Billabong Pro Tahiti Champion to be Crowned Today

quinta-feira, 15 de maio de 2008

The final 17 heats of the 2008 Billabong Pro Tahiti will run today. The last two heat of Round 3 featuring Bobby Martinez (USA) vs. Miky Picon (FRA) and Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Bruce Irons (HAW) are up first. Conditions are in the four foot (one plus metre) range this morning and the first heat of the day hit the water at 6:30am.
Martinez, Andy Irons (HAW) and C.J. Hobgood (USA) are the only previous event winners still in contention. An event champion will be crowned by roughly 4pm local time this afternoon. The Billabong Pro Tahiti will be webcast LIVE on aspworldtour.com and billabongpro.com.

Mauro Zarate - A very popular Argentine ace

The Argentine striker, Mauro Zarate, has left Birmingham City after a very successful five-month spell at the club.
Birmingham signed him on loan from Al-Sadd, Qatar, during the January transfer window. During his short spell at St. Andrews, he made a huge impact and become a firm favorite among the fans.

Birmingham manager, Alex McLeish, said: “I would like to thank him for his spell here and he made an impact.”

“He will be a good asset to one of the big clubs. It’s just a shame that our situation counted against us.”

Many clubs in Europe have taken notice and it looks like he will leave Al-Sadd this summer. The club is said wanting around £25million for his services.

The latest rumour has linked the player with a move to Arsenal.

www.soccernews.com

Ronaldinho out of Brazil World Cup qualifiers

Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho was again ignored by Brazil coach Dunga when the squad for the next round of 2010 World Cup qualifiers was announced on Thursday.

Instead, Inter Milan's Adriano, who is currently at Sao Paulo on loan, was the only new addition to the 25-man squad for the games against Paraguay and Argentina in June.

Ronaldinho, who has been sidelined at Barcelona since April 4 with a hamstring injury, also missed out on selection for the last two qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay in November 2007.

Brazil play Paraguay on June 15 in Asuncion before facing bitter rivals Argentina on June 18 at Belo Horizonte.

Before that, Dunga's team will tackle Canada in a friendly in Seattle on May 31 and Venezuela on June 6 in Boston.

Paraguay lead the South American zone standings for the 2010 World Cup with 10 points from four matches with Argentina on nine points while Brazil are a point further back.

Brazil squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan/ITA), Diego Alves (Almeria/ESP), Doni (AS Roma/ ITA)

Defenders: Alex (Chelsea/ENG), Juan (AS Roma/ITA), Lucio (Bayern Munich/GER), Luisao (Benfica/POR), Daniel Alves (Sevilla/ESP), Marcelo (Real Madrid/ESP), Gilberto (Hertha Berlin/GER), Kleber (Santos), Maicon (Inter Milan/ITA)

Midfielders: Anderson (Man United/ENG), Diego (Werder Bremen/GER), Elano (Man City/ENG), Gilberto Silva (Arsenal/ENG), Josue (Wolfsburg/GER), Julio Baptista (Real Madrid/ESP), Kaka (AC Milan/ITA), Mineiro (Hertha Berlin/GER).

Attackers: Adriano (Sao Paulo), Pato (AC Milan/ITA), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla/ESP), Robinho (Real Madrid/ESP), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis/ESP).

www.soccernews.com

A conversation with Kona's Barry Wicks about targeting the World Cup circuit

quarta-feira, 14 de maio de 2008

CYCLING:Barry Wicks is already a household name in the domestic cyclocross and mountain bike scene, but this year he is trying his hand at joining mountain bike racing’s elite crowd on the World Cup.

Wicks made his first foray into European World Cup racing in April, racing World Cups in Houffalize, Belgium, Offenburg, Germany and Madrid, Spain. In terms of results, Wicks didn’t blow anyone’s door down. He started at the back of the herd, and had to fight tooth and nail for top-80 results.

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Hull one game away from Premier League

Hull are 90 minutes away from playing in the top flight of English football for the first time in their 104-year history after beating Watford 4-1 on Wednesday in the Championship semi-final play-off.
Hull's win at their KC Stadium in the second leg of this tie gave them a 6-1 aggregate victory.

It means they will now face Bristol City at Wembley in the play-off final on May 24, a match billed as “the richest game in football,” with the winners receiving some 60 million pounds (120 million dollars) for gaining a place in the lucrative Premier League.

Goals from Hull-born former England international Nick Barmby, Caleb Folan, Richard Garcia and Nathan Doyle helped the north-east club build on their 2-0 first leg advantage after Watford's Darius Henderson cut the Tigers' overall lead to just a single goal.

It wasn't until two minutes before half-time that Barmby, who netted in the first leg together with fellow Hull-born forward Dean Windass, settled home nerves following Henderson's 12th minute opener.

Three goals inside the final 20 minutes from substitute Folan, Garcia and Doyle sealed a victory that set Hull on their way to Wembley.

Wednesday's win was particularly sweet for Hull manager Phil Brown, who took over in December 2006 and steered a club seemingly destined for relegation to second-tier survival.

Watford, who earlier in the season looked destined for one of the two automatic promotion places following their relegation from the Premier League last season, ultimately paid the price for a run of just one win in 16 games.

Neither Hull nor Bristol City have played in the Premier League although City did appear in the old First Division, most recently in 1981.

www.soccernews.com

Real Madrid: “We can afford Cristiano Ronaldo”

Real Madrid general director Angel Arroyo has just recently claimed that the club could afford to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.

For the past two seasons, the Portugese winger has constantly been linked to Real Madrid, and the Spanish giants are doing all they can to unsettle the player away from England.

Reports suggest that it would take a record-breaking £100million to at least get the negotiations going, but even at that amount, Manchester United are unlikely to be interested.

Angel Arroyo stated, “Real Madrid have the solvency and the financial liquidity to be able to take on a signing of the magnitude of Cristiano Ronaldo.”

www.soccernews.com

Angry Eto’o leaving? Tottenham & Inter want him

terça-feira, 13 de maio de 2008

After Barcelona’s humiliating defeat to their arch-rivals Real Madrid, who won 4-1, the team has been heavily criticized by many supporters. This is said to have upset Eto’o greatly, who was also whistled and booed at during the match against Mallorca. It was believed that he deliberately picked up a yellow card in order to miss the Real Madrid game.
This have alerted Tottenham and Inter Milan, who both want to add the Cameroonian striker to their ranks.

Reports say that Tottenham are leading the chase, and they are currently organising a package to try and tempt him to White Hart Lane.

Reports also say that club officials and friends have tried to calm Eto’o down and convince him not to leave, but the latest treatment from his own fans might be more than he can take.

www.soccernews.com

Barcelona’s Leo Messi coming to the Olympics

Barcelona star Lionel Messi, 20, has been given the go-ahead to represent Argentina in this summer’s Olympic Games.
Argentina are the reigning champions after winning the gold-medal in Athens 2004, and are looking to defend their title Beijing.

