Forum: Sports...Traditional & Extreme
NEW MANCHESTER UNITED AWAY KIT 08/09 LAUNCH (video)
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| A lucky crowd in New York watches Thierry Henry work his magic. (Frank Franklin II / Associated Press) |
Following France's first-round elimination at the European Championship last week, the elegant 30-year-old forward came to the United States. The celebrity match, played on a tiny field in the Chinatown section of Manhattan, benefited the foundations of Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash and New York Red Bulls midfielder Claudio Reyna, the former U.S. national team captain.
Fans crowded into the small field, ringing the playing area. Chelsea's Solomon Kalou, who played for Ivory Coast on Sunday in a World Cup qualifier at Abidjan, was a late addition. Participants included former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman, the NBA's Leandro Barbosa and Baron Davis, and Jozy Altidore, who just left the Red Bulls to join Spain's Villarreal.
"I'm here on vacation, enjoying the town," Henry said. "It's an amazing town. I love New York. It's not the first time I say it. I come here quite often. It's pretty nice."
Henry said he can walk the streets of New York and not be bothered.
"Sometimes I do get recognized, but I feel free when I'm here, so that's the most important thing," he said. "I love it."
He left Arsenal after the 2006-7 season and signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, which finished third in La Liga behind Real Madrid and Villarreal.
Henry has a French record 45 goals in 102 international appearances. Since Les Bleus were eliminated with a 2-0 loss to Italy last week in Zurich, Switzerland, he has not watched Euro 2008.
"It has nothing to do with painful. The memory is gone," he said. "I know who won today, but that is it."
Henry is friends with Nash, who invited him to play just before Reyna was able to contact him.
"Because he got to him quicker, he was on his team," Reyna said outside Replay, the SoHo store where the post-match party and auction was held.
Reyna hopes to get Argentina's Lionel Messi for next year's charity event. Reyna used the match as part of his rehabilitation from a back injury, and noted the level of play was not too fierce.
"A few of the boys were out late last night," he said. "You knew that was going to happen."
"I have a contract with Barcelona until 2010. Everything is calm right now," Ronaldinho, who missed much of last season to injury, told Brazil's SporTV.
He added that "a lot of things will happen" before Barcelona's preseason training begins on July 19.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Barcelona official said that negotiations for the transfer of Ronaldinho - along with Samuel Eto'o and Deco - are "advanced."
"The club is planning the season with the idea that these players won't be there. We are in advanced negotiations for them to move to other clubs," Barcelona's vice president for financial affairs, Ferran Soriano, was quoted as saying by news agency Europa Press.
Ronaldinho, who has lost his status as the world's best player after a poor season, is being courted by Manchester City. AC Milan has opted out, according to vice president Adriano Galliani, who said the Italians cannot compete financially with the club owned by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Ronaldinho said he hopes to resume playing with the national side once he has recovered from his injuries. He missed the last six weeks of the Spanish season with torn adductor muscles.
"God willing I'll return. I'm recovering from my injury and I want to return healthy as soon as possible to the national team," he said.
Ronaldinho also said that he didn't know if he preferred a move to an English or Italian club, and he was certain he would play on Brazil's Olympic team in China.
Barcelona finished third in the Spanish league this past season, 18 points behind champion Real Madrid - its worst showing in five years. The Catalan team has not won a major trophy for two yearsRunning 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 100 meters, 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 finals, he ran it in 9.68, the fastest time ever recorded, but not a world record because the tailwind was too strong.
Damein White, running in the lane next to Gay, said he saw Gay pull up and thought he saw something fly his way.
"I tried to keep going off the curve," White said. "It kind of threw me off. He just pulled something. He'll be right back. Next year, we've got worlds. You'll see him there."
More urgently, however, are the Olympics. Qualifying for the 100-meter dash starts Aug. 15, and Gay was one of the favorites along with world-record holder Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, both of Jamaica.
Members of the U.S. track team are expected to leave for the games about 10 to 14 days before their event starts. Gay also was committed for a meet in London on July 25 and was considering running in a couple more events in Europe before the Olympics.
The injury will open up another spot in the 200, where Gay, Wallace Spearmon, Xavier Carter, Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix were considered among the top runners going for only three spots.
"It doesn't really change things on my part," Carter said. "Tyson's a great runner. He's No. 1. Everybody was shooting for him. I'm not going to change anything because he got hurt. I've got to continue doing what I was doing as if he wasn't hurt."
Indeed, the 200 semifinals were set for later Saturday afternoon, and they would go on without Gay.
If the injury is serious, it would be a blow for track, at least on the American scene. He was considered one of the fresh, young faces of a sport that has endured unrelenting doping problems over the past several years. Many were hoping to turn the page this season, and they were hoping Gay, a bit shy, but successful, would be a big part of that.
"He's a champion," said Rodney Martin, who won the heat after Gay fell. "He'll recover. He'll recover."
KERRON STEWART BEATS SHERONE SIMPSON (10.87) AND VERONICA CAMPBELL (10.88) AT JAMAICA TRIALS [KRAZILY INSANE]
Jamaica National Championship Meet
JAAA NATIONAL SENIOR TRIALS - 06/27/2008 to 06/29/2008
Jamaica Amatuer Athletic Association
National Stadium, Kingston
Event 1 Women 100 Meter Dash
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World Record: W 10.49 07/16/1988 Florence Griffith-Joyner, USA
NATIONAL Rec: N 10.74 09/07/1996 Merlene Ottey
Name Age Team Semis Finals Wind
==============================================================================
Finals
1 Stewart, Kerron 24 Unattached 11.18 10.80 0.7
2 Fraser, Shelly-Ann 21 Mvp Track Club 11.25 10.85 0.7
3 Simpson, Sherone 23 Mvp Track Club 11.08 10.87 0.7
4 Campbell-Brown, Veronica 26 Unattached 11.24 10.88 0.7
5 Brooks, Sheri-Ann 25 Unattached 11.43 11.17 0.7
6 Bailey, Aleen 27 Unattached 11.38 11.22 0.7
7 Anderson, Nickesha 23 University OF KA 11.27 11.25 0.7
8 Calvert, Schillonie 19 G. C. Foster Col 11.38 11.27 0.7
Semi-Finals
9 Henry, Samantha 19 Unattached 11.43
10 Facey, Simone Unattached 11.48
11 Dowdie, Peta-Gaye 31 Unattached 11.58
12 Booth, Yanique 24 Unattached 11.74
13 Browning, Danielle 26 Unattached 11.96
14 Briscoe, Naffene 19 Edwin Allen High 12.00
15 Wilson, Nicola 20 Unattached 12.12
Ronaldo led the Red Devils' charge to a Premier League and Champions League double last season, peaking the interest of Madrid, who now look to land the superstar for a record transfer fee.
However, United insist their player is not for sale and will not be listening to any offers, but Scolari believes that once Ronaldo has made up his mind, he will not be persuaded to change it.
He said: "I know Cristiano well and I know the type of person he is so I have no doubts about how he will handle himself in the next few weeks.
"People must understand that Cristiano becomes stronger with all the difficulties and the stories about him. I have never known anyone so mentally strong.
"He is so strong mentally and he is in control of his own destiny - and because of that Manchester United can do nothing to hurt him.
"It is his dream to play for Real Madrid and I am sure Cristiano will fulfil his dream whatever the difficulties."
Michael Clarke featured with both bat and ball to inspire Australia to another comfortable victory over West Indies by 63 runs, under the Duckworth/Lewis method, in the second Digicel one-day international at the Grenada National Stadium, yesterday.
Clarke made a fighting 56 that lifted Australia to 213 for five from 50 overs and grabbed three wickets, as West Indies, chasing a revised target of 204 in 41 overs, were restricted to 140 for eight.
West Indies never came to terms with a pitch that was difficult for batting and handed Australia a 2-0 series lead following their 84-run in the opening match on Tuesday in St Vincent.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, returning to the team after missing the last two matches with a calf injury, hit an unbeaten 46 off 77 balls, while Daren Powell lashed 21 off 12 balls and Sulieman Benn 23 not out off 26 balls, but West Indies were badly let down by their top order.
The hosts were struggling on 58 for six in 27 overs when rain interrupted the match at 4:10 p.m., and when the action resumed at 5:05 p.m. they faced the difficult task of scoring another 146 runs in 14 overs.
