FIFA World Cup 2010

Fifa World Cup 2010 Song - Anthem South Africa by K'naan

2010-05-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

NoTime Off for Public Servants During World Cup

2010-05-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Presidency has dismissed a newspaper report suggesting that Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has committed to giving civil servants three hours leave on the days Bafana Bafana is scheduled to play during the FIFA World Cup.

“The Presidency wants to place it on record that Deputy President Motlanthe has never made such an undertaking, nor was such an issue ever discussed with him,” it said in a statement.

The Presidency said it was taken aback by the report adding that such matters are not within the purview of The Presidency, as they are covered by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) which regulates labour relations within the public service.

The DPSA, which deals with, amongst other things, policies on employee absenteeism and leave, has issued a circular titled ‘2010 World Cup Soccer Guidelines on the Management of Working time, Leave of Absence and Remunerative work outside Public Service Employment’.

World Cup Fan Guide 101

2010-05-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Pretoria – Packed with information, ranging from the stadiums to accommodation, locations, health facilities and Fan Fests, the 2010 FIFA Fan Guide is a one-stop information resource to ensure soccer fans’ experience of the World Cup is safe, secure and unforgettable.

It’s got something about everything that fans, especially tourists, will need to know, including the meaning of words like “jol” (South African lingo for “party”) – in one place.

It aims to help tourists get around the country with ease and provides advice on what to do when you are not watching football.

Tourists can keep the guide with them, even when travelling or going to the stadiums to watch matches, and refer to it for contact details or information.

Here’s what you can expect to find in the guide at a quick glance:

Weather:
Those who are already packing their bags should know that South Africa has a moderate climate, with warm summers. The football spectacle will be held in full winter. Along the coast, the winters can be cold and wet but, in the interior, it’s dry.

It can get very cold at night, especially in the interior, so visitors should remember to wrap up warmly if they are planning to attend any night matches.

Language:
Tourists need to be familiar with English. Although South Africa has 11 official languages, they can expect to find people who speak and understand it everywhere they go. It is the language of the cities, of commerce and banking, of government, of road signs and official documents.

Banking:
South Africa boasts a world-class, sophisticated financial sector and is abreast of all the latest technological trends. From the moment fans step off the plane they will see banks, bureau de change and automatic teller machines (ATMs).

Foreign banks are well represented, and visitors can bank by ATM or Internet. Visa is the preferred card of the World Cup and the only card they can use in match venues. All Visa debit, credit and prepaid products are accepted throughout the country.

During the World Cup only Visa-branded credit, debit, and pre-paid cards along with cash, in all stadiums will be accepted to pay for food and beverages, retail goods, and services while attending the event.

For the convenience of all fans, there will be Visa kiosks in all FIFA stadiums to purchase Visa prepaid cards.

Visa cardholders are reminded to contact their issuing banks before leaving for South Africa to alert them of their travel plans and purchases in another country and they should also ask about daily withdrawal limits and ATM fees.

Food:
The food in the country is as diverse as the people who prepare it. Of course there is the traditional braai (barbeque) which is common to all South Africans, but tourists can sample everything from indigenous African cuisine all the way to Michelin Star European cuisine or if they prefer McDonalds.

In major centres, like Johannesburg and Cape Town, tourists will be spoilt for choice when it comes to dining out.

Entertainment and shopping:
Those who will not be at the stadiums, can enjoy the ambience at the FIFA Fan Fest by watching all live matches free on world-class giant screens in a safe and secure environment.

On match days, live music and entertainment will keep fans on their feet between matches. 2010 FIFA World Cup merchandise can also be bought at the official Shop at each FIFA Fan Fest venue. Visitors will be spoiled for choice with various types of entertainment and shopping.

Transport:
Getting around South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup can be a very simple exercise if tourists plan in advance and take advantage of the various modes of transport that are available.

There will be frequent flight connections between host cities, with typically two or more departures per hour between the major cities Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Health:
International visitors can rest assured that they will be in good hands if any medical problems arise while in the country. The country has an organised emergency response system. This includes fully equipped first-aid stations at match and training venues, fan parks and around the different cities.

The complete Fan Guide is one of its kind and has more information than a typical travel search engine. At the same time it enables visitors to book hotels, flights, cars and packages online.

FIFA World Cup History (Part II: 1990 – 2006)

2010-05-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

The first part of this USA World Cup history covered 1930 to 1950, including the third place finish in 1930 and that famous win over England in 1950. But it would be 40 long years before the USA qualified for another World Cup. They made it to Italia ‘90 partly thanks to Mexico being disqualified (for fielding overage players in Olympic qualifying) but very much thanks to this goal from Paul Caliguiri vs Trinidad & Tobago:

1990 World Cup in Italy

So the USA were back in the World Cup. However, this was the period between the death of the North America Soccer League and the birth of Major League Soccer, a period detailed very nicely by Benjamin Kumming on Pitch Invasion. Most of Bob Gansler’s squad was made up of recent college graduates and players from the America Soccer League, which wasn’t granted Division One status by FIFA.

Drawn into Group A, the USA lost 5-1 to Czechoslovakia in the opening game:

(Decent goal from Caligiuri though)
Gansler’s men went on to lose 1-0 to Italy and 2-1 to Austria. Not a complete disaster (if you ignore the first game) but the US finished bottom of the group with zero points. The upside is that several future USA World Cup stalwarts got valuable experience in Italy, including 23 year old John Harkes and Tab Ramos, 22 year old Marcelo Balboa, 21 year old Tony Meola, and the 20 year old pair of Kasey Keller and Eric Wynalda.

1994 World Cup in USA

Qualification was not a problem in 1994, as the USA had been selected as hosts. Major League Soccer was still two years away, but the US had a handful of key players like John Harkes, Roy Wegerle, Tab Ramos and Eric Wynalda playing for European teams, and many more in the squad who soon would be. Like 24 year old defender Alexi Lalas, of playing guitar and orange beard fame (pictured above left in the famous denim and stars home kit the US wore that year).

Serbian coach Bora Milutinović had been drafted in to deliver a respectable performance. Very much the Guus Hiddink of his day, Milutinović had already coached Mexico at the 1986 World Cup and Costa Rica at the 1990 World Cup.

The US opened strongly, with a 1-1 draw against Roy Hodgson’s Switzerland, the goal coming from an impressive Eric Wynalda free kick:

Did I say “impressive”? Clearly I should have said “masterpiece”. Still, good free-kick, good result.

The US went on to win the second game 2-1 against Colombia, who many fancied as potential tournament winners. That game is now best remembered for Andres Escobar’s own goal, and subsequent murder (read the full article: Andrés Escobar’s Own Goal vs USA) but at the time it was a huge huge victory for the USA, with Earnie Stewart scoring the second, and ultimately decisive goal. The USA lost the final group game 1-0 to Romania and finished third in Group A, going through to the Second Round as one of the four best third placed teams. The opponents in the last 16 were Brazil.

Wearing their much less hideous away kit, the US gave Brazil a decent game before losing 1-0 to the eventual champions through a 72nd minute Bebeto goal. The one complaint some US fans have is that their team had a one man advantage from the 43rd minute onwards (after Leonardo was sent off for street-fight style elbowing of Tab Ramos, which you can see in the video above) but failed to take advantage. Still, an excellent performance all around, and a gigantic improvement on 1990 (which itself was a gigantic improvement on the 40 previous years of non-qualification). The other long term effect was that players like Claudio Reyna and Alexi Lalas impressed enough to earn moves to Europe with Bayern Leverkusen in Germany and Padova in Italy respectively. The future looked bright. But then came…

1998 World Cup in France

It was supposed to be the World Cup where the US continued the progress of the last two tournaments, especially now Major League Soccer was up and running. Instead it was the World Cup where the USA finished 32nd out of 32 teams after losing 2-0 to Germany, 2-1 to Iran in a politically charged game and finally 1-0 to Yugoslavia. Brian McBride scored the US’s sole goal of the tournament in the 87th minute of the game against Iran. But it wasn’t the cleanest thing you’ve ever seen:

Coach Steve Sampson took most of the blame for the USA’s terrible terrible showing in France. One of the problems was the radical 3-6-1 formation, a formation which left no room for cult hero Alexi Lalas (who didn’t take the news too well at all).

