The 2011 Rugby World Cup

The 2011 Rugby World Cup has turned into a battle between the northern and the southern hemisphere. Rankings and continental pride is at stake and the pressure is very much on England, France, Wales and Ireland to prove they are a match for the best that New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina have to offer.

Ireland’s shock win over Australia in the pool stage has left the draw split down geographical lines; nations north of the equator in one half, and countries south of it in the osther.

It means we won’t get to see north versus south until the final itself on Sunday October 23rd, and if England stumble along the way either Wales, Ireland or France will get the chance to become only the second European nation to be crowned world champions.

Interestingly, for all the improvements made by the smaller rugby nations at this World Cup there are no shock quarterfinalists. Argentina are the only side to get this far having been outside the top eight in the world rankings at the start of the tournament - and their qualification ahead of Scotland didn’t surprise many.

The way the draw has panned out, supporters in New Zealand and the millions watching across the globe can sit back and compare and contrast the four northern hemisphere countries against the rest.

On one hand, we have two historic Celtic nations – Ireland and Wales – doing battle on the same day as cross-Channel rivals England and France. On the other, a titanic clash between defending champions South Africa and the only other team to win the World Cup twice, Australia, while hosts New Zealand take on the 3rd placed team from 2007, Argentina.

There is still a strong sense among southern hemisphere rugby fans that their top sides are better and England’s 2003 triumph was a blip, fast disappearing in the rear view mirror as the mighty Wallabies, Springboks and All Blacks motor towards future World Cup success.

For those of us who want rugby’s world champions to come from as diverse a pool as possible, Wales, Ireland, England and France can’t just aim to win their matches. One of them must storm to victory; thrill us with power, pace and guile; allow the undoubted talent of their individuals to shine while still operating effectively as a team unit.

The big three of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand are usually always good at this.

Yes, each nation will only be thinking of itself right now but we’ve seen in golf’s continental team contests – the Ryder, President’s, Solheim and Walker Cups – that playing for a region can matter just as much as playing for your country.

Now is the time for northern hemisphere rugby to stamp its mark on the World Cup and to ruck and maul the initiative away from the game’s traditional powerhouses. 

Source: cnn.com

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Fernando Torres continues to be an utter embarrassment for Chelsea

CHELSEA 4 - SWANSEA 1

£50 MILLION misfit Fernando Torres scored a rare goal to set Chelsea on their way to a 4-1 win against Swansea- and minutes later was sent off. The Spanish striker’s pleas were in vain as ref Mike Dean gave him his marching orders for a two-footed challenge on Mark Gower. Swans boss Brendan Rodgers said: "maybe he was trying too hard."
Fernando Torres continues to be an utter embarrassment for Chelsea.
The scoreline suggests they won at a canter. Not so. But the story will always revolve around the controversial Spaniard. And Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas’ decision to drop Frank Lampard. Torres is £50million worth of controversy. And little return except pain. He rarely scores, misses by miles and when there’s a chance of redemption he usually fluffs his lines.
After putting Chelsea in front against a gallant Swansea with a goal that was once his trademark, he lost his head and was sent off for a reckless two-footed tackle on Mark Gower just before half-time. Typical of his time at Stamford Bridge, his lunge almost missed – but the intent was there. Mike Dean had no option and Villas-Boas admitted the referee got it right.

“It looked a good decision by the official. The player made a mistake but has nothing to apologise for,” he said. Swans manager Brendan Rodgers said: “When Torres scored I turned to my bench and said he looked to be getting back to his best. “Perhaps he was trying too hard. He is just trying to show at the moment that he is fighting for everything.” Can Chelsea afford to keep playing someone whose only reason for being selected is that he was bought on an indulgence by owner Roman Abramovich?
For the moment Villas-Boas has that decision taken from his hands as a three-game ban kicks in. He swiftly avoided all further questions on his controversial striker. He said: “This was a great team performance by ten men. His absence now gives others a chance.” Torres’ behaviour overshadowed two goals from Ramires and the fact manager Villas-Boas decided to axe Lampard.

The new boss showed his teeth by dropping Lampard to the bench. Although the manager said the decision was purely to keep the England international fresh for Wednesday’s trip to Valencia, it’s becoming obvious that he is no longer an automatic first choice. Villas-Boas said: “I need fresh legs for that game. I had to make decisions for the team.” Didier Drogba returned – and was singled out for praise by his manager after he scored in the 94th minute – as Chelsea just about kept Manchester United in their sights.

