Chanderpaul Taylor, Shiv maintain Top 10 rating
published: Tuesday | July 8, 2008

Taylor - Reuters

DUBAI,

United Arab Emirates (CMC):

Premier West Indies players Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jerome Taylor have re-tained Top 10 spots in the Interna-tional Cricket Council's One Day International (ODI) rankings.

In the latest ICC Reliance Mobile ODI Player Rankings released yesterday, Chanderpaul is listed at No.5 among the batsmen and Taylor is joint eighth on the bowlers' list.

South Africa's captain Graeme Smith retains the No.1 position in batting, stalked by India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who jumps two places up to No.2.

The Australians Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey are third and fourth, respectively, followed by Chanderpaul, with India's little master Sachin Tendulkar in sixth position.

Chris Gayle, at 17th, is the only other West Indian in the batting Top-20.

Australian pacer Nathan Bracken, on the back of a strong series in their side's 5-0 whipping of West Indies, takes over from New Zealand's Daniel Vettori in the No.1 bowling spot, with another New Zealander Shane Bond, at No.3.

Bracken was the joint leading wicket taker in the five-match series with eight scalps in five matches.

Taylor shares eighth with Australian Brett Lee, while Daren Powell at 11th is the only other West Indian among the bowling in the Top-20.

Top all-rounder

Chanderpaul - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Pakistan's Shoaib Malik remains the world's top all-rounder, ahead of New Zealand's Jacob Oram and Jacques Kallis, of South Africa, with West Indies captain Gayle at No.5.

The Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table sees Australia moving two rating points clear of their nearest rivals South Africa, following their 5-0 demolition job in the Caribbean.

West Indies are languishing in eighth position, six rating points behind England

Drogba joins Inter Milan 7/7/2008
http://www.thenationonlineng.com/dynamicpage.asp?id=55066

According to latest reports emanating from Italy, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has agreed to join Inter Milan this summer. This implies that he has now be reunited with his former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Inside sources from Italy suggest that the Ivory Coast international striker has agreed to join the Nerazzurri after losing faith in the Chelsea management.

Drogba was a huge favourite of Mourinho at Chelsea and hinted that he might leave when Mourinho was sacked by the club in September last season. It now appears that the highly rated former Marseille striker indeed has left the club.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta survived a confidence vote held Sunday that was brought against him by a supporter who was angered by the Spanish club's second straight season without any major title, according to an exit poll.

Less than half of all Barcelona supporters who cast ballots, 38.9 percent, voted to keep the 45-year-old at the helm of the club while 59.6 percent voted against him staying on, the poll prepared for TV3 and Catalunya Radio found.

To be successful, the vote against Laporta needed to have the support of over two-thirds of voters with a minimum turnout of 10 percent of the 118,528 club members entitled to take part.

Lawyer Oriol Giralt collected over 9,000 votes from fellow club members to force Barcelona to hold the vote after the Catalan side ended the season in third place, meaning it missed out on automatic qualification for the Champions League.

Under Laporta, who has headed Barcelona since 2003 and was re-elected in 2006, the club won back-to-back league titles and the Champions League but he has grown increasingly unpopular with supporters due to the recent drought in silverware.

Laporta responded to the club's third-place finish by replacing Frank Rijkaard as the club's manager with reserve team manager Josep Guardiola.

Guardiola quickly announced that he was not counting on the club's stars Deco, Ronaldinho and Eto'o for next season as he seeks to revive the team.

Back and forth they went in the Wimbledon final, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the two greatest tennis players of their generation producing one of the greatest matches of any generation on the sport's grandest stage.

For five sets, through rain, wind and descending darkness, the two men swapped spectacular shots, until, against a slate sky, Nadal earned the right to fling his racket aside and collapse on his back, champion of the All England Club at last.

Cannot explain the feeling

"Is (it) impossible to explain what I felt in that moment, no?" Nadal said after accepting the golden trophy that has belonged to Federer since 2003.

The No. 2-ranked Nadal ended No. 1 Federer's five-title run at the gra**court Grand Slam tournament by the slimmest of margins, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, yesterday.

Nadal is the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win Wimbledon and the French Open in the same season.

"Probably my hardest loss, by far," said Federer, who was trying to become the first man to claim six consecutive Wimble-don championships since the 1880s.

Stopped streak

Nadal stopped Federer's streaks of 40 victories in a row at Wimbledon and a record 65 in a row on gra**, thereby stamping his supremacy in their rivalry, no matter what the rankings say.

"Look, Rafa's a deserving champion," said Federer, who hadn't lost a set all tournament before yesterday. "He just played fantastically."

And that tremendous play lasted a record four hours, 48 minutes, longer than any of the classic Wimbledon men's finals it will be recalled alongside, including Borg's five-set victory over John McEnroe in 1980.

Nadal, the first Spanish man to triumph at the All England Club since Manolo Santana in 1966, managed to regroup after blowing a two-set lead, managed to recover after wasting two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker. He earned his fifth Grand Slam title, but first away from the French Open.

Nadal did it by showing fortitude on his serve, saving 12 of 13 break points. He did it by breaking serve four times - twice as many times as Federer lost serve in his previous six matches c****ined. And Nadal did it by being better from the baseline, winning 24 of 38 points that lasted 10 or more strokes, according to an unofficial AP tally.

"He was rock-solid, the way we know him," said Federer, who hit 25 aces. "He's definitely improved his game."

Finally broke through

Borg and Santana watched from the front row of the Royal Box at Centre Court, which next year, will have a retractable roof. Perhaps mother nature wanted one last chance to leave her mark, delaying yesterday's start by 35 minutes with rain.

Showers again caused a delay of one hour, 21 minutes late in the third set, then another of 30 minutes at 2-2, deuce, in the fifth set.

When action resumed at 8:23 p.m., it already was tough to see and the players traded service holds until 7-7. That's where Nadal finally broke through, as Federer's forehand really began to break down. A forehand into the net gave Nadal his fourth break point and a forehand long conceded the game - the first break of serve by either man since the second set.

Mind control

Nadal still had to serve out the match, though, and he still had to avoid the sort of nerves Federer noticed when his opponent led 5-2 in the fourth-set tiebreaker.

"I played terrible there," said Nadal, who double-faulted to 5-3.

It was their sixth Grand Slam final, already more than between any other pair of men in the 40-year Open era, and there could be several to follow. Federer is only 26, after all, and Nadal is 22. Federer has led the rankings for a record 231 consecutive weeks, and Nadal has been second for a record 154.

"I am very happy for me," Nadal said, "but sorry for him, because he deserved this title, too."

The Milan club has sent a fax to Chelsea asking to open negotiations for the midfielder, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported Monday.

Mourinho, who was recently hired to replace Roberto Mancini at Inter, previously coached Lampard for three seasons at Chelsea.

Inter is reportedly willing to pay a 10 million (US$15.7 million) transfer fee for Lampard, and has ready a four-year contract worth 7.5 million (US$11.75 million) per season.

The 30-year-old Lampard is known for his consistency with Chelsea, having played in 62 games for the London club last season. In December, 2005, a virus forced him to break a record streak of 164 consecutive games played in the Premier League.

However, England fans have been frustrated by Lampard's performances for the national team, where he struggles to make an impact alongside Liverpool's Steven Gerrard in midfield

Barcelona and AC Milan have been trying to lure the Togolese striker away from the Emirates Stadium following his stunning showing for the Gunners in the previous campaign.

Milan have been especially interested in the striker, and it has been reported the London-club have rejected a £25million offer from the Rossoneri.

Both Barca and Milan are eager to rebuild their squads after disappointing recent seasons and neither are expected to give up their pursuit of Adebayor.

However, Arsenal have responded to calls from Adebayor's agent Stephane Courbis to demonstrate their desire to keep the 24-year-old and are adamant they will not be selling.

"We want him (Adebayor) to stay," Hill-Wood said.

"Adebayor still has a long time left on his contract and we have absolutely no intention of releasing him from that contract."

Seventeen-year old Saric a former Herfolge man spent some time on trial with SC Heerenveen at the Otten Cup from the end of May to the start of June and has put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Anfield.

The young Denmark international is a versatile left-footed striker, and is able to play on both left and right wings or as a central striker.

Ballack was also eager to set the record straight about his failure once again to walk away with a trophy following the European Championship final, which ended in a painful 1-0 loss to Spain.

"My contract runs until 2009 and there is an option to extend it, so there's no need to rush," Ballack told the Bild newspaper. "We are capable of winning anything, including of course the Champions League next season - that was the reason I signed with Chelsea."

Ballack said his three losses in major title finals doesn't spoil his record as a winner. The 31-year-old midfielder has claimed eight national titles at various clubs.

"Naturally I'm missing the major title," Ballack said. "But who has a better record to show than me? Some have won just one title and live from it their whole lives, some never win anything."

His loss to Manchester United this season with Chelsea was the second time Ballack failed to win a Champions League final. In 2002, Bayer Leverkusen lost to Real Madrid 2-1 on Zinedine Zidane's goal.

Ballack feels unjustly blamed for Germany's 2-0 loss to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final, although he was suspended for the match. He points out his winners in the quarterfinals and semifinals of that World Cup, before a deliberate foul to prevent a goal triggered his suspension.

"A top performance is presented years later as something negative," Ballack said. "People have to understand that."

Ballack alluded to the fact that John Terry's penalty kick would have won this year's Champions League final against United during the shootout, but the English player slipped and his shot flew right of the post.