They managed to prevent a complete embarra**ment, but Australia still won easily.
Poor effort
"Our overall batting effort was a poor effort. I'd say that to the guys," West Indies coach, John Dyson, told reporters. "It's hard to pin-point what has happened. I thought we did some good things in the morning. We bowled very well and fielded very well. It's just a shame in the afternoon that we batted poorly. You've seen at times through the summer the sort of cricket we can play.
"It's just a shame that we are not consistently playing that type of cricket. That's one of the problems playing against a team like Australia and also having a squad that is still improving."
The world champions enjoyed a sensational start by having Xavier Marshall caught by the tumbling wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi from the first ball of the innings.
West Indies continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. After Chris Gayle fell for 10, Andre Fletcher for 19 and Dwayne Bravo for three to leave the total on 49 for four, Clarke pressed home the advantage by cheaply dismissing Patrick Browne (1) and Kieron Pollard (0) and also added the wicket of Darren Sammy (9) after the resumption.
The left-arm spinner finished with three for 26, that followed his half-century, and earned the Man-of-the-Match award.
Impressive
Clarke and Hussey earlier featured in a fourth-wicket century partnership after coming together at 35 for three, but they never dominated proceedings.
Impressive fast bowlers Jerome Taylor and Powell shared the first three wickets in nine overs, but Australia recovered through the efforts of Clarke and Hussey. The left-handed Hussey made 62 from 105 balls with two fours and a six, while Clarke carved out 56 off 98 balls with six boundaries as the pair added exactly 100 in 27 overs.
Taylor struck with the last ball of the first over, when Shane Watson was lbw without scoring to a ball that struck him on the full. Powell, who replaced Fidel Edwards in the team, bowled magnificently to concede only 29 runs in his 10 overs. During his first spell, he had Shaun Marsh caught by wicketkeeper Patrick Browne for 12 as the opener tried to run a ball to third-man.
Taylor tightened West Indies' grip when he dismissed Australia captain Ricky Ponting for 13 on his 300th One-Day International appearance. It was the sixth time this season that Taylor had dislodged Ponting, who fell to a low catch by captain Chris Gayle at short-wicket.
The start of play was delayed by 15 minutes before the problems in switching the sightscreen to a black background. A similar problem that held up the match for a further five minutes, occurred at the opposite end in the sixth over.
The teams meet in the third match of the series at the same venue tomorrow
FIFA: Brazil to face Portugal, Italy in friendly matches
The match against Portugal is scheduled to be played in Brasilia, while the location of the game against Italy is yet to be determined.
Brazil, which dropped to fourth in the latest FIFA rankings, will play World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia in September and against Venezuela and Col****ia in October.
The five-time world champions are winless in three matches - losing to Venezuela in a friendly and to Paraguay in a qualifier, and drawing Argentina at home in another qualifier.
The hosts lost in spite of a blazing 92 from 92 balls by captain Chris Gayle, along with half-centuries from fellow key batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
The win gave Australia a 4-0 lead in the series which they will try to finish off with a clean sweep in the final match tomorrow.
After Gayle, who smashed 10 fours and four sixes, put on 137 in 24.1 overs with Sarwan, who contributed a fluent 63 off 79 balls, West Indies kept on pace with successive half-century partner-ships that involved Chanderpaul, who made 53 off 71 balls.
Gayle and Chanderpaul added an even 50 before the captain fell to a catch at cover. It brought in Dwayne Bravo, who batted with assurance in making 31 off 32 balls in a fourth wicket partnership of 59 with Chanderpaul.
Exciting finish
As the match became tight, Australia kept their nerve and the wickets of debutant Shawn Findlay, who fell to a spectacular diving catch by Mike Hussey at mid-wicket and Chanderpaul, bowled from the last ball of the 49th over, set the stage for an exciting finish.
West Indies needed eight runs from the final over that was delivered by medium fast bowler Shane Watson, but were restricted to six singles from the bats of Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy. Australia's competitive total was built around Andrew Symonds' brilliant 87 off 78 balls that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.
After Australia were kept in check when they were sent in, Symonds increased the tempo to hit 10 fours and two sixes and there was a significant acceleration in the second half of the innings from a position of 121 for three in 25 overs.
Debutant David Hussey assisted Symonds by making a run-a-ball 50 as the pair featured in a fifth wicket century partnership after Australia were initially pegged back by fast bowler Daren Powell and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.
Powell removed Watson and Shaun Marsh to catches by wicketkeeper Ramdin after the openers added 41 in 7.5 overs, while debutant Miller bowled economically for his first seven overs in which he conceded 23 runs.
Mike Hussey (37) and captain Michael Clarke (36) put on 60 for the third wicket but
26/06/2008 8:05:00 PM.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, the subject of intense speculation about a move to Real Madrid, has a house ready for him in the Spanish capital, a Spanish sports newspaper said today.The daily Marca said the Portuguese forward will live in the upmarket district of Morajela next season, not far from Real's president Ramon Calderon and German coach Bernd Schuster.
Marca and another sports newspaper AS said Ronaldo, who is on holiday in Sardinia with his Spanish fiancee Nereida Gallardo after playing for Portugal in Euro 2008, may return to Manchester next week to inform the club's directors that he intends to move to Real.
Manchester United have repeatedly said the player - whose contract runs until 2012 - is not for sale.
Calderon told a Madrid radio station late Wednesday that the club will make no formal move until Ronaldo officially announces his intention to quit Manchester United, with whom he won English Premier League and the European Champions League last season.
"If he continues to insist on wanting to come (to Real) and if Manchester lets him leave, then we will ask" what the price is," he said.
Calderon last week dismissed talk that the Spanish champions would be willing to pay 100 million euros (155 million dollars) for the 23-year-old.
The Spanish press has said Real is ready to pay 80 to 85 million euros for Ronaldo, and offer him a five-year contract worth nine million euros a year.
But Calderon said he does not plan to part with any players to finance the deal, although the Spanish media has said Real may sell Brazil's Robinho to Chelsea.
FEMALE: Kerron Stewart, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Sherri-Ann Brooks, Aleen Bailey, Simone Facey, Nickiesha Anderson, Rosemarie White, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shericka Williams, Shareefa Lloyd, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins, Anastasia Le-Roy, Kenia Sinclair, Madrea Hyman, Korine Hinds, Chelsea Hammond, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Delloreen Ennis-London, Vonette Dixon, Andrea Bliss, Melaine Walker, Nickiesha Wilson, Shevon Stoddart and Olivia McKoy.
MALE: Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Marvin Anderson, Dwight Thomas, Julien Dunkley, Andre Wellington, Christopher Williams, Nesta Carter, Michael Blackwood, Ricardo Chambers, Sanjay Ayre, Allodin Fothergill, Marvin Essor, Lansford Spence, Maurice Wignall, Richard Phillips, Danny McFarlane, Markino Buckley, Adrian Findlay, Isa Phillips, Herbert McGregor, Dorian Scott, Aldwyne Sappleton and Maurice Smith.
MANAGEMENT: Manager - Ludlow Watts; assistant managers - Garth Gayle, Gregory Hamilton and Judith Ewart. Technical leader Donald Quarrie; head coach Glen Mills, coaches - Bertland Cameron, Michael Clarke, Edward Hector and Fitz Coleman. Medical - doctors Warren Blake, Herbert Elliott and Michael Douglas; physiotherapists/masseuse Gaynor Downer and Everald Edwards.SIXTEEN ATHLETES have been selected to represent Jamaica at this weekend's CAC Championships in Cali, Col****ia.
MALE: Lerone Clark, Davaon Spence (100m), Xavier Brown (200m), Dacosmo Wright (110mH), Isa Phillips (400mH), Claston Bernard (decathlon), Herbert McGregor, Julian Reid (long jump), Hickel Woolery (discus).
FEMALE: Aleen Bailey (100m/200m), Moya Thompson, Sonita Sutherland (400m), Julian Reynolds (800m), Caltha Seymour, Zara Northover (shot put), Kateema Riettie (javelin)
Barcelona end season with profit despite lack of trophies
Barcelona finished last season with a profit for the fifth consecutive year, despite failing to win any silverware, the club announced Friday.
Net profits were 10.1 million euros (15.8 million dollars), vice president for finance Ferran Soriano told a press conference.
