both on the same trip. It will cost you less and reduce a large amount of expenses on your travel.
It costs around 370-400 GBP for flights to Johannesburg from various locations around the world. Some of the flights offering services to Joburg are Etihad, Iberia, Emirates, Air France and KLM.
About the Author
book Cheap flights to Johannesburg from http://cheapflightstojohannesburg.org.uk or call 0800 368 5030
Nasce il Napoli di Mazzarri, aspettando Gennaio: domenica col Bologna inizia un nuovo campionato
di Giorgio MosconiIn attesa dei test che il campionato metterà a disposizione - Fiorentina, Milan e Juventus in sette giorni - il tecnico toscano sta rivitalizzando la squadra, tatticamente e caratterilamente. Perchè ora bisognerà stringere i denti e arrivare a Gennaio
Fonte: tuttonapoli.net
Si allena anche di domenica mattina il Napoli. Perchè Walter Mazzarri, tecnico azzurro da soli quattro giorni, ha biso! gno di capire. Soprattutto, di studiare: i modi, le soluzioni, gli antidoti. Per una squadra che, partita tra tanti favori di pronostico, è andata lentamente sbriciolandosi sotto una gestione tecnica mediocre, e caratterialmente traballante. Insomma, l'allenatore toscano dovrà riuscire dove ha fallito Donadoni; non sarà semplice, questo no. Bisognerà rivitalizzare una squadra angosciata, dai mancati risultati e dallo scetticismo creatosi di conseguenza.
LA SQUADRA - Su di essa si è abbattuta il ciclone Mazzarri. Doppie sedute giornaliere, una anche di domenica. E poi, decibel altissimi durante gli allenamenti, tensione, quella positiva s'intende, manifestata sul campo e nelle parole. Come i rimbrotti a Pazienza, e all'intera squadra: "O facciamo le cose per bene o si smette". Ecco, da questi primi giorni si nota subito come col tecnico toscano non esisteranno mezze misure. Dovranno dare il massimo i calciatori, e anche qualcosa in p! iù; il rischio è quello di finire in panchina, indipendentemen! te da ru oli tattici e gerarchie. Le prime indicazioni sono state per il reparto difensivo, quello finito più degli altri nell'occhio del ciclone in queste prime sette giornate: il Napoli ha la peggior retroguarda dell'intera Serie A, con tredici gol subìti. E' la fase passiva che preoccupa Mazzarri: non ne fa una questione di calciatori, bensì di squadra. Tutti devono difendere; non a caso la sensazione in questo primo scorcio di campionato è stata quella di una difesa poco coperta, poco aiutata dagli altri reparti. E' qui che Mazzarri sta mettendo mano; in attesa che, con il rientro di Lavezzi, Quagliarella ed Hamsik dalle rispetive Nazionali, ci si possa concentrare anche sull'attacco.
IL MERCATO - Dopo aver di fatto "sprecato", come ha ripetuto anche De Laurentiis, del tempo prezioso, si può dire che domenica prossima contro il Bologna al San Paolo incomincia di fatto la nuova stagione del Napoli. Sotto la guida attenta e "cazzuta" di Walter Mazzarri, che avrà il compito non certo semplice, anche per le tante pretendenti, di guidare gli azzurri ad un piazzamento europeo. Il calendario non aiuta, con Fiorentina, Milan e Juventus da affrontare in sette giorni dopo la partita con i felsinei, ma di certo sottoporrà il Napoli a veri e propri test, che faranno capire dove la squadra va maggiormente rinforzata. A Gennaio si interverrà sul mercato, ma bisognerà farlo avendo bene in mente su chi puntare e su chi invece non poter fare affidamento. Arrivare alla finestra invernale di mercat! o con qualche punto di ritardo dalla zona Europa League, sareb! be una m anna scesa dal cielo.
