Sports News And Updates

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Live Europa League Text Commentary: Maribor v Birmingham

Filed under: Birmingham, Europa League (UEFA), Football, Min-By-Min Reports

Minute-by-minute commentary from the Ljudski vrt Stadium.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/09/29/live-europa-league-text-commentary-maribor-v-birmingham/

Sergio Ramos

Frank Lampard Comes Out Fighting and Sets Example to Carlos Tevez

Filed under: Chelsea, Champions League, Premier League, Football

The reports of Frank Lampard's demise may have been an exaggeration. That is the natural reaction after the midfielder's display at the Mestalla.

It was not just the goal he scored, giving the Valencia goalkeeper "the eyes" and drilling into the bottom corner of Diego Alves' near post.

It was not just the other chances he set up during the 1-1 draw, sending Ramires and Fernando Torres through for clear-cut opportunities with his clean passing.

It was not just the fact that Chelsea succumbed to pressure only after he was substituted with seven minutes remaining, his replacement Salomon Kalou conceding the penalty led to the points being shared.

Tweeter Facebook FourSquare iPhone

There was more to his display than just end-product. He also set a fine example for any player unhappy at being dropped from the starting XI.

Carlos Tevez could take a leaf from Lampard's book. Lampard was dropped at the weekend but came out fighting, rather than creating a row like the Manchester City forward has.

"I don't like to miss matches but it comes with the territory," explained Lampard on Sky Sports News. "It happens and you have to be big and strong and come back. When you do play you have to show what you can do. That was my only motive.

"I want to play a consistent run of games because that is when I know I'm at my best.

"My resolve is always there and always will be. I want to play. I love the club, love playing and want to play - that drives me on."

Lampard was upset after being left on the bench against Swansea but responded in the best way possible - with an all-action display that reminded everyone of what he can do.

It was the type of performance that has delighted Chelsea fans, yet also frustrated England's as he has been accused of producing his best for his club rather than his country.

He has faced criticism at various points throughout his career, right from his early days at West Ham, and appears to have a determination to come out fighting again.

Losing his status as an automatic starter for England is something Lampard has needed to do recently. And missing some games for Chelsea may be on the horizon as well. But at least he has shown - in the right way - that he will not be going quietly.

Fitness is not a problem. And if he does slow down, there is always the possibility of a more disciplined role anchoring the midfield. Regardless of the position, Lampard will has a few years left in him yet.

"A goal always comes at a good time for Frank. He's been a goalscorer all his life," said Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas. "His abilities are never in doubt and we trust him 100% - like I told you."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/09/29/frank-lampard-comes-out-fighting-and-sets-example-to-carlos-teve/

Ricardo Carvalho Ricardo Quaresma Richard Gasquet Rickie Fowler Rio Ferdinand

Why Carlos Tevez's Punishment Shows Roberto Mancini is in Complete Control

Filed under: Manchester City, Premier League, Football

Player power is becoming an increasing source of frustration and concern for managers in the league of cash and controversy but Roberto Mancini's triumph in his battle with Carlos Tevez illustrates he has the unequivocal backing of Manchester City.

For the sake of the sport, Mancini desperately needed a sign from owner Sheikh Mansoor that he was in charge of the situation and City have moved swiftly, and impressively, to hit Tevez with the punishment his incredible show of insubordination deserved.

There may have been a few doubts lingering in the back of Mancini's mind after his astonishing verdict on the future of Tevez after the Champions League tie at Bayern Munich, especially after the departure of confidante Garry Cook.

But this proves without any doubt that he is in complete control at the Etihad Stadium, with Tevez facing an uncomfortable stint in the wilderness.

Tweeter Facebook FourSquare iPhone

The matter has not been allowed to drift. Tevez has not been able to make any more interviews, while his much maligned advisor Kia Joorabchian's statement only opened the situation up to ridicule.

City deserve credit for acting quickly and dealing with the matter in the savagely effective fashion that is the mark of a big club on the up.

The Argentinean striker is now so out in the cold he will probably require treatment for frostbite in the next few days.

Tevez has been suspended for two weeks and told to stay away from training, while City conduct an investigation into his alleged refusal to come on as a substitute.

The next logical step will surely be negotiations to terminate his contract and Mancini will be revered by his Premier League peers for taking a stand.

City's statement read: "Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks.

"The player's suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

"The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training whilst the review is under way."