The much bigger problem was the absence of midfielder John Harkes. Midfielder Harkes had played for Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday in the English top flight, and had just won the inaugural MLS title with DC United in 1996, then successfully defended said title in 1997. Sampson named Harkes “captain for life” of the US national team. And then left him out of the squad for the 1998 World Cup, handing the armband to 37 year old defender Thomas Dooley.

It seemed an insane decision to leave Harkes out at the time. However, early in 2010 Eric Wynalda alleged that Harkes had had an affair with his Wynalda’s wife in the run up to 1998, and that this was the reason Harkes was dropped.

So maybe Steve Sampson’s not as culpable as thought at the time. But 1998 was still a disaster.

2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea

After dominating MLS with his DC United team, Bruce Arena replaced Steve Sampson as USA coach after 1998. He’d go on to lead the USA to its best World Cup performance of the modern era.

Not much was expected of the US after their 1998 performance, especially after being drawn into a tough looking Group D with Portugal, Poland and South Korea. But all that changed when they beat Portugal 3-2 in the first game.

Arena’s men raced into a 3-0 lead with goals from John O’Brien, a Portugal own goal forced by a 20 year old Landon Donovan, and a diving header from Brian McBride. Portugal came back, and that 71st minute comedy own goal from Jeff Agoos made things nervy, but the US held on for a shock win.

Clint Mathis and his mohawk scored early in the second game, against South Korea, but the co-hosts came back to draw 1-1. The US lost the final game 3-1 to Poland, but went through in second place because Portugal had lost to South Korea. There should be a spot reserved in the US Soccer Hall of Fame for Park Ji-Sung, who scored that Korean goal.

In the Round of 16, the US faced CONCACAF rivals Mexico. If you know anything about this rivalry, then you’ll know it basically means everything.

Brian McBride and Landon Donovan scored the goals as the USA beat their rivals 2-0 to move on to the quarter-finals. As I understand it, that game was something of a turning point in the history of the USA vs Mexico rivalry. An important victory on the world’s biggest stage that did wonders for US confidence both in CONCACAF and in the wider world of football.

Quarter-final opponents were Germany, who were kept in the game by Oliver Kahn’s performance, took the lead through a Michael Ballack header, and somehow got away with Torsten Fring’s handballing on the line.

Commendable effort by the US, and some definite bad luck with the Frings handball, but it finished Germany 1-0 USA. Still, a quarter-final appearance was the best US performance since 1930, and the emergence of young talents like 20 year olds Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, plus the performances of Claudio Reyna, John O’Brien, Clint Mathis and Eddie Pope, seemed to confirm that the USA was rapidly improving and 1998 was just a blip.

2006 World Cup in Germany

Bruce Arena was still in charge, and the youngsters from 2002 like Donovan and Beasley were now four years older (and balder). So the USA went into the 2006 World Cup with high expectations. Maybe unrealistically high. They’d been drawn into a rough looking Group E with Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana. But the bigger problem, at least in my opinion, was that Arena had too much faith in the same players that had performed for him four years previously. For example, DaMarcus Beasley was hopelessly out of form, and 32 year old captain Claudio Reyna was clearly no longer physically capable of competing at a World Cup, while in-form but less experienced players like Clint Dempsey started the tournament on the bench.

The Czech Republic demolished the US 3-0 in the first game, with Tomas Rosicky scoring a memorable long range goal. That meant a result against Italy in the second game was crucial.

In an absolute battle of a game, the US went one down, but equalized through an Italian own goal, before the game went mental with three red cards. A 1-1 draw against the eventual champs was a very very good result, but it left the US needing a win against Ghana and a bit of luck. Instead they got a Claudio Reyna mistake for Ghana’s first goal, a thumping Clint Dempsey equalizer, and then a mysterious penalty called against Oguchi Onyewu to give Ghana a 2-1 win.

Despite the misfortune the US didn’t deserve to progress, and exited World Cup 2006 bottom of Group E with just one point.

World Cup Football 2010-Schedule & Venus

2010-05-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

World Cup Football 2010 Schedule:

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa.

We announce the release of 2010 World Cup Final Tournament Schedule, a free Excel spreadsheet with a schedule of all tournament games. It automatically calculates the position of each football team according to game scores and FIFA rules and generates the schedule, thus enabling the football fans to keep track of the tournament.

Now that a great football event is approaching, an accurate schedule is what the fans need. The principle of operation is the following: the user enters the results of the games into the corresponding fields, 2010 World Cup Final Tournament Schedule indicates the winner and changes the position of each team. The algorithm is able to manage cases of equal score, so that teams are always sorted correctly and fully automatically, without manual sorting (unlike in other similar calendars).

The layout of the spreadsheet is designed to be clear and convenient, so that the current situation would be obvious. Being an Excel project, 2010 World Cup Final Tournament Schedule does not use macros.

Football fans will definitely appreciate that 2010 World Cup Final Tournament Schedule allows calculating the game outcome, which would bring their favorite team to the next round. It is also possible to make predictions on the basis of 2010 World Cup Final. Fans from all over the world can use it due to multilingual interface and support of different time zones.

The calendar supports 42 languages and different time zones.

2010 World Cup Final Tournament Schedule is available:

Schedule in Excel

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World Cup Venus by Map:

Mary Kom vows to defy age and win gold in London

2009-08-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Four-time world champion MC Mary Kom on Thursday hailed the inclusion of women's boxing in the London Olympics as a "dream-come-true"

moment and vowed to defy age and clinch gold in the 2012 Games.

"It's a dream-come-true for me. The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision has given me the strength to continue. I would represent my country at the biggest sporting show in the world and have to win gold. It cannot get any bigger then this," an elated Mary Kom said.

Women's boxing was on Thursday included in the 2012 London Games at an IOC meeting in Berlin. Boxing administrators had earlier lobbied for inclusion in the Beijing Olympics but could not get the IOC's nod.

The International Boxing Association last year roped in Mary Kom as it's brand ambassador and the Indian played a crucial role in making AIBA's campaign successful this time.

"I was a part of the AIBA campaign and I travelled to countries like Sweden to raise awareness about the sport. I am thankful to the IOC for recognising our efforts," she said.

The 27-year-old mother of two, who currently competes in the pin weight 46kg division, would be in her 30s when the London Games are held but the Khel Ratna pugilist says she wouldn't let age become a factor.

"I am ready to make all the adjustments. I will have to increase my weight a bit to fit into the 51kg category which (along with 60kg and 75kg) has been picked for the London Games. Yes, it will be tough at that age but I have the will power to make it happen," Mary Kom said.

Mary Kom has won a medal at every World Championships starting with a silver in the first edition in 2001. The Manipuri clinched a gold in every edition of the event after that, prompting AIBA president Ching-Kuo Wu to call her 'Magnificent Mary'.

Her fourth straight world title came in China last year where she went into the competition after just two months of training as the birth of her twin sons had kept her out of the ring for nearly two years.

"If I could do it then, I can do it again," she said. Mary Kom said she would have lost the motivation to continue for long had the sport not got the IOC approval for 2012 Games.

