RCD ESPANYOL & RAÚL TAMUDO - PARALLELISMS WITH RAÚL GONZALEZ & THE TRUE NATURE OF FOOTBALL CLUBS

Welcome to Fourth Quarter Finish

Fourth Quarter Finish is a blog that will cover NBA news and specifically the Los Angeles Lakers. Feel free to leave comments, suggestions and ideas. Thanks.

San Diego slaughters Vancouver

While the weather in San Diego may have been mercifully cool Wednesday night, the host Sunwaves found another way to turn up the heat on the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps. San Diego scored two early goals on their way to a 4-1 victory, as they moved into top spot in the W-League Western Conference.

Women's Finalists for M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Announced

North Carolina's Yael Averbuch, Notre Dame's Kerri Hanks and North Carolina's Heather O'Reilly are the three finalists for the 2006 women's Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy. The finalists were determined in voting by Division I women's soccer coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Duke 1, Mexico WNT 0

The entire first half was that way as Duke failed to score on numerous chances, and at halftime, the score was 0-0.
The Mexicans went on the attack in the second half, outshooting Duke 19-4.

WPS Draft

1. Boston - Amy Rodriguez
2. Chicago - Megan Rapinoe
3. Bay Area - Christina DiMartino
4. Sky Blue - Yael Averbuch
5. LA - Brittany Bock
6. St. Louis - Kerri Hanks
7. Washington - Allie Long

8. Washington - Alex Singer
9. St. Louis - Kia McNeill
10. LA - Allison Falk
11. Sky Blue - Megan Schnur
12. Bay Area - Carrie Dew
13. Chicago - Nikki Krzysik
14. Chicago - Brittany Klein

15. Boston - Kasey Moore
16. Chicago - Natalie Spilger
17. Bay Area - Tiffany Weimer
18. Sky Blue - Karen Bardsley
19. LA - Katie Larkin
20. St. Louis - Stephanie Logterman
21. St. Louis - Elise Weber

22. Washington - Jill Gilbeau
23. Washington - Parrissa Eyorokon
24. LA - Greer Barnes
25. Sky Blue - Christie Shaner
26. Bay Area - Marisa Abegg
27. Chicago - Jen Branam
28. Chicago - Chioma Igwe

29. Boston - Jennifer Nobis
30. Chicago ! - Stacey Tullock
31. Bay Area - Ameera Abdullah
32. Sky Blue - Julianne Sitch
33. LA - Val Henderson
34. St. Louis - Nikki Cross
35. Washington - Briana Scurry

36. Washington - Rebecca Moros
37. St. Louis - Jill Loyden
38. LA - Katie Hooker
39. Sky Blue - Jen Buczkowski
40. Bay Area - Leigh Ann Robinson
41. Boston - Kelly Schmedes
42. Boston - Ariel Harris

43. Boston - Lindsay Vera
44. Chicago - Lauren Sesselmann
45. Bay Area - Brandi Chastain
46. Sky Blue - Ouying Zhang
47. LA - McCall Zerboni
48. St. Louis - Lisa Stoia
49. Washington - Sarah Senty

50. Washington - Kati Jo Spisak
51. St. Louis - Megan Kerns
52. LA - Brittany Cameron
53. Sky Blue - Mary Therese McDonnell
54. Bay Area - Allison Whitworth
55. Chicago - Kat Tarr
56. Boston - Ashley Nick

57. Boston - Allison Martino
58. Chicago - Jessica O'Rourke
59. Bay Area - Alissa Oldenkamp
60. Sky Blue - Mele Fre! nch
61. LA - Erica Janke
62. St. Louis - Sheree Gray
63. Washington - Claire Zimmeck

64. Washington - Christen Karniski
65. St. Louis - Lydia Vandenbergh
66. LA - Lisa Sari
67. Sky Blue - Fanta Cooper
68. Bay Area - Stacie Alberico
69. Boston - Stacy Bishop
70. Boston - Jaimel Johnson

F1 : 2008 - VW and Porsche refuse to join F1

Monday 21 April 2008
I already heard some rumors last time that VW and Porsche would like to join an F1 in the near future, but bot of them denied the possibility. The reason was that they think the cost is just too high, lets say around USD 300 Millions per year. Its just wasting money they said... But wait, there is another reason, they 'said' that Mr. Mosley's sex scandal really hurts the sporting world and it would not be particularly savory to join now.

I just wonder, maybe the second reason is more appropriate ! than the first one, because in that sex movie Mr. Mosley spoke an English with a blur German's accent (Nazi style), that perhaps make the Germans feel so sick of it.

On the other hand, Mr. Mosley refused to step down this year, he will fight like a log :-) ups, sorry :_) he said he only resign when he thinks the time has come and it will be (probably) in 2009. OK, take your time sir...

Massa Upbeat after First Win

Ferrari's Brazillian driver, Felipe Massa, says it feels good to get his first points of the season.

Massa led practically from start to finish at this past weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, pipping his teammate Kimi Raikkonen to the chequered flag.

Pole-sitter Robert Kubica finished the race in third place and pushed BMW-Sauber to the top of the constructors standings ahead of Ferrari and McLaren.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton didn't have a great weekend, slamming into the tyre barriers during Friday's free practice and colliding with double world champion Fernando Alonso during the actual race. He finished 13t! h.

Hamilton's teammate Heikki Kovalainen did pick up some points for the team though, bringing his McLaren home in fifth place.

The circuit moves to Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix on the 27th of April.

4 uncapped players in Bok squad

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers included four uncapped players in his squad of 30 players for the Vodacom Incoming Tours tests against Wales and Italy. Andries Bekker, Tendai Mtawarira, Brian Mujati and Odwa Ndungane have been rewarded for their form in the Vodacom Super 14.

"It wasn't easy cutting down the squad to 30, and that is how it should always be," said De Villiers. "A lot of guys put up their hands and I want to make it clear that the Springbok door is not shut to anyone.

"The squad was picked entirely on mer! it, and every player named deserves his spot. I congratulate them all and look forward to the challenges of Wales and Italy that are now upon us."

Selectors Peter Jooste and Ian McIntosh also expressed their satisfaction at a "well balanced squad, with the right mix of youth and experience".

The squad assembles in Bloemfontein on Sunday 1 June.

Backs:
Gcobani Bobo, Tonderai Chavhanga, Bolla Conradie, Jean de Villiers, Peter Grant, Bryan Habana, Adrian Jacobs, Butch James, Conrad Jantjes, Ricky Januarie, Percy Montgomery, Odwa Ndungane, Ruan Pienaar and Francois Steyn.

Forwards:
Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, BJ Botha, Bismarck du Plessis, Ryan Kankowski, Victor Matfield, Tendai Mtawarira, Brian Mujati, Danie Rossouw, John Smit (c), Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthrö Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde, Joe van Niekerk and Luke Watson.

The following players were not considered because of injury:
Heini Adams, Meyer ! Bosman, Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Zane Kir! chner, W ikus van Heerden and Duanne Vermeulen.

Day two Wimbledon action

We got our first glimpse of Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon today. The Spaniard has advanced to the second round after he defeated German Andreas Beck.

The world number two won both the first and second set 6-4 with ease, however the third was not as simple, as the game went to a tie-break. Nadal then showed his brilliance taking all break points getting him a 7-6 win.

Nadal says it was a strange match as the there weren't many points from the baseline as he plays mostly from the baseline. He will face Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the second round.

Venus William be! at local favourite Naomi Cavaday 7-6, 6-1 to book her place in the next round with Maria Sharapova joining her after overcoming Stephanie Foretz 6-1, 6-4.

England going steady

England are powering on in the fourth test against England at The Oval. Kevin Pietersen is proving to be a thorn in the Proteas side as he has just reached his 50.

Eng 144/3

Another 'Tour de Lance'?

American cyclist Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement and bid for an eighth Tour de France title. Thats according to a report on the VeloNews website today. Armstrong, who will turn 37 on September 18, is poised to join the Astana team and compete in five road races, according to a report that cited "sources familiar with the developing situation". The Tour de France has been hit regularly by drug scandal, and many feel that it requires a cyclist with 'film-star' appeal to draw the interest back for the race. Lance Armstrong could be that man, and his attempts to get back the glory days, should this story not be 'smoke and mirrors', is sure to result in compulsive viewing.

Hamilton, Massa or Murphy in Brazil?