The club's debt was reduced to 28 million euros, he said.
The last title won by Barcelona is the Spanish Supercup in 2006, a trophy for the winner of a match between the champions of the previous season and the winner of Spanish Cup.
The club, which will enter the preliminary round of the European Champions Cup for 2008-09, has just spent 29 million euros to buy Brazilian defender Daniel Alves from Seville.
Barcelona preparing to start season with Ronaldinho
"We can't rush ourselves (to sell). It's difficult because their are very few clubs in the world that can pay these quantities," Begiristain said.
Barcelona has allowed the players to negotiate with clubs. Manchester City is interested in Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho, while Cameroon striker Eto'o has drawn interest from AC Milan.
Begiristain would prefer to wait for a concrete offer to arrive than rush a deal, since both played a major role in winning consecutive league titles and the European Champions League trophy in 2006.
Ronaldinho is coming off his worst season at the Camp Nou after missing the majority of the campaign to injuries. The Brazilian, often criticized for his social habits, has been dubbed "Gordinho" by the Spanish press after pictures from a friendly match he played at Venezuela several days ago showed the midfielder looking over his playing weight.
"I'm convinced that if finally there isn't a solution with another club, when he starts to train he'll rediscover his form," Begiristan saidReports in Spain suggest the Red Devils' American owners are currently working under the assumption the Portuguese winger will be heading to Real Madrid this summer.
The reports go on to claim that the Glazers, after many meetings with United chief executive David Gill, realise that Ronaldo's departure is inevitable, and must prepare for negotiations with Real over what is sure to be a world record transfer fee.
Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly told United that his client wants to make the move, and although definite negotiations have not yet started, a transfer is being viewed as an inevitability.
It is thought that a bid of around 70-75 million Euros (just under 60million pounds) will be enough to persuade United to sell their prize asset.
Ronaldo is currently on holiday following Euro 2008, and is set to undergo surgery on an ankle injury in the next few days.
Eto'o was deemed surplus to requirements by new Barca coach Pep Guardiola, but could still remain at the club as Begiristain says "there is no news" on a possible transfer.
The 27-year-old currently earns 160,000 Euros per week at the Nou Camp and is unlikely to settle for anything less.
"We are waiting for concrete offers from other clubs so that we can negotiate," Begiristain told the media.
"I understand that this is difficult because there are not many clubs in the world willing to pay these amounts."
And this time, the Reds could also be up against Barcelona.
Spain's big two have emerged as Sir Alex Ferguson's biggest rivals in the race for Dimitar Berbatov. Tottenham's Bulgarian strike ace is top of the United boss's summer wish list - but the Londoners are reluctant to sell to a Premier League opponent.
That stance has left the way open for Real - already at loggerheads with the Reds over their pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo - and Barcelona, with Spurs willing to let their prize asset go abroad for less than the estimated £30m he could cost United.
Berbatov, 27, has spoken openly of his admiration for the double winners' attacking approach, saying: "Giggs, Scholes and Rooney are all fantastic players and Ronaldo plays football from another planet."
Fergie has already indicated he will probably make just one signing this summer with Berbatov his clear favourite.
Should his way be blocked, he could then switch his attention to Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, who is also a target of City and new boss Mark Hughes, who has recently moved to the Blues from Rovers.
Decision
United, meanwhile, are insisting that no decision has yet been made as to whether Ronaldo will need surgery on his right ankle.
Reports emerging from the Portuguese medical team suggested the wing sensation would have an operation in the next few days.
But United issued their own statement about the injury, saying: "Procedures are in place to seek specialist advice, in order to finalise the treatment plan as soon as possible."
United's medical staff met with the medical team from the Portuguese FA and Ronaldo.
"As a result, further specialist advice is being sought and an announcement will be made on any action in due course."
Should it be decided an operation is required, which is likely, it could have a major impact over the Madeira-born winger's fitness for the start of the new season. And that may determine the pace of Real's bid to lure him to the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo is not due back at Carrington for another fortnight and Fergie is yet to speak to him about Madrid's interest.
He refused to comment on his future when he returned to Portugal after a headline- grabbing holiday in Sardinia.
"I can only say that I will spend the period of my recovery in my house in Sintra but regarding my future I cannot say anything," Ronaldo said.
One hush-hush compromise to the saga could be Ronaldo staying at United for another season, while a deal with Real is thrashed out for his departure in 2009.
The Russia international was one of the finds of the Euro 2008 competition, having already piqued interest during his club's successful UEFA Cup campaign.
Zenit spokesman Konstantin Sarsania said: "On Thursday, players from the national team return to our training camp.
"Arshavin and his agent Pavel Andreev are to clarify their position with us then.
"We do not want to sell Arshavin. That's exactly why we need Andrei to meet the bosses of the club - to understand what he is really after.
"My understanding was that he would like to go and play abroad. But he isn't only interested in moving to Barcelona.
"There's also Chelsea. Andrei never rejected the idea of moving there.
"The Chelsea managers know the situation and have already talked to his agent."
However, manager Arsene Wenger is determined to hold onto the 24-year-old, and a price tag of around £38 million has seemed to dissuade Milan from pursuing the forward, with vice-president Adriano Galliani stating on Wednesday it would be "impossible" to lure Adebayor away from the Emirates Stadium.
But Adebayor's agent Stephane Courbis claims his client has not demanded an increase in wages at Emirates Stadium, and that the club must step up their efforts to show their willingness to retain his services.
"It is vital that Arsenal show their motivation to keep him," agent Courbis said.
"There has been a love story between Adebayor and Arsenal and his relationship with Arsene Wenger is based on trust and respect.
"If this was a money problem, then he would have asked to leave. He is a man of heart, not of money. He is not greedy."
SEVEN POTENTIAL PLAYERS TO REPLACE CRISTIANO RONALDO [KRAZILY INSANE]
WITH Cristiano Ronaldo on the verge of quitting Manchester United, We have to look at the contenders to replace to Portuguese superstar.
United boss Alex Ferguson will have a hefty wod of cash to spend should Ronaldo move on.
Some of the biggest names in the world are likely to be in the frame to move to Old Trafford.
Here are my top seven big-name picks to make the switch. (Mzja feel free to disagree). Note CR7 was not a forward. He is a midfielder, so these are a list of potential players who I think could fit into the Manchester United team.
Robinho, 24, Real Madrid and Brazil
Value: £30million
STRIKER who could be used as a makeweight in the deal to take Ronaldo to Real Madrid. Like the Portuguese star, he is known for his stepovers and tricky dribbling. A natural goalscorer who would be a huge asset to United's forward firepower.
Ricardo Quaresma, 24, Porto and Portugal
Value: £20million
WINGER who is in the same mould as Ronaldo. Silky skills and audacious tricks are matched with the ability to deliver pin-point crosses. Not as prolific in front of goal as his national team-mate but scores spectacular long-range strikes.
Ronaldinho, 28, Barcelona and Brazil
Value: £10million
UNITED boss Alex Ferguson was on the verge of signing Ronaldinho in 2003 before he went to Barca. Manchester City and Chelsea are also interested in the forward who would be the ideal big-name superstar to replace Ronaldo.
Dimitar Berbatov, 27, Tottenham and Bulgaria
Value: £25million
A LONG-TERM United target who would be make up for the loss of Ronaldo's goalscoring. Has proved himself in the Premier League since joining Spurs two seasons ago for £10.7m. Would now cost double that amount.
Samuel Eto'o, 27, Barcelona and Cameroon
Value: £20million
PROLIFIC striker with deadly accurate finishing. The powerful hitman has been told he is free to leave Barcelona, despite scoring an incredible 16 goals in 18 games last season. Tottenham and Inter Milan are also interested in him.
Franck Ribery, 25, Bayern Munich and France
Value: £25million
DUBBED the new Zinedine Zidane, Ribery can play anywhere across the midfield. Despite a poor showing as France crashed out of Euro 2008 and a serious injury, the ex-Marseille man is one of the world's top talents.
Deco, 30, Barcelona and Portugal
Value: £12million
MIDFIELDER who looks set for a move to Chelsea or Inter Milan but could be an outsider to join United. Would add experience as well as plenty of creativity to provide assists for Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.
Villa have already turned down three offers from Reds boss Rafael Benitez for their star player. Barry has been disciplined for criticising manager Martin O'Neill in the Sunday papers.
