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CRAIG MacTavish and the Edmonton Oilers couldn't stop the Calgary Flames. The best they could do was silence the opposing mascot.



Harvey the Hound, the Calgary Flames' 90-kilogram mascot, got too close to the Oilers' bench and under the skin of Coach MacTavish.



Already dealing with an impending 4-3 loss to the Flames on Monday night, MacTavish answered Harvey's repeated taunts with a yank that ripped out the white dog's foot-long red tongue.



The Flames let a four-goal lead turn into a nail-biter as Edmonton's Brian Swanson, Marty Reasoner and Mike York scored in a span of less than four minutes late in the game, but the Oilers couldn't get the tying goal and lost their second straight.



Calgary escaped with a win, but Harvey didn't get away so lucky. "(Harvey) was in a place he shouldn't have been," Flames spokesman Peter Hanlon said.



With 37-year-old Dave Lowry added to Calgary's top line, Craig Conroy had two goals and an assist, and Jarome Iginla set up three goals. Lowry had his first goal of the season and two assists.


Stanley Havili Jersey
Chris Drury also scored for the Flames. It was the first three-point game of the season for both Iginla and Conroy, who have spent all season trying to find their form from last season.



In Boston, Joe Thornton had a goal and two assists, setting up Glen Murray's goal with 4:26 left as Boston rallied from a two-goal deficit to hold the Capitals 3-3.



The goal deprived Olaf Kolzig of his 200th victory as Washington's winless streak reached four games (0-2-2). Kolzig stopped 38 shots and held on as the Capitals killed a double minor that stretched into overtime. Steve Shields stopped 26 shots for Boston, 2-7-1 in its last 10.



In Florida, Jan Bulis and Doug Gilmour scored 38 seconds apart in the third period to lead Montreal past the Panthers 3-2.



Bulis scored the go-ahead goal with 4:49 left. Oleg Petrov also scored for Montreal and Jose Theodore stopped 31 saves as the Canadiens broke a five-game road losing streak. Roberto Luongo had a shutout streak of 144 minutes, 51 seconds broken.



In Anaheim, California, Nick Schultz scored the tying goal midway through the third period and Antti Laaksonen won it 2:53 into overtime as Minnesota rallied to beat the Mighty Ducks 2-1.



Dwayne Roloson made 30 saves in his club-record eighth straight appearance. Petr Sykora scored for Anaheim in the first period.



In Columbus, Ohio, Sean Pron-ger, David Vyborny and Rick Nash scored first-period goals and Marc Denis had 37 saves as the Blue Jack-ets outplayed the Blackhawks 5-1.



Ray Whitney and Grant Marshall Sam Baker Jersey each had a goal and an assist and Mike Sillinger had two assists as the Blue Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak and handed Chicago its fourth consecutive road loss.



In Raleigh, North Carolina, Scott Mellanby and Al MacInnis scored in the opening 9 minutes as St. Louis trounced Carolina 5-3 鈥?a franchise-record seventh-straight home loss for the Hurricanes.



The win moved the Blues past Detroit atop the Central Division. Carolina, the defending Eastern Conference champions, fell to 1-10-1-1 in their last 13.



St. Louis took a 3-0 lead 27 Stefen Wisniewski Jersey minutes in but Ron Francis, Rod Brind'Amour and Jeff O'Neill scored in a 7-minute span to pull Carolina to 4-3 with 4:33 left. Mellanby scored an empty-net goal with 16.5 seconds left.



In Tampa, Florida, Vaclav Prospal had a goal and three assists as Tampa Bay snapped Ottawa's five-game winning streak with a 6-2 trouncing. Martin St. Louis added a goal and two assists for Tampa Bay, which ended an 11-game winless streak against the Senators. The Lightning won for just the second time in 10 games. Marian Hossa and Magnus Arvedson scored for Ottawa.



In other NHL games, it was, Dallas 1, Colorado 1; and Phoenix 3, San Jose 1.


