Reality: Camden Yards Tonight

I, being a baseball nut, I watched both the Nationals and Orioles games on MLB.tv while working.

This evening, I saw a lot of green in the stands as it was probably open seating night -- I could not believe it, but then I saw this photo on ESPN.com.

There's no sugar coating this.

According to the box score, the paid attendance was 10,505 - the lowest in Camden Yards history, and people are staying away not only because of the weather and we're playing the Rays, but the team! is bad and we have no marquee players at all (sans Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts). Yes, we've got 79 more home games to go, but this scene is a bad, bad omen.

As a fan, this is painful to see - really. Maybe things can change sooner rather than later.

God forbid what the attendance would be if the Yankees and Red Sox didn't come to town 18 times a year.

On the bright side, we won, 9-6, and perhaps Huff is starting to heat up in April.

Is Fox Sports' Dayn Perry Just Incompetent & Misinformed?

Sometimes, I wonder how sportswriters come up with their material, and most of the time, I find them to be uber-fans like us, just that are blessed with a paid writing job and have the access the average fan doesn't.

Read this little piece by Fox Sports' Dayn Perry titled "Who's The Manager Is Next To Get The Axe", and wonder if he even bothered to read up on the Baltimore Orioles, or furthermore any team not named the Yankees or Red Sox in the AL East.

Dave Trembley, Orioles

Predicting what the Orioles will do is a! fool's errand, but one would assume that the team's nominal successes in 2008 will spare Trembley. That the O's are hovering around .500 and not in last place speaks to Trembley's, well, adequacy. But things can change. Especially in Peter Angelos' Baltimore.

I guess despite the Orioles' nice run of late, it does not matter what they do -- some will never rid themselves of their thoughts about this team.

Did Dayn not bother to check the standings as of late -- the freaking Orioles are 37-34. I'm sure he and 99.5% of people, such as myself picked this team to be awful, but alas, Baltimore is winning.

Really, that deserves our manager (Trembley) to be on a short leash even though he's gotten more out of his players than anyone even expected?

Just dumb and a case of being grossly misinformed or being overly provincial.

Then again, Perry may be right on everyone else mentioned in the piece.

Sigh.

Photo of The Day...

The departing president (in Jan '09) George W. Bush (good riddance for some) shaking Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman in late March at the Nationals' first ever home game at their new ballpark.

I might as well make "The Photo of The Day" a daily thing for once...

The MLB Network

Tonight, the MLB Network premiered, and that being said, I spent about two hours watching it; thus, so far, so good with the network.

I have no idea what to expect from the network (it's only been on-air for four hours), but the sets look incredible, and I'm glad to see Harold Reynolds back on the small screen. I'd expect to find myself watching the network almost daily, especially during the dinner hours; however, it will take some time for me to ween off the Worldwide Sports Leader's "Baseball Tonight" when the action heats up in a few months.

I'm sure as the season comes upon us, the network will have more coverage than anyone can imagine, and the ! analysis should rival anything out there -- perfectly evident with the analysis of Jackie Robinson's steal of home in the '55 Fall Classic with Al Leiter, Reynolds, Barry Larkin and Jimmy Rollins (special guest) on the "Hot Stove Show". In addition, I also liked hearing the interview with Josh Hamilton with Al Leiter -- it was a great chat with a lot of perspective with the slugger who dazzled the sports world during the '08 All Star Game.

>>> Read More

Bet on B! aseball< /a> at BetUS.com - America's favorite sports betting destination for all sports fans; adding more excitement and bonuses than any other sportsbook; on the web.

Wrap-up: Women In Sports Event at the ESPN Zone -- (Pictures & Sound)

Women In Sports Event at the ESPN Zone

On Tuesday night, there was quite an interesting and candid conversation with some prominent Baltimore-area women who are involved in the sports industry to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

The panelists included Katie Hoff – Olympic Swimming Medalist, Amber Theoharis – MASN Broadcaster, Missy Doherty -- Towson University Women's Lacrosse Head Coach, Hillary Fratzke -- Towson University All-American Lacrosse Player & Nicole Sherry – Orioles Head Groundskeeper.

They all discussed their careers, gender, the sports industry in general, influences, as well as the difficulties some faced as women in their respective fields. It's too bad that the crowd was somewhat sparse for the event; however, for those that were there, hearing the insight these from these esteemed women was nothing short of fun, inspiring, but also eye-opening.

B! elow is a sound file from the event (length -- 1:04:03) and at! the ver y top are pictures.




>>> Read More

Florida Awaits

I'm on my way to Florida to catch some Orioles baseball, as well as the World Baseball Classic, and a cruise to finish my two-week sabbatical off. I took off yesterday because my youngest sister came home, needed to pack up, as well get arrangements for someone to care my my dog, and tie up some loose ends at work.

The weather sucks right now, as I'm travelling, but I hope it's better down South!

O's Earn Series Split With Tigers; Luke's Homer Streak Goes Kaput (With Photos)

The Orioles earned a series sweep with the Tigers this weekend as they lost, 3-0, on a partly sunny afternoon at Camden Yards. What started off as a wildly succesful homestand with the Blue Jays and alonf with the Tigers, ended up in two straight loss against very tough pitching. Oriole Magic did not return on Sunday as Baltimore only collected two hits off of Detroit pitcher Edwin Jackson -- who was absolutely dominant in his outing. He went eight innings, and didn't allow a batter to reach second base until Ty Wigginton's double in the eighth inning.

Jackson, still relatively young, was acquired from Tampa in a trade, and in 2009, has been one of the better pitchers in baseball. Fernando Rodney pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his ninth save of the season.

Despite the loss, Baltimore can take solace that it looks like Jason Berken does indeed belong in the majors. Berken pitched seven innings and allowed only a run; however, he was charged with the loss. ! His only mistake came in the fourth inning as Curtis Granderson took him deep with a solo home run. After Berken departed, the Oriole bullpen allowed the Tigers to scored some insurance runs as they gave up a run in both the eighth and ninth inning.

>>> Read More

O's Swept in Cleveland: Nothing to See...

The Orioles got swept in Cleveland as the bullpen could not help out matters on both Friday and Saturday, plus Sunday's game started off in diasatrous fashion. At 60-95 now and in the midst of a 10-game losing streak, the '09 version is well into it's swoon and this time, it's more painful to watch. It's not as if the Orioles are facing the Yankees or Red Sox; however, they are finding crazy ways to lose to the likes of the Blue Jays and Indians -- two teams that occupy the second division?

And yes, sadly now, I expect the Orioles perhaps see 100 losses for the first time in two decades. Obviously the Orioles have a lot of young pitching, their lineup has been affected by injury, trades and whatever else, but I didn't even expect it to be this bad...

There are some positives like Matt Wieters improving in front of our eyes and Matt Aubrey coming through with some key hits, but there's really been nothing else to see.

>>> Read More

Big Win In Montreal

Rangers 4 - Montreal 3 (Shootout)

Well you can look at this one several ways if you're a Rangers fan: happy that the Rangers got two points, happy that the Rangers got any points because they almost blew it late in the 3rd or aggravated because Montreal got a point in a game that the Rangers blew three leads.

As a team the Rangers had a very good game, and got scoring from three of their top lines. The penalty killing was also excellent once again, showing why it is ranked #1 in the NHL.

Captain Invisible (Drury)! had a disastrous turnover at the Montreal blue line which led to the Habs tying the game at three. But, later redeemed himself by scoring the game winner in the shootout. Seriously though, where was Drury for the other 64 minutes of the game? The guy was invisible up until that turnover! Nik Antropov had another great game scoring his fourth goal since coming to NY at the trade deadline and also scoring in the shootout.

Henrik Lundqvist made some amazing saves throughout the night but certainly wants that third goal back, a real softie that he let in from a bad angle by Markov.



Side note: Congratulations to Marty Brodeur in becoming the winningest goalie in NHL History. As much as he's the Rangers' nemesis, he's a great goalie and it is an amazing achievement.