Barry said the club had made little effort to convince him to stay on and that he had not heard from manager O'Neill since the end of the season.
A club statement said: "The report in today's paper of a £17 million offer for Gareth Barry is inaccurate.
"The club have received a renewed offer from Liverpool for the player but that still falls well short of Aston Villa's evaluation, and has subsequently been rejected."
Benitez is said to be interested in signing the 27-year-old England international to play alongside Reds skipper Steven Gerrard. The two are said to be friends and they play well together for the national team.
Manchester United officials have termed as premature press reports that star winger Cristiano Ronaldo will have to undergo surgery on his right ankle.
The reports said the Portugal international had no option but to go under the knife and that he would be out of action for up for six weeks in order to recover.
Manchester United, however, have issued a statement saying that no decision has been taken on how to proceed with the injury.
'Manchester United medical staff met with the medical team from the Portuguese FA and Cristiano Ronaldo in Lisbon today (Wednesday) regarding the ongoing treatment of his injured right ankle,' the club statement said.
'As a result, further specialist advice is being sought and an announcement will be made on any action in due course.'
Ronaldo's future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, with Real Madrid striving to lure him away from Old Trafford.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has become increasingly frustrated by Real's very public courting of Ronaldo, whose Old Trafford contract runs until 2012. And that led United to report the Spanish giants to FIFA although the global governing body have taken no action against Real.
Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals in all competitions for United last season as they won both the English Premier League and Champions League titles, has added to the uncertainty surrounding his future with a series of contradictory statements regarding whether he wants to stay at United or play for Real.
Ronaldo revealed after the European Championship that he had been playing in pain for three months while also steering United to English Premier League and European Champions League titles.
No decision has been made on whether the 23-year-old Ronaldo requires surgery, but there is greater uncertainty about whether the winger will still be in United's care next season.
"Manchester United medical staff met with the medical teams of the Portuguese FA and Cristiano Ronaldo in Lisbon today regarding the ongoing treatment of an injury to his right ankle," United said in a statement.
"As a result, further specialist advice is being sort and an announcement will be made on any action in due course."
Ronaldo has spoken openly of his intention to join Real Madrid to advance his career, and wouldn't commit himself to the Red Devils on Wednesday despite the club repeatedly vowing to block a transfer.
Brazilian striker Jo joined Manchester City from CSKA Moscow on Wednesday for what the English Premier League side said was a 'club record' undisclosed fee.
The 21-year-old forward, capped once by Brazil, signed a four-year contract and in the process became Mark Hughes's first major signing at Eastlands since he replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson as City manager.
Jo, full name Joao Alves de Assis Silva, is a left-footed forward who joined several fellow Brazilians at CSKA in 2006 when he moved from Corinthians.
It had been reported that City expected to pay around 19 million dollars (38 million dollars) for the striker, who scored 44 goals in 77 matches for the Russian club.
'I decided to come to Manchester City because it is one of the clubs who showed more interest in me, although I had other offers as well,' Jo said at a press conference announcing his signing.
'After I spoke to the manager (Hughes) I was very pleased.
'I was told Manchester City is a club going forward at the moment. We can go places, that is our objective. We thought about it and I decided to come to Manchester City for that reason.'
Jo added Valencia were City's main rivals for his signature. 'The club who showed interest officially was Valencia,' he said. 'I know from the press there were other clubs who showed interest.'
Hughes told the club's website, mcfc.co.uk: 'He's a big talent and a young man with a big future.
'A lot has been said about him and there was a big expectation on him coming out of Brazil. So with the success he's had I think it's a real coup that we've been able to bring him to the club.
'He's a big guy, in stature and in ability, so I think everybody will enjoy watching him play.'
During his time with CSKA, Jo won the Russian league and cup double in 2006 and also made numerous Champions League appearances for the Moscow club.
Last season City finished ninth in the Premier League but that wasn't enough to prevent club chairman Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai premier, getting rid of the ex-England manager after what was widely agreed to have been a successful first year in charge at Eastlands for the Swedish boss.
Eriksson was replaced by former Wales and Blackburn Rovers manager Hughes last month.
(a) form over the last 12 months,
(b) potential and
(c) transfer fee involved.
10. Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff City to Arsenal)
It was intriguing to see Arsenal and Manchester United to toe to toe for this promising 17-year-old. Arsene Wenger's youth policy won the day, and The Emirates faithful will get to enjoy the skills of the best young player to come out of Wales in recent years. He sneaks in at number ten.
9. Mirko Vucinic (Roma/Lecce to Roma)
The Giallorossi have finally secured full ownership of the Montenegrin, purchasing the second half of his contract from Lecce for a meaty 12 million euros. Is he worth 24 million today? Probably not. However, he has improved massively over the last 12 months, and continues to get better by the day.
8. Martin Caceres (Villarreal to Barcelona)
The 20-year-old Uruguayan is regarded as one of the best young defenders in La Liga, and Barcelona wasted little time snapping him up from Villarreal. A touch overpriced at around 16 million euros, but a great signing for the future nonetheless, particularly with Carles Puyol beginning to show his age.
7. Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina to Atletico Madrid)
At long last, Atleti have made a good defensive signing. They were in denial last summer when they failed to take concrete steps, but have landed just the man to lead their defence upon their return to the Champions League after over a decade. That he comes for free makes it even better.
6. Alberto Gilardino (Milan to Fiorentina)
On the face of it, it looks like the Viola have signed an unhappy, out of form striker. However, that was just what Adrian Mutu's move from Juventus looked like not so long ago. The fans will help him forget Milan in a hurry, and rediscover the striker that wowed Calcio when at Parma. The partnership with Mutu can be backed to produce some special moments in the Champions League.
5. Seydou Keita (Sevilla to Barcelona)
The best signing Barcelona have made this season, particularly in light of the way their soft underbelly was exposed on the road last season. With him partnering Yaya Toure in the middle, it will ensure that the likes of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi do not get bullied, and also get the full license to thrill. 15 million euros worth their value.
4. Ezequiel Garay (Racing Santander to Real Madrid)
What a capture! Barcelona seemed to have him in the bag, but hesitated a little too much as they waited for Frank Rijkaard to leave and a new coach to take charge. Madrid managed to snatch Sergio Ramos a few years ago, and what a signing that has turned out to be. This one may be no different.
3. Amauri (Palermo to Juventus)
The Brazilian-Italian striker makes it to number three after earning himself a long overdue move to a top four club. He has already shown his potential with Palermo, and the prospect of him getting some top quality service from the Juve midfield is simply mouth-watering. Champions League, here he comes.
2. Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb to Tottenham)
The hottest young Croatian was snapped up by Spurs despite the interest of clubs such as Barcelona and Chelsea, and what a signing it has already turned out to be. Looks set to become the jewel in Juande Ramos' midfield next season. He makes it to number two on our list.
1. Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal to Milan)
The underrated Frenchman was one of Arsenal's best players last season, and Milan's signing of him is most definitely the biggest coup of the summer thus far. That it was a free transfer makes it even better.
Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany in Sunday's Euro 2008 final lifted it three places to make it just the sixth team after France, Germany, Brazil, Italy and Argentina to hold top spot in the 15-year-old rankings.
Brazil dropped to fourth place in the list published Wednesday, the first time since November 1993 that the five-time World Cup holders have been outside the top three.
The Spanish, who with seven matches in June played more than any other side, headed an all-European trio.
Italy's troubled run to the quarterfinals was enough to push it up one spot to second place, albeit with 1,404 points to Spain's 1,557, while Germany jumped two places to third on 1,364.
The fact that most of the major action took place in Europe caused Brazil and Argentina to slip.
Last month's No. 1 Argentina was sixth, with the Netherlands' blistering first-round performances at Euro 2008 - which included a 4-1 win over France and 3-0 win over Italy - enough to move it between the South American rivals.
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Portugal and France rounded out the top 10, followed by Russia, which was the biggest riser in the top 50 with its Euro 2008 semifinal spot lifting it 13 places to No. 11.
England and Greece, which lost all three of its first-round matches to surrender the European title it won in 2004, both dropped out of the top 10 - to 15th and 18th respectively.
Cameroon was the highest-ranked African team in 13th, with Mexico at No. 19 the best of the CONCACAF sides. Japan was the best-placed Asian nation at No. 34, just four spots behind the free-falling United States - down nine places.
