-- Edited by Krazily Insane at 07:32, 2008-11-26

CRISTIANO RONALDO is the most hacked man in football and, quite literally, has the scars to prove it.

Last night the Manchester United warrior was kicked from pillar to post, leading to yellow cards and a red for Villarreal.

Ronaldo, 23, was left with some more colourful collections of bruises on his already battered legs.

CHELSEA VS BORDEAUX
http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch1.html

LIVERPOOL VS MARSEILLE
http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch4.html

BARCELONA VS SPORTING LISBON
http://www.iraqgoals.com/en/ch5.html

George's break drought
published: Sunday | November 30, 2008

-- Edited by Jerzie at 20:26, 2008-11-30

Harbour View's Jermaine Hue (centre) fights to retain possesion while caught between Tivoli players Navion Boyd (right) and Owen Gordon (left) in the Digicel Premier League (DPL) end of round final at the National Stadium yesterday. Harbour View won the match 2-1. - Ricardo Makyn

CLASSY first-half goals by Jermaine Hue and striker Kavin Bryan last night handed leaders Harbour View a 2-1 first-round final win over Tivoli Gardens and the first silverware of the 2008-2009 Digicel Premier League season.

Hue's sixth-minute free kick, taken 20 yards out, dipped over Tivoli's wall and beat goalie Leon Gordon diving to his left. Bryan made it 2-0 in the 37th minute with a diving back-post header off left-back Lance Laing's powerful square.

Tivoli got their consolation goal in the 86th minute when a weak clearance was headed straight to the feet of substitute Jermaine Thompson at goalmouth.

However, both teams were reduced to 10 men a minute later, forwards Roland Dean and Rafeik Thomas were ejected, as Premier League leaders Harbour View staved off Tivoli's late spurts to take home the $250,000 cash prize from the bonus final.

Tivoli pocketed $150,000 for their efforts, which coach Max Straw admitted, were undone by two well-executed goals.

"We wanted to win the end-of-round final to keep the community happy, it was not to be," he conceded.

"We got our chances and should have taken them. However, the job was done before tonight. We are second in the standings and our aim is to win the Premier League."

Tivoli are on 12 points in the Premiership, two behind Harbour View, after unseating second-place Boys' Town 2-1 last Sunday to advance to the bonus final.

Harbour View's assistant coach, Donovan Hayles, said last night's victory has given his team more confidence ahead of the second round as it was Harbour View's second win over Tivoli this season.

"It's a taste of victory and it is important we retain that taste for the rest of the season," he said.

He said he was not surprised that Tivoli got chances to make the match closer but pointed out that his team defended well.

Hue's opening goal, one of the most predictable ever scored in a football match at the National Stadium, knocked the wind out of Tivoli for the first 20 minutes.

Dead-ball specialist

The dead-ball specialist converted from the same spot where he netted a similar free kick while in national training for Jamaica's World Cup qualifier against Honduras, running in diagonally from the right and curving the ball over the wall with a deadly swing, which gave a diving Gordon little chance at his near post.

Tivoli were so stunned that their first shot at Harbour View's goal came in the 13th minute, a soaring no-hoper, which went miles high over the crossbar.

However, they started to come into their own after 20 minutes, especially down the left flank through speedy wide midfielder Orane Simpson, switching wings with Christopher Jackson.

Simpson set up Jackson on the left side in the 26th minute but he hit the side-netting instead.

Harbour View picked up two yellow cards in two minutes, Hue for dissent in the 32nd and Lennox Wright for a foul on Navion Boyd in the 30th, the free kick almost resulting in a goal as Jackson's effort from distance was spilled by goalie Dwayne Miller, forcing him to scramble and gather from onrushing midfielder Jerry Walters.

However, it was Harbour View, who got the goal heading to the break as Laing skipped Owen Gordon's challenge on the left flank and raced into the final third where he fired in a cross for Bryan to acrobatically head into goal.

Goalmouth shot

Tivoli started the second half strong and almost got a goal a minute after the whistle but Dean's goalmouth shot was blocked by Miller. Both teams then exchanged chances, Thomas turned quickly to fire a 60th-minute shot to goal, which Gordon did well to parry, and Jackson sliding in to boot a return pass from Dean wide of the back post.

Simpson tested Miller in the 80th, forcing the Harbour View goalie to punch out his shot from the left side of the box.

However, the Harbour View keeper could do nothing to stop Tivoli's consolation, a sitter from four yards, which substitute Jermaine Gordon could have shut his eyes and still scored.

http://files.filefront.com/1968OlympicsTheBlackPPrar/;11632626;/fileinfo.html


             1968.Olympics.The.Black.Power.Salute.WS.PDTV.XviD-FTP
             
                                                             
       
           
                                                               
           RLSDATE...........................: 28/08/2008      
           AIRDATE...........................: 27/08/2008      
           GENRE.............................: Documentary     
           LANGUAGE..........................: English         
           SOURCE............................: DVB-T           
           FORMAT............................: XViD 2 pass     
           AUDIO.............................: 128 VBR MP3     
           VIDEO.............................: 640X352 @ 25fps 
           SIZE..............................: x15mb           
                                                               
                                                              
                                                           
                                                             
         
                                     
                    P L O T            
       
                                                            
                                                               
            At the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games the enduring
            image was Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the African
            American athletes raising their gloved clenched fists
            in support of the Black Panther movement during the
            Star Spangled Banner, they were subsequently banned
            from the Games for life. This film looks at what
            inspired them to make their protest, and what happened
            to them after the Games

William Gallas was fighting for his Arsenal future on Friday after reports emerged that he had been stripped of the captaincy and dropped for Saturday's trip to Manchester City.

The French defender came under fire for his shock blast at his young team-mates when he lifted the lid on the simmering discontent in the Arsenal dressing room in a remarkably candid interview on Thursday.

The 31-year-old accused the club's youngsters of lacking the stomach to fight for the Premier League title, claimed he had to separate arguing team-mates during half-time of his side's 4-4 draw against Tottenham and insisted an unnamed Gunners star insulted him and several colleagues.

On Friday, the respected France Football website reported, without quoting a source, that Gallas has been stripped of the captaincy by furious Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Meanwhile, it was claimed in London that the player was not on the team coach which left for the airport for the flight to Manchester for Saturday's Premier League clash.

Wenger had reportedly summoned the centre-back to a meeting at the club's London Colney training ground on Thursday.

Wenger has gone out of his way to defend Gallas against accusations that he lacks leadership skills ever since the defender was criticised for his on-pitch tantrum at the end of Arsenal's draw at Birmingham last season.

The Times newspaper claimed Wenger was ready to hand the captain's armband to Cesc Fabregas or Gael Clichy if the rest of Arsenal's squad expressed unhappiness with Gallas's comments.

Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn, who made nearly 600 appearances for the club from 1987-2000, joined the chorus of disapproval over Gallas's rant.

'I'm very disappointed with Gallas' comments,' he told Sky Sports News. 'We all know arguments happen at half-time and full-time in any game, not just at Arsenal, and they're dealt with inside the club.

'It certainly doesn't need the captain to come out and tell the world players have fallen out - that can be good, it shows they care and are not prepared to accept defeat.

'He actually said one team-mate is being disruptive, which puts the suspicion of blame on four or five players. He hasn't come out and named the player.'

BRITAINS most expensive soccer star Robinho stunned fans by snubbing flash motors to catch a BUS.

Fare play to him ... mock-up of bus fan Robinho

The £32million Brazilian superstar has been using the public transport system to take his girlfriend on shopping trips.

Other passengers could not believe it when they saw the pair board a double decker in the centre of Manchester.

Robinho, who earns £140,000 a week, stumped up £6 for two tickets on the five-mile journey to the out-of-town Trafford Shopping Centre.

One traveller said: He sat downstairs as if it was the most normal thing for a multi-millionaire footballer to do. Word quickly went round about who he was. Nobody quite believed it and some just stared open-mouthed.

Youd think Robinho would have a fleet of luxury motors like so many other Premier League players.

At the very least youd expect him to be driven by a chauffeur or maybe, at a push, pay for a taxi. But a bus? Amazing!

Captain

Robinho has just been appointed Manchester Citys captain by manager Mark Hughes after signing from Real Madrid earlier this year.

He and his girlfriend are thought to have caught another bus later in the day back to the five-star hotel where he is staying.

ENGLAND and Arsenal have been stunned by a freak injury to Theo Walcott which could keep him out for three months.

Winger Walcott dislocated his right shoulder at the end of the England training session in Berlin last night.