“I have everything arranged for playing in the Olympic Games. I would like to have that chance so I can celebrate what I couldn’t celebrate with Barcelona.” , Messi stated.

www.soccernews.com

Ronaldo tells Real he is happy at United

Cristiano Ronaldo has denied reports that he would consider a move to Real Madrid by insisting Manchester United is the perfect club for him.

Real are keen to take Ronaldo to the Bernabeu stadium and reports this week claimed the Portugal winger would listen to an approach from the Spanish champions.

Bernd Schuster’s side are said to be considering a 100 million pounds (125 million euros) offer which would test United’s determination to keep English football’s two-time Player of the Year.

But Ronaldo insists he has no intention of leaving Old Trafford because he is in the right place to develop his prodigious talent.

I’m at the right club, playing with the right players and I learn things all the time,” Ronaldo told MUTV.

“That’s what great about being at United. I improve all the time and I want to improve every season. I think I’m a better player now than five years ago.

“This season has been a great one for me - I’ve scored a lot of goals, the team have played very well and we’re champions. It’s amazing.”

Ronaldo’s 41-goal haul has helped United retain the title and reach next week’s Champions League final and he admits the season has been beyond his wildest dreams

It’s a great feeling to win the league - I don’t have the words to describe how it feels to be champions, it’s amazing,” he said.

“I didn’t think it would go to the final day of the season, but to be honest the feeling is better [to win on the last day].

“When the ref blew the final whistle it was brilliant. We’ve worked hard for nine months and I feel very proud to be champions.”

www.soccernews.com

Chelsea held by Bolton and settle for second

domingo, 11 de maio de 2008

Chelsea came up short in their bid to wrest the English Premier League title back from Mancester United as they were held to a 1-1 draw by battling Bolton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
United’s victory over Wigan handed them the title regardless of the Chelsea result, so the Blues’ goal from second-half substitute Andriy Shevchenko and the equaliser from Kevin Davies were rendered irrelevant.

Chelsea were left to rue the two dropped points in their 1-1 home draw against Wigan last month which could have left them in control of their own destiny on the thrilling final day of the season.

They can now turn their attention to their showdown with United in the Champions League final on May 21, but Chelsea fans’ hearts were in their mouths when captain John Terry was stretchered off after just 15 minutes against Bolton.

The England centre-back left the pitch with his arm in a makeshift sling after apparently landing awkwardly while challenging for a high cross in his own penalty area.

But Terry returned to the pitch at the final whistle to announce that he had only suffered a dislocated elbow and should be fit against after a few days’ rest.

“I’m OK, I just dislocated an elbow. There is no break and no broken bones,” he said. “I know we have lost out in the league but we have the biggest trophy of all in front of us.

“Hopefully we can go to Moscow and bring it home to the Chelsea fans.”

On a hot early summer’s day which saw the players gulping down water at every opportunity, Bolton — who had already guaranteed their Premiership status before kickoff — packed their central defence to make life difficult for the Londoners.

Before Shevchenko stabbed home a deflected shot from close range early in the second half, Didier Drogba should have put the match beyond Bolton’s reach on a number of occasions.

The muscular Ivory Coast striker’s best chance came in the second half when a powerful dribble was followed by a rasping angled shot that forced Bolton keeper Ali Al Habsi to tip the ball on to the crossbar.

But Al Habsi was powerless minutes later to stop Shevchenko putting a gloss on a disappointing season for the Ukrainian.

Bolton showed few signs that they had spent the week partying, as Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson had claimed.

But although Gary Megson’s team harried their technically superior opponents, they rarely threatened Petr Cech’s goal until the final moments.

Chelsea coach Avram Grant’s decision to bring on Shevchenko at half-time was an inspired substitution to bolster their attacking options.

The Ukrainian seemed to have given Chelsea victory before Davies popped up in the closing minutes to silence the home fans.

Chelsea toiled away, with most of the attacking thrust throughout the match coming from Michael Essien and Joe Cole on the right.

Drogba spurned two chances to give the Blues a first-half lead, slotting the ball wide from a low Ballack cross before sliding a free-kick narrowly past the post.

Cech, wearing a new fluorescent orange shirt designed by its manufacturers to put off opposing strikers, was rarely called into action.

The best early chance came after 10 minutes when Drogba shot narrowly wide from a low Ballack cross to the far post. Drogba came close again on 23 minutes when his free kick bounced wide.

Then came the Terry blow, the England international clearly immediately in pain as he crashed into the turf.

Kevin Davies added another booking to his considerable season’s tally when he tripped Florent Malouda as he charged towards goal, before the Bolton striker redeemed himself with a last-minute goal that ensured the two teams shared the spoils.

www.soccernews.com

Villa´s UEFA Cup bid ends in frustration

Aston Villa missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup after being held to a 2-2 draw against West Ham on Sunday.
Martin O’Neill’s side needed a victory at Upton Park and an Everton defeat against Newcastle to snatch fifth place, but the Toffees won on Merseyside to leave Villa in sixth spot.

Villa had fallen behind early on to Nolberto Solano’s goal before going in front through Ashley Young and Gareth Barry’s strikes. But their frustration at Dean Ashton’s late equaliser was at least tempered by the knowledge that they wouldn’t have been able to overhaul Everton anyway.

Villa almost got the perfect start. Gabriel Agbonlahor slipped a pass to Ashley Young and his shot struck a post.

But West Ham took the lead in the eighth minute. Ashton was felled on the edge of the area and referee Mike Dean immediately signalled for a free-kick. Solano stepped up and curled the ball into the top-right corner with goalkeeper Scott Carson getting a fingertip to the effort.

Villa had to throw caution to the wind to have any chance of catching Everton and they were level just six minutes later.

Former Hammers midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker was the catalyst as he found Young in the penalty area and the Villa forward took advantage of loose marking to fore home.

Bobby Zamora was close to restoring West Ham’s lead with a shot that fizzed wide. But Villa went even closer on the stroke of half-time, with Agbonlahor’s shot cleared off the line by Robert Green.

Villa should have gone ahead five minutes after the interval when Agbonlahor squared to John Carew who only had Green to beat from close range, but the Hammers keeper saved well.

But the visitors were dreaming of a European adventure when Barry played a perfect one-two with Reo-Coker before smashing the ball home past Green from close range.

With Everton drawing at that point the race was back on. However, David Moyes’s side restored ran out 3-1 winners, before Ashton struck a superb equaliser with two minutes left.

www.soccernews.com

Turkish win puts Massa back in title contention

No wonder that Ferrari’s Felipe Massa loves Istanbul Park. On Sunday afternoon he owned the place, and nobody seriously looked like challenging him as he sped to his hat-trick of victories here to move into joint second in the driver standings
Sure, Lewis Hamilton pulled what seemed a brilliant passing move on him for the lead on the 24th lap, but it transpired that the Englishman was on a three-stop strategy for McLaren, and soon the way was clear again for Massa as Hamilton stopped to refuel and retain hard tyres on the 32nd lap.

Hamilton had sufficient in hand over Kimi Raikkonen, however, to keep the Finn in third place and to reduce his championship points lead to seven as they sped to the line 3.7s adrift of Massa, and separated by only four-tenths of second. The MP4-23 had been sweet on the harder Bridgestones, but still clearly didn’t like the softer rubber that Hamilton had to don for his final 13-lap stint. After the race the team revealed that tyre durability concerns had in fact prompted the three-stop route.