The next set of rankings will be published on Aug. 6.
A magnificent third-quarter run propelled Majesty Gardens to a hard-fought 64-56 win over the JDF in the KFC/National Basketball League (NBL) on Sunday at the National Stadium courts to lift them into joint first place with Tivoli Wizards with nine points.
Kemar McLeish with a game-high 21 points and 19 rebounds and Boldon Todd with 20 points and 18 rebounds, c****ined to turn back the soldiers. Havando Dunn also contributed 12 points.
Fuertado Clarkes was the JDF's top-scorer with 12 points and 15 rebounds; his best support came from Denroy Barnaby and Dermaine Foster with 10 points each.
In a keenly contested first-half, both teams were tied at 14-14 after the first quarter and at half-time Majesty led by only one point.
However, the Ludlow Barker-coached side came out in the third quarter and literally blew away their opponents to take a 47-30 lead going into the final period.
And though the JDF reduced the score to three points in the final two minutes, McLeish, Todd and company held on for the win.
In the evening's other game, Omar Barnes posted a game-high 24 points and pulled six rebounds as champions Urban Knights defeated Arnett Gardens Rockers 60-56, for their fourth consecutive win.
Oneil Mundle with 11 points and seven rebounds and Andy Smith with 10 points and nine rebounds also gave good support.
Knights are now tied on eight points in second place with Port Royal Bulls and Blazing Panthers.
Arnell Campbell was Arnett's top-scorer with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, in the lone game at the Mobay Cricket Club, former winners St George's Slayers eased past Catherine Hall All-Stars 87-48 to maintain a perfect start from four games.
Dwayne Goulbourne had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the winners and Anthony Burton 10 points.
Neville Christie led All-Stars with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Dave Black and Vermaine Rennie both had 10 points.
In action on Saturday, Majesty Gardens stopped Runnin' Rebels 73-70 thanks to a game-high 27 points from McLeish and 21 points from Todd. Lynford Brown led the Rebels' effort with 15 points, followed by Leighton Lewis with 12 points and Greg Warlock with 11.
In the evening's other game, the Port Royal Bulls, through 20 points from Leighton Meeks, 17 points from Damion Young and 13 points from Paul Oliphant, turned back Portmore Flames 72-69. Darin McKenzie led the scoring for Portmore with 18 points, followed by Kenadon Smith with 14 points and Ryan Peddlar with 12.
I Am Paid For, a five-star banker
by Jimmie, Star Racing Writer
A BANKER in a tough race, that's all Pick-9 bettors dream of, especially with the jackpot expected to reach $20 million tomorrow afternoon, starting at the second event.
A Super-6 carryover of $1.2m is even more reason to nail a tough race and spread bets elsewhere on the programme, such as the 1000-metre straight sixth race for $180,000 claimers.
Lawrence Freemantle's I AM PAID FOR is tomorrow's STAR Sports banker for the 1400-metre seventh race at 1820 metres.
Outclassed among Overnight Allowance runners on June 7, I AM PAID FOR reports down in class and working reasonably well to put away $390,000 claimers at his favourite distance.
Throw I AM PAID FOR's last run out the window and note his third-place finish to STRONG DELIVERY and UNLEADED at 1820 metres on May 31 and a fifth-place run behind CHADMAN, UNLEADED and DR SOCRATES on May 3.
Freemantle watched the staying six-year-old gelding gallop a half-mile out of the chute in 50.0 last Friday morning and should be reasonably satisfied with that blowout ahead of tomorrow's run down in class.
Richie Mitchell has been supremely confident aboard his mounts of late and I AM PAID FOR's running style, from off the pace, should suit him well.
A suspect favourite on the card is GOOD HOPE in the one-mile third event in which Richard Azan's GABROUSHE could upset.
The gelding was spotted making a sweeping move leaving the three-furlong pole on last when finishing fourth behind H****RE, PRIDE'N'GLORY and RAHMAN at 1820 metres on June 21.
GABROUSHE stayed third to well inside the final furlong before PRIDE'N'GLORY came with his one-paced run. Now going a mile, GABROUSHE should track the speedy PLEASURE FLIGHT, who could run GOOD HOPE into the ground.
Closing bestGOOD HOPE is bound to start favourite but it should be noted that GABROUSHE ran in a blinkers when HOLY PRINCESS beat them both on June 4.
In his previous race, GABROUSHE ran without blinkers and had HOLY PRINCESS behind at 2000 metres.
Elsewhere on the programme, PRINCESS SHEILA gets the nod for the Overnight Allowance event at 1100 metres after catching the eye last week, closing best of the rest for second behind course specialist NASATOL at 1000 metres straight.
Quietly fancied at odds of 3-1, PRINCESS SHEILA raced prominently in mid-track from the start but lacked the speed of RIO INFINITO and NASATOL but came forward willingly inside the final half-furlong to outfinish the American-bred debutant SISTER CAT for second.
Reverting to the round course, PRINCESS SHEILA will be more comfortable although renewing rivalry with RIO INFINITO, SISTER CAT and another speedster, THE BEST MAN.
She has been bumped up in the weights, from 50 to 55.0 kilos, a rather unjustifiable movement, considering SISTER CAT has only picked up a half-kilo after finishing a half-length behind PRINCESS SHEILA.
However, PRINCESS SHEILA's previous effort, a big third-place run behind ACCOMPONG and PRINCE TERRON at a mile, suggests she should be too strong inside the final half-furlong tomorrow, especially with the speedsters expected to run themselves into the ground.
Barring the unknown quantity, SISTER CAT, the others are, at best, short runners, who PRINCESS SHEILA should stalk and reel in with her superior finishing speed, guided by Paul Francis.Upsets continue at Wimbledon
The crowd applauds Britain's Andy Murray as he wins a point from France's Richard Gasquet, during their men's singles, fourth-round match on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, yesterday. Murray won 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4. AP
Wimbledon has already lost its top-four seeded women's players, while the Williams sisters keep rolling toward another sibling final. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are also closing in on another title matchup.
Yesterday's fourth-round play at the All England Club produced more upsets at the top of the women's seedings, but also offered more convincing wins from the champions and title contenders.
40-year historySecond-seeded Jelena Jankovic, hobbled by a knee injury, fell 6-3, 6-2 to Tamarine Tanasugarn. No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion, lost 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 to 19-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska.
With top-seeded Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Maria Sharapova eliminated last week, none of the top-four seeded women reached the quarterfinals - the first time that's happened at Wimbledon and also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament in the 40-year history of the Open era.
The highest women's seeded player left is No. 5 Elena Dementieva, who cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Shahar Peer. Only three of the top 14 seeded women are left.
The other two are the Williams sisters, and they posted back-to-back victories on Court 2 - nicknamed the 'Graveyard of Champions' for its history of upsets. They questioned why they weren't put on Centre Court or Court 1.
Defending champion and seventh-seeded Venus Williams beat Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-4, while two-time winner and No. 6 Serena downed Bethanie Mattek - the only other American left in the men's or women's draw - 6-3, 6-3.
Later, the sisters made it 3-0 on Court 2 for the day, beating Anabel Medina Garriques and Virginia Ruano Pascal 6-1, 6-4 to reach the quarters of the women's doubles.
Between them, four-time champion Venus and two-time winner Serena have won six of the last eight women's singles titles at Wimbledon. They're in opposite halves of the draw and could meet in the final Saturday. The Williams sisters faced each other in the 2002 and 2003 finals, with Serena winning both.
Winning streakIn men's play, Federer swept Lleyton Hewitt - the last man to win the title before his run of five straight titles - 7-6 (7), 6-2, 6-4 on Centre Court to extend his winning streak on gra** to 63 matches and 38 in a row at the All England Club. Federer, who served 21 aces, has now beaten his Australian rival in 12 consecutive matches.
Federer will next face the last player to beat him on gra** and at Wimbledon - Croatian Mario Ancic, who won in the first round in 2002. Ancic came from two sets down Monday to beat Fernando Verdasco 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 13-11. The final set alone lasted 1 hour, 35 minutes.
No. 2-ranked Nadal, runner-up to Federer the last two years, overcame an injury scare in the second game of the match and beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal slipped on the worn turf behind the baseline on Court 1 while stretching to hit a forehand, with his right leg bending awkwardly. After losing the point, he took a medical time-out, and a trainer wrapped his leg below the knee. The Spaniard lost the next point and the game, but showed no sign of trouble and dominated the rest of the way.
