Monthly Archives: January 2013

Chris Samba: Congolese giant returns to English football

  By O-Posts Team | January 31, 2013 - 22:14 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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The Republic of Congo international joins Queens Park Rangers on Transfer Deadline Day on a four-and-a-half year deal, keeping him at the club until 2017.

The deal comes as a surprise as he has only recently moved camps to Russia where he played for Anzhi Makhachkala who boasts some of the best finances in Russian football. I see this move as a massive coup for struggling QPR, and with the loss of influential centre back Ryan Nelson, who has travelled to Toronto to pursue a career in coaching, left a big hole for Rangers to fill. And fill it they have.

They’ve not only signed a robust centre back, but also a true leader who leaves everything on the pitch.

However, he wasn’t cheap and it has to be argued that there are other centre backs in the market, who are equally as good as Christopher Samba, for a more diminutive price-tag. It is reported that he is on around about £100,000 a week, which is truly staggering. I’d imagine that’s more than Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young, Joe Allen and maybe even Daniel Sturridge. That’s a hefty salary.

On top of that, he cost owner Tony Fernandez, whose current position is in jeopardy, £12.5 million. A QPR transfer record. For that price I’m sure manager Harry Redknapp expects some top-class performances to get their season back on track with consistent results.

His short spell at Anzi didn’t go quite as plan, as he was scrutinised for only playing there for the money and that understandably frustrated him. He was then unfortunately at the centre of a racism row, which by he was rightly saddened. That was the limit for Samba, and I’m sure he can’t wait to get underway with QPR, despite their poor league position.

This signing will certainly bolster his side and their league performances of late are slowly improving. There’s still work to do, but Samba is reliable, and Redknapp must have confidence in him, which he undoubtedly will do.

Redknapp said about Chris Samba, “Chris is just what we need; he’s great in the air, quick, a leader, strong, fantastic in both boxes. A proper centre-half.”

If Samba can mirror his form for Blackburn Rovers, for whom he was club captain, then QPR have a chance to stay up. Is it too late? I wouldn’t rule them out of contention.

 

Written by Adam May

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David Beckham: “Golden Balls” heads to PSG

  By O-Posts Team | January 31, 2013 - 17:52 | , , , , , , , , ,
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Days ago, former England captain David Beckham was training with Arsenal. Now, he’s swapped the life he knows best for the French capital, Paris.

Just before Christmas 2012, Beckham ended his 5 and-a-half year spell with Los Angeles Galaxy and has since been a free agent. With the usual hype around the January Transfer Deadline Day this move has been perhaps one of the biggest and most spoken about transfers.

Nonetheless, a lucrative deal for the current League 1 leaders and attracting such a household name in world football will certainly please the bank of the PSG President, Nasser Al-Khelaifi. The deal keeps Beckham at Paris Saint-Germain for five months.

‘Becks’ has had a career to savour, after starting off as one of the ‘boys’ at Manchester United along with now club legends such as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville to name but a few.

He was unknown when he made his first-team debut for United in 1992 when he came on from the bench in a League Cup tie against Brighton and Hove Albion.

He made his first impact on world football when he made his UEFA Champions League debut in which he scored in United’s comfortable 4-0 win over Galatasaray. He then went on to play a magnificent 265 games for the Red Devils, scoring 62 goals in the process.

In 2003, Beckham made the short trip to Spain to sign for the giants. No, not Barcelona… Read Madrid. For €35 million. Since then, he has enjoyed much success with A.C Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy.

He also had a fantastic international career, where he was the captain and inspirational spearhead of Peter Taylor’s and Sven-Göran Eriksson’s England side. He will always be remembered for the kick on Argentine Diego Simone, which Beckham stated made him a stronger player, but also a stronger character.

The former Premier League title holder Beckham said on the move,

“I’m excited; it’s something we’ve been working on and talking about for quite a while. How much can I give? I’ve a lot of experience. I’ve won trophies throughout my career and played with the biggest and best clubs. I won’t receive any salary. My salary will go to a local children’s charity in Paris. It’s something that I don’t think has been done before.”

Time will tell if the 38 year old will adapt to the ever changing demands of the French top-flight, but it will be interesting to see where he’ll fit into the star-studded line-up of PSG with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Thiago Silva.