If it had gone in, Ballack would have his title.

"Sometimes things come together and you leave the pitch as a winner," he said. "Sometimes things happen like that Champions League final that you can't influence anymore. But that's what football is about."

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has had 'successful' surgery on his ankle in Amsterdam, the club confirmed in a statement on Monday.

'Initial indications are that the procedure was successful,' United said after the Portuguese star went under the knife in an op which could see the 23-year-old miss the start of the new season.

'Cristiano will begin his convalescence under the direction of club medical staff and an estimation of his return to full fitness will be possible following review by the specialist in one month,' United said in their statement.

Earlier, Johan Kortenray, press spokesman at the Amsterdam hospital where the striker is being treated, indicated that Ronaldo would likely be allowed to go home on Tuesday.

The operation, carried out by renowned Dutch orthopaedic surgeon Niek van Dijk, was arranged after the view of a specialist backed up that of medical staff from both Manchester United and the Portuguese Football Association that it was required.

Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola earlier indicated that two fragments of cartilage have floated free, causing recurrent inflammation.

Ronaldo, a target for Real Madrid - though the Spanish club say they expect him to stay at Old Trafford at least for next season - revealed following Portugal's Euro 2008 exit that he had been suffering from the injury for some time.

Spanish club Barcelona refused to increase their initial 15-million-euro bid for Russian international forward Andrei Arshavin, Saint Petersburg side Zenit official site announced Monday.

'Spanish football club Barcelona refused to improve their original 15-million-euro offer for our striker Arshavin,' Zenit general director Maxim Mitrofanov said.

He added that Zenit received no other offers to sign the striker from any other clubs.

'We are not holding any talks with any other clubs concerning the transfer of our forward Arshavin,' Mitrofanov said.

His comments came amid rumours that Arshavin is set to fly to London soon to undergo a medical before signing for either Arsenal or Chelsea of the English Premiership.

Earlier Russian reigning champions Zenit said that Arshavin only wanted to play for Barcelona.

'Arshavin wants to move to Barcelona - he doesn't want to play anywhere else,' a spokesman for Zenit St Petersburg told BBC Sport.

'Barcelona have made an offer but we are still negotiating with them. I don't know when a decision will be made but I think Arshavin will leave the club,' the Zenit spokesman said amid reports that the Russian outfit have put a 39 million dollars fee on his head.

The 27-year-old played a starring role for his country at Euro 2008, helping them reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Spain.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is ready to begin transfer talks with Manchester United over Cristiano Ronaldo, but is not confident about signing the winger even if Manchester United consents. While Ronaldo has stoked up the possibility of moving to the Spanish champion, no transfer request has been submitted and United has vowed to retain the player who scored 42 goals last season. Time for offer "Theoretically there is still time as there are two months before the end of August if Manchester United gets in touch with Real Madrid and makes an offer," Calderon told reporters yesterday before watching Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. "But we don't know if it would be feasible once a sale is proposed." Calderon is ready to begin transfer talks if United consents, but he is prepared for Ronaldo remaining with the defending English and European champion. "It depends on what Man-chester wants. Once Manchester decides whom it wants to sell and communicates with us in a concrete manner and makes a petition, we will be able to say we have been in talks of a transfer," Calderon said. "But at this point in time that is not happening and, as a result, it is a situation likely to end as it is now, that is in nothing and Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to play at Manchester next year. "At this moment it is the most probable outcome." Calderon risked yesterday enraging United by repeating to reporters the comments that sparked last month's complaint to FIFA about Madrid's conduct. "(Ronaldo) has said - although he hasn't talked any more about this - that he would like, that it was a dream, that he would be delighted to come and play for Real Madrid," Calderon said. "But it's the player's opinion, or the player's desire, but it cannot go forward without the agreement of Manchester." Miss start of season Ronaldo is likely to miss the start of the season with his right ankle set to undergo surgery next week. United's owning Glazer family is determined not to let Ronaldo leave with just under four years remaining on his Old Trafford contract. "Their position is to not sell ... we can't do anything," Calderon said. It is likely that Zinedine Zidane's world record US$65 million (now euro41.6 million) move to Madrid from Juventus in 2001 would have to be beaten if Ronaldo moved to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. "We have not got to the point of talking amounts because Manchester has not given us an opportunity to talk about money," Calderon said.

West Indies fast-bowling legend, Michael Holding, has resigned from the Cricket Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) because he disagrees with the world governing body's decision to change the result of the 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan.

Under a cloud of ball tampering controversy, the Test match was originally awarded to England after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day.

Pakistan were originally deemed to have forfeited the game after refusing to continue following an allegation of ball tampering from the umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove.

The Pakistanis were later cleared of the ball-tampering offence and on Thursday the outcome of the match changed to a draw.

"I have just written my letter of resignation to the ICC cricket committee because I cannot agree with what they've done," Holding said while commentating for Sky Sports during a domestic match in England.

Pakistan's refusal

Holding felt that Pakistan's refusal to play should not go unpunished even though they were not guilty of ball-tampering.

"That game should never, ever be a draw. When you take certain actions, you must be quite happy to suffer the consequences.

"A lot of things are happening today that I don't want to be involved with, so I've moved on," added the 54-year-old Jamaican.

World champion sprinter Tyson Gay has a mild strain in a muscle in the back of his leg and he has been told to restrict himself to light physical activity for the next two weeks.

Gay pulled up abruptly in the first 40 metres of his 200-metre qualifying race Saturday at US Olympic athletics trials. He had to be carted off the track. He was diagnosed with a severe cramp in his hamstring and an MRI that afternoon revealed the strain.

Engage in 'active rest'

A statement from his representatives said yesterday he is "expected to engage in 'active rest' for up to 12-14 days, with light physical activity increasing through that period, then resume training."

The only meet he is signed up for before the Olympics is the 100 metres at the London Grand Prix on July 24-25.

Gay, the defending world champion in the 100 and 200, already had qualified for the Olympic 100 metres. That competition begins August 15 in Beijing. If he can run, he also would be expected to be part of the 400-metre relay team.

But his chances for a medal in the 200 is gone because of the injury. USA Track and Field rules state that only the top three finishers in an event qualify for the Olympics, regardless of a runner's past record or any injuries.

Deflated West Indies, stunned by an amazing run-spree from Australia, succumbed to a 5-0 series whitewash after going under to the tourists by 169 runs in the final Digicel one-day international at Warner Park yesterday.

After Australia pummelled a hapless attack for 341 for eight in 50 overs, West Indies never mounted a challenge and were dismissed for 172 in 39.5 overs.

It was only the third time in history that West Indies suffered a clean sweep in an ODI series in the Caribbean.

Devastating half-centuries

Australia, batting first after winning the toss, owed their imposing total to devastating half-centuries from Luke Ronchi and David Hussey, along with more measured 50s by Andrew Symonds and Mike Hussey.

When West Indies batted, they were undermined mainly by left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who removed captain Chris Gayle and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan on the way to grabbing five for 29 off 7.5 overs.

The only resistance came from inexperienced Shawn Findlay with an unbeaten 59 and the consistent Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made 38 before falling to a catch at long off.

Australia's victory was set up by the fireworks of Ronchi, whose 64 came off 28 balls to provide the impetus in the first half of the innings, and by David Hussey's 52 off 21 balls which gave the final flurry at the end.

Great partnership

Symonds followed up his 82 in the fourth match with 66 off 80 balls and Mike Hussey weighed in with 51 off 56 balls, as the pair featured in a fifth-wicket partnership of 113 in 130 balls.

Ronchi, sent at No.3, smashed six sixes and five fours to stun West Indies, but rookie left-arm spinner Nikita Miller sent down a tight spell to contain Australia's scoring over the second half of the innings before an assault at the end by David Hussey helped produce 106 from the last 10 overs.

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who was lifted over long on for two sixes by Ronchi in the 18th over, suffered the embarra**ment of conceding 86 runs from nine overs despite grabbing three wickets.

It was the most runs conceded by a West Indian in a one-day international - the previous highest being Corey Collymore going for 83 from 10 overs against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2004.

With Ronchi in full flight when he hoisted captain Chris Gayle for three sixes down the ground, Australia seemed headed for a massive total when they reached 150 for two in 21 overs.

Miller stemmed the flow by removing Ronchi with his first ball as the batsman was caught on the third attempt by wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin when he attempted to run the ball to third man.

The left-arm spinner proceeded to bowl tidily in 10 consecutive overs that cost 38 runs.

Before Ronchi entered, Australia were given an opening stand of 70 in 12.5 overs between Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson.

Watson made 29 before falling to a catch at third man off medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo, while the left-handed Marsh fell for 49 off 57 balls when he was caught by Ramdin off Edwards.

Gaining wickets

It was the first of four catches for Ramdin, who also caught captain Michael Clarke when he attempted to cut the first ball from Ramnaresh Sarwan, two runs after the dismissal of Ronchi.

West Indies were off to a bad start, losing Gayle to a catch at the wicket off Johnson in the second over and when Sarwan gave a catch to mid-off in the sixth over, West Indies were in further trouble.

Findlay, who faced 74 balls and struck five fours and a six, added 36 with Chanderpaul and 37 with Bravo, but West Indies were never in the hunt for the target.

Spinners Symonds and Clarke also shared four wickets to add to West Indies'

Ronaldinho is expected to leave Barcelona this summer after new coach Pep Guardiola informed the midfielder his services were no longer required at the Bernabeu.

