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Cisse sinks Villa on dream debut

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Cisse sinks Villa on a dream debut

The Senegalese striker, Papiss Demba Cisse, had a remarkable debut for Newcastle as he scored the winning goal against Aston Villa on Feb 5. He got transferred from the German club Freiburg for £10 million and was handed the famous No.9 shirt. It is safe to say that he has started his career at St James park in a perfect style.

Leaving a mark

The injury to Leon Best in the 1st half proved to be a blessing for him. He came off the bench immediately and his dream of playing for the Magpies proved to be a reality. Newcastle drew first blood through Demba Ba but that lead was neutralized by Villa’s own iconic striker, Robbie Keane. Cisse scored the winner in the 71st minute to move Newcastle to the 4th position in the EPL table. It is still very early to compare him with legends like Alan Shearer, but he has definitely made his mark.

The Newcastle Manager, Alan Pardew, is a happy man due to Cisse’s power packed performance. However, Newcastle’s place in the Champions League is still a distant dream as for that to happen, Cisse must fire in the remaining matches too.

Match Details

Newcastle took the lead in the 30th minute by virtue of a strike by Demba Ba, another Senegalese striker. This was his 16th goal of the season. But the goal proved counter productive as Villa gradually grew in confidence and equalized in the stoppage time through a Robbie Keane volley. The stage was set for an exciting 2nd half.

Newcastle got a couple of opportunities in the opening minutes of the 2nd half but the Senegalese duo of Cisse and Ba failed to capitalize on those chances. The Newcastle fans had to wait till the 71st min for some wild celebrations as new recruit Cisse smashed a left volley into the Villa goal. Aston Villa tried for some late equalizers, but the Magpie defense denied them time and again.

Fluminense beat Arsenal 1-0 in Copa Libertadores

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Fluminense beat Arsenal 1-0 in Copa Libertadores

Brazilian striker Fred scored in just the 3rd minute as nine-man Fluminense secured a 1 – 0 win over Argentina’s Arsenal in the opening game of the Group 4 of the Copa Libertadores. The group also features Boca Juniors and Zamora of Venezuela. The match was held at the Engenhao stadium.

In the early minutes of the match Fred received the ball from Carlinhos and the Arsenal keeper Campestrini was beaten by the powerful shot from Fred. The result of the match would have been different had Lisandro Lopez cleared the cross from the left. Arsenal attacked relentlessly in the second half but all efforts were thwarted and the scoreline remained the same.

The match was marred by some unnecessary altercation in the 75th minute between few players from both sides as a result of which the match was stopped for a few minutes. Fluminense player Wagner and Nicolas Aguirre, and the Arsenal midfielder was ultimately sent off. The Brazilian club had more misery in store as in the 90th minute Leandro Euzebio was shown red card for following a hard foul.

Fred was visibly happy in the post-match meeting with the reporters where he said that he was delighted with the three points and the goal. He was confident that the team will live up to the expectations of the fans although he conceded that no match is easy in the Copa Libertadores.

The other two teams drew 0:0 at Venezuela. Arsenal now leads the group thanks to its 3:0 victory over Zamora FC in the 2nd match. Fluminense will play the Argentinian side Boca Juniors on 8th March which will be an away fixture. Even a draw will push them to the top of the table. Although these are early days, we can still safely say that of the 4 teams Arsenal FC and Fluminense RJ are favorites to go through but Boca Juniors can pose a problem from these two.

Test dream is still alive for David Hussey

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Test dream is still alive for David Hussey

The Australian middle-order batsman David Hussey, who will turn 35 this July, is still harboring hopes of playing in the World Cup in 2015. He also cherishes a dream of making his test debut for Australia. Hussey is already a regular in the limited overs format and his consistent performances have pleased the selectors. His brother, Michael Hussey, is a regular in the Test team and was part of the World Cup winning team.

Inspiration

David believes that his consistent good scores will make it hard for the selectors to drop him from the 2015 World Cup squad. He has really kept his word and is consistently performing. In the recent CB series too he has a string of good scores.

He is taking inspiration from his brother Michael as last summer people were actually in favor of dropping him before the Ashes series. But he fought back into the team and is now a regular middle-order batsman in the Test team.

Determination

David Hussey is a stubborn guy and many believe that his Test debut is just round the corner. A lot of ex-cricketers have said that he is already very old and will not fit into the team but David is determined to prove his detractors wrong. If you are a selector, it really becomes difficult for you not to make that phone call when you know that this guy is performing consistently and is already a vital cog in the limited overs format.

Conclusion

Hussey laughs it off when he is reminded that throughout his career he has been dropped from the team 14 times. But what keeps his spirit alive is his desire to play at the highest level for Australia. He has a hunger for runs which was evident from his whirlwind innings of 61 (30 balls) against India in the very first game of the tri-series.