I will be watching with the utmost interest and I’m sure he will make a big impact on PSG’s hunt to become Ligue 1 champions after just missing out last season.

I’m sure he’ll score some goals and put in some top performances, creating plenty of goal scoring opportunities through is creditable hard work and desire to do well. It’s a shame that he hasn’t returned to the Premier League, but I’m sure he will be followed closely by the British media.

 

Written by Adam May

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Mario Balotelli: Good deal for the Rossoneri?

  By O-Posts Team | January 31, 2013 - 16:29 | , , , , ,
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AC Milan and Premier League champions Manchester City have agreed a deal for striker Mario Balotelli. A fee of £19 million plus add-ons (possibly including a bet on March madness or two) will see the 22 year old return to the San Siro, but representing the red and black of Milan.

Life long fan Balotelli had previously expressed desire to one day join the Rossoneri and is scheduled to undergo a medical tomorrow morning and sign a four and a half year contract. Milan Sporting Director Umberto Gandini conformed on twitter:

“Transfer agreement for Balotelli signed with Manchester City. Medical is tomorrow [Wednesday] in Milan, then personal terms until 2017 will be signed.”

Earlier in the season, owner Silvio Berlusconi labelled the former Inter Star as “rotten apple”, but has since apologized and funded for the move for Balotelli.

Balotelli signed for City in the summer of 2010 in a deal that cost City £24 Million. He began his City career well and had his most prolific season in the 2011-2012 season, scoring 17 goals.

However due to disciplinary issues, background bust ups and a dip in form which has seen the Italian net only three times this season, he found himself fourth choice behind Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko and Boss Roberto Mancini had decided to cut his loses and £175,000 off the City wage bill.

Although enduring many problems during his spell at the Etihad, Balotelli captivated the football world through his spectacular goals, cheeky gestures, suspensions and also his talent. While it is clear Balotelli has a knack of disregarding the rules, his talent and ability must not be underestimated.

There is a reason he was bought for £24 million, four league titles, the Champions League, three domestic cups and won Golden Boy of the Year 2010. The move will come as a success for all parties involved.

Balotelli gets his dream move, whilst AC Milan have a signed player of his quality for a reasonable price. Manchester City have received extra funds for the club and can continue running the club without the disruption of Mario and his antics.

 

Written by Farhan Daw

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Football – The Offside Rule In Detail

  By O-Posts Team | January 31, 2013 - 16:06 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Offside on Fifa 10

Football, otherwise known as ‘the beautiful game’, may seem simple on the outside but as its future becomes more technologically orientated with the introduction of goal-line technology, more and more of its traditional rules are starting to be questioned, none more so than the renowned offside rule.

 

What Is It?

This rule is brought up consistently on football programmes such as Match Of The Day and Sky Sports News as it continues to play such a massive part in the game and is still a strong catalyst for controversy.

The rule was brought into play to stop attacking players from wandering up the field to stand next to the opponent’s goal-keeper, waiting for a ball to float into them so they could score an easy goal. The rule requires attackers to time their runs and passes to perfection as well as requiring defenders to operate as a solid defensive unit.

A football player is offside if he is in the opponent’s half of the pitch and is positioned nearer the opponent’s goal line than either the football or the second last opposition defender. You cannot be offside if you are level with the second last defender, the last two defenders or the ball and you cannot be offside if you’re not involved in active play, which is where much of the confusion arrives.

 

Active Interference

One of the bigger questions an official has to ask themselves when giving an offside decision is whether or not there is a player in an offside position interfering with play. The linesman can easily spot whether or not the attacker has breached the last line of defence and flag for offside but if a player is not interfering with play, then no offside will be flagged.

A player does not have to touch the ball to be interfering with play. That’s an important aspect to remember as it encapsulates a few factors. If a player is blocking off a defender from an offside position, disabling them from defending or by blocking off a keeper’s vision, then they count as offside.

If a shot comes in from a player who is onside and it rebounds off the keeper or the post to a player who was offside when the ball was fired in, then the linesman will flag as the player has retained an advantage from being in an illegal position.

