Tiger Woods walked away from the lucrative Players Championship in Florida on Thursday, citing knee injury. Attempting to play after injuring his left knee and Achilles at the Masters, Woods said he was having difficulty walking by the end of the nine and that he first felt it on the first tee, where he hit his drive left. Woods shot a 42 on the front nine, walking some 20 yards behind his playing partners and with a limp that became more noticeable with each hole he played. Sub-par performance After bogeying the first hole, Woods found water twice at the par-four fourth where he ended with a triple bogey. Further bogeys came on the fifth and ninth holes for the former world number one. He handed his card to PGA champion Martin Kaymer, then walked back to inform Matt Kuchar that he was leaving early for the second straight year. "I'm having a hard time walking,'' Woods said. It was his first competition since the Masters, where Woods hurt his left knee and Achilles while hitting from pine straw in the third round. He skipped the tournament last week to give his leg time to heal, and said on Tuesday that it was better. But from the opening tee shot at the TPC Sawgrass, he looked as bad as he ever has. "The knee acted up and then the Achilles followed after that, and then the calf started cramping up,'' Woods said. "Everything started getting tight, so it's just a whole chain reaction.'' Woods had looked in good form when he played nine holes of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, and said after the second day of practice that he had only "minimal'' swelling. This is the second straight year Woods has withdrawn in the middle of the round at the Players Championship. He stopped on the seventh hole of the final round last year with what turned out to be a neck injury. Woods already has had four operations on his left knee. |
Source: Agencies |
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tiger Woods withdraws from Players
'If they want it, they will have it'
Exclusive footage as FIFA President Sepp Blatter tells Al Jazeera's sports correspondent that he thinks goalline technology will be introduced by the next World Cup in Brazil.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will meet after the 2011/12 European football season to decide on the implementation of technology.
Blatter says he is confident such technology will be available to help avoid the "blatant injustice" of disallowed goals like Frank Lampard's World Cup effort for England against Germany in South Africa last year.
United: Champions once more
A late Rooney penalty gave Manchester United the point that sealed their 19th title win and put the team ahead of Liverpool in the history books.
Manchester United only needed a point and got just that with their 1-1 draw at Blackburn on Saturday.
The title is now out of reach of reigning champions Chelsea and United can focus on their Champions League final clash with Barcelona on May 28.
Fergie's final word
Ferguson looked like the winner of his first title – not 12th – as he joyously chased members of his championship winning team around the pitch.
Despite coming under fire from the FA this season for his comments about referees, Ferguson proved that when it comes to winning titles he is the best manager in the Premier League.
"It was a fantastic performance by the lads and the supporters and for everybody connected with the club it's a great day," Ferguson told Sky Sports.
"It wasn't an easy game, we went 1-0 down having given them a bad goal but we kept on and we don't give in."
While it was Javier Hernandez’ first title win with United, the Duracell-charged Ryan Giggs now has a remarkable 12 title wins under his belt with the club.
"Twenty years ago we were nowhere near Liverpool," Giggs said.
"It's great credit to the club, the manager and the players and it's a good feeling to be ahead of our greatest rivals."
Midfielder Paul Scholes was also on the pitch to collect his tenth title. Both players are nearing the end of their professional careers and will be near impossible for Ferguson to replace.
Coming from behind, again
It was a nervy start for the Manchester side who were playing a fired up Blackburn team still fighting for Premier League survival. Their push for a point was not helped by Tomasz Kuszczak in goal who made a number of shaky stops to give Blackburn the confidence to get forward.
It looked like United might have to put the champagne on ice when Australian Brett Emerton scored for Rovers after 20 minutes.
However, Paul Robinson gave United the chance to claim that priceless point when he failed to get his hands out of the way of Hernandez who raced into the penalty spot.
It was fitting that the Mexican played a part in United’s equaliser after scoring over 20 goals in his debut season and being an invaluable source of inspiration for his teammates.