Into fourth and fifth places came the BMW Saubers of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, which lacked the sheer pace to play anything other than leading supporting roles this time out.

Fernando Alonso further boosted Renault with a solid sixth place, surviving a minor brush with Raikkonen in the first corner, and seventh fell to Mark Webber after another solid performance by the Australian for Red Bull. Nico Rosberg took the final point with eighth for Williams, and was followed home by David Coulthard in the second Red Bull and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli as the last unlapped runners.

Honda’s Jenson Button was a lapped 11th ahead of Heikki Kovalainen. The Finnish McLaren driver, who started second, was desperately unlucky to have to make an unscheduled stop for fresh rubber after two laps, having picked up a slow rear puncture following minor contact from Raikkonen's front wing - which sustained some minimal damage - at the start.

After that Kovalainen fought back from the rear of the field and had some great dices with Toyota’s Timo Glock, in particular, and Rosberg, before dropping back in his final pit stop. He finished ahead of Glock, who again showed his fighting spirit, Rubens Barrichello, whose 257th GP outing did not produce anything to shout about for Honda, Renault’s Nelson Piquet, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel.

The latter duo both stopped at the end of the opening lap to have repairs made after Giancarlo Fisichella’s unhappy weekend came to an end as he overtook Kazuki Nakajima - by flying over the top of the Williams. Neither the Italian, who landed his Force India in the gravel, nor the Japanese, who got to the pits minus his rear wing, were able to continue. The other retiree was Sebastien Bourdais, whose Toro Rosso dumped him in the gravel as the result of a technical failure.

The result leaves Raikkonen with a diminished lead in the world championship chase with 35 points, ahead of Massa and Hamilton on 28 and Kubica on 24. Ferrari extend their advantage atop the constructor standings, heading BMW Sauber by 19 points, with McLaren a further two adrift.

www.formula1.com

Massa makes it three in a row in Istanbul

sábado, 10 de maio de 2008

FORMULA 1:Felipe Massa put his Ferrari on pole for the Turkish Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon, for the third consecutive time in Istanbul Park. But the two McLarens of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton lined up second and third and they will be doing their best to frustrate the Brazilian’s aspirations for his hat-trick of victories here on Sunday.

Massa set the pace when Q3 began, with a lap of 1m 27.896s, but it was a good job that he was able to improve that to 1m 27.617s as Kovalainen punched in a 1m 27.808s on his second run. The Finn showed absolutely no ill effects after his nasty shunt in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, and seemed very happy with his car.

Hamilton had been very fast in Q1 until Massa beat him, but was unhappy with his McLaren’s ultimate performance on his second try in Q3. Where Kovalainen made the medium Bridgestone tyres work for him, Hamilton admitted that his choice of the harder tyre was not the answer.

Kimi Raikkonen was fourth for Ferrari and it may be that he is running more fuel than Massa. The Finn lapped in 1m 27.936s, compared to Hamilton’s 1m 27.923s.

Robert Kubica put his BMW Sauber fifth on the grid with 1m 28.390s, followed by Mark Webber for Red Bull on 1m 28.417s, Fernando Alonso for Renault on 1m 28.422s, Jarno Trulli for Toyota on 1m 28.836s and birthday boy Nick Heidfeld for BMW Sauber on 1m 28.882s.

David Coulthard had got the second Red Bull through to Q3 to endorse the team’s growing improvement, but a lap of 1m 29.959s left him 10th overall.

Nico Rosberg was the fastest of the five who failed to make it through Q2, lapping his Williams in 1m 27.012s to head the Hondas of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button on 1m 27.219s and 1m 27.298s respectively, Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso on 1m 27.412s and Timo Glock’s Toyota on 1m 27.806s. Barrichello faces what his team say is his 257th start, which will break Riccardo Patrese’s long-held record.

Yet again qualifying did not happen for Kazuki Nakajima, who was 16th in his Williams on 1m 27.547s and thus failed to make it through Q1. Equally at sea was Nelson Piquet on 1m 27.568s for Renault, then came Sebastien Bourdais on 1m 27.621s for Toro Rosso and the Force Indias of Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil. The Italian lapped his VJM01 in 1m 27.807s and the German in 1m 28.325s, but with the former’s three-place grid penalty for exiting the pits against the red light on Friday morning, they will reverse places on the grid.

www.formula1.com

Barcelona and Valencia compete for Dani Guiza

SOCCER:After putting a miserable season behind them, the Spanish giants Barcelona and Valencia are looking to reshape their squads. One of their first targets this summer appears to be Real Mallorca striker Dani Guiza.

The 27-year old Spanish international has a a buy-out clause of €15m in his contract that was included when he rejoined from Getafe last summer.

The prolific Spain international has been linked with Roma and Napoli, but his agent Bronzetti has stated that: “Barcelona are in first place for him.”

The 27-year-old has scored 24 goals in 36 games, which makes him the goal scoring leader of La Liga followed by Fabiano with 23 goals.

www.soccernews.com

Everton can crack top four says Keegan

SOCCER:Kevin Keegan believes Everton, who will try to clinch a UEFA Cup place against his Newcastle side on Sunday, could be the only team capable of breaking into the top four next season.
The Merseysiders have been in the Champions League places as recently as three years ago, only to discover that the dual goal of domestic glory and European success is beyond all but the very best.

Yet Keegan feels Everton are still the club closest to knocking Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool from their lofty perches and he has the perfect chance to measure the quality of David Moyes's men at Goodison Park.

“Everton have done fantastically,” he said. “They haven't had some of the problems that other clubs have had and, like us, they're still in the same stadium. In that respect there's been continuity and not the pressure on budgets that there might have been.

“They've got it just right at the moment. They add two or three key players every season - this year it was Yakubu and before that it was Lescott - and it works. They've been fantastic signings. Everton have cut their cloth accordingly and it's a well run club.”

The same cannot be said, with any confidence, of Newcastle. Friday saw Keegan summoned to London for a meeting with United's owner, the sportswear billionaire Mike Ashley, following his assertion that the Tyneside club is 'a million miles away' from challenging the top four.

Not for the first time in the 15 years the Magpies have enjoyed continuous top flight football, the corridors of St James's Park echo to the sound of discord and disunity.

Chairman Chris Mort insisted Friday's meeting was 'productive and constructive' but the only thing for certain is that Keegan, for all his public and, some would say, provocative posturing, is still in a job.

“I think a lot of the things Kevin said aren't far off the mark,” said Moyes. “It is terrific that Everton qualified for the Champions League three years ago.

“That's why we thought if we had made it this season it could have changed Everton forever. We might have been able to really change the goalposts completely regarding what is seen as the top four.

“I am not going to give up trying to break in. It's not in my nature. My first step is to make sure we finish fifth (this season). I can't say I don't want to finish fourth (next season) but there is realism about it because it is very difficult.

“But from my point of view, I will never accept that we can't do it. We have done it once and pushed it close this year.”