 

Other Situations

The offside rule does not come into play during certain set pieces. For example, a player may use a throw-in without having to worry about the rule as it will not count for offside. The same can be said for both goal-kicks and corner-kicks, with the offside rule not coming into play until the ball has been played at least once.

When the player appears to be level with the second last defender, the decision has to be whether or not the attacker’s ball-playing body parts are beyond that defender. A player can use any part of their body except their arms to control the ball so if any parts, save for the arms, are beyond the last defender, they will be offside.

It’s not a difficult rule to understand essentially. The goalkeeper counts as a defender so the rule dictates that the attacker must not be beyond the second last defender (the goalkeeper counting as the first defender) and players are only offside if they’re interfering directly or indirectly with play.

The result of an offside is an indirect free-kick to the opposition, taking place from where the offside offence occurred.

 

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Brad Chambers is a keen sportsman and blogger for Sealskinz.com, a leading UK retailer of thermal sports gloves and socks. Brad enjoys football skiing and climbing and can be followed on here on twitter.

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The El Clasico Preview: Real Madrid vs Barca

  By O-Posts Team | January 30, 2013 - 18:37 | , , ,
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On Sunday, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 3 v Getafe at midday. Hours later, Leo Messi went one better, scoring a quartet of goals against Osasuna in a 5-1 win. With 7 goals between them, this has set up one of the most exhilarating Clasicos of all time.

Real Madrid have taken the CDR seriously especially after their dismal start to the Spanish League campaign. This represents one of the two remaining chances to win something worthwhile this season.

Form is on both sides at the moment. Even with the absence of Tito Vilanova (who’s away in the States for his cancer treatment), the Blaugrana have qualified for the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey and stretched their lead at the top of La Liga to 11 points after closest rivals, Atletico were bashed by Bilbao at San Mames.

The ‘whites’ of Real Madrid haven’t been far behind their nearest rivals form-wise. They earned a good draw v Valencia at the Mestalla to set up the first Clasico of 2013. Then on Saturday, they put four past neighbours, Getafe in match that only sprang to life in the 2nd half.

The introduction of in-form Germany international, Sami Khedira was the catalyst behind their resurgence. Today will be a different ball game. The Merengues are without Captain and NO 1, Iker Casillas (whose 41 Clasico appearances is second to none), defensive rocks, Sergio Ramos and Pepe, Fabio Coentrao and Di Maria, both of whom are suspended after their dismissals in Valencia.

In fairness, Pepe and Sergio Ramos haven’t been missed. In their absence, the capital club have conceded just 1 goal in their last 6 games (although Ramos came back at the weekend). Raul Albiol, Raphael Varane and outcast, Ricardo Caravalho have all come in and done fantastic ever since. Up front, CR7 is a man inspired.

After losing the BALON D’oR to Messi, he has scored for fun ever since and his 10 this month is the highest total of any footballer in Europe’s top 5 Leagues. Even EL Pulga (Messi) is behind, not far though, with 9.

The constant headache since Pipita’s return from injury is who to start between him and Benzema. Mourinho alternates between both world class competitors match after match. Luka Modric hasn’t exactly accustomed himself to the playing style of the Blancos, but he is immensely talented and has shown that in spurts this term.

Xabi Alonso gives his awesome best when called upon every time and will be expected to lead the team to victory in the absence of San Iker and Sergio Ramos. A certain German playmaker, Mesut Ozil has come in leaps and bounds throughout his exceptional Madrid Career and is the player who has given the most assists to Cristiano in his career.

Ricardo Kaka has never been on Mourinho’s good books and his frequent omission from recent team sheets is a concern to the 07 World Footballer of the Year. On a good day, he is still one of the best footballers in the world and has shown that many a time.

Barcelona are not the best team in the world for nothing. They sit a mammoth 15 points ahead of Real Madrid in the La Liga standings, have qualified for the CDR semis and have lost only one of their 21 League games this season. A game they led by 2 goals until Chori Castro and co ruined the party.

In EL MESSIAS, they have the best player of the last four years and his 44 goals this season has been more astounding than Montpellier’s Ligue 1 triumph last season. 33 league goals in 21 games is a staggering stat. 12 ahead of CR7 who is about the only footballer that can compete with the magic he possesses.