"It's all about motivation. If this had not happened, I would have competed for another couple of years but then my dream would have died," she said.

AIBA included women's boxing in its programme in 1994 and the sport is currently competed in 120 countries.

Compared to the 124 boxers who took part in the inaugural World Championships, there were 218 competitors in the last edition in China.

Colts QB Peyton Manning voted AP's NFL MVP

2009-01-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK – Peyton Manning can tell Brett Favre to move over and make room for him atop the roster of NFL Most Valuable Players.

For the third time, Manning won the award by The Associated Press, tying Favre as the only players in that elite category.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback was a landslide winner Friday in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Manning also was the league MVP in 2003, when he shared it with Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, and in 2004.

Favre, then with Green Bay, took MVP honors in 1995 and '96 before sharing it with Detroit running back Barry Sanders in 1997.

"I know it's an individual award, but ... truly, in my opinion, a team award," said Manning, who received 32 votes, far ahead of Miami quarterback Chad Pennington (4) and Atlanta running back Michael Turner (4).

"It's been the most rewarding regular season that I've been a part of in my 11 years, and I have to believe a lot of the other players and even coaches might feel the same way."

This has been a most unusual season for the Colts, who normally have the AFC South just about clinched by Thanksgiving. Manning had two operations on his left knee in the preseason, cutting into practice time, blunting his usual precision as a passer and, eventually, leading to a 3-4 start.

From there, with Manning getting sharper by the week, the Colts won nine straight games to secure a wild-card berth and a meeting Saturday night with San Diego.

In that streak, Manning is 209-of-290 for 2,248 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. He extended his NFL record with his ninth 4,000-yard season and finished with 27 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a 95.0 passer rating.

Manning called the award emblematic of what others, including owner Jim Irsay, president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy, did to help rally the Colts from a 3-4 start to make the playoffs for a seventh straight season.

"I really accept this award on behalf of the team and the organization because there is no way we would be in the playoffs and bounced back without those three people creating a winning environment," he said.

The folks in Indianapolis might take for granted having Manning behind center, just as Packers and now Jets fans have assumed Favre would be there every week. Favre has started 269 straight regular-season games, the record for quarterbacks. Manning's string is 176 — every game since he was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft.

"In other years, everything started fast," Colts running back Dominic Rhodes said. "He's still breaking records. But this year, there were a bunch of negative things said in the beginning, and he brought his best when we needed his best.

"This is probably the best ball I've seen him play."

Tony Dungy would agree. The Colts' coach said several times he favored Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison for MVP — Harrison tied with Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson with three votes. But after Manning's flawless work in the second half of the season, Dungy, while admittedly biased, changed his mind.

"I said after we left Pittsburgh (on Nov. 9) that I would vote for James Harrison," Dungy noted this week. "If I was voting today, I'd vote for Peyton Manning."

A vast majority of the voters did.

Also receiving votes were San Diego QB Philip Rivers (2), Tennessee rookie RB Chris Johnson (1) and Arizona QB Kurt Warner (1).

"I'm honored to receive this award because of the number of other worthy candidates who had some great years," Manning said. "It was just fun for me, truly, to watch them. I'm just glad to be a part of it."

Nov 26 terror attack cost BCCI Rs 120 crore

2009-01-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has incurred a loss to the tune of Rs 120 crore this fiscal year mainly due to the November 26 terror attack.

"BCCI has incurred a loss of Rs 120 crore due to the cancellation of the Pakistan tour, Champions League that was to be held in the month of December and the two One-day matches against England due to the terror attacks," a BCCI source said on Friday.

Last month's terror attacks resulted in losses for the BCCI as the Englishmen returned home, though the team came back later for the Test series.

India were leading 5-0 in against the seven match One-day series but the last two One-dayers in Delhi and Guwahati could not be played.

The $six million Champions League was scheduled to be played between December 3-10 in three centres Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

The Twenty20 Champions and the runner up of founder members India, Australia and South Africa along with the Twenty20 Champions team of England (Middlesex) and Pakistan (Sialkot) were to play in the league. The first edition of Champions League has been put off till October 2009.

According to Finance Committee Chairman Rajiv Shukla, the decisions taken taken by Finance Committee in its meeting will have to ratified by the Working Committee which is to be held on Saturday.

Women to earn more than men at Sydney International tennis

2009-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY (AFP) – Women tennis players will earn more prize money than their male counterparts at next week's Sydney International tournament, competition organisers said Friday.

Of the near 1.1 million US dollars up for grabs, the women will be vying for 600,000 US dollars, while the men will be playing for 484,750 dollars.

Tournament director Craig Watson said the discrepancy was due to the category of the event on the respective ATP and WTA tours.

"The women's (WTA) event is a Premier 600, which refers to the prize money figure and the men's is an ATP 250 Series, which refers to the ranking points the new champion will receive," Watson said.

The January 11-17 Sydney International is a key warm up tournament ahead of this month's Australian Open in Melbourne.

The 2009 Sydney women's champion will earn 98,500 US dollars, while the men's winner will pick up 78,500 US dollars.

Nine-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams headlines the women's tournament along with third-ranked Dinara Safina and Beijing gold medallist Elena Dementieva.

Last year's Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, his French compatriot Gilles Simon and Argentina's David Nalbandian are the top seeds in the men's draw.

Gavaskar, Kapil, Bedi named in first ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

2009-01-02T09:39:00.002-08:00

SYDNEY: Three Indian cricketing legends, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Bishan Singh Bedi figured among the 55 former players named on Friday in the ICC's inaugural Hall of Fame list as part of its centenary celebrations.

ICC backs night Tests if suitable ball found

Launching the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said the initiative, in association with Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA), would provide the chance for the game to recognise its greatest achievers.

"Given a key theme of the ICC's centenary year is celebrating the game's heritage then the foundation of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is an entirely logical step," he said. "It will provide a means of recognising the historical contribution of past players, officials and even institutions in making cricket what it is today, a great sport with a great spirit," he added.

Gavaskar expressed "humbled" to be named along with Sir Donald Bradman and Sir Garfield Sobers. "To be recognised by the premier authority in the game, the ICC, and that, too, in its centenary year, is an honour indeed. It is a privilege and I am overwhelmed and humbled to be included in such august company as Sir Donald Bradman and the one and only Sir Garry Sobers," he said in a statement.

Former Australia wicket-keeper Rodney Marsh became the first Hall of Famer to receive his commemorative cap from ICC president David Morgan. "I'm deeply honoured to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Being recognised in this way is humbling, especially when I look at the names of the players in this list and think about those who will join it in the years to come," Marsh said. "It (the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame) is another way of showing what a great history our game has and anything that does that has to be a good thing," Marsh said.

The career statistics and biographies of the 55 inductees can be found at the new ICC centenary website, also launched, www.catchthespirit.com.

Each year, starting 2009, new inductees will be announced during the LG ICC Awards ceremony. The initial inductees or, in the case of those who have passed away, their relatives will be presented with a commemorative ICC Cricket Hall of Fame cap at an appropriate stage during the ICC centenary year.

The living members of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame will also have the chance to choose new inductees. "We have studied numerous Halls of Fame in other sports to see what works and what doesn't and how best we can achieve our goal, to recognise the game's greatest achievers. We want to ensure that as many of the game's stakeholders as possible, including current ICC Cricket Hall of Famers and members of the public, get the chance to have their say in the process of choosing the game's true legends," Lorgat said.

FICA chief executive Tim May was delighted at the new joint initiative of cricketers' association and the ICC. "FICA believes it is important to honour the outstanding contributions many individuals have made to the game," said May.

"The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in association with FICA is obviously the appropriate forum to do so and we are delighted to join with the ICC in this great venture," he added.