The 19-year-old was challenged by Scott Parker and went down on the wet pitch. He was rushed to hospital in the German capital where his shoulder was put back in place.

Walcott, who has just returned from injuring the same shoulder against Stoke, would have started tonights friendly for England against Germany but instead was due to fly home to have his injury assessed for immediate surgery.

Shaun Wright-Phillips will replace him but England boss Fabio Capello hopes he will recover quickly.

Capello said: Our priority is Theo and making him as comfortable as possible before he returns to England.

Were all very disappointed but the most important thing is for Theo to travel home and make a quick recovery.

It is another blow for Capello, who had already seen a string of his first-choice players ruled out of tonights Berlin match by injury.

But it is Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who will be most disappointed since it looks likely Walcott will be out for a crucial period in the Gunners faltering Premier League campaign.

Ironically, Wenger is one of the few Premier League bosses who has not made any bones about allowing his players to travel for international duty.

Walcott has already had the same problem in his left shoulder and had an operation to resolve that problem 15 months ago. He is hopeful he will return in time for the knockout phase of the Champions League, which starts in February.

Reggae Boyz's best bet, a big win Mexico's dos Santos .. will miss match against Honduras - file It's just a week before Jamaica's Reggae Boyz face what they may consider to be their most important match in recent years. It's another must-win game, this time against Canada at the National Stadium as they seek to be among the six teams for the final round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament. The Boyz are on a high after two home wins against Mexico and Honduras and Canada who are considered the weakest country in the four-team semi-final group should not create many problems for a Jamaican team playing before thousands of partisan spectators. Better looking Things have been looking even better for the Boyz since the 1-0 victory over Honduras. Two of the permanent fixtures on the team, captain Ricardo Gardner and forward Ricardo Fuller, have been in good form for their English Premier League teams. A week ago Gardner scored once and set up another goal in a 2-0 victory for his club Bolton Wanderers, while Fuller scored a header as Stoke City helped themselves to a shock 2-1 victory over Arsenal, one of the perennial top four teams in the Barclays Premier League. While the Boyz are expected to beat Canada, things are not exactly in their hands as far as the two qualifying spots from the group are concerned. With just seven points they could win and still fail to qualify for the next round. To be safe the Reggae Boyz will be hoping for a win against Canada which will take them to ten points, and victory for Mexico against hosts Honduras, also next Wednesday. The Mexicans, now on ten, will go to 13 points and Honduras will remain on nine, thus putting them behind Jamaica. Mexico's chances of winning that game received a jolt last week when young midfielder, Giovanni dos Santos of Tottenham Hotspurs in England, sprained his ankle in training. The talented dos Santos is now out for up to four weeks and will miss the match. Mexico have adequate replacements but dos Santos was expected to be one of the key players for Mexico. With the Mexico, Honduras match expected to be a cagey affair with little or no goals, I think that, barring a win by Mexico, Jamaica's best bet to get to the final round is to defeat Canada by a margin exceeding six clear goals and pip one of the two Central American teams on goal difference. Honduras have not lost at home to Mexico in FIFA World Cup qualifiers since 1993. Man for man this Honduras team is, to my mind, slightly better than the Mexican aggregation. The most likely result therefore is a draw or a win by Honduras. Alsafra's defeat The flying filly, ALSAFRA, lost for only the second time this year when she was narrowly defeated in the CTL Superstakes by the six-year-old gelding AD INFINITUM last Saturday. She lost no marks in defeat. At first glance it appeared the filly did not like the wet underfoot conditions and only found her best form mid-way the 2000m race. She gave all she had and was beaten by the better stayer, one who has matched strides with some of the best local-bred horses in recent years

Just over 12 months ago, Jamaica looked a team in serious decline after failing to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007 and slipping out of the top 100 on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Not even the intervention of renowned coaches like Bora Milutinovic and Rene Simoes proved sufficient to arrest this downward spiral.

FABIO CAPELLO has fired England back into the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings.

ON THE UP ... Fabio Capello's England

The Three Lions have won all four of their World Cup qualifiers under the Italian boss.

And as a result they have climbed four places to move level with Portugal in joint 10th.

European champions Spain remain top, while Germany climb to second at the expense of Italy.

Holland, Brazil, Argentina, Croatia, Russia and Czech Republic complete the top 10.

Meanwhile, Capello will join David Beckham to help England's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Capello said: "I'm very happy to become a vice-president to the 2018 World Cup bid and I shall do everything I can to help England's cause."

NEMANJA VIDIC believes Liverpool could crumble in their bid to win the Premier League title.

EXPERIENCE ... Nemanja Vidic

Manchester United currently sit third in the Premier League, eight points off their bitter rivals and pace setters Chelsea.

But despite the early gap, hard-tackling defender Vidic believes experience in the second half of the season will help the defending champions.

He said: "I can only speak from experience but after three years here, I know we are always better in the second half of the season.

We pick up the flow, and our performances tend to improve. I hope it will be like that again.

It is always about the second half of the season. That is when the games are decisive. That is when it is really tough.

It is hard to say how Liverpool will handle it. All we can do is keep as close as we can and then push forward.

I am certainly not worried about the way we are playing, because we have done well in the last few games."

YOSSI BENAYOUN has warned Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez: Use me or lose me.

The Israeli is fed up with his bit-part role for the Reds this season after starting just two of the last 10 games.

The midfielder, 28, blasted Benitez as he prepared to lead his country in tonights friendly against the Ivory Coast.

He rapped: The fact that Im not involved and always come on as a sub tells you something.

"Even if its Liverpool, if I dont get to play in the next few months I will not want to be here.

I enjoy my time in England but maybe it is time to learn a new language maybe Italian, French or Russian.

When I came here it wasnt so I could tell everyone Hey, I play for Liverpool.

My purpose was to prove myself and, in the first year, I think I did with 11 goals and 10 assists.

I understand that I am at one of the biggest clubs in the world and that this year there are better players.

After our win over Manchester United I lost my place. Everyone wants to play and it is no fun sitting on the bench or playing just a few minutes.

Im part of the rotation but I hope in the next few months it will change.

FABIO CAPELLO last night warned Premier League bosses: You do as I say.

WARNING ... Fabio Capello

The England boss came out fighting after a spate of injury call-offs wrecked his preparation for tonights friendly against Germany in Berlin.

And the Italian insists that from now on any player who is withdrawn will be told to report to the national team docs.

Capello said: If a player doesnt play on the Saturday or Sunday, he wont be in my squad.

The two players that were injured on Saturday Lampard and Gerrard we checked and they are injured. This will be the rule in future games. The doctor will check the physical condition of the players.

We respect the club doctors but the rules will be to check the condition of the players ourselves.

I spoke privately with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and others. I dont expect this to happen again.

Three Lions boss Capello became uncharacteristically agitated under persistent questioning on the subject of call-offs yesterday.

Skipper John Terry believes the Italian handled the situation deftly and will expect better co-operation in future.

The Chelsea defender added: I think the boss has been clever here. Stevie Gerrard has a muscle problem so would have been a big risk in this game. There have been some problems but maybe in future hell use this to help him.

He might go to clubs ahead of a big match and say Remember last time I was lenient. But I really need you this time.

ENGLANDS glamour game with Germany is now a glorified kickabout as SIX of Fabio Capellos first-team will miss out.

SIDELINED ... Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard became the latest stars to withdraw through injury.

That leaves Capello with just four of his first-choice players for the Berlin clash tomorrow John Terry, David James, Gareth Barry and Theo Walcott.

Lampard, with cracked ribs, and torn-muscle victim Gerrard were sent back to their clubs for treatment yesterday following scans. Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and Emile Heskey are also missing from the team which beat Belarus in last months World Cup qualifier.

So boss Capello was forced into calling up West Hams Scott Parker and Fulhams Jimmy Bullard for what is beginning to look more like a B international.

Aston Villa winger Ashley Young is set to benefit from the situation by winning his first full cap on the left of midfield.

Michael Carrick is also poised to get a first start under Capello.

The Manchester United midfielder said: Im desperate to be part of the squad and play.

It wasnt a case of taking it or leaving it. Playing in the last World Cup was a great experience but it was only a little experience.

Its something I want to build on. Hopefully, the next World Cup will give me another opportunity.

Its not a meaningless friendly. Germany versus England at any level is a huge game.

Were bringing an awful lot of fans across there and were not taking it lightly. Its not a case of not being interested about being here it means a lot.

Carrick also insisted he had never felt the heat from United manager Alex Ferguson to put his club before country.

The former Spurs star admitted: My club manager is not too interested in England. He has his own agenda and there are things to be won at domestic level.