Ashley's view is that if Everton can repeat their trick of three seasons ago then surely Newcastle, with bigger crowds, a greater turnover and more quality players, should be right up there with them.

On paper, at least, there is no reason why Newcastle cannot usurp this weekend's hosts and become the next in line to challenge for Champions League qualification.

Like Everton they have proved it can be done in the not too distant past and a forward line of Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins is the envy of clubs across Europe.

Australian forward Viduka will miss the Goodison clash and could be out until Christmas if an Achilles tendon problem is as serious as United's medical staff suspect.

However, Keegan always wanted to sign a fourth top class forward this close-season and the possible absence of his most experienced striker has simply increased the Newcastle manager's resolve to land a big-name goalscorer before August.

www.soccernews.com

The Billabong Pro Tahiti by Air Tahiti Nui takes the day off

sexta-feira, 9 de maio de 2008

SURFING:The small waves on offer at Teahupoo this morning are inadequate for ASP World Tour competition and there are nine more days in which to run the four days of competition it will take to crown a Billabong Pro Tahiti champion.

According to Kevin Wallis of Surfline, conditions are expected to stay small through the weekend, but the long range forecast looks more promising. “Small surf prevails Friday through the weekend, with just leftover SW swell and weak tradeswell,” Wallis said. “Early next week looks more promising with a new WSW/SW swell. The long range potential also looks at least slightly better than what we’ve seen the past couple days.”

When Round 1 does commence, Heat 9 will pit reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) against Hawaiians Pancho Sullivan and Jamie O’Brien. O’Brien earned his berth into the main event after winning the Air Tahiti Nui VonZipper Trials and, despite not being a full-time competitor on the ASP World Tour, has already tasted ASP World Tour victory. He won the Pipeline Masters as a wildcard in 2004.

Another call on competition status will be made tomorrow morning at 7. The Billabong Pro Tahiti will be webcast LIVE on aspworldtour.com and billabongpro.com

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Barcelona members request censure motion against board

SOCCER:The crisis at Barcelona over its poor season deepened Friday as two club members launched a censure motion against the management of the Spanish club that seeks the ouster of is president, Joan Laporta, and his board of directors.
Oriol Giralt Gili and Christian Castellvi Clement delivered a written warning to the board informing them that they had begun the process to request a censure motion, essentially a vote of no confidence, against the board, the club said on its website.

The move comes one day after Laporta announced that reserve team coach Pep Guardiola, a former player, will take over from Frank Rijkaard at the end of the season, the club's second without any silverware.

Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-final by Manchester United and trail Real Madrid in the Spanish league by 17 points in third place with two games remaining after losing 4-1 to the new champions on Wednesday.

The defeat means the Catalan side will miss out on automatic qualification for the Champions League since they will not be able to finish any higher than third in the Spanish league which has just two rounds remaining.

“More than ever, a censure motion is necessary,” Gili told reporters as he went into Barcelona's headquarters, the Internet edition of El Mundo reported

Barcelona's club statutes allow for a motion of censure to be officially put in place if five percent of the club's members who qualify as voters — adults who have been members for more than one year — sign a petition.

The club has roughly 117,000 members with voting rights, meaning the petition will need to gather the signatures of around 6,000 members.

www.soccernews.com

Doni extends Roma stay

Brazilian goalkeeper Doni has signed a contract extension at Italian Cup finalists AS Roma until June 2012.
The goalkeeper will earn 3.8 million euros in his first year, rising year on year to 4.3 million euros in the final year of his contract.

Doni joined Roma in 2005 from Juventude and has been first choice ever since arriving.

www.soccernews.com

Race the Ranch downhill on May 17th and 18th

CYCLING:There is an awesome new DH course built for this event which is a blast to ride. If you haven't ridden it yet - get up there and try it out.

The organizers are looking for Course Marshalls, timekeepers, and other smaller jobs. All the training you need will be provided! (and maybe a snazzy t-shirt)

Looking to race?
Looking to volunteer?

Check us out here: www3.telus.net/2008bike

Last year this event saw hundreds of riders show up with families and spectators on the sidelines. Let's put on another great show for the Kamloops and area mountain biking scene.

Cheers!

That's not all! The Cafe is also bringing Seasons to town!

The gang at Cafe are hosting a movie night at TRU on the upcoming Race the Ranch weekend.

Saturday, May 17th
7:30PM
Tickets are on sale - $10 at Cafe

Members of The Collective will be there (with prizes)

Partial proceeds will go to our club (and we'll be there selling memberships)

-KBRA

www.pinkbike.com

Immelman withdraws from Players Championship with illness

quinta-feira, 8 de maio de 2008

GOLF:PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Masters champion Trevor Immelman withdrew from the Players Championship Thursday morning because of an upset stomach. According to a press release from the PGA Tour, the 28-year-old South African was vomiting after he woke up this morning. He has returned to his home in Orlando.

Jon Wagner, Immelman's agent from IMG, said, "Trevor is certainly disappointed with the timing of this illness, as the Players Championship is a tournament that he and all players look forward to each year.

His main focus now though is to use this time that he had previously scheduled off to get well and to prepare himself for his next event."

On Wednesday, Immelman said he was looking forward to taking two weeks off after the Players Championship. "It's going to be nice to get home and just decompress," he said. "It's been real interesting, because after I won, I think it was just going from such a huge high to, you know, coming down, and then having to deal with everything that I had to deal with. I had no clue what to expect."

Immelman also said that he has not played as well as he would have liked since leaving Augusta. "My game has kind of gone sideways since then, too, so that's been a little disappointing."

When asked why he had chosen to compete at the Players instead of starting his break this week, he said, "This is a huge tournament, and this tournament is important to us as players and as the PGA Tour, and I think it's important for us to try and get the strongest field possible to this event."

While the field is still strong, it is now missing the winners of the last two major championships. Immelman, this year's Masters champ; and Tiger Woods, who is recovering from knee surgery and won the PGA championship the last major of 2007.
www.golf.com

Cycle Solutions O-Cup DH #1 Race Report

CYCLING:It was a wild start to the first race of the season, rain hammered the Niagara Escarpment for 3 consecutive days, culminating in a 7hr drenching on Saturdays practice day. However it could not dampen the spirits of the riders, if anything it motivated them more. Our second ever largest turnout was welcomed by sun on Sunday morning which combined with some wind dried the course out nicely for race runs.

A great womens field was trumped by Sheila (the great) Morris (Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnny's), chasing her down were Kristen (Poisonfrog.ca) and Caroline (Jamis/Bikezone) both getting in under the 2min mark!

1. Sheila MorrisCycle Solutions/Angry Johnny`s RacingBarrie 1:44.903

2. Kristen Courtney Poisonfrog.ca Toronto 1:57.842

3. Caroline Arsenault Jamis/Bikezone RacingToronto 2:00.185

Next up everyone was watching the Junior Expert field, the return of Rob Fraser (Poisonfrog.ca) and Andrew Gotuaco (Sweet Petes) along with newcomer and last years cadet champ Robert Bailey (Commencal). And surprise surprise guess who showed up on the podium Rob, then Andrew, the Robert!