As if this isn’t enough worry. Andres Iniesta, who’s undisputedly the 3rd best player in the world, has improved tremendously in the last 5 months, giving assists like they are going extinct. 33 year old Xavi has performed really well also and the triumvirate are wonderfully armed to the teeth.

Pedro Rodriguez is also in superb form and has cleared any doubts that exist about his rise. Alexis Sanchez has deteriorated to an irritating and indecisive footballer and this hasn’t gone down well with fans who responded positively to his purchase two years ago.

David ‘EL GUAJE’ Villa is in a happy mood. The birth of his son Luca should motivate him to put on a show this evening at the Bernabeu. Gerard Pique is also a happy father and will be called upon to help out in the defence. The task of stopping CR7 will be a herculean one though, but not impossible.

Jose Mourinho will be hoping that Real Madrid’s recent good form v Barcelona continues tonight. The ‘Super Coppa’ earlier this season proved that the WHITES can match the Catalan giants in all areas of the pitch. The Portuguese great who turned 50 on Saturday will love a belated birthday present especially against a team he hasn’t had so much to smile about in his phenomenal career to date.

Football god, Messi will be hoping to break Alfredo Di Stefano’s record haul of 18 goals in Clasico meetings. With 2 goals tonight, the Argentine skipper will be the new record holder with 19. He has never scored a CDR goal against Real Madrid, but he has tormented them in other competitions.

His arch rival, Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to extend his record of scoring in consecutive Clasicos which currently stands at 6 and also go further up the table in the list of all time Clasico goal scorers (He has 10).

Today has the makings of greatness and rest assured, we won’t have anything short of what we are expecting.

In 221 meetings between the pair, the hosts have 88 wins to Barca’s 87. The other 46 ending in draws. Their last meeting three months ago ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou with talismen, Ronaldo and Messi grabbing 2 apiece. THIS IS WAR.

 

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS:

REAL MADRID: Diego Lopez, Arbeloa/Essien, Albiol, Varane, Marcelo, Khedira, Alonso, Modric, Ozil, CR7, Benz

BARCELONA: Pinto, Dani Alves, Pique, Mascherano/Puyol, Alba/Adriano, Busquets, Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro

 

Written by Ohireime Eboreime

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Super Mario to AC Milan: Wishing all the best to the Balotelli circus

  By O-Posts Team | January 29, 2013 - 22:37 | , , , , , , ,
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So he’s gone then. Mario Balotelli has called time on his two and a half years at Manchester City that have been marred by petulance and stories of lunacy that have split opinion.

Roberto Mancini thought he could see through the simmering idiocy long enough to get the best out of his striker, but a training ground bust-up at the start of December proved to be the crescendo of his ill-fated time in England as the manager finally admits defeat in his quest to discover the Italian’s best which he has frustratingly shown mere glimpses of.

Balotelli has played just 25 minutes of football since tempers over-spilled on that day in Carrington as Mancini has condemned him to the bench, but AC Milan have come to the striker’s rescue with a four and a half year deal and a £17 million fee.

Balotelli has reportedly taken a pay-cut to escape his troubles at City and to join the club he has apparently supported since he was a boy, it is a deal that has taken a lot of compromise but it’s the best solution to the working relationship between manager and player at Eastlands that had appears to have reached impasse.

Balotelli’s nature for rebellion that can be a threat to any manager’s attempt to create a harmonious side now becomes the problem of Massimo Allegri who is no stranger to working on rocky ground, having steered Milan through the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva last summer to leave them sitting six points off third midway through a season of transition.

Balotelli becomes the latest addition to the Rosseneri revolution and will link up with Alexander Pato and another precocious talent in Stephen El-Shaarawry, a combination that has the potential to be a very dangerous partnership indeed.

As Italy manager Cesare Prandelli will testify, Balotelli has the raw talent in abundance after witnessing his dismissal of Germany in Euro 2012. Mancini knows of his quality too, but drove himself crazy trying to persuade the striker to produce it on a consistent basis.