"I felt a little bit of pain," the four-time French Open champion said. "I was a little bit scared. I felt something crack a little behind (the knee). But I think it's fine."
Nadal's quarterfinal opponent will be Britain's Andy Murray, who came from two sets down to beat No. 8 Richard Gasquet 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4 in a Centre Court match that ended in near-darkness at 9:30 p.m. After hitting a service winner on his second match point to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, Murray flexed his biceps to the capacity crowd of 15,000.Asian nations set to throw cricketing lifeline to Zimbabwe
Asian nations set to throw cricketing lifeline to Zimbabwe
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)
Asian countries led by India are expected to oppose any move to ban Zimbabwe at a meeting of the International Cricket Council at its headquarters here this week.
The ICC's executive board, which is meeting in Dubai this week as part of a five-day annual conference that began Sunday, is expected to debate the contentious issue of Zimbabwe over the next two days.
Last week, Zimbabwe reacted angrily to the threat of expulsion by the ICC over the country's political turmoil.
Zimbabwe Cricket chief Ozias Bvute said Saturday: "We are a full member of FIFA and are currently participating in a World Cup qualifying campaign, we have a swimming programme which has produced Kirsty Coventry, a recent winner in the world championships. So it would be strange that the only sport to take action on so-called current worries is cricket when all the other world sporting bodies have not taken that stance."
New phenomena"I cannot speculate on the outcome, but we have obviously noted the actions of others," Bvute told the British Broadcasting Corp. ahead of the ICC meeting. "Over the last few years there have been problems between England and Zimbabwe. This is not a new phenomena."
Barring a direct instruction from the Government of India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI - the financial powerhouse of world cricket - has made it clear it would vote against the move, initiated by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa.
India's BCCI chief Niranjan Shah said yesterday that his group "would like to fully support Zimbabwe Cricket."
"We will go by our government's guidelines, which will be applicable to specific tours and interactions with Zimbabwe, but nothing has come so far," Shah said.
Any move to oust Zimbabwe would require a two-thirds majority vote - or seven votes out of the 10 full ICC members.
The Pakistan Cricket Board, which is sending its 'A' team on a tour to the African country, has also indicated it will support Zimbabwe. With Sri Lanka and Bangladesh usually voting the same way as the other two Asian nations, Zimbabwe is expected to retain its status in world cricket.
The first two days of the annual conference saw the ICC Chief Executives Committee holding a series of meetings for world cricket's leading administrators on a range of matters relating to the game.Members of Jamaica's World Junior Championships team pose for a group photograph before departing the island yesterday for Bydgoszcz, Poland. Anthony Foster
Jamaica's team to the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland left the island yesterday.
The team, headed by St. Jago High's sprinter Yohan Blake, the only individual medalist from Beijing, China two years ago, departed at 3:30 p.m. for London en-route to Poland.
Danny Hawthorne, head coach of the junior group, said the athletes are expected to deliver their best.
"As usual we always expect the best from our athletes, and I am pretty, pretty sure they will give us their best this time," Hawthorne said.
Hawthorne, who is also the coach of St Jago's girls' team added that they also hoped to take home more medals than previous years.
Full squad: Females: Kaceya Jones, Jura Levy, Shawna Anderson, Danielle Jeffrey, Antonique Campbell, Natoya Goule, Shermaine Williams, Latoya McDermott, Gayon Evans, Shana-Gaye Tracey, Natasha Ruddock, Amoy Blake, Misha-Gaye DaCosta, Salcia Slack, Nikita Tracey, Kayon Robinson and Trish-Ann Hawthrone.
Male: Vaughn McKenzie, Dexter Lee, Nickel Ashmeade, Yohan Blake, Warren Weir, Rolando Berch, Kemoy Campbell, Ramone McKenzie, Akino Ming, Rasheed Dwyer, Oshane Bailey, Keiron Stewart, Andre Peart and Tarik Batchelor.
Management team: Ian Forbes (manager); Merlene Hamilton and Neville Myton (assistant managers); Jerry Holness (technical leader); Danny Hawthorne (head coach); Mark Prince, Michael Dyke, Leacroft Bolt, Claude Grant (coaches); Celia Innerarity (masseuse) and Charmaine Scott (doctor).
'It's my home field'
GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor
Jamaica's Tyrone Marshall (centre) celebrating a goal in the friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago on March 26 at the National Stadium. The Reggae Boyz will face Canada at Marshall's home field in Toronto on August 20. - file
For the Reggae Boyz, Jamaica's World Cup qualifying football match against Canada next month will be a road trip. For everyone, that is, except Tyrone Marshall.
The defender will be right at home on August 20 at the BMO Field in Toronto, where he is in his second season with professional club Toronto FC of United States Major League Soccer (MLS). The arrangement, though not fulfilling all his wishes, still suits him just fine.
welcome relief"At first I was hoping they would have the game in Montreal," he said yesterday. "The pitch is very good there. It's a gra** field. BMO is field turf, artificial."
But Marshall is not complaining.
"The (BMO) field has its good and bad," he argued. "It's my home field. I know the ins and outs of it."
The "good" is that the ball will roll smoothly, suiting the Boyz' passing game, and provide welcome relief after they suffered through the bumpy surface at the multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny during their last qualifier against The Bahamas on June 18.
The "bad" is that the surface can serve up a higher bounce than natural gra** and gets a bit slick and fast when wet. The players will also have to be careful that their cleats do snag the surface.
"You also have to watch the footing," said Marshall, who revealed that he cautiously avoids longer cleats when he practices on the field with his club, but uses them in games. "You can get caught in the rubber."
Yet Marshall insists that the BMO pitch at the 20,000 capacity stadium, the only one built specifically for football in Canada, is "decent to play on." Any negative, he added, is far outweighed by the positives the Boyz can expect in Toronto, where Marshall believes his team will be comfortable. The climate for the 6:30 p.m. (Jamaica time) kick-off should be balmy and nice - "just like Jamaica" - he said, "probably in the high 60s, low 70s".
"The weather should not be a big factor," Marshall said.
Neither should fan support. Toronto has a large Jamaican community. Those, added to the normal traveling band of loyal Reggae Boyz supporters, including those who plan to cross the border from the US, could bring a huge advantage for the visitors.
"The Jamaican turnout won't be a problem," Marshall said. "I'm kinda getting excited about it being here ... Jamaicans will bring their vibes and that's what gets the players going."
The Canadians, including the national players at Toronto FC, may already be a bit worried.
"I keep teasing them that we would play here in Toronto," said Marshall about teammates Jim Brennan, a midfielder, and goalkeeper Greg Sutton. "They said they don't want (the game) there because more Jamaicans will be there than Canadians."
The Boyz will need all the help they can get. Jamaica are lined up in the so-called 'Group of Death' in the CONCACAF semi-final round alongside Canada, Mexico and Honduras. Only two teams will advance. Overall, Canada have a record of six wins, two losses and five draws against Jamaica. In World Cup qualifiers Jamaica and Canada share a win each, plus two draws. Neither team has ever played at the BMO Field.
According to Marshall, it will be important for Jamaica to get off to a good start to the round on August 20.
"I know it's going to be a tough game," he said. "The Canadians are very tough. They have a very talented squad and now they've started to believe they can play together.
"We're going to have our hands full. But we have to go out and get some type of positive result."
At least Marshall won't have to travel too far to do that.
Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.
Toronto FC's Jeff Cunningham (right) and Kansas City Wizards' Jimmy Conrad, compete for the ball during first half MLS action at BMO Field in Toronto on Saturday, June 21. AP
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Frank Lampard's continued presence at Chelsea this season will be one of the top tasks of Luiz Felipe Scolari when the new Stamford Bridge boss officially starts work at the club on Tuesday.
The 2002 World Cup winning coach with Brazil will also have the task of trying to hang on to defender Ricardo Carvalho, as well as England international Lampard.
Scolari has a week to settle in before the players return from their summer break from the club scene and he has been known to be on the lookout for a number of purchases, including Real Madrid striker Robinho.
Lampard has one year remaining on his current contract and the holidaying midfielder has refused to rule out a move to Inter Milan when quizzed over his future.