City have been chasing the talented playmaker all summer and have already made the player an offer, but Ronaldinho's agent and brother claims a move to Milan is "90 percent likely".

Talks are ongoing, but Galliani concedes the 28-year-old's salary is an issue after Ronaldinho turned down a lucrative transfer to City.

"As for Ronaldinho, he's not in Guardiola's plans, so he has a different price," Galliani said.

"But the problem is the salary - to pay him his salary it would mean his arrival would not cost much. A loan? It depends on Barcelona.

"Ronaldinho rejected Man City's offer, who were ready to give him double what we had offered."

VENUS WILLIAMS beat sister Serena 7-5, 6-4 yesterday for her fifth Wimbledon title and seventh Grand Slam championship.

This was Venus' first victory over her younger sibling in a Grand Slam final since the 2001 US Open, and it evened their career record at 8-8.

"I can't believe that it's five," Venus said. "But when you're in the final against Serena Williams, five seems too far away. She played so awesome, it was really a task to beat her," she said.

Venus came from 3-1 down in the first set to turn around the match, breaking Serena four times while dropping serve twice in a final that produced breathtaking tennis despite swirling wind.

This was more than a matchup between siblings; it was a contest between two of the hardest-hitting, most athletic players in the world at the top of their game.

Venus broke to finish the match, with Serena hitting a backhand wide on the second match point. The sisters embraced at the net, and Venus kept her celebrations in check as she twirled and waved to the Centre Court crowd.

Venus accepted the winner's trophy - a sterling silver salver aptly named the Venus Rosewater dish - from the Duke of Kent.

"It's so rewarding to perform here," Venus said. "Every time I come back I know I have the chance to play well and make history. My first job is big sister and I take that very seriously."

Watching from the players' box was the sisters' mother, Oracene. Their father, Richard, had flown back to the United States because he can't stand to watch his daughters play each other.

mixed feelings

Referring to the mixed feelings of her family about who to support, Venus said, "It's hard for all of them, but I like to think they want me to win."

The 26-year-old Serena accepted her runner-up trophy and paid tribute to her 28-year-old sister.

"I'm so happy that at least one of us was able to win," Serena said. "She's played great this year. We're just glad to be in the finals again."

On Sunday, five-time champion Roger Federer and two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal will meet in their third consecutive final at Wimbledon.

Federer, chasing his 13th Grand Slam title, has won 65 consecutive matches on gra** and 40 straight at the All England Club. He will be trying to surpass Bjorn Borg by winning a sixth straight Wimbledon title. The only man to win six in a row was Willie Renshaw in the 1880s, and he had to win only one match to defend his titles.

Nadal could become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

Both Williams sisters struggled with the swirling wind around Centre Court, with Venus repeatedly stopping to catch her service toss, and rallies were often affected by sudden gusts.

"It was not so easy," Serena said. "Every time I tried to hit a shot, the wind would blow it."

Today, five-time champion Roger Federer and two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal will meet in their third consecutive men's final at Wimbledon.

Ranking	Team	Pts Jun 08	+/- Ranking May 08		+/- Pts May 08
1	Argentina	1559	0		39
2	Brazil	1513	0		-5
3	Italy	1424	0		28
4	Spain	1303	0		-20
5	Germany	1274	0		10
6	Czech Republic	1246	0		2
7	France	1143	0		-62
8	Greece	1133	0		-63
9	England	1123	2		25
10	Netherlands	1111	0		-12
11	Portugal	1094	-2		-37
12	Romania	1069	0		-13
13	Cameroon	1041	3		36
14	Mexico	1020	3		32
15	Croatia	1017	-2		-27
16	Ghana	986	-2		-24
17	Scotland	978	-2		-29
18	Bulgaria	949	0		1
19	Col****ia	904	0		-5
20	Turkey	877	5		21
21	USA	874	0		-15
22	Israel	872	-2		-33
23	Egypt	848	7		26
24	Russia	846	1		-10
25	Côte d'Ivoire	838	-3		-32
26	Uruguay	817	2		-23
27	Norway	814	2		-22
28	Paraguay	805	-4		-52
28	Poland	805	-1		-43
30	Sweden	799	-7		-63
31	Ukraine	791	1		17
32	Northern Ireland	752	2		48
33	Denmark	750	0		-11
34	Nigeria	709	5		49
35	Australia	708	8		74
36	Finland	697	-2		-7
37	Honduras	696	-1		5
38	Japan	695	-1		11
39	Serbia	694	-8		-119
40	Morocco	690	5		60
41	Guinea	679	-1		23
42	Republic of Ireland	674	-1		33
43	Senegal	667	3		40
44	Switzerland	644	4		27
45	Korea Republic	632	5		20
46	Mali	630	-2		-2
47	Chile	623	-6		-18
48	Iran	603	3		4
49	Belgium	600	-3		-27
50	Tunisia	594	3		7

87

Trinidad and Tobago

365

1

0

98

Jamaica

326

7

13

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon is now expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United next season.

The Spanish champions have spent the summer courting Ronaldo, who has previously admitted it is his 'dream' to play for Real.

Ronaldo has yet to announce his future and is due to undergo an ankle operation, which could sideline him for at least six weeks.

United are determined to fend off Real's interest in the Portuguese winger and even took the matter up with Fifa earlier in the summer.

Calderon has regularly stated his wish to sign Ronaldo, but has acknowledged United's stance that the 23-year-old is not for sale.

Still time

The Real supremo now appears to be resigned to missing out on a deal for the former Sporting Lisbon starlet this summer.

"Ronaldo has said he would like to play here, that it is a dream, that he would be excited to come to Real Madrid, but it is a desire of the player which can not be carried out without Manchester's agreement," Calderon told Marca.

"Manchester has to want it. Once they decide to sell him and communicate this, we can say we are talking about a possible transfer. But as of today that is not happening.

"Theoretically we still have time, there are still two months left until the end of August if Manchester gets in touch with Real Madrid and makes an offer."

Calderon added that the most probable outcome 'as of today' is that 'Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to play for Manchester United next year'.

Chelsea have denied lodging a bid with Milan for Kaka, according to Sky Sports News.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani claimed on Sunday that the Serie A club had received 'a really big offer' from the Blues.

The Rossoneri have repeatedly stated the Brazilian playmaker is not for sale, while Kaka has voiced his intention to stay at Giuseppe Meazza.

It now appears that Chelsea are not interested in signing Kaka, even though they have been linked with a big-money move for some time.

The speculation has increased since the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager at Stamford Bridge.

Training

The former Brazil and Portugal boss officially took up his post at the start of the month and on Sunday he visited the club's Cobham training ground for the first time.

The players will return for pre-season on Monday and Scolari is relishing the challenge in front of him.

He told the club'sofficial website: "It is fantastic to finally be here. The training ground is world class and I am very impressed by everything I have seen and heard from the staff.

"I am looking forward to welcoming the players back from their summer holidays tomorrow so we can start working together."

TYSON GAY tumbled to the ground at the start of his 200-metre quarter-final heat at the United States Olympic athletics trials yesterday and had to be carted off the track. Running in the seventh lane, Gay was speeding to the lead in the first turn, but on his 14th stride, something went wrong. He went airborne, fell, then laid on the ground in pain, grabbing his left thigh and grimacing. Gay already had qualified for the Olympics in the 100m, but his availability for the Games now will be determined by the severity of his injury. Though he's the defending world champion in the 200, trials rules call for the top three finishers to make the Olympic team - no exceptions. This was a stunning setback for the 25-year-old sprinter, who last week set the American record in the 100 at 9.77 seconds. In the final, he ran it in 9.68, the fastest time recorded, but not a world record because the tailwind was too strong.

By Andrew Benson
BBC Sport at Silverstone



Lewis Hamilton answered his critics and got his title campaign back on track with a superb British Grand Prix win.

The McLaren driver mastered tricky conditions, and his team made the right tactical calls, as all his main title rivals had a day to forget.

Hamilton is now tied on points at the top of the championship with Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, who finished fourth and 13th.

Nick Heidfeld took second for BMW ahead of Rubens Barrichello's Honda.

Hamilton's victory was possibly the best race of his short career, and it was a much-needed fillip after he had failed to score points in the previous two races.

The Englishman had been under pressure heading to Silverstone, and looked to be feeling it when he made mistakes on his qualifying laps to end up only fourth on the grid.

"It is definitely by far the best victory I've ever had," Hamilton said.

"It was one of the toughest races I've ever done. This would definitely go down as the best race I've ever won - not only because it was history and it was home ground but because I drove one of the best races I ever did.

"I want to dedicate this one to my family because as you can see I've had some troubles over the last couple of weeks and it's been really tough. But as always your family are there when you need them."

The rain gave him a chance to showcase his superlative natural talent, and he grabbed it with both hands.

Hamilton made a superb start from his fourth place on the grid and took the lead from team-mate Heikki Kovalainen on lap five.

He quickly pulled out an advantage, but was soon back under pressure from Raikkonen, who passed Kovalainen when the McLaren spun on lap 10 and began to eat into Hamilton's lead.

The decisive moment of the race came on lap 21, when Hamilton and Raikkonen came in for their first fuel and tyre stops.
McLaren changed Hamilton's intermediate wet-weather tyres for fresh ones, while Ferrari - gambling it would stay dry - left Raikkonen's used set on.