]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11584372113.html Thu, 01 Aug 2013 18:49:03 +0900
PORTUGAL'S Porto has thrown down the gauntlet to unheralded Colombian side Once Caldas ahead of tomorrow's World Club Cup in Yokohama, Japan.



Porto beat Chelsea 2-1 in midweek to advance to the last 16 of the European Champions League and give the club a huge lift going into the last edition of the annual clash between the champions of Europe and South America under its present one-off format.



"This is the last Intercontinental Cup," Porto coach Vitor Fernandez said yesterday. "I want to show that European clubs are superior to South American teams by winning it."



Though Rocky Bleier Jersey less of a force than when it won the Champions League under present Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in May, the Porto players also feel they will have the edge in Yokohama.



South African striker Benni McCarthy vowed that Porto te Livings Jersey would win the World Club Cup for the second time after beating Penarol of Uruguay 2-1 in extra time to win the title in 1987.



"It's natural for European clubs to win because the best players in the world are playing in Europe," said Porto's top scorer. "As a bonus I hope I'm man of the match so I get that nice car (on offer)."



Talismanic goalkeeper Vitor Baia, who has been recovering from a thigh injury, should be fit to return to the squad for the match this weekend.



However, South American clubs have traditionally taken the World Club Cup more seriously than their European opponents and have won 22 times against 20 victories for Europe.



Once Caldas will perhaps feel it is destined to win it after overcoming defending champions Boca Juniors on penalties to win the two-leg Libertadores Cup final in July.



Certainly Once Caldas's players are relishing the challenge of bringing the unofficial title of the world's best team to the small-town club from Manizales in the Colombian Andes.



"I'm trembling with nerves and excitement," said captain Samuel Vanegas.



Coach Luis Fernando Montoya warned that his team was capable of springing a surprise in Yokohama.



"We represent South America and that's Robert Malone Jersey a big responsibility," he said. "We may not have lots of money but you can still have success ? we've proved that and want to do it again."



Once Caldas, a small, provincial club from Manizales in the Colombian Andes, managed to walk off with the Libertadores Cup after dispatching Brazilian giants Santos and Sao Paulo in the quarterfinals and semifinals.



Caldas overcame defending champion Boca Juniors on penalties to win the two-leg final and turn South American club football on its head.



Its win can only be compared to a small-town team from East Europe upstaging Juventus, Real Madrid and Arsenal and winning the Champions League.



Japan will host a new-look 2005 and 2006 World Club Cup competition, which will comprise a club from each of soccer's six confederations.



Although the win against Chelsea has rejuvenated the club, Porto is a far less potent side than it was when it lifted the European Cup under Jose Mourinho last May.



It would, therefore, be something of an irony for the side to be crowned World Club Champions this weekend for the second time. It first won the trophy in 1987 when it beat South American champion Penarol of Uruguay 2-1 in extra time.



Several players left Porto after Mourinho quit for Chelsea.



International defenders Paulo Ferreria and Ricardo Carvalho followed Mourinho to London and playmaker Deco crossed the border to Barcelona.



It was never going to be easy for Spaniard Fernandez, who took over with Porto in turmoil after outspoken chairman Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa had first hired and fired Luigi Del Neri.



The chairman is himself in hot water after being charged by the authorities for allegedly trying to influence referees.


]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11575835558.html Fri, 19 Jul 2013 12:12:56 +0900
DERON Williams hit a running hook shot with 0.8 seconds left to cap a fourth-quarter rally as the Utah Jazz beat the host Charlotte Bobcats 96-95 last night.

Williams finished with 17 points and nine assists for the Jazz, who overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to win their fifth straight game and fourth on the road.

Al Jefferson had 19 points, Paul Millsap 17 and Andrei Kirilenko 12 for Utah, which had to overcome double-digit deficits in winning its previous three road games.

Nazr Mohammed had 22 points and 20 rebounds for the Bobcats, who led by as many as 19 points in the first quarter and held a 73-63 margin going into the final period. Charlotte remain winless at home after four games.