But you have to put that to one side until Thursday morning. My manager has never put me under pressure not to play in a friendly.

Germany striker Miroslav Klose does not care which team turns out.

The Bayern Munich ace said: England have a very good side. They have been playing very well with a new coach it is something we are very aware of.

We believe England are among the very top teams again but we are also playing very good football at the moment.

Its a friendly game but both teams will be desperate to win. We we have to retain the ball against England to triumph.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VU8UdSwQJg

Cristiano Ronaldo's 100th goal made it a double cause for celebration as Manchester United marked 50 years in the game for Sir Alex Ferguson with a comfortable 5-0 win over Stoke.

Ronaldo took just three minutes to reach his personal milestone with a trademark free-kick and rounded off United's biggest win of the season in similar fashion at the end.

In between Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov found the net, with England Under-19 forward Danny Welbeck scoring on his debut as Ferguson did at Stranraer half a century ago.

In recalling that first appearance for Queens Park, Ferguson told a story of being bitten by an opponent, only to be advised to "bite him back'' by his own manager when he complained at the break.

While it was not quite that bad, Stoke's robust approach might have forced the United boss to revise his opinion that Tony Pulis' side are not as bad as they are being painted, by Arsene Wenger at least.

Ronaldo was certainly pretty fed up. Time after time he hit the floor as he tried to make ground in the visitors' half.

Not only were there no cards, on a number of occasions there was no free-kick either, which only increased his frustration.

Referee Peter Walton had to offer a piece of stern advice at one point, although it presumably did not include giving chief assailant Danny Higginbotham a sarcastic burst of applause as Ronaldo did when the former Manchester United trainee went down in the box for no reward shortly afterwards.

When he assesses Ronaldo's immense talent, Ferguson likes to use the word courage. It often seems excessive but on this occasion it was quite apt as the Portugal superstar refused to hide.

He had given himself something to smile about after just three minutes when Amdy Faye clattered into Carlos Tevez to provide him with a free-kick to line-up.

Thomas Sorensen's fumbling effort to save meant the goal was not quite in the class of his strike against Portsmouth last season. But still, for a landmark 100, it was not too bad.

If Ferguson was waiting for a second, he needed to be patient.

Ronaldo, the impressive Park Ji-Sung and Carlos Tevez all had chances to get it. But it was not until Carrick collected Ronaldo's pass in stoppage time and somehow thundered a shot through a crowd of Stoke bodies that United finally managed to double their lead.

It was a decent return from a first half lacking not just Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, who were all injured, but also a monster throw-in from Rory Delap.

Ferguson laughed it off when it was mentioned yesterday but a steep slope around the pitch about two feet from the touchline meant Delap could not get enough momentum to cause the type of damage he wanted.

And any hope Stoke might have had disappeared straight after the restart as slack defending from Tony Pulis' men allowed Berbatov to not only control Tevez's fiercely-driven pass but turn onto it as well.

Offered that kind of space, it would have been rude of the Bulgarian not to slam a volley past Sorensen as well.

From then on, United were able to try to tiptoe their way past Stoke's giant defenders. It should have suited Ronaldo down to the ground but the red mist, so normally associated with Rooney, had begun to descend.

He took a swing at Amdy Faye which, remarkably, he was able to get away with, although it did end up in a face-to-face confrontation with the former Portsmouth man as the niggling went on.

Ronaldo might have been one of the men replaced as Danny Welbeck, Darron Gibson and Manucho as Ferguson marked his own landmark day with a trio of Premier League debuts.

And, just like his manager, Welbeck scored, the England Under-19 forward crashing home in impressive fashion from 20 yards.

Ronaldo had the last laugh on his tormentors too as he powered home another free-kick, his ninth goal of a campaign that only started in the middle of September.

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Ronaldo finished runner-up to AC Milan midfielder Kaka last year, while Messi was third

Kaka was again among the 30 nominees released Tuesday by the magazine, but does not believe he will win this time round.

"I am realistic. This one won't be for me. It's a shame, but it's logical," Kaka said. "AC Milan did not have a good season."

Kaka is tipping United's winger to take the top prize.

"My favorite is Cristiano Ronaldo," Kaka said. "He won two major titles with Manchester, and he scored a lot of goals."

The 23-year-old Portugal winger scored 42 goals in all competitions to help United win the Premier League title and the Champions League.

The 21-year-old Messi was also in sparkling form for Barca, scoring several breathtaking individual goals for the Catalan club, and also helping Argentina defeat Nigeria 1-0 to win the Olympic gold medal in Beijing in August.

"He is the kind of player I really like," Kaka said. "Like Cristiano Ronaldo, he dribbles, he scores. Messi often does it all on his own."

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is also among the nominees after helping Spain win the European Championship in June, grabbing the lone goal in the final against Germany. Torres also scored 24 league goals in his debut season with the Reds.

Lyon striker Karim Benzema, one of only two French nominees along with Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, told France Football that Torres would get his vote.

"He scores goal after goal," Benzema said.

Urban area double hopefuls Calabar High and Excelsior High will again meet today in the second round of the ISSA/Pepsi/-Digicel Manning Cup schoolboy football competition, at the Constant Spring Complex, beginning at 3 p.m.

The two, who, a week and a half ago, were engaged in a thrilling Walker Cup knockout final showdown which ended prematurely due to bad light, will play the second match of a double-header at the venue, with St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), who are hoping to rekindle memories of the 1987 championship run and Tivoli Gardens, who last won the title a decade ago, down to face each other in the opener at 1 p.m.

Shot at semis

All four teams in the group (Group Three) are in with a shot at a place in the semi-finals after playing to draws in the first set of matches. Only the group winners are guaranteed a place in the final four. The best second-place team of all three groups will join the group winners in the semis.

In the clash at 1 p.m., STATHS, who were steady in the preliminaries, brought their 'A' game against an organised and disciplined Excelsior and were unlucky not to have stolen a victory and come today, they will want to repeat that effort against a Tivoli Gardens team which surprised many in holding Calabar to a 1-1 draw in their first encounter.

STATHS, whose team comprises mostly of the members of KSAFA's Coorville Gardens successful Under-17 unit, including coach Keith Nichol, will be looking towards Odane Slater and Kimo Grant for further inspiration, while Tivoli, who narrowly got the better Charlie Smith to advance to this round, will hope that long-serving coach Dave Clarke can deliver the tactics needed to pull off another enterprising result.

In the feature, spectators should once again be treated to a ding-dong battle between two of the competition's most consistent teams.

Suppressed Calabar

In the Walker Cup final Excelsior, under the tactical supervision of Leebert Halliman, suppressed most of Calabar's better ball players and almost got the result they wanted.

However, coach, Alrick Clarke, who is in his first season at Red Hills Road, would have none of it and today, should both teams continue to play to their strengths, spectators could be in for a treat as three points could give either team one foot in the semi-finals.

Anyone who's been tracking the Brazilian legend's progress in recent months would assume that by this time Ronaldo would be simply desperate to get his future sorted before it's too late.

It has been reported this week that El Fenómeno is being tracked by Italian trio Sampdoria, Siena and Roma.

The Ronaldo camp are keen to settle on a club who can help ease him back to full fitness - he snapped a tendon in his knee in February - before offering him top class football.

However, the 32-year-old has managed to muddy the waters once again by refusing to let go of his apparent dream: joining Manchester City's Brazilian revolution.

Asked about the Italian interest in him at present, the former Milan forward responded, "Yes, Ive been approached by many clubs, but if City make their offer again Ill consider it.

"Im strong and I believe in one or two months Ill be playing at 100 per cent."

Citizens boss Mark Hughes was desperate to land Ronaldo in the summer, but it remains to be seen whether or not he'll take the risk now that his striking pool is overflowing.

Juan Villalonga believes that the best players in the world should be playing for Real Madrid and plans to reintroduce the Galácticos scheme if he wins the club presidency next year.

The impresario is set to stand for the top job at the Bernabéu against current incumbent, Ramón Calderón, and is planning to copy the plan laid down by previous chief Florentino Pérez.

Under Pérez, Madrid signed such star names as Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo and Villalonga believes that Madrid should once again be looking to sign stars of a similar stature.

"Players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaká should be at Real Madrid," he told COPE radio. "I will copy the model that Florentino used.

"I have called Florentino and I expressed my desire to stand and use his ideas, but it will be on my own terms.

"I have a lot of respect and admiration for Florentino and I think we should continue the good work that he did."

While Pérez coined the phrase Zidanes and Pavónes to describe his idea of c****ining star names with homegrown players, Villalonga has tweaked that idea.