1. Rob Fraser Poisonfrog.ca Pickering 1:29.863

2. Andrew Gotuaco Sweet Pete`s Collingwood 1:36.066

3. Robert Bailey Commençal Cambridge 1:37.750

The anticipation grew as the day grew on waiting for the Pro Men, would all this extra time help dry out the course??? Yes it would! Drew threw down the gauntlet with a ripper a full 2 seconds faster than the fastest time of the day. Tom followed up with a stellar 2nd place and Brandon pulled in a healthy and well deserved 3rd.

1. Drew Pautler Primary-Devinci Brampton 1:24.385

2. Tom Kakamousias Cycle Solutions/AngryJohnny`sRacing Toronto 1:26.9232

3. Brandon Cassell Adrenaline Racer/Industry Skate Park Strathroy 1:29.131

Our next stop is back here at Kelso June 14/15, we are building a brand new course so be ready for something sweet!

We can't thank enough our amazing support staff, Lee Allen, Kris Somers (MC/DJ), Allan Hawley and his timing staff, Kelso Pro Patrol and staff (Barb and Simon) and ofcourse the amazing volunteers and sponsors:Cycle-Solutions.com Bike Store, Commencal Bikes, Norco Performance Bikes , Kenda Tires, Titec Components, Dropmachine.com, Privateer Racing, To Wheels, Industry Bike park, Trident Distribution, Gamut, YODO bike, E-13, Atomlab and Azonic.

For all results and Ontario Cup DH/4X racing info go towww.sirbikealotracing.com

Crouch put up for sale for £15million

Rafael Benitez have been told that he must sell some players before he can start buying some more. At first it looked like Crouch was leaving in the January transfer window with Manchester City and Newcastle leading the way. But he remained and it looks like he will finally be sold this summer.
Liverpool are looking to add Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry to their ranks, but most likely the owners would not sanction such a move without Benitez selling some of their players first.

According to Benitez, “A £15m price tag would not be unreasonable.” Portsmouth have recently expressed their interest in Crouch but might be put off by the high price tag. It has also been confirmed that Harry Kewell will leave Liverpool this summer.

www.soccernews.com

Reality show to find next Beckham or Ronaldo

A new reality television show along the lines of hit singing series American Idol is to be launched to find the next global football superstar.

Titled “SportStar Football,” the show will be a worldwide hunt for the next big thing in soccer, organisers said Thursday.

The concept is the brainchild of David Edwards, who was behind “RockStar: INXS,” the search for a new lead singer for the Australian band whose former frontman Michael Hutchence committed suicide.

ESPN STAR Sports and Imagine OmniMedia will work together to develop, produce and broadcast what they tout as the first reality-based football entertainment series in Asia.

“We are committed to serving our fans by providing them unique opportunities to engage with their favourite sports across platforms,” said ESPN STAR Sports managing director Manu Sawhney.

“With this interactive and entertaining initiative, football fans will have a lot more to look forward to in days to come.”

No details of a launch date, nor how the series would be structured, were announced

www.soccernews.com

2008 ASP World Masters Champs to hit Barra de Tijuca

quarta-feira, 7 de maio de 2008

SURFING:For the first time in five years, the ASP World Masters Championships will assemble some of the most legendary names in professional surfing to Rio de Janeiro’s Barra de Tijuca from June 30 through July 6, 2008 to crown the 2008 ASP World Masters and ASP World Grand Masters Champions.

The Rio Masters will feature two divisions in the ASP Masters (surfers aged over 35) and the ASP Grand Masters (surfers aged over 47). The top 14 in each division are invited directly off of ASP career ratings (points being accrued by winning ASP World Titles, Top 5 World rankings, Top 10 World rankings and time spent on the ASP World Tour).

“To look at this list of names, I find it just a staggering congregation of talent,” Brodie Carr, ASP CEO, said. “This field is well representative of the pioneers of our sport, and those who have seen these living legends surf recently will attest that they haven’t lost a step at all. They’re all still ripping and so hungry to get back in the competition singlet.

It’s very exciting to have the ASP World Masters Championships back on the schedule in 2008 and I feel like this season’s event will be one of the year’s highlights.”

Confirmed athletes to this season’s Rio Masters include former ASP World Champions Mark Occhilupo (AUS), Shaun Tomson (ZAF), Peter Townend (AUS), Rabbit Bartholomew (AUS), Tom Curren (USA), Damien Hardmen (AUS), Martin Potter (ZAF) and Derek Ho (HAW) as well as former ASP World Masters Champions Gary Elkerton (AUS), Michael Ho (HAW), Cheyne Horan (AUS) and Terry Richardson (AUS).

Other confirmed athletes include Brad Gerlach (USA), Rob Bain (AUS), Dave Macaulay (AUS), Hans Hedemann (HAW), Buzzy Kerbox (HAW), Simon Anderson (AUS) and Ian Cairns (AUS). Tomson, who claimed the ASP World Title in 1977, is eager to return to the competitive scene and looks forward to rejoining his fellow surfers in the idyllic beachbreaks of Barra de Tijuca in Brazil.

“Wonderful to have the Masters back on again,” Tomson said. “I’ll be there with bells on and definitely looking forward to seeing the guys again and having a great event in Rio.” The 2008 Rio Masters will be the first of a three-year license for Brazil, and this year’s event will stand alone in terms of Masters events, crowning both the ASP World Masters Champion and ASP World Grand Masters Champion.

“It’s with a great enthusiasm that ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) together with Pepper Comunicação Integrada has the pleasure to announce the ASP World Masters Championship 2008,” Pepper’s Paulo Costa Jr. said. “After five-year absence, the event returns to the world competition scene through the partnership between the greatest surfing entity on the planet and one of the most important agencies of communication and marketing in Brazil.”

“This effective teamwork certainly promises to be a success, bringing the icons of surf, such as Tom Curren, Shaun Tomson, Rabbit Bartholomew, Martin Potter, Gary Elkerton, Damien Hardman, Brad Gerlach, Peter Townend, Cheyne Horan, among others, back in a real meeting of champions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,” Costa Jr. continued.

“In addition to having the surfers who have influenced generations over the years, the event will proudly gather music, art, life style and environmental actions together into an unforgettable surf festival between June 30 and July 6.”

The 2008 ASP World Masters Championships begins its waiting period on June 30, 2008. For more information, log onto aspworldtour.com

www.surfersvillage.com

Chelsea offers 70 million euros for Real´s Ramos - report

Chelsea have offered Real Madrid 70 million euros (108 million dollars) for their defender Sergio Ramos, daily newspaper El Mundo reported Wednesday.
Real, who clinched their second straight Spanish league title over the weekend, was “reflecting on the offer” for the 21-year-old Spanish international who is under contract with the club until 2013, the newspaper said without citing named sources.

If the offer is accepted, the former Sevilla defender would become “the most expensive defender in history”, it said

“His transfer would not only be the solution to the problems of the club's accounts but it would also open the door to the recuitment of a megacrack,” the newspaper said.

The report emerges after Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was in Madrid earlier this week for a basketball tournament.