At last, the time for the talking is over. Ferrari's threats to pull out of F-1 if a proposed plan for a sole engine and transmission supplier goes ahead are taking some headlines, but when the cars are removed from the ! travel-containers, the focus will move back to business in Brazil.

During the week leading up to China, the weight on the shoulders of Lewis Hamilton was enourmous. The title was his to lose, and virtually everyone was predicting that he would self-destruct during the run in. Then came his total control of the entire weekend, ending with a lights to flag win. His body language and post race emotions showed a new Lewis Hamilton. He was calm, cool and more importantly, seemed to be far more focused and 'measured' in his reaction. It was all about a new approach to discipline, and Ron Dennis dropped the clue when reminding Lewis on the radio after he took the flag, and I quote: "Remember to keep the discipline Lewis".

I have every confidence that Lewis will maintain that approach in Brazil, and as Felipe Massa feels the weight of a nation on his shoulders, it will be Lewis who will be left to remain calm, and get the job finished. But ! then there is always the mechanical factor. And the fact that ! it's the final round, a race that Murphy just loves to visit to apply some laws.

Cobras Raring to Play at Home

The Nashua Cape Cobras are itching to get onto the pitch at Sahara Park Newlands for the first time this season.


The ground staff have been hard at work ahead of Sunday's MYN Championship match against the Nashua Dolphins, while the players have been putting in the work on the field and in the nets.

Inside Sahara Park Newlands the outfield is looking green and ground staff are applying the final touches to the surface ahead of the first match here this season.

In the nets the players refine their skills afte! r a tough fitness session this morning.

Opening batsman, Andrew Puttick, says the players are up for the match. "It's been a really long time since we last played at Newlands."

"We haven't been at Newlands since last season, so we're looking forward to seeing what it's like. I'm sure it's going to be a very good wicket. The new groundsman's doing a brilliant job under difficult circumstances. So, ja, it should be a good wicket for one day cricket."

Puttick will have a bit more responsibility on his shoulders with Herschelle Gibbs starting his one month break from cricket on Monday.

Meanwhile, he says they've not yet hit their best form. "Even though we're not playing as well as we can play, we're still winning games, so it's a good sign."

Fast bowler, Francois Plaatjies has been rested during the net session today, but he too is looking forward to his first match at the famous ground.

Breakfast Headlines

Rugby:

The Stormers are preparing to fly out on Thursday for the Australisian leg of their Super 14 and coach rassie Erasmus has got some injury concerns to look at before they leave. An impressive win over the Lions on saturday has left some casualties, winger Nick Koster and hooker Deon Fourie have both been ruled out of the tour to NZ and Australia. Tonderai Chavanga will also stay at home for another three weeks, as he looks to recover from a hamstring injury. The Stormers have a bye this weekend.

Meanwhile Sharks' and Springbok flyhalf Ruan Pienaar will return home after injuring his knee in Saturday's loss to the Reds in Brisbane.

Closer to home, UCT are playing for a home semi-final when they meet Pukke in Potchefstroom tonight. The Cape Town boys are second on the log on 24 points, three behind provincial rivals Maties. Both Cape sides have secured their places in the semis but the boys from Ste! llenbosch need a win over Tukkies to end top of the log.
Pukke, Tukkies, UJ and Shimlas will fight it out for the remaining semi-final spots. Maties coach, Chean Roux, says despite their strong log position, he won't be tempted into fielding a second string team.


Soccer:

Ajax Cape Town were 3-2 winners over Zimbabwean team Monomotapa at the Boland Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. The Urban Warriors face a tough challenge going to Zim for the next leg as their opponents have two away goals

In the PSL Santos continued with their inconsistent football when they lost 1-0 to Maritzbirg United. The loss means the team remain in eight place.

Everyone is talking obout Liverpool's sensational win at Old Trafford, where they silenced the Theatre of dreams, but Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink insists that the Premier League title race has still got some way to run after the! Blues narrowed the gap on leaders Manchester United to just f! our poin ts, with a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

Aston Villa's Champions League hopes suffered another setback when they were beaten 2-1 at home by Tottenham. Trips to Liverpool and Manchester United await Villa.

Cricket:

In the Superspoprt series, the match between the Nashua Cape Cobras and the Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg has ended in a draw, as did the game between the Titans and the Warriors.

The Cobras reached 300 for two in their second innings, giving them an overall lead of 215 runs over the Dolphins, before both captains agreed to call the match off with an hour's play still remaining.

Centuries from Alistair Gray and Stiaan van Zyl were the high points of the day's play as the pair combined to put on 200 runs, off 355 balls, for the second-wicket. Gray went for 131, Stiaan was unbeaten on 103,


In the West Indies, Ramnaresh Sarwan rattled off a quick 59 from ! 46 balls to help the West Indies to a six-wicket win over England in their Twenty20 International at Queen's Park Oval.

England were bowled out for just 121 in 19.1 overs after they were sent in to bat, and West Indies replied with 123 for four from 18 overs. Eng captain Andrew Strauss said afterwards that it just wasnt good enough..N011


Some good news for the Proteas, it appears as if Graeme Smith will be ready for the 1st ODI, a 2nd X-ray on his broken finger on Friday showed it mending well.

Athletics:

Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Tsholofelo Thipe were outstanding in the afternoon session on the second day of the Yellow Pages SA Senior Championships in Stellenbosch yesterday. Four athletes reached the tough IAAF A qualifying standards for the World Championships in Berlin in August. Maulaudzi set one of the fastest times in the country for a long time of 1:44. Thipe did a 1:51:15 in the ! 400. Two of the other highlights on the second day were the ne! w SA rec ord of 8:16, 04 by Ruben Ramolefe (CGA) in the 3000m steeplechase and Simon Makgakwe's (ANWN) A qualifier of 10, 21 secs in the 100 metres.

Golf:

Phil Mickelson overcame a worrying health scare to edge a close final round with fellow American Nick Watney and win the WGC-CA Championship by one stroke yesterday. Mickleson was taken to hospital after the 3rd round suffering from dehydration and exhaustion.

Tiger Woods was never in the hunt but produced a tidy 68 to tie for ninth, eight strokes off the pace.

Motorsport:

The new Brawn F-1 team continues to top the testing times, the teams are in Jerez in Spain. Spaniard Fernando Alonso was 2nd in the Renault which he set in the afternoon, after he'd lost most of the morning session due to a huge accident that resulted in considerable damage to the front end of his car.

Belgian Grand Prix: Hamilton Wins like a Champ

McLaren-Mercedes driver, Lewis Hamilton won a dramatic and chaotic Belgian Grand Prix in fine, dare I say, World Championship fashion. He demonstrated his driving ability as well as his grit, determination and downright competitive spirit. He has good fortune on his side, but the skill and poise demonstrated today will make Hamilton a legend in the sport. All of this praise for Hamilton comes at the expense of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen who was out muscled by Hamilton but still had an opportunity to close the deal. Alas, he threw the race away in the final laps as rain hit the track and he crashed out. Early season powerhouse BMW-Sauber ha! s fallen on hard times with their performance, but have stolen a podium place with driver Nick Heidfeld after making a shrewd call with the tires at the end of the race and claiming 3rd.

Hamilton extends his points lead over Ferrari's Felipe Massa to 8 points and defending World Champion Kimi Raikkonen might have thrown away his chance to defend his title as he is overtaken in the standings by BMW-Sauber driver Robert Kubica. Raikkonen is now 23 points behind World Championship leader Hamilton.

In regards to this weekend's Points of Interest:

1. Williams. Rosberg confirms his speed advantage over Nakajima who struggled with pace and grip. Williams appears to have the advantage over Honda now. Perhaps this is confirming that Honda has now completely set its sights on the 2009 season. Red Bull is still superior to Williams, but they seem to be lacking in performance in relation to Williams and the Red Bull! junior team, Toro Rosso.

2. Toro Rosso. They! have co nfirmed that their package is for real. Bourdais and Vettel put in very solid drives and Bourdais nearly stole his own podium position at the end of race, but the staying out of dry tires hurt him. The chassis is good and Ferrari power has given them an edge that should help them in the final races of the season, as now they are in a position to challenge for 6th in the Constructor's Title. If they can manage the feat, they would beat Honda, Williams and Red Bull Racing; a great accomplishment. They are firmly a mid-field team now and not a tail-end team.