If they had lost yesterday it would have been their worst start to a season for ten years. But Chelsea also desperately needed this win because they are becoming so predictable. The one-dimensional, defensive Jon Obi Mikel can’t unlock defences, nor the Mohican-sporting Raul Meireles or Ramires. They are workhorses, not thoroughbreds.
Meireles looked totally lost, seemingly not having a defensive or attacking role, while Ramires has still to win over Chelsea fans despite his two goals. Swansea defended well until the 29th minute when they allowed Torres room to breathe. He was unmarked as fellow Spaniard Juan Mata lofted over a pass for him to turn and rifle home from ten yards – a blast from the past.
Chelsea’s second goal was a beauty to behold. Torres, again, pushed a pass to Ashley Cole, who then cleverly sprayed the ball for the racing legs of Ramires to strike home in the 39th minute.
Chelsea finally made the game secure when Ramires raced on to Mikel’s pass in the 75th minute to add his second and their third. Swansea, deservedly, got reward for their brave and fair showing when Ashley Williams headed in from Gower’s free-kick in the 86th minute.
Drogba arrived to an immense welcome and in the final minute turned on sub Salmon Kalou’s pass to score. Rodgers, a former assistant at Stamford Bridge, added: “I am proud of our side. We gave it a go but Chelsea had the experience.”

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Jorge Lorenzo made the weekend’s hard work

Lorenzo Takes his First Aragon Grand Prix Podium

Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo made the weekend’s hard work count today, taking his first ever Aragon Grand Prix podium with third place. Having dropped from fourth on the grid in the early laps, the reigning World Champion gradually picked up the pace, running well under his qualifying time to gradually reel in the front runners. By lap 10 he had caught both his team mate Ben Spies and Marco Simoncelli, passing them both to take third which he held to the line. The results mean the gap to Championship leader Stoner has now increased again to 44 with four races remaining of the season. Fellow Yamaha Factory Racing rider Spies had probably his best start of the season so far, shooting off the line to outride both Stoner and Dani Pedrosa for the lead into turn one. Having then dropped to third the Texan was maintaining a gap to fourth, scoring the third fastest lap of the race on lap four with a 1’49.593. A dramatic drop off in grip on the sixth lap then affected his pace. He was passed by team mate Lorenzo and then Simoncelli, dropping to fifth place. The result sees Spies retain fifth in the Championship standings, now 24 points behind Pedrosa in fourth as they head to Motegi next week.

Jorge Lorenzo Jorge Lorenzo - Position 3rd - Time +14.209 “We struggled a lot from the beginning of the race, losing positions and having to recover step by step. We couldn’t get more than a podium; that is the best result we could get today! I didn’t have confidence in the rear and it is impossible to catch Dani on this track. It's a pity, but at least I got the podium I couldn't get last year. We are still fighting for the Championship and that's the most important thing, we are going to Japan with hope still alive."

Ben Spies Ben Spies - Position 5th - Time +27.739 “I knew the start wasn’t going to last long the way Casey and Dani were riding but I felt pretty good in the beginning. Even when we got to the fourth or fifth lap I thought our advantage to fourth place was growing. I felt really comfortable and thought we had a podium fight in us. Then the sixth or seventh lap the tyre just made a huge drop and just kept going down. Usually they make one drop then stay consistent. I had no confidence in the rear and no grip. I’m frustrated as before that we were riding well and the bike was working great.”

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager “For Jorge P3 was maximum damage control so we are happy with the result today. This morning we discussed that this was the maximum possible. Finally in the race he was going half a second faster than in qualifying which is pretty good so he must be happy to be on the podium. I’m sorry for Ben, tyre drop off means you can’t do anything; luckily we didn’t have that problem. We had a lack of grip in the beginning and couldn’t do 49s but were very consistent on low 50s which is the only reason we were able to finish in third place. The team worked really hard all weekend to deliver the best possible set up for Jorge, so a big thank you to them.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director “The drop in temperature this afternoon probably compromised the work we’ve done up to this morning in set up. Ben really couldn’t do more because the rear tyre was really bad after just a few laps. Jorge achieved the best result possible, I think he did good job and thinking about the final championship standings, third place is still a good result. For sure it doesn’t make it so easy but we’ll keep going to the end.”