"If I do win then I would like to introduce a system of Zidanes and Butragueños. We have to call upon the talent from the youth teams and c****ine them with world class players," he added.

Xabi Alonso's solitary first-half goal ended Chelsea's 86-game unbeaten home league record and put Liverpool three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Alonso struck in the ninth minute when his 20-yard shot deflected off Jose Bosingwa and left Petr Cech wrong-footed.

It was Chelsea's first defeat under new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, but Liverpool were always in charge of a pulsating contest at Stamford Bridge and look real title contenders on this form.

Chelsea had not been beaten at home since Arsenal's 2-1 success in February 2004 but Liverpool deserved their triumph with an impressive display.

Chelsea began the brighter of the two sides and their initial thrusts almost resulted in an opening goal.

Nicolas Anelka dribbled his way into the penalty area in the third minute but was tackled before he could test Jose Reina.

The ball fell to Deco but the Chelsea midfielder's shot was deflected to safety.

Liverpool went ahead in the ninth minute with their first attack of the game.

Chelsea failed to deal with a thrown-in when John Terry could only half-clear Dirk Kuyt's clever back-header.

The ball fell to Alonso on the edge of the penalty area and his shot deflected off Chelsea right-back Bosingwa into the net.

Liverpool were now in commanding form and dominating the game.

In the 17th minute, Albert Riera beat Bosingwa on the left flank but fired his shot into the side netting.

Chelsea, hoping to stretch their unbeaten home league sequence to 87 games, struggled to get back into the game.

Bosingwa tried to run at the Liverpool defence in the 21st minute but was chopped down crudely by Riera who received a booking from referee Howard Webb as a result.

Liverpool continued to look dangerous and in the 24th minute they almost increased their lead when Cech was forced to tip a glorious volley from Steven Gerrard over the bar.

Chelsea began to find some consistency as the first half wore on but they were struggling to produce a telling final ball into the penalty area.

Bosingwa sent over a number of crosses from the right flank but Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher were inspired at the heart of the visitors' defence.

In the 36th minute Deco was given time and space to run at the Liverpool defence but his left-foot drive from 18 yards was wide of Jose Reina's right-hand upright.

In the 38th minute Gerrard looked to be heading for an early bath for a foul on Bosingwa.

However, referee Webb elected to show the England midfielder a yellow card for his challenge.

Liverpool's speed on the counter-attack almost opened up Chelsea again in the 43rd minute but, despite some confusion in the home defence, John Mikel Obi managed to clear their lines.

Chelsea began the second half in a much brighter fashion and it required an interception from Carragher to prevent a cross from Florent Malouda reaching its destination in the six-yard box.

In the 53rd minute Malouda was booked for checking a fine run by Alvaro Arbeloa.

Kuyt then tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort was wide of the target.

It was the catalyst for a Chelsea to make a double substitution with Malouda and Kalou replaced by Juliano Belletti and Franco Di Santo.

It was another indication of Chelsea's growing frustration and it prompted Liverpool to replace Robbie Keane with Ryan Babel.

The Reds were awarded a free-kick 25 yards out in the 60th minute when Belletti kicked Riera in the face.

Chelsea then had a massive escape when Alonso's effort rebounded off the foot of the post for Ricardo Carvalho to clear.

Babel was brought down by Cole as he tried to collect the ball but referee Webb decided to book Javier Mascherano for attempting to persuade the official to dismiss the left-back.

Cole squandered a great chance to level the scores in the 73rd minute when Di Santo nodded Lampard's cross into his path.

But the defender screwed his effort wide of the post from eight yards. Moments later Carragher rescued Liverpool when he deflected Deco's effort for a corner.

At the opposite end, a 25-yard drive from Babel was only just wide of the target.

end

Newly-crowned FIFPro world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo offered an immediate reply to Sir Alex Ferguson's challenge to score 25 goals this season with a first-half double as West Ham were beaten 2-0.

Ronaldo took his tally for the campaign to five, first profiting from Nani's precise cross before tapping home from two yards, an effort that owed everything to the genius of Dimitar Berbatov.

Manchester United could have had more, with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney both going close.

But after Saturday's slip-up at Everton, the three points were all Sir Alex Ferguson wanted as his side look to keep current pacesetters Liverpool in view.

In leaving out Rooney, Ferguson was omitting a man, one visit to Everton apart, at the top of his game.

The need to give Tevez a chance after sitting on the sidelines for virtually a month, was obvious. Some fans, though, questioned why Rooney was the man sacrificed. Others wonder why Berbatov was bought at all given last year's strikeforce proved to be a devastating c****ination at home and abroad.

Berbatov has tried to answer the doubters with a flurry of goals and eye-catching assists. But none came close to his contribution after half an hour.

James Collins must have thought he was in control as he shadowed Berbatov to the by-line as the pair chased Anderson's pass.

But the young Wales international was in for a shock. With a pirouette any ballet dancer would have been proud of, Berbatov turned, rolled the ball beyond Collins and was gone, hugging the white line before presenting Ronaldo with a tap-in. Even Collins must have felt like applauding.

Having faced Arsenal at Upton Park on Sunday, Gianfranco Zola is quickly discovering management is not quite as easy as he found being a player.

In his programme notes, Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the Italian maestro as his favourite overseas star, some accolade given the brilliance that has walked through Old Trafford's doors alone.

If only Zola had someone with his instinctive brain and silky touch at West Ham.

Almost daily his players are being linked with moves elsewhere.

England defender Matthew Upson is among that number, deservedly so judging by the way he threw his body in the way of so many United chances.

Berbatov, Ronaldo and star man Nani were all denied by the centre-half. There was nothing Upson could do to deny Ronaldo his opener though, the Portugal superstar crashing home from eight yards after one of Nani's pinpoint crosses had rolled into his path.

Tevez was eager to make an impression and he would have scored if his header from Patrice Evra's cross had been a foot either side of Robert Green rather than straight at him.

Any faint hopes of a West Ham revival were dealt a grievous blow just before the break when Valon Behrami went down in agony with no-one near him. The immediate fear was a serious knee injury and the Swiss was in obvious pain as he left the field on a stretcher.

Zola might have been getting some much-needed advice as he strolled down the touchline in earnest conversation with Ferguson as the pair made their way to the dugouts.

But the second period just brought more worries for the newly-installed Hammers chief.

Tevez might have had a penalty when he was hauled down by Herita Ilunga before Nani's rushed his shot when Berbatov laid a neat pass and smashed it over.

The introduction of Rooney and, for only his third appearance of the season, Michael Carrick merely illustrated the difference in standards Zola must now try to overcome.

Rooney had gone for the bald look again and a delicate chip straight after his arrival might have shaved the crossbar if Robert Green had not touched it over.

There was nothing delicate about Rooney's next effort, a thunderous shot from 30 yards that Green was forced to beat away.

The keeper might have expected to work harder when Patrice Evra set up Ronaldo but with a hat-trick beckoning, the winger's shot was disappointing.

Not as disappointing as the volley Craig Bellamy fired into the stands though which must have made Zola wish he could pull his boots back on.

Spain's Euro 2008 hero Xavi Hernandez scored a brace as Barcelona reeled off their seventh consecutive league win, thrashing promoted Malaga 4-1 on Saturday, though racism directed at Samuel Eto'o marred the game.

It was a bitter-sweet night for the Catalonian club because though they shot to the top of the Spanish league table, monkey cries aimed at Eto'o proved a low point and he was whistled when he was substituted late in the game.

It was not the first time that Barcelona's star striker had received such treatment in a Spanish stadium.

In February 2006, Eto'o had wanted to leave the pitch in a 2-0 victory against Real Zaragaoza when monkey cries were given in his direction but he continued the match after being persuaded by the referee and team-mates.

The incidents came just after a Spanish website targetted McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton with racist abuse.

Xavi, voted best player at Euro 2008, scored early in both halves (5 min, 52) while Argentine Lionel Messi bagged his sixth goal of the season as Barca went a point clear of Villarreal at the top.

Villarreal also won 4-1 on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten start to the season with Athletic Bilbao their victims.

Valencia, two points behind leaders Barca, now lie third but can go back to the top with three points over Racing Santander in Saturday's late match.

Defending champions Real Madrid, three points behind Barca, are in action on Sunday at Almeria.

Malaga had won their previous four league matches going into the Barca showdown but were outclassed by a team that are starting to gel under the guidance of new coach Pep Guardiola.

Messi claimed in midweek that the summer departures of Ronaldinho and Deco have helped the club to turn over a new page and 22 points from 27 points suggest they are heading in the right direction.