Within a lap, though, it had started to rain again, and Raikkonen suddenly started struggling with a catastrophic lack of grip.

Hamilton, knowing he could effectively win the race there and then, piled on the pressure, and by lap 26 was 21.8 seconds ahead of Raikkonen, who then lost his second place to Kovalainen.

Already, it was clear that Hamilton pretty much had the race under control.

The weather remained difficult to predict, though, and McLaren had another tough call to make when Hamilton came in for his second pit stop on lap 38, with the rain beginning to come down much harder.

They fitted Hamilton with a new set of intermediates - even though conditions were bad enough for Honda to call both its drivers in and fit them with "extreme" wets in what would turn out to be a successful attempt to conjure an unexpected good result.

The conditions were treacherous - a number of drivers spun off at this stage of the race, including Jenson Button's Honda - but Hamilton continued on his serene way, by now almost a minute ahead of Heidfeld.

"It was so extreme out there, probably as extreme in some cases as Fuji last year," Hamilton said.
Hamilton was out on his own for much of the race

"Obviously there wasn't as much rain. I was having big problems with my visor, I couldn't see a thing, especially the right side. I was having to lift my visor up and clean it every lap, especially when it was starting to rain."

STUNG BY a narrow one-run defeat, the West Indies will have to quickly overcome that massive disappointment to focus on avoiding a series whitewash in the fifth Digicel one-day international against Australia at Warner Park today.

With Australia completing a fourth consecutive victory on Friday, the West Indies will try to restore lost pride by coming away with a win in the final match of the international home season and coach John Dyson made it clear they still had something to play for.

"We still have one match to play. It will be great to win one match in the series," Dyson said. "Michael (Clarke) and Ricky (Ponting) said from the start, they want to win 5-0. We don't want to lose 5-0.

"We will look at our performance. We will look at the good things we did. We will possibly talk about a couple of things we need to work on further and take it from there," he said.

choked

Chasing 283 in 50 overs, the West Indies choked under the pressure and could not complete victory after reaching 270 for four from 47 overs. The hosts finished on 281 for six.

After losing four matches on the trot, not many observers will credit the West Indies with a win in the final match, but Dyson feels it is still a meaningful affair.

"From our point of view, we are still playing to say that we are not going to get beaten 5-0. We don-t want to be beaten 5-0," the coach said.

After making changes throughout the series, the West Indies might contemplate the idea of bringing in teenage fast bowler Kemar Roach for his ODI debut.

Australia have made very few changes in the series and are likely to field the same team that played on Friday, which was captained by Clarke in the absence of injured captain Ponting.

Fast bowler Stuart Clark is the only player in the squad not to have played in the series and could feature in the line-up.

clarke confident

Stand-in skipper Clarke is confident that his side will complete a clean sweep of the series in which their other margins of victories were 84 runs, 63 runs and seven wickets.

A series whitewash will be a tremendous achievement for a team that is going through a transitional period following the retirement of a few outstanding players.

"When we get it (clean sweep), that will mean a lot. That was our goal when we arrived here as a one-day squad. We wanted to win every game we played on this tour," Clarke said.

"It is about showing the new guys that we have won the series, but the tournament is not over for us. We want to win every game. We will be out there giving our best and will like to go home 5-0 winners."

Despite the West Indies' defeat on Friday that upset many supporters among an almost packed ground, another bumper crowd is expected for today's match.

Manchester United look set to be without Cristiano Ronaldo for the start of the new Premier League campaign, but the club insist it will not be because he is being sold to Real Madrid.

The Portuguese winger is set to undergo ankle surgery next week, which will keep him sidelined for up to six weeks.

The United superstar visited a specialist in the week and, with the backing of the Old Trafford medical team and the Portuguese Football Federation, will go under the knife sometime next week.

The news came on the day the Red Devils rubbished fresh reports from Spain that the 23-year-old will sign for Real, the latest claiming he will move within a matter of days.

But a club spokesman said: "It is utter nonsense and totally laughable. Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale

Kingston, Jamaica - World 100m record holder Usain Bolt, former record holder Asafa Powell, Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, and national 100m champion Kerron Stewart head Jamaica's team for this summer's Beijing Olympic Games.

Bolt, who ran 9.72* on 30 May in New York, Asafa Powell whose World record of 9.74 it improved, and Campbell-Brown, who ran 22.05 to win the 2004 Olympic 200m title in Athens, are Jamaica's leading medal contenders in Beijing.

However, Campbell-Brown lost out on a place in the 100m dash. At the Jamaican Trials last weekend Kerron Stewart won the womens 100m, a race in which four runners went sub-10.90. Campbell-Browns misfortune was that despite running a marvellous 10.88 she finished fourth, and therefore loses out on a spot at 100m the distance at which she is the reigning World champion.

*World record subject to usual ratification procedures

Beijing squad 

Women
Kerron Stewart (100m, 200m, 4×100m), Shelly-Ann Fraser (100m, 4×100m), Sherone Simpson (100m, 200m, 4×100m), Veronica Campbell-Brown (200m, 4×100m), Sherri-Ann Brooks (4×100m), Aleen Bailey (4×100m), Simone Facey (4×100m), Nickiesha Anderson (4×100m), Rosemarie White (400m, 4×400m), Novlene Williams-Mills (400m, 4×100m), Shericka Williams (400m, 4×400m), Shareefa Lloyd (4×400m), Bobby-Gaye Wilkins (4×400m), Anastasia Le-Roy (4×400m), Kenia Sinclair (800m), Madrea Hyman (3000m steeplechase), Korine Hinds (3000m steeplechase), Chelsea Hammond (long jump), Brigitte Foster-Hylton (100mH), Delloren Ennis-London (100mH), Vonette Dixon (100mH), Andrea Bliss (100mH alternate), Melaine Walker (400mH), Nickiesha Wilson (400mH), Shevon Stoddart (400mH), Trecia Smith (triple jump) and Olivia McKoy (javelin).

Men
Usain Bolt (100m, 200m, 4×100m), Asafa Powell (100m, 4×100m), Michael Frater (100m, 4×100m), Marvin Anderson (200m, 4×100m), Dwight Thomas (4×100m), Julien Dunkley (4×100m), Andre Wellington (4×100m), Christopher Williams (200m), Nesta Carter (200m alternate, 4×100m), Michael Blackwood (400m, 4×400m), Ricardo Chambers (400m, 4×400m), Sanjay Ayre (400m, 4×400m), Allodin Fothergill (4×400m), Marvin Essor (4×400m), Lansford Spence (4×400m), Maurice Wignall (110mH), Richard Phillips (110mH), Danny McFarlane (400mH), Markino Buckley (400mH), Adrian Findlay (400mH alternate), Isa Phiilips (400mH, Herbert McGregor (triple jump, Dorian Scott (shot put), Aldwyne Sappleton (800m), Maurice Smith (decathlon).

Terry headed in David Beckham's free kick with a powerful eight-meter (yard) header inside the near post in the 38th minute at Wembley - a week after the Chelsea captain cried after missing what would have been a Champions League title-winning shootout penalty against Manchester United.

Gerrard made it 2-0 from Gareth Barry's well timed pass in the 59th but the game was watched by only 71,233 fans, the smallest England crowd since the stadium was rebuilt and reopened a year ago.

Capello was hired in January after England failed to qualify for next month's European Championship and his record is now two wins and one loss to France in March. United States coach Bob Bradley, whose team also faces Spain and Argentina in two more friendlies, is using these games as tough warmups for 2010 World Cup qualifying games against Barbados next month.

In a hugely experienced starting lineup, Capello fielded four of the United side that won the Champions League against Chelsea and two of the Blues lineup that lost.

Beckham was presented with a gold cap by another former Manchester United great Bobby Charlton before the game to celebrate his 100th appearance against France on March 26. But Landon Donovan, his Galaxy teammate currently on 99 for the U.S., must wait until next week's game against Spain for his century after he didn't even make the bench.

The England fans in the crowd thought they were cheering a goal in the 11th minute.

After Ricardo Clark had sent Gerrard sprawling with a trip, Beckham swung in a cross to the Liverpool midfielder who tapped the ball home. But Greek referee Kyros Vassaras had already blown to stop the free kick being taken.

Beckham finally made one of his crosses count in the 38th after Clark had fouled Wes Brown. The Los Angeles Galaxy star picked out Terry in a crowded area and he guided his powerful header inside the post.

Eddie Johnson, one of four American starters who play in English soccer, almost leveled in the opening minute of the second half. The Fulham striker met a leftwing cross from Heath Pearce with a first time left foot shot which flashed low past the near post.

Jermaine Defoe should have made it 2-0 in the 52nd when he met a long range free kick and turned Pearce only to shoot straight at substitute goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who replaced Tim Howard at halftime.

But it was 2-0 in the 59th when Defoe found Barry who slipped the ball through the center of the American defense. Gerrard timed his run perfectly to run clear of Oguchi Onyewu to side the ball past the exposed goalkeeper.

---

At Wembley, England

United States 0 0-0

England 1 1-2

First half-1, England, Terry (Beckham), 38th minute.

Second half-2, England, Gerrard (Barry), 59th minute.

Yellow Cards-Cherundolo, US, 44th; Pearce, US, 71st; Rooney, Eng, 76th. Red Cards-None.

Referee-Kyros Vassaras, Greece. Linesmen-Dimitrios Bozaizides, Greece; Dimitrios Saraidaris, Greece.