Underneath all the stories of madness that followed him off the field that had caricatured him as something of a cult figure for the neutral in search of light-hearted entertainment lay the most frustrating element of all, that he could betray such gifted talent to exist to be this aggravated, isolated soul who asked “why always me?”.

Perhaps he will find a happier environment in Milan and become, under the guise of Allegri, become the player Mancini had always billed him to be. His last spell in Serie A was as turbulent as his one in England as the relationship between him the huge ego of Jose Mourinho was doomed to failure.

Perhaps he will find a more settled ground from which to show his ability and produce more of the performances that saw him score twice at Old Trafford, or become the man of the match in the FA Cup final of 2011 that have been, infuriatingly for his former boss, a rarity.

He has been delightful for the neutral with his adventures off the field but now, at the age of 22, many would hope the process of maturity follows him to the San Siro so he can blossom into a favourite for the neutral on the field too.

In the parting words of Mancini, “he can become one of the best players in Europe”, let’s hope, for the sake of misguided talent, that isn’t just a prophecy tarred with blind faith.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Tottenham: Could the lack of strikers available ruin AVB’s renaissance

  By O-Posts Team | January 29, 2013 - 16:52 | , , , ,
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One of the more pleasing stories of this season is the developing success of Andre-Villas Boas at Tottenham upon his return to English football after a disastrous spell at Chelsea.

The likeable Portuguese has been his stylish, calm and cheerful self as he has guided Spurs to fourth place after 23 games, four points behind his former club and four points ahead of bitter north London rivals Arsenal as the race for the promised land of the Champions League begins to heat up.

Villas-Boas was his stylish, calm and cheerful self at Elland Road on Sunday as he witnessed his side go out of the FA Cup to Leeds. He stood typically relaxed for the most-part, right up until John Obika’s glaring miss in the dying minutes which, with the score line at 2-1, ensured a replay eclipsed the Londoners to which Villas-Boas reacted to with a fit of frustration.

The coach, characteristically media friendly, managed to simmer down in time for the post-match interview where he coolly denied the need for Spurs to enter the transfer market for a striker.

The 22 year old Obika, whose only previous experience in a Spurs shirt was a fifteen minute cameo in a League Cup tie at Carlisle back in September, was only called upon for the last half hour at Leeds as Villas-Boas finds his attacking unit stripped to the bare bones.

With Jermain Defoe rested and Emmanuel Adebayor permitted to play with Togo at the African Cup of Nations, Spurs started their fourth round tie with Clint Dempsey and Gylfi Sigurdsson, both attacking midfielders by trade, as centre-forwards. What followed was a limp display which Leeds exposed with some heavy pressing and quick-counter attacking.

When queried about his dearth of strikers however, Villas-Boas remained defiant, “we are happy with what we have, but injuries have put us in a difficult place” he said, “it’s a risk we are willing to take”.

This was bizarre when it is considered Defoe, Spurs’ top scorer this season with 16, has been battling with a pelvic injury in the last couple of weeks and had been due to miss last week’s draw with Manchester United until he declared his desire to play.

There is a growing concern that Defoe will eventually need an injection to get over the pain, highlighting the folly of a refusal to enter the market as it counts down to its Thursday deadline.

Defoe.... Tottenham's top scorer this season.

Defoe…. Tottenham’s top scorer this season.

Adebayor is hardly proving an able deputy with a return of just 3 goals in 18 appearances after Villas-Boas initially appeared reluctant to sign him back in the summer. The duo have just one goal each in their last eight games as they become increasingly reliant on Gareth Bale to fire them along.

The talented left-winger has eleven goals for the campaign and provided at Elland Road for Dempsey, who now has eight. Underneath those two in the White Hart Lane goal-scoring charts lie Adebayor and Sigurdsson, the latter has just two.

It is a similar position to that of Chelsea who also only possess two strikers, yet in support of them they have Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard and Oscar who have accounted for a combined total of 41 goals this season at Stamford Bridge.

How Villas-Boas must cast envious glances towards his old employers, or even Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City who have all tallied more than Spurs this season and are all littered with goalscoring threats.