Top 10 for battling Crutchlow at Motorland Aragon Cal Crutchlow produced one of his best performances of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship this afternoon, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider claiming a richly deserved ninth place in blustery conditions at the Motorland Aragon track. But it was a frustrating 23-lap race for Colin Edwards, who won't remember his landmark 150th MotoGP with fond memories after he finished in 13th position. Crutchlow quickly found his pace after losing time in the braking zone at the first corner and his charge into the top 10 kicked off when he claimed 11th place from Edwards on the fourth lap. He then launched an immediate attack on Hiroshi Aoyama and Toni Elias, pas sing both with masterful overtakes to claim ninth on lap six. Nine times world champion Valentino Rossi then dropped the British rider back into 10th on lap seven. From that stage of the race until its conclusion 16 laps later, Crutchlow was involved in the most exciting battle on track in front of a windswept crowd of over 63,000 fans. The 25-year-old, Rossi and Aoyama were barely split by more than a second and as their intense fight reached an exciting climax, Crutchlow produced a brilliant attacking display. He passed Rossi and Aoyama on lap 18 and despite coming under intense pressure from the more experienced duo, he managed to keep them at bay to claim his best result since the Catalunya race in early June. The seven valuable points collected today moved Crutchlow two places up the World Championship rankings into 13th position and he moved back ahead of Karel Abraham in th e coveted Rookie of the Year classification. The race proved to be a difficult affair for Edwards, who struggled to find the right set-up to give him the rear grip he needed to push with his normal confidence. He made more weight distribution modifications to his Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1 machine ahead of the race, but the tweaks didn't have the desired effect and he finished in 13th.

Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow - Position 9th - Time +39.652 “I'm really pleased with how the race went today because I was back inside the top and having a really good and enjoyable fight with two of the best riders on the grid, who have had a lot of success in Grand Prix racing. It is a shame that I lost a couple of places at the first corner because I'm sure with a better start I could have been battling with Bautista and Hayden. I got on the inside on the d irty part of the track and when I braked I locked the front wheel and nearly crashed. What pleases me the most is that I could make up for the lack of speed on the straight in the corners because the Yamaha handles brilliantly and my Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team gave me a really good bike today. But to hold off Valentino and Hiroshi at the end took a massive effort. I think if they'd started the final lap in front of me on the straight it would have been hard for me to slipstream. There are a lot of positives to take from this weekend because I've got back in the top 10 on a track I'd never seen before and beaten two guys with a lot more experience than me. I gained a lot of experience today riding with Valentino and that has given me a lot of confidence for the next few races.”

Colin Edwards Colin Edwards - Position 13th - Time +58.430 “That certainly wasn't a great way to celebrate my 150th race in MotoGP. We tried to get the bike right all weekend but we were pretty much chasing our tails the whole time. We were trying to improve the rear grip to compensate for the speed we lose on the straight and for the race we altered the weight distribution again. We put a lot of weight on the rear but it never really worked. After about five laps the grip just went down and I wasn't expecting it to drop off that quickly. Once that happened I couldn't stay in that group I was in and I just went backwards. If somebody gave me 10 million Euros to do a 1.51 right now, there is no way I could do it. The last two races have been pretty tough, so we'll get our heads together and try and come up with a solution for Japan and aim to be fighting back in the top 10 where I have been all season.”

Hervé Poncharal - Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager

"I am really pleased to see Cal back in the top 10 and ridi ng with the same confidence that he showed in the first part of the season. I think it was the best ride of the year for him. Maybe not in terms of the final position, but the way he rode was fantastic. The start was difficult, but he never gave up and what was really good is that he was riding with Valentino and Hiroshi and he would have learned a lot from those two. Today he could battle with a nine times World Champion and I'm sure that will do a lot for his confidence in the future. He didn't only race with them but he beat them and that makes it even more satisfying. With a better start it is not unrealistic to imagine he could have been with Bautista and Hayden, but ninth position is still a very positive result. It was a difficult weekend for Colin and definitely not the way any of us wanted to mark his 150th MotoGP race. He took a gamble on the set-up and he also used the soft front tyre and unfortunately this time it didn't pay off. All he could do was finish and ge t some points and we hope he can quickly forget this weekend and return to the form we know he is capable of in Japan.” Source:www.yamaha-racing.com