Wang Regrets Buying Islanders & Other News

• Always a good thing to hear when the owner of your team says he regrets buying them. When asked about buying the team, Charles Wang, owner of the Islanders said, "If I had the chance I wouldn't do it again." [Link]
  
  
• Richard Zednik won't be back in Florida next season, opting to play in Russia instead. [Link]
  
  
• An NHL mock draft already - always interesting to get an idea what will happen in June. [Link]
  
  
• The Manic Ranger with Glen Sather's report card for his free agent signings of last summer. [Link]
  
  
• Is Hemsky on his way ou! t of Edmonton? [Link]
  
  
• Do the Leafs really have a shot at getting Tavares? [Link]
  
  
• Puck Daddy with Saturday's 3 Start of the Day & the Conn Smythe watch. [Link]
  
  
• Warning, non-hockey related link: Video of Manny Pacquiao knocking out Ricky Hatton last night, one of the best knockouts you'll ever see! [Link]
  

Report: Kovalev Signs With Senators

According to The Fan 590, Alexei Kovalev has signed with the Ottawa Senators. This should come as a huge relief for all Rangers fans :)

Update: Kovalev signed a 2 year deal worth $10M ($5M per year).

A Little More About Matt Gilroy

This kid looks like he's legit. Anytime a player is a standout in the Junior leagues or at the college level, there's the question "can he do that in the NHL?" Matt Gilroy, the 25-year old, Hobey Baker Award winner from Long Island is turning heads in his first ever NHL training camp.

When the Rangers signed him last April while they were still in the playoffs they had competition to get the Boston University graduate under contract. During the Rangers first two preseason games it has been said several times that one of the main reasons that Gilroy cho! se the Rangers was because of the system that John Tortorella uses. (Maybe he just misses bagels & NY pizza) As evidenced by the way he has played in his first two preseason games, Gilroy is an exceptional skater who likes to jump into the play frequently. Against the Devils, he scored a goal in the third period that looked like something you'd expect out of superstar forward Marian Gaborik.

He was interviewed after the Devils game and when asked what the chances were of him making the team he just said that he was thinking about practice and the rest of the training camp.

The Hockey News has a fantsay hockey pool guide every year and they seem pretty confident tha! t Gilroy will be making the Rangers roster. In fact, they've p! redicted that he'll finish the season with 47 points. Last week the message boards were laughing at that prediction. But, after watching Gilroy and the way he plays (think Mike Green, 4th forward role), that prediction may not be as wild as it sounds.

According to the Daily News:

The last time Matt Gilroy was trying to make a hockey team, he had to do everything short of borrow and steal. A very late-blooming 20-year-old freshman at Boston University, Gilroy essentially had to beg the Terriers' legendary coach, Jack Parker, for a chance to earn a walk-on spot.

This time he probably will earn himself a spot on the New York Rangers.

Home Run Derby blows away cable field.

Friday night lite.

Madden taking a week off, replaced by Collinsworth.

Big names.

Weekend ratings.

Weekend ratings predictions.

Sharks bite off big ratings for Versus.

Weekend ratings predictions.

Huge numbers for Red Sox opener.

Updated 2009 NBA Playoffs schedule.

PGA Championship a hit on TNT as well.

FOX ends MLB season on a rough note

Big jump, small rating, for U.S. Open men's final

Info Sepakbola | Teknik Dasar | Latihan dalam sepakbola

Pada dasarnya latihan sangat penting dilakukan dalam semua cabang olah raga, karena tanpa latihan mustahil kita tiba-tiba menjadi seorang pemain yang hebat. Dalam sepak bola latihan..... dapat dibedakan menjadi 2, yaitu :

1. Latihan Fisik
Latihan fisik berfungsi untuk melatih fisik kita agar lebih siap atau terbiasa dengan kebutuhan fisik yang diperlukan dalam permainan sepak bola.

2. Latihan Tehnik
Latihan tehnik berfungsi untuk melatih kita agar kita dapat menguasai ketrampilan olah bola yang benar dan tepat.

Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2009/2010 | Prancis Belum Pati Lolos

Bahkan dua kemenangan di dua laga terakhir belum pasti meloloskan Prancis ke Piala Dunia 2010. Jika Le Bleus sampai gagal ke Afrika Selatan, Thierry Henry menyebut itu sebagai kesalahan pemain.

Prancis saat ini duduk di posisi dua klasemen Grup 7 Kualifikasi Piala Dunia 2010. Dengan terpaut empat angka atas Serbia di puncak klasemen dan cuma ada du! a pertandingan tersisa, Les Bleus mungkin harus melewati babak playoff untuk bisa lolos ke Afrika Selatan 2010.

Meski dua kemenangan atas Kepulauan Faroe dan Autria belum tentu meloloskan Prancis, Henry meminta rekan-rekannya terus tampil habis-habisan. Selain untuk terus menjaga peluang, Prancis juga disebutnya punya kewajiban untuk memberi yang terbaik buat fans setianya setelah banyak dikecewakan dalam beberapa pertandingan terakhir.

"Jika kami gagal ke Piala Dunia, semua orang akan menderita. Tapi itu semua akan menjadi salah kami. Semuanya berpulang pada kami untuk bisa memberikan kembali hasrat fans demi mengembalikan kepercayaan mereka pada tim ini," ungkap Henry di Sky Sports.

Upaya Prancis lolos ke Piala Dunia 2010 bulan lalu dipersulit dengan munculnya isu perseteruan antara Raymond Domenech dan beberapa pemain. Kabar yang beredar usai bermain imbang ! dengan Serbia dan Romania itu disanggah Henry.

"Sep! erti yan g terjadi pada semua kamar ganti di dunia, yang ada di sana cuma diskusi. Tapi tak ada yang meninggikan suara mereka. Tak ada perseteruan. Domenech bukan bagian dari keluarga saya. Dia juga bukan ayah saya tapi dia orang yang ramah dan juga jujur," pungkas striker Barcelona itu.

Affare chiuso

Nella giornata ieri per onorare il 37 esimo compleanno del super presidente della Nuanda Celeste Campopiano, il Presidente De Vallonis ha dichiarato: " Sono molto legato a Campopiano e gli ho chiesto cosa voleva come regalo per il suo compleanno. Celeste mi ha risposto che voleva Amauri...e quindi non posso negarglielo. Il nostro attaccante il prossimo anno passerà alla Nuanda"

RAUL GONZALEZ ANOTHER MILESTONE

UEFA CUP 2008/09 GROUP QUALIFIERS: SPANISH TEAMS DRAW

FC BARCELONA TRANSFER RUMOURS: KEIRRISON & RAKITIC

DJALMINHA : THE "FORGOTTEN" BRAZILIAN MAGICIAN OF SPANISH & WORLD FOOTBALL

VALENCIA CF. COACH ROLAND KOEMAN SACKED

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA - ROUND 27 /2008 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

FC BARCELONA NEWS & HUMOUR 2008

UEFA CUP: ATLETICO DE MADRID & VILLAREAL VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

FORMULA 1. ALONSO 3rd & RAIKKONEN WORLD CHAMPION 2007 AT BRAZIL

SPANISH FOOTBALL. SNEIJDER, GUTI, DE LA RED, GRANERO & MOTTA THE IMAGES OF TODAY

FC BARCELONA "INVITES" MOTTA TO LEAVE.

SPANISH U/17 SQUAD GO THROUGH TO SEMIS IN EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS

LIVERPOOL & ATLETICO DE MADRID STUDY THE FERNANDO TORRES TRANSFER OPTION

SAMUEL ETO´O CURRENTLY SPANISH & EUROPEAN LEADING GOAL SCORER

REAL MADRID TRANSFER NEWS 2009: RUMOUR, SPECULATIONS & LIES...