"L'ennesima mazzata"
Di Pasquale Campanella
Fonte: tuttomantova.it
Era gia' cominciata male la settimana biancorossa quando rimbalzava a livello nazionale la notizia di un misterioso "santone" al quale il presidente Lori aveva affidato le sorti del Mantova; le prese in giro ovviamente si sprecarono. Questa purtroppo e' stata un'altra dimostrazione dell'ingenuita' della societa' virgiliana, la quale sembra nella piu' totale confusione.L' arrivo del Sig. Otuday non era una patata bollente da gestire ma la societa' l'ha fatta diventare; bastava emettere un comunicato ufficiale ! nel quale si spiegava che la squadra sarebbe stata supportata da un altro collaboratore. Il presidente in buona fede, pensando che le prese in giro fossero dietro l'angolo, ha preferito "nascondere" il tutto. Purtroppo lo spogliatoio biancorosso e' pure attanagliato dal problema della "pettegola", qualcuno (probabilmente della vecchia guardia) sono anni che non riesce a tenersi per se le "cose" di spogliatoio, ma tant'e' questo si sa, e' un problema di quasi tutte le societa'. La notizia, trapelata di straforo, ha ovviamente catapultato su Viale Te quelle malelingue che non vedevano l'ora di sputar fango.Fabrizio Lori dovra' essere ringraziato a lungo da tutta Mantova per quello che ha fatto, ma bonta' sua, e' purtroppo inesperto, il problema sono i suoi collaboratori che non riescono a supportarlo in maniera adeguata da quando il patron si e' insediato da solo dietro il timone del Mantova, e questo e' il primo problema alla radice dell' ACM.L'avvicimento alla sfida con il ! Padova quindi non e' stato sicuramente dei migliori, con lo st! aff bian corosso preoccupato più a scacciare i "maligni" piuttosto che a preparare la sfida con i biancoscudati.Il Mantova arriva in quel dell' Euganeo caricato da 400 tifosi ai quali va il merito di "tener su la baracca", perche' nel caso, ahimè, tutt'altro che remoto, il vento della piazza iniziasse a girare dalla parte sbagliata tutti i pezzi del mosaico maledetto sarebbero completi. Serena schiera i suoi con il 4-3-1-2 lasciando il pezzo da 90 Locatelli a scaldar la panchina e inserendo Tarana sulla mezzala sinistra, settore del campo, ormai lo sappiamo da anni, il toro di Sabionetta ha sempre faticato rispetto alla sua congeniale sistemazione sull'out destro. I biancorossi iniziano a spron battuto con un Cavalli molto attivo ma poco dopo il tanto desiderato Italiano caccia fuori dal cilindro una botta terrificante sulla quale Handanovic, purtroppo come ultimamente spesso accade, non pare esente da colpe. 1 a 0, neanche il tempo di leccarsi le ferite che Rabito spedisce nel sette! un colpo alla Del Piero forse imprendibile anche per il miglior Gigi Buffon. Game over Mantova. Gli unici a battere un colpo dall'impianto patavino sono i ragazzi della Te che nonostante il doppio svantaggio annichiliscono i colleghi padovani. Commoventi.Il secondo tempo invece che trovare gli undici virgiliani furiosi pronti a rimontare la partita, purtroppo si deve assistere alla resa, nessuno brama dalla voglia di recuperare, Serena ci mette ancora del suo, invece di provare il tutto per tutto schierando un attaccante in piu', toglie l'unico capace di violare le reti avversarie assieme a Nassi, ovvero il Tano. Notte fonda. La difesa dell'ACM e il suo portiere dimostrano una volta in piu' di essere in un momento buio e incassano il terzo gol immobili come fossero stati folgorati da un apparizione divina. Anche i tifosi mantovani si arrendono, tutti a casa ed ennesima figuraccia.Il momento e' davvero delicato: una squadra con i nervi a fior di pelle, una societa' che non ! sa più che pesci pigliare, un "santone" da sistemare, una piaz! za con l a pazienza agli sgoccioli, un allenatore sulla graticola. Verrebbe da nascondere la testa sotto la sabbia come gli struzzi e sperare che sia solo un brutto sogno. Sbagliato, tutto vero.La Societa' per prima deve fare quadrato, il ruolo di Paolino Poggi non e' stato chiarito fin dall'inizio, Otaduy sembrava dovesse iniziare a collaborare ma poi ha smentito, il direttore generale e'vacante vista l'uscita del cugino del presidente; tutte cose da sistemare. L'allenatore ora con quasi tutta la rosa a disposizione dovra' cercare di responsabilizzare un undici tipo ed insistere su un modulo preciso, inoltre bisogna cercare di capire che se qualche giocatore stecca piu' di una partita vuol dire che forse e' meglio farlo riposare. Lo sfogo della dirigenza di lunedì puo' essere stato un primo passo, ma questo deve essere un input per squadra ed allenatore che d'ora in poi devono capire che altri grossi passi falsi non potranno piu' essere fatti, pena un ritorno agli inferi nei quali a! bbiamo ancora il giaciglio caldo dopo 32 anni di oblio. I tifosi cerchino di raccogliere le forze e continuino a star vicino ad un Mantova e al suo Presidente che mai come ora hanno bisogno di sentirsi incoraggiati, con o senza "santone".