The Blues insist they have received no bids from any club for the England international despite reports suggesting Inter Milan are ready to offer him a four-year deal worth 7.1 million pounds (nine million euros).
Lampard, 30, is currently enjoying the sun with his wife and children on a luxury yacht cruising off the coast of Italy.
Lampard looked happy and relaxed as he ate an ice cream and browsed stalls at a street market in Taormina near Catania, Sicily.
'Inter? Let's wait and see,' said Lampard when questioned about a proposed move. 'For the moment I am here on holiday with my family. My future at Chelsea? I don't know anything yet.
'Italy is a beautiful country but I am not due to meet anyone here.'
Scolari also looks as though he will lose defender Carvalho, another target for former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.
Chelsea were planning to hold contract talks with the Portugal international, who has only just started a holiday because of his involvement in Euro 2008.
AC Milan appeared to be leading the race to sign the Togolese forward, but the 24-year-old has now declared he might be interested in a move to Spain.
Adebayor has warned Arsenal he may be forced to look for job else where if his pay demands are not met, even though Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has admitted his desire to keep him in London.
"Milan are a big club but the fact they are not playing in the Champions League next season is less of a challenge," Adebayor said.
"Barcelona have made a good financial offer and there is also the chance to play alongside great players.
"Yes, I am still under contract to Arsenal but it's up to the directors to satisfy my demands or I'll leave.
"If my good form of last season has increased my value, my employers have to take account of that.
"I have to prepare for my retirement. Even if you are not scoring fine goals and you have money, you can enjoy a happy retirement.
"The time for preparing for that moment is now."
Sevilla's Brazil international defender Daniel Alves will join Barcelona for next season, the two clubs said on their websites Tuesday.
Spanish media said Alves's transfer fee was for about 30 million euros for a four-year contract.
He arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday for a pre-transfer medical checkup and could be officially presented by the club on Wednesday.
Sevilla reported his departure on its website, while Barcelona announced his arrival in the eastern Spanish city and quoted him as saying playing for the club is 'a dream' and 'a very big challenge.'
It would be the third defender signed by Barca for next season after the recent transfers of Spain's Gerard Pique from Manchester United and Uruguay's Martin Caceres from Spanish club Villarreal, while Italy's Gianluca Zambrotta and Frenchman Lilian Thuram have left.
The 25-year-old Alves, an attacking right back who can also play in midfield, almost moved to Chelsea last year.
Last month he had said he wanted to leave Sevilla where he has played since 2002.
Andy Roxburgh, the former Scotland coach who is head of UEFA's Technical Committee, said that Spain's superior technical ability at the June 7-29 championship had earned the title for Luis Aragones' team.
"We have chosen Xavi because he epitomizes the Spanish style of play. He was extremely influential in the whole possession, passing and penetrating kind of game that Spain played," Roxburgh said Monday, the day after the final in Vienna's Ernst Happel stadium.
Roxburgh explained that the nine-man technical committee, which also included former national team coaches such as Gerard Houllier and Roy Hodgson, did not include players from teams who were eliminated in group play, such as France.
Explaining Ronaldo's absence, Roxburgh said he was a member of an impressive Portugal team which reached the quarterfinals but then went out 3-2 to Germany. Ronaldo could have been included if the team had made it to the semifinals and he had played well. But the only Portuguese players in the squad were defenders Jose Bosingwa and Pepe.
Runner-up Germany, which made its sixth Euro final but has not won an international title since the 1996 European Championship, had three players in the squad - defender Philipp Lahm, captain Michael Ballack and attacking midfielder Lukas Podolski, who scored three goals.
Only one player made it from the disappointing, defense-minded Italian team, which went out on penalties to Spain in the quarterfinals - goalkeeper and team captain Gianluigi Buffon, who kept out a penalty against Romania and made a standout save in Italy's 2-0 victory over France.
Russia, which was one of the surprises of the tournament in advancing to the semifinals under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, had four players in the squad, including strikers Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin, the Zenit St. Petersburg playmaker who helped his club win the UEFA Cup shortly before the championship. Arshavin missed Russia's first two group games because of suspension but his goals and passes helped the Russians beat Sweden and the Netherlands on the way to losing 3-0 to Spain in the semifinals.
Turkey also made it to the semifinals, losing 3-2 to Germany, and had one player in the squad, Hamit Altintop.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Edwin Van der Sar (Netherlands).
Defenders: Jose Bosingwa (Portugal), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Carlos Marchena (Spain), Pepe (Portugal), Carlos Puyol (Spain), Yury Zhirkov (Russia).
Midfielders: Hamit Altintop (Turkey), Michael Ballack (Germany), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Xavi Hernandez (Spain), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Luka Modric (Croatia), Lukas Podolski (Germany), Marcos Senna (Spain), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Konstantin Zyryanov (Russia).
Strikers: Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain).
Spain fan found dead in Madrid after Euro celebrations
The body of the man, wearing a red Spain jersey, was found in the center of the Spanish capital with head injuries apparently sustained from a fall, reports said.
In all, 65,000 turned out to watch Spain's 1-0 victory over Germany at the Colon Square public viewing area on Sunday with 52 arrests.
It was Spain's first major trophy in 44 years. It won the European Championship on home soil with a 2-1 victory over the Soviet Union.
Chelsea are expected to make a host of signings over the coming weeks and Ronaldinho has dropped the strongest hint yet that he could be on his way to Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old is full of respect for newly-appointed Blues boss Scolari after working with him at the 2002 World Cup and concedes that joining him at Stamford Bridge could be an option.
"I am a Barca player. I am only focused on training," Ronaldinho said in an interview.
"With respect to where I am going to play, if I will stay or if I will go, all that is in the hands of my brother.
"It is marvellous that Felipao (Scolari) is interested in signing me because he is an excellent coach. I have a lot of respect for him because I have known him since I was very young and he was coach of Gremio.
"If the chance came up to work with him again then it would be very good. We have a history together in the game, we won the World Cup, and that is something I will never forget."
Lyon's France international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa has finally joined Marseille after the clubs reached an agreement on his transfer, the French football league (LFP) said after a meeting on Tuesday.
The undisclosed fee was reportedly to be for up to 20 million euros and it was the exact price which stymied negotiations, which once looked set to go through quickly a week or so ago.
The LFP said in a statement: 'The transfer (of Ben Arfa from Lyon to Marseille) is sealed (...) from the date of June 30.'
The player himself said on leaving the three-hour meeting of the LFP's disciplinary commission: 'I am relieved. The only thing to say now is that I am a Marseille player.' He had in fact trained with Marseille earlier on Tuesday.
Ben Arfa won his first full cap against the Faroe Islands last year but failed to make the final cut for the French Euro 2008 squad.
The attacking midfielder is widely regarded as one of France's best rising stars, along with Lyon striker Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri, who is thought to be heading to Arsenal.
Ben Arfa - who had also been linked with a move to the Gunners - joined the French champions in 2004, aged only 17, and helped them to four consecutive championships between 2005 and 2008.
Lyon are undergoing personnel changes as new coach Claude Puel prepares his squad for the coming season.
The club are looking to focus their efforts on the Champions League - a tournament in which they have never before reached the last four.
The Portuguese winger has been upfront about his hope to transfer to the Spanish champions, while United have emphatically stated they will not sell their star. Torres believes if that is what he wants, the move will take place.
Torres said: "He has everything. Players at this level also have no problem adapting to any situation.
"Whatever he decides, it will be best for he and his club. When someone wants to go, they go.
"Nobody wants to have someone who doesn't want to be at their club, but if in the end he stays, he'll continue with a great club.
"He'll be a rival wherever he is."
Spain's team doctor Jesus Jimenez said Villa has a small rupture in his right leg muscle that will take five-to-10 days to heal.
"He's been ruled out of the final," Jimenez told reporters.
Villa, who leads the tournament with four goals, limped off in the 34th minute after taking a free kick during Thursday's 3-0 semifinal win over Russia at Ernst Happel Stadium.
Villa, who's scored the only hat trick at Euro 2008 against Russia in Spain's 4-1 win in the group stage two weeks ago, said after the match he would likely sit out the final.
"I'm a little sad that I won't be there to take part, but it's better that a teammate who is fit plays instead of me, particularly as my injury has left me limping quite badly," Villa said.