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inductees: Sydney Barnes, Bishan Singh Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, Ron Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O'Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.

Gavaskar, Kapil, Bedi named in first ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

2009-01-02T09:39:00.001-08:00

Watch LIVE ODI's Test:India vs England

2008-12-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

India

vs.

England

Saturday 06th December 2008,08.30(GMT)

LIVE LINK

Watch LIVE ODI's Test:India vs England................................

Watch LIVE ODI's Test:New Zealand vs West Indies

2008-12-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

New Zealand

vs.

West Indies

Saturday 06th December 2008,02.00(GMT)

LIVE LINK

Watch the ODI's Test live:New Zealand vs West Indies

Watch LIVE UEFA Cup:FC Sevilla vs Partizan Belgrade

2008-12-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

FC Sevilla

vs.

Partizan Belgrade

LIVE
TIME:19.45(GMT)

Besided the CL, there's also the UEFA Cup. This competitions takes place between the winners of each countries Cup, and several lower ranked teams or the League winners from smaller countries. Also the #3 of each CL group will go to this Cup to get the chance to take a prize.

Watch LIVE UEFA Cup:Standard de Liege vs Sampdoria

2008-12-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Standard de Liege

vs.

Sampdoria

Watch LIVE UEFA Cup:Metalist Kharkiv vs Olympiacos Piraeus

2008-12-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

Metalist Kharkiv

vs.

Olympiacos Piraeus

Watch LIVE UEFA Cup:Hertha BSC Berlin vs Galatasaray

2008-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hertha BSC Berlin

vs.

Galatasaray

Watch LIVE UEFA Cup:FC Twente vs FC Schalke 04

2008-12-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

FC Twente

vs.

FC Schalke 04

LIVE LINK
Time:19.45(GMT)

Watch UEFA cup LIVE:Manchester City vs Paris Saint Germain

2008-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Manchester City

vs.

Paris Saint Germain

Wednesday 03rd December 2008,19.45 GMT

LIVE LINK

Besided the CL, there's also the UEFA Cup. This competitions takes place between the winners of each countries Cup, and several lower ranked teams or the League winners from smaller countries. Also the #3 of each CL group will go to this Cup to get the chance to take a prize.

Watch LIVE UEFA Cup:FK Spartak Moscow vs NEC

2008-12-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

FK Spartak Moscow

vs.

NEC

Wednesday 03rd December 2008,17.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

Watch Live UEFA Cup:Udinese vs Dinamo Zagreb

2008-12-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Udinese

vs.

Dinamo Zagreb

Wednesday 03 December 2008,17.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

Watch English Carlin Cup LIVE:Burnley FC vs Arsenal

2008-12-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

Burnley FC

vs.

Arsenal

Tuesday 2nd December 2008,19.45 GMT

LIVE LINK
The League Cup, or called Carling Cup

Watch UEFA Cup LIVE:Udinese vs Dinamo Zagreb

2008-12-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

Udinese

vs.

Dinamo Zagreb

Monday 01th December 2008,17.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

Watch LIVE English Premier League:Loverpool FC vs West Ham United

2008-12-01T01:37:00.000-08:00

Liverpool FC

Official name		Liverpool Football Club
City		Liverpool
Founded		1892
Club colors		Red / Red / Red
Website		Click here

vs.
-

West Ham United

Official name		West Ham United Football Club
City		London
Founded		1895
Club colors		Wine Red-Light Blue / White / White
Website		Click here

Monday 01th December 2008,20.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

The Barclays English Premier League (EPL), considered as the best in the world.

Watch FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008:Brazil vs Germany

2008-12-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

Brazil

vs.

Germany

Monday 01th December 2008,22.00 GMT
LIVE LINK

Watch FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008

Watch FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008:Japan vs Korea DPR

2008-12-01T00:04:00.000-08:00

Japan

vs.

Korea DPR

MONDAY 01th DECEMBER 2008,19.00 GMT
LIVE LINK

Watch ODI's live:Australia vs New Zealand

2008-11-30T23:49:00.000-08:00

Australia

vs.

New Zealand

Monday 01th December 2008,12.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

Test Series and all ODI's .

Watch SPL LIVE:Atletico Madrid vs Racing Santander

2008-11-30T06:50:00.000-08:00

Atletico Madrid

Official name		Club Atlético de Madrid
City		Madrid
Founded		1903
Club colors		White-Red horizontally striped / Blue / Red
Website		Click here

vs.
-

Racing Santander

Official name		Real Racing Club de Santander
City		Santander
Founded		1913
Club colors		White / Green / White
Website		Click here

Sunday 30th November 2008,20.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

The Spanish league, called Liga BBVA this year!

Watch Live Spenish Premier League:Recreativo Huelva vs Villarreal CF

2008-11-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

Recreativo Huelva

Official name		Real Club Recreativo de Huelva
City		Huelva
Founded		1889
Club colors		Blue-White / White / White
Website		Click here

vs.
-

Villarreal CF

Official name		Villarreal Club de Fútbol
City		Villarreal (Castellón)
Founded		1923
Club colors		Yellow / Yellow / Yellow
Website		Click here

Sunday 30th November 2008,16.00 GMT

LIVE LINK

The Spanish league, called Liga BBVA this year!

Watch LIVE ODI's:South Africa vs Bangladesh

2008-11-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

South Africa

vs.

Bangladesh

Sunday 30th November 2008,08.30 GMT
LIVE LINK

Watch LIVE ODI's:Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka

2008-11-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

Zimbabwe

vs.

Sri Lanka

Sunday 30th November 2008, 07.30 GMT
LIVE LINK

Watch Live ODI's Test:Australia vs New Zealand

2008-11-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

Australia

vs.

New Zealand

Sunday 30th November 2008,12.00 GMT
LIVE LINK

Watch FIFA women's U20 world cup Live:USA vs England

2008-11-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

Live:USA vs England( FIFA women's U20 world cup)

Watch FIFA Live:Nigeria vs France

2008-11-29T11:14:00.000-08:00

LIVE FIFA U20 Womens world cup 2008

Watch EPL Live:Chelsea vs Arsenal

2008-11-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

LIVE English Premier League:Chelsea vs Arsenal

Watch Live EPL:Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton FC

2008-11-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

Live EPL:Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton FC

Watch English Premier League:Portsmouth FC vs Blackburn Rovers

2008-11-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

English Premier League Live:Portsmouth FC vs Blackburn Rovers

Watch EPL LIVE: Manchester city vs Manchester United

2008-11-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

Live:Manchester city vs Manchester United

LIVE ODI's:India vs England

2008-11-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

India

vs.

England

Live
Time:8.30-17.00(GMT)

Live Odi's:South Africa vs Bangladeesh

2008-11-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

South Africa

vs.

Bangladesh

Live
Time:8.30-16.00(GMT)

LIVE ODI'S:Australia vs New Zealand

2008-11-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

Australia

vs.

New Zealand

Australia
Live
Time:12.00-8.00(GMT)

Once-beaten Titans matched up with winless Lions

2008-11-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

DETROIT – The Tennessee Titans blew the symmetry of an 11-0, 0-11 matchup with the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. The once-beaten Titans, though, will get a chance to show coast-to-coast viewers they're still a dominant team against the winless Lions.

"We also have to remember it's a national stage for them to show that although they have an 0-11 record, that they still have a pretty good team," Jevon Kearse said. "We have to do a pretty good job of it and not let them show the world against us."

Much of the nation is spared from watching the Lions, but this is the one time of year football fans don't have a choice.

Detroit has been playing on Thanksgiving since 1934, but the franchise has gotten so bad Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is among those calling for the NFL to rotate the game away from the Motor City.