Ramos has also sparked interest from Italian side AC Milan, according to Spanish media reports.

www.soccernews.com

Olympiakos ask for asset freeze on Rivaldo

Greek champions Olympiakos on Wednesday asked for a court freeze on the assets of their Brazilian former star Rivaldo after he reportedly cast doubt about their recent championship victory and past title wins, the club said.
The motion is designed to secure the payment of damages from a five-million-euro (7.8-million-dollar) defamation suit filed against the player and the chairman of his current club AEK Athens last week.

“An injunction application has been filed against Rivaldo,” a club spokesperson told AFP.

“It asks for the freeze of his property up to the sum of five million euros to cover the compensation demanded by Olympiakos,” the spokesperson said.

The injunction will be examined on July 2. The defamation case is slated for a 2009 hearing.

Rivaldo spent three seasons at Olympiakos (2004-2007) and won three championships there.

According to reports, AEK chairman Demis Nikolaidis and Rivaldo last month made remarks in the team changing room accusing Olympiakos of having won the championship that ended last month on a technicality.

Nikolaidis reportedly also accused Greek football federation chairman Vassilis Gagatsis of helping Olympiakos to the title, while Rivaldo reportedly cast doubt on the championships he won whilst playing at the Piraeus club.

“While at Olympiakos, I heard that many Greek federation officials are in the club's employ,” the Brazilian reportedly said.

“I have doubts about the three championships I won there.”

In February, Olympiakos had dropped three points in a loss to Apollon Kalamarias but the Greek federation reversed the result after Apollon were revealed to have fielded an ineligible player.

A subsequent appeal by Apollon to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to hold up validation of the Greek league standings was dismissed, opening the way for Olympiakos to be crowned champions.

The Greek federation said it will also sue the AEK chairman for defamation.

www.soccernews.com

Kenda and Tomac - Team Announcement

CYCLING:Gravity Group, marketing agency is pleased to announce their cooperation with global tire producer – KENDA and bicycle manufacturer – TOMAC as title sponsors of the newly created KENDA TOMAC Mountain Bike Racing Team.

KENDA TOMAC is an international mountain bike downhill-fourcross team that associates 2 athletes: Filip Polc (Slovakia) and Mitch Delfs (Australia).

KENDA TOMAC is operated by the crew of Peter Siulczynski (Team Manager), Michal Kozak (Assistant Team Manager) and Jean-Philippe Simard (Team Mechanic), Gary Perkin (Team Photographer) and John Lawlor (Team Videographer)

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U.S. Open of Mountain Biking Announces RedBull SharpShooters

terça-feira, 6 de maio de 2008

CYCLING:

U.S. Open of Mountain Biking event organizers announced today that a new unique photography discipline has been added to the event roster for 2008. In addition to the donwhill and dual slalom disciplines, a RedBull Sharpshooters event will compliment the U.S. Open action simultaneously.

Photographers from across the globe will be capturing the energy and spirit of the U.S Open and competing for a high-end, all expenses paid trip to a unique RedBull mountain biking event.

Photographs from the event will be judged live at the official RedBull SharpShooters party and athletes and riders alike are encouraged to attend what promises to be a memorable occasion.

The 2008 U.S. Open of Mountain Biking presented by Freelap USA will take place May 23-25th at Diablo Freeride Park in Vernon, New Jersey. Over 400 athletes from across the globe are already registered for this prestigious event and event organizers have confirmed Sam Hill, Brendan Fairclough, Matti Lehikoinen, Kyle Strait, Kathy Pruitt, among many other top athletes will be in attendance.

For more information about RedBull SharpShooters, please email: REDBULLSHARPSHOOTERS@YAHOO.COM.

For more information including online registration for athlete, team and media please visit:

www.diablofreeridepark.com

Fiorentina after Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorentina have opened talks to land Stuttgart’s 22-year old striker Mario Gomez. The German international managed to net 16 goals for his side this season.
The striker, who comes from a German-Spanish descent, is one of the most talented strikers to come out of Germany for quite some time.

www.soccernews.com

Barcelona enter race for Villa

Barcelona and Real Madrid are battling for the signature of Valencia star David Villa.
DiarioSport says Barca sports director Txiki Begiristain discussed signing the Spain international with board members during a marathon meeting yesterday, which among many points included an agreement over the appointment of Pep Guardiola as coach for next season.

Villa has stated previously that his prefered destination would be playing for the champions Real Madrid. Now when Barcelona seem to have entered the race, Villa might have a change of heart.

www.soccernews.com

De La Hoya feels ready for Mayweather

domingo, 4 de maio de 2008

BOXING:CARSON, California (Ticker) - Oscar De La Hoya is convinced he has found the right style to defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their rematch this September.

The six-weight, 10-time world champion returned to the ring for the first time since losing a split decision to Mayweather almost exactly a year ago Saturday when he defeated Steve Forbes.

De La Hoya outclassed Forbes, the former 140-pound IBF champion, in a 12-round unanimous decision at 150 pounds in front of 27,000 fans at the Home Depot Center.

With a September 20 rematch against pound-for-pound king Mayweather on the horizon, De La Hoya said his convincing victory has filled him with confidence.

“Now I feel sharp,” said De La Hoya, a Los Angeles native. “The idea is to stand up and fight more straight up and use the jab and bounce on my toes a little and be aggressive at the same time.

“So I’m happy that we took on Forbes and happy that we fought here in LA.”

De La Hoya officially posted a 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 victory over the 31-year-old Forbes, improving his record to 39-5 with 30 knockouts. Forbes fell to 33-6 (9 KOs).

De La Hoya admitted that no deal to fight Mayweather had been finalized. But when the bout ultimately takes place, De La Hoya claims he will be ready.

“Obviously I’ve always prided myself on fighting the best,” he said. “I’m going to go after him because I know I can beat him.”

De La Hoya repeated his intention not to fight beyond 2008 with his victory over Forbes - the first of three farewell contests. He also plans to fight Mayweather in September before a final bout in December, possibly against welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

“I’ve accomplished my goal in the first of three and I’m ready to have two big, exciting fights come September and December,” he said.

http://sports.yahoo.com

Bryant scores 38 as Lakers beat Jazz in Game 1

NBA: LOS ANGELES (AP)—Kobe Bryant made most of the shots that mattered, which he didn’t view as any great accomplishment.

That’s because there was nary a hand in his face when he took them.

Bryant, celebrating what’s expected to be his first NBA MVP award, converted six of his franchise playoff-record 21 foul shots in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Utah Jazz 109-98 Sunday to begin the second round of the playoffs.

Bryant finished with 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists, and the Lakers made it five straight victories to begin the postseason after winning eight of their last nine regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

“You’ve got to be able to knock those free throws down. They’re open looks,” said Bryant, who made his first 18 foul shots before missing two of his last five to finish 21-of-23. “It’s my responsibility to knock them down.”

The Lakers shot 38-of-46 from the foul line, while the Jazz went 22-of-30. The teams spent most of the final period going from one foul line to the other, with Los Angeles going 14-of-19 from the line and Utah 10-of-12. Twenty-four of the 60 personal fouls were called in the last 12 minutes.