SEVILLA FC: ADRIANO & INTER MILAN

MANCHESTER UNITED ACCEPTS THE 94M OFFER FROM REAL MADRID FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO

SEVILLA FC: MANCHESTER CITY GO AFTER LUIS FABIANO

REAL MADRID DEFENDER MIGUEL TORRES SAYS OK TO ATLETICO DE MADRID MOVE

Sacchi: Man Utd Betrayed England

Valencia Seek Elmander

Fergie Lines Up Controversial Queiroz Replacement

CL Preview: Wisla - Barcelona

Cannavaro: I Want Napoli Return

Del Horno And Maduro In Valencia Squad

Chelsea's Deco Keen To Face Barcelona

Agüero Confirmed Fit For Almería Clash; Maxi, Pernía Sidelined

Laporta Defends Eto'o After Training Ground Incident

Aguero plans Atletico stay

Federer, Murray advance at Indian Wells

Venus, Serena headed for Sony showdown

Federer cries again, but tears of joy this time

Henry - Win is unbelievable

Blues continue Michel talks

Webo plays down Latics link

Luciano Spaletti on AS Roma

Luciano Spaletti on AS Roma

Spurs fancy Israeli

Yossi Benayoun is expected to be put up for sale in the summer.

Racing Santander are struggling financially and are likely to want around €6 million for the striker.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked for some time with the Israeli international along with Newcastle and Portsmouth and a whole host of clubs from the continent.

Benayoun scored nine goals for the La Liga strugglers last term.

I feel that he isn't the type of player that could play well in the Premiership. His goal tally is not all that good, but he does provide a fair few assists.

Spurs vs Boca Analysis

By ManicSpur
For THBN

Spurs 2 – 2 Boca Juniors


With this being the opening game in our group, my opinion is that we did ok, but lacked that extra something.

I won't go into the match details as you can read what happened on other sites. What I will say though, is that we either desperately need a left winger or an attacking midfielder, not both.

Reid just isn't cut out to be a winger. He's more like a Beckham, but unfortunately not as good. I am not saying that he won't get better. I am saying that in my opinion, he will never have the ability to take on players on the outside with pace and skill and then cross a ball in from the touchline. He will however, cross from deep and come into the centre every now and then.

The one big drawback that I spotted was that Defoe and Mido continually had to go out into the wide left position in order to pick up the ball.

My opinion is that y! ou either have two out-and-out wingers (in the Routledge criteria), or have an attacking midfielder (Rosicky criteria) and only one right/left winger, with the other flank area occupied by someone like Reid.

If we are to have two out-and-out wingers and an attacking midfielder, we will suffer in the defensive department, as it will be very hard for attack minded players to track back and defend.

The other sore point for me was Keane. His attitude stinks. If a pass to him went slightly astray, he would go bananas. I am sure that he knows he won't be around much longer.

The good points for me were Defoe and Mido. They really did play well together. Mido is looking better and better with each game, and Defoe is beginning to look world class. Both strikers took their goals superbly.

Routledge was another plus. He will be an outstanding player for us, not just this season, but for many years to come. If he is to become truly great, the! n he'll need to work on his strength.

I will finall! y add th at the commentary on EuroSport (EU) was terrible. The guy had absolutely no idea. Saying that Jol joined us in November was funny, but then stating that Boca were Brazilians was bloody hilarious!

These are my opinions on the current game play and setup. What are yours?

Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Spurs: Match Analysis

Tottenham Hotspur started off the 1st half fairly well, keeping possession and interchanging play.

Boro soon saw the various flaws that were apparent to all in the Riverside.

Even with Bentley & Lennon on the wings, both players seemed to be pulling into the centre, leaving large areas of play for Boro to exploit. And exploit it they did.

The home side commanded large parts of the 1st half.

Tottenham came out stronger in the second half but Boro still stuck to their game plan and kept us at bay.

Berbatov & Bale came on and changed things a bit, but Wheater (who scored a perfectly okay goal that was disallowed in the 1st half) got on the end of a Afonso Alves header of the cross-bar.

We came close with a few shots off target, but then Mido stuck out a leg from Digard's shot to basically seal it.

An own-goal from Huth in the dying seconds proved too little, to late.

Modric wasn't in! volved in the game at all. A lot of the fans here around me have agreed that Modric needs time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League.

Things can only get better!

COYS!

No signings

I have read through a fair few user comments relating to the type of players we need to buy this summer in a bid strengthen our squad.

To be completely honest, I feel that we don't need to spend any money on superstar players.

The last few games have shown that we have a solid and most importantly, settled side. Why go out and buy high profile players?

Our squad could do with some new recruitments, but as a first eleven, we are covered.

If the season had started in April, we would be 2nd in the league.

I believe that given another few months, our current side will get better and stronger.

Harry and his staff have got the team playing.

Adding a charade of talent, could unsettle the side, but saying that, it's still great fun seeing the likes of Muntari, Glenn Johnson, Bastos, etc. signing up.

Let's hope Harry sticks to his guns and only buys 1 or 2 playe! rs. If it were me, the 1 or 2 players I'd go for would be players that could compliment the squad. The type of players that wouldn't expect to start every game.

A season without European football could be a blessing in disguise.

There are those that feel we have to make the Europa League in an attempt to attract the best players. This simply isn't the case. Harry himself stated this last week. If playing in the best league, within London and for Tottenham Hotspur isn't enough, then they're not right for the club.

Article submitted to THBN by Phil Cornwell

Gattuso: Potonglah Gajiku, Milan!

ROMA - Gelandang AC Milan, Gennaro Gattuso meminta klub memotong gajinya. Itu untuk membuktikan komitmennya kepada Milan sekaligus membantah rumor transfer ke Chelsea.
Semenjak pelatih Carlo Ancelotti pindah ke Chelsea, Gattuso terus disebut bakal ikut hengkang. Gattuso sendiri sudah membantah kemungkinan itu dengan menyatakan ingin bertahan di Milan. Ia tahu klub sedang mengalami krisis. Penjualan pemain menjadi salah satu solusinya.
Namun, Gattuso tidak mau dijual. Menurutnya, pemangkasan gaji juga bisa meringankan beban keuangan k! lub. Wakil Presiden AC Milan, Adriano Galliani mengaku kagum terhadap sikap Gattuso. Ia pun menyetujui dan menjanjikan perpanjangan kontrak baru bagi Gattuso.
"Rabu malam, saya makan malam bersama Gattuso yang mengatakan kepada kami bahwa ia siap mengurangi gajinya," ungkap Galliani seperti dikutip Sky Sports. "Ia masih punya dua tahun dari kontraknya saat ini. Ini akan berubah menjadi tiga tahun, (dengan) pemotongan gaji. Gattuso adalah contoh, pria sejati, luar biasa," tambahnya.

Tak Lengkap Tanpa Luis Fabiano

MILAN - Bursa transfer AC Milan belum benar-benar selesai. Satu tugas lagi, yakni membawa striker Sevilla Luis Fabiano ke San Siro, Milan. Diakui wakil presiden Adriano Galliani, Rossoneri memang dituntut segera melengkapi skuad setelah kepindahan Kaka ke Real Madrid.
Namun, klub tidak mau terburu-buru. Milan kurang lengkap tanpa Fabiano. Pada dasarnya, bursa transfer memang telah ditutup, kami hanya butuh satu striker saja," aku Galliani seperti dilansir Channel4, Kamis (9/7/2009). Sebelumnya! , Galliani sempat menego harga Klaas Jan Huntelaar pada Real Madrid.
Namun, pinangan itu batal karena skuad raksasa Spanyol enggan melepas pemain dengan status pinjaman. "Real berlaku tidak adil pada pemain Belanda itu," kritik Galliani, "tapi bila mereka menerima uang tunai, rasanya pemain benar-benar akan dilepas."
Bos Milan kembali menegaskan: "Luis Fabiano adalah target terakhir kami, tak peduli berapa dana yang harus dikeluarkan. Tak ada yang harus dikatakan, kami hanya ingin mencapai kesepakatan dengan Sevilla."
Rossoneri tidak bertepuk sebelah tangan. Top skorer di Piala Konfederasi itu sempat melontarkan harapan bergabung dengan Milan.