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Tennis--US Open-Update 2011

Champions Series

The 2011 Champions Series is a competitive tennis circuit featuring legendary tennis icons and world-renowned champions Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Bjorn Borg, Michael Chang and Mats Wilander. The 12-city tour of one-night tournaments is played in major U.S. arenas from September 22 – October 22. Each tournament features 4 Champions paired off in one set semi-finals and culminates with the winners meeting in an eight-game pro-set championship match. The Champions compete in pursuit of the #1 ranking on the Champions Series with $1 million dollars of bonus pool money on the line for the top three finishers on the circuit at the end of the season.

In each city, the tennis legends will share their on-court expertise in exclusive tennis clinics for sponsors and mingle with VIP guests at receptions prior to each event. Sponsors and fans will enjoy unique access and entertainment from some of the world’s greatest tennis stars of our time on the Champions Series.

US Events

HSBC Tennis Cup

Thu. Sep 22, 2011 - 7:30PM
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fri. Sep 23, 2011 - 7:30PM
Washington, DC

Sat. Sep 24, 2011 - 7:30pm
Philadelphia, PA

Fri. Sep 30, 2011 - 7:30pm

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Sat.  Oct. 1, 2011 - 7:30pm

Boston, MA

Sat.  Oct 8, 2011 - 6pm

Surprise, Arizona

Thu.  Oct 13, 2011 - 7:30pm

Seattle, Washington

Fri.  Oct 14, 2011 - 7:30pm

Los Angeles, California

Sat.  Oct 15, 2011 - 7:30pm

Las Vegas, Nevada

Thu. Oct 20, 2011 - 7:30pm

Chicago, Illinois

Fri. Oct 21, 2011 - 7:30pm

St. Louis, Missouri

Sat. Oct 22, 2011 - 7:30pm

Buffalo, NY

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FIFA News update

• 

  Gasperini: No Inter revolt

  Wednesday 21 September 2011
  Inter Milan coach Gian Piero Gasperini has insisted that he has his players' backing despite suggestions from president Massimo Moratti that he had lost control of the dressing room.
• 

  FSB 2011

  Wednesday 21 September 2011
  FIFA is participating in the FSB 2011 in Cologne (26-28 October), where it will present the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf and the FIFA Preferred Producer initiative
• 

  Arnesen: I lost faith in Oenning

  Wednesday 21 September 2011
  Hamburg director of sport Frank Arnesen has said that he sacked Michael Oenning after deciding the under-pressure coach could not arrest the team's slump.
• 

  Spain regain top amid significant movement

  Wednesday 21 September 2011
  After just a one-month hiatus, Spain replaced the Netherlands at the top of the global ladder, while Uruguay and Portugal leapt into fourth and fifth respectively amid significant change.
• 

  Phiri: Malawi can make history

  Wednesday 21 September 2011
  Malawi coach Kinnah Phiri says his side’s all-important CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Chad will be "tricky", but The Flames are confident they can claim victory and reach consecutive continental finals for the first time.
• 

  President Blatter honoured by Laos

  Wednesday 21 September 2011
  Representatives from Laos presented the FIFA President with a Friendship Medal on Tuesday in recognition of his support for football development within the country.

• Al Ittihad fall to first defeat

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Olimpia, Aurora advance to last 16

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Colon miss chance to go top

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• FC Ulaanbaatar claim maiden title

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Scoring, saving and a stroll

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Heerenveen, Vitesse progress in cup

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Owen: I have to impress at every opportunity

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Wenger not distracted by job speculation

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

• Villarreal defeat Mallorca to kick-start season

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Lille escape with draw at Bordeaux

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Arsenal bounce back, United sink Leeds

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Novara increase Inter misery

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Fener, Buyuksehir drop points

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Stalemate for Sevilla, Osasuna

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Sociedad continue La Liga climb

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Drogba on the mend after concussion

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Wigan get Rodallega injury boost

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Agger adds to Reds defensive problems

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Breno recovering fine after fire

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Who is the best tackler you’ve seen?