Hornets 107, Trail Blazers 87

In New Orleans, David West and Marco Belinelli each scored 18 points to continue New Orleans unbeaten start to the season.

New Orleans, the only undefeated team in the NBA, led from start to finish and have held every one of their opponents this season below 100 points.

Portland cut a 17-point deficit to 75-70 early in the fourth quarter, but New Orleans responded with a 16-5 run to put the game away.

Heat 109, Raptors 90

In Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 31 points, LeBron James added 23 points and 11 assists and the Miami Heat ended a two-game losing streak with a win in Chris Bosh's first game against his former club.

James Jones had 14 points, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Bosh each scored 12 points for Miami.

For the visitors, Andrea Bargnani scored 22 points and nine rebounds, while DeMar DeRozan added 21 points. Jose Calderon and Sonny Weems each scored 15 and Amir Johnson finished with 14 for the Raptors, who were within four points of the Heat midway through the fourth quarter.

Bucks 79, Warriors 72

In Milwaukee, John Salmons scored a season-high 26 points, including a basket with 50.8 seconds left, to lead Milwaukee to a win over Golden State.

Brandon Jennings added 19 points and Drew Gooden scored 16 as the Bucks registered 50 per cent shooting for the first time this season.

Monte Ellis led the Warriors with 24 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome their season-lowest shooting of 34.1 percent.

Bulls 103, Wizards 96

In Chicago, Derrick Rose scored 15 Russ Grimm Jersey of his 24 points in the second half, outplaying rival Washington point guard John Wall.

Joakim Noah had 21 Sean Taylor Jersey points and nine rebounds for Chicago, which earned its third consecutive victory in its last home game until December 1. The Bulls open a seven-game road trip Tuesday at Houston.

Pacers 99, Cavaliers 85

In Cleveland, Danny Granger scored 34 points as Indiana pulled away in the second half to defeat the short-handed Cleveland.

The Cavaliers lost their fourth straight home game for the first time since March 2003, but were without starters Mo Williams (strained left groin) and Anderson Varejao (bruised ribs).

Granger shot 13 of 21, including 5 of 8 on his 3-point attempts. Mike Dunleavy scored 20 points for the Pacers while Roy Hibbert had 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Magic 91, Nets 90

In Newark, New Jersey, Jameer Nelson scored the winning shot with only 4.1 seconds left to help Orlando avoid a third straight loss.

Nelson redeemed himself after missing two free throws with 19 seconds to go, with Orlando leading by one point. Brook Lopez then made two foul shots to give New Jersey the lead with 11.5 seconds remaining, but Nelson sped down court and tossed in a floater while falling to his left.

Dwight Howard had 16 points and Steve Smith Jersey 10 rebounds for the Magic, who have dropped two straight at home.

Celtics 116, Grizzlies 110

In Memphis, Ray Allen hit a key 3-point shot in overtime and Paul Pierce scored 28 points as Boston held off a furious rally by Memphis.

Rudy Gay's short pull-up jump shot for Memphis with 7.3 seconds left in regulation tied it at 99.


]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11575434056.html Thu, 18 Jul 2013 21:41:20 +0900
MOST playoff teams would expect to get more than 166 yards passing from their starting quarterback. For the Chicago Bears, however, it represents a giant leap forward.



Rex Grossman didn't pile up gaudy statistics in his first regular-season start in nearly 15 rris Claiborne Jersey months. But his ability to throw accurate deep passes gave the Bears a new dimension, helping them clinch the National Football Conference North and a first-round bye with a 24-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.



"We mixed it up a little bit," Grossman said. "We saw a lot of tape where we could do some things down the field, and we made a few plays there. We got a lead and came back to our running game and great defense."



The Bears (11-4) also swept the Packers for the first time since 1991. "I don't think you can change the magnitude of winning in Green Bay or clinching the division in Green Bay," said linebacker Lance Briggs, who returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. "It's the Packers. They're our biggest rival."