"It's a lack of a respect," Jason Hanson, in his 17th season with the Lions. "But we haven't been good for some years and who don't give a rip about the Lions at the bottom of the barrel; they don't see you. But to take a spell that's been terrible and act like it defines the game and what it's been, the point doesn't stand.

"The tradition of the day is far bigger than what we've done at Ford Field the last few years."

Thankfully.

The Lions have lost their showcase game the past four years by an average of 20 points.

Tennessee is not only motivated to bounce back from its 20-point setback at home to the New York Jets, but to avoid the embarrassment of losing to the Lions.

"We definitely don't want to be the first one to lose to them," Ahmard Hall said. "I know they're going to be extremely hyped. They think we're going to be down from this loss. They can smell blood in the water.

"This is their big game."

Detroit running back Kevin Smith agreed.

"It's my chance to be in the Super Bowl on Thanksgiving Day," Smith said.

The Titans have a chance to finish the season in the real Super Bowl and they plan to continue a march toward it on the ground.

Kerry Collins has been dared to throw against defenses stacked to stop rookie Chris Johnson and LenDale White. He was doing just that until having a lackluster game through the air against the Jets.

Detroit seems like the perfect team to get your running game going against because its rushing defense ranks last in the league, giving up 318 and 264 yards rushing to Atlanta and Carolina, respectively.

The Lions have started to run the ball better lately, leading to Smith averaging nearly 100 yards rushing the past three games.

"I always had confidence," the rookie said. "I just needed an opportunity. They gave it to me and now, I'm establishing myself.

"I'm going to come out smoking in this game. Everything I got, it's going to show."

Smith might find it difficult to do much against an Albert Haynesworth-led defensive line.

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound defensive tackle is averaging 5 1/2 tackles a game and has a career-high 8 1/2 sacks, despite taking on two blockers a lot.

"He's relentless," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "Every down, he's the same player."

If the Titans shut down Smith, Daunte Culpepper will likely look to connect with Calvin Johnson more often. Johnson has scored in six of the last seven games and leads the team with 48 catches, 905 yards receiving.

The 6-5, 239-pound receiver was the No. 2 pick overall last year and his eye-popping talent has provided a glimmer of hope for a franchise that desperately needs it. Usually, his play is overshadowed by his team's lack of success.

"I'm just excited for this nation to see what he's about," Marinelli said. "He is really special."

After the Titans and Lions kick off the NFL's tripleheader Thursday, Hall hopes viewers think his team is still special.

"You definitely want to let them know that we still are the Tennessee Titans — the best team in the league," he said. "We have one of the best records in the league. We want to let them know that soon that we are what we put on tape in the first 10 weeks."

The Lions, conversely, want to have witnesses to their belief that they're really not marching toward an unprecedented 0-16 record.

"We've got a national spotlight on us and I think that's really good for us right now to see what kind of fiber we have," Marinelli insisted. "We'll be scrutinized, which will be really good. That's what this league's about — to be scrutinized and then be able to stand up to it and perform."

Gerrard sends lacklustre Liverpool through

2008-11-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

Aurelio (L) vies with Olympique de Marseille's Ivorian forward …

LIVERPOOL (AFP) – Steven Gerrard celebrated his return from injury by firing Liverpool into the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Marseille here on Wednesday.

The Liverpool captain's first-half header from Xabi Alonso's cross proved enough to secure a victory over opponents who deserved better from a display every bit as spirited as the one that had seen them become the first French club to win at Anfield 13 months ago.

"We'll have a few regrets because we had chances up to the last minute but the only thing that makes me unhappy was the result," said Marseille coach Erik Gerets.

"I was quite happy with the performance. For the first time in a long time, we played as a unit and with the kind of desire that everyone said we were missing."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admitted his side had lived dangerously at times. "It was a strange game. We were controlling the game and then we scored and they started to attack us.

"We were trying to play on the counter attack with Fernando Torres but our final ball was never good enough to hurt them. The game was too open against a team with pace and ability. But the important thing is we won and we are qualified."

Ultimately it was the sloppy marking that allowed Gerrard to claim his fifth goal in as many games in this season's competition that snuffed out Marseille's last chance of progress to the last 16.

But Gerets' men could also count themselves unfortunate not to have enjoyed the breaks that would have enabled them to capitalise on a string of good chances as they put Liverpool under intense pressure after the interval.

It was a night of milestones for Benitez. His 66th European match in charge of the club eclipsed Bill Shankly's record while a 39th victory on the European stage saw him draw level with Bob Paisley on that count.

The Spaniard, though, could scarcely have been satisfied with another lacklustre display from his side which, even with Gerrard returning at the expense of Robbie Keane, lacked the attacking intensity he had promised in the wake of Saturday's sluggish display against Fulham.

Marseille were fortunate not to be punished in the opening minutes when Dirk Kuyt charged down Taye Taiwo's attempted clearance, the Dutchman failing to pick out Torres with his cross, and Daniel Agger's long-range strike required Steve Mandanda to make his first save of the evening.

More than 20 minutes had elapsed before the visitors' goalkeeper was called into serious action however and he did well to block Kuyt's header at close range after Torres had skipped past Vitorino Hilton on the right of the box.

Marseille failed to clear their lines and they paid the price less than a minute later after Alvaro Arbeloa sent Alonso overlapping down the right.

The Spanish midfielder's first-time cross was struck with his customary precision over a Marseille defence that had neglected to pick up Gerrard lurking beyond the back post.

Unchecked, the England midfielder was able to advance to the edge of the six-yard area before powering a header past Mandanda's right hand.

Marseille's best moment of the opening period came ten minutes before the break, when Taye Taiwo's skidding freekick forced Jose Reina to get down smartly at his left-hand post.

Liverpool's goalkeeper appeared less accomplished as he flapped at the resulting corner and was relieved to see Ronald Zubar head wide from a tight angle.

A rare right foot effort from Albert Riera drew another stop from Mandanda in first-half stoppage time.

But Liverpool were far from comfortable and could count themselves fortunate that Mamadou Niang's boot swiped at clean air when the Marseille striker got clear in the penalty area shortly after the restart.

Minutes later, the Senegal striker turned Jamie Carragher 40 yards out but, with a clear run at goal, opted to shoot too early and his effort failed to trouble Reina.

The trickery of Hatem Ben Arfa on the right was also giving Liverpool problems and the France midfielder came agonisingly close to equalising midway through the half with a beautifully struck free-kick from the corner of the box that drew an equally pleasing fingertips save from Reina.

A slip by Agger then presented Niang with a sight of goal but the Danish defender's blushes were spared by substitute Andrea Dossena, who threw his body into the line of fire for an important block on what was to prove Marseille's last clear-cut chance of an equaliser.

Live UEFA cup:Olympiacos Piraeus vs Benfica Lisban

2008-11-27T03:26:00.000-08:00

Olympiacos Piraeus

vs.

Benfica Lisbon

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE UEFA CUP:Paris Saint Germain vs Racing Santander

2008-11-27T03:23:00.000-08:00

Paris Saint Germain

vs.

Racing Santander

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE UEFA CUP:Norway vs Brazil

2008-11-27T03:20:00.000-08:00

Norway

vs.

Brazil

Live
Time:19.00-21.00(GMT)

LIVE UEFA cup:Korea DPR vs Mexico

2008-11-27T03:17:00.000-08:00

FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008

Chile

Chile will host the 2008 Womens U20 World Cup, from the 19th November - 7th December

Korea DPR

vs.

Mexico

Live
Time:19.00-21.00(GMT)

LIVE UEFA cup:Galatasaray vs Metalist Kharkiv

2008-11-27T03:14:00.000-08:00

Galatasaray

vs.