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Silva reveals Spain frustrations

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Choupo-Moting's dream come true

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Arsenal chief round on Wenger critics

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Palmgren assumes AmaZulu reins

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Coates relishing Reds challenge

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• United receive Hernandez lift

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Brazil assert South American dominance

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• London berths beckon for Asian hopefuls

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Carrick: Pogba can be a United star

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Gerrard set for Liverpool Cup return

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Sporting win again as Braga held

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

• Neymar: I'm staying put

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Thiago: No two-horse race in La Liga

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Besiktas leave it late

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Carvalho dreams of European pinnacle

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Real's Pepe, Coentrao sidelined

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Mandanda issues Marseille wake-up call

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Chiefs win derby, Dynamos close

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Gourcuff suffers ankle setback

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Cech: Torres will come good

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Matthaus dismissed by Bulgaria

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Traore in hospital with malaria

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Oenning sacked after poor Hamburg start

  Monday 19 September 2011

• Friedrich, Wolfsburg agree to cancel contract

  Monday 19 September 2011

Source: FIFA.COM

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Timnas Indonesia

GRUP A

No.	TIM	M	M	S	K		SG	Poin
1	YORDANIA	2	2	0	0		4-1	6
2	CHINA	2	1	0	1		3-3	3
3	IRAK	2	1	0	1		2-2	3
4	SINGAPURA	2	0	0	2		1-4	0

No.		Tanggal	Pertandingan	Stadion	Skor
1		02/09/2011	CHINA – SINGAPURA	Tuodong Stadium	2:1
2		02/09/2011	IRAK – YORDANIA	Francouse Al-Hareeri Stadium	0:2
3		06/09/2011	SINGAPURA – IRAK	Jalan Besar Stadium	0:2
4		06/09/2011	YORDANIA – CHINA	Amman International Stadium	2:1
5		11/10/2011	SINGAPURA – YORDANIA
6		11/10/2011	CHINA – IRAK
7		11/11/2011	YORDANIA – SINGAPURA
8		11/11/2011	IRAK – CHINA
9		15/11/2011	SINGAPURA – CHINA
10		15/11/2011	YORDANIA – IRAK
11		29/02/2012	CHINA – YORDANIA
12		29/02/2012	IRAK – SINGAPURA

GRUP B

No.	TIM	M	M	S	K		SG	Poin
1	KOREA SELATAN	2	1	1	0		7-1	4
2	KUWAIT	2	1	1	0		4-3	4
3	LEBANON	2	1	0	1		3-7	3
4	UNI EMIRAT ARAB	2	0	0	2		3-6	0

No.		Tanggal	Pertandingan	Stadion	Skor
1		02/09/2011	KOREA SELATAN – LEBANON	Goyang Stadium	6:0
2		02/09/2011	UEA – KUWAIT	AL Qatara Stadium	2:3
3		06/09/2011	LEBANON – UEA	Sports City Stadium	3:1
4		06/09/2011	KUWAIT – KOREA SELATAN	Peace & Friendship Stadium	1:1
5		11/10/2011	LEBANON – KUWAIT
6		11/10/2011	KOREA SELATAN – UEA
7		11/11/2011	KUWAIT – LEBANON
8		11/11/2011	UEA – KOREA SELATAN
9		15/11/2011	LEBANON – KOREA SELATAN
10		15/11/2011	KUWAIT – UEA
11		29/02/2012	KOREA SELATAN – KUWAIT
12		29/02/2012	UEA – LEBANON

GRUP C

No	TIM	M	M	S	K		SG	Poin
1	JEPANG	2	1	1	0		1-1	4
2	UZBEKISTAN	2	1	1	0		1-1	4
3	KOREA UTARA	2	1	0	1		1-1	3
4	TAJIKISTAN	2	0	0	2		0-2	0

No.		Tanggal	Pertandingan	Stadion	Skor
1		02/09/2011	JEPANG – KOREA UTARA	Saitama Stadium 2002	1:0
2		02/09/2011	TAJIKISTAN – UZBEKISTAN	Metallurg Stadium	0:1
3		06/09/2011	KOREA UTARA – TAJIKISTAN	Yanggakdo Stadium	1:0
4		06/09/2011	UZBEKISTAN – JEPANG	Pakhtakor Stadium	1:1
5		11/10/2011	KOREA UTARA – UZBEKISTAN
6		11/10/2011	JEPANG – TAJIKISTAN
7		11/11/2011	UZBEKISTAN – KOREA UTARA
8		11/11/2011	TAJIKISTAN – JEPANG
9		15/11/2011	KOREA UTARA – JEPANG
10		15/11/2011	UZBEKISTAN – TAJIKISTAN
11		29/02/2012	JEPANG – UZBEKISTAN
12		29/02/2012	TAJIKISTAN – KOREA UTARA