The Packers (3-12) are well Sedrick Ellis Jersey on their way toward their first losing season in the Brett Favre era. With one game remaining, the futures of Favre and coach Mike Sherman remain in doubt.
Rod Woodson Jersey


"This one really hurts, because we didn't want them to win the division on our field," Packers defensive tackle Grady Jackson said. "This season feels like a bad dream."



The season has been a nightmare for Favre, who tried to rally the Packers in the final minute but came up short. A potential game-tying drive ended with yet another Favre interception.



Favre had four more passes picked off on Sunday, bringing his total to 28 for the season and surpassing his previous career high of 24 in 1993.



"Anytime a quarterback gets four interceptions, you have to look at that," Sherman said. "I do know this: He gave us a chance to win there at the end."



Favre has gone four straight games without a TD pass, the first time in his career he has gone more than two games without throwing for a score.



Favre, who has yet to decide if he will return to play next season, didn't speak to reporters after the game.



Favre outdueled Grossman with 317 yards on 30-of-51 passing, including six passes to Donald Driver for 106 yards. But Grossman threw more effective deep passes, opening up space for running back Thomas Jones. Jones had 25 carries for 105 yards and a TD.



"It was great to see the offense do that," coach Lovie Smith said. "It was good to see the defense finish the job at the end. It was a great team effort, a great team win."



Grossman missed most of last season with a knee injury, then broke his ankle in a preseason game in August. He was replaced by rookie Kyle Orton, who played mostly mistake-free football but didn't make spectacular plays.



Smith replaced Orton with Grossman in the second half of the Bears' victory over Atlanta last Sunday night. After naming Grossman his new starter, Smith spent most of last week proclaiming that the Bears weren't about to deviate from their identity as a run-first offense.



But the coach gave Grossman license to let it fly.



Grossman heaved a deep pass toward wide receiver Bernard Berrian on the Bears' first offensive play. The pass fell incomplete, but Grossman kept throwing.



Grossman completed his next five passes, including three for first downs and a 12-yard TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad on third-and-goal from the Packers 12.



Grossman set up the Bears' second TD with a 54-yard heave to Berrian; a subsequent roughing penalty on Packers defensive end Michael Montgomery gave Chicago first-and-goal on the Packers 9.



Jones plunged into the end zone two plays later, putting the Bears ahead 14-7.






]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11572799502.html Mon, 15 Jul 2013 09:37:53 +0900
CHINA extended its golden run at the ongoing Doha Games which was hit by another positive doping test yesterday.



Xie Limei won the ninth athletic gold medal for China after capturing the women's triple jump yesterday. The 20-year-old secured the victory on her fourth attempt at 14.37 meters.



"It's an unexpected win," said the Asian champion, who dethroned Chinese veteran Huang Qiuyan with a result of 14.38m for the title last year.



"I was under pressure after failing on my first attempt and then my Uzbek rival scored a very good 14.26m on her second attempt," said Xie, referring to the eventual silver medalist Anastasiya Juravleva.



Li Qian, the only other Chinese Robert Malone Jersey in the final, was third on 13.78m.



China's policy of blooding youngsters paid off again when 17-year-old Xue Fei won the 5,000m with a time of 15:40.12.



In sailing, Chen Lina took the honors in the women's Mistral class yesterday. Chen, 21, won the first sailing event at the Games with a tiny edge over her rival Chan Wai Kei from Hong Kong.



The two had an equal net 12 points, but Chen scored five first finishes out of the total nine races, while Chan had four.



Also, Chinese duo Ma Xiaojie and Huang Shaokun scooped the men's C2 1,000m canoe and kayak competition after overcoming strong challenges from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. They finished in 4:22.003 seconds.



Athens Olympic champion Yang Wenjun took everyone by surprise by finishing fifth in the men's C1 1,000m. He put the loss to wind and choppy waves. Li Zhen and Lin Miao of China took the men's K2 1,000m with a winning time of Rolando McClain Jersey 3:56.51.