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Real require Osasuna victory to wrap up title

Real Madrid need to win Sunday's late match at Osasuna to secure a 31st Spanish championship after second-placed Villarreal defeated Getafe 2-0.
Real would have retained their title without playing had Villarreal failed to win but a brace from Turkish international Nihat sunk Getafe and Real, seven points ahead, must now beat Osasuna to clinch the title.

Villarreal are on course for automatic Champions League qualification with third-placed Barcelona, who host Valencia later on Sunday, now lagging seven points behind.

Nihat scored both goals to take his season's tally to 17 as 'the Yellow Submarine' target a best ever league finish.

Sevilla closed to within three points of the final Champions League spot with a crucial 2-0 home win over Valladolid.

Atletico Madrid's win over Recreativo on Saturday put pressure on Sevilla and they responded with a first half brace from Brazilian striker Renato sealing the points.

Sevilla will struggle to hold onto key stars Daniel Alves, Christian Poulsen and Luis Fabiano this summer and Champions League football could be crucial to persuade them to stay.

Brazilian striker Fabiano has led the goalscoring charts for most of the season but Real Mallorca's Spanish international Daniel Guiza moved one ahead in the race for the Pichichi scoring a brace against Athletic Bilbao to take his tally to 24.

Racing are also in the Champions League frame after coming from two goals down to defeat Real Murcia 3-2 on Sunday.

Murcia's defeat means they join Levante in being relegated from the top-flight.

Racing were 2-0 down after just 27 minutes but scored three to turn the game on its head and move two points behind Atletico in fourth.

A mouthwatering tussle sees Racing host Sevilla on Wednesday in a decisive match for both sides.

Later on Sunday Barcelona, reeling from their Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester United, must solve their goalscoring problem as they bid to close in on Villarreal with victory over Valencia.

Valencia are only two points from safety and need to take something at Camp Nou.

Osasuna dropped into the bottom three after Real Zaragoza's late 1-0 win at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday and will hope to deny Real the title with victory in Pamplona.

If Real fail to defeat Osasuna they can seal the championship at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday in 'El Classico' with foes Barcelona.

“I would prefer to win it as soon as possible,” said Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

“The fans probably don't mind us winning the title in Pamplona. We will try to win on Sunday. Our motto is 'the sooner, the better'.

“It doesn't matter where you win because it is always great to do so.”

www.soccernews.com

Flamini joining, Ronaldinho not, claim Milan

Arsenal’s French midfielder Mathieu Flamini was due to arrive in Milan on Sunday night to sign a deal with AC Milan, club vice-president Adriano Galliani said on Sunday.
He was speaking after Milan beat city rivals Inter to move into fourth spot in Serie A and consequently a Champions League qualification position.

Club president Silvio Berlusconi confirmed the news about Flamini but also said that the reigning European champions were no longer interested in signing Brazil star Ronaldinho.

Asked about Flamini on Italia 1 TV, Galliani said: “He’s coming here tonight and will sign a four-year deal.”

The 24-year-old joined the Gunners from Marseille in 2004 and after being no more than a bit-part player for his first three seasons, he’s become a fixture in the first 11 this season.

Meanwhile Berlusconi did an about turn on Ronaldinho, whom Milan had previously claimed would join them if he left Barcelona.

The Catalans’ asking price of at least 40 million euros is more than double the Italians are willing to pay, though, and now Berlusconi has lost interest.

“I always doubted whether or not Ronaldinho would be useful to us,” he said. “Now I’m certain we don’t need him.”

www.soccernews.com

Are Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and America's women tennis stars all playing patriot games?

sábado, 3 de maio de 2008

Some of the top US men aren't going to the Olympics and some of the women didn't play Fed Cup. Isn't this damaging US team spirit?

When I woke up yesterday morning and looked out of the window, I saw a huge funnel of smoke rising in the sky. It looked like the Capitol Records building was on fire but, luckily, it wasn’t. A nightclub in the neighborhood of Hollywood and Vine was burning away.

I’m used to grabbing up my computer, birth certificate, passport, and naturalisation papers, and preparing to evacuate because I live in the Hollywood Hills and fire is a natural part of clearing the underbrush.

I take those naturalisation papers in case there’s any question about my citizenship. I don’t want to be shipped backed to England or arrested by the Homeland Security Department for, oh, I don’t know, growing sprouts. Four years ago, an artist named Steve Kurtz had the misfortune of calling 911 because his wife was dying of heart failure. The paramedics who came to his house noticed that he had a home laboratory and called the FBI.

Kurtz is a professor of art at SUNY Buffalo and he had harmless bacteria in his petri dishes which he uses in his art projects. He was detained by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Justice Department sought bioterrorism charges under the Patriot Act before settling on mail fraud charges related to purchasing the bacteria. Thankfully, all charges were dropped last week.

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Star Racing Yamaha Announces Division 7 As Title Sponsor

Montclair, CA – April 24, 2008 - Star Racing Yamaha has entered into an agreement with Division 7, Inc. to position Division 7 Quality Insulation Systems as title sponsor for the Team of #35 Broc Tickle, #52 Matt Lemoine, #82 Jake Moss and #99 Wil Hahn.
Division 7, Inc. is a commercial insulation contracting and consulting company that specializes in developing quality insulation systems that utilize the latest material and application technologies. Additionally, Division 7’s consulting arm works with existing insulation contractors to grow their business and reap more return. Trades professionals looking to enter the insulation industry can utilize Division 7 to provide the information, methods and tools to get them started and succeed. Tom Miner spokesman for Division 7 says, “We’re very excited to develop a relationship with Star Racing Yamaha. We see the team as a great way to promote our company to potential new clients. We believe that the motocross audience has a good percentage of contractors, trades people and entrepreneurs that are ideal candidates from our consulting services. To win in motocross it takes dedication, technology and hard work which is exactly what it takes to win in the insulation business. It’s not easy but when you win, it’s all worth it!”

Bobby Regan Team Manager for Division 7 Star Racing Yamaha adds, “The Division 7 Folks have been great to work with. They have a vision and work ethic for their business that very much aligns with ours. It’s also great to see more out of industry investment in the sport. We’re thrilled that they chose to support our program and we’re looking forward to helping them meet their goals both on and off the track”

www.motocross.com

Ferdinand wants England armband

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand admitted Saturday he would like the England captaincy on a regular basis.
But the 29-year-old said he would not “shrivel up and go into a shell” if he is overlooked by Fabio Capello.

Ferdinand captained England for the friendly with France in March and also took the Manchester United armband during Gary Neville's long-term absence through injury.

Capello appointed Steven Gerrard as captain in his first match in charge of England and John Terry, the skipper under Steve McClaren, is also a candidate.

Ferdinand told The Sun: “Being the captain of England can never be a hassle.

“It's an honour and privilege. It's not the be-all and end-all for me.

“If I'm not the captain I won't shrivel up and go into a shell.

“It won't affect the way I play or my relationship with the other players.

“If something needs to be said in the dressing room, I'll say it.