GRUP D

No.	TIM	M	M	S	K		SG	Poin
1	AUSTRALIA	2	2	0	0		5-2	6
2	THAILAND	2	1	0	1		4-2	3
3	ARAB SAUDI	2	0	1	1		1-3	1
4	OMAN	2	0	1	1		0-3	1

No.		Tanggal	Pertandingan	Stadion	Skor
1		02/09/2011	AUSTRALIA – THAILAND	Suncorp Stadium	2:1
2		02/09/2011	OMAN – ARAB SAUDI	AL Seeb Sports Stadium	0:0
3		06/09/2011	THAILAND – OMAN	Rajamangala Stadium	3:0
4		06/09/2011	ARAB SAUDI – AUSTRALIA	Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad Stadium	1:3
5		11/10/2011	THAILAND – ARAB SAUDI
6		11/10/2011	AUSTRALIA – OMAN
7		11/11/2011	ARAB SAUDI – THAILAND
8		11/11/2011	OMAN – AUSTRALIA
9		15/11/2011	THAILAND – AUSTRALIA
10		15/11/2011	ARAB SAUDI – OMAN
11		29/02/2012	AUSTRALIA – ARAB SAUDI
12		29/02/2012	OMAN – THAILAND

GRUP E

No.	TIM	M	M	S	K		SG	Poin
1	IRAN	2	1	1	0		4-1	4
2	BAHRAIN	2	1	1	0		3-1	4
3	QATAR	2	0	2	0		1-1	2
4	INDONESIA	2	0	0	2		0-5	0

 

No.

Tanggal

Pertandingan

Stadion

Skor

1

02/09/2011

IRAN – INDONESIA

Azadi Stadium

3:0

2

02/09/2011

BAHRAIN – QATAR

National Stadium

0:0

3

06/09/2011

INDONESIA – BAHRAIN

Gelora Bung Karno

0:2

4

06/09/2011

QATAR – IRAN

Al-Sadd Stadium

1:1

5

11/10/2011

INDONESIA – QATAR

6

11/10/2011

IRAN – BAHRAIN

7

11/11/2011

QATAR – INDONESIA

8

11/11/2011

BAHRAIN – IRAN

9

15/11/2011

INDONESIA – IRAN

10

15/11/2011

QATAR – BAHRAIN

11

29/02/2012

IRAN – QATAR

12

29/02/2012

BAHRAIN – INDONESIA

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Arsenal 3 - 1 Shrewsbury

Arsenal--BBC

Arsenal went ahead on 58 minutes through a bullet from the impressive Oxlade-Chamberlain.

After the break Oxlade-Chamberlain put Arsenal ahead when his 25-yard shot squirmed under Ben Smith before Benayoun converted from close range.

The result was welcome relief for beleaguered Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side have made their worst start to a season since he arrived at the club.

And it looked like there was more misery to come for Wenger when the Gunners went behind after Shrewsbury got their reward for early pressure.

Having earlier struck the post through Wright's stabbed shot, Shrewsbury took the lead when Collins rose above a static Arsenal defence to head the League Two side into a deserved lead after 16 minutes.

The visiting side should have doubled their lead but Reuben Hazell headed wide when it looked easier to hit the target.

But Arsenal equalised just after the half-hour as Gibbs headed home from deep inside the penalty area for the home side.

Arsenal went ahead on 58 minutes through a bullet from the impressive Oxlade-Chamberlain.

There looked to be little danger when the 18-year-old former Southampton trainee collected the ball 25 yards out, but he promptly drilled a low strike under Smith.

With 12 minutes left, Benayoun made the tie safe when he swept home from close range following good work on the right side of the Shrewsbury penalty box by young substitute Oguzhan Ozyakup.

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No regrets on United move : Owen

Manchester United--football365.com

Even when Sir Alex Ferguson offered Owen a new contract at the end of last season, he knew there would be no guarantees about playing.

As it has turned out, Owen is yet to play a single minute this season.