Any sympathy that Tevez may have had from City's fans has been extinguished after his conduct in Munich and there have even been reports that he required a police escort from Manchester Airport on Wednesday.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/09/29/why-carlos-tevezs-punishment-shows-roberto-mancini-is-in-comple/

Nemanja Vidic Nery Castillo Nick Watney Nicolas Almagro Nikolay Davydenko

UFC 139 Bout a Dream Come True for Cung Le, but Last Stand for Wanderlei Silva

Filed under: UFC

Cung Le isn't the only fighter to find out the hard way that acting and professional fighting don't always mix, especially when done in the wrong order, but at least he used it as a learning experience, he said at Tuesday's UFC 139 press conference.

"I actually learned my lesson the first time when I came back against Scott Smith," Le said. "I wasn't very busy training when I was on the movie set. I was just more focused on getting into character."

He started off well enough against Smith in their first meeting in December of 2009. But his lack of training caught up to him in the final round, and Smith came out of nowhere to score the upset via knockout of a fading, winded Le.

When they signed on to face each other in a rematch some seven months later, he had every opportunity to make the same mistake. Fortunately for Le, experience -- particularly the painful kind - is an excellent teacher.

"I was doing some film work, [but] I made sure I trained every day and I stayed in shape," he said, adding that this time around, as he prepares to face Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139 in San Jose, Calif., he's been in the gym since February.

"I am focused on this fight, so right now it's all about being an MMA fighter," said Le.

For Silva, who stepped in as a replacement for the injured Vitor Belfort, the stakes are even higher. UFC president Dana White has made it clear that he thinks Silva might need to hang up the gloves after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132, and this could be the Brazilian's last chance to prove to his boss that he still has some fight left in him.

"I love fighting. I love the sport. I grew up inside the ring, inside the Octagon. I want to fight as long as I can," Silva told reporters.

When asked if he felt that his back was against the wall in the fight with Le, he didn't argue. "Some guys fight better in that position. I'm thinking I am one of [those] guys," he said.

Le, a decorated Sanshou kickboxer who turned to MMA relatively late in life and fought the entirety of his four-year career in Strikeforce up until this point, said he specifically sought out a deal with the UFC because he wanted to fight in the Octagon, and not simply because he wanted to be on this card in his adopted hometown of San Jose.

"It really means a lot," he said. "I've fought on many platforms, different styles, but being a UFC fighter now, being the co-main event, definitely is a dream come true. Just earlier this morning I was looking at the picture where I was at the refugee camp, and now being in the co-main event of the UFC, it's a dream come true. I'm very excited and I'm going to be ready to rock and roll and give the fans what they want to see."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/09/27/ufc-139-bout-a-dream-come-true-for-cung-le-last-chance-for-wand/

Nery Castillo Nick Watney Nicolas Almagro Nikolay Davydenko Novak Djokovic

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

For UFC Veteran Yves Edwards, Toughest Battle Is Within His Own Mind

Filed under: UFC

The week of a fight, the last place UFC lightweight Yves Edwards wants to be is in his own head. It's a scary place sometimes, and also a tough place to escape from.

"I obsess over the stupidest things you can imagine," Edwards said. "I will obsess over the color of towels in my bathroom, or what kind of soap they have [in the hotel]. I had this one soap this one time and that wasn't a great performance, so I can't use this soap again. It's stupid, and it's just a distraction."

With nearly 60 pro fights in a career that's spanned almost 14 years, at least Edwards has had plenty of practice in dealing with his own fight week neurosis. Now he knows how to manage it. For starters, he can bring his own soap. He can also rely on his friends, like Strikeforce welterweight Tyron Woodley, to keep him mentally occupied.

Otherwise, Edwards said, it can get out of hand in a hurry. For instance, say a certain friend is coming to see the fight. Then Edwards starts to think about how he's never won a fight with that guy in the audience. Maybe he's bad luck. Maybe he's cursed.

"But then, I don't want to tell my friends not to come see my fights, so I have to stay away from that stuff," said Edwards, who faces Rafaello Oliveira at UFC on Versus 6 this Saturday night.

"I can catch myself doing it a lot. Stopping it is the hard part. Common sense and rationalization -- I'm a pretty rational person when I'm not in this mode -- that kicks in a little bit and I realize that the color of my underwear has nothing to do with how hard I've prepared for this fight or how focused I am. But it's just the irrational part of my brain, that part kicks in first. I have to talk myself down from it sometimes."