Tutti a disposizione di Novellino
di Filippo Capurso
Fonte: tuttoreggina.com
Si è da poco conclusa la seduta d'allenamento degli amaranto. Sono rientrati alla base tutti i nazionali, per cui Novellino ha avuto a disposizione l'intero gruppo (ad eccezione di Camilleri impegnato a Coverciano negli allenamenti degli azzurrini del ct Salerno in cista del mondiale under 17). Il tecnico di Montemarano ne ha dunque approfittato per far svolgere alla squadra esercitazioni tattiche e provare schemi su calcio piazzato. Alla fine della seduta i giocatori sono stati impegnati con una p! artitella su campo ridotto. Intanto la società ha reso noto che anche per domani è previsto un allenamento a porte chiuse.
Reggina-Ancona: probabili formazioni
di Massimo Scavello
Fonte:parcarsport.it
REGGINA (4-4-2): Cassano; Buscè, Valdez, Santos, Costa; Pagano, Volpi, Morosini, Rizzato; Bonazzoli, Brienza
ANCONA (4-4-2): Da Costa; Milani, Cosenza, Cristante, Zavagno; Surraco, Catinali, De Falco, Miramontes; Colacone, Mastronunzio
ARBITRO: Russo
Orsato e Pazzini frenano la Lazio: è sindrome Olimpico
di Orazio Resta
Fonte: tuttomercatoweb.com
E' sindrome Olimpico. Prosegue il digiuno di vittorie tra le mura amiche della squadra biancoceleste, che non centra i 3 punti nella Capitale dal lontano 23 agosto contro l'Atalanta. Una Lazio convincente a fasi alterne non riesce ad avere la meglio di una Sampdoria tonica ed organizzata, che prima passa in vantaggio con il solito Pazzini, poi si fa riprendere da Francelino Matuzalem.
Ballardini sceglie dieci undices! imi della formazione che ha trionfato in quel di Pechino contro l'Inter. L'unica novità è in difesa, dove viene concesso un turno di riposo a Lichtsteiner con Siviglia che scala a destra e Cribari che viene confermato in mezzo. La sosta ha svuotato l'infermeria biancoceleste: per l'occasione, oltre al difensore calabrese, recuperano Diakitè e Cristian Brocchi a centrocampo. Il rientro dell'ex rossonero spinge il tecnico ravennate a riproporre il rombo a metà campo, con Baronio regista basso e Matuzalem alle spalle di Rocchi e Zàrate. Ne fa le spese Pasquale Foggia che parte dalla panchina, al pari del recuperato Julio Cruz.