Leonardo: Saya Harap Pirlo Tetap di Milan

BALTIMORE - Andrea Pirlo adalah pemain kunci AC Milan. Otak permainan Milan berawal dari kreativitasnya. Dia pun masuk rencana besar pelatih anyar Rossoneri, Leonardo.
Tak ada harapan lain yang dapat disandarkan Leo selain ingin melihat playmaker-nya tetap bertahan di San Siro musim depan. Tapi, ada kabar Pirlo tengah dibidik Chelsea. Jelas The Blues berlimpah uang.
Ditambah faktor Carlo Ancelotti yang kini menangani klub Premier League tersebut, bisa jadi membuat kesetiaan Pirlo goyah. ! "Bursa masih panjang, tapi saya sangat berharap Pirlo bisa terus bersama kami," harap Leo dilansir Goal, Minggu (26/7/2009).
Chelsea meraih kemenangan 2-1 dalam laga persahabatan melawan Milan di Baltimore. Laga tersebut merupakan pertempuran pertaa antara bekas pelatih Milan Ancelotti melawan suksesornya. Leo mengaku senang bisa langsung berjumpa dengan Carletto.
"Kami sudah bekerja sama selama bertahun-tahun. Bermain melawannya merupakan momen spesial," ujar pria asal Brasil tersebut.

Milan: Pato tak Dijual

MILAN - AC Milan akhirnya mengeluarkan pernyataan resmi berkenaan dengan laporan bahwa Chelsea akan membeli Alexandre Pato. "I Rossoneri" menegaskan, striker muda asal Brasil itu tak akan dijual dengan harga berapa pun.
Sebelumnya, Chelsea memang kembali melontarkan keinginannya untuk membeli Pato. Bahkan, klub asuhan Carlo Ancelotti itu siap membayar dengan harga 52,5 juta euro (sekitar Rp 742,2 miliar).
"Mengenai laporan media Inggris pagi ini (tentang rencana Chelsea membeli Pato, Red), AC Milan menjelaskan dan menegaskan bahwa ta! k ada negosiasi antara kami dan Chelsea tentang Alexandre Pato. Pemain itu tak akan dijual," demikian pernyataan Milan.
Milan mengatakan, Pato yang baru berumur 19 tahun, menjadi bagian penting dari rencana jangka panjang klub. Sehingga, dia akan tetap menjadi bagian "I Rossoneri".

Moratti: Milan Ungguli Inter

MILAN - AC Milan akan berhadapan dengan Inter Milan pada pekan ini. Presiden Inter Massimo Moratti justru lebih mengungguli rivalnya Milan dalam duel Derby della Madonnina kali ini. Benarkah?
Menurut Moratti, permainan I Rossoneri sejak dipegang pelatih anyar Leonardo Araujo semakin menanjak. Ronaldinho Gaucho dkk berhasil memenangi laga perdana Serie A mengalahkan Siena 2-1.
Sedangkan hasil buruk diraih Inter. Tim besutan Jose Mourinho itu hanya mampu bermain 1-1 melawan tim promosi Ba! ri. Moratti sadar pertarungan nanti dipastikan berlangsung ketat. "Pertandingan tidak akan mudah.
Pasalnya, Leonardo sudah mulai menemukan solusi terbaik. Pandangan mengenai Milan favorit dalam duel ini sama sekali tidak salah," jelas Moratti kepada Football-Italia, Sabtu (29/8/2009). Jika Milan berhasil memenangi laga ini, maka rasa percaya diri tim besutan Leonardo itu akan semakin tinggi. Sebaliknya, kekalahan akan semakin membuat posisi Inter terbenam di dasar klasemen Serie A.

Keistimewaan Super Pippo

MARSEILLE - AC Milan sangat beruntung memiliki striker seperti Filippo Inzaghi. Saat sedang berada di bawah tekanan, menyusul hasil buruk pada laga Serie A, Inzaghi datang menjadi pahlawan dan mencetak dua gol kemenangan 2-1 atas Marseille.
Milan memang sukses memperbaiki penampilan, berkat kemenangan di Stade Velodrome tersebut. Dan Inzaghi layak menjadi man of the match. Bukan hanya itu, Super Pippo juga sukses mencatatkan diri sebagai striker tersubur di kompetisi Eropa. Pemain 36 tahun itu menorehkan catatan 68 gol, unggul satu gol da! ri kapten Real Madrid, Raul Gonzalez dan selisih enam gol dari legenda Jerman, Gerd Muller.
Pippo juga lebih subur dari Andriy Shevchyenko (61 gol) dan Ruud van Nistelrooy (60 gol). Pertama kali merasakan atmosfer Liga Champions bersama Juventus, Inzaghi langsung unjuk kebolehan. Dia menjadi pemain pertama yang mencetak dua kali hattrick di LC. Pertama kala Juve menang 4-1 melawan Dynamo Kyiv pada perempat final 1997/1998. Lalu, bermain 4-4 melawan Hamburd, pada 13 September 2000.
Melihat cara bermain Super Pippo, banyak yang memuji tapi ada pula yang memberikan kritik. Dia adalah striker spesialis kotak penalti dan selalu kalah bila kontak fisik dengan defender lawan. Pippo ahli melepaskan diri dari jebakan off-side.
Keistimewaan lain yang jarang dimiliki oleh striker manapun adalah, kejeliannya menempatkan posisi, dan sulit dikawal. Inzaghi kerap melakukannya dan mencetak gol pada laga krusial, seperti gol kedua melawan Liverpool di final Liga Champions 200! 7. Tidak seperti penyerang-penyerang tipe Eropa yang memiliki ! tendanga n keras mematikan, sundulan tajam, dribbling maut atau piawai mengeksekusi bola mati, Pippo yang oportunis, sama sekali tidak punya ciri seperti itu.
Style bermain ini mendapat cibiran dari banyak pelatih atau pengamat, seperti legenda Belanda Johan Cruyff. Namun, terlepas dari komentar-komentar miring tersebut, Inzaghi sudah menjelma menjadi striker paling ditakuti di Eropa hingga menjelang masa pensiunnya sebagai pemain. Super Pippo layak disebut sebagai 'The Predator'.

Pencetak Gol Terbanyak di Kompetisi Eropa :
1. Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan) 68 gol
2. Raul (Real Madrid) 67 gol
3. Gerd Muller 62 gol
4. Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kiev) 61 gol
5. Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid) 60 gol
6. Eusebio and Henrik Larsson (Helsingborg) 56 gol
8. Thierry Henry (FC Barcelona) 55 gol
9. Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid) 50 gol
1! 0. Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 50 gol

*Bold: sudah tidak aktif bermain.

sumber : okezone.com

Presiden FIGC Kecewa kepada Milan

MILAN - Performa AC Milan terus menuai kekecewaan publik. Tak terkecuali, Presiden Federasi Sepak Bola Italia (FIGC), Giancarlo Abete. Menurutnya, performa "I Rossoneri" jauh dari harapan.
Milan terus dihujani kritik setelah hanya bermain imbang lawan Atlanta, 1-1, Minggu (4/10). Padahal, dalam dua pertandingan sebelumnya, "Tim Merah Hitam" juga bermain imbang lawan Bari (1-1) dan kalah dari FC Zurich (0-1) di Liga Champions.
Hingga giornata ketujuh, Milan mengalami dua kekalahan, dua kemenangan, dan tiga kali seri. Ini membuat mere! ka harus puas bercokol di papan tengah dengan poin sembilan. "Tanpa diragukan lagi, hasil Milan telah jatuh jauh dari harapan," sesal Abete.
Namun, Abete masih percaya bahwa Milan tetaplah klub besar. Ia yakin, pelatih Milan, Leonardo, bisa mengembalikan kejayaan timnya. "Bagaimanapun, Milan adalah tim besar dan mereka akan menemukan kekuatan untuk keluar dari krisis," jelas Abete.

sumber : kompas.com

TORRES AIMING FOR CHELSEA REPEAT

The striker notched up his fourth treble for the club on Saturday to help Rafael Benitez's men see off the Tigers and take his tally for the season to eight.

It capped an electrifying performance from the number 9, who is now targeting a repeat of last year's Stamford Bridge triumph when they face Carlo Ancelotti's side next Sunday.

"When you score a hat-trick it is always an amazing day," he said.

"The team scored six, we won the game and it is fantastic for us because we have a lot of confidence now. It was important for me and for my teammates.

