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Archive for June, 2008

From Cricinfo.com

On current form, Sri Lanka are the clear favourites in this Super Four match: their win against Bangladesh in the group game has already given them a two-point cushion, while Pakistan have to recover from a disappointing loss to India, which was made worse by the rib cartilage injury to Umar Gul, ruling him out of the tournament. There are also clear indications of a rift between the Pakistan selectors and the captain, with Shoaib Malik appearing to blame the selection committee after the loss to India. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have coasted through their two matches in the tournament, against admittedly easier opponents, and their team has a fairly settled look to it.

Unlike most other teams, though, Pakistan thrive in situations when there’s little going in their favour. They have enough firepower in their batting line-up to take the early initiative or chase down a stiff target – Malik’s form at the top of the order has been especially pleasing – but the bowling is a concern on these flat pitches.

Sri Lanka haven’t been stretched so far in the tournament, but that could change on Sunday. Also, they haven’t enjoyed the match-up against Pakistan of late, losing five of their last six completed ODIs against them, including a 2-1 series defeat in Abu Dhabi last year. In that tournament, however, they didn’t have the services of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, two players who have been vital cogs in the Sri Lankan bowling machine for years.

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Today The most expected Grand final of Euro- 2008 will start. Everybody focuses on the final and waiting for that moment. But some bad news for both team. The injury problems attack both Germany and Spain. Here I found some related news of the final match.

All eyes on Euro final

BERLIN/MADRID: Life in Germany and Spain is expected to come to a virtual standstill tonight when most of the combined population of 128 million in the two countries turn their attention to the Euro 2008 final.

Aside from the occasional eruptions of joy and exploding fireworks when goals are scored, there will be precious little going on in either Germany or Spain for the 90 minutes.

No single event in recent memory will draw as many people to their television sets – or to the increasingly popular fan miles – than the final in Vienna. It caps a thrilling tournament that has already brought record-breaking TV ratings.

Today evening will be pure stress for the public water works in both countries as they brace for those famous surges of flushing right after the halftime and final whistles.

Main avenues in Berlin and Madrid have already appeared virtually deserted when matches leading to today’s final at the Ernst Happel stadium were being played. Any pub or restaurant without a big screen showing the games was almost as empty. Today, Germany and Spain will feel even emptier for anyone not near a TV set.

Source: gulf-daily-news.com

Ballack doubtful for Euro 2008 final

Germany could go into Sunday’s UEFA Euro 2008 final against Spain without Michael Ballack as their captain is receiving treatment for a calf injury.

The 31-year-old was a notable absentee on Saturday as the team were practicing at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion on the eve of the final showdown.

“The muscles has tightened and we’ll have to wait and see how things develop,” explained coach Joachim Loew.

“Our medical people are working around the clock to give him a chance to play.”

According to the German soccer federation, Ballack hurt his right calf Friday and also sat out the team’s training session that day.

Loew also said that should the midfielder not recover, then either Tim Borowski or Bastian Schweinsteiger will assume his place.

“He’s team captain and an extremely important player, but if he is not fit then someone else will take his position,” the 48-year-old added.

“Having a squad of 23 means those who haven’t played much are highly motivated. We’ll have to cope, we will find a solution. I’ve not counted Michael Ballack out yet though. There is still a chance.”

Source: Xinhua

Djokovic is out, Sharapova is out , Ana Ivanovic is out ! The way is free for Federer to sixth straight win in Wimbledon. Only Rafael Nadal is a danger for a fantastic record on gras and in Wimbledon.

Sharapova is out, Ivanovic is out , so the ladies competition will be dominated by the Williams sisters, Safina and Jankovic . Next matches from the ladies top three :
Elena Dementieva v Gisela Dulko 1.28 3.50
Tamarine Tanasugarn v Marina Erakovic 1.57 2.25
Ai Sugiyama v Alisa Kleybanova 2.20 1.61
Venus Williams v Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 1.04 10.00
Caroline Wozniacki v Jelena Jankovic 4.00 1.22
Shahar Peer v Dinara Safina 4.33 1.20

Shuai Peng v Alla Kudryavtseva 2.00 1.72
Victoria Azarenka v Nadia Petrova 1.57 2.25
Round 3 matches men´s :
Guillermo Garcia Lopez v Rainer Schuettler 1.90 1.80
Janko Tipsarevic v Dmitry Tursunov 1.61 2.20
Jurgen Melzer v Arnaud Clement 1.83 1.83
Tommy Haas v Andrew Murray 3.00 1.36
Richard Gasquet v Gilles Simon 1.16 4.50
Paul-Henri Mathieu v Marin Cilic 1.72 2.00
Radek Stepanek v Mikhail Youzhny 1.61 2.20
Nicolas Kiefer v Rafael Nadal 8.00 1.06

Amanda talks modelling, the Olympics and how she feels about being a former Playboy model.