The statistic should change at Leeds on Tuesday evening but with the emergence of Danny Welbeck, the 31-year-old finds himself at number five on the United pecking order.

For someone who still stands at number four on the all-time England scorers chart and was rated as Europe's top striker in his pomp, it could be viewed as a disappointing end to his career.

But Owen is having none of it. Even if he didn't play another game for the Red Devils, he would have no regrets about the journey.

"I understand you cannot be given guarantees in football," he told the Manchester Evening News. "As last season drew to an end I was 50-50 about what the manager would say when he called me in.

"If it had gone the other way I wouldn't have been upset. I am proud to have been involved with such a great club. But secretly when he said he wanted me to stay my fist was clenched under the table.

"We are all men about it. If I didn't play at all during the season I would sit down with the manager and have another chat.

"But last summer he was keen to keep me and that was enough."

Owen admits it is a relatively new experience being so far down the pecking order, although he did have a problem during his short stint at Real Madrid when he found Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane barring his way.

However, he is experienced enough to be prepared for whatever challenge faces him.

"I have been a striker for many years," he reflected.

"I have been the number one choice and had people chomping at my heels. Now it is roles reversed but I can think of a lot worse places to be.

"When I train it is with the best players. When I play it is in front of fantastic fans in a great stadium and the quality is high.

"Who knows what the future holds. I hope I can be involved but I am not stupid there are a lot of top players here and if my chances are limited I will still have a smile on my face and still feel part of a fantastic club."

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Man Utd win EPL thriller

Old Trafford--

Manchester United beat Chelsea 3-1 at Old Trafford Sunday in an English Premier League top of the table clash which mixed superb attacking play with comical misses by star strikers Fernando Torres and Wayne Rooney.

Rooney slipped and ended on his backside as he ran up to convert a penalty which would have given United a 4-1 lead and his second goal of the match, but his blunder was eclipsed a few moments later by Torres.

The Spain World Cup star had made up for wasting a first half chance by pulling Chelsea back into the game with a superb piece of skill to beat David De Gea in the United goal.

After Rooney's penalty miss and with his team still trailing 3-1, Torres rounded De Gea and with an open goal at his mercy somehow contrived to send his left-foot shot wide.

Torres, who had shown more than enough to suggest he is returning to his best form, was left with his head in his hands as his side's last chance of salvaging a point had disappeared.

The misses still continued with Rooney setting up substitute Dimitar Berbatov for another cast-iron opportunity but the Bulgarian's weak effort was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole.

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The Madrid camp after two draws for Barcelona in the space

It must have been with the naughtiest of childish sniggers that the very Madridista sports daily 'Marca' took the rare step of publishing a shiny picture of the Barcelona club badge in its pages in Thursday's edition. But such sacrilege was only allowed to take place because the paper's graphics department took the liberty of adding the letters 'ZZZ' across the middle of the crest to emphasise the current sensation in Spain that Barça are steadfastly clinging on to the dying tradition of the siesta.

August for Barcelona had been a phenomenally industrious month with Pep Guardiola's men beating Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup before taking care of Porto in the European Super Cup and then trouncing Villarreal 5-0 in la Liga for good measure. The theory is that Barcelona must have then 'rested their eyes' for a couple of minutes before waking up two weeks later, puffy-eyed and panic stricken.

Last Saturday, a two-goal lead was blown through nothing more than laziness in what should have been a comfortable victory away at Real Sociedad. With the local press boasting that the visit of AC Milan to the Camp Nou the following Tuesday would be the equivalent of a freezing cold shower and the ingestion of coffee powder up the bum for Barça, the Italian side took the lead after just 25 seconds before repeating the same feat at the end of the match with an equalising effort from Thiago Silva to force a 2-2 draw. "It's pretty clear we could have done without the first and last thirty seconds of the game," admitted Xavi.

In both games, a pillow-hugging Barcelona had drifted off into the land of nod for large patches, costing the side two points in their respective leagues in Spain and Europe. There have been some early accusations that Barça simply don't have the motivation to win anymore - 'end of a cycle' is a familiar cry from the Madrid camp - but such taunts have been swatted away by Carles Puyol who is back playing after a knee injury, just in time to blast a footballing foghorn into the faces of his teammates. "The side is still very hungry and wants to keep on making history," claimed the club captain.