3. Speed differential. It is was very similarly dispersed as it was in qualifying. Ferrari and McLaren have a power advantage as well as superior aerodynamics. BMW has power, but one wonders about their aerodynamic efficiency. Renault have a good chassis, but questions about their power is keeping them from regular podiums.

A performance worth noting is that of Renault's Fernando! Alonso. He has demonstrated his abilities as a team leader and his abilities as a car developer. Perhaps the recent Monza tests proved to be a gold mine of knowledge and learning the combination of tires and chassis. His performance at Spa is indicative of the talent behind the wheel matched with racecraft that is second to none. I firmly believe that Alonso will be at Renault next season.

1. Hamilton

2. Massa

3. Heidfeld

4. Alonso

5. Vettel

6. Kubica

7. Bourdais

8. Glock

9. Webber

10. Kovalainen

11. Coulthard

12. Rosberg

13. Sutil

14. Nakajima

15. Button

16. Trulli

17. Fisichella

18. Raikkonen

Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:47.930

Kuyt Surprised By Pennant Blast

Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt has expressed his surprise after being criticised by former team-mate Jermaine Pennant.

Pennant left Anfield on a free transfer to join Real Zaragoza in the summer after three seasons with the Reds.

He recently blasted Kuyt - who took Pennant's place in Benitez's side - labelling the Dutchman as a failed forward who was accommodated in the team because of his high transfer fee.

While Reds boss Rafa Benitez has since leapt to Kuyt's defence, the Dutchman himself refuses to get into a war of words.

He told ! the News of the World: "I have nothing bad to say about him.

"It's up to Jermaine what he says but I always enjoyed having him as a team-mate so I was surprised by what he said."

Liverpool take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and Kuyt insists he will be fully focused on the job in hand.

He said: "When I step on the pitch I don't think about anything except winning the game and enjoying myself as much as possible.

"We've done well, played some unbelievable games and gone really close, but we know we have to do more and push even harder.

"We've consistently shown we can beat the best teams in the Premier League, especially last season. Now we have to show it again."

Gillett Impressed By Saudi Visit Over Academies

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett claims to have been ''pleasantly surprised'' on a visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss new club academies.

Liverpool recently announced they had reached an agreement with Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulla of Saudi Arabia to set up a number of academies in the Middle East.

Prince Faisal's F6 investment company have been linked with buying a stake in Liverpool but Gillett spoke only of opportunities to work together today.

''The facilities here are as nice as any I have seen in the world,'' the American said on Sky Sports News. ''I was very pleasantly surprised. I think there are some wonderful opportunities for us to work together.

''We have an appreciation for the respect the government of Saudi Arabia has for the youth of this country. They are committed to both facilities and program to bring youth to a higher level in all sports, but particul! arly in football.''

Prince Faisal also stressed the purpose of the visit was to discuss sporting development in the country and region.

He said: ''Definitely we look forward to any kind of venture between clubs in Saudi Arabia and Liverpool in transfer of knowledge, experience and implementation of Liverpool academy and philosophy in Saudi Arabia. 'This is the main thing and this is what we are discussing.''

However, he spoke only in general terms when asked about the possibility of investing in clubs.

''We have an eye for many opportunities in Europe, Asia, North America, South America,'' he said.

Hertha Linked With Forward Duo

Hertha Berlin general manager Michael Preetz has refused to deny speculation linking them with a move for Andriy Voronin.

Reports in the German press have suggested that Hertha are eyeing a winter move for the Liverpool striker, who spent a spell on loan at the club last season, as well as Wolfsburg attacker Ashkan Dejagah.

Hertha are currently rock-bottom of the German Bundesliga after a terrible start to the campaign, and they have been linked with a move for the duo as they attempt to turn their season around.

Preetz refused to deny the claims linking them with the pair, conceding that he will have to wait till ! the transfer window opens to sign attached players.

"We are only able to buy unattached players at this point this season and there is no unattached player able to help this club," he told spox.com.

"I am only willing to look at the situation right now and I have faith in the manager and the team."

Hertha take on Borussia Dortmund on Friday looking to improve on their existing tally of four points from 10 games.

MotoGP representatives visit Geo Technology

Friday, 11 December 2009

Swiss-based engine specialist will be in charge of looking after the new generation 600cc Moto2 engines.

On December 10th, MotoGP representatives Vito Ippolito (FIM President) and Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna Sports CEO) visited the Geo Technology installations in Roche, Switzerland, near Lausanne.

Led by Osamu Goto, a respected engineer and designer for Honda and Ferrari in F1, Geo Technology will ensure the preparation and maintenance of the Honda-designed Moto2 engine which will debut in the new 4-stroke 600cc class in 2010.

Mr Ippolito and Mr Ezpeleta had the opportunity to check out the first Moto2 engine and were pleased with the progress made by Geo Technology, as the company recently received the very first unit of the 600cc engine which will be made available to the Moto2 teams ahead of the 2010 season.

Dorna Sports SL CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said: “The FIM representatives together with the President and ourselves visited Geo Technology and saw everything, and we are very happy with the work they are doing.”

MotoGP changes for 2012

Friday, 11 December 2009

FIM President Vito Ippolito and Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta confirm engine capacity changes, which will come into effect for the 2012 season.

Today the Grand Prix Commission members reconvened in Geneva at the FIM headquarters to discuss future developments for the MotoGP World Championship.

Following talks between MotoGP’s governing body the FIM, series rights holder Dorna Sports and the MSMA, the Commission agreed to change the maximum engine capacity of the MotoGP class to 1000cc for the 2012 season. A limit of 4 cylinders will also be introduced, with a maximum cylinder bore measurement of 81 mm.

Mr Ippolito said: “The main changes we have decided on are new rules for the MotoGP class. We will have four cylinder engines, 4-stroke of course, with a 1000cc maximum, and the bore of the cylinders will be 81mm. This base will give all the manufacturers the opportunity to start work. At the beginning of next year we will produce the new rules in a more complete format, but that is the basis; 2012 will be the year of a new era of MotoGP.”

Mr Ezpeleta stated: “It was a very important meeting to decide the future of the MotoGP class. From 2012 the bikes will have an engine capacity of up to 1000cc, have up to four cylinders and the maximum bore will be 81mm. It’s a very important measurement because with this we can have all the characteristics of the engine. This has been approved and between now and the start of the 2010 season we will have another two meetings to define the rest of the specifications for this new class.”

Timeline of engine changes in recent years:

2002 - Introduction of 990cc 4-stroke MotoGP (instead of 2-stroke 500cc).
2007 - Maximum engine capacity reduction from 990cc to 800cc.
2009-2010 – Maximum engine usage (6 engines per rider in 2010).
2012 - Maximum engine capacity increased to 1000cc, with a limit of 4 cylinders and a maximum 81mm cylinder bore.

Several minor technical rules change were also announced for 2010, alongside further regulations related to the new Moto2 class. All are available here.

De Angelis and Team Scot together in Moto2

Monday, 14 December 2009

Agreement reached between former MotoGP rider and Cirano Mularoni’s team for the inaugural 2010 Moto2 season.

Alex de Angelis will change class next season and race in Moto2 for Team Scot, in the debut season of the 4-stroke 600cc category.

The San Marinese rider confirmed to motogp.com on Monday that he had put pen to paper on a one-year deal, and said: “Next year I will race with Scot Moto2 in a team structure that is practically all San Marinese.”

“The headquarters of Cirano (Mularoni, Team Manager) is no more than 500 metres from my home and I worked with the chief mechanic (Pietro Caprara) in my last two seasons in 250cc. As a team base, it is very encouraging.”

De Angelis also explained the objective of his one-year deal, adding: “The contract is only for one year because the aim is to return to MotoGP as soon as possible.”

Mularoni stated: “We’ve been thinking of Alex de Angelis as a potential rider for our team for a long time. We will start in Moto2, an innovative class, having secured a World title (in the 250cc class with Hiroshi Aoyama) and our team aspires to have the strongest rider line-up.”

De Angelis will line-up alongside Niccolò Canepa next season.

Official Season Review and Evolution of a Species DVDs now available

Monday, 14 December 2009

Three new official MotoGP DVDs are available in the UK now: MotoGP Review 2009, 250 and 125cc Review 2009, and Evolution of a Species.

Duke Video has released three superb DVDs in the UK in time for Christmas, and you can order yours before the festive period.