A-71,233.

Lineups

England-David James; Wes Brown (Glen Johnson, 58th), Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole (Wayne Bridge, 83rd); David Beckham (David Bentley, 46th), Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard (Gareth Barry, 57th), Steven Gerrard; Jermaine Defoe (Peter Crouch, 68th), Wayne Rooney (Joe Cole, 79th)

United States-Tim Howard (Brad Guzan, 46th); Steve Cherundolo (Frankie Hejduk, 46th), Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Heath Pearce; Ricardo Clark (Maurice Edu, 78th), Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley (Eddie Lewis, 68th), Clint Dempsey; Josh Wolff (Freddy Adu, 68th), Eddie Johnson (Nate Jaqua, 89th)

Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz turned in a spirited but somewhat patchy performance to defeat the St. Vincent and the Grenadines 5-1 in their friendly international at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday night. Marlon King, (in the 26th and 42nd minutes), led the way for the Rene Simoes coached squad as the hard running Demar Phillips, of Stoke City in England, got his name on the score sheet as well, with a beautiful finish earlier in the 17th minute of play to open the scoring and send the spectators in a frenzy. Later on in the second half St. Vincent began attacking more aggressively but the Reggae Boyz played well to shut them down, by using the one-two passing and utilizing the flanks to get the better of their Caribbean neighbours. The man who led Jamaica's campaign in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in France, Deon Burton, found the back of the net in minute 74 and Captain Ricardo Gardner finished the job with another goal 13 minutes from time. Marlon James had the consollation goal for the Grenadines in the 56th minute. Playing in front of about 10,000 spectators all clad in their gold and green, ace striker Marlon King got Jamaica on the score sheet in the 26th minute as the half ended 3-nil Jamaica's next assignment is against Trinidad and Tobago at the Marvin Lee Stadium on Saturday, in a return friendly.

When a Grand Slam loses both its Williamses in a single day before the first Saturday of the French Open even dawns, well, you know you've just lived through one freaky Friday.

You know because you've seen Serena Williams at high noon in the high-tension portion of the second set, ready to smash an overhead so hard the ball might disintegrate, only to smash it into the net.

You've seen mother and coach Oracene Price in the hallway outside the interview room and heard her say of Serena's 6-4, 6-4 loss to Katarina Srebotnik, "I'm trying to figure it out. I'm really trying to figure this one out."

You know because after about nine more hours, in swelling darkness that felt like farce and made you wonder if some tournament honcho had dozed off, you've seen Venus Williams slugging it out with Italy's 30th-ranked Flavia Pennetta, Pennetta repeatedly hitting lines, even though it's possible the lines- people can't really see.

And you've seen Williams, after losing to Pennetta 7-5, 6-3, wave to a sparse crowd at 9:48 p.m. and saying she felt sad about Serena, "Yeah, just wasn't a good day for our family today, but we always learn and get more determined after our loss."

And then, you know because you've seen a French Open robbed of some flair, bound for a first-time Roland Garros winner and left to the Russians and Serbians still here: Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

In fact, it's only the second Williams-Williams one-day double-loss in history, and the first since the French Open on June 1, 2004. On that quarterfinal day, when Venus Williams lost to Anastasia Myskina and Serena Williams to Jennifer Capriati, it curtailed a phase of Williams-Williams dominance that had grabbed the sport by the scruff.

This time, it might not have much significance other than to say it all looked bizarre.

The sisters will play Wimbledon and play on, and probably never need to figure out how Serena lost to Srebotnik.

Serena Williams had reached the fourth round in 24 of 26 Slams this decade; Srebotnik had reached it once in 34. Williams had touted her clay-court preparation as her best since her title year of 2002. Three-time-champion Justine Henin had retired. Opportunity radiated.

Yet Williams looked edgy on a pivotal backhand volley, on that overhead plus another, on some hopeless howlers of drop shots.

"She should just look at the ball, for one thing," her mother said gently. "That overhead, she never saw it." Missed volleys that rendered Srebotnik clever for urging Williams to the net? "Never saw 'em," Price said.

"I felt like I had to press to kind of stay in it, I guess," Serena Williams said, a blueprint for horror on clay, odd for a No. 5 player in the world. The exhilarated Srebotnik at 27, ranked No. 24, had found the biggest win of her life and credited tactical lessons learned from a three-set loss to Williams in April.

Williams, told she seemed puzzled, said, "I'm not puzzled at all. I just don't want to be here," meaning the news conference. Asked why she went one for eight on break points while Srebotnik went three for four, Williams offered, "I don't know. Thank you." Reminded of Srebotnik's play, she said, "She was making shots that I don't think she made before or she would be in the top two."

It's no wonder Price said, "I'm not going to even mention it, no. I'm not saying anything, just staying away. You never know what's in their heads."

But on freaky Friday, Price had another turn in the stands, this time with her arms folded in evening chill when Venus Williams and Pennetta took the stadium court at the zany hour of 8:20 p.m., with most of the crowd gone to order wine in cafes. Still, Williams never complained, even as No. 3 Jankovic's match was suspended minutes earlier because of darkness.

Through the two sets, Williams had lost serve six times, once on two closing double faults, but also played credibly. She just couldn't much visit her stated new interest, the net, engaging in long baseline rallies as Pennetta hit ground strokes so deep even Martina Navratilova herself would've had trouble charging. "I just didn't get in as much as I wanted to, and obviously if I got in more maybe it would have helped then," Williams said. "We'll never know."

We do know there are reminders not to overplay the Williamses' setbacks. Serena won the 2007 Australian Open from a ranking of No. 81, Venus the 2005 and 2007 Wimbledon titles from seedings Nos. 14 and 23. Both clearly love being doubted.

As Price said of Serena, "She's really hurting about this one so she may come back swinging. Usually when she's hurting, nothing can stop her. So maybe this is a good thing."

And as Venus said of herself, "Because usually I'm extremely upset about the result" at the French, "then I work even harder. . . . So I'll be working very hard at home and getting ready for Wimbledon."

OGGED by the demands of anxious fans, who are yet to taste victory in two games since his return as technical director, Brazilian Rene Simoes and the Reggae Boyz are gunning for an impressive victory when they face St. Vincent and the Grenadines in a friendly international at the National Stadium this evening, starting at 7 p.m.

Simoes, who led Jamaica to their historic qualification for the 1998 World Cup, has summoned what he believes is his strongest squad to face St. Vincent, 12 days before the Reggae Boyz open their South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign against Caribbean minnows The Bahamas at the stadium.

Jamaica are set to face the Bahamas in return action three days later, June 18, at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

As is customary, the Brazilian has kept his match-day squad close to his chest, leaving pundits to guess whether any of the four new players in a 29-man squad, which includes 21 overseas-based players, will make the final cut for this evening's game.

Boston Celtics -98  Los Angles Lakers -88
Game 2 will play in Boston on Sunday at 9:00pm & 8:00pm est

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The 21-year-old defender returns to the Camp Nou stadium four years after moving to Man United. He agreed to a four-year contract, with Spanish media reporting the transfer was 5 million (US$8 million).

"It's a dream to return to Barcelona. When I left I thought it would be very complicated to return and now the dream has come true," Pique said.

Pique came up through the ranks of Barcelona's youth system - alongside players such as current striker Bojan Krkic and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas - before Man United signed him in 2004.

The Spain under-21 player made the Red Devils' first team this season after spending the last one on-loan at Spanish club Zaragoza.

Playing time was hard to come by for Pique, who scored two goals in 23 games with United.

"Although Pique enjoyed his most prominent Old Trafford season during 2007-08, the long-standing central defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic meant his route to regular first-team action was blocked," United said.

Pique was a part of Man United's Premier League and Champions League winning teams this season.

"They are experiences I hope to repeat in the jersey of Barcelona," Pique said.

Pique is new coach Pep Guardiola's second offseason signing in two days.

On Monday, Barcelona paid Sevilla 14 million (US$22.1 million) for Seydou Keita, with the Mali midfielder agreeing to a four-year deal.

Barcelona is also interested in signing Uruguay under-21 defender Martin Caceres.

"We had received an offer from Barcelona, but it wasn't to Villarreal's complete liking and we have told Barcelona so," Villarreal president Fernando Roig told Efe on Tuesday. "If we cannot reach a deal, the player is Villarreal's."

The 21-year-old Caceres has also attracted attention from Spanish champion Real Madrid after his first season in Spain, spent on-loan at Recreativo Huelva.

Guardiola moved from reserve-team coach to replace Frank Rijkaard after Barcelona's second straight season without a trophy.

Barcelona's third-place finish was its worst in five years and it was knocked out in the Champions League semifinals by eventual winner Manchester United, though Pique did not feature in the two-legged series.

Defensive midfielder Edmilson left for Villarreal on Friday to begin what is expected to be an exodus of players, likely to include Ronaldinho, Deco and Samuel Eto'o, all of whom were key players when Barcelona won the 2006 Champions League.

AC Milan has expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, Eto'o and fullback Gianluca Zambrotta.

Usain Bolt (left) of Jamaica and American Tyson Gay at a press conference in New York yesterday. Both will clash in the 100m at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York tomorrow. - ap

One of the biggest sprint clashes of the current track and field season will take place tomorrow in New York.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt, the world leader, will match strides with American world champion Tyson Gay at the Reebok Grand Prix set for the Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island.

