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England's World Cup - The case for red...

June 25th 2010 02:35
: World Cup 2010.. Why have England struggled?
John Terry England
JT clowns around... but it's not his fault

Don't Blame Terry or Rooney - It's The Shirt...

It's really not Robert Green or Wayne Rooney or the rest of the lads that should be blamed for England's poor performances in the early group pahse of this World Cup. It's all down to the crappy white shirts with the dodgy collar... what's all that about?
Advice from top fashion designers suggest a change in kit produced the desired result in the win-or-go-home game against Slovenia.

England Kit White Collar
The real reason for England's poor performances...


A stylist spokesman reports from Team England:
"Get 'em in red like against the Solvenians and it's like '66 and all that... and the German's will be trembling in their boots as they think it's all over and it will be..."

We need to get rid of the dodgy red shorts though... Sheffield United tried that one season and looked like a bunch of clowns. You can't get any respect from the opposition dressed like that. Nice black shorts will do the trick and we''ll look the part.
World cup success will then be ensured...
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Is This South America's World Cup..?

June 23rd 2010 02:16
: World Cup 2010.. The Story So Far
Maradona
Argentina's Manager: Maradona's Delight

Argentina Lead The South American Charge...

The South American continent is awash with delerium as their nations storm through the opening games of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
All five South American qualifiers: Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay have lit up the stage with glitering performances as the so-called big names from Europe fail to impress.
A look at the group leaders as the final matches of the group stage get underway says it all.
Group A Winners: Uruguay... unbeaten
Group B Winners: Argentina... unbeaten and victorious in all three games
Group F Leaders: Paraguay... unbeaten
Group G Leaders: Brazil... unbeaten and won both games so far
Group H Leaders: Chile... unbeaten and won both games so far
It's not that the South American teams are grinding out results either... they can all claim to be the best amongst the best five teams in the tournament so far with only Spain and the Netherlands of the European contingent coming close - in patches - to rivaling the undoubted skills of the latin americans.
Argentina have been imperious, winning all three games relatively comfortably. Chile have shown why they qualified so well with enterprising performances and victories in both opening games. Uruguay and Paraguay have followed opening draws with victories and Brazil top Group G with comfortable performances that promise there is much still to come from the five time World Champions.

Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech: Despair for France

The tournament is bordering on disaster for the top European teams as France are out - finishing bottom of Group A - and Italy and England face a battle to qualify after drawing both opening games and producing disappointing performances in the process.
The Dutch and Portugese are currently the European shining lights - with the Netherlands topping Group E and qualifying after hard fought victories over Denmark & Japan. Portugal hit North Korea for seven after a slow start against the Ivory Coast in Group G and hnow have the unenviable task of gaining at least a point against Brazil to be sure of going through... though unless they take a substantial beating and Ivory Coast go on a similar goal rampage against the Koreans they will make it on goal difference.
Spain have recovered from their Swiss setback to move in to second place in Group H with a strong performance against Honduras. Chile are looming in the final game for Spain and qualification is very much in the balance.. especially if Switzerland manage to break out of their conservative shell and overcome the brittle Hondurans.
Germany should not be underated as a force in the is World Cup either as after a brilliant start against Australia they we're unlucky not to get something out of the Serbia game after being reduced to ten men. The final game against group leaders Ghana - now Africa's greatest hope to progress - will not be easy but we will be able to better guage how strong the German challenge is after this game. They are in still in control of their destiny and should progress from the group.

England Manager
Fabio Capello: Insists England are happy... but is he?

As for England... they are now in the situation where nothing but a win will do against Slovenia after a promising error-marred performance against the americans followed by an abysmal display in the game against Algeria.
Group C now mirrors Group F where the Italian's have to beat less fancied opposition - in their case Slovakia - to progress. Despite being drawn in the supposedly easiest group of the competition, England now look to have the tougher of the tests to qualify. While the Slovaks have been generally poor and deserve to sit bottom of their group, tiny Slovenia - the smallest nation represented at this World Cup - sit proudly at the top of Group C after a narrow win over Algeria and a controversial draw against USA. Both groups are wide open with some semblance of hope for all teams going in to the last game.