MotoGP Review 2009 charts the premier class season in which Valentino Rossi won his ninth World Championship title. The official and definitive review of the full campaign is packed with action from all 17 rounds of the year, and documents the title battle between Fiat Yamaha team-mates Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo as it unfolded. Click here for more information on the DVD.

The 250 & 125cc Review 2009 covers the highs and lows of the last ever quarter-litre class title, as well as the fight for the single-cylinder championship. Hiroshi Aoyama’s historical triumph in the 250cc class and Julián Simón’s success over British team-mate Bradley Smith at the 125cc level are both revisited, with essential action highlights from each round of both championships. You can find out further details here.

The Evolution of a Species DVD is one for the die-hard MotoGP fan, as detailed attention is paid to the story of how the motorcycles on today’s grid have developed since the first days of the 4-stroke machines in 2002. The stories behind the Ducati Desmosedici, Honda RCV, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR, Suzuki GSV-R and Yamaha YZR-M1 are all explained, with interviews from Crew chiefs, team bosses and top engineers. Rossi, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden and legends Mick Doohan, Freddie Spencer and Max Biaggi are some of the riders who give an insight into what it is really like to ride a MotoGP bike. Plenty of close-ups, behind-the-scenes footage from garages and racing clips make for superb viewing, and there is also a look at the new Moto2 prototypes as well. Everything you need to know is here.

Special offer - save 10% on the Official MotoGP 2009, MotoGP 125/250 2009 Review and MotoGP Evolution of a Species from DukeVideo.com – please enter discount code moto at the checkout (offer ends 31st December 2009).

GPE: An ambitious project for Moto2

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

The Spanish company will expand its presence in the CEV Buckler 2010 by supplying motorcycles and spare parts to various teams, and in 2011 could move into the World Championship.

GPE participated in this year’s CEV Buckler (Spanish National Championship) under the team name AJR La Selva, and has now announced its plans to provide motorcycles and related parts to teams competing in the Spanish Championship in 2010. Those responsible at GPE say they have received firm orders from teams and that they plan to develop their presence in the new Moto2 category as well.

“At the moment there are two bikes that we run in the CEV Buckler; the factory bike of Daniel Arcas and that of Pablo Barrios. Additionally, we have seven firm orders and if all goes well they will be delivered by the end of this year, or early next,” explained Pepe Pardo, Organisation and Development Director at GPE.

“Our main objective is to make motorcycles for our customers, develop our bike in the CEV and have a motorcycle at the top level. With our manufacturing capacity we could have 15 to 20 units in the CEV by 2010. It is a reasonable target and we hope to reach that amount. We believe the most important thing is that the bike functions very well and we’ve already demonstrated this. We also do it at a very competitive cost and use all our experience; these are our strengths.”

Looking further ahead, the aim for GPE incorporates a move onto the World Championship stage as well.

“Our immediate project is making bikes for CEV, but it would be of great benefit to compete in the World Championship,” said Pardo. “Our idea is to become established in the Spanish Championship, demonstrate the potential of the bike and build a solid base for sponsors so we can seek to participate in the Moto2 category in 2011 with a serious team and the possibility of success.”

Pons Racing end 2009 with Almeria test

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

The Spanish Moto2 team conclude their 2009 activity with a two-day test at the Almeria circuit.

Pons Racing’s preparations for the first Moto2 season in 2010 continued this week in Almeria, as both Axel Pons and Sergio Gadea further tested the Pons Kalex prototype at the track.

Sharing the circuit with other Moto2 teams, the two-day test was affected somewhat by weather conditions with the track. Low temperatures on Monday added to moisture on the asphalt from the previous day’s rain, but on Tuesday the situation improved and both Pons and Gadea were able to continue work on the Pons Kalex prototype.

Pons and Gadea again shared the prototype, as they did at Valencia last week, with the former completing 45 laps and registering a best lap time of 1’39.9, whilst Gadea made 30 turns of the track and posted a quickest time of 1’39.7.

Scott Redding also tested the Pons Kalex machine in Almeria, after Julián Simón, Mike di Meglio and Héctor Faubel all rode the bike at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit last week. The British rider reported similarly positive feedback as well.

“The prototype will be travelling to Germany, where we will make final adjustments. We’ll also begin work on the second bike with different specifications,” explained Team Manager Sito Pons. “Therefore, at the next test we will be complete, with both bikes for the two riders plus all the technical staff who will form our new project in Moto2 in 2010. I’m very satisfied with how everything is working with the bike, and I think these two tests have been very positive. We’re taking this small break over Christmas with a much clearer picture.”

The Pons Kalex team will return to the track at Jerez on January 21 and 22.

Elías closer to knowing Moto2 future

Monday, 14 December 2009

The Spanish rider is waiting to find out how his 2010 season will shape up, with a Moto2 deal with Gresini a possibility.

Moto2 teams enjoy positive feedback

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

A number of teams concluded the two-day test at Almeria with good results.

There were a selection of teams testing their prototypes at Almeria over a two-day test, with weather conditions affecting day one on Monday before a clearer outlook on Tuesday allowed further action on the track.

Czech rider Karel Abraham set the fastest lap of the test on his FTR M210 with a best time of 1’39.0, and the manufacturer confirmed after the test they are in negotiations with a total of six Grand Prix teams and five Spanish Championship teams with a view to FTR Moto being their chosen constructor.

FTR Director Steve Bones stated: “We’ll now get to work on the final 2010 plans and conclude the ongoing negotiations with teams interested in racing the M210 in the World and Spanish Championships and other events that we’ve received enquiries about.”

Stefan Bradl and Vladimir Leonov were also in attendance as they enjoyed their first contact with their Suter MMX bikes. The Viessmann Kiefer Racing pair set best times of 1’41.9 and 1’42.4 respectively.

Promoracing pair Joan Olivé and Kenny Noyes continued work on their Promo-Harris bikes, while Pons Racing were also present as Axel Pons and Sergio Gadea amassed further laps on the Pons Kalex machine with Scott Re

Sexy Young Girl Photo

Idol girl from Japan. Face Asian which is sweet, original and soft. Model who is chummy with the photographer, journalist and crew TV.

Young Girls Model with Unique and Artistic

Young Girls Model with Unique and Artistic

Hewitt takes a pair

By John Hopkins

HAMILTON, ON -- Danny Hewitt of Cochrane, AB claimed both the Expert 600 and Expert 250 wins at the opening round of the CMA Western Canadian Championship Ice Race series in Rimbey, AB Feb. 20.

Hewitt rode his Honda to victory over the Kawasakis of Calgary's Andy Demsky and Kamloops racer Dan McKenzie in Expert 600.

Demsky placed second in the Expert 250 class while another Cochrane rider, Bryan Watt on a Yamaha placed third.

Other class winners included Carlin Ayerhart (Lethbridge, Yamaha) in Intermediate / Expert 200; Wayne Boylan (Cochrane, Honda) in Intermediate 600; Phil Hooper (Elkford, BC, Yamaha) in Intermediate 250; Stephen Deering (Rimbey, Honda) in Novice 600; Mike Hildebrand (Lethbridge, Honda) in Novice 250; and Valerie Hopwood (Calgary, KTM) in Novice 200.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Lack of snow hits schedule

From WPSA

WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN — The PowerSports Snowmobile Tour Snocross race, scheduled for Jan. 21-22 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City, MI, has been canceled due to lack of snow at the venue. The event has been relocated to Park X of Quadna in Hill City, MN on the same dates and will be renamed the Polaris Park X National.

"We're disappointed to announce the cancellation of the Polaris Grand Traverse Resort national event," said Scott O'Malley, PowerSports Entertainment president. "What makes this most unfortunate is the Resort and the community were so supportive going into this event. The venue staff, in particular, went well out of their way to ensure the success of this event. Their cooperation should be commended. Unfortunately, you can control everything but the weather. Western Michigan remains an important market for the PowerSports Snowmobile Tour and our sponsors, and we hope to return ! there in the future."

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Holmes Bulldogs Basketball Recruits

Below are the ESPN.com scouting reports for four of Holmes High School players on the recruiting trail.

Ricardo Johnson, 6'4 JR. SG:

January, 2009: Johnson is a long armed wing with a great basketball body. He likes to attack the rim and shoot the pull up going to his left. He hangs in the air and draws fouls near the rim and can finish through contact. He can also slash between defenders. He is an excellent defensive rebounder that is a threat to take it coast to coast. Johnson is a good ball handler that can find the open man and remains calm when trapped. Johnson needs to extend his shooting range and improve his open court ball handling when being pressured. Great upside

March, 2009: This athletic wing attacks the rim in transition and in the half court. He is an excellent athlete that can score through contact. Johnson can finish above the rim with a clear path and constantly makes athletic plays on both ends of the f! loor. When in rhythm he can knock down the spot up three with time and space.