"After starting the season with two early defeats we knew we needed to improve. We are now winning games at home against sides in the middle or near the bottom of the table and it has given us more confidence.

"As a team we are now in a good moment. We must keep trying to improve. We have a difficult game next weekend at Chelsea and we will be on the same points ! as them if we win the game, so we are looking forward to it."

After bursting the Hammers' bubble with a deadly double last Saturday, Torres produced the type of virtuoso display that has already seen him cement his place as a Kop idol.

A hat-trick inside 48 minutes all-but wrapped up the points for Benitez's side and when Torres was replaced by Ryan Babel soon after, he was far from disappointed to see the Dutchman carry on where he left off.

"Ryan came on in my position and scored two," he said. "I am really happy for him because he deserves to play. Not everyone can play 90 minutes, so it's good for the team and the squad.

"Last season was very long for us. We are still not at our best, but we will be soon and performances like today can only help. I am now scoring goals and so is the team - that is good for Liverpool."

Steven Gerrard got the hosts' other goal on a day when Liverpool completely overwhel! med one of the Barclays Premier League strugglers.
It wa s the latest in a string of results that has also seen them defeat Burnley and Stoke in L4, leaving Torres to suggest they have finally discovered the secret to unlocking the stubborn defences that frustrated them last term.

"We know we can beat the top teams like Chelsea and Manchester United but have lost points in the past against other sides," he said.

"We are winning these now and if we can keep doing the same against the best teams we will be close to the top.

"Next, we have the Champions League match in Florence and after that we can focus on Chelsea.

"Hopefully we can win at Stamford Bridge like we did last season. If we can do that we will be in a fantastic position."

Arsenal dan Liverpool Lolos

The Gunners berhasil memantapkan diri lolos ke babak selanjutnya League Cup setelah menang atas West Brom Albion 2-0.

Arsene Wenger kali ini bocah-bocah mudanya seperti Jack Wilshere, Carlos Vela, Aaron Ramsey dan lain-lain. Pemain senior yang dimainkan cuma Philippe Senderos dan Mikael Silvestre.

Pada pertandingan ini, sebenarnya ada kontroversial karu merah yang diterima pemain WBA yaitu Jerome Thomas pada menit ke 38 karena menyikut Jack Wilshere. Namun menurut dia ! sih, hal itu dilakukan akibat provokasi dari Jack Wilshere.

Gol Arsenal baru tercipta pada menit ke 68 oleh Sanchez Watt dan juga Carlos Vela pada menit 75.

Untuk bocah-bocah Emirates Stadium, laga ini menjadi pertunjukan kapasitas mereka dan juga menjadi penilaian Arsene Wenger untuk melihat perkembangan baik mental maupun fisik para pemain mudanya tersebut.

Sudah bukan rahasia umum lagi, the Professor memang jempolan dalam hal meracik pemain muda menjadi pemain bintang. Apakah dari sedereta! n pemain muda yang dimiliki sekarang akan ada yang bersinar te! rang sep erti Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, dan bintang-bintang lainnya?

Sedangkan anggota The Big Four lainnya yaitu Liverpool juga menang tipis atas Leeds dengan skor 1-0. Rafa Benitez juga menerapkan hal yang sama dengan mengistirahatkan pemain inti mereka setelah menang atas West Ham 3-2 kemaren. Beberapa pemain inti yang masih dimainkan seperti Jamie Carragher, Fabio Aurelio, Javier Mascherano. Sementara kapten The Reds, Steven Gerard dan Fernando Torres dibangkucadangkan.

Satu-satuny! a gol tercipta lewat pemain U-21 Prancis, David N'Gog pada menit 66. Hal ini tentunya menggembirakan sebab kemenangan ini akan melecut semangat tempur Steven Gerard cs yang sempat loyo di awal premier league.

Apakah The Reds dapat mempertahankan konsistensi mereka di musim ini untuk menjadi juara baik di kancah eropa maupun domestik?

INTER-CAGLIARI SU TVCALCIO

Domenica alle 15 in diretta dallo Stadio G.Meazza Inter-Cagliari,con la telecronaca di M.Lestingi e il commento tecnico di L.Lupo.

OVREBO CI MANDA QUASI A CASA,NON CI RESTA CHE SPERARE

Tutto confermato. Italia in campo con Buffon, Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso, Perrotta, De Rossi, Pirlo, Camoranesi, Toni, Del Piero. Ben 5 novità dall'inizio rispetto alla sfida con l'Olanda.
Buon avvio azzurro: all'8' colpo di testa di Del Piero, fuori di poco. Tanta pressione, Romania schiacciata nella propria metà campo. Ma al 15' contropiede di Mutu e grande parata di Buffon. E al 18' punizione di Tamas e ancora grande Buffon. Al 20' tiro di Chivu, deviazione di Panucci verso la porta azzurra: palo. Nel finale di tempo due grandi parate di Lobont. Annullato gol valido a Toni. All'intervallo è 0-0.
Inizio di ripresa sp! umeggiante. Erroraccio di Zambrotta che libera Mutu davanti a Buffon: gol. Pareggio immediato con Panucci: 1-1. Al 17' assist di Del Piero per Toni che arriva in ritardo. Al 30' tuffo di testa di De Rossi e prodezza di Lobont. All'80' rigore per la Romania: Buffon para su Mutu.

MARADONA CRITICA MESSI:"GLI MANCA CARATTERE"

Lionel Messi è da tutti indicato come il nuovo Maradona. Eppure arrivano proprio dal "Pibe de Oro" le maggiori critiche nei suoi confronti per quanto riguarda la vicenda della convocazione alle Olimpiadi. "Ha bisogno di più carattere. Deve decidere per sé stesso. Questa è una buona opportunità per diventare più uomo. Deve cambiare il suo temperamento, forse tra due o tre anni capiremo se potrà essere un leader", ha detto Diego Armando a Olé.

Maradona, poi, ha puntato il dito anche contro il Barcellona, che sta facendo di tutto per non lasciar partire il suo gioiellino pe! r Pechino. "I catalani sono testardi, però devono capire che c'è in palio una medaglia d'oro che per l'Argentina è molto importante. Non avremo moltre altre chance di vincerne una ai Giochi. E' anche vero, però, che gli hanno dato la maglia numero 10 e lo trattano come lo trattano", ha spiegato parlando della squadra che lo ha lanciato in Europa quando era ancora uno sconosciuto.
Quando però gli si chiede cosa avrebbe fatot lui al suo posto, Diego non si sbilancia troppo: "Abbiamo personalità diverse. Io mi sarei aggregato alla Nazionale, lasciando il Barcellona ad aspettare. Però sono altri tempi, altri compromessi, altri contratti...".
Forse anche altri giocatori...

MANCINI:"SE SEGNO NON ESULTO"

Mancini racconta a Sky le sue sensazioni nell'avvicinamento alla sfida tra il suo presente ed il suo passato "italiano": "Esultanza in caso di gol? Ho rispetto per la Roma, penso proprio di no, magari esulterò con i compagni, ma non ho ancora pensato se segno o non segno, se festeggio o non festeggio. L'importante è che questa coppa rimanga a Milano, questo è l'obiettivo a cui puntiamo. Il mio rapporto con Roma è stato fantastico. Sono stato 5 anni e mezzo lì, ho fatto una bella carriera con la maglia della Roma, devo tutto a questa società. La Roma mi ha dato la possibilità di dimostrare le mie qualità. Sono grato alla società, ho avuto un bel rapporto con i tifosi della Roma, anche se è normale, adesso che ho cambiato maglia, che con i tifosi ci sia, non dico odio, però un pò di amarezza, tristezza. Comunque io sono stato benissimo, e ho vissuto bene a Roma, che è una delle città più belle al mondo. Roma rimarrà sempre nella mia testa e nel mio cuore, perchè è una città ch! e mi ha dato tutto".