After conferring with the linesman Phil Dowd awarded the penalty and when Wayne Rooney stepped up to take it the writing was on the wall.
Rooney finished his tumultuous season on a high when he confidently stroked the ball past a helpless Paul Robinson.
"I was terrified, the ref took a long time to give it," Rooney said.
"I had to compose myself. I'd been practicing all week."
All that was left to do was for United to hold the ball up for the remaining 15 minutes. Blackburn were happy for them to do so with a crucial point giving them a strong chance of avoiding relegation going into their last match of the season against Wolves.
Relegation rivalry
At the bottom of the table, Wolves climbed a point clear of the drop zone with an emphatic 3-1 away victory at Sunderland.
Blackpool kept the pressure on Wolves and continued their dogged fight for survival with a 4-3 win against Bolton in a thrilling encounter at Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool who remain in the bottom three travel to Old Trafford for their final game of the season.
Saturday's other match saw West Brom beat Everton 1-0, Youssouf Mulumbu scoring the only goal of the game at The Hawthorns in the 10th minute before the Toffees' Russian substitute, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, was sent-off.
Drama till the end
After wins for Blackpool and Wolves, the pressure firmly remains on relegation contenders Birmingham, Wigan and West Ham. Birmingham find themselves perched just on top of the relegation zone with 39 points, ahead of Blackpool on goal difference. They can move clear of the drop by gaining a point against Fulham on Sunday.
The future remains very bleak for West Ham who now lie six points from safety. The Hammers must record a win in their match with Wigan on Sunday to have any hope of survival. However, Wigan will not be easy opponents as they also need a point to cling on to their survival hopes.
Liverpool and Tottenham battle for fifth position and qualification for European football on Sunday in their match at Anfield. However, whatever the result, Liverpool fans are unlikely to be in jubilant mood this weekend after United’s most recent title win overhauls Liverpool’s legacy as the most successful team in English league history.
Despite the historic achievement, Manchester United have been criticised by many as a team lacking the quality of Ferguson’s previous title winning sides.
"We're champions and in the Champions League - we're rubbish aren't we?'' said Giggs.
If they can beat Barcelona, they will be anything but.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Cricket World cup-Final thoughts
India is still in a state of euphoria following their World Cup win. It was the prefect end to a tournament for both the fans and the organisers, mindful of the TV ratings disaster that accompanied India's early exit from the tournament in 2007 at the group stage.
This time around, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men followed the script to the letter, meaning sales of widescreen televisions went through the roof, Indian TV ratings soared and the games governing body, the ICC, rubbed its hands at the prospect of a bumper pay day.
The cricket wasn't bad either.The best final since 1992 was preceded by the organisers dream semifinal of India v Pakistan, and three exciting quarterfinals (sorry, Pakistan v West indies wasn't a match, it was a joke).
Even the much-maligned group stages had their moments - mainly thanks to England, who recorded a tie against India beat South Africa and the Windies yet managed to lose to Ireland and Bangladesh and scrape through against the Netherlands.
There were some black marks: the chaotic ticketing system led to angry and frustrated fans experiencing the Indian police's idea of crowd control. The lead up to India's games against England and Pakistan were both marred by clashes. The fact that most ordinary cricket fans didn't get a chance to watch either game left a bad taste.
The cult of the VIP and VVIP was another feature of the World Cup. I spoke to several fans during the final at the Wankehede stadium in Mumbai. All of them had either got free tickets because a relative had connections or they were rich enough to buy a black market ticket at an exorbitant price.
I know its rich coming from a journalist who got to watch the final from the comfort of the press box for free, but still.
As for the players, Tilakeratne Dilshan and Shahid Afridi topped the batting and bowling charts respectively. But special mention must go to Ireland's Kevin O'Brien, who despite smacking the quickest hundred in World Cup history probably will never appear in another tournament.
The ICC confirmed that the next two World Cups will be 10-team affairs, meaning the likes of Ireland and the Netherlands will miss out. I find it hard to believe that either side are less deserving of a World Cup place than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. But the ICC say that T20 is the best format for those countries, and as a result the World Twenty20 has been expanded to 16 teams, giving six Associate or Affliate members the chance to play in a major event.