She looks so sexy at this video. The coming Olympic games, She prepares herself and attend there.

The EURO is almost finished. Only Final match is pending. Here Is some best of Euro championship.

Player of the tournament – To be decided

At this stage of proceedings, no player has yet grabbed the competition by the scruff of its neck and bent it to his will.

Wesley Sneijder was the undisputed star of the group stage, conducting the Netherlands to sensational victories over Italy and France, while Andrei Arshavin sparkled brilliantly before fading completely in Russia’s semi-final defeat to Spain.

The tournament’s top strikers – David Villa, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Lukas Podolski – have impressed only fleetingly, while Spain’s super substitute Cesc Fabregas is yet to start a meaningful game.

Michael Ballack has led the German charge to the final, ably assisted by goalscoring winger Bastian Schweinsteiger, but any one of about six or seven players could land the player of the tournament gong with a match-winning performance in the final.

Goal of the tournament – Wesley Sneijder v Italy

There has been a dearth of quality long-range goals in the tournament, with players struggling to get to grips with a ball that’s displayed the flyaway qualities of one of those 50p balls you find in motorway service stations.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s thunderbolt against Greece, Ballack’s net-busting free-kick against Austria and Sneijder’s stunning coup de grace for the Netherlands in the 4-1 trouncing of France are the obvious exceptions, but there have also been some sublime team goals.

Arshavin’s goal in Russia’s 2-0 win over Sweden was a fine thing to behold, but it’s the Dutch who mastered the art of the counter-attack most effortlessly, and Sneijder’s beautifully struck half-volley after a flowing team move in the 3-0 win over Italy was the best of the lot.

Miss of the tournament – Mario Gomez v Austria

19:49 BST, Monday 16 June, Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna. Germany are playing Austria and need a win to progress to the next round.

With just four minutes on the clock, out-of-form striker Mario Gomez is presented with an open goal by team-mate Miroslav Klose, but from barely four yards out and with the goal at his mercy he spoons the ball into the air and Austrian defender Gyorgy Garics is able to head it off the line.

Hakan Yakin was guilty of a similarly glaring miss in Switzerland’s 2-1 defeat to Turkey, but for the glimpse into a very private hell that Gomez’s miss provided, the Stuttgart striker gets the nod.

Game of the tournament – Turkey 3-2 Czech Republic

There have been some tremendous games in the tournament, with the Netherlands’ thumping victories over Italy and France catching the eye before they were eliminated in stunning fashion at the quarter-final stage by Russia.

Germany edged a thrilling quarter-final against Portugal 3-2 thanks to some appallingly slack defending from Luis Felipe Scolari’s men, but for pure edge-of-the-seat excitement, it has to be Turkey’s incredible comeback victory over the Czech Republic in Group A.

Needing to win to go through, Turkey trailed 2-0 with just 15 minutes to play, but after Arda Turan had halved the deficit Nihat Kahveci took advantage of a howler from Petr Cech to level before curling a superb injury-time winner in off the crossbar to send the Turks into the last eight.

Save of the tournament – Gianluigi Buffon v Romania

With nine minutes remaining of the Group C match between Italy and Romania, Azzurri defender Christian Panucci conceded a penalty that could have knocked the world champions out of the tournament.

Romania captain Adrian Mutu stepped up and drilled the ball firmly down the centre of the goal but, despite having already dived down to his left, Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon shot out his right hand to claw the ball away and keep his side in the competition.

Gaffe of the tournament – Petr Cech v Turkey

Turkey goalkeeper Rustu Recber produced a horrendous flap which enabled Klose to head Germany into a 2-1 lead in the semi-final between the sides, but Cech’s error against the Turks – when he let a high right-wing cross squirm out of his grasp and into the path of Nihat – was probably the worst of the tournament, even more so because it was so completely out of character.

Coach of the tournament – Fatih Terim, Turkey

Dutchmen Marco van Basten and Guus Hiddink oversaw some fine performances from the Netherlands and Russia, but both sides choked when it mattered most.