South Korea Manager
South Korean Glory: Huh Jung-Moo

The Asian challenge is going strong with South Korea once again qualifying for the knock-out stage as runners up in Group B and Japan can follow them if they gain at least a draw with Denmark in their final game of Group E.
Australia can also still qualify from Group D but the outcome is not in their hands as they must beat Serbia and hope for either a Ghana win or a significant German victory that destroys the Africans goal difference.

Mexico Manager
Mexico Qualify: Satisfaction for Javier Aguirre

The Central and North American challenge has been admirably led by the enterprising Mexicans who have qualified as runners up in Group A - edging out the hosts on goal difference despite losing their final game to Uruguay.
South Africa can consider themselves unlucky to be the first host nation not to make the knock-out phase of the competition. In a tough group they took the lead against Mexico before settling for a draw and finished with a win over the dispirited French. The 3-0 defeat at the hands of Uruguay made the negative goal difference too great to grab second spot and keep the host nation qualification record going on to Brazil in 2014.
Of the other CONCACAF qualifiers Honduras are out after defeats by Chile and Spain and now face the Swiss in Group H. They will be looking to salvage some pride as well as assist the other latin nations in the group to advance as a win for Switzerland could still edge out either of teh top two in the group.
The US have performed better in Group C than their results show. A strong performance against England was followed by a fighting draw with Slovenia. Only a late disallowed goal prevented their stirring comeback in that game turning into a memorable victory.

New Zealand Manager
Ricki Herbert: Joy for NZ

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the World Cup so far has been the performance of the supposedly easy-beats from Oceania. New Zealand grabbed a last second equaliser against Slovakia and moved on to the game with Italy with much boosted confidence. Another unexpected draw with the World Champions has the Kiwis in second spot going into the final round of group matches. They now face group leaders Paraguay and the odds are against them but with more of the fighting spirit the All Whites have shown so far who would bet against another surprise... in a World Cup that is getting used to shock results...

Crucial must-win matches now loom for the European powerhouses of England, Italy, Germany, Portugal and Spain... they have to step up quickly if they are to qualify for the knock-out phase that has started a game early. And the reward for victory? The sublime South American contingent awaits in the last 16...









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Major Sports Events: May 2010

April 27th 2010 23:54
: Major Sports Events: May 2010
2010
May 2010

Upcoming Events: May 2010

Motor Racing: F1 Grand Prix

Sunday 9 May 2010
Round 5 - Spanish Grand Prix
Circuit de Catalunya, Spain

Sunday 16 May 2010
Round 6 - Monaco Grand Prix
Monte Carlo, Monaco

Sunday 30 May 2010
Round 7 -Turkish Grand Prix
Istanbul, Turkey

Football: European Champions League Final
Inter Milan v Bayern Munich
Saturday 22 May 2010
Madrid, Spain

Football: English FA Cup Final
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Saturday 15 May 2010
London, England

Tennis: French Open
Starts Monday 24 May 2010
Paris, France

Cricket: T20 World Cup
Starts 30 April thru 16 May 2010
St. Lucia / Barbados / Guyana, West indies
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Canada's Olympic Glory

March 2nd 2010 05:56
: Vancouver Olympics: a triumph after a very shaky start
Canada Finish On Top
Luongo is flat out but Canada finish on top...

As the Canadian nation was preparing to skate for one last gold in the ice hockey final... the gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics which most of its citizens would clearly swop for any of the other 13 triumphs... it was hard to disagree with the Canadian PM Stephen Harper's vision of a country finally coming of age at these Games.

There was also a sense of defiance, aimed at those who thought it an impossible dream to win 13 gold medals and equal the most ever won at a single Games by the Soviets in 1976 and Norway in 2002.