Barcelona's next match is at home on Tuesday when they face FC Basel in the Champions League looking to continue their perfect start in Europe.

Elsewhere Argentine attacker Sergio 'Kun' Aguero gave Liverpool something to think about ahead of Tuesday's Champions League match at Anfield with a brace as Atletico Madrid defeated Real Mallorca 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday.

Aguero was back in the starting XI after being rested for the past few matches and returned with a bang scoring a first half double (14 min, 28).

It was Atletico's first league victory since September 24 when they defeated derby rivals Getafe 2-1 and Javier Aguirre's side climb to sixth.

Villarreal put their Kings Cup nightmare firmly behind them with a 4-1 triumph at Athletic Bilbao to go second.

Villarreal went into the match reeling from a 5-0 Kings Cup humiliation by unknown Poli Ejido but responded in the perfect way with Giuseppe Rossi scoring after 24 minutes.

However the lead was shortlived as Jose Etxeberria levelled four minutes later for Bilbao.

But France's 1998 World Cup winner Pires, nearing the end of his career at 35, restored Villarreal's lead on 53 minutes and Santiago Cazorla wrapped up the points six minutes later.

Villarreal now turn their attention to Wednesday's Champions League match against Danish side Aalborg BK. Manuel Pellegrini's outfit are tied on seven points at the top of group E along with reigning champions Manchester United.

Jamaica remained in World Cup qualifying contention by defeating Honduras 1-0 at National Stadium on Wednesday.

Jamaica had to win to stay in touch with Group 2 leaders Honduras and Mexico in CONCACAF, and its last group match against already-eliminated Canada at home next month will be decisive.

Luton Shelton scored in the 16th minute. Receiving a pass from midfield, Shelton beat a defender and advancing goalkeeper Valladares Noele to slide the ball in from an acute angle.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who starred in Jamaica's win against Mexico on Saturday, again proved too tricky for Honduras with his pace.

Sir Alex Ferguson has promised to use all his weapons in Manchester United's continuing battle with Real Madrid over Cristiano Ronaldo.

Madrid president Ramon Calderon recently said they would only reignite their interest if United wanted to do a deal but Ferguson has now claimed he does not believe their pursuit is over.

But this week has seen another war of words between Ferguson and Calderon, and the United boss said: "I don't care two monkeys about our relationship with Real Madrid to be honest with you.

"We have the player we want. They don't have the player they would like. All that is going on regarding Calderon is to do with the fact that they couldn't get Cristiano.

"Calderon promised so much that he would get the lad. Some of his comments are ridiculous. There is a complete arrogance about it all.

"There was no question of Ronaldo leaving anyway, absolutely no question."

Ferguson added: "Yes, it's possible that these are the first shots of another attempt to get him. They do it all the time. We're ready.

"We have enough ammunition ready. I'm only using one gun at the moment. I'll get the gatling gun out in January!"

Wolmer's take charge
published: Wednesday | November 5, 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Home			Visitor		Status	Stadium
	Liverpool	1 : 1	Atlético Madrid		Match Stats	Anfield Road
	Sporting Lisbon	1 : 0	Shakhtar Donetsk		Match Stats	Jose Alvalde
	Olympic Marseille	3 : 0	PSV Eindhoven		Match Stats	Stade Velodrome
	AS Roma	3 : 1	Chelsea		Match Stats	Olimpico
	Werder Bremen	0 : 3	Panathinaikos		Match Stats	Weserstadion
	Barcelona	1 : 1	FC Basel		Match Stats	Camp Nou
	CFR Cluj	1 : 2	Bordeaux		Match Stats	Dr. Constantin R¿dulescu Stadium
	Anorthosis Famagusta	3 : 3	Inter Milan		Match Stats	Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium

	Liverpool	vs.	Atlético Madrid		2:45 PM
	Sporting Lisbon	vs.	Shakhtar Donetsk		2:45 PM
	Marseille	vs.	PSV Eindhoven		2:45 PM
	AS Roma	vs.	Chelsea		2:45 PM
	Werder Bremen	vs.	Panathinaikos		2:45 PM
	Barcelona	vs.	FC Basel		2:45 PM
	CFR Cluj	vs.	Bordeaux		2:45 PM
	Anorthosis Famagusta	vs.	Inter Milan		2:45 PM

	Arsenal	vs.	Fenerbahce		2:45 PM
	Celtic	vs.	Manchester Utd		2:45 PM
	Fiorentina	vs.	Bayern München		2:45 PM
	Lyon	vs.	Steaua Bucharest		2:45 PM
	Real Madrid	vs.	Juventus		2:45 PM
	AaB Aalborg	vs.	Villarreal		2:45 PM
	Dynamo Kiev	vs.	FC Porto		2:45 PM
	BATE	vs.	Zenit St. Petersburg		2:45 PM

-- Edited by shamar at 07:51, 2008-11-04

The Detroit Pistons shook the NBA in a big way Monday landing former MVP Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets. The Pistons gave up All-Star point guard and former NBA finals MVP Chauncey Billups, top reserve Antonio McDyess and project Cheikh Samb.

The trade was confirmed by Iverson's agent, Leon Rose, and a basketball official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

Read

TV: ESPN Sunday, Nov 2NY Jets vs Buffalo NY Jets 26
Buffalo 17
Final Box Score
Jacksonville vs Cincinnati Jacksonville 19
Cincinnati 21
Final Box Score
Baltimore vs Cleveland Baltimore 37
Cleveland 27
Final Box Score
Houston vs Minnesota Houston 21
Minnesota 28
Final Box Score
Detroit vs Chicago Detroit 23
Chicago 27
Final Box Score
Tampa Bay vs Kansas City Tampa Bay 30
Kansas City 27
Final OT Box Score
Arizona vs St. Louis Arizona 34
St. Louis 13
Final Box Score
Green Bay vs Tennessee Green Bay 16
Tennessee 19
Final OT Box Score
Miami vs Denver Miami 26
Denver 17
Final Box Score
Dallas vs NY Giants Dallas 14
NY Giants 35
Final Box Score
Philadelphia vs Seattle Philadelphia 26
Seattle 7
Final Box Score
Atlanta vs Oakland Atlanta 24
Oakland 0
Final Box Score
New England vs Indianapolis New England 15
Indianapolis 18
Final Box Score

Bad light halts Walker Cup final ...Calabar, Excelsior locked at 9-9 in penalty shoot-out

Livingston Scott, Observer staff reporter Saturday, November 01, 2008

Excelsior's Phillip Biggs (right) comes under pressure from Calabar's Avon Wright during the Walker Cup final at the Constant Spring Complex yesterday. The match was called off due to bad light with the teams level at 9-9 during penalty shoot-out. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

After 120 minutes plus nine penalties from each team, the corporate area schoolboy Walker Cup knockout title remains undecided after the final between defending champions Calabar and Excelsior was called off because of bad light at the Constant Spring Complex yesterday.

The hotly contested match, played on a soggy surface, ended 1-1 after full and extra time.

The game will be replayed as the curtain raiser to the Manning Cup final on Saturday, November 29, if neither of the teams make the Manning Cup final. Otherwise, the game will be replayed on Wednesday, December 3.

Yesterday Richard Lewis opened the scoring for Calabar after just five minutes of play in a game that was delayed due to the fear of lightning strikes, but Juvanne Benjamin found the equaliser for the Leebert Halliman-coached team in the 61st minute.

Calabar were reduced to 10 players when Daine Ewers picked up his second yellow card two minutes before the equaliser.

The final result was probably a fitting end to what was a pulsating and keenly-contested affair from the opening whistle to the last penalty kick, as neither team deserved to lose.

Calabar signalled their intention from the kick-off with Richard Edite slamming the ball into the side netting.
Then five minutes into the contest, the Excelsior team defended poorly on a corner kick and Lewis slammed the ball into an unprotected goal to put the defending champions ahead.

The Alrick Clarke-coached team continued to have the better of play afterwards and could have increased their lead, but Excelsior came out more determined in the second-half, pushing their opponents back into their half.

Just shy of the hour mark Ewers cut down Phillip Biggs on the edge of the area to earn his second booking and marching orders.

The Mountain View school was on even terms just after, as Leon Powell spilt the Calabar defence with a precise through ball for Benjamin, who latched on to it and cooly slotted past Chevon Powell in goal.

As the game intensified, referee Ricardo Salesman had to be substituted by fourth official Raymond Bogle because of cramps.

And though Excelsior continued to pepper the Calabar goal, the Red Hills Road school defended stoutly.

However, they had to thank goalkeeper Powell, who pulled off two excellent saves to keep them in the game.