Capello to face FA after blasting Terry decision

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Capello to face FA after blasting Terry decision

England manager Fabio Capello has publicly condemned the decision of FA to remove John Terry from England captaincy. In a sort of retaliatory mood, FA has decided to hold talks with the England manager and it seems that the Italian’s role as an England manager is all but over. John Terry has been accused of racially abusing QPR center-back Anton Ferdinand during a match. A very grave offence, no doubt, but Capello believes that FA may have been unnecessarily quick in taking such a big decision. The Chelsea player will be available for England selection, though. But not many favor the public displeasure shown by Capello regarding this issue. The England manager have definitely breached his contract with those comments and has put his own job in total jeopardy. Continue reading “Capello to face FA after blasting Terry decision” »

Tiger Woods wins inaugural FedEx Cup

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Tiger Woods at his best is unmatchable. Even when Woods appears to be slightly slack, others still find it hard to keep pace with him. That was demonstrated at East Lake when the American ace golfer scored his lowest career score at the Tour Championship yet won the competition by an overwhelming eight strokes. This was Woods’ fourth win in his last five events and the 31-year old now becomes the only two-time winner of the event and the champion of the inaugural FedEx Cup. This presents him with $10 million for winning the FedEx Cup and also gifts him $1.26m dollars for winning the tournament. Woods finished the FedEx Cup on 23 under, two strokes better than his previous best total of 21 under at the 2000 NEC Invitational. He sustained the lead throughout the final round carding a four-under-par 66 at East Lake and ran away with the championship. But Tiger Woods’ gallop to glory wasn’t a free ride on the highway and was punctuated by edginess early on when the American appeared a little shaky, with a bogey at the par-three second followed by a 10-foot par save at the third after starting the final round with a three-shot advantage over fellow American Mark Calcavecchia. But Tiger can rarely remain withdrawn in his den. Woods came out and went up three birdies in four holes starting at number six to go four shots clear at the turn and added three more birdies on the back nine before bogeying the 17th yet still managed to shatter the tournament record by six shots. The FedEx Cup victory was Tiger Woods’ 61st victory on the US PGA Tour and he is now just one win behind Arnold Palmer on the all-time list. After the win, Tiger Woods said: It’s been just a phenomenal week. I just hit shot after shot and when I got on the greens my speed was good all week. Calcavecchia shared the second place with US Masters champion Zach Johnson on 15 under while Sergio Garcia of Spain finished third on 14 under. Image Source:African-Americans Source: BBC

Racing Legend Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash

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The world of motorsport is mourning the unfortunate death of one its greatest heroes. Former World Rally Champion Colin McRae has passed away in a tragic helicopter crash on September 15, 1 mile north of Lanark, Scotland, close to the McRae family home. The 39-year old Scot is survived by his wife Alison, and daughter, Hollie. McRae’s agent Jean-ric Freudiger has confirmed that McRae himself was piloting the helicopter at the time of the crash and that his 5-year old son Johnny too died in the crash. Two family friends, Graeme Duncan and Johnny’s six year old friend Ben Porcelli who were inside the helicopter at the time, have also been confirmed as dead. Scottish driver Colin McRae came from a family rich in the tradition of motorsport. His father Jimmy McRae is a five-time British Rally Champion and his younger brother Alister too is a notable professional driver. McRae won the world driver’s title in 1995 with Subaru and was actually the first Briton to win the World Rally Championship He was also championship runner-up on three occasions in 1996, 1997 and 2001 and finished third in 1998. He is hugely admired for his never-say-die attitude and winning mentality. Messages of support have been pouring in from all corners of the motorsport world. McRae’s former manager at Subaru,David Richards, has this to say about the motorsport legend: He had a competitive spirit like I’ve never seen in any other individual in my life. He was one of those people who had an extraordinary spirit that you just can’t define. It’s a terrible loss. That was his style. He had a real have-a-go instinct. It was a special thing that you would never want to take that away from him. Nicky Grist has been McRae’s co-driver since 1997 and he says: I have to say they were the best times of my life. We used to drive to the max and push everything to the absolute limit. But when it came to socializing we had great fun also. McRae’s compatriot and Formula One driver David Courthard describes McRae as fearless and flamboyant while FIA President Max Mosley says: Some of his achievements in rallying were absolutely extraordinary. Everywhere he went he was an ambassador, an ambassador for the sport and for Scotland, he was terrific. Other notable personalities to have sent their condolence and sympathy are three-time F1 champion Sir Jacky Stewart, motorbike legend Valentino Rossi, BP-Ford World Rally team director Malcolm Wilson, Renault F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen and chief executive of Motor Sports Association Colin Hilton, all of whom agree that with the death of Colin McRae, the world of motorsport has lost one of its best sons for good. Image Source: The Telegraph, UK Source: BBC