Own the Podium had been aimed at putting Canada on top of the table in terms of overall medals won - a target achieved by the USA who won a record 37... and Germany 29... to Canada 26. Yet the rest of the world outside North America has always recognised that the champion nation is that which wins most golds, and in this category there was no contest.

Sidney Crosby
All Canadian Hero... Sidney Crosby

That last gold that Canada craved came down to the dream mens hockey final against a USA team that had taken the spoils during the group phase of the competition.

All tied up at 2-2 and going into overtime Crosby had one wrist shot at sporting immortality and he did not miss.
"You dream of that moment a thousand times growing up. But it could have been anybody else, it could have been any other guy in that team," he protested. Except it couldn't. When history came calling, it had to be Crosby. When a country's greatest sports snapshot beckoned... it could only be "Sid the Kid".

They could have heard the acclamation all the way back home in Cole Harbour, 2,750 miles across this vast land, where not a soul would have been surprised. In that town of only 25,000 population Crosby was always a 'phenom'. Smashing the family clothes drier with slapshots when he was two, skating at three, scoring goals at four. When he came back to the family home as a Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh a reputed 65,000 people lined the streets to see him. This is the boy who was so good, his family had to send him to Minnesota to play when he was 15 to get away from the chronic jealousy of outclassed rivals. Yet through his seemingly preordained path to glory - from being the youngest Stanley Cup-winning captain to an Olympic match-winner - what the country has loved most about Crosby is his self-effacement... for he seems a very Canadian hero; as unassuming and workaholic off the ice as he is rock hard and driven on it. Not the faintest whiff of scandal attaches to him.

So having commenced in tragedy the Vancouver Winter Games end in triumph.
The weather improved, the spectacle was enormous, the drama was breath-taking and the crowds magnificent. As Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee President declared: This is a city that really has embraced the Olympics like no other city before.
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Australia v NZ Test to Open New Melbourne Stadium

February 22nd 2010 05:04
: Rugby League Test Opens New Stadium
Australia v New Zealand to launch Melbourne's new rectangular stadium on 7 May 2010
Melbourne rectangular stadium
10 out of 10 for artistic impression... Melbourne's new rectangular stadium

The inaugural match at the new Melbourne stadium will be an international rugby league test between Australia and New Zealand on 7th May... followed just two days later by a major NRL game as Melbourne Storm take on the Brisbane Broncos in the first match at their new home.

New stadium facts:
* 31,500 seats
* 400sqm Sports Campus
* Public cafe, merchandise and club facilities
* Elite training Centre, Gymnasium
* 4 lane lap pool, ice plunge pools, heated spa

The stadium will be more than popular with four teams and three different football codes playing at the ground:
* Melbourne Storm [Rugby League: NRL]
* Melbourne Heart & Melbourne Victory [Football: A-League]
* Melbourne Rebels [Rugby Union: Super Franchise]

Let's hope the surface is top notch... a skilled groundsman will be required to keep the field in top class order when the fixtures at the ground start to pile up. Nevertheless it's geat to see Melbourne finally get a first class rectangular venue for the followers of the rugby and football codes.
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Who is the Premier League's Best Player?

February 22nd 2010 04:23
: EPL: The stats don't lie?
Cesc Heads The Ratings...
according to Actim

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European Champions League Fixtures

February 22nd 2010 03:07
: Fixtures: February 2010
This weeks European Champions League Fixtures

Champions Trophy
Whose Trophy in 2010?

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Major Sports Events: March 2010

February 22nd 2010 00:49
: Major Sports Events: March 2010
2010
2010

Upcoming Events: March 2010

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England's Expectations High for Final Test

January 14th 2010 05:43
: Cricket: England in South Africa
An Unexpected Series Victory in South Africa Beckons

SA v England logo
England in South Africa

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FA Cup: Liverpool Out

January 14th 2010 01:56
: FA Cup
Liverpool follow Manchester United out of the competition

Liverpool 1 Reading 2 [aet] @ Anfield
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June 2010
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