Both periods of extra-time failed to separate the team, although Andre Braithwaite came close to breaking the tie, but his 30-yard free-kick in the second period of extra-time hit the bar and went over.

And after nine players each expertly netted their spot-kicks in the shoot-out, referee Bogle decided that the light was insufficient to continue.

Both coaches gave credit to their players and each other for a well contested final.

"A well contested final, you couldn't ask for a better final," Halliman remarked.

"They scored against the run of play, we regrouped at half-time and got the equaliser. But inexperience took its toll on the team, although they played a splendid game... and I would like to congratulate Calabar on a fine game," he added.

His counter-part, Clarke aid: "This shows what good coaching is all about," in reference to himself and Halliman.
"Calabar did well in the first-half. Second-half we went down to 10 men. Excelsior came back roaring in the second-half.
But it was a good, entertaining game and hats off to Excelsior," he said. Both coaches also agreed that it was a good decision to call off the game.

Excelsior's coach Halliman was also quick to point out that his team will be severely affected by yellow cards picked up in this competition, which will carry over into the Manning Cup competition.

ISSA competition officer, George Forbes said that it was unfair for the teams to carry over yellow cards from this competition to the Manning Cup, but he explained that they will be unable to address it until next season.

Lewis Hamilton became the youngest world champion in Formula One history by the skin of his teeth after a nail-biting Brazilian Grand Prix. The English McLaren driver's title rival Felipe Massa won the race in his Ferrari but Hamilton grabbed the fifth place he needed at the last corner. A late-race rain shower looked to have cost Hamilton the title when he dropped to sixth after a stop for wet tyres. But he passed Toyota's Timo Glock as they entered the pit straight. Renault's Fernando Alonso, the previous youngest champion, was second ahead of Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton's success buries the ghosts of last year, when after a remarkable debut season he let slip a massive lead in the final two races and Raikkonen sneaked in to win the title. Ultimately, there were no similar mistakes this time around - but as he entered the final lap Hamilton was not going to win the title He - like Massa - had stopped to change to wet tyres as the rain fell in the closing laps. But while the Brazilian held on to his lead, Hamilton dropped to fifth place behind Glock - who stayed on dry tyres. Report: Lewis Hamilton - the making of a champion Hamilton then lost that position - which was the minimum he needed if Massa won - when he was passed at the start of the penultimate lap by Vettel. Hamilton tried hard to get back past the German, but he could not get close enough to him and he would have thought he had lost the title until he came to the last two corners of the lap. There, Glock - who had started the final lap 18 seconds ahead of Hamilton - was struggling badly on the now-slick track and the McLaren slipped passed the Toyota as it accelerated up the hill towards the finish line. "It's pretty impossible to put into words," Hamilton said. "I thought do I have it? Do I have it? And when they told me I was ecstastic." We need to be proud of our race and our championship but for sure I'm very emotional Felipe Massa It was heartbreaking for Massa, whose family were celebrating what they thought was his success for a few seconds until they realised what had happened It was an emotional day for me. You get here and you've almost done everything perfect but we saw Lewis passing Glock again and that mixed emotion. "Unfortunately we missed [out] by one point but that's racing. "We need to be proud of our race and our championship. It's one more day of our life when I will learn a lot but for sure I'm very emotional." Massa could not hold back the tears as he realised he had lost out at the death

Saturday, November 1, 2008
Home			Visitor		Status	Stadium
	Everton	1 : 0	Fulham		Match Stats	Goodison Park
	Chelsea	5 : 0	Sunderland		Match Stats	Stamford Bridge
	Manchester United	4 : 3	Hull City		Match Stats	Old Trafford
	Middlesbrough	1 : 1	West Ham		Match Stats	Riverside Stadium
	West Bromwich Albion	2 : 2	Blackburn Rovers		Match Stats	The Hawthorns
	Portsmouth	1 : 2	Wigan Athletic		Match Stats	Fratton Park
	Stoke City	2 : 1	Arsenal		Match Stats	Britannia Stadium
	Tottenham Hotspur	2 : 1	Liverpool		Match Stats	White Hart Lane

Sunday, November 2, 2008
Home			Visitor		Status	Stadium
	Bolton Wanderers	2:0	Manchester City		11:00 AM	Reebok Stadium

It would be so excellent for Lewis Hamillton to win the F1 grand prix today
Go lewis Go

-- Edited by KrisMichael at 21:03, 2008-10-29

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Villa Park
	Aston Villa		3:45 PM ET		Blackburn Rovers
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Craven Cottage
	Fulham		3:45 PM ET		Wigan Athletic
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  KC Stadium
	Hull City		3:45 PM ET		Chelsea
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Britannia Stadium
	Stoke City		3:45 PM ET		Sunderland
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Emirates Stadium
	Arsenal		4:00 PM ET		Tottenham Hotspur
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Anfield Road
	Liverpool		4:00 PM ET		Portsmouth
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Old Trafford
	Manchester United		4:00 PM ET		West Ham
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Riverside Stadium
	Middlesbrough		4:00 PM ET		Manchester City
Match Stats

Wednesday, October 29, 2008					Expand +
2008-09 Premier League, Round 10  Reebok Stadium
	Bolton Wanderers		4:00 PM ET		Everton

Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona was named coach of the national side here on Tuesday according to 1986 World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo after he came out of a meeting with Argentinian Football Association president Julio Grondona.

The 48-year-old - who almost singlehandedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup trophy - won crucial support last week in his bid to become the next Argentina coach when the man charged with finding Alfio Basile's successor threw his weight behind the World Cup winning skipper.

'I'd like Maradona to be the next coach,' said Noray Nakis, the president of the Argentina Football Association (AFA) selection commission.

Basile resigned a fortnight ago after a World Cup qualifying defeat to Chile.

Maradona faced competition for the job from Carlos Bianchi, the former coach of Boca Juniors, whom he led to four national league titles, San Lorenzo coach Miguel Angel Russo and Sergio Batista who took the Under-23 squad to Olympic gold in Beijing in August.

WWE Cyber Sunday 2008

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Cristiano Ronaldo has been named FifPro World Footballer of the Year. It is the first in what is expected to be a host of individual honours for the 23-year-old, who scored 42 goals for Manchester United on their way to Champions League and Premier League title glory last term.

Ronaldo had suggested last week he could do no more than he did to be crowned the best player on the planet and peers from over 40 countries are in agreement.

"To be recognised by my fellow professional players worldwide coming from over 50,000 players is amazing," the Portugal winger said.

"I would like to thank my teammates and coaches and everyone involved at Man United and the national team, as well as my family and friends for their support," Ronaldo said. "Thank you also to FIFPro for this award and for your work in protecting the interests and welfare of players around the world."

It is anticipated Ronaldo will also scoop the Ballon D'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, with the Portugal international - who has also been named in  FifPro's world team of the year - keen to remain at Old Trafford for another couple of seasons at least.

''I insist that I am a Manchester United player and now I think that next year I will continue here,'' Ronaldo told Marca.

The player also claims to have learned from his selfish ways and no longer tries to beat opponents just for the sake of it.

''I have always played the way I do. It is natural,'' he said. ''If you want to be good, you have to practice, not just in training but games as well. That is my style of football.

''But I am different now compared to five years ago. Then I was dribbling but not doing anything for the team.

''Now I have more experience and I feel more mature. I do things for the team. So, sometimes I dribble, sometimes I don't.''

It seems every move Ronaldo makes is analysed and dissected to establish whether the 23-year-old is still hankering after a move to Real Madrid, but Ronaldo now feels the Real Madrid saga is not worth discussing. However, he is happy to confirm Sir Alex Ferguson as the major factor behind his decision to stay and a continuing influence on his career.

''Sir Alex has been a big inspiration to me,'' he said. ''He believed in me enough to buy me. I have learned so many things from him and I am continuing to learn because he is a great manager.

''Of course, he was the main factor in keeping me here.

''But what happened in the summer is finished. Now my head is on the club. My focus is solely on playing well for Manchester United and winning the Premier League and Champions League again.''

Ronaldo accepts emulating last term's incredible achievements will be tough, both for him individually but for United collectively.

Even halfway through the campaign, he was not thinking about the possibility he could win the Golden Boot. It was only when he continued to hear his name linked with the famous trophy that the Madeira-born star truly began to recognise what he was on the brink of.

''I only started to believe it when I scored 22 or 23,'' he said. ''Before that it didn't even cross my mind because I am not a forward. My job is not to score, so to end up at 42 was incredible.

''It is important I recognise my team-mates because without them, it would not have been possible for me to get so many.