In tennis, the top four women's seeds advanced to the semifinals here. Top seed Li Na ousted Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan and will face fourth-seeded Sania Mirza from India.



Second-seeded fellow Chinese Zheng Jie will play Japan's Aiko Nakamura, seeded third.



In women's hockey, China outplayed Malaysia 4-1 to set up a showdown with Japan in the final.



Meanwhile, a top Olympic official said that the blame in doping cases should not stop with the athlete.



"Before we point the finger to say who's committed this or who's doing that, we have to look at all aspects, the education, the culture and the economical aspects of these cases," Husain al Musallam, Olympic Council of Asia director general, said yesterday.



Weightlifter Oo Mya Sanda of Myanmar was stripped of her 75-kg class silver medal yesterday after testing positive for a banned metabolite of an anabolic agent.



On Sunday, two Uzbek weightlifters tested positive for banned substances and were disqualified. That was announced 24 hours after the Than Kyi Kyi was identified as the first doping case of the games.



"You will find in a lot of regions, for these athletes to be recognized, or be rewarded, or get a better education or living, the coach or officials try their best to prepare her to compete at a high level," he said. "They have the wrong information and use the banned substance on the body of the athlete."



On the track, Shingo Suetsugo of Japan and Ruqaya Al Ghasara of Bahrain won the men's and women's 200 meters.



South Korean golfers felt right at home at the Doha Golf Club. Kim Kyung-tae and Ryu So-yeon won individual honors and led the men's and women's teams, respectively, Santana Moss Jersey to gold medals on the same course that will host the Qatar Masters on the European and Asian pro tours at the end of January.



Meanwhile, Qatar Olympic officials reiterated their plans to bid for the Summer Olympics.



Shiekh Saoud bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee, said Qatar would "keep trying until we win" if they are unsuccessful in getting the Olympics in 2016.














]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11570657193.html Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:14:17 +0900
RUGBY UNION



DRAMA-LADEN matches in Paris and Dublin have set up the possibility of a grand slam showdown on the final weekend of the Six Nations when Ireland meets a rejuvenated Wales.



Ireland justified its pre-tournament favorite's tag with a 19-13 victory over world champion England, while Wales dug deep to come back from 12-0 down and beat Six Nations champion France 24-18 at Stade de France.



Ireland heads the Six Nations table after three rounds on points difference over Wales, the tournament's surprise package.



It was no surprise that Ireland was chosen by many as their pre-tournament favorite. The draw suited it, away to Italy and Scotland before settling into the harder games against England and France at home, and the team led by the mercurial Brian O'Driscoll was showing signs of finally maturing into a world-class unit.



A 19-13 win over England to end the world champion's run of 22 victories at Twickenham last year was built on in November when it beat Tri-Nations champion South Africa 17-12.



Comfortable victories in Rome (28-17) and Edinburgh (40-13) followed before the defeat of England in Sunday's dramatic but hardly technically perfect game, a win coach Eddie O'Sullivan said was the end result of a slow-building jigsaw puzzle.



"You don't plan these sort of endings to games but when you come through them, like we did against South Africa in November, it goes towards the confidence and belief of the team," he said. "If we go back two or three years we wouldn't have won that game. We would have Sione Pouha Jersey probably shipped a try or two and lost."



While Ireland heads the table, Wales has joined them as the only other unbeaten side so far.



Wales did not win a game in the 2003 championship during its 10 successive losing streak, before almost catching New Zealand and England by surprise with a high-tempo game at the World Cup. It then pushed the All Blacks (26-25) and South Africa (38-36) close in November.



This year it has beaten England (11-9), Italy (38-8) Stephon Gilmore Jersey and France and a victory over Scotland 鈥?with Ireland beating France in two weeks 鈥?would set up the winner-takes-all grand slam showdown with Ireland in Cardiff on the final weekend.