"It's going to be a huge showdown," Gay said in a recent interview. "I ran 9.76 in New York last year, he ran 9.76 legal (May 3 at the National Stadium), so there is going to be a great showdown in New York." Gay expects a fast time.

"I think it's going to be an extremely fast time, especially if the wind is in our favour," he said. With the meet expected to attract thousands of Jamaicans, Bolt will have lots of support.

Lift from the crowd

Speaking at yesterday's pre-meet press conference, Bolt agreed that he will get a lift from the crowd.

Reebok has been very good every year. A lot of Jamaican supporters are coming in for this meet. It's going to be good for me," the world 200m silver medallist said.

The 100m will also feature Leroy Dixon and Darvis Patton, two members of the American quartet which won gold in the sprint relay in Osaka last year and 2004 Olympic 200m gold medallist Shawn Crawford.

The women's 100m will feature a clash of the three medallists from last year's final at the Osaka World Championships. Champion, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown takes on runner-up American Lauryn Williams, and her compatriot, bronze medal winner Carmelita Jeter. Also down to compete in this event is world leader and 2007 world 200m gold medallist Allyson Felix and fellow American, 2003 world champion Torri Edwards.

Focus on winning

Campbell-Brown said her focus, as always, is on winning. "I will just focus on what I have to do to win the race," she said while making it clear she had no friends when she races the starter.

"We are all competitors. Everyone wants to win," she added. American Wallace Spearmon leads the men's 200m field, which also includes Jamaicans Marvin Anderson and Chris Williams.

In the men's 400m, Jermaine Gonzales, Sanjay Ayre and Edino Steele will face the starter while in the women's equivalent, Novlene Williams and Shereefa Lloyd, Sonita Sutherland will oppose Jamaican-born American Sanya Richards.

Shevon Stoddart will face Lashinda Demus in the women's 400m hurdles while 2004 Olympic silver medallist Danny McFarlane and Josef Robertson will start in the men's equivalent.

Mardrea Hyman and Korene Hinds are down for the 1500m. Teams from local high schools - Calabar High, Herbert Morrison and St Jago High - and several American secondary schools will face off in the boys' 4x100m.

Arsenal
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Mathieu Flamini M Arsenal AC Milan Free

Chelsea
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Jose Bosingwa D FC Porto Chelsea $20.5 million

Everton
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Lee Carsley M Everton Birmingham City Undisclosed

Fulham
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Mark Schwarzer GK Middlesbrough Fulham Undisclosed 

Liverpool
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Philipp Degen D Borussia Dortmund Liverpool Free 

Manchester United
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Tom Heaton GK Manchester United Cardiff City On loan
Gerard Pique D Manchester United Barcelona $8 million

Middlesbrough
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Fabio Rochemback M Middlesbrough Sporting Lisbon Undisclosed
Mark Schwarzer GK Middlesbrough Fulham Undisclosed

Newcastle
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Peter Ramage D Newcastle QPR Free

Tottenham Hotspur
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Radek Cerny GK Tottenham Queens Park Rangers Undisclosed
Luka Modric M Dinamo Zagreb Tottenham $32 million

West Bromwich Albion
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Kim Do-heon M Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma West Bromwich Albion $1.1 million
Luke Moore F Aston Villa West Bromwich Albion $5.9 million

Lower League Clubs
Name Pos. Previous Club New Club Transfer Fee
Lee Carsley M Everton Birmingham City Undisclosed
Radek Cerny GK Tottenham Queens Park Rangers Undisclosed
Tom Heaton GK Manchester United Cardiff City On loan
Peter Ramage D Newcastle QPR Free


NB:- any team missing is inactive thus far

While the deal has yet to be confirmed, news reports said Barcelona has agreed to pay Sevilla 29.5 million (US$46.4 million) for Alves, which would make him the world's most expensive right back.

In addition, Alves' transfer fee will reportedly be supplemented by up to 6 million (US$9.4 million) in incentives based on Barcelona's achievements over upcoming seasons.

"I'm happy and very satisfied. I'm an ambitious player and I hope that arriving at such an important club will help me win some important things. Let's I hope I can win some titles," Alves told Catalan radio station RAC-1 on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Brazilian would be Barcelona's third most expensive player of all time - behind Dutch winger Marc Overmars and Argentine forward Javier Saviola, who arrived from Arsenal and River Plate in 2000 and 2001 respectively.

"It (the fee) really motivates me because it means that they trust in my work," Alves said.

Alves would be the Catalan club's fourth acquisition since the end of the Spanish league season for a reported total outlay of 65 million (US$102 million).

The team is undergoing a revamp after finishing third in the Spanish league - the club's worst finish in five years - to extend its run without major silverware to two years.

New coach Pep Guardiola, who has replaced Frank Rijkaard, has made the team's defense his priority, with Manchester United central defender Gerard Pique and Uruguay left back Martin Caceres also joining recently.

The Catalan club's other new signing is another Sevilla player, Mali midfielder Seydou Keita.

"When things don't go well, you have to choose the right time to change and they (Barcelona) have seen it that way," Alves said.

Barcelona is expected to recoup its expenditure by offloading several of its top players.

Italy's Gianluca Zambrotta, whose place has been taken by Alves, has already left for AC Milan, while Mexico forward forward Giovani Dos Santos moved to Tottenham this week.

Ronaldinho, Deco and Samuel Eto'o may also be allowed to depart.

Alves, who joined Sevilla from Brazilian club Bahia in 2002, came close to leaving Sevilla for Chelsea nearly a year ago before the move broke down over financial details.

A key player in Sevilla's most successful run in its history, Alves helped the southern side win consecutive UEFA Cup titles, the European Supercup, the Spanish Supercup and Copa del Rey in a 15-month spell under coach Juande Ramos, now at Tottenham.

-- Edited by shamar at 04:55, 2008-06-07

Reggae Boyz in seventh heaven

Jamaica's forward Marlon King (second right) is held by Bahamas' central defender, Gavin Christie (right), as he tries to control the ball in the CONCACAF second round, first-leg World Cup qualifying first-leg fixture at the National Stadium yesterday. Jamaica hammered Bahamas 7-0. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Jamaica's Reggae Boyz showed very little ill effects from a shocking loss to Grenada midweek, as they thrashed Bahamas 7-0, kicking off the bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa in explosive fashion at the National Stadium yesterday.

While many fans of the local outfit were left with their mouths wide open following the news of a loss to the eastern Caribbean team earlier this week, the Jamaicans recovered to put in an awesome performance as they dominated Bahamas from the opening to the final whistle.

Thrilled with the result, Brazilian technical director, René Simoes, after admitting to being ashamed of the Grenada result, once again stressed the importance of not taking teams lightly.

Professionalism

"The ball is round, we could not have approached this game as we did the Grenada game. If you allow teams the opportunity these days, even if you consider them weak, they will beat you. The plan was to go out there, be professional and win, so it was a job well done."

He added: "We are not exactly where we want to be but the team is getting better.

"The intensity of the team today was good but we made a couple of bad decisions, but I think that will come with more games."

Reggae Boy captain Ricardo Gardner capped off an impressive start for the Jamaicans when he collected the ball in front of goal from an Evan Taylor cross and fired a shot which deflected past Bahamian centre back Gavin Christie and into the net in the 17th minute.

With the lion's share of the possession, it didn't take the Jamaicans long to find the net again as midfielder Demar Phillips collected a well-weighted pass out of midfield from Rudolph Austin before blasting wide of Bahamian keeper, Dwayne Whylly, in the 23rd minute.

Phillips would turn provider 10 minutes later when he simply spirited away from his defenders to cross the ball into the path of Marlon King, who coasted in for a simple tap-in to close the first half 3-0.

There would be no let up for Bahamas in the second half as they soon found themselves struggling to keep pace with forward Luton Shelton. After putting the ball straight into the arms of Whylly after a promising run from midfield soon after the restart, Shelton made amends in the 51st minute when he only needed a touch to ease the ball past the keeper and score from a Gardner cross.

NO LET UP

The striker was once again on target from close range in the 66th minute after receiving an Andy Williams knock down in the area. A poorly cleared effort from the goalkeeper, who failed to collect the ball from a corner and saw Williams get himself on the scoresheet after rocketing the rebound into goal from the edge of the area in the 75th minute.

Substitute Omar Daley completed the rout for the Jamaicans in the 89th minute when he drifted off the right flank, cut across the area and the spreadeagled Whylly before blasting into the empty goal.

In limited forays upfield, Jamaican custodian Ricketts easily gobbled up Bahamas' best effort at goal - a header from Nesley Jean in the 90th minute.

The teams will play each other next Wednesday in the second leg of the qualifiers at the multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny.

Jamaica 7

Ricardo Gardner	17th
Demar Phillips	23rd
Marlon King	33rd
Luton Shelton	51st, 66th
Andy Williams	75th
Omar Daley	89th

The Togo international's agent Stephane Courbis has refuted his client's claims that he is not interested in a move away from the Gunners.

Courbis said: "The player is fine at Arsenal, but when Milan come in for you it's difficult to tell them no.

"I know that Milan have contacted Arsenal and now everything depends on what Arsenal want to do.

"I'm not an Arsenal director and so I can't say if the club have changed their mind about the player and (if so) why.

"I know that Milan is one of the biggest clubs in the world and, when they want to take you, you have to really consider it. It's difficult to say no to Milan."

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani confirmed their interest, saying: "With Adebayor, Pato and Kaka, who in the world would do better?