''But I have always been an ambitious player. I try to improve every season, not because I have to prove myself to anyone, just because I want to be the best I can be.

''I am still young and if I am being honest, I did not think I would reach this level so quickly.

''But I always believed in my talent and I have learned a lot, so it made me think that maybe I would become the best player in the world.''

Robinho produced a touch of Brazilian magic to light up a dark October day, scoring his first Manchester City hat-trick to send the Blues fans wild. Robinho: I want 30At £32.5million, Robinho did not come cheap.But with three clinical swipes of the boot he showed exactly why Chelsea wanted him and why Mark Hughes' smashed the British transfer record to get him.Stoke may not be the most formidable opposition but Robinho proved brains will always overcome brawn as well as giving City's European aspirations a much-needed shove in the right direction.It could have been more, with substitute Daniel Sturridge guilty of one horrendous miss, the youngster having to be content with a couple of assists.If Stoke's fans are still pinching themselves at having the opportunity of watching their team take on such talents as Robinho and Elano, the Brazilian duo might be equally bemused at the type of football they were being faced with.There were precious few South Americans around in the 1980s as Wimbledon bullied their way into the top flight and there is definitely more than a bit of a Crazy Gang attitude about Tony Pulis' side.Shaun Wright-Phillips and Stephen Ireland are dwarfs by comparison to the giants Pulis has assembled at the Britannia Stadium.Talent cannot be disguised though and it soon became apparent that if City were able to string a couple of passes together and keep the ball on the ground - not an easy task - they would prosper.Robinho had already forced Thomas Sorensen into one smart save when City attacked through Wright-Phillips down the right flank.Ireland and Elano caused uncertainty in the visitors' box and when the ball bounced to young Wales international Ched Evans, handed a start as £18million forward Jo was ruled out with tonsillitis, he had the awareness and intelligence to find Robinho with a volleyed square pass.It was not an easy opportunity for Robinho to convert but the money City have paid for the Brazilian is a sign of his class and he duly found the net, his fifth goal since his arrival from Real Madrid.Yet, rather than the start of a one-sided stroll, it proved to be the beginning of a prolonged battle for City, whose central defenders Richard Dunne and Tal Ben Haim, both stood firm in the face of a physical barrage.Dunne was off the field having treatment when Tom Soares' corner dropped perfectly onto the head of Ryan Shawcross.The former Manchester United trainee got plenty of power into his header but Joe Hart, fresh from signing a new five-year contract, managed to bundle the ball away.As Hart had already made an excellent fingertip save to deny Ricardo Fuller, who blazed over in stoppage time after racing onto Mamady Sidibe's flick on, Pulis' side had every reason to feel optimistic at the break.The hopes turned out to be built on quicksand as City scored within two minutes of the restart.With Darius Vassell and Benjani sidelined, Sturridge might have hoped to be in Hughes' plans more regularly this season.But Evans appears to have overtaken the England Under-19 international among the more raw talents in Hughes' squad, leaving Sturridge frustrated on the bench until the Wales star limped off just before the break.Sturridge knew he had something to prove, which is exactly what he did with a thrilling run at the Stoke defence, at the end of which he had the calmness to slip a pass to Robinho, who duly did the rest with a first-time finish.Robinho acknowledged Sturridge's contribution by rubbing the youngster's boot in an elaborate celebration, although a goal would have been better instead of wildly blasting Stephen Ireland's pass over shortly afterwards.The hunt was now on for Robinho's hat-trick. The former Real Madrid man fired wide after one mazy dribble, then Sorensen made a fine save after Shaun Wright-Phillips had crossed.But City's record signing was not to be denied. And, at the end of a flowing 60-yard move in which he was initially involved, Robinho was on hand to stroke his third past Sorensen after Sturridge had again provided the final pass.

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Hull's dazzling start to its topflight debut continued with a 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion. The fourth straight league win put Hull level on 20 points at the top of the standings with Chelsea and Liverpool, which play each other Sunday.

United, which has 15 points, was cruising after Darren Fletcher scored in the 22nd minute, but Marouane Fellaini leveled in the 63rd.

"We had good chances and played some fantastic football and we should have capitalized on that," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "At the end of the day, though, you cannot deny Everton the point."

Sunderland beat Newcastle 2-1 in the northeast derby, which saw Joey Barton return for the Magpies after serving a six-match ban for attacking a teammate during his Manchester City career. Newcastle fans threw objects at Barton, forcing police to intervene, before the midfielder was brought on in the 85th.

Also, Benni McCarthy scored four minutes into second-half injury time to salvage Blackburn a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough.

Man United looked headed for its seventh consecutive victory in all competitions after Fletcher controlled a pass from Ryan Giggs, rounded Joleon Lescott and shot through goalkeeper Tim Howard's legs.

Nemanja Vidic could have extended the lead but his shot was cleared off the line by Leon Osman and Howard then denied both Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs.

Everton was lucky to have conceded just one goal in the first half and the Toffees found their way back into the match when Fellaini rose above Vidic to head a cross from former United defender Phil Neville past goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

"We are really pleased with how the players finished, especially against Manchester United and the way they are playing," Everton manager David Moyes said. "A point against them at this moment is as good as a win as far as we are concerned."

Wayne Rooney, who scored his first career goal for Everton in 2002, missed chances to score his 100th against his former club. 

Tempers flared after the break when United center back Rio Ferdinand confronted former teammate Phil Neville after his strong challenge on Ronaldo.

"I don't think the referee protected our players enough," Ferguson said. "I don't know what the game is coming to with some of the tackles and the speed of the tackles."

Rooney was substituted in the 72nd after being booked for a late tackle on Mikel Arteta, unjustly according to Ferguson.

"The referee (Alan Wiley) was to blame because he booked him for nothing and the crowd was egging him on, wanting him to be sent off," Ferguson said. "In that situation you wonder who will be next."

Ronaldo, still struggling to regain his form after undergoing ankle surgery, squandered a chance to restore United's lead in the 87th when the winger turned Nani's cross wide.

"He had a chance, he may have done better," Ferguson said. "But to be honest, we didn't deserve anything at that point. It was a hanging-on job."

Hull was put under pressure throughout the first half by fellow league newcomer West Brom, with goalkeeper Boaz Myhill saving well from Borja Valero and Ishmael Miller, while Jonas Olsson headed against the crossbar.

West Brom paid for not taking its chances when Hull defender Kamil Zayatte volleyed Dean Marney's corner past Scott Carson in the 47th.

Geovanni doubled the advantage in the 62nd with a diving header, after releasing Marlon King and receiving the ball back again. On-loan striker King added a third four minutes later.

"The strikers will probably get all the mentions in the papers but I am absolutely ecstatic after a third clean sheet in the bounce," Hull manager Phil Brown said. "It is Champions League form, but that is what it is - form. That is temporary."

"We've finally defeated Newcastle on home turf for the first time in 28 years and I thought it was an excellent game," Sunderland manager Roy Keane said. "It's always nice to beat your local rivals and everybody has been reminding us how long it has been. But we deserved it, we played some good stuff."

Sunderland went ahead in the 20th when Djibril Cisse lunged with his right foot to steer in Steed Malbranque's misdirected shot.

But the lead only lasted 10 minutes as Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi, unmarked at the far post, headed in Geremi's free kick.

Sunderland could face repercussions after its fans came onto the pitch to celebrate the victory.

At Ewood Park, Middlesbrough forward Tuncay Sanli's overhead kick found the net but was ruled offside, and teammate Jeremie Aliadiere volleyed against the crossbar in the first half.

Middlesbrough midfielder Alfonso Alves scored in the 74th when he danced the ball around Andre Ooijer before beating Blackburn goalkeeper Ross Turnbull.

	Atlético Madrid	1:1	Liverpool
	Chelsea	1:0	AS Roma
	FC Basel	0:5	Barcelona
	Inter Milan	1:0	Anorthosis Famagusta
	Bordeaux	1:0	CFR Cluj
	PSV Eindhoven	2:0	Marseille
	Shakhtar Donetsk	0:1	Sporting Lisbon
	Panathinaikos	2:2	Werder Bremen

Liverpool were denied another three-point haul in the Champions League as Simao Sabrosa netted a late equaliser to earn Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw.

The unmarked Simao - once targeted by Reds boss Rafael Benitez - drilled home a low shot with seven minutes remaining to cancel out Robbie Keane's early opener for Liverpool as the two sides, having each won their first two games, remained unbeaten in Group D.

Liverpool controlled the first half and held a deserved lead at the break but Atletico, who had been unbeaten in their previous six home meetings with English opposition, fought back to salvage a point which could ease the pressure on under-fire coach Javier Aguirre.