Scouts Grade: 85
Considering: Bradley, Xavier, Indiana


Jeremiah Johnson 6'4 JR. SG:

January, 2009: This athletic wing is strong and excels in transition and in the half court by attacking the rim. Johnson can knock down the open three when his feet are set. He is also an excellent rebounder that can gain possession of the ball in and out of his area as he sprints in from the perimeter. Johnson competes and flat out attacks defenders off the dribble. He can score through contact on a regular basis. Johnson is a good on ball defender and is capable of defending all three perimeter positions. He must continue to improve his ball handling and extend his shooting range to take game to next level. Johnson is a physical presence on the perimeter with good upside.

March, 2009: Johnson is a very aggressive high energy wing that can h! it the open three off the catch with time and space. He is a t! errific defensive rebounder for his size and is a good enough ball handler to immediately start the fast break. Johnson is another excellent Holmes athlete that is an above the rim finisher with a clear path. Johnson also excels in transition as he sprints the floor for easy baskets.

Scouts Grade: 82
Schools Considering: None listed

Elijah Pittman 6'7 JR SF

March, 2009: Pittman is a long athlete that has a body built for hoops. He is thin and must add strength but is athletic and has great length. Pittman can finish above the rim in traffic in transition as well as in the half court when motivated. He sprints the floor in transition and loves to spot up for three in the corner where he can make the defense pay with time and space. On the glass Pittman is an asset as well. He has the ability to rebound in and out of his area on both ends. He must improve his scoring moves off the dribble if he wants to be a small forward at the! next level but he has excellent upside.

January, 2009: Pittman is a long athlete that runs the floor very well. He prefers to play on the perimeter where he spots up on the three point line. Pittman can knock down the open three with time and space. His jumper is more of a set shot with a low release but his follow through is excellent. He can also put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. Pittman likes to attack along the baseline and from the high post area. He can score on floaters in between defenders with great touch and concentration on the rim. He is a terrific shot blocker on or away from the ball and has excellent timing. Pittman is skilled and as he adds strength most of the negative parts of his game will improve. He is an excellent looking prospect with great upside.

Scouts Grade: 87
Schools Considering: Kentucky

Kevon Rice 6'6 Soph. G/F

January, 2009: Rice has good size and is a g! ood athlete. He is very aggressive and looks to make scoring p! lays fro m the wing and by running the floor in transition. This lefty is an excellent slasher especially with his strong hand. He can spilt defenders and elevate over taller opponents in the lane. He does a great job of drawing fouls as well. He is very confident and plays with swagger. Rice does a good job of hitting the offensive glass. He keeps the ball alive with his long arms and is good for a least one tip in. Rice needs to add strength and work on his right hand in addition to extending his shooting range but has terrific upside.

March 20009: Rice is a young wing that is silky smooth. This lefty is skilled with an excellent mid range pull up jumper. He is tough to stop going to his left because he can elevate and shoot over smaller defenders. Rice also does a great job at reading penetration and spotting up behind the arc where he can knock down the open three and stretch the defense to its breaking point. He is also a good passer with excellent touch on his passe! s where he gets teammates the ball while they are in scoring position. Rice needs to get stronger and continue to work on his ball handling and develop scoring moves going to his right but he plays with great confidence and a scorers mentality and has off the charts upside.

Scouts Grade: 88
Schools Considering: None at this time

Let Pujols be the Hero

All eyes have been fixed on St. Louis this week with the MLB All-Star festivities taking place in the Gateway to the West. And the Cardinals have taken the opportunity to showcase their greatest talent, Albert Pujols. Pujols has been everywhere this week, from taking cuts at the Home Run derby to doing press with ESPN. And Albert is not disappointing so far. In his interviews he has stayed very humble and shown a higher knowledge of the game and a respect for its past. In an era where so many mega stars have been exposed as cheaters Albert Pujols continues to put up gaudy numbers without ever being tested positi! ve for steroids. Of course there will be speculation, that is the culture that we live in now. But in a recent article with USA today Pujols stated that he would be tested every day for steroids and if he ever tested positive he would repay every dollar that the Cardinals organization has paid him throughout his career. I believe him. Pujols is very fun to watch at the plate, I really think kids should rally around this man who is a good father, good man, and a great baseball player. Check out the full story here.

New Survival Game

Okay, I have thought of a new survival game that I think will be fun. Since all of us are still in the survival pool we are going to add some categories. Here is how it will work. There will be four categories. Just like a regular survival pool you can select one team/player. Once you have used that team or player you cannot use them for the rest of the season. The way this will work if you loose one of the categories that week you will loose that slot. The last man standing will win. I will have a prize for the winner of this contest that will be distributed once the winner is decided. To register for this contest you must put your picks in this week.

Winning Team: Select a team who you think will win that week.
100 Yard Rusher: Select a player who you think will rush for 100 yards or more.
200 Yard Passer: Select a player who you think will pass for more than 200 yards.
1 TD! Reception: Select a player who you think will catch a TD reception.

You can select any position player for any of the player categories.

Any questions hit the comments section and I will answer them for you. Also post your picks in the comments.

A couple things to get off my chest...

I'll post my updated UFC rankings sometime this week, but before I do that, I have to rant on a few things.

Now I have to warn you, none of which I am about to rant about is sports-related, but it all happened en route to a sporting event (Celtics game v. the Bobcats) last Friday night. So I'll make an exception.

This is a classic "Grind my gears" session ala Peter Griffin. So to get things started properly, without further ado:

Ya know what really grinds my gears?

For anyone that has ever lived in a city or at least taken public transit, you know how frustrating the T, or subway train, can be. Not only are they undersized and not roomy enough with sufficient seating, but the drivers constantly pump the brake. So as I stood on the train the other night holding on for dear life, a top 10 pet peeve of mine occurred. The train was packed as it usually is after work and particularly before a Celtics/Bruins game on a train heading into ! North Station. Mind you, I'm holding onto a pole while standing in the middle of the train car. As we approach a stop still traveling at full speed, the driver comes over the loudspeaker and announces, "...approaching Haymaaahhket, train doors open on the right."

Well, some d-bag promptly rose from his seat and tried to get by me. Again, the train was still moving at full speed. Eventually, he forced me to remove my hand from the pole so he could get by and position himself directly in front of the door. Again, the train is still moving at full speed at this point. Naturally, this called for the driver to pump the brake. Terrific. Had it not been for my go-go gadget arm of sorts, I would have landed in the lap of some hobo who probably spent the entire day camped outside Dunkin Donuts until he'd "earned" enough to get a train ride to the liquor store.

Listen, a piece of advice for anyone riding the train or bus anywhere. If you've gotta get of! f, you'll have plenty of time. You're not the only one, so don! 't think the driver is going to assume due to 3 seconds of inactivity that no one is getting off and will shut the door on you. Not only are you one of many getting off, but people are getting on, too. So stay in your freakin' seat and wait till the train stops. You're only inconveniencing everyone else around you and like I said, had it not been for a magical extension of my arm, I may have wiped out.

Ya know what else really grinds my gears?

When you're waiting for a cab and someone just walks right up and stands to the left of you. Anyone with half a brain can do the logical breakdown and realize that when hailing a cab, traffic will be heading from left to right. The other night I had been trying to hail a cab for at least 10 minutes. Not only someone walk right up and stand on my left, but it was a chick, and she was hot.

How do you combat that?

Cab drivers will stop for a hot chick any day of the week. And it's harder for me to get p! issed at someone if she's goddess-like. I let out the it's loud enough for you to hear but you probably won't really hear nor give a crap if you do verbal complaint by voicing, "Are you f*cking kidding me with that as a cab pulled up and practically opened the door for her.

Unbelievable. If you see someone standing on a sidewalk blatantly hailing a cab, feel free to stand on their right and wait for the next one after them. Just because there isn't formal line doesn't mean you can't form one. And if you're going to do it, be a guy so I have a reason to yell at you and possibly fight you.

Finally, there's one last thing that really grinds my gears.

Cab drivers with Blackberry's. What's the reasoning? Got some important e-mails you need to keep up on while driving customers? Unless cab stands are sending out alerts for drivers via e-mail, there's no logical reason for a cab driver to have a better phone than I do.