"It's true that Milan have quite an old squad, but this is why they signed Flamini and that's also why they want to sign Adebayor, who is 24 years old, whereas Drogba is 30.

"This is what Milan wants."

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BIG PHIL SCOLARI was named Chelseas new boss last night and immediately given a whopping £100million to spend.

The Portugal coach starts a three-year Blues deal on July 1, worth £5m a year.

And he will be able to buy the top players on the planet thanks to a bulging transfer war chest.

Scolari will start by signing Portugal playmaker Deco for £10m from Barcelona and he will hand a new £90,000-a-week contract to defender Ricardo Carvalho.

Chelseas Portuguese ace said: He is a great manager and a big personality. Hes the kind of guy that players respond to and I think we can go forward with him.

Portugals players only heard the news after yesterdays 3-1 win over the Czechs.

Carvalho, 30, added: We were all shocked by the news. We heard the rumours but didnt guess he would be going to Chelsea after the Euros.

Deco, 30, is known to want a move from Barca this summer after an injury-plagued campaign last term.

Scolari said: What happened at Barcelona last season was not Decos fault.

There is only one other player like him at Euro 2008 and that is Hollands Wesley Sneijder.

Decos an individual who dares. Hes ready to take risks and do things differently.

Chelsea confirmed Scolaris appointment last night and it was understanded that Roman Abramovich personally closed the deal on Monday.

Owner Red Rom met with the 59-year-old Brazilians people in Switzerland and put the offer on the table.

A club statement read: Felipe has great qualities. He is one of the worlds top coaches with a record of success at country and club level.

He gets the best out of a talented squad of players and his ambitions and expectations match ours. He was the outstanding choice.

Scolari had asked for the announcement to be delayed until after Portugals interest in Euro 2008 was over.

But with speculation rife, it was agreed yesterday Chelsea could confirm the appointment if Portugal beat the Czech Republic.

Scolari has yet to sign a contract with the Blues.

But his camp are adamant he will not renege on this deal like when he changed his mind over taking the England job two years ago after giving the FA his word.

ROGER FEDERER steps back into the spotlight at the Australian Open this week in a bid to win his FOURTH Melbourne crown.

The worlds No1 tennis player won the trophy last year without dropping a set and few would bet against him winning the 13th Grand Slam of his career.

Federer has dominated his sport for the past four years and is destined to become one of the greatest stars of all time.

The Swiss ace has cast such a long shadow over his rivals that they would be forgiven for packing the game in.

Yet Federer is not alone in conquering his profession.

There have been countless champions over the years but few can claim to have ruled with such power.

So heres my list of the men and women who have enjoyed intensive domination in their chosen sport over a sustained period. I was waiting to add Asafa Powell but Usain Bolt stepped in his reign of terror. Yes we Jamaicans are making a mark.

Weve stuck to individual sports but it still wasnt an easy selection.

And if you dont agree, let me know your own Top 10 by adding a comment below.

 

 

 

 

No10: Steven Hendry   Forget the arguments over snookers merits as a sport Hendry was winning machine in the 90s. He won the World Championship on seven occasions during the decade, including his fabulous five in a row between 1992 and 1996. It was an incredible feat from the ruthless Scot, who is still challenging at the top today.

 

 

 

 

No9: Roger Federer   If this list is revived in 10 years time, few would bet against Federer being top. At just 26, he is already being touted as the greatest tennis player of all time. After winning his first of five consecutive Wimbledon titles in 2003, the Swiss star has also picked up four US Open titles and three Australian Open crowns. Only the French Open is missing from his astonishing Grand Slam haul.

 

 

 

 

No8: Jack Nicklaus   The Golden Bears record haul of majors is still beyond the Tigers claws for now. Nicklaus won his 18 titles between 1962 and 1986, and became the first golfer to win all four majors on two separate occasions. Only one other man can claim to have left such a mark on the game.

 

 

 

 

No7: Steffi Graf   Thanks to the dominant periods of Federer and Sampras, its easy to forget Grafs reign over the tennis world. The German star was virtually unstoppable in the late 80s and early 90s, picking up an incredible 22 Grand Slam titles. The evergreen Martina Navratilova won more titles but Grafs intensive singles spree was unequalled.

 

 

 

 

No6: Phil Taylor   Say what you want about darts anyone who wins 13 World Championships is pretty special. The Power has been at the top of his game from 1990 right up to today and has spawned a new generation of darts fans with his feats. It is inconceivable that Taylors record will ever be bettered.

 

 

 

 

No5: Pete Sampras   The man who ruled when Federer was a starry-eyed teenager. Sampras record of 14 Grand Slam titles still stands but for how long? Between 1993 and 2000, Pistol Pete won Wimbledon all but one year. Add to that five US Open crowns and two Australian Open titles, and you start to understand his immense talent.

 

 

 

 

No4: Michael Schumacher   Lewis Hamilton and Co can be thankful that Schumacher is no longer around. The German machine won the World Championship eyery year between from 2000 and 2004. The Ferrari ace, who had won two titles previously with Benetton, was so dominant that F1 was rightly or wrongly labelled boring. But that can take nothing away from his awesome achievements.

 

 

 

 

No3: Muhammad Ali   Ali may be The Greatest but he wasnt quite unbeatable. The heavyweight legend suffered notable losses to Joe Frazier and Ken Norton but that can take nothing away from his vice-like grip on boxing in the 60s and 70s. Ali encountered a string of obstacles during his career, yet still stayed at the very top of his game.

 

 

 

 

No2: Tiger Woods   Woods domination of golf has already lasted so long that its easy to forget hes only 32. The American has yet to overtake Jack Nicklaus majors record but hes arguably playing in a far superior era. The huge-hitter has claimed both the Masters and PGA Open on four separate occasions, as well as three British Open and two US Open titles. And hes far from easing up.

 

 

 

 

No1: Lance Armstrong   How do you judge the best of the best? Not easily thats for sure, but one defining question is how physically and mentally tough is the sport? It doesnt get harder than the Tour de France. Armstrong won the event an amazing seven times in a row from 1999 to 2005. And that was after battling back from testicular cancer.

Barcelona have made an offer to Arsenal for Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, Spanish newspapers reported Thursday.

The newspaper Sport said Barca had offered 29 million euros (45 million dollars), while the Mundo Deportivo said the club's limit was 25 million.

'For now there is no agreement as the Gunners are asking 30 million for Adebayor while Barca will not go beyond 25,' the Mundo Deportivo said.

Arsenal, which paid Monaco seven million pounds (nine million euros) for Adebayor in January 2006, 'will not let him go easily', said Sport.

'They are asking for 30 million euros to let him leave the Emirates Stadium but Barca are standing firm at 29 and consider that an attractive offer,' it said.

Barcelona's new coach Josep Guardiola said Tuesday the club is seeking a new striker to replace Samuel Eto'o who could complement Thierry Henry and Bojan Krick.

Arsenal are believed to be looking for a replacement for Adeboyer, but last week reportedly froze his transfer to AC Milan.

Well it was another one-sided match. Jamaica schooled Bahamas six goals to nil but again could have dropped 15-0 easily. Jamaica showed some level of disorganization with defenders seen at the forward position. I see Ian "PEPE" Goodison in the opponents half handling the ball more than Deon Burton who should have been the forward.

Yea we won, but we should have used this opportunity to develop our game strategy. People all think that we are doing good but we havent played a "real" team as yet. Jamaica's defenders are yet to be tested.

The match was held at the newly built Trelawney multipurpose stadium which was suited for cricket as the set up did not cater for football any at all. The best thing about the stadium is the colourful display of the Jamaican flag on the arranged seating. Otherwise everything else was not conducive to the passionate sport of football.

Jamaicans once again showed their violent side as scores of gunshots were heard and stones were seen flying in the air from a distance. I am not sure what was happening as I was a good distance away in the VIP stands. A few minutes later a crowd was seen rushing towards the upper VIP stands, they had apparently broken down the fencing. The police tried to reinforce the unruly mob but there were too powerful and within minutes they were seen filling the lower VIP area.

Jamaicans a tell yuh. Anywhere freeness deh, dem will find it.


Goal Scorers are as follows:

Deon Burton
Luton Shelton   1
Luton Shelton   2
Tyrone Marshall
Luton Shelton   3
Deon Burton

Final Score (Aggregate) Jamaica 13 - Bahamas 0

But Manchester United responded by issuing a statement Friday - described on its Web site as a "defiant message" - stressing that its prized asset won't be sold. It was an additional setback for Ronaldo, who also said he requires surgery on his right foot.

"Further to Friday's press speculation about where Cristiano Ronaldo's future lies, the club has moved to reiterate its stance on the matter: United are not listening to offers," United said.

Manager Alex Ferguson has been upset by Real's persistent attempts to lure Ronaldo to the Spanish capital. But his official protests to FIFA were rejected, with soccer's governing body ruling that no regulations had been broken.

Ferguson could be about to engage in a standoff with Ronaldo, who again made no secret of his desire to play in La Liga after Portugal was knocked out of the European Championship on Thursday.

"I will talk with Manchester and we will try to reach a deal," he said after the 3-2 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals. "The possibilities to go to Madrid are great, but it doesn't depend on me."

"Everyone knows what I want but in the next two or three days you'll have something new," he added. "I have many desires and in the next few days they will become clear."

But almost four years remain on his Old Trafford contract and Ferguson has said the team's American owners, the Glazer family, would prefer to banish players like Ronaldo to the stands rather than sell them.