Metalist Kharkiv

Live
Time:18:00 - 20:00(GMT)

Live UEFA cup:Galatasaray vs Metalist Kharkiv

2008-11-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

Galatasaray

vs.

Metalist Kharkiv

Live
Time:18.00-20.00(GMT)

Live UEFA cup:Galatasaray vs Metalist Kharkiv

2008-11-27T00:39:00.000-08:00

Galatasaray

vs.

Metalist Kharkiv

Live
Time18.00-20.00(GMT)

Live UEFA cup:FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester City

2008-11-27T00:36:00.000-08:00

FC Schalke 04

vs.

Manchester City

Live
Time:18.00-20.00(GMT)

Live UEFA cup:MSK Zilina vs Slavia Prague

2008-11-27T00:33:00.000-08:00

MSK Zilina

vs.

Slavia Prague

Live
Time:17.30-19.30(GMT)

Live UEFA cup:CSKA Moscow vs Lech Poznan

2008-11-27T00:31:00.000-08:00

CSKA Moscow

vs.

Lech Poznan

Live
Time:17.00-19.00(GMT)

Live Odi's Test:South Africa vs Bangladesh

2008-11-26T23:41:00.000-08:00

Test/Odi's

European Union

Test Series and all ODI's .

South Africa

vs.

Bangladesh

Live
Time:08.30-18.00(GMT)

LIVE The UEFA Champions League:CFR Cluj vs AS Roma

2008-11-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

CFR Cluj

vs.

AS Roma

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

Live UEFA cup:Inter Milan vs Panathinaikos Athens

2008-11-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Inter Milan

vs.

Panathinaikos Athens

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE UEFA Champions League:Atletico Madrid vs PSV

2008-11-25T22:53:00.000-08:00

Atletico Madrid

vs.

PSV

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008:England vs New Zealand

2008-11-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008

Chile

Chile will host the 2008 Womens U20 World Cup, from the 19th November - 7th December

England

vs.

New Zealand

Live
Time:22.00-24.00(GMT)

LIVE FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008:Nigeria vs Chile

2008-11-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

Nigeria

vs.

Chile

Live
Time:22.00-24.00(GMT)

Live FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008:Argentina vs France

2008-11-25T22:38:00.000-08:00

Argentina

vs.

France

Live
Time:19.00-21.00(GMT)

Live FIFA U20 Qualification:USA vs China

2008-11-25T22:34:00.000-08:00

FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008

Chile

Chile will host the 2008 Womens U20 World Cup, from the 19th November - 7th December

USA

vs.

China

]
Live
Time:19.00-21.00(GMT)

LIVE UEFA CUP: Villarreal CF vs Manchester United

2008-11-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Villarreal CF

vs.

Manchester United

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE UEFA CUP: AC Fiorentina vs Olympique Lyon

2008-11-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

AC Fiorentina

vs.

Olympique Lyon

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE UEFA CUP: Fenerbahce vs FC Porto

2008-11-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

Fenerbahce

vs.

FC Porto

Live
Time:19.45-21.45(GMT)

LIVE UEFA CUP:FC BATE Borisov vs Real Madrid

2008-11-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

FC BATE Borisov

vs.

Real Madrid

Live
Time: 19.45-21.45(GMT)

UEFA Live:Legia Warsaw vs Jagiellonia Bialystok

2008-11-24T23:13:00.000-08:00

Legia Warsaw

vs.

Jagiellonia Bialystok

Live
Time:16.30-18.30(GMT)

Jeev tied fourth at Hong Kong Open

2008-11-22T07:30:00.001-08:00

HONG KONG: Jeev Milkha Singh remained in the hunt for a second successive Asian Tour title after a solid four-under 66 left the seasoned Indian threeJeev Milkha Singh hits the ball on the 9th hole during the third round of the Hong Kong Open golf tournament on Saturday, November 22, 2008. (AP Photo)
strokes off the pace at the end of the penultimate round of UBS Hong Kong Open on Saturday.

The Indian, who won the Singapore Open last week, has a total of 10-under 200 and is tied for the fourth spot with Englishman Oliver Wilson (65) leading the pack.

Jeev sank in five birdies against a lone dropped shot in yet another steady show.

"I'm comfortable with the way I'm playing and I'm confident and looking forward to tomorrow, see what comes my way. This tournament has a lot of history and the set up is fantastic. It's great to be here," he said.

"Anybody from eight under can take this. It's going to be a great day tomorrow. Everyone will be fired up. I will keep doing what I'm doing and that's where I get those 62s and 63s, but I think it will all come down to putting," added the 2006 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner.

Meanwhile, Jyoti Randhawa also carded a 66 and was tied for the 25th spot with a total of five-under 205. The Delhi-pro managed six birdies against a couple of bogeys.

Veteran Gaurav Ghei was further down at the tied 42nd spot after a third-round 67 left him three-under overall. Ghei shot a stunning eagle on the par-five 13th hole and stroked in four birdies against three bogeys on Saturday.

Leading third round scores:

197 - Oliver Wilson (ENG) 66-66-65;
198 - Lin Wen-tang (TPE) 65-69-64;
199 - Bernhard Langer (GER) 69-67-63;
200 - Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 69-67-64,
200 - Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 71-63-66,
200 - Rory Mcilroy (NIR) 70-64-66,
200 - Francesco Molinari (ITA) 66-67-67;
201 - Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 68-65-68.

Comeback king Lopez levels Davis Cup final

2008-11-22T07:23:00.000-08:00

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (AFP) – Feliciano Lopez, who had been handed the awesome task of replacing injured world number one Rafael Nadal, stormed to Spain's rescue when he levelled the Davis Cup final against Argentina.

The stylish left-hander defeated Argentine number one Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to make the score 1-1 after David Nalbandian had put the home side ahead with an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over David Ferrer in the opening singles rubber.

Lopez overcame a passionate 11,000-strong home crowd at the Estadio Islas Malvinas to see off the 1.98m (6ft 6in) giant Del Potro, the world number nine, who ended the match with a crippling groin injury which could rule him out of Sunday's reverse singles.

Del Potro, who had secured Argentina's final place with a live fifth rubber win over Igor Andreev in September's semi-final against Russia, had cruised through the first set with a break in the fifth game.

But Lopez, seven years the Argentine's senior, then took two nerve-tingling tie-breaks, defying the wild support of the local crowd who were repeatedly warned by the umpire to curb their enthusiasm.

Del Potro hurt his groin to go 2-4 down in the fourth set and he never recovered with Lopez taking the match after 3hrs 20mins when the home player netted a comfortable forehand.

"Emotionally, that was the best win of my career," said Lopez who is scheduled to play doubles on Saturday.

"I played a bad first set but then I was more focussed and I was the better player. I found a way to play my best. I think I will be fine for the doubles (he will partner Fernando Verdasco against Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri)."

Earlier, Nalbandian had little trouble seeing off the highly-strung Ferrer to give Argentina a boost in their bid to win a first ever Davis Cup title.

"I played a very good match. I was very solid from the first point and I was playing at a very high level," said Nalbandian who had gone into the match with a 3-6 record against Ferrer but has now won 14 Davis Cup rubbers at home.

"It was a short match (just over two hours) so that's good for the rest of the weekend."

Nalbandian also praised the crowd who weren't required to hit full fever pitch with their man in total control of proceedings.

"They were fairly calm but when we need more support we will get it."

Argentina lost both of their previous Davis Cup final appearances - in 1981 against the USA and 2006 to Russia.

The South Americans have won their last 13 home ties in the competition with their last defeat coming in 1998 against Slovakia.