In more p! leasant news, the Celtics held off a pesky Bobcat squad for a ! 108-100 win. Thanks to Celtic Steve for the tickets. If you're looking for a new kitchen or bath in your home, call him at Kitchens and Bath. How's that for a shameless plug?

-Bess

UFC 93 Results

Sorry for the delay, but in case you missed the latest UFC ppv, here you go:

Undercard:
Dennis Siver beat Nate Mohr by third-round TKO (strikes)
Tomasz Drwal beat Ivan Serati by first-round TKO (strikes)
Eric Schafer beat Antonio Mendes by first-round TKO (strikes)
Martin Kampmann beat Alexandre Barros by second-round TKO (strikes)
John Hathaway beat Thomas Egan by first-round TKO (strikes)

Main card:
Marcus Davis beat Chris Lytle by split decision
Alan Belcher beats Denis Kang by second-round submission (guillotine)
Rousimar Palhares beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision.
Shogun Rua beats Mark Coleman by third-round TKO
Dan Henderon beats Rich Franklin by split decision.

Who will win A.L. Cy Young Award?

Josh Beckett takes the mound tonight for the struggling Red Sox looking to become the major's first 15 game winner. Boston is in a playoff race for the Wild Card, but Beckett might be in an even tighter race for the most prestigious pitching award in the league.

Here our my finalists with a about a month and half left in the season for the American League Cy Young Award, in no particular order.

Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.10, 145 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 10th, Wins - 1st, ERA - 6th, K - 5th)

Roy Halladay (13-5, 2.65, 144 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 1st, Wins - t2nd, ERA - 2nd, K - 6th)

Zach Greinke (11-7, 2.33, 174 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 6th, Wins - t8th, ERA - 1st, K - 3rd)

Felix Hernandez (12-4, 2.72, 158 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 7th, Wins - 5th, ERA - 3rd, K - 4th)

Justin Verlander (13-6, 3.28, 194 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 3rd, Wins - 2nd, ERA - 8th, K - 1st)

It is rarely a closer but if it is it could be one of these two shutdown artists.

Mariano Rivera (35 saves, 1 blown, 1.94 ERA)
K/BB - 57/11

Joe Nathan (29 saves, 3 blown, 1.61 ERA)
K/BB - 58/8

So who do you got? Looking at the numbers I have to lean towards Halladay. He also has the fewest amount of walks with the most innings pitched out of these five starters. I've made it easy to answer the question, just vote on the poll found at the upper right of the page.! If I missed anyone deserving of consideration let me know in the comments section.

-Keefe

Espanyol 2-1 Malaga

Espanyol bagged their first competitive win at their new Cornella-El Prat stadium thanks to a narrow success over Malaga.

The Catalans fought back from behind after Fernando Fernandez had given Malaga the lead with a deflected strike just short of the half-hour mark.

Ben Sahar struck to level the scores after 55 minutes and Ivan Alonso bagged the winner 10 minutes from time to give Mauricio Pochettino's team a second win in four days.

Having secured their la! st ever win at Montjuic against Malaga at the end of last season, the Catalans set out to seal their first success at Cornella against the same opponents.

Veteran striker Raul Tamudo, who scored all three Espanyol goals on that sunny afternoon back in May, was missing through injury for this one.

Captain Ivan De La Pena was also out and Pochettino decided to leave summer signing Shunsuke Nakamura on the bench following his recent injury.

Despite those absences, Espanyol began with an exciting attacking quadrant formed by Jose Callejon, Luis Garcia, Sahar and Ferran Corominas.

Malaga had the first chance after nine minutes when Xavi Torres drilled a low shot straight at Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni from the edge of the area.

Malaga, like Espanyol, came into this game with just three points, having won only one of their previous three matches.

But while Espanyol had lost two before winning their third against Deportivo La Coruna at t! he weekend, Malaga came into this match on the back of two str! aight de feats following an impressive opening day victory over Atletico Madrid.

And they almost went behind after 10 minutes when Gustavo Munua produced a fantastic save to keep out Coro's close-range shot when the forward looked certain to score.

Espanyol's fans were still waiting for their team's first goal at the new stadium in a competitive match and were further frustrated when Fernando's deflected strike gave Malaga the lead after 28 minutes.

The striker tried his luck with an angled drive from the edge of the box and saw his effort deflect off Juan Forlin and in, giving Kameni no chance.

The home side were a little unlucky to go behind but were not imposing themselves on the game either and went in a goal down at the break.

But following half-chances for both sides early in the second half, Sahar headed the equaliser from Coro's cross 10 minutes after the restart.

And the Catalans got the winner 10 minutes from time when substitute Al! onso scored a fine goal.

There appeared little danger as the Uruguayan was set up by fellow substitute Nakamura on the edge of the box.

But Alonso cleverly beat his marker and lashed an unstoppable left-footed drive into the corner to give Espanyol all three points.

After sitting bottom of the league after two games, Espanyol are now eighth, while Malaga are 16th, just a point clear of the drop zone and with Barcelona up next.

Monfils ends title drought

Gael Monfils clinched his second ATP tour title with a 7-6 (7/1) 3-6 6-2 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Open de Moselle.

It was always going to be close in the battle between the top two seeds and so it proved as Kohlschreiber forced Monfils to drop his first set of the tournament.

However, in the end Monfils' serve proved too strong as the Frenchman served up 14 aces.

The turning point in the match came when Monfils broke to take a 4-2 lead in th! e final set.

It brings an end to a finals hoodoo for the world number 13, who had lost his previous six and had not picked up a trophy since 2005.

Rafael Nadal advances to Shanghai Masters final after ninth retirement

Top seed Rafael Nadal profited from the ninth retirement of this week's Shanghai Masters as he advanced into the finals 6-1, 3-0 after fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez retired with a right ankle injury.

Nadal, an injury victim himself twice this season, will play Sunday for his fourth Masters 1000 title of the season, facing Nikolay Davydenko.

The Russian, who was out for nearly three months with a foot and ankle problem until the spring, ended a lengthy confrontation in dramatic fashion, racing through a third-set tiebreak to sweep second-! seed Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1).

The match was a replay of last year's final here at the Tennis Masters Cup, which Djokovic won.

"I played a great match but he was too good. But I've had a great two weeks in China," the Serbian said.

Davydenko said he had gone through a battle. "Today was long and heavy - three hours. It's pretty slow here.

"We had many rallies, just playing baseline, forehand/backhand. That was all for three hours."

Nadal has already qualified for the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London from November 22. Davydenko moved into provisional seventh in the chase for one of the last three spots in the field through his fighting victory.

Nadal leads his career series with the Russian, having taken a victory in the pair's last meeting in the April Barcelona semi-finals.

The Spaniard dominated against his compatriot Lopez over 50 minutes! , with the outsider holding his first serve to love and the! n produc ing little as his physical problems wore him down.

Nadal will be seeking his first title since Rome in May and the sixth of his season, where he stands 61-9.

Lopez, ranked 41st, followed Andy Roddick, Juan Del Potro and six others in failing to finish, a situation which has prompted calls from players for the 11-month ATP season to be shortened.

Lazio 2-1 Villarreal

10-man Lazio picked up a second Europa League Group G win and heaped further misery on hapless Villarreal and their under-pressure coach Ernesto Valverde.

Substitute Tommaso Rocchi scored an injury-time winner for the Italian side.

Villarreal were the better team before the break but went into the interval on level terms only after Sebastian Eguren had cancelled out Mauro Zarate's effort for Lazio.

Lazio dominated the second period, and even the controversial dismissal of Francelino Ma! tuzalem for a supposed dive in the 68th minute failed to stop Davide Ballardini`s men - who continued to create chances until Rocchi slid home Aleksandar Kolarov's low cross in the 92nd minute.

The Italians move on to six points, three behind leaders Salzburg and three above Villarreal.

Villarreal slumped to the bottom of the Primera Division last weekend but began brightly.

Nilmar should have put them ahead after six minutes when he broke clear but shot wide, with only Albano Bizzarri to beat.

Bizzarri was called into action to tip over Eguren's 25-yard drive before saving another long-range effort, this time from Marcos Senna.

It was all Villarreal early on, but they still found themselves trailing after 20 minutes as Lazio netted with their first serious attack of the match.