Classico 4-4-2 per Gigi Del Neri che in difesa deve rinunciare allo squalificato Gastaldello. Al suo posto gioca il giovane Marco Rossi, mentre a sinistra Ziegler vince il ballottaggio con l'ex Zauri. Linea verde anche a metà campo, dove Poli fa le veci di Tissone e Padalino è preferito a Bellucci come vice Semioli. In avanti la coppia Pazzini e Cas! sano fornisce un banco di prova significativo alla difesa capi! tolina.< br />
"Serve la Lazio migliore", ha tuonato Ballardini alla vigilia. Un monito raccolto dai biancocelesti che, nonostante l'aggressività doriana, cercano di assumere già in avvio il comando delle operazioni. La prima iniziativa degna di nota giunge allo scoccare del 9', quando capitan Rocchi brucia sul filo del fuorigioco la linea difensiva ospite. La posizione è invitante, ma il diagonale è flebile. 2' più tardi sale in cattedra Zàrate. L'argentino semina pedine avversarie e libera Matuzalem nel cuore dell'area. Il numero 8 carioca è bravo a liberarsi nello stretto, ma manca il bersaglio a pochi metri da Castellazzi. Il doppio pericolo scuote Cassano e compagni che alzano il baricentro e si affacciano pericolosamente in avanti. Al 17' è proprio il genio di Bari Vecchia a seminare il panico sull'out di destra: dribbling su Diakitè, destro a giro sul secondo palo che trova Muslera reattivo. La Samp prende coraggio e tra il 20' ed il 22' esalta nuovamente i riflessi dell! 'estremo difensore sudamericano che prima toglie dall'angolo un colpo di testa di Padalino, poi chiude lo specchio ad un diagonale ravvicinato di Mannini. La partita vira. Gli uomini di Del Neri fanno gioco, sfruttando la catena di sinistra dove Mannini e Cassano, coadiuvati dalle sovrapposizioni di Ziegler, creano più di un grattacapo a Siviglia e Brocchi. Ci prova Baronio a mettere ordine, ma la manovra è compassata ed ostruita dal pressing organizzato della mediana ligure. Serve la giocata del singolo, come quella tentata al 38' da Zàrate. La mattonella è quella che sbloccò la finale del 13 maggio, ma l'esecuzione è sorvola la traversa. La giocata del numero 10 biancoceleste spezza solo momentaneamente la buona vena ospite che dopo 2' trovano la rete del meritato vantaggio. Cassano (liberatosi in modo dubbio di Siviglia) gode di troppa libertà tra le linee, scambia con Pazzini che innesca il taglio di Padalino. L'esterno svizzero, indisturbato, pennella nel cuore dell'ar! ea per il "dimenticato" ex centravanti viola. Il colpo di test! a è perf etto e la Samp mette la freccia. Il passivo riaccende l'orgoglio capitolino che nell'ultimo affondo della prima frazione di gioco riporta in partita la Lazio. E' il minuto 42, quando Rocchi riceve la sfera spalle alla porta e con un assist al bacio premia l'inserimento centrale di Matuzalem. Questa volta il diagonale è chirurgico e Castellazzi è battuto.
CAGLIARI -GENOA 3-2 : TORNA IL SERENO PER MR ALLEGRI
25 Ottobre 2009Calcio Serie A - Il Cagliari 'espugna' il S. Elia, 3-2 al Genoadi Davide Pampanin CAGLIARI-GENOA 3-2 CAGLIARI (4-3-1-2): Marchetti; Canini, Lopez, Astori, Agostini; Dessena (20' s.t. Lazzari), Conti, Biondini; Cossu (44' s.t. Barone); Jeda (24' s.t. Matri), Nenè. Panchina: Lupatelli, Marzoratti, Parola, Larrivey. All: Allegri. GENOA (4-3-3)! : Amelia; Sokratis, Moretti, Biava, Bocchetti; Rossi, Milanetto, Juric (30' p.t. Zapater); Palladino (36' s.t. Esposito), Floccari (18' s.t. Sculli), Mesto. Panchina: Russo, Modesto, Palacio, Crespo. All: Gasperini. ARBITRO: Gava MARCATORI: 21' p.t. Mesto, 10' s.t. Biondini, 14' s.t. Floccari, 33' s.t. Nenè (R), 42' s.t. Lazzari. NOTE: Angoli: 5-2. Esp! ulso Moretti al 32' s.t. Ammoniti: Canini, Astori, Cossu, Ros! si, Sokr atis, Floccari e Milanetto. Recupero: 2' p.t.; 5' s.t. Dieci minuti dopo, ghiotta occasione per i padroni di casa: su punizione dai 25 metri, Conti calci! a un bolide che si stampa sull'incrocio dei pali alle spalle d! i Amelia . La palla rimbalza poco al di fuori della linea bianca ed esce. Cagliari sfortunato. Il primo tempo è tutto in questi due episodi. Da segnalare l'uscita forzata