Month: June 2010 (Page 7 of 58)

      Germany takes out England

      June 27, 2010 /

      Even after hiring decorated Italian coach Fabio Capello and boasting some of world’s best scorers, England could not run deep into the 2010 World Cup. Germany had the Three Lions’ number all day, defeating the the Brits 4-1 and sending them home to a disappointed nation.

      A pivotal moment came late into the first half Frank Lampard knocked in a shot that hit the crossbar and landed behind the goal line. However, due to back spin, it bounced easily into the hands of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

      Germany went up on goals by Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski before England’s Matthew Upson made it 2-1 in the 37th minute.

      Lampard’s non-goal came a minute later. After the ball landed across the line, it spun back into the arms of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Capello initially celebrated what he thought was an equalizer by clenching his fists and shaking his arms. But his face changed when he realized the goal had not been given.

      As the players headed off the field at halftime, Wayne Rooney walked over to a linesman and gestured with his hands how far he thought the ball crossed the goal line.

      What’s ridiculous is that the center referee did not consult his linesman. Why not exhaust your resources during such a crucial call?

      Germany will face the winner of today’s Mexico/Argentina match in the next round.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Soccer, World Cup

      Ozzie Guillen, Carlos Zambrano and the pursuit of happiness

      June 27, 2010 /

      Following his dugout tirade on Friday that led to a suspension, Cubs’ starter Carlos Zambrano went to dinner with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who apparently gave the pitcher some sage advice on how to handle the situation.

      From the Chicago Sun-Times:

      ”I asked what happened,” Guillen said. ”He told me exactly what happened. … He was upset with a lot of the team. That was it. I told him what to do, to wait a couple of days. He will do what I tell him to do. Face it like a man. Don’t turn [his] back on this problem. … Go out, put your face on it and move on.

      ”What are they going to do to him? Trade, release or suspend him? At least when you face it like a man and admit you were wrong, everyone moves on. He didn’t kill anyone. He just made one mistake. We can’t criticize the kid for that. That’s the way he is. … We’ve got to respect people’s ways, and that’s the intensity this kid brings.”

      ”What are they going to do to him? Trade, release or suspend him?”

      Well, yeah. This isn’t the first time Zambrano has flown off the reservation and chances are, it wasn’t the last either. He could be a great person off the field, but he still has to take responsibility for his actions on it. And he doesn’t get a free pass just because he’s an intense guy.

      The other problem, of course, is that he has been awful on the mound this year. Whether he has pitched every fifth day or come out of the pen, Zambrano hasn’t gotten the job done. So when you throw a situation like the other night into the mix, where he’s berating teammates and not acting professional, it compounds the situation.

      It’s great that Guillen is standing up for a player (albeit, a player on an opposing team), but the Cubs had every right to take action by suspending Zambrano and whatever they do with him from here on out will likely be justified. Considering how much they’re paying him, they should be getting better on-field production or at the very least, someone that can control is temper.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      Braylon Edwards won’t be suspended

      June 27, 2010 /

      According to ESPN New York, Jets’ receiver Braylon Edwards isn’t likely to be suspended in wake of an incident that occurred outside a Cleveland nightclub in which he punched a friend of LeBron James.

      It had been widely speculated that Edwards would receive at least a one-game ban for punching a man, an acquaintance of NBA star LeBron James, last October when Edwards was a member of the Cleveland Browns. Instead of a suspension, it’s believed that Edwards will be fined an undisclosed amount by the league.

      This is important news for the Jets, who had been bracing for the possibility of being without two receivers for the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. They already know they won’t have Santonio Holmes, who faces a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. The Jets were aware of the pending suspension when they acquired Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

      As he showed in regular season games against the Dolphins and Falcons last year, as well as in the AFC Conference Championship against the Colts, Edwards does have the ability to give Mark Sanchez and the Jets a big target in the passing game. But as usual, his hands and concentration continue to be question marks.

      The pair of Edwards and Holmes gives the Jets more than enough weapons in their vertical game. But it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll mesh with Sanchez, who must build on his solid performances against the Bengals and Colts in last year’s playoffs if the Jets are going to make a deep run in the postseason again this season.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      No ‘free agency tour’ for LeBron

      June 27, 2010 /

      Per ESPN…

      All the elaborate recruiting plans for LeBron James will have to change. James will not go on a recruiting tour, his longtime business manager Maverick Carter told ESPN.com Friday.

      Instead, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will visit with individual clubs in Northeastern Ohio once the free-agency period begins July 1.

      Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that the latest plan calls for the New Jersey Nets — led by new owner Mikhail Prokhorov and minority owner/longtime James pal Jay-Z — to be the first team to meet James face to face. No one from James’ camp, though, would confirm the meeting.

      Well, that’s a relief. Anything that can keep this courtship from becoming more of a spectacle is fine by me.

      Holding all the talks in Ohio should also speed this process up. Hopefully, LeBron’s camp knocks these meetings out quickly so he doesn’t hold free agency hostage while he makes up his mind.

      Really, he should already have his list narrowed to 2-3 teams, but it seems as if he is seriously considering six franchises: the Cavs, Bulls, Knicks, Heat, Nets and Clippers.

      Though with the news that the Clippers are down to Vinny Del Negro and Dwyane Casey in their coaching search, I don’t see LeBron coming out West.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Ghana defeats the U.S., 2-1, in extra time

      June 26, 2010 /

      The U.S. once again conceded a goal early, as Kevin-Prince Boateng took advantage of a sluggish American defense in the 5th minute. Slowly but surely, the play of the U.S. improved and after half, the Americans evened the game on Landon Donovan’s penalty kick in the 62nd minute.

      With the game tied, 1-1, at the end of regulation, extra time was necessary, and Ghana scored in the 93rd minute when Asamoah Gyan turned a fairly harmless kick forward into the go-ahead goal. The U.S. had several good opportunities over the next 27 minutes of extra time, but were unable to capitalize. The Americans’ World Cup dream is over.

      External Sports, Soccer, World Cup

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