A quick ball forward picked out Julio Cruz, who turned inside his marker before feeding Zarate on the far side of the box - and he dinked the ball past Diego! Lopez.

Villarreal did not lose heart, and Ruben Cani s! aw a low drive tipped behind by Bizzarri in the 25th minute - before the away team deservedly equalised just before the break.

Joan Capdevila sent over a brilliant cross from the left, and Eguren charged in to send an unstoppable header just inside the post from six yards out.

Lazio dominated the second half, and Kolarov headed a great chance wide before the impressive Zarate struck the post after racing from inside his own half.

Zarate then had another effort saved by Lopez, before controversy struck as Lazio lost Matuzalem to a red card.

Matuzalem looked to have a good claim for a penalty after he went crashing after nicking the ball away from Ivan Marcano, but referee Ivan Bebek felt the Brazilian had dived and showed him his second yellow card of the match.

Despite that setback, Lazio continued to take charge of the game - and Cruz only narrowly failed to turn Zarate's cross in at the far post. Rocchi, Kolarov and Zarate all also went close in ! the closing stages.

At the other end, Eguren and Senna had gilt-edged chances for Villarreal - and they paid the penalty for wasting those when Rocchi fired through Lopez's legs late on.

Monaco enjoys easy win

Fourth seed Juan Monaco enjoyed a routine win in the first round of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon, beating local man Josselin Ouanna 6-3 6-2.

The Argentinian wrapped up the victory in an hour to move into the second round alongside Frenchman Julian Benneteau. The fifth seed eased past Alberto Martin of Spain 7-6 (7/1) 6-1.

Another Frenchman, Florent Serra, beat Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-3 6-3.

Ethiopia's Tulu wins New York marathon

Paula Radcliffe's reign as ING New York City Marathon champion is over after she finished fourth behind Ethiopia's Deratu Tulu.

After six months on the sidelines recovering from bunion surgery, Radcliffe, 35, was running her first marathon since winning this race 12 months ago.

She had missed the world championship marathon in Berlin in August and then sat out the world half-marathon championships in Birmingham last month due to tonsilitis.

In windy conditions the Briton had led from t! he gun but the relatively slow pace meant she had been unable to shake off her rivals.

And, at 23 miles, she was dropped from the leading quartet as Russia's Ludmila Petrova took off followed by Tulu and France's Christelle Daunay.

Two-time Olympic 10,000 metres champion Tulu, 37, first shook off Daunay and then the dogged Petrova as she turned for home at the 26-mile mark and won the race in two hours 28 minutes and 52 seconds, eight seconds ahead of the Russian with Daunay third in 2:29:16 holding off a late Radcliffe rally, the Briton finishing fourth in 2:29:27

There was a milestone victory in the men's race as Meb Keflezighi became the first American since Alberto Salazar in 1982 to win in New York, shaking off four-time Boston champion Robert Cheruiyot over the three miles to take victory in a personal best 2:09.15.

Cheruiyot, from Kenya, clocked 2:09:56 with two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco third in 2:10:25 and another Amer! ican, Ryan Hall fourth in 2:10:36, six Americans in total popu! lating t he men's top 10.

Radcliffe had taken up a familiar position at the head of the women's field as soon as the race got under way, flanked by French national record holder Daunay with Japan's Yuri Kano and 2008 runner-up Petrova on their shoulders as they crossed the Verrazano Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn.

Her front-running immediately split the elite women's field of 29 runners into two groups, Radcliffe heading a 13-woman group through the first mile in six minutes and 20 seconds

By the second mile, the lead group had been reduced to eight, Boston Marathon champion Salina Kosgei of Kenya, Deratu Tulu and Meseret Kotu of Ethiopia and US Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet also in the pack.

There was early drama as Kosgei tripped during the long stretch along Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue between the third and fourth mile markers, taking Kano down with her and Boulet taking evasive action.

Kosgei was quickly back on her feet and did not lose mu! ch ground but Kano regained her footing more gingerly and lost touch with Radcliffe and the leaders as they went through the five-kilometre mark in 17:55 at 5:45.57 pace.

As they went through 10 kilometres in 35:15, Radcliffe's pace has also seen Kotu fall away from the leaders and the gap between the first and second women's groups was at 29 seconds.

Radcliffe was still looking extremely comfortable at the halfway stage with Daunay, Kosgei, Petrova and Tulu still in close attendance while Boulet had slipped off the back of the lead group as the leaders crossed the Pulaski Bridge from Brooklyn into Queens.

The time of 1:14:05 was slower than last year but Radcliffe had gone on to win her previous three New York starts having led at halfway, although the pace was suiting her rivals.

In the past Radcliffe had used the three and a half mile stretch up 1st Avenue to drop some of her potential rivals but this time there was no significant surge and th! e front five stayed together until they crossed into the Bronx! when Ko sgei dropped off the back, perhaps feeling the effects of her earlier fall.

Coming out of the Bronx and into Manhattan as the leaders approached the closing stages in Central Park, Radcliffe was still heading the quartet but Tulu's strong finishing pace was coming into the equation with every pace.

It was Petrova, though, who pushed her way into the front approaching mile 23 and Radcliffe appeared to be struggling as she fell to the back of the pack. A small gap emerged as the other three pushed on behind the Russian and Radcliffe fell away from the lead for the first time on the streets of New York.

Radcliffe fell seven seconds behind as Petrova pushed Tulu and Daunay through 24 miles before the Frenchwoman was dropped and the race turned into a two-woman contest over the rolling hills of the park.

Tulu and Petrova were still locked together but as they turned into the final straight at 26 miles, the Ethiopian made her move and kicked for home to! open up a sizeable gap on her Russian rival.

With 300m to go, the race was Tulu's and she crossed the line with arms aloft.

Daunay's struggles seemed to inspire a rally from Radcliffe, who began to gradually close the distance between fourth and third place, only for the Frenchwoman to dig deep again and hold on, Radcliffe crossing line in obvious discomfort.

Best Player of The Year 2008

For Man the best player is Christian Ronaldo.

For Woman the best player is Marta ( Brazil).

Santoruvo non basta: Frosinone-Crotone finisce 1-1

di Andrea Ranaldo

Moriero, da ex allenatore del Crotone, aveva avvisato i suoi di non fidarsi della compagine calabrese, che nonostante una classifica deficitaria, veniva da cinque risultati utili consecutivi. Monito evidentemente ascoltato solo in parte da Caetano e compagni, visto il brutto scherzo che i ragazzi di Lerda sono riusciti a giocare al loro ex tecnico.
E dire che l'avvio sembrava promettere il più classico dei lieto fine: il Frosinone appare fin da subito in grande spolvero, e trova il gol già nei! primi minuti con Santoruvo, ma l'arbitro annulla per fuorigioco inesistente. Poco dopo è il palo ad impedire al bomber dei ciocari di insaccare dopo un pregevole calcio di punizione. Al 41' il Frosinone passa: è proprio l'indemoniato Santoruvo ad impossessarsi di una palla vagante a centro area, e ad insaccare con un potente tiro di destro. Sembra il preludio ad una partita in discesa, ed invece il Crotone intensifica le sortite offensive, creando più di un grattacapo a Sicignano. Al 50' arriva il meritato pareggio: Cutolo si incunea in area, e dalla sinistra lascia partire un diagonale che Sicignano può solo respingere; lo stesso Cutolo è il più lesto di tutti, ed insacca nella porta ormai sguarnita. Al 71' episodio chiave che avrebbe potuto decidere la partita: in tre minuti di assoluta follia, Antonio Galardo riesce a guadagnarsi due ammonizioni, e l'uscita anzitempo dal terreno di gioco. Il Frosinone torna così all'assalto della porta difesa da Concetti, e sfiora pi! ù volte il gol vittoria. Una difesa accorta, e un pizzico di s! fortuna (arriverà il secondo palo della serata) fermano però la volata dei ragazzi di Moriero, che consolidano il proprio primato in classifica, ma che vedono sfuggire una ghiotta occasione per allungare sulle rivali.