But as for the 50-over game, the World Cup has given it a timely boost. The next edition is due to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2015, if its half as good as this one, I, for one, can hardly wait.
Mourinho prepares Barca battleground
It's the business end of the European football season as the first leg of the European Champions League semifinals takes place this week.
On Tuesday, Manchester United visit Schalke 04, and on Wednesday in the third of four clashes in 18 days, Real Madrid host Barcelona in an all-Spanish semifinal.
Jose Mourinho's Real have the psychological edge, having beaten a Pep Guardiola-coached Barcelona side for the first time to earn their first domestic cup in 18 years, the Copa del Rey, last week.
The final went down to the wire with a header from Ronaldo giving Real an extra-time victory. But the pressure is on for Mourinho to repeat last year's achievement when his Inter Milan knocked out the Catalans to reach the Champions League final, which they went on to win.
The question is, can Mourinho steer the power-shift in Spanish football away from Catalunya and back to Madrid or are Guardiola's Barcelona too strong?
Lucky three
The King's Cup was Jose Mourinho's first trophy as Madrid manager and now the Portuguese coach has his eye on delivering a 10th European Cup to Real as he bids to become the first coach to win the Champions League with three different clubs.
The Portuguese coach is no stranger to playing against Barca, where he spent some of his formative years as an assistant to Bobby Robson in the 1990s. Mourinho also met Barca three times during his spell at English side Chelsea, twice bettering them over a 'two-match series'.
His ability to rile the Catalan team knows no end and he has outwitted them so far in the 'four-match series' between the world's two richest and highest-profile clubs.
Mourinho was humiliated in a 5-0 drubbing by Barcelona in the league back in November, but Real are now on the up with a recent 1-1 league home draw against Barca followed by the Cup win.
"We can take them on over two games; we have just done that," said Mourinho."There is no reason we can't beat them in the Champions League because we have just drawn once against them and then beaten them."
History is on Madrid's side with Real getting the better of Barcelona in their two previous semifinal meetings in the 1960 European Cup and most recently the last four of the 2002 Champions League with Real going on to be crowned champions on both occasions.
Barcelona have reached the Champions League semifinals for four successive seasons and coach Pep Guardiola will hope to fare better than last season when he was outfoxed by Mourinho's Inter Milan.
Eyes on the prize
The Primera Division league title is all but wrapped up for Barcelona after a 2-0 win against Osasuna on Saturday put them eight points clear at the top of the table, but the real prize is European glory.
Barca defender Gerard Pique refused to be drawn on the hot topics of debate after the first two 'Clasicos' such as the quality of the refereeing, the length of the grass at the Bernabeu and Real's aggressive, 'negative' approach.
"The grass is long but I'm not going to cry about it," the Spanish World Cup winner told daily El Pais of the pitch at Wednesday's Bernabeu venue.
"It's normal for them to take particular care over their defence and that they try to stop our passing game. Mourinho will use everything available to him.
"At the end of the day they are a powerful team with very good forwards," added Pique.
Messi form
Lionel Messi notched his 50th goal of the season in the Osasuna win and has scored on each of his last three visits to the Bernabeu.The form of Messi and David Villa's goal at the weekend, ending an 11-game drought in all competitions, is a boon for Barca but an injury to Brazilian Adriano is their latest defensive concern.
Full back Adriano could miss the rest of the season with a thigh injury so Guardiola is stretched at the back with captain Carles Puyol struggling with muscular problems and Frenchman Eric Abidal recovering from surgery on a liver tumour.
Real have packed the centre of the pitch with three holding players led by centre-back turned midfield-enforcer Pepe, denying Barca's playmakers time and space while looking to break quickly.
Sami Khedira's injury means Lassana Diarra will probably replace him in midfield while Mourinho may opt to play without a recognised number nine again as he did in the King's Cup final.