UCI aims complete eradication of doping

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Inevitable doping scandals tarnishing cycling as a sport have, of late, provoked cycling’s governing body to impose severe sanctions, leading to a life ban on riders found guilty. Pat McQuaid, the president of the International Cycling Union said: I would certainly be in favour of doing that, as far as I’m concerned, it is a zero-tolerance policy. I think the punishment is tough enough because when guys get caught it’s the end of their career. This summer, the Tour de France witnessed the most dismal state of all times for cycling fans as early hopes of a clean and exciting race were totally devastated. As sponsors are increasingly distancing themselves, the sport is totally in a state of chaos. Until recent, the Gerolsteiner GmbH, a German mineral water company is inclined to cease its long-time promotional contract of professional cycling. Proceedings such as these, have forced the UCI to rage a war against doping with all the professional teams having signed the most rigorous testing regime in the world of sports, thereby laying evidence of cycling’s determination to win back public confidence. Image Courtesy Via: BBC

Scotland leads the way after trouncing Romania

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Earlier, South Africa whitewashing defending champions England 36-0 at the Rugby Worlds and now it was the turn of the Scots to rout Romania 42-0 in a one sided game. Joining All Blacks in points tally to top its group stage the recent run places the Scots in soaring spirits for their match against the title favorites. However it won’t be an effortless go for the Scotland team to upset All Blacks, who are on to inescapable winning streak. Scots took a 21-0 halftime lead as Paterson, Hogg and Lamont all found a way and had no mercy for the Romanian’s. Flanker Allister Hogg the pick of the day scored in the 17th minute securing a bonus point for the team with a fourth try five minutes after halftime and completing his hat-trick seven minutes later. Paterson further added extra points for both tries to maintain his and teams 100 percent conversion rate in the competition. Tournament’s joint top try-scorer Lamont broke away Romania’s defense on an angled run for his second of the match and fourth of the World Cup. Romania desperately tried to break their duck but despite eight phases of pick and drive play from their forwards eventually failed to cross the Scotland line. Image Courtesy Via: Bloomberg

Suspended Tank Johnson joins the Cowboys

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Last three seasons with the Chicago Bears, Johnson won’t be available until the second half of the season because of an eight-game NFL suspension for violating probation on a gun charge. Cowboys sign the defensive tackle for a two-year contract with an intention of providing a late-season depth on a defensive line that lost starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson for the year. The team also released cornerback Nate Jones to create room for Johnson’s entry. Johnson, a second-round draft choice in 2004, played three seasons with the Bears and recorded 101 tackles and nine sacks. Playing the decisive role Johnson along with other teammates helped the Bears establishing the League’s most productive defense during the 2005 NFL season. During the start of the 2006 season, Johnson was seen in more action due to the loss of Tommie Harris but his professional career was interrupted by recurring legal problems that led his final release from the Bears. Johnson would become eligible to play by November that would be Cowboys ninth game of the season. Image Courtesy Via: Bloomberg

Jonny Wilkinson is back for England!

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He’s back! The man became a legend by clinching the first Rugby World Cup for England with that famous last minute drop goal in Sydney. Regarded by many as the best ever Englishman to play the sport., Jonny Wilkinson, is back to full fitness and is out to save England from the brink of World Cup elimination. Wilkinson will feature against Samoa in a critical Group A match that could decide whether the defending world champions secure their passage to the knockout stages against a modest Samoa team at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. The crucial Pool A match takes placed on Saturday and the fit-again England superhero would be looking forward to rekindling England in the competition. Wilkinson’s troublesome ankle kept him out of the two matches that England have played so far in the competition and in both of these matches, his presence was severely missed. When England lost 36-0 to South Africa, the Newcastle fly-half’s absence was considered as the decisive factor in that heavy defeat. Wilkinson is the talisman for this talented but somewhat edgy England rugby team and his return to action has received a huge and hearty welcome. England went radically of the boil after that famous night in Sydney in 2003 when Wilkinson’s extra time drop goal won the World Cup for England for the first time in their history. It is no coincidence that the slide down the hill for England since then had coincided when Wilkinson was nursing a string of injuries on the sidelines and it was no matter of freak either that Jonny Bravo’s return to the England line in late January this year was marked by a comprehensive 42-20 victory over Scotland in the Six Nations opener. And now Jonny Wilkinson, the darling of the England rugby fans, is back from the wilderness of injuries and will charge England against Samoa this Saturday. Olly Barkley also return to the team and so do Mark Cueto, Mathew Tait, Joe Worsley and George Chuter. Barkley will move to the inside centre replacing Andy Farrell with Wilkinson to play in his usual fly-half role and this positional switch is expected to transpire a new rhythm to England coach Brian Ashton’s gameplan. But the best part of the strategy formulated by Ashton is of course the fact that Jonny Wilkinson is back in the team. The inspiration behind England’s success in the last World Cup is ready once more to grace the scene in France. Image Source: Hackett Source: BBC