Wales's return after so long in the international wilderness is refreshing, given the off-field battles that swept through the principality in 2003.



After a bitter wrangle the Welsh Rugby Union reorganized the professional game and established four regional sides, following the model used in the Tri-Nations countries and Ireland.



The payoff has been a fitter, stronger, more competitive national side, whose high-paced performances has already bought comparisons to the great Welsh teams of the 1970s.



"You sense that something is building in Welsh rugby," former Wales captain Mervyn Ryan Succop Jersey Davies wrote in the Independent. "The burst of energy at the start of the second half was on par with anything we produced in the 1970s."



England, by contrast, has slipped appreciably since winning the World Cup in 2003 and long-term injuries to several first-choice players has not helped new coach Andy Robinson's planning.



England's lack of penetration and inventiveness in its backline has also been exposed, something that was picked up by British newspaper columnists.



"England performed as well as their talent permitted," wrote James Lawton in Monday's Independent.



Simon Barnes, writing in The Times, added the present side was struggling to come to terms with the World Cup legacy.



"The present side are haunted by the team that once was," wrote Barnes. "That former side ... intimidated the life out of every team they faced.



"Today they intimidate the life out of the England team that followed them."


]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11568876286.html Mon, 08 Jul 2013 17:48:01 +0900
STEVEN Gerrard scored a hat trick yesterday in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Aston Villa, putting the team within one point of Premier League leader Manchester United, which still has a game in hand.

After beating United 4-1 last week, Liverpool took full advantage of the defending champions' 2-0 loss at Fulham on Saturday, getting further goals from Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera. Liverpool has now scored 11 goals in its last three league matches, giving the team a better goal difference over United.

"It's more than we expected," said Gerrard, who scored two of his goals from the penalty spot. "Villa are a fantastic team and have been going well this season, but they've had a dip in form of late and it was important we never let them settle. We got an early goal and built on it."

Kuyt needed only eight minutes to score against a Villa side which is chasing one of the four Champions League spots. Xabi Alonso's glancing header from a free kick taken by Gerrard hit the crossbar and Kuyt reacted quickest to send the rebound into the net from 12 meters (yards).

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina started the second in the 33rd minute, sending an 80-meter (yard) clearance that bounced once on the edge of the penalty area before Riera volleyed the dropping ball past Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Riera provided the opening for Liverpool's third in the 39th. The Spain winger was brought down in the penalty area by Nigel Reo-Coker, and Gerrard sent Friedel the wrong way with his spot kick.

In the 50th, Carlos Cuellar brought down Kuyt and Gerrard sent the resulting free kick into the bottom corner of Friedel's net.

Friedel was then sent off for bringing down Fernando Torres as he surged forward to meet Alonso's ball, and Gerrard scored another penalty in the 65th.

It was Liverpool's biggest win of the season and came four days after Benitez signed a new five-year contract. But United leads the league with 65 points, followed by Liverpool with 64 and Chelsea, which lost at Tottenham 1-0 Saturday, with 61.

"Manchester United are capable of winning their remaining games so it's just important to keep focusing on what we're doing - keep winning, stay on their shoulders and pounce on any mistakes they make," Gerrard said. "Chelsea are there, too, and we're still aware of them, too. It's a good break now.

"We go away with our international teams and hopefully will come back and get Ryan Mathews Jersey ready to go again."

Micah Richards scored his first goal in 2? years to lead Manchester City over struggling Sunderland 1-0. The England defender rose to head Elano's free kick past Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop in the 56th minute.

Robinho, who hasn't scored for City in 2009, missed a penalty after City was awarded Robert McClain Jersey the spot kick in the 22nd when Steed Malbranque brought down Richards.

"He wants to make a positive impact and he was disappointed not to put that one away," City manager Mark Hughes said. "There were a few opportunities in the second half as well. The desire was there for everyone to see but he can't quite get that crucial goal."