di Juric, sostituito da Zapater per problemi fisici. Gava manda le squadre al riposo col Genoa in vantaggio. Non c'è neanche il tempo per l'esultanza - polemica - del centrocampista, che il Genoa si riporta in vantaggio. Stavolta è Lopez a combinarla grossa. Il difensore tenta un disimpegno dalla propria area, ma spedisce la sfera sui piedi di Floccari che indisturbato può trafiggere Marchetti per il nuovo vantaggio. Sembra finita, ma la svolta decisiva arriva al 32': su tiro ravvicinato, Moretti respinge con un braccio all'interno dell'area. Gava non ha dubbi e concede il rigore, spedendo negli spogliatoi l'autore del fallo per doppia ammonizione. Nenè fa 2-2 con un preciso destro. L! o svanta ggio numerico costringe il Genoa ad arretrare il baricentro. Gasperini ricorre all'ingresso di Esposito per Palladino a rafforzare la difesa. Il Cagliari produce ora il suo massimo sforzo, e al 42' raccoglie i frutti: il neo entrato Lazzari, imbeccato da una precisa verticalizzazione, entra in area e trafigge Amelia con un rasoterra mancino. È il 3-2 finale. Negli ultimi istanti c'è solo il tempo per l'espulsione del d.g. Preziosi, che in polemica con Gava viene allontanato dalla panchina. |
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Highlights della 39^ giornata di Serie B
Il trentanovesimo turno di serie B ci regala i primi verdetti: la promozione del Bari in A, dopo otto anni, e la retrocessione in Prima Divisione del Treviso. In coda vincono tutti e lotta per evitare le due retrocessioni rimanenti e la zona play-out si fa molto avvincente. Venti le reti messe a segno. Vediamo nel dettaglio le partite:Ancona – Sassuolo 2-1: Vittoria in rimonta per l'Ancona che con questi tre punti mantiene vive le speranze salvezza. Partita dura e combattuta fino alla fine, con gli ospiti in vantaggio e superati solo nei minuti finali. L'Ancona torna al successo dopo tre sconfitte consecutive in casa e nel ruolino di marcia generale. Il! Sassuolo perde la sua seconda gara consecutiva in trasferta e perde una posizione in classifica, piazzandosi al sesto posto, l'ultimo utile per i play-off.
Brescia – Cittadella 0-0: Deludente pareggio al Rigamonti. Il Brescia esce dal campo tra i fischi del proprio pubblico dopo una prestazione al di sotto delle aspettative. Per i padroni di casa terzo pareggio di fila, il secondo consecutivo in casa. Il Cittadella vede scendere ad un punto il suo vantaggio sulla zona play-out, per la compagine veneta quarto punto nelle ultime tre gare esterne.
Empoli – Ascoli 3-0: Tris d'oro per l'Empoli che sale al quinto posto della classifica e dopo i tre pareggi consecutivi esterni torna al successo. Per i toscani ruolino di marcia quasi perfetto nelle ultime quattro gare interne con tre vittorie ed un pareggio. L'Ascoli vede anch'egli diminuire il vantaggio sulla zona play-out, ora a qu! attro punti di distanza, e sembra aver smarrito la vittoria. P! er i bia nconeri quarta sconfitta di fila, la terza consecutiva in trasferta.
Frosinone – Albinoleffe 2-0: Il Frosinone guadagna tre punti ed altrettante posizioni in classifica. I ciociari si portano al tredicesimo posto della graduatoria, mantenendo inalterato il distacco di due punti sulla zona play-out. Per loro sesto risultato utile di fila tra le mura amiche, dove nelle ultime sei gare hanno raccolto tre vittorie ed altrettanti pareggi. L'Albinoleffe vede allontanarsi la zona play-off, ora a quattro punti, subendo la sua terza sconfitta consecutiva esterna. Per i lombardi momento nero con un solo punto nelle ultime tre gare.
Livorno – Triestina 0-1: Il Bari ringrazia, questa potrebbe essere la lettura della gara. La Triestina vince e consegna la promozione ai baresi. Prestazione deludente del Livorno che non vince in casa da ben otto partite, in queste ha ottenuto solo cinque par! eggi e tre sconfitte. Il fattore campo sembra essersi capovolto per i toscani. La Triestina torna al successo esterno dopo quattro gare lontano da casa in cui aveva ottenuto solo un pareggio e tre sconfitte. La zona play-off dista ora tre punti.