ITALIA, PER LA BULGARIA PRONTO IL TRIDENTE

L'Udinese capolista del campionato tenta anche Marcello Lippi. In Bulgaria, a dispetto dell'elevato tasso di difficoltà, il c.t. non esclude la scelta di un tridente d'attacco che prevede Antonio Di Natale e l'esordiente Simone Pepe ai lati di Luca Toni. Durante l'ultimo allenamento, Lippi ha comunque mischiato le carte provando Gilardino al centro del reparto avanzato, Maggio terzino destro e il trio romanista Perrotta-De Rossi-Aquilani.

da SportMediaset

MONTO,MUTU & GILA E L'UDINESE E' KO

Prandelli ritrova Mutu, che riprende posto nel tridente con Gilardino e Semioli (non Santana). Nell'Udinese Di Natale parte dalla panchina: in attacco Pepe-Floro Flores-Sanchez.
Buon avvio della Fiorentina: Montolivo va alla conclusione dal limite, Handanovic non trattiene poi Mutu ci prova sulla ribattuta ma l'arbitro fischia un fallo. L'Udinese cresce e con il passare dei minuti diventa assoluta padrona del campo: al 22' Frey si salva su tocco volante sottomisura di Inler, lasciato completamente solo, su cross di D'Agostino. E 7' dopo arriva il vantaggio dei friulani con una grandissima giocata di Floro Flores, che si 'beve' Dainelli e batte Frey con un gran destro da fuori. Gli uomini di Marino potrebbero raddoppiare subito dopo ancora con il napoletano, Frey fa il miracolo respingendo il velenoso esterno da lontano. C'è soltanto l'Udinese: i bianconeri giocano in velocità e si trovano a memoria. Di fronte una Fiorentina disorientata, incapace di contrastare a centro! campo. Al 37' altra occasionissima per gli ospiti, con Coda che lancia per Pepe, palla in mezzo per Sanchez, Comotto libera. Nel finale di tempo fiammata dei viola, che vanno vicino al pari due volte con Mutu e poi con Montolivo. Handanovic si supera.
Nella ripresa Prandelli manda in campo Santana per Semioli e la Fiorentina ha una marcia in più. Al 52' arriva il pareggio: Gilardino viene steso in area da Domizzi, è rigore che Mutu trasforma con uno splendido 'cucchiaio'. I viola sono aggressivi ma l'Udinese c'è e si fa sentire. Al 62' Frey è chiamato a un doppio salvataggio prima su Pasquale (di tacco) e poi su una deviazione ravvicinata di Floro Flores. Passa 1' e la Fiorentina in contropiede trova il gol del 2-1 con Montolivo che batte Handanovic con un perfetto 'colpo da biliardo' sul secondo palo. Lo stesso Montolivo si ripete al 78' con una splendida conclusione di controbalzo. Non è finita: c'è il tempo per il 4-1 di Gilardino perfettamente servito da Mutu e il! secondo gol dell'Udinese con Di Natale (entrato nel finale) s! u rigore concesso per fallo di mano di Comotto (espulso) su conclusione di Floro Flores. Marino manda in campo anche Quagliarella e proprio l'attaccante azzurro sfiora il gol. La Fiorentina ritrova subito la vittoria dopo la sconfitta di Cagliari. Brutto momento per l'Udinese, al terzo ko consecutivo.

FIORENTINA-UDINESE 4-2

ACCORDO RAI-SKY PER MONDIALI 2010 E 2014

Grazie a un accordo siglato con la Rai alla fine di novembre, e approvato dalla FIFA in questi giorni, i canali Sky Sport trasmetteranno in diretta tutte le 64 partite di ciascuna edizione, dal match di inaugurazione alla finale di cui 39 partite in esclusiva per gli abbonati Sky.


Come è avvenuto in occasione dei mondiali di Germania 2006, Sky amplierà ulteriormente le opportunità di fruizione televisiva dei mondiali di calcio, grazie all'applicazione delle più recenti novità tecnologiche, a cominciare dall'Alta Definizione, che sarà estesa a tutti gli incontri, per una visione sempre più personalizzata ed alla possibilità di dedicare più canali co! mpletamente all'evento mediatico più seguito nel globo.

L'accordo tra Sky e Rai non riguarda solo la Coppa del Mondo FIFA. La pay tv italiana ha infatti acquisito anche i diritti della "FIFA Confederations Cup 2009", il torneo che otto nazionali, tra le quali il Brasile, l'Italia, la Spagna campione d'Europa e il Sud Africa disputeranno nella Repubblica Sudafricana tra il 14 e il 28 giugno 2009 e dell'edizione della Confederations Cup che precederà nel 2013 i Mondiali brasiliani del 2014 .


"Per Sky – ha commentato l'Amministratore Delegato Tom Mockridge – questo accordo rappresenta un segnale di grande importanza agli abbonati ed è la conferma che Sky intende comunque continuare ad investire per garantire un arricchimento continuo dell'offerta in tutti i campi, proponendo quanto di meglio sia disponibile nel mondo. I Mondiali 2010 e 2014, e le due edizioni della Confederations Cup, vanno infatti ad arricchire un calendario di appuntamenti sp! ortivi d'eccellenza che già comprende le prossime quattro ediz! ioni dei Giochi Olimpici, in programma nel febbraio 2010 sulle nevi di Vancouver, nel 2012 a Londra, nel 2014 a Sochi e nel 2016 in una location che verrà definita tra pochi mesi dal Cio.


Saranno – ha concluso Mockridge – 8 anni all'insegna dell'eccellenza assoluta nel campo delle più importanti manifestazioni sportive planetarie, messe a disposizione dei nostri abbonati. Uno sforzo importante, compiuto per garantire a chi sceglie Sky la certezza di avere a disposizione un panorama di eventi live senza paragoni nel mondo".

ADRI:"DEDICO IL GOL A MOU"

Un gol dedicato a Mou, "perché ha sempre avuto fiducia in me". Adriano festeggia la sua terza rete in un derby e abbraccia il tecnico portoghese, capace di 'rivitalizzare' un giocatore che l'Inter ha temuto seriamente di perdere, anche in questa stagione, prima di tutto dal punto di vista psicologico. E ora Adri pensa al futuro, ad un contratto in scadenza nel 2010, che a questo punto diventa prioritario rinnovare al più presto.

Il ritorno dopo le tre giornate di squalifica per il pugno a Gastaldello non poteva essere migliore. Adriano ha spianato la strada al successo nerazzurro, ma soprattutto è apparso in! ottime condizioni, grazie al lavoro intenso svolto nell'ultimo periodo, che ha cancellato i chili di troppo e il ricordo delle 'disavventure' di inizio stagione.

Prima di Natale l'ipotesi cessione sembrava tornata a dominare minacciosa l'orizzonte. Ora lo scenario si è ribaltato. E non c'è nemmeno troppo tempo per stare a discutere. Se l'Inter - come è ovvio a questo punto - intende trattenere il giocatore deve raggiungere un accordo economico per il rinnovo entro l'estate, per non correre il rischio di lasciarsi scappare l'Imperatore a parametro zero fra un anno.

Rischio che Mourinho farà di tutto per evitare, assecondato ovviamente da Moratti, da sempre grande estimatore di Adri.

IL GRANDE ESORDIO DELL'EUROPA LEAGUE

La sconfitta contro la Juventus di sabato sera è alle spalle. L'obiettivo della Lazio è quello di riscattarsi subito. Davide Ballardini vuole andare avanti il più possibile in Europa League, partendo già da domani sera contro il Salisburgo. "C'è tanta voglia di fare bene - ha spiegato il tecnico biancoceleste -! . Mi aspetto una Lazio arrabbiata. Ma non sottovalutiamo i nos! tri avve rsari". Restano in dubbio per il match di domani sera all'Olimpico Matuzalem e Lichtsteiner, mentre con Rocchi ancora fuori è certo non solo il rientro di Zarate ma anche l'esordio di Bizzarri in una partita ufficiale.