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Lorenzo MotoGP San Marino

San Marino -

Lorezo -

Defending champion Jorge Lorenzo won the San Marino MotoGP Italy on Yamaha to close the gap with the current rider standings leader Casey Stoner, who spur Honda.
24-year-old Spaniard reached the finish, ahead of compatriot rider Dani Pedrosa, riding a Honda, while Casey Stoner of Australia, who started the race from pole position, reaching the finish in third place. 

Lorenzo now mempertipis away with championship leader Stoner to 35 points. 

Lorenzo is very happy to be back on the podium top spot. "I really need this win because the last two races is a nightmare, so it could return with a motor that really is extraordinary good," said Lorenzo. Lorenzo beat Stoner's almost four seconds while the remaining nine-lap race, while Pedrosa was third place. Then the rider standings leader Pedrosa passed it during the race five laps remaining, while behind him, Marco Simoncelli, Ben Spies, and Andrea Dovizioso, was involved in a tight battle for fourth place.

Stoner continues to lose time from Lorenzo, and left seven seconds during the race four laps remaining, only to save his position and prevent the Spaniard seized more points from him.

Simoncelli involved thrilling duel with fellow countryman Dovizioso, who then passed him during the rest of the rounds again.

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2014 world cup soccer schedule

FIFA.com rounds up the results from the Preliminary Draw which took place at the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday 30 July.
Intercontinental play-offs
Asia – South America
North, Central America and the Caribbean – Oceania









African Zone Draw
Group A: South Africa, Botswana, Central African Republic, Somalia or Ethiopia
Group B: Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea or Madagascar
Group C: Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Gambia, Chad or Tanzania
Group D: Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Lesotho or Burundi
Group E: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Sao Tome e Principe or Congo
Group F: Nigeria, Malawi, Seychelles or Kenya, Djibouti or Namibia
Group G: Egypt, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Comoros or Mozambique
Group H: Algeria, Mali, Benin, Eritrea or Rwanda
Group I: Cameroon, Libya, Guinea-Bissau or Togo, Swaziland or Congo DR
Group J: Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Mauritius or Liberia
Asian Zone Draw
Group A: China, Jordan, Iraq, Singapore
Group B: Korea Republic, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon
Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Syria, Korea DPR
Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand
Group E: Iran, Qatar, Bahrain, Indonesia
North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Two)
Group A: El Salvador, Surinam, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic
Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda
Group C: Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua, Bahamas
Group D: Canada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Lucia
Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize
Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands
North, Central America and the Caribbean Zone Draw (Round Three)
Group A: USA, Jamaica, Winner of R2 Grp E, Winner of R2 Grp F
Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica, Winner of R2 Grp A, Winner of R2 Grp B
Group C: Honduras, Cuba, Winner of R2 Grp D, Winner of R2 Grp C
Oceanian Zone Draw
Group A: Vanuatu, New Caledonia, American Samoa/Cook Islands/Samoa or Tonga, Tahiti
Group B: Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea
European Zone Draw
Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales
Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta.
Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan.
Group D: Netherlands, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.
Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.
Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Lichtenstein
Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino
Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland

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Sell-buy is expected to hit David Jordan did not happen

 Jakarta - Sell-buy is expected to hit David Jordan did not happen. Chris John ultimately chose to play it cool to win points. But that's not what makes David disappointed.

David does seem eager to win since the beginning of the fight. Since the first round, 23-year boxer immediately give sting to Chris, although that got beat was not moved. After the bout, Chris admitted that he did choose to not serve a la David frontal battle.

Had the fight frontal serve, Chris admitted to not knowing what the final battle will be like that. He eventually won a number, and David never thought of The Dragon did not respond to trading blows it proposes.

While surprised by the change in strategy the opponent, the boxer who is also fondly called Cino was also expected to compete again.

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Ronaldo and Kaka back to boost Real-News

Portugal - Real Madrid's hopes of European success were boosted on Monday with the news that Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka have been passed fit for Tuesday's first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against English club Tottenham. Top scorer Ronaldo was in doubt for the match, Real's first in the last-eight stage since 2004, due to a recurring hamstring problem suffered before the international break. The Portugal captain missed Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Sporting Gijon which ended Real coach Jose Mourinho's unbeaten home league record that started nine years ago when he was in charge at Porto.

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