Despite Villa's absence, Spain dominated the Russians with attacking midfielder Cesc Fabregas replacing him and setting up two goals.
DONALD QUARRIE, one of Jamaica's greatest sprinters, believes Usain Bolt has what it takes to attempt the 100-200 metres double at this year's Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Bolt's coach Glen Mills, despite the athlete's world-record 100m run of 9.72 at the Reebok Grand Prix on May 31, said he is not sure his charge would take on the sprint double.
However, Quarrie, Jamaica's most successful sprinter with a gold and silver in the 200m and 100m from the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, thinks Bolt is capable of bettering his feat.
"I think he is ready for it. His times have proven that he is capable of running fast, he is capable of doing the rounds and I am sure his preparation will get him into a position where he will perform at the highest level," said Quarrie, who also won bronze in the 200m at the Moscow Games in 1980.
The rumour mill is in full swing and yet again there have been some outrageous stories to go with those that have some truth. We round up the best of the worst......
Ronaldinho to Boca JuniorsJust two years ago the Brazilian superstar was priceless, with Barça president Joan Laporta stating that he would not be sold for less than 100m, but since then so much has changed. AC Milan looked set to offer him a new arena in which to impress and revitalise his career, but the Italians could not finalise a deal and have now lost interest.
Manchester City have also made an offer, but the player himself is not keen on going to Eastlands, so the media were left with no story. Then Boca Juniors stepped into the fray with the Argentinian club's vice president Juan Carlos Crespi allegedly telling Ronaldinho: "See you when you come to Boca, you will really enjoy it."
That was enough for everyone to suddenly think that a loan deal could be struck and that he truly could be heading for Argentina. But the reality is that not only could Boca not afford his wages, Ronaldinho has no intention of moving to la b*m**onera. "For the time being he has no plans to return to South America," he brother and agent, Roberto de Assis said.
Del Piero to Inter
This was one rumours that drew worried Juve fans and excited Inter fans in, but there was a simple explanation. Nobody was about to see the legendary Vecchia Signora forward dressed in the blue and black of José Mourinho's team.
Instead, it was Jago Del Piero, the Italian-Brazilian who plies his trade with Treviso. The interest is concrete and he could well become an Inter player in the future.
Juve fans can breathe a sigh of relief because despite the media's best efforts to make it look like Alessandro, people we only fooled for a moment.
Samuel Eto'o to Marseille
The Cameroonian striker may want to stay with Barcelona while Barcelona are keen to receive a small fortune for him, but either way the rumour linking him to Marseille was an act of desperation by someone short of a story.
That is not meant as any disrespect to the French league giants, but given the fact that finances in France are not on the same scale as England, Spain and Italy, his wage demands, let alone the transfer fee, would be way out of their orbit. L'OM have big money to play with, but if AC Milan and Inter find Eto'o too expensive then that tells the whole story.
Klaas Jan Huntelaar to Roma
On the face of it there is no reason why Roma should not make their interest known in one of the continent's most highly rated young striker. But all is not as it seems.
The one small detail missing from the story is that Roma and Ajax do not have the best relationship after the transfer of Christian Chivu to the Italian club some years ago caused a rift.
The Dutch club made several complaints about the slow payment and had had to wait a couple of years before being given the money for the Romanian defender. Under the circumstances, it is truly intriguing that the Giallorossi be linked with the Ajax starlet. And we have not even come to the potential transfer fee involved.
Salvador Cabañas to Manchester United
Cabañas has risen to prominence with his strong performances for Paraguay in the World Cup 2010 qualifiers and has attracted some interest, but there are definite question marks over whether English and European champions Manchester United really want him.
This time the story was not an invention of the press as the player's agent was the one that stated that the Red Devils' made enquiries almost two months before the story finally made it to the papers.
One key to this story is that Cabañas' contract with Club América is due to expire and his representative is trying to put pressure on the club by using other club's interest as a tool. But claiming United are interested may have been too much.
Let us know if you think that there have been even more outrageous rumours and stories this summer, but remember to give your reasons why you think the new was completely made up or just could not happen.
Top 50 Paid Football Players In The World For 2007/08 Season
Men 100 Meter Dash
=====================================================================
World: W 9.72 5/31/2008 Usain Bolt, JAM
American: A 9.77 6/28/2008 Tyson Gay, adidas
OT: T 9.77 6/28/2008 Tyson Gay, adidas
Hayward: S 9.77 6/28/2008 Tyson Gay, adidas
Name Year Team Finals Wind
=====================================================================
Finals
1 Tyson Gay adidas 9.68 4.1
2 Walter Dix Florida State 9.80 4.1
3 Darvis Patton adidas 9.84 4.1
4 Travis Padgett unattached 9.85 4.1
5 Rodney Martin Nike 9.97 4.1
6 Leroy Dixon Nike 9.99 4.1
7 Michael Rodgers Nike 10.01 4.1
8 Xavier Carter Nike 10.11 4.1
USAIN BOLT (9.85) BEATS ASAFA POWELL (9.97) IN JAMAICA TRIALS [KRAZILY INSANE]
Jamaica National Championship Meet
JAAA NATIONAL SENIOR TRIALS - 06/27/2008 to 06/29/2008
Jamaica Amatuer Athletic Association
National Stadium, Kingston
Event 2 Men 100 Meter Dash
==============================================================================
World Record: W 9.72 05/31/2008 Usain Bolt, Jamaica
NATIONAL Rec: N 9.72 05/31/2008 Usain Bolt
Name Age Team Semis Finals Wind
==============================================================================
Finals
1 Bolt, Usain 21 Racers Track Club 10.40 9.85 -0.1
2 Powell, Asafa 25 Mvp Track Club 10.30 9.97 -0.1
3 Frater, Michael 25 Mvp Track Club 10.09 10.04 -0.1
4 Anderson, Marvin 26 Unattached 10.15 10.11 -0.1
5 Thomas, Dwight 27 Unattached 10.20 10.22 -0.1
6 Dunkley, Julien 32 Unattached 10.55 10.23 -0.1
7 Wellington, Andre 21 Mvp Track Club 10.59 10.44 -0.1
-- Carter, Nesta 22 Mvp Track Club 10.04 DNS -0.1
Semi-Finals
9 Barnes, Winston 19 Mvp Track Club 10.21
10 Williams, Ricardo 31 Unattached 10.34
11 Forsythe, Mario 24 Racers Track Club 10.49
12 Spence, Davoan 26 Unattached 10.57
13 Mullings, Steve Unattached 10.59
14 Fisher, Kawayne 22 Lincoln University 10.60
15 Clarke, Lerone 26 Unattached 10.66
16 Morgan, Orlando 24 Mvp Track Club 10.68
16 Campbell, Clement 32 Unattached 10.68
18 Saunders, Jesse 22 Mvp Track Club 10.73
19 Robinson, Marlon 23 Mvp Track Club 10.74
20 Plummer, Yhann 25 Unattached 10.81
20 Terrelonge, Gavin 22 G. C. Foster Col 10.81
22 Taylor, Tristan 20 Unattached 10.89
23 Harvey, Jacques Mvp Track Club 11.23
-- Waugh, Ainsley 26 Mvp Track Club
-- Edited by postinor at 12:36, 2008-06-29
Fergie plans solitary signing - United boss rules out transfer rush
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he will be in no rush to bring in new faces following the end of Euro 2008.
There has been little transfer activity at Manchester United or anywhere else over the last few weeks with many top players away with their countries.
Following the end of the tournament, clubs are now returning for pre-season and Ferguson expects a busy period in the market.
However, the Scot has revealed that he does not plan to make more than one signing as he is happy with the squad that won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League last season.
He told Sky Sports News: "The European Championship derails transfer activity. Nothing really happens when the championships are on.
"Obviously, now that is all over, people settle down.
"Managers are back at their clubs and you can get some dialogue now if they are interested, but I wouldn't think (we would buy) any more than one player.
"We are looking at one or two things."
Spanish triumph
Spain ran out winners at Euro 2008 after an impressive 1-0 victory over Germany in the final on Sunday, and Ferguson was delighted with the result.
Luis Aragones' men played stylish football throughout the tournament and Ferguson believes it would have unfair if they had lost out.
"When a team plays that type of football it's a triumph for the game," he said.
"I was pleased for them, it was a really good performance last night.
"Spain were a far, far better team (than Germany) and I think they have been the best team."
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