“I'll still play with 100 percent commitment. But I'd be lying if I said I would not like the captaincy on a regular basis.

“Of course I want it. Any player would.”

Ferdinand recalled his shock at being handed the captaincy by Capello, saying: “We were having lunch when the manager stood up and everyone went quiet. He just said 'Captain for the game is Ferdinand' and sat down again.

“I didn't know what to do or what to say.

“It was a bit embarrassing really.”

The former West Ham and Leeds defender admits the team are still adapting to Capello, who succeeded former boss McClaren at the end of last year.

“We're all walking on eggshells.

“We all knew Steve McClaren before he got the manager's job but no-one had had any contact with Mr Capello when he took over.

“No-one knows his personality and it's too early to say what the differences will be in terms of tactics and the football he wants.

“The vibe I get from all the lads is that Capello has won just about everything and we need to be like sponges to soak up all the information he gives out.

“I'm sure we'll have a better idea of what he wants after spending a few days with him in Trinidad at the end of the month.”

www.soccernews.com

Saturday is football day

Saturday is here and the finger nails of many fans are getting shorter by the minute. The build up to the big game will be the same as ever. Maybe watch Soccer AM for a while in the morning. Read the Club website and fans forums to see if you get a clue about team selection or any injury news.

Read the paper to see if there’s anything in it about your club. Have the same lunch that you always have on match day and then think about heading off to meet your mates in the pub, at the chippy or at the ground, whatever the ritual always is.

You may have to resist the call to go shopping, mow the grass, clean the car, fix the tap or talk about anything other than football. You might even have to raise your feet off the ground and turn the television up if, horror of horrors; the vacuum cleaner is brought into your room. Hopefully, everyone who needs to know knows by now that Saturday is football day. Nothing else, just football, plain and simple.

How anyone can be expected to think about anything else, or even worse, do anything else, on a Saturday is beyond me. The feeling of excitement, nerves, tension and anticipation are there from the moment you wake up. Don’t disturb me. I’m in the zone, I’ve got to concentrate. I’ve got to focus on the game. If I get distracted, I will be letting the club down. Some people just don’t understand.

It doesn’t matter where you come from or who you support, the feelings and the ritual are just the same. You could be going to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United at the top of the Premier League or Wick Lane to watch Downton at the bottom of the Sydenhams Wessex League. You could be sharing the experience with 77,000 others or with 77 others. It doesn’t matter.

When you get to the ground you have to follow the usual routine. If you always get a programme than you must get a programme. If you don’t get one and your team lose, how will you ever know if things would have been different if you had bought one!?

A beer, a coke or a cup of tea, whatever you always have, and of course, a burger, hot dog or Mars Bar. ‘You’ve just been to the chippy,’ I hear you cry. Doesn’t matter, football isn’t football without a ‘salmonella burger’ or similar.

During the game you will become a useless, thoughtless moron with less than two brain cells to rub together. You are likely to hurl abuse at people you have never met and profess your undying love for grown men that again, you don’t actually know. You may well swear more in a ninety minute period than you do in the whole of the rest of the week. You may shed a tear or leap around like a three year-old. None of these things would you be seen dead doing at any other time or in any other place.

After the game you will either be feeling ten feet tall and ready to take on the world, or be suicidal and promise to anyone that happens to be in your vicinity that you have never seen such rubbish and will not, under any circumstances, set foot in the ground again.

You will obviously have the obligatory drink after leaving the ground so that you can sensibly analyse what you have seen. After the first couple you will start to see things very differently. If it was good, you will be talking of promotion, Europe, being the best club on the planet and what a great feeling being part of such a successful club is. If it was bad, you will have convinced yourself that you were unlucky, you have some great young players and next week, or next season, will be the turning point for the club’s fortunes.

On returning home the other half might suggest going out for a meal, to the cinema, for a drink or to see friends. Unreasonably, she might get a little bit upset with you when you tell her that you’ve had an emotionally draining day and you will only go out if you can be back in time for Match of the Day.

Then after next weekend we hit the barren waste of the close season, unless your team has made the play-offs. This year, in England, we haven’t even got the heroic failure on penalties to look forward to at the European Championships.

You need to keep active in the summer because it easy for boredom to set in without having any footy to watch. You are also met with a great deal of unreasonable behaviour from others. You’ve got a free Saturday so make the most of it. Then the other half says she wants to watch the tennis at Wimbledon. What a waste of a Saturday, there are so many other things you could be doing.

Ibrahimovic winning fitness race for Euro 2008

Sweden's star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic insisted Saturday that he was confident he would be fit for Euro 2008 despite suffering from a lingering knee injury.

“I'll be in good condition to play then,” he told the Swedish regional daily Sydsvenskan.

Ibrahimovic said he was hopeful of finishing the season with his Serie A team Inter Milan.

“There are still three matches left in the league and potentially two in the Cup. Maybe I'll be able to play next Sunday,” added the striker, who missed out on a friendly against Brazil last month because of the knee tendon problem.

Since then he has been undergoing physiotheraphy in his native Malmo.

www.soccernews.com

Evert, Navratilova: Team sports makes tennis in US suffer

segunda-feira, 21 de abril de 2008

It is a dubious distinction for the United States in a sport loved by tens of millions worldwide. There are only three Americans ranked among the top 50 women tennis players in the world.

One of them, Serena Williams, notched her 31st career title on Sunday, winning the $1.3 million Family Circle Cup, defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. It was Williams' third tournament title of the year.

Besides Williams, the only Americans in the Top 50 are her sister, Venus, and Lindsay Davenport.

Why aren't there more Americans among the world's elite?

It's partly due to the allure of team sports and more choices for girls, say tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

"We didn't have players from Croatia when we were playing. We didn't have players from China or any of these countries," said Evert as she sat beside her friend and former tennis rival during a news conference at the Family Circle Cup.


"Tennis is the No. 1 sport in a lot of these countries. There was only tennis, golf and figure skating when we played in America," Evert said.

But now girls can choose from everything from soccer and lacrosse to basketball and softball. "I see the kids feel more comfortable playing a team sport. You have that camaraderie. It's not all that pressure," Evert said.

"So much easier," Navratilova said.

"I just feel like our good athletes are going to other sports, which is great. That means girls have more choices," Evert said.

The two tennis stars, who between them hold 12 Family Circle titles, were back last week for the 35th anniversary of the tournament.

The two, who faced each other in 80 matches - Navratilova holds a 43-37 edge - agreed there is no other time they would have wanted to play.

"I wouldn't have traded being in the '70s and '80s for anything because there was much more camaraderie and much less pressure," Evert said.

"I wouldn't pick a different time period at all," agreed Navratilova. "We were still playing when Billie Jean (King) and Margaret Court and Virginia Wade were still playing at their peak. Then we went through to the next generation of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles."

Evert, who runs a tennis academy, said it may be a few more years before another young American superstar surfaces.

"In the 16s and 18s, I don't see anybody in American tennis," she said. "But I do see some potential in the 12s and 14s ... and I see No. 1s in the world in the 12-and-unders. It's probably going to be another five or six years before we see any."

www.tennisnews.com