FROSINONE 1
CROTONE 1

FROSINONE (4-2-3-1): Sicignano; Del Prete, Scarlato, Maietta, Bocchetti; Basha, Bolzoni (38'st Tavares); Troianello (19'st Mazzeo), Calil, Basso (38'st Aurelio); Santoruvo.
In panchina: Frattali, Guidi, Ascoli, Carriello. All. Moriero

CROTONE (4-2-3-1): Concetti; Galeoto, Legati, Abruzzese, Morleo (19'st Grillo); Beati, Galardo; Daud (13'st Zito), Cutolo (27'st De Martino), Gabionetta; Bonvissuto.
In panchina: Farelli, Scognamiglio, Coresi, Petrilli. All. Lerda

Reti: 41' Santoruvo (F), 5'st ! Cutolo (C)
Atbitro: Nicola Stefanini di Prato
Espulso: Galardo per doppia ammonizione
Ammoniti: Caetano (F), Legati e Gabionetta (C)

Fiducia nell'ambiente rossoblù

di Massimo Scavello
Fonte:ilquotidianodellacalabria.it

La squadra rossoblù è rientrata in Calabria solo nel tardo pomeriggio di ieri, nella mattinata si era allenata nella sede del ritiro scelto per la partita. Solo lavoro di scarico, ovviamente, per chi è andato in campo l'altro ieri sera.
Da oggi si torna al lavoro a Steccato di Cutro. Ci saranno anche Mazzarani, il cui rientro è tanto più importante alla luce della squalifica di Galardo, e Mendicino che finalmente dovrebbe aver superato la contrattura agli adduttori che lo ha tenuto fuori causa per più di un mese e che! fino a questo momento non gli ha consentito di mettersi in mostra.

Arbitraggio 10a Giornata SERIE B TIM 2009-10: MODENA-FROSINONE

di Marco Fundoni

fonte modenafc.net

La partita Modena F.C.-Frosinone Calcio valevole come 10a giornata della SERIE B TIM 2009-10, in programma Sabato 17 Ottobre 2009alle ore 15.30 allo Stadio "Braglia" di Modena avrà il seguente arbitraggio:

Arbitro: Sig. Gabriele Gava di Conegliano Veneto.
Assistenti: Sig. Giusep! pe Stallone di Foggia e Sig. Giuseppe De Pinto di Bari.
IV° Ufficiale: Sig. Michele Liotta di Lucca

GLI AVVERSARI: centrocampo a cinque e in attacco Eliakwu

Di Pasquale Campanella
Fonte: forum triestina

TRIESTE Nelle previsioni di inizio campionato sarebbe dovuta essere una squadra materasso e invece il Gallipoli, dopo otto partite giocate, non solo si ritrova a 8 punti (e conta la prossima settimana di recuperare anche il punto di penalizzazione inflitto per un ritardo nella certificazione di un emolumento a un giocatore), ma ha già fatto penare più di qualche squadra.Quella di Giannini è soprattutto una squadra che subisce pochi gol (appena otto) e non ha mai perso fuori casa, ! avendo raccolto quattro pareggi in altrettante trasferte. E arriva anche da sei risultati utili consecutivi.Oggi i pugliesi dovranno fare a meno del perno di centrocampo Pederzoli, squalificato, e a sostituirlo sarà quel D'Aversa il cui nome quest'estate era stato accostato anche all'Alabarda.La Triestina potrebbe ritrovarsi di fronte anche un ex molto recente, ovvero il nigeriano Eliakwu, che ha buone chance di partire titolare visti gli acciacchi di Di Gennaro, che resta in forte dubbio.Il Gallipoli dovrebbe scendere in campo con un 3-5-2. In porta ci sarà Garavano, che ha tolto il posto dopo qualche partita a Sciarrone, colpevole di un paio di gravi errori (in realtà il portiere designato titolare è Koprivec, ma è infortunato). La difesa a tre sarà composta da Abbate, Grandoni e Franchini, centrocampo foltissimo con Sosa e Scaglia sulle fasce e il terzetto Mancini-D'Aversa-Mounard in mezzo. In avanti Ginestra farà coppia con Eliakwu o Di Gennaro. Eventuale alternativa, u! n 4-3-1-2, con arretramento di Sosa e Scaglia in difesa e inse! rimento di Viana a centrocampo.Saranno parecchi i tifosi del Gallipoli sugli spalti: una cinquantina sono partiti dalla Puglia, ma un folto gruppo arriverà da Monfalcone, il cui Comune è gemellato con quello salentino e dove esiste una nutrita colonia di originari di Gallipoli.

Danilevicius illude, Palermo cinico

DI DAVIDE PAMPANIN
FONTE. EUROSPORT.IT 19/10/09 ORE 9.00

Secondo successo consecutivo per il Palermo, che passa al Picchi di Livorno rimontando il gol del momentaneo vantaggio amaranto firmato da Danilevicius: decidono Miccoli e Balzaretti nel finale!

Della grandeur mostrata due settimane fa contro la Juventus si vede poco o nulla, ma i tre punti, in qualche modo, alla fine arrivano: il Palermo mette in cassaforte la seconda vittoria e il quarto risultato utile consecutivo, strozzando sul nascere l'urlo di Danilevicius, che aveva illuso la panchina di Russo-Ruotolo timbrando il suo primo centro stagionale nonché la seconda segnatura di squadra nelle prime otto giornate di campionato. La formazione amaranto, scornata pur senza demerito, resta dunque sul fondo della classifica con tre pareggi e nessuna vittoria, salutata anche dall'Atalanta che, sul campo di Udine, centra il primo successo stagionale.Al Picchi si dorme abbondantemente per i primi 20 minuti: entrambe le squadre si mostrano timide e refrattarie, ed è n! ecessaria un'intuizione di Pieri per la prima scossa: l'ex-Dor! ia penne lla splendidamente per Pulzetti che incorna da pochi passi, ma Rubinho si supera respingendo con i piedi. Il conto delle occasioni si riequilibra presto quando, al 26', Miccoli si trova davanti a De Lucia approfittando di un rimpallo fortunoso al limite dell'area, ma il fantasista rosanero strozza eccessivamente la conclusione cercando di indirizzare sul palo lontano. Nel finale del primo tempo c'è apprensione per Rivas, trasportato in ospedale per una lieve commozione cerebrale, e Russo ne "approfitta" per aumentare la consistenza della propria squadra, con gli inserimenti di Candreva e Danilevicius (Tavano accusa un problema muscolare).La mossa sembra dare i propri frutti quando, al 54', è proprio Danilevicius a spezzare una siccità di reti che durava da oltre un mese e mezzo, ma il Palermo risponde immediatamente, con Miccoli che fa secco De Luci! a raccogliendo un assist di Simplicio (grandi dubbi, però, sulla posizione di partenza dell'ex-juventino). Il Livorno risponde con carattere, aggrappandosi all'estro di Candreva e alle corse di Pulzetti e Raimondi sulla destra, si vede annullare un gol per netta posizione di off-side di Danilevicius, e subisce la seconda doccia fredda quando, all'81', i rosanero trovano il gol del vantaggio con Balzaretti, affondando la lama proprio nel momento migliore della squadra di casa: Miccoli ha una intuizione geniale per smarcare Cassani sulla destra: cross sul secondo palo dove Balzaretti arriva dalle retrovie per sparare una fucilata che sorprende De Lucia. Nel finale tanta rabbia e tensione, culminata con un episodio decisamente dubbio su trattenuta di Kjaer ai danni di Lucarelli in piena area di rigore: ma il risultato nel cambia, e se il Palermo si affaccia verso l'Europa, il Livorno si affossa in un abisso.

La Curva Nord sospende le proprie attività

Di:Sebastiano Battiato
Fonte:alècatania.com

Ci è giunto un comunicato ufficiale della Curva Nord di Catania, circa il momento che sta passando il "cuore" del tifo rossazzurro. Diamo spazio alla loro voce, riportando integralmente il comunicato.
Vista l'insostenibile situazione venutasi a creare intorno al movimento ultras italiano;Visto soprattutto l'estremo accanimento nei confronti della tifoseria catanese che ormai da due anni a questa parte è costretta a convivere con diffide "gratuite" e non solo…Viste le ultime norme restrittive con l'avvento d! ella tessera del tifoso e dopo i noti fatti di Bergamo dove un "accurata" gestione dell'ordine pubblico è costata ben 57 diffide ai sostenitori rossazzurri.PER TALI MOTIVIIl gruppo portante della curva nord di Catania ha deciso di sospendere le proprie attività organizzative. Sia chiaro per tutti, non è uno scioglimento ma una decisione temporanea dettata dagli eventi MAI SCESI A COMPROMESSI NOI SEMPRE E COMUNQUE…A SOSTEGNO DI UNA FEDE