Sunderland was reduced to 10 men when George McCartney was sent off in the 15th for tugging the back of Shaun Wright-Phillips as he was chasing a through ball.

Sunderland remains three points above the relegation zone - one behind Hull, which lost at Wigan 1-0.

Wigan wasted several chances, with Mido hitting the post, before Ben Watson scored the lone goal in the 84th minute. Mario Melchiot's long throw-in was only half cleared by Matt Duke's weak punch and the ball dropped to Watson, who looped a volley over the Hull goalkeeper.

The bottom three all failed to win Saturday. West Shonn Greene Jersey Bromwich Albion, which drew 1-1 with Bolton, is last with 24 points. Middlesbrough has 27 points after losing at Stoke 1-0, two behind Newcastle, which was beaten by Arsenal 3-1.

Also Saturday, Portsmouth rallied to beat Everton 2-1 and Blackburn held West Ham to a 1-1 draw.


]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11562428013.html Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:32:42 +0900
SPAIN'S David Ferrer reached his fourth grand slam quarterfinal this year when he beat Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in a rain-hit US Open last-16 tie on Tuesday which took over seven hours to complete.

Ferrer, the top-ranked Spaniard in New York Tarell-Brown-jerseys in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, saw off 13th-seeded Frenchman Gasquet in two hours and 54 minutes of playing time. But two lengthy rain delays meant the tie, which started shortly after 1:15pm local time, did not finish until just before 8:30pm.

Fourth seed Ferrer will face either Serb eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic or Philipp Kohlschreiber, the German 19th seed, for a place in the semifinals. Tipsarevic was 5-2 up against Kohlschreiber.

Kohlschreiber Kevin-Huber-jerseys was facing another night-time battle having equalled the US Open record for a late finish when he completed his third round win over John Isner at 2:26am on Monday morning. The German reached his first grand slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon this year.

"The rain made it very difficult," said Ferrer. "But the fans have been great and I wanted to win it for them."

The 30-year-old Ferrer took a 7-1 career lead over Gasquet into the last-16 tie, having also triumphed at the same stage at the Australian Open this year. He made that 8-1 on a fifth match point. Ferrer was a semifinalist in New York in 2007 and is currently enjoying one of his best years on tour with his five titles second only to the six won this year by Roger Federer.

Victoria Azarenka survived a ferocious comeback from defending champion Sam Stosur to reach the US Open semifinals.

Azarenka traded blows with Stosur for nearly two and a half hours on a blustery Arthur Ashe Stadium court to beat the foul weather and her opponent in a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 thriller.

The world No. 1 will play either Maria Sharapova or Marion Bartoli in the semifinals and will remain atop the world rankings regardless of how much further she goes in the tournament.

Bartoli was leading 4-0 lead against Sharapova.

Defending men's champion Novak Djokovic was leading Stanislas Wawrinka 2-0, while 2003 winner Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, had played one point of their tibreaker.

In each of the last four years, the tournament has stretched into a third week because of thunderstorms, triggering an annual debate and complaints from players and spectators over why there is Kyle-Cook-jerseys still no roof over the courts. The United States Tennis Association has balked at the idea because of the enormous cost of covering Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium in the world.


]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11555207049.html Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:18:53 +0900
BLACKBURN Rovers dumped 10-man Chelsea out of the League Cup 4-3 on penalties yesterday after a quarter-final thriller ended 3-3 following extra time at Ewood Park.

In a roller-coaster match that saw the Premier League leaders twice fall behind only to grab a dramatic 122nd-minute equaliser, it was left to teenager Gael Kakuta to fluff the decisive penalty kick.

Big-spending Manchester City beat a young Arsenal team 3-0 in the night's other quarter-final to set up a mouth-watering clash with holders and local rivals Manchester United in the last four.

With manager Sam Allardyce absent after Jayron-Hosley-jerseys undergoing heart surgery, Blackburn went ahead when Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic sidefooted home in the ninth minute.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti responded with a triple substitution at halftime and the gamble paid dividends three minutes later when striker Didier Drogba headed in with almost his first touch of the ball.