Spain are appearing in their sixth Davis Cup final having won the title twice, beating Australia in 2000 and the United States in 2004.

"I didn't think it would be so easy for him," admitted Ferrer. "We have always had close matches in the past. He was playing at a really high level.

"We have already talked about Nadal not being here. We miss him but we have to make do with what we've got."

Live ODI's:Zimbabwe vs Sri lanka

2008-11-22T01:23:00.000-08:00

Zimbabwe

vs.

Sri Lanka

Live
Time:7.30-16.00(GMT)

Maradona sets his eyes on football's ultimate prize

2008-11-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

Diego Maradona has set his sights on claiming football's ultimate prize for a second time as he embarks on an unexpected career as the coach of Argentina.

The little genius who, as a player, almost single-handedly guided his country to glory in Mexico in 1986 now believes he can repeat that triumph in South Africa in 2010 with a squad of players that might not have one individual as outstanding as himself, but is undeniably packed with world class talent.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Juan Roman Riquelme were excused international duty for Maradona's first game in charge, a friendly against Scotland here on Wednesday evening.

But after his first training sessions with the likes of Liverpool's Javier Mascherano and Manchester United's Carlos Tevez, Maradona was brimming with confidence about his prospect of emulating Franz Beckenbauer's achievement by captaining then coaching his country to World Cup glory.

"First and foremost, I only have one objective and that is to win the World Cup," Maradona said.

"There is no point thinking about making it into the last four. With the players that we have that has to be our goal and that is what I will be striving to achieve.

"It has been great for me to work with the players here. My time has come now and I am really enjoying the moment. I will work on the tactics and how we approach the games but it is very important that I get into the players' hearts.

"I think they need someone to guide them and I can do that. I want to make the players happy and proud to wear the shirt. I hope I will be good for them and they will be good for me."

The 48-year-old's managerial adventure begins at the ground where he scored his first international goal.

He was just 19 when he wowed Hampden and produced a stand-out performance alongside experienced performers who had lifted the World Cup a year earlier.

While no-one would ever question the footballing skills that earned him a standing ovation on his last visit to Hampden, Maradona has yet to manage at the highest level and his appointment has raised eyebrows throughout the football world.

But his first steps have been taken confidently with questions from the media handled with the kind of deft touch he used to employ to get the better of defenders.

Quizzed about Terry Butcher's assertion that he could never forgive him for the 'Hand of God' goal that helped knock England out of the 1986 World Cup, Argentina's new coach replied with a combination of good grace (he said he would be happy to kiss and make up) with a hint of a 'Terry who?' attitude.

"I don't know why Butcher is taking this attitude," Maradona said of the former England defender who is now assistant manager of Scotland. "If people are fine with me, I'll greet them.

"Let Butcher get on with his life and I'll get on with my life. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. If Butcher doesn't shake my hand, I'll still be alive tomorrow."

Maradona further thrilled his hosts by taking a swipe at all of his English critics by pointing out that England's 1966 World Cup final victory over the then West Germany came with the help of a Geoff Hurst goal that may not have crossed the goalline.

"England won the World Cup in 1966 with a goal that didn't cross the line so I don't think it's fair that anyone should judge me when stuff like that went on," he said.

The 'Hand of God' goal refers to Argentina's first in their 2-1 win in the 1986 quarter-final, in which Maradona used his hand to beat England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to the ball and deflect it into the net.

Butcher's lingering bitterness over the match may however be more to do with memories of Argentina's second goal. Butcher twice failed with attempts to stop Maradona as he waltzed past five English players before finally going past Shilton to claim one of the greatest ever goals.

Live FIFA U20 Qualification:U.A.E vs Iran

2008-11-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

Fifa World Cup 2010 Qualifying

South Africa

Qualifying for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa

U.A.E.

vs.

Iran

Live
Time:15.15-17.15(GMT)

Live FIFA U20 Qualification:China vs Argentina

2008-11-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

FIFA U20 Womens World Cup 2008

Chile

Chile will host the 2008 Womens U20 World Cup, from the 19th November - 7th December

China

vs.

Argentina

Live
Time:15.00-17.00(GMT)

Fifa World Cup 2010 Qualifying LIVE:Bahrain vs Australia

2008-11-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Bahrain

vs.

Australia

Live
Time:15.00-17.00(GMT)

UEFA Live:Romania U21 vs Bulgeria U21

2008-11-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

Romania U21

vs.

Bulgaria U21

Live
Time:12.00-14.00(GMT)

Watch ODI's Live:South Africa vs Bangladesh

2008-11-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

South Africa

vs.

Bangladesh

Live
Time:08.30-16.00(GMT)

Djokovic thrashes Davydenko to win Masters Cup tennis

2008-11-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

SHANGHAI (AFP) – World number three Novak Djokovic thrashed Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 7-5 in the Masters Cup final on Sunday to lift his second major trophy this year.

The Australian Open champion fizzed through most of the match at a packed Qi Zhong Stadium and snuffed out a late revival as he ended a six-month title drought at the lucrative season finale.

Djokovic, who becomes the first Serbian year-end champion and takes home 1.24 million dollars in prize money, also moves to within just 10 points of Roger Federer's second rankings spot.

"I certainly put it at the level of the Grand Slams. It's a great achievement for me, I'm so happy," Djokovic said.

With defending champion Federer knocked out and top-ranked Rafael Nadal injured, it was up to Djokovic to add a dash of class to the final and he duly delivered in a clinical first set.

The 21-year-old Serb was immediately spraying backhands past Davydenko and he broke at the first attempt when the Russian netted. Davydenko was in deep trouble when he mis-hit a backhand to go 4-0 down.

Djokovic lifted a perfect lob over Davydenko, who managed just six points in the first five games before finally holding serve 5-1. The Serb briefly wobbled as he served for the set, saving two break points before going ahead after just 32 minutes.

The fifth-ranked Davydenko unfroze at the start of the second set and he won a peach of a point with a savage approach shot and tightly angled backhand volley.

But the Russian's shoulders slumped again as he hit an easy smash wide and was broken again as the backhand volley failed him.

He saved two match points on his serve and then, as Djokovic served for the match, broke for the first time in a sudden resurgence.

However, Djokovic broke back for 6-5 and made no mistake at his second attempt to serve it out, sinking to his knees as Davydenko netted a return at 40-0.

"It's difficult to be positive when you're losing 5-0 and you see you have no chance," Davydenko said.

"When you feel 100 percent like you're going to lose, it's very difficult to be positive. Normally I play very fast and with good control, and today I didn't."

Djokovic had already beaten Davydenko in the group stage here along with Juan Martin del Potro and downed Gilles Simon in the semi-finals. He lost all three group matches on his debut last year.

The two had only met once before this tournament, when Djokovic retired from their Davis Cup match in February with dizziness and exhaustion.

After the Australian Open, Djokovic won Masters events in Indian Wells and Rome but had not claimed a title since May.

Davydenko is appearing at his fourth straight end-of-year tournament after another busy season when he won more than 50 matches including titles at the Miami Masters, Poertschach and Warsaw.

The Russian, who beat Britain's Andy Murray in the last four, is left waiting for his first top-level title after four Grand Slam semis and nearly three-and-a-half years in the top 10.

Belgrade-born Canadian Daniel Nestor and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic earlier won the doubles title, beating US twins Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in the final.

The 4.45 million dollar end-of-season event is making a final appearance in Shanghai before moving to London as the World Tour Final.

Serena Williams withdraws from WTA Championships

2008-11-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

DOHA, Qatar – Serena Williams and Ana Ivanovic withdrew from the WTA Tour's season-ending event on Friday before their last round-robin matches.

Williams cited a stomach injury when she pulled out of her match at the Sony Ericsson Championships against Elena Dementieva, who advanced to the semifinals.