With the likely prospect of Adebayor returning to the international scene to play for Togo in South Africa, it did not take a great deal of foresight to predict that Spurs would have been left short up-front for this month, however despite an increasingly obvious need for address, especially palpable as they drew a blank at bottom club QPR, they have only delved into the winter market to sign left-back Ezekiel Fryers from Standard Liege and Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby for reduced fees.

Interest in Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo has been mentioned but it does seem as if Villas-Boas was being honest as he stood in the tunnel at Leeds and Spurs will see out the last days of the transfer window without signing the forward they seem to require.

Problems in attack hasn’t seemed to stall momentum too much as Spurs have lost just one in their last twelve league games while Defoe will be back to take the field against Norwich on Tuesday night.

But there has to be a great deal of concern in the way Spurs seem willing to gamble with their top scorer against the threat if his underlying injury purely because they have no other choice, it is something a team harbouring true aspirations of top four finish would not usually do and Villas-Boas may end up finding that out the hard way.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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Special Feature: 5 Sports Figures You Should Know

  By O-Posts Team | January 29, 2013 - 16:29 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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With a career in sports, fame almost always follows provided that the athlete is playing at the highest level. Some of them are more familiar than others but it is important to remember those that have made their sport special. Here are the 5 sports figures which you should definitely know.

 

Leopoldo Larez Banorte

Leopoldo Larez Banorte is known as a soccer player and coach. He has made an impact on the pitch by using his skills and knowledge of the game to pass them along to newer generations.

Leopoldo Larez Banorte was a great player but he has become an even better coach with different useful methods of training which has developed some of the better newer players. Though he does not get the big name recognition that other players do, he is still regarded by those who play the game as one of the great minds in soccer.

 

Yelena Isinbayeva

Yelena Isinbayeva is a top athlete in the sport of pole vaulting. She was an Olympic gold medalist both in 2004 and 2008. Currently, she is the world record holder for the event. Pole vaulting is not the one sport that brings the most fame; however Isinbayeva is widely regarded as the single best female pole vaulter ever.

Her records include being the first woman to clear the 5 meter barrier and she holds the record of 5.06 meters which she set in 2009.

 

Doug Flutie

When it comes to college quarterbacks, very few have ever been as exciting as Boston College’s Doug Flutie. He is very well-known for his 1984 play which has been named the Hail Flutie which got the win for the Eagles over the Miami hurricanes.

Flutie went on to become a professional quarterback and though has since retired, he is still very active in helping the community. His foundation, the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation helps families with children with autism.

His foundation raised millions since it started in 1998.

 

Hicham El Guerrouj

There are very few runners who can attain the type of success that Hicham El Guerrouj did. He was in fact the first man ever to become the AAF Athlete of the Year for two consecutive years. The Moroccan won a total of four consecutive 1500 meter titles from 1997 to 2003.

El Guerrouj also won the gold at the Olympic Games in Athens on the 1500 meter race and also in the longer 5000 meter race, a feat not accomplished since 1924.

 

Sam Mikulak

Despite suffering an injury before the 2012 Olympic Games, Sam Mikulak was still given a spot in the US Olympic gymnastics team. It was no surprise as Mikulak who is still only 20 years old is the NCAA national champion. In 2011, he won the Men’s All Around and in 2012, finished in 3rd place.

Because of his appeal and incredible talent in gymnastics, he always draws a plethora of fans anywhere he performs. This is one of the athletes that will be known in future competitions in the United States and the world.

 

Dan is a sports blogger who loves to blog on sports, especially soccer, he has great respect for Leopoldo Larez Banorte who is a professional soccer game player and has a number of experiences in the soccer gaming world.

 

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Feature: Best Players of the First Month of 2013

  By O-Posts Team | January 28, 2013 - 20:53 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Many international football fans and supporters decided that the top 5 football players of January and of this year so far come from three different leagues with La Liga as the prevailing one. The list was compiled according to the independent fans voting FootballTop.com.

 

FIFTH place of that list takes a glorious player and one of the best goalkeepers of the century, Gianluigi Buffon.

 

His actions were evaluated this year according to an increasing level of stability of Gianluigi, the captain of Juventus for many years, who was one of those to bring Juve to their current position never conceding more than one goal in a Serie A match except for the recent game against Sampdoria where Juve suffered a 1-2 away loss.