At least Edwards has experience in his favor. Wednesday marks the ten-year anniversary of his UFC debut -- a losing effort against Matt Serra at UFC 33 -- and Saturday's fight comes just one day after his 35th birthday. To Edwards, doing the math on his career numbers and realizing just how long he's been at it comes as "kind of a surprise," he said.

"I still feel like I'm 26. ...The guy that was making his debut in the UFC, he didn't know half the things I know now."

But as Edwards prepares to take on Oliveira -- a Brazilian fighter who he actually trained alongside of and "traded a few secrets" with in the past -- he does so coming off a knockout loss to Sam Stout that UFC president Dana White called "one of the nastiest I've ever seen."

It might not be a must-win fight for Edwards, but 35-year-old fighters can't afford to take too many steps backwards, and he knows it.

"The thing is, nobody gets cut off a win," Edwards said. "Not unless you've done something and screwed up. That's my only concern, is going out there and winning, keeping my job, and keep moving up the ladder."

The fact that he went from a pay-per-view card at UFC 131 to the prelim portion of a UFC on Versus card doesn't worry him, he insisted, just like it doesn't matter that he knows Oliveira to be "a pretty nice guy."

"When it comes to the fight game that means absolutely nothing to me," he said. "... This fight could be behind a Wal-Mart. All I have to worry about is, that's the guy I'm fighting. That's all that matters."

That, and that he remembers not to obsess about the brand of soap in his hotel. After a week of battling himself, the fight should be a relief.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/09/28/for-ufc-veteran-yves-edwards-toughest-battle-is-within-his-own/

Ronaldinho

Danny Welbeck's European Goals Turn Up the Pressure on Dimitar Berbatov

Filed under: Football

On a night that will have caused Sir Alex Ferguson some concerns, the emergence of Danny Welbeck onto the European stage could well spell more unhappiness for another major Old Trafford figure.

Welbeck, on just his third European appearance, scored twice in the opening 17 minutes of Manchester United's entertaining 3-3 draw with FC Basel.

The 20-year-old Mancunian was preferred to Michael Owen and, more significantly, Dimitar Berbatov who started the group game on the bench and, while there may have been an element of the two senior players being rested for the weekend's domestic action, there is no doubt Welbeck's progress continues to impress.

His physical style offers Ferguson an attacking option not provided by his other forwards and, despite poor defending for both Welbeck goals, it should not go unnoticed that Berbatov has not scored in Europe for three years and has a career Champions League record of four goals in 22 appearances - hardly the stuff of Old Trafford legend.

"The first half he was a positive," said Ferguson, still clearly angered by a spectacular second half collapse which allowed the Swiss to take a 3-2 lead before Ashley Young's late equaliser rescued the Reds. "He tired in the second half but it was difficult to take him off because a goal was there, thats why I kept him on.

"If we were in a better situation I would have taken him off."

As fatigue clearly set in, Welbeck missed a couple of very good chances to claim his hat-trick goal but still did enough to suggest that, if it is not already the case, he will soon be putting pressure on Berbatov for the role as first-choice attacking alternative behind Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez.

Of course, such a state of affairs would merely add to the increasing frustration that must be shrouding Berbatov currently. After scoring 22 goals last season, Berbatov has made one league start this season and two substitute appearances, for a grand total of one hour and 45 minutes of league football ... and no goals in any competitions.

And while there has been no hint of a serious attempt to sell the Bulgarian - and no sense that Berbatov is inclined to "do a Tevez" and create strife at the club - it will surely make for an interesting January transfer window.

Meanwhile, if the attacking picture at United could hardly be brighter, Ferguson will have serious concerns about the manner in which his team has defended this season.

A back four against Basel may have featured the out-of-form Fabio but it also had Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra in front of first-choice keeper David de Gea - hardly a makeshift line-up.

Admittedly, Ferguson opting for a very attacking selection, that sometimes took on a 4-2-4 formation, did not always offer protection to that defence but Jones and Ferdinand were hardly outstanding in the weekend draw at Stoke, either.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/09/28/danny-welbecks-european-goals-turn-up-the-pressure-on-dimitar-b/

Florent Malouda Francesco Totti Frank Lampard Frank Ribery Frederic Kanoute