Modena – Mantova 1-0: I modenesi tengono vive le speranze salvezza a discapito del Mantova. I padroni di casa riescono ad imporsi solo nella ripresa centrando così la terza vittoria consecutiva. Per i modenesi pensate si tratta del decimo risultato utile consecutivo in casa, in queste gare hanno ottenuto cinque vittorie ed altrettanti pareggi. Il Mantova invece subisce la nona sconfitta esterna della stagione e vede diminuire a due punti il margine di vantaggio sulla zona paly-out.
Parma – Pisa 2-0: Manca solo la certezza matematica, ma il Parma, con nove punti di vantaggio sulla terza a tre gare dalla fine, è ormai tornato in serie A ! dopo un anno di purgatorio. Gli emiliani passano però solo nel! la ripre sa contro un Pisa deciso a vendere cara la pelle. La striscia di partite utili dei parmensi sembra essere inarrestabile, per loro quindicesimo risultato utile consecutivo, siamo a quota nove successi e sei pareggi. Il Pisa subisce l'undicesimo ko esterno della stagione e vede avvicinarsi la zona play-out, ora distante due punti.
Piacenza – Bari 2-2: Bari fa festa!!! Dopo otto lunghi anni i pugliesi tornano in Serie A. La festa cominciata già venerdì sera prosegue a Piacenza, con tanti tifosi al seguito dei propri beniamini. Partita bella con gli ospiti subito in vantaggio, poi raggiunti e superati nel corso della gara, ma il pareggio nel finale sembra essere il risultato più giusto. Il Piacenza coglie il terzo pari di fila in casa e non vince da sette gare, nelle quali ha ottenuto solo sei pareggi ed una sconfitta. Il Bari centra il secondo pareggio consecutivo ed il quinto risultato utile consecutivo, nelle ultime cinque gare! tre vittorie e due pareggi.
Rimini – Grosseto 2-0: Il Rimini con un classico due a zero supera il Grosseto. I riminesi, dopo due sconfitte, tornano al successo. Per loro andamento altalenante nelle ultime partite, in cui si alternano buone e cattive prestazioni. Il Rimini resta sempre un punto sopra la zona play-out. Il Grosseto invece arresta momentaneamente la sua rincorsa alla zona play-off vedendo interrotta la striscia di sei gare utili consecutivi. Il sesto posto dista comunque due punti e tutto è ancora possibile.
Salernitana – Avellino 1-0: La Salernitana si aggiudica l'attesissimo derby campano. Lo scontro metteva in palio punti importanti per la zona salvezza. Gara combattuta fino alla fine, con la vittoria finale che va ai salernitani che continuano a sperare nella salvezza restando ad un punto dalla zona play-out. L'Avellino invece ora ci crede un po' meno, ben ott! o sono i punti, a tre gare dalla fine, che la separano dal qua! rt'ultim o posto. Pei bianco verdi la retrocessione sembra vicina.
Treviso – Vicenza 0-1: Adesso la è arrivata anche la certezza aritmetica a sancire la retrocessione del Treviso in Prima Divisione. I veneti con questa sconfitta dicono addio alla serie cadetta. Per loro quarta sconfitta nelle ultime cinque gare, la seconda di fila in casa. Il Vicenza invece centra la sua quinta vittoria esterna della stagione e consolida la sua posizione in classifica al decimo posto.
Classifica dopo 39 giornate: Bari 74, Parma 71, Livorno 62, Brescia 61, Sassuolo 59, Empoli 60, Grosseto 57, Triestina 56, Albinoleffe 55, Vicenza 52, Piacenza e Ascoli (-2) 49, Frosinone Mantova e Pisa 47, Cittadella e Rimini 46, Ancona e Modena 45, Salernitana 44, Avellino (-2) 37, Treviso (-1) 34 .
Prossimo turno, 40^g. 15-16-18/5/2009 ore 16.00: Albinoleffe – Rimini, Asc! oli – Salernitana, Avellino – Treviso, Bari – Modena, Cittadella – Parma, Grosseto – Brescia (18/5 ore 20.45), Mantova – Empoli, Pisa – Piacenza (15/5 ore 20.45), Sassuolo – Livorno, Triestina – Ancona, Vicenza – Frosinone.
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