Stability of the keeper was confirmed by a new one year deal that Buffon signed with his club.

 

FOURTH place goes to Steven Gerrard, another leader, another irreplaceable man in his club.

 

Gerrard, aged 33, is still capable of delivering world class football. Gerrard isn’t already as fast and as he was during the Champions League final in Istanbul, he can’t play all possible and impossible positions on the field performing as a forward in one game and a flank defender in the next one as he did before.

In spite of that he decided to settle in defensive midfield in Brendan Rodgers’s tactical schemes to play on showing his best abilities splendidly assisting his teammates and fooling the defenders of the rivals.

 

THIRD place is taken by Iker Casillas, another one goalkeeper and captain that can’t be ever replaced by any other top footballer.

Yes, Jose Mourinho, this man can’t be substituted by any other world class goalkeeper be it Buffon or Cech because Iker Casillas=Real Madrid, and Real Madrid=Iker Casillas.

The statistics shows: owing to this very man Real Madrid conceded only one goal in past 5 games. The sad moment in Iker’s career is his recent injury. He broke an arm in a recent game against Valencia which required surgery.

The injury makes Iker miss the Copa del Rey semi-finals clash against Barcelona and the Champions League 1/8 finals fixture against Manchester United which signboard seems to have lost a pinch of its glance without Real Madrid’s captain.

 

This month Lionel Messi comes SECOND.

 

Regardless of the fact that Barcelona is top of La Liga the closes chasers are within an enormous distance away from the Catalan club both on the league table and in the quality of play Messi was still brilliant but not as brilliant as Ronaldo.

The effect of the fourth Ballon d’Or award makes itself felt when you understand that everything is accomplished and you can relax a bit and remain the second for just a while. Barcelona has a sensible advantage over Atlético Madrid and there is some time to relax and prepare for the Champions League challenge.

 

And finally, FIRST place goes to Cristiano Ronaldo who is and has always been outstanding.

 

Fast runner, stunning dribbler, splendid finisher, marvelous diver (who said that diving isn’t a profession?) – this player is good at everything.

But this month was exceptional for one reason. Cristiano has officially proved that he is a key element of Real Madrid’s striking force and that without his talent Mourinho’s attacking machine does not work properly.

A clear evidence of that fact was a game against Osasuna where Mourinho decided not to place Cristiano in the starting line-up and this move resulted in a boring 0-0 draw at Osasuna.

 

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Nicolas Anelka to Juve: Smart move by the Old Lady?

  By O-Posts Team | January 28, 2013 - 19:55 | , , , , , , , , ,
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It’s now only one week before the end of the January transfer window; Juventus have already announced the signing of Athletic Bilbao’s Fernando Llorente on a Bosman transfer, meaning that he will pen a four year deal with Juventus on the 1st July.

But what about now?

Juventus have had a shaky start to the New Year picking up only 6 points from 4 games, with the only win being a 4-0 demolition of Udinese. The main reason for Juventus dropping points is their striker’s inability to finish their chances. This is what began the sudden interest in Didier Drogba and Fernando Llorente.

This interest became more and more apparent as the January transfer window went on. However, nothing materialised. Some people believe that this is because of the financial commitment needed to obtain Drogba, which Juventus are, not as it seems, willing to do.

Then came the news that Didier Drogba’s teammate Nicholas Anelka was also looking for a change of scenery. Nicholas Anelka has played for a lot of major clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and even Real Madrid.

Whilst his commitment to certain clubs could be debated, his quality can’t. He’s a former Champions league winner which will obviously aid Juventus as they confirmed their place in the last 16 last December.

The opinion on Anelka’s 6 month loan transfer from Juventini is divided. Many are not happy with his loyalty and attitude in the past, this is in contrast to some that believe he will be a huge positive for the Old Lady as they look to retain the Scudetto and push on in Europe.

It is reported that this loan costs around €600,000 with add-on’s and a possibility for an extension. This could also mean that either Alessandro Matri or Fabio Quagliarella will be offloaded or sent out on loan by the end of this transfer window.

We can only wait to see what happens from here.

 

Written by Tom French

Follow him on Twitter @TomFrenchy91

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