At the back Ricardo Carvalho is suspended. Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain and Brazilian playmaker Kaka are back to their best after long lay-offs.
Higuain scored a hat-trick and Kaka grabbed a brace in Real's 6-3 win at Valencia on Saturday to throw their hats into the ring for a starting place against Barca.
"He (Kaka) had a fantastic game in a position I like a lot," said Mourinho.
"It is fantastic for his confidence."
The two clubs are the competition's top scorers with 24 goals each but the previous two 'Clasicos' have been tense tussles with few sights of goal.
Any change in Barca's standard 4-3-3 formation would probably be read as an acknowledgement that Real have worked out the way to play against Guardiola's three magicians - Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Former Milan boss Leonardo named Inter coach
The Brazilian succeeds Rafael Benitez, who left the world, European and Italian champions on Thursday after just six months in charge following a poor domestic spell and his public attack on Inter for not investing in new players.
"Welcome, Leonardo is the coach of Inter," a statement said on Inter's website (www.inter.it) just hours after president Massimo Moratti had said there would be no announcement until Dec. 27 at the earliest.
"A few minutes ago an agreement was signed which will tie him to the club until June 30, 2012."
Leonardo failed to shine in his only season in management with Milan last term, leading the Rossoneri to third place in Serie A and the Champions League last 16.
The 41-year-old also played for Milan before becoming technical director there and has no prior links to Inter, making the decision to appoint him all the more strange to the hordes of baffled Tweeters and newspaper columnists.
"Unbelievable", "traitor" and "downright weird" were just some of the terms used on Twitter to describe the move.
BIG GAMBLE
Players and coaches switching allegiances between big rivals is nothing new in Italy, even if the idea of Arsenal's Arsene Wenger succeeding Manchester United's Alex Ferguson would bring howls of derision in England.
Spain is more similar to Italy with former Barcelona assistant coach Jose Mourinho now the Real Madrid boss while Portugal's Luis Figo signed for Real from Barca in 2000.
Giovanni Trapattoni famously managed Milan, Inter and the third Italian giant Juventus while Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for all three.
Indeed Milan have been the side most guilty of signing ex-Inter names with Ibrahimovic, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and former forward Ronaldo all having previously turned out for the Nerazzurri among others.
Moratti, whose side won an unprecedented treble last term under Jose Mourinho, is still taking a big gamble by naming Leonardo with fans likely to give him a little lukewarm reception at first.
Given Leonardo left Milan after a bust-up with owner Silvio Berlusconi, hands-on Moratti risks similar issues if Inter do not quickly start rising up from seventh in Serie A and lose to Bayern Munich in their Champions League first knockout round.
The appointment of Marcello Lippi in 1999 just after he had left rivals Juve was also disastrous for Inter and will prey on some fans' minds while Leonardo himself had indicated he wanted some time away from game to be with his family in Brazil.
On the other hand, pundits such as Gabriele Marcotti have argued that choosing Leonardo is a masterstroke from Moratti given he has had a season to hone his management skills, knows current league leaders Milan inside out and will have good relations with Inter's large contingent of South Americans.
Benitez's outburst means he will not get the chance but Leonardo may have some new signings on board for when Inter host second-placed Napoli on Jan. 6 as Serie A resumes after a mid-season break.
Inter are interested in Genoa centre back Andrea Ranocchia with Walter Samuel out for the season but few other rumours have leaked out about Moratti's targets.
2 million request tickets for London 2012 Olympics
When tickets go on sale in March, 8.8 million seats will be available at prices ranging from 20 pounds ($31) for standard events to a symbolic 2,012 pounds ($3,105) for the top-priced seats at the opening ceremony.
Organizers are trying to raise about 440 million pounds from ticket sales, a quarter of their operating budget.
London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton says data from the two million registered people so far shows that "by and large more females than males" have signed up and many are opting to try to see several events.
Deighton expects another 500,000 people to have registered an interest in buying tickets by March.