The 23-year-old Ronaldo scored 42 goals in helping the Red Devils win the English and European titles last season.

Arda Turan, Semih Senturk and Hamit Altintop scored for Turkey in the shootout. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic also missed their penalties for Croatia. Darijo Srna scored Croatia's only penalty.

After a scoreless 90 minutes of regulation, Ivan Klasnic gave Croatia the lead with a header in 119th minute. Semih Senturk equalized in injury time with a hard shot from inside the area.

Turkey will face Germany in the semifinals on Wednesday in Basel, Switzerland.

Turkey rallied to win its last two matches, beating Switzerland 2-1 and then getting two goals in the final three minutes to beat the Czech Republic and advance to the quarterfinals.

In a low quality match marked by defensive caution at Ernst Happel Stadium, a depleted Turkish team restricted Croatia to few opportunities by pressing in midfield and not allowing its opponent time on the ball.

Croatia striker Ivica Olic hit the crossbar in the 19th minute from close range after a low cross from Modric, but both teams were too often guilty of taking the wrong option in the final third of the field.

Recber, playing for the suspended Volkan Demirel, preserved the scoreline in regulation when he made an amazing one-handed save from a free kick by Srna in the 83rd.

Both teams made their European Championship debut at Euro 1996 and played each other, with Croatia winning 1-0 with current coach Slaven Bilic playing in defense as Turkey finished the tournament in England without scoring a goal.

The only other previous matches between the teams had resulted in draws, 1-1 in 1997 and 2-2 in 2004.

Turkey started brightly with Turan and Tuncay Sanli running at Croatia's compressed defensive alignment, while Altintop drove forward from the center of midfield instead of his listed right back position.

The Turks were missing Emre Gungor (calf), Servet Cetin (hip and knee), Emre Belozoglu (groin), Tumer Metin (groin), while Demirel and defensive midfielder Mehmet Aurelio were both suspended.

Recber replaced Demirel to play his 117th international match, but he failed to come for a through ball in the 11th and only a timely intervention by a defender prevented Srna's pass across goal reaching a teammate.

Eight minutes later, Srna threaded a pass behind the defense and Modric's low, sweeping cross was thundered against the crossbar by Olic from inside the box, and Niko Kranjcar's follow-up header went wide.

Croatia's narrow defensive positioning was switching constantly into a full attacking width, allowing Srna, Olic and Danijel Pranjic to chase after Modric's passes down the flanks and stretch the Turkish defense.

Tuncay, one of eight Turkish players a yellow card away from missing the next round, was booked in the 27th. He was again on the wrong side of the referee's decision 10 minutes later when he was denied a penalty after a collision with defender Josip Simunic in the box.

Tuncay, Altintop and Nihat Kahveci were central to most of Turkey's intermittent scoring threats, but it was defensive midfielder Mehmet Topal who hit a 35-meter (yard) drive that only just faded across Stipe Pletikosa's goal in the 38th.

Turan was booked in the 48th to also be ruled out of the next gam, before Turkey almost gave up a goal when Gokhan Zan's backheader was intercepted by Olic and his headed centering ball was hacked away near the line.

A neat turn from Modric and slide pass put Kranjcar in on goal in the 57th, but he had no backlift on his shot and Recber saved down low in one of the few on-target attempts.

Bilic brought on Petric to replace Kranjcar for more attacking thrust, while the introduction of Turkey substitutes Ugur Boral and Senturk was to shore up midfield positions.

In the 70th, Rakitic swapped passes with Olic to surge into the area before blasting over the bar, and soon after Olic rose high to direct a header just wide of Recber and the post.

Both teams have reached the quarterfinals once before: Croatia in 1996 and Turkey four years later in Belgium and the Netherlands.

---

Lineups:

Croatia: Stipe Pletikosa, Vedran Corluka, Josip Simunic, Robert Kovac, Danijel Pranjic, Darijo Srna, Niko Kovac, Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Niko Kranjcar (Mladen Petric, 64), Ivica Olic.

Turkey: Rustu Recber, Hamit Altintop, Gokhan Zan, Emre Asik, Hakan Balta, Mehmet Topal (Semih Senturk, 76), Sabri Sarioglu, Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan, Kazim Kazim (Ugur Boral, 61), Nihat Kahveci.

EURO 2008 has kicked into action as 16 countries battle it out to be crowned champions in Vienna on June 29.

There are dozens of stars lining up in Austria and Switzerland but only a handful will emerge as true heroes.

Whether they are deadly marksmen or creative playmakers, these are the key men from each team who could shape the destiny of the trophy.

 

No10: Andrei Arshavin

 

Russia have been rocked by the withdrawal of star striker Pavel Pogrebnyak but they were already reeling by the news that skipper Asharvin would sit out the opening two matches through suspension. The Zenit St Petersburg star will be sorely missed but should his country still be in contention going into their final group game, the midfielders return will be a huge boost.

 

 

 

 

No9: Adrian Mutu   The former Chelsea striker is the man Romania are pinning their hopes as they battle with Italy, France and Holland to escape the group of death. When he is off the boil, the Fiorentina forward is an unnecessary luxury. But if Mutu can hit his devastating top form, his side could surprise their superb Group C opponents.

 

 

 

No8: Zlatan Ibrahimovic   Sweden have barely merited a mention in the build-up to the finals but it would be wrong to dismiss them given Ibrahimovics partnership with veteran hitman Henrik Larsson. The powerful forward has proved himself as a world-class player during Inter Milans recent domination of Serie A and his ability to find the net will be crucial.

 

 

 

No7: Luka Modric   England witnessed the Croatian playmakers ability to pull the strings when he ripped apart Steve McClarens men in Novembers crunch qualifier at Wembley. Tottenham pipped their rivals by making an early £16million swoop for Modric and an impressive tournament will make that good value.

 

 

 

No6: Ruud van Nistelrooy   One of the most consistent European strikers in club football over the past decade still possesses the menace to scare opposition defences. The former Manchester United hitman has blown hot and cold for Holland but is unstoppable on his day. Van Nistelrooy will want to go out on a high in what is expected to be his final major international competition.

 

 

 

No5: Luca Toni   Andrea Pirlo may be the heartbeat of Italys team but it is Toni they turn to for glory. The Bayern Munich marksmen has emerged as one of Europes most deadly finishers in recent years and will be key if they want to follow-up up their triumph at the World Cup two years ago with their first Euro crown since 1968.

 

 

 

No4: Franck Ribery   How do you replace Zinedine Zidane? The simple answer is you cant but Ribery has admirably attempted to fill the great mans shoes. The Bayern Munich star plays under Zidanes shadow but now has the opportunity to carve out his own piece of history. And with Thierry Henry struggling to hit the heights right now, there is no better moment.

 

 

 

No3: Michael Ballack   The Germany skipper comes into the tournament on the back of his stunning form for Chelsea. Ballack has been a central figure in the national team for almost a decade and hopes are again pinned on his broad shoulders. The midfielder will also want to make up for his heartache in the Champions League and Premier League last month.

 

 

 

No2: Fernando Torres   The Spain star is firing on all cylinders after a sensational debut season with Liverpool. Torres country are renowned for their knack of bottling it on the big stage but his presence is crucial to their hopes of finally ending years of underachievement. If the pacy striker can continue his red-hot form in front of goal, the Spaniards will be a real threat.

 

 

 

 

 

No1: Cristiano Ronaldo

 

Who else could top this list? Two years on from his winking antics, the Portugal ace has stormed on to become the greatest player on the planet. Ronaldo was virtually unplayable in Manchester Uniteds Double romp last season and will lead his fancied country in their bid for glory. Expect the unexpected.

FORMER world record holder and defending national champion, Asafa Powell, signalled yesterday that he will be gunning to retain his title after clocking a season best 9.90 seconds in the heats of the men's 100 metres at the Senior National Track and Field Athletics Cham-pionships, on the opening evening of the three-day meet at the National Stadium.

Powell, dogged by injury for most of the current season, led all qualifiers for today's semi-finals as he came home well clear of Winston Barnes, who was second in 10.30.

World record holder Usain Bolt had earlier jogged home in 10.19 in the first heat, beating Mario Forsythe, 10.54.

Both Bolt and Powell were conservative in their comments after their races.

"I will do whatever it takes to qualify for the Olympic Games," Powell said.

"I am feeling good. I was just running to qualify and taking it round by round," were Bolt's comments.

The 22-year-old Clichy joined Arsenal in 2003 from AS Monaco and has now made 146 appearances for the club. The Frenchman played in 49 of Arsenal's 58 matches in all competitions last season - the most of any Gunner.

Clichy was also named in the Professional Footballers' Association team of the year last season.

The exact length and terms of Clichy's contract were not disclosed

Stoke City forward Ricardo Fuller's knee injury is not as serious as first feared.

 

The Jamaican international damaged ligaments in his left knee during the Reggae Boyz's 2-1 friendly defeat against Grenada last Tuesday.

 

The 28-year old was immediately sent for a scan to assess the seriousness of his injury, but the lengthy lay-off being initially mooted has now been played down by Stoke's director of football John Rudge.

 

He told The Sentinel: "We don't think it is serious, but I think Ricardo is due in American on Monday for his check-up. We obviously want to make sure and find out the score with his knee at the earliest available opportunity.

 

"He seems OK in himself about it and was certainly walking all right when I met him."