I DISSIDENTI — Sul caso dei "dissidenti" (Berni, Ledesma, Manfredini e Pandev) Ballardini si esprime in modo netto: "Noi trattiamo i giocatori tutti allo stesso modo, quando si tratta di affrontar! e le gare come quella di domani c'è una lista di calciatori e ! questi f anno un tipo di lavoro, gli altri o i non convocati fanno un altro tipo di lavoro. Perchè hanno contattato l'Aic? Chiedete a loro perchè, posso immaginarlo ma occorre chiedere a loro. Noi dobbiamo ricercare il senso di appartenenza, lo spirito di gruppo, il piacere, il coinvolgimento di tutti, il piacere di far parte di una grande società. Nessun giocatore ordina ad un tecnico di farlo giocare. È venuto Ledesma da me, ha chiesto chiarimenti e li ha avuti. Punto e basta".

ROMA — "Questa non è una squadra malata, sembra malata ma in realtà era delusa. Le vittorie saranno la medicina più importante". Claudio Ranieri è pronto al suo esordio in Europa League. L'allenatore domani guiderà la Roma nella sfida con il Basilea, in trasferta. Oggi, in occasione della presentazione della gara, a due settimane dal su! o arrivo sulla panchina giallorossa, è tornato a descrivere il! momento che attraversano i giocatori. "La squadra è motivata, abbiamo voglia. Il Basilea è una buona squadra e lo farà vedere domani. Abbiamo la motivazione giusta essendo in Europa". Ha parlato anche il capitano, Daniele De Rossi: "Giocare partite come quelle che giocherà l'Inter stasera piacerebbe a tutti, ma noi puntiamo a tornare in Champions. Ma ora pensiamo ad onorare questa coppa, abbiamo avuto un boom di tre anni, ora siamo tornati dove è sempre stata la Roma". La squadra in serata si è allenata sul campo del St. Jakob Park. Assente dal campo Perrotta per i postumi di una contusione rimediata a Siena.

Giampiero Gasperini (a dx), tecnico del Genoa. Ansa

GENOA — Domani, però, scenderà in campo anche il Genoa. Alle 19 i rossoblù, primi in campionato, sfideranno lo Slavia Praga al Ferraris. Giampiero Gasperini inquad! ra così la partita: "Sarà un match difficile ed equilibrato in cui può succedere di tutto. Qualcuno ci dà per favoriti ma dobbiamo ricordare che noi al sorteggio eravamo in quarta fascia e loro in terza". Il tecnico genoano non si sbilancia sulla formazione, ma in difesa potrebbero esserci novità: "Bocchetti sta bene - conferma Gasperini -. Si è allenato regolarmente gli ultimi giorni e credo che potrebbe giocare dall'inizio".

Ecco com'era Sportspages!

David Beckham, un elegante diavolo in bianco

Osare, credere, spavaldi di essere...

E' il titolo di una coreografia della Nord in un Roma-Lazio di qualche anno fa.
Un aquila imperiale con le ali spiegate e tanti cartoncini azzurri intorno.
Nella Lazio giocava un certo Roberto Mancini, era la prima Lazio di Sven Goran Eriksson, una squadra che di lì a qualche anno avrebbe vinto lo scudetto.
In quel derby la squadra del finanziere Sergio Cragnotti strapazzò la Roma del compianto presidente Franco Sensi, seppure in inferiorità numerica dal 5' minuto per l'espulsione! di capitan Favalli.
Era l'inizio di un ciclo che ci portò a prestigiosi successi anche in Europa.
E'passato tanto tempo e ne è passata di acqua sotto i ponti.
Sono cambiate tante cose, sono passati tanti uomini, di quella Lazio l'unico cimelio che è rimasto è Maurizio Manzini, che tiene duro dai tempi della Lazio di Maestrelli e Chinaglia.
Oggi c'è Lazio-Fiorentina, altri tempi. La Lazio non lotta più per le posizioni di vertice, non è in Europa, nemmeno in coppa Uefa e deve cercare di riprendersi quel posto che le compete nel campionato italiano.
E già stasera può essere il passo decisivo, non che questa partita possa rappresentare il raggiungimento di chissà quale traguardo ma può aiutare a capire dove possono arrivare i ragazzi di Delio Rossi.
La Fiorentina è una squadra tosta, rinnovata da acquisti importanti come Gilardino, Felipe Melo, Vargas e che può contare su un ottimo allenatore quale Cesare Prandelli.
Staremo a vedere se i bi! ancocelesti saranno all'altezza della compagine viola che può ! essere b enissimo inserita tra le grandi del calcio italiano.
Quel derby consegnò alla Lazio la consapevolezza di essere in grado di vincere qualcosa di importante, di essere una squadra competitiva a tutti i livelli.
Gli avversari non saranno gli stessi ma l'obiettivo resta quello di poter dimostrare che le aquile biancoazzurre possono tornare a volare alte.

Pubblicato da Mariano Ciaraldi - CAPOREDATTORE S. S. LAZIO

PETIZIONE UFFICIALE PER PORTARE AI MONDIALI CASSANO

Ragazzi amanti del calcio, e non, uniamoci in questa petizione UFFICIALE da presentare in FIGC per portare Antonio Cassano ai mondiali. Firmiamo tutti per far si che l'ITalia abbia a disposizione uno dei piu cristallini talenti del calcio mondiale!

Ecco il link
http://www.petitiononline.com/cassano1/petition.html

ACCIDENTS, YOU STOP BARRETO AND WHITE

This morning for Barreto and white clinical examinations. Respect Barreto, doctors have found a microfrattura of the metatarsale fifth of the left foot. The expected stop is one month. White the ultrasound showed an elongation of the rectus femorale right thigh. It will be subject to three weeks.
http://www.atalanta.it/atalanta/news.do?dispatch=read&id=1360

Rafa wants Babel to stay put at Liverpool

Desperate to claim a place in the Netherlands' World Cup squad, Liverpool midfielder Ryan Babel has asked for a transfer back to his former club Ajax, only to be rebuffed by his manager Rafa Benitez.

"I will talk to Ryan," said Benitez, who seems unwilling to temporarily part with a player he invested £11.5 million in two years ago. "But I do not want him going on loan; he needs to work and fight for his place here."

The 22-year-old midfielder, who has played just 82 Premier Le! ague minutes this season for the Reds, is not happy about the frequency with which he finds himself on the bench and has urged Benitez to loan him out in order to ensure more playing time leading up to next year's World Cup.

Holland coach Bert van Marwijk has stressed that his players must see regular time on they pitch if they are to be considered for South Africa.

"You have to be top at every level. It's good when their players play at a level that is as high as possible," van Marwijk told Sky Sports News. "When you play three games in half a year, you can't have your normal level."

Ajax boss Martin Jol is hesitant about taking the disgruntled speedster on loan, although he is not entirely opposed to the possibility.

"I read the interview with Babel, but I am not sure what to think about it," he told De Telgraaf. "I will not seriously consider loaning Babel from Liverpool until he calls me to discuss such a move. I will think ab! out it if a loan deal turns out to be a realistic opportunity.! "
< br />Babel recently criticized Benitez for consigning him to the substitutes' bench, accusing the former Valencia manager of being less than forthcoming when convincing him to stay at Anfield.

"There were all sorts of assurances and promises from the club but they have not kept them," said Babel. "I should get more playing time but after the first defeat of the season I was the only one who was singled out - and I lost my place."

Reina plays down title chances

Rafa Benitez's side have endured a faltering start to their Premier League campaign, losing to both Tottenham and Aston Villa in their opening four games.

The Liverpool keeper believes they must go back to basics and concentrate on the here and now, and forget about any title hopes until April at the earliest.

He said in the Daily Mail: "Something is clearly going wrong. It is not very common for Liverpool to lose two games out of four, so we have to look at that.

"The team that we have now is the team that we have, and maybe it is time to be realistic and not think about the title but just to think about winning the next game.

No sense
"After April, we can think about where we are, but it makes no sense to put ourselves under this pressure of winning titles.

"We are almost the same team as last season, but the best way to do it is by going step by step, game by game."

Span international Reina also beli! eves Liverpool are still coming to terms with the loss of influential midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid over the summer.

Asked if the club were suffering a hangover from his compatriot's exit, he replied: "Yes, that is a fair assessment, because Xabi is a great player and it is no secret that for us he was our best player last season.