"I did feel pain last night," the U.S. Open champion said. "I was still in pain just getting out of bed."

Williams lost to her sister, Venus, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 on Thursday.

Serena said she might have tweaked a muscle and that doctors had told her to rest.

Ivanovic withdrew earlier Friday from her match against Svetlana Kuznetsova, citing a virus.

The French Open champion had no chance of advancing to the semifinals because she had lost two matches in the group stage.

Kuznetsova had also lost two matches and had no chance of advancing.

"It's obviously very hard for me," said Ivanovic, who turned 21 on Thursday. "Yesterday I didn't feel good and today, even worse."

The tournament features eight players divided into two groups, with the top two in each group advancing to the elimination stage.

Younus century propels Pakistan to 273-6

2008-11-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

ABU DHABI (AFP) – Star batsman Younus Khan scored a sparkling hundred to lift Pakistan to 273-6 in the third and final day-night international against the West Indies at Sheikh Stadium here on Sunday.

The 30-year-old hit 101, including five boundaries and a six, after Pakistan won the toss and batted.

Pakistan lost opener Salman Butt (nought) in the first over, caught in the slip off paceman Daren Powell. Younus and Khurrum Manzoor had to initially earn runs against some tight West Indian bowling.

Manzoor (30) fell to West Indian skipper Chris Gayle, but Younus found an able ally in Misbahul Haq as both upped the tempo.

Younus reached his sixth one-day hundred with a sharp single off Powell but two balls later he attempted a reverse sweep off spinner Nikita Miller and was bowled.

Captain Shoaib Malik made 13 and Shahid Afridi managed just six.

Haq continued his good work, hitting three boundaries and a six and added an invaluable 40 for the sixth wicket with Kamran Akmal who was bowled off the final delivery for 21.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 2-0. They won the first match by four wickets on Wednesday and the second by 24 runs on Friday.

Pakistan kept an unchanged side, meaning paceman Shoaib Akhtar missed all three matches due to calf muscle injury. West Indies brought in Brendan Nash in place of Carlton Baugh.

Live International Friendly Matches:Qatar vs South Korea

2008-11-14T02:09:00.000-08:00

Qatar

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South Korea

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Live AFC Asian U19 Championship:U.A.E U19 vs Uzbekistan U19

2008-11-14T02:04:00.000-08:00

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Live ATP Masters Cup Shanghai

2008-11-14T01:39:00.000-08:00

ATP Masters Cup Shanghai

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Live ODI's Test:India vs England

2008-11-14T01:29:00.000-08:00

India

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England

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Live English Carling Cup:Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic

2008-11-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Arsenal

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Live AEL:FC Admira vs RB Salzburg II

2008-11-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

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Live The AFC Asian U19 Championship:U.A.E U19 vs Australia U19

2008-11-10T23:38:00.000-08:00

U.A.E. U19

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Live French Coupe de la Ligue :FC Sochaux vs RC Lens

2008-11-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

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RC Lens

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Live AFC Asian U19 Championship :Korea U19 vs Uzbekistan U19

2008-11-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

Korea U19

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Live:ATP Master Cup Shanghai

2008-11-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

ATP Masters Cup Shanghai

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India climb to second spot in ICC Test rankings

2008-11-10T04:30:00.000-08:00

DUBAI: India's emphatic 2-0 series win over Australia has lifted them one place up to second and ahead of South Africa in the ICC Test rankings
issued on Monday.

India, who were well behind South Africa in the previous rankings, gained seven points to move to 116 and close the gap with Australia (129).

Third-placed South Africa also have 116 points but when calculated to decimal points, India ranks ahead of the African nation.

India, who were in second place in January, had slipped to third in June, but made amends by their outstanding performance at home against the top-ranked Aussies in the four-Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India next play a two-Test series against fifth ranked England at home and is likely to sum up the year on a high.

Sri Lanka are fourth while Pakistan are sixth followed by New Zealand, the West Indies and Bangladesh at seventh, eighth and ninth spots.

India beat Australia to win series 2-0

2008-11-10T04:27:00.000-08:00

NAGPUR: India on Monday gave ample proof of its status as a dominant force in world cricket as they thrashed Australia by 172 runs in the fourth
Indian cricket team

Indian cricket team pose with a trophy as they celebrate after winning the fourth Test against Australia.

and final cricket Test to regain the coveted Border-Gavaskar trophy after a gap of four years.

After settting the visitors a daunting target of 382 for victory, the Indians exploited a turning fifth day track to skittle out the Aussies for 209 just before the tea break to wrap up the four-match series with a 2-0 margin.

It turned out to be a perfect gift for Sourav Ganguly by his teammates in his farewell Test as they knocked out the Aussies in just about two sessions of play on the last day.

Only Matthew Hayden stood bravely amidst the ruins with a 93-ball 77 as the Indian bowlers ripped through the batting line up to bring an end to the Australian innings rather quickly.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra (3/27) and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (4/64) were the main destructors for the hosts who made amends for losing the home series 1-2 in the 2004-05 series.

Opener Hayden, let off twice in his 30s, showed the most defiance from the tourists' ranks and top-scored with 77 off 93 balls with eight fours and a six before being fifth out and the end came swiftly after the departure of the Queenslander midway into the second session.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma took the first two of three Australian wickets to set India on their way to a deserving victory after which the spin duo of Harbhajan and Mishra spun a web of deceit to skittle the rest.

The end came when last man Mitchell was declared out leg before offering no shot to Harbhajan Singh before tea.

Australia lost their wickets at regular intervals after a fighting partnership between Hayden and Hussey was broken by young Mishra who had the latter caught at slip by Rahul Dravid who had a forgettable match with the bat and as a slip fielder too.

India, thus, finished on a victorious note to give a fitting send-off to Sourav Ganguly who had announced before the commencement of the series in Bangalore on October 9 that he will quit the game after this series.

The former India skipper, who missed the chance to score a century in his farewell appearance after having started his Test career with a bang a debut ton at Lord's in 1996 faded from the limelight with the happiness that he was part of a victorious team at the end.

He was chaired off the ground after being hugged by all his teammates and the Australian players and was also greeted by retired captain Anil Kumble who has returned from Bangalore to see the finale.

Live :FC Vocklabruck vs FK Austria Wien II

2008-11-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

1. FC Vocklabruck

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FK Austria Wien II

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LIve:U.A.E. U19 vs Australia U19

2008-11-10T03:58:00.000-08:00

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Live Soccer:Korea U19 vs Uzbekistan U19

2008-11-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

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Live SOccer:Parma vs As Bari

2008-11-10T03:28:00.000-08:00

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Live:Mlada Boleslav vs Banik Ostrava

2008-11-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

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Live:FC Moscow vs CSKA Moscow

2008-11-10T03:18:00.000-08:00

FC Moscow

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LIVE:ATP Masters Cup Shanghai

2008-11-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

ATP Masters Cup Shanghai

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Live Tennis Challengers:ATP Challenger Dnepropetrovsk

2008-11-10T02:49:00.000-08:00

ATP Challenger Dnepropetrovsk

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Live ODI's test: India vs Australia

2008-11-10T02:45:00.000-08:00

India

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Australia

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Watch Live English premier league:Aston Villa vs Middlesbrough

2008-11-09T02:26:00.000-08:00

Aston Villa

Official name		Aston Villa Football Club
City		Birmingham
Founded		1874
Club colors		Red-light Blue / White / Light Blue
Website		Click here

vs.
-

Middlesbrough

Official name		Middlesbrough Football Club
City		Middlesbrough
Founded		1876
Club colors		Red / Red / Red
Website		Click here

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