Salomon Kalou, sent clean through with only goalkeeper Paul Robinson to beat, calmly slotted in four minutes later to make it 2-1 to Chelsea but Blackburn levelled when Danny-Batten-jerseys keeper Hilario completely missed an intended cross by Brett Emerton.

Kalou then limped off injured in the 73rd minute, leaving Chelsea with only 10 men.

Blackburn went back in front in extra time with a Benni McCarthy penalty before Robinson flapped at a cross from the left and Paulo Ferreira grabbed Chelsea's third goal in time added on.

Kalinic and Chelsea's Michael Ballack both missed in the shootout before Robinson saved a weak attempt from Kakuta.

"We are disappointed but we have to look at the match, I think that the first half was not good but the second and extra time was very good," Ancelotti told Sky Sports television.

"We played 10 against 11 and showed a very good mental attitude and spirit."

Blackburn's assistant manager Neil McDonald praised his players' spirit: "You always have to have the belief," he said.

"We always felt that if they changed the team we could get at them and try and stop the flow of football."

Manchester City, who have recorded seven successive draws in the Premier League, clinched their first appearance in a domestic cup semi-final since 1981.

After going in 0-0 at the break, they stamped their authority on Arsenal with second-half goals from Carlos Tevez, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Vladimir Weiss.

United Calvin-Pace-jerseys beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday while Villa cruised past Portsmouth 4-2 at Fratton Park.
]]> https://ameblo.jp/kendall25l/entry-11552064516.html Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:54:21 +0900
FIFA president Sepp Blatter will run for re-election in 2011, saying yesterday he still wants to introduce new initiatives to develop football worldwide.

"I have not finished my mission in football. I need more time," Blatter told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I hope that in 2011 the FIFA Congress once more has faith in me, otherwise I'll go back to my village."

The 73-year-old Swiss was elected president of FIFA in 1998, and then survived corruptions accusations to win the 2002 election.

He was elected unopposed for a third time in 2007.

Blatter did not formally declare his candidacy to his 23 colleagues on FIFA's ruling executive committee when they met in Rio de Janeiro three weeks ago.

"There was no announcement. But it's not a surprise," FIFA executive member Marios Lefkaritis from Cyprus said. "We are talking about the presidency of FIFA and the (election) congress is only 18 months from now. A candidate should announce or make his intentions known."

Lefkaritis, who represents UEFA at FIFA, said Blatter presided over a successful annual congress in the Bahamas last June.

"For seven years I think everything has been harmonized," Lefkaritis said. "It has been a long, long Jason-Avant-jerseys time since there was aggressive behavior."

FIFA's next congress will be held on June 10-11 in Johannesburg on the eve of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Candidates can be nominated by any of FIFA's 208 national member associations, and must be proposed in writing at least two months before the congress. The winning candidate must achieve two-thirds of valid votes recorded in the first round of a secret ballot, or a Marcus-Sherels-jerseys simple majority in subsequent rounds.

Blatter also said that FIFA was wrong to seed the European World Cup playoff matches.

FIFA was criticized for announcing only a few weeks ago that the eight playoff teams from Europe would be seeded.

Ireland coach Giovanni Trappatoni claimed it was a way of ensuring that the more powerful teams, such as France and Portugal, were given an easier chance of reaching next year's tournament in South Jacques-Reeves-jerseys Africa. Ireland drew France for the two-leg playoff next month.

"He's right. We should have announced it from the start," Blatter said. "There is something in the rules, but it isn't clear. If we learn, we'll change for 2014, but in 180 minutes anything is possible."

Blatter also said that FIFA wouldn't enforce a salary cap on teams, but continued to call on club presidents to curb their spending.

He said FIFA would continue to try to enforce the 6+5 system of six domestic players alongside five non-nationals per team, despite it contravening European Union work rules.


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