"But he wanted to go and the club decided to sell him.'"


No discord
The team's poor start has led some to speculate about unrest in the camp but Reina insists there is no discord behind the scenes.

He said: "It is a competitive dressing room. There are no bad feelings in there at all, I can guarantee that.

"The thing is that we have to be friends on the pitch for 90 minutes and, after that, the mood in the dressing room becomes good."

But Kop favourite Jamie Carragher is still dreaming of title success and hopes he can lift the trophy before he retires.

The 30-year-old defender said: "It is at the back of my mind! that I may not be around long enough, but, to be fair, Rafa can't be thinking, 'I have to win the league for Carra'.

"He is doing it for the club and building for future seasons. I'm sure we will get there in the end, either with or without me.

"I would love to do it, but winning titles is important for this club, not just me, and I have been lucky with what I have already won."

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Is Tiger Woods a machine?

London, Feb. 26: Golfer Stewart Cink has called on golf chiefs to have Tiger Woods dismantled — to see if he is a machine!

Woods crushed Stewart Cink 8 and 7 in the final of the Accenture World Match Play Championship in Tucson to rattle off his sixth straight win.

According to The Sun, Woods has now won eight of the nine tournaments that he has played in since last year's Open — and was runner-up in the other one!

"I think maybe we ought to slice him open to see what's inside there. It may be nuts and bolts. He just has such a strong sense of belief in himself. He's never going to mess up. He's always in control. He's a lot better now than he has ever been at that. He! 's really learned how to stay within himself. He regulates himself and his heartbeat," said Cink.

"He's simply the best that has ever played. I would agree with Tiger that he's playing better now than he was when he won all four Majors in succession in 2000-2001," he added.

Woods' win in Arizona gave him his 63rd US Tour title, hoisting him above Arnold Palmer to fourth on the all-time list. He now needs just 20 more to knock Sam Snead off top spot.

He is also halfway towards beating Byron Nelson's incredible record of 11 straight wins, set in 1945 when the competition was nowhere near as strong as it is now.

His latest streak has earned him a cool 3.35 million pounds and he will be an odds-on favourite to keep it going when he tees off in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on March 13.

He won that event four times in a row from 2000. (ANI)

Spain and Czechs establish leads

Karlovic has broken the aces record three times - and lost on each occasion

The Czech Republic opened up a 2-0 first-day lead over Israel in their Davis Cup semi-final despite Ivo Karlovic firing a record 78 aces.

Karlovic broke his previous ATP record, but still lost in a gruelling five-set match to Radek Stepanek.

In the second singles rubber, Tomas Berdych beat Marin Cilic in four sets.

Earlier, champions Spain opened up a 2-0 lead over Israel thanks to convincing singles wins by Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer.

Ferrero thumped Dudi Sela 6-4 6-2 6-0 after Ferrer thrashed Harel Levy.

Spain went into their semi-final without injured top-10 pair Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco but that mattered little with Ferrer and Ferrero doing the business in front of a boisterous home crowd in Murcia.

"It certainly wasn't as comfortable a win as it might have looked," said Ferrer, a 6-1 6-4 6-3 winner.

Tommy Robredo a! nd Feliciano Lopez are due to take on doubles specialists Jona! than Erl ich and Andy Ram on Saturday.

While Spain eased to a 2-0 lead, the Czech Republic only opened up their lead after a marathon day's play.

In total, Stepanek and Karlovic played out 81 games before the first break of serve at 14-14 in the decider.

During that time, Karlovic had sent down 78 aces, 23 more than his previous record in losing in this year's French Open first round to Lleyton Hewitt.

"I did my best, but Stepanek was there all the way," Karlovic said.

"After the loss, the serve record means little."

After sealing the decisive break and serving out for a match that lasted just six minutes shy of six hours, Stepanek said: "Everything is known about Karlovic. He really has a phenomenal serve.

In the second tie, Cilic - who beat Andy Murray in the US Open - went down 6-3 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-3 to world number 18 Berdych.

2nd December

Liverpool 4 - Bolton 0


Bolton where taken apart at Anfield, not the same Bolton that beat Man Utd last weekend. Gerrard provided assist for the 2 goals before half time with Hyypia heading in the first goal on the 17th min , Anelka missed an open goal shot , Gerrard passed a ball through to Torres to score on the 45th min. Back out for the second half and Gerrard scored on the 56th min with a penalty Meite fouled Crouch in the area, Babel made light work of the 4th on the 86th min. Bolton had nothing going forward and look so weak. The worries continue for Bolton as Anelka is expected to leave the club in January and there isnt much to replace him. On the other hand Liverpool are going from strength to strength maybe this will pursued the owners to release some funding for new signing come the transfer window (would they buy Anelka?).

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher (Hobbs 51), Riise, Benayoun, Gerrard, Lucas, Kewell (Babel 67), Tor! res (Kuyt 76), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Mascherano.

Goals: Hyypia 17, Torres 45, Gerrard 56 pen, Babel 86. Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Samuel, Meite, Michalik, Gardner, McCann, Campo, Speed, Davies, Anelka, Diouf (Giannakopoulos 66).
Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Wilhelmsson, Teymourian, Alonso.

Booked: Diouf, Campo, Michalik.

Att: 43,270

Ref: Steve Bennett (Kent).
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Tottenham 2 - Birmingham 3

Alex McLeish's debut game and a win at White Hart Lane, cant really ask for much more. McSheffrey took the Blues ahead on the 24th min from a Penalty that Kaboul had given away. The next goal didnt come until the second half as Berbetov was fouled in the area given Spurs a penalty Keane scored on the 50th min. 3 mins later Keane scored again. Jerome got through the Spurs defence like they where statues and blasted a shot past ! Robinson taking it even 2-2 on the 62nd min. Keane was shown a! straigh t red for a late tackle on Muamba a very bad call from the ref as the replay showed no foul and not justified at all (ref's must be on xmas bonus for dishing out cards). Larsson finished it on the 90th min with a cracking 25yd shot went high right brilliant shot a well deserved win for Birmingham, unlucky for Spurs but the ref's bad call made the difference.

Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul (Huddlestone 46), Bale (Lee 75), Lennon, Zokora, Malbranque, Keane, Berbatov, Bent (Defoe 46).
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Boateng.

Sent Off: Keane (68).

Goals: Keane 50 pen, 53.

Birmingham: Taylor, Kelly, Schmitz (Parnaby 63), Ridgewell, Djourou, De Ridder (Forssell 66), Larsson, Nafti, Muamba, McSheffrey (Kapo 77), Jerome.
Subs Not Used: Doyle, O'Connor.

Booked: Schmitz.

Goals: McSheffrey 24 pen, Jerome 62, Larsson 90.

Att: 35,635

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

Moyes signs new deal

Manager David Moyes has ended speculation over his future by signing a new five-year deal at Everton.

Moyes, 45, delayed signing the deal and admitted it may have unsettled his players after they were knocked out of the Carling Cup and the Uefa Cup.

"There have been many different things for different reasons," Moyes told the club's website of the delay.

"But we are here now. The big thing for me is that I am at Everton, as far as I am concerned, for another five years."

Gunners cruise to a win

Arsenal	4-1 (HT 4-1)	Stoke
Beattie o.g. 10 van Persie (pen) 16 Diaby 18 van Persie 41		Fuller (pen) 31
Bookings: Denilson 4	Arsenal: Mannone, Sagna (Eboue 57), Toure, Song Billong, Gibbs, Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson, Arshavin (Vela 71), van Persie, Walcott (Bendtner 46). Subs Not Used: Szczesny, Ramsey, Silvestre, Djourou. Booked: Denilson. Goals: Beattie 10 og, van Persie 16 pen, Diaby 18, van Persie 41. Stoke: Simonsen (Sorensen 21), Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Dickinson, Lawrence, Diao (Pugh 64), Whelan, Delap, Beattie, Fuller (Cresswell 69). Subs Not Used: Olofinjana, Kelly, Tonge, Sonko. Goals: Fuller 31 pen. Att: 60,082 Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).