The Champions League anthem at the start of the match was greeted by jeers and whistles from the home fans, while the Atletico supporters behind the goal also turned their backs to the pitch in protest against the punishment handed out by UEFA last week.

Atletico were given a three-match stadium ban in Europe and fined by UEFA following crowd disturbances and accusations of racism during their Champions League home match against Marseille.

Atletico have appealed against the punishment, which is why the match was able to go ahead at the Vicente Calderon and not at least 300 kilometres away from Madrid.

However, there was no obvious repeat of those crowd disturbances or racist chanting during the clash, which saw Liverpool quickly settle into their stride.

Benitez's troops, unbeaten in their last 15 matches, could barely have asked for an easier opening 45 minutes as they took an early lead through Keane before comfortably containing a toothless Atletico.

Keane's goal came not long after young Atletico midfielder Ignacio Camacho had headed over the first chance of the match following a Simao free-kick.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard created the chance with a superb pass through for Keane, who beat the Atletico offside trap before coolly slotting low past Leo Franco.

That was just the start Liverpool would have been hoping for and Gerrard and Xabi Alonso both then tried their luck from distance before Keane spurned a decent opening to double Liverpool's lead.

He again escaped the attentions of his markers to get on the end of Gerrard's right-wing cross, but the Irishman attempted an ambitious flick and ended up missing the ball.

At the other end a much-changed Atletico, who had lost their previous three league matches against Sevilla, Barcelona and arch rivals Real Madrid, looked devoid of ideas going forward in the first half.

The hosts finally gave their fans something to get excited about in the 40th minute when former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan unleashed a 25-yard drive that flew just wide of Jose Reina's far post. Aside from that effort though, the Liverpool custodian, one of four Spanish players in the Liverpool line-up, had precious little to do before the break.

Atletico coach Aguirre, under pressure following three successive league defeats, decided it was time to change things around at the break and he sent on star striker Sergio Aguero for former Liverpool player Luis Garcia.

That change immediately appeared to give Atletico a lift as they twice came close to an equaliser soon after the break.

The first opening saw Maniche pick up a pass from Forlan on the far side of the area before firing in a shot that flew into the far corner of the net.

However, the Portuguese was left with his head in his hands - along with the majority of the stadium - as he noticed the offside flag had gone up.

From an almost identical position moments later Simao then drilled in a shot which Reina brilliantly helped onto the post and then gathered at the second attempt as Liverpool rode their luck.

Reina could do little about the goal that brought Atletico back on level terms in the 83rd minute however.

Simao was left in acres of space on the far side of the area and, after Forlan had picked him out, he drilled a low left-footed shot past the diving Reina to level the scores up at 1-1.

That goal set the stadium rocking and gave Atletico a huge boost, and Miguel then tested Reina with a well-struck volley soon afterwards.

Liverpool could have silenced the home crowd in the 89th minute though when substitute Ryan Babel sent a diving header just wide of the Atletico goal from close range, but the match would end up finishing all-square.

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Chelsea captain John Terry ended Roma's stubborn resistance with a second-half winner in the 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Terry headed home from Frank Lampard's 77th-minute corner to keep Luiz Felipe Scolari's side top of Champions League Group A.

Roma, struggling in the lower reaches of Serie A, were not expected to upset Chelsea's European momentum but they almost did so with a dogged defensive display which nearly earned them a share of the spoils.

The opening few minutes saw Chelsea enjoy the lion's share of possession with the impish Deco pulling the strings in midfield.

But eight minutes elapsed before Chelsea mustered their first real attempt on goal via a 20-yard volley from Lampard which Doni dealt with effectively.

That apart, there was little sign of the beautiful game which Scolari desired as the home side were largely frustrated by the visitors. Scolari's touchline demeanour clearly demonstrated his distinct displeasure with Chelsea's inability to get on top.

In the 21st minute a rare attacking drive from John Mikel Obi brought a booking for Philippe Mexes when he brought the Nigerian crashing down on the edge of the penalty area.

But Lampard saw his effort cannon into the crowd after flicking the angle of the post and bar.

In the 27th minute Deco set Kalou free on the right but the striker's shot was lacking power and accuracy and Doni again collected the ball safely.

Roma were more than happy to stop Chelsea trying to play their way through the middle with Alberto Aquilani particularly impressive.

It required a superb tackle from Terry to prevent Matteo Brighi from opening the scoring in the 35th minute.

Terry dived in to deflect the ball for a corner after a superb piece of skill from Francesco Totti had set up Brighi.

Lampard tried his luck at the other end after Deco had bam***bozled the Roma defence with a clever back-heel but the England midfielder was again off target.

Scolari was incensed four minutes before the interval when Deco was brought down on the edge of the penalty area but the referee opted to let the home side play on, much to the chagrin of the Chelsea coach and his staff.

Scolari replaced Florent Malouda during the interval with Juliano Belletti and he immediately sent a 20-yard drive high into the crowd.

Roma were forced to make a change on the hour when Aquilani suffered a hamstring injury and was replaced by Simone Perrotta.

Moments later Kalou brought an outstanding save from Doni with a firm header.

Chelsea were now beginning to get on top once more but the cutting edge remained noticeably absent.

Mikel sent a 25-yard drive well wide of the target as Chelsea struggled to find a way beyond the Roma rearguard.

A fine ball from Deco was squandered by Kalou when the Ivory Coast striker sent over a tame cross that was easily dealt with by Christian Panucci.

Roma were happy to settle for a point and with Totti offering a solo option in attack, the onus was on Chelsea to make the breakthrough.

That almost arrived in the 67th minute when a 20-yard shot from Mikel was deflected over the bar by Anelka.

Bosingwa continued to press down the right flank but when he provided a decent cross into the penalty area it was quickly dealt with by Roma's defence.

But the deadlock was finally broken by England captain Terry in the 77th minute when he slipped his marker and headed Lampard's corner into the net.

Lampard almost made it two in the 83rd minute but Doni reacted quickly to tip his free-kick over the bar.

' 

-- Edited by shamar at 22:29, 2008-10-22

David Beckham is expected to join Fabio Capello's former club AC Milan as part of his ongoing efforts to remain a fixture in the England squad. The former England captain is considering a short-term loan move to the Italian giants, starting in January. Milan have confirmed they are trying to sign Beckham from the Los Angeles Galaxy and head coach Carlo Ancelotti claims it would be "a pleasure" to have the 33-year-old at the San Siro. Although the deal is not complete, Milan are hopeful Beckham will sign, and the move would have clear benefits for both parties. Capello last week stressed Beckham has a key role to play for the foreseeable future with England, as he looks to add to his 107 caps. But he also confirmed the former Manchester United midfielder would not be selected to face Spain in February if he remained inactive during the MLS close season. Beckham is under contract with the LA Galaxy but their regular season finishes on Sunday. AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said on Wednesday at Milan's Malpensa airport: "We are speaking with his agent but we believe he will arrive for some months on a free loan. "We shall register him for some months and then he will leave. Beckham has chosen Milan. Our squad is ultra-competitive and it will remain this way, but Beckham is something different and intriguing." Ancelotti told acmilan.com: "For me it will be a pleasure, Beckham is a serious athlete, a great professional. "If he is available for four months with us, we will be very happy." Beckham would bring added strength to the Milan midfield, and provide Ancelotti with fresh options, although he already has the likes of Kaka, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo to select from. Former AC Milan and England striker Luther Blissett believes the move to Italy would do Beckham the world of good. "If he's really going to be part of this England revolution he's got to be playing regular, top-class football with top-class players," Blissett told Setanta Sports News. "I think he'd make a great addition to what they have. And for Beckham to be playing alongside the likes of Kaka and Seedorf in midfield would be great for him as much as it would be for Milan." Galliani had indicated at the weekend Beckham would be invited to train with Milan during the coming months, however, it now seems he could sign a short-term deal, possibly until March, allowing him to return to the United States for the start of the MLS campaign. Beckham had been linked with the Rossoneri before leaving Real Madrid for the United States in 2007 and Ancelotti has continued to monitor him. Capello, who had two spells as head coach of Milan and also played for the club, has been pleased with Beckham's contribution this year, although he has recently been a fringe member of the England squad. England have a busy start to 2009. They have a probable friendly against Spain lined up for February, plus a home friendly against Slovakia in March, and World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine in April, and Kazakhstan and Andorra in June. Beckham has moved to within one appearance of the 108-cap tally achieved by World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore, with only 125-times-capped Peter Shilton having played more matches for England.