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic had his side playing some similarly eye-catching stuff, and somehow managed to ally breathless touchline enthusiasm with effortless cool, but for taking a decidedly unfancied Turkey side to the brink of the final – whilst all the while throwing his arms around like an epileptic orang-utan – Fatih Terim is our top boss.

Biggest disappointment – France

How a squad containing the attacking talents of Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema and Nicolas Anelka could exit the tournament with just a single goal to their name is something of a mystery, but in the end they were undone by too many ageing legs and a collective loss of form.

Insipid against Romania, they were then trounced by the Dutch and didn’t even look like scoring in the 2-0 defeat to Italy.

Still, every cloud has a silver lining, and in Ribery, Benzema, Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa – not to mention the likely departure of coach Raymond Domenech – there is hope for the future.

Worst match – France v Romania

Sweden’s 2-0 win over Greece in Group D was an absolute stinker, but it did at least boast some goals.

France’s goalless draw with Romania, on the other hand, had no redeeming features whatsoever, with the sides registering just one shot on target between them in the whole game, and that a side-footed pea-roller from Benzema that might not have made it into the net even if Romanian goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont hadn’t been there to get in the way.

Best WAG – Sarah Brandner

A difficult category to judge, seeing as none of the WAGs have actually done anything, but a top three of Noemie Lenoir (Claude Makelele), Sarah Brandner (Bastian Schweinsteiger) and Sylvie Meis (Rafael van der Vaart) provides plenty of food for thought.

Lenoir and Meis both score highly in the glamour stakes, but for sheer commitment (she turned up to every Germany match, quaffed pints of lager and she’s dating a footballer who looks like a pimply adolescent), it has to be Fraulein Brandner (pictured).

Best fans – Netherlands

It’s a massive cliche, but once again the Dutch fans illuminated the tournament with their crazy orange-clad antics and unstinting commitment to wacky fancy-dress.

So impressed was the mayor of Berne with the behaviour of the Oranje fans during their group-stage sojourn in the city that he presented the squad with turf from the Stade de Suisse Wankdorf where they had played.

Source-http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

The final match between germany VS Spain in the Euro 2008 will knocking at door. The close analysis of the match review is given bellow-

FORMATIONS

Germany coach Joachim Loew has to decide whether to stick with the 4-5-1 formation that worked well against Portugal but not so well against Turkey, or revert to his favoured 4-4-2. Spain’s Luis Aragones stayed solidly with 4-4-2 all tournament but admitted that the switch to 4-5-1 after David Villa’s injury turned the semi-final and it seems likely he will run with it and give a rare start to Cesc Fabregas.

STRENGTHS

Germany’s mindset should be an advantage. Their players grew up watching their compatriots competing in finals and should not be fazed by the occasion. As they showed in the last-gasp semi-final win, they always play to the final whistle. Spain’s main strength is their technical quality, their familiarity and confidence in each other and a system that has taken them on a 21-match unbeaten run.

WEAKNESSES

Germany were unusually ragged and defensively vulnerable for long spells against Turkey. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, 38, also looked past his sell-by date. Spain have little aerial power either in attack or defence, though it has not troubled them unduly so far.

DEFENCE

Germany’s keeper and back four are vastly experienced yet there were some worried looks between them as they struggled to plug the holes against Turkey. Central defenders Per Mertesacker and Christoph Metzelder love a big centre forward to take on but will be less happy trying to track Fabregas and Andres Iniesta pushing up from midfield. The Spanish defence has not attracted the headlines but has been resilient and efficient. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas and centre back Carles Puyol have barely put a foot wrong while right back Sergio Ramos has a huge appetite for work with his overlapping forays.

MIDFIELD

Michael Ballack had a game to forget against Turkey but he is a man who revels in the big occasion and will take it as a personal challenge to dominate the key area of Sunday’s battle. Wide men Bastian Schweinsteiger (pictured in hat) and Lukas Podolski are both having great tournaments and look a constant goal threat while Torsten Frings will add some power if, as expected, he returns to the starting line-up. Spain’s midfield eventually wore Russia down with their accurate passing and hard work and the addition of Fabregas brings guile and also freed Xavi to become more adventurous. The whole unit played at a much crisper pace against Russia than they did in the goalless quarter-final against Italy.

ATTACK

With a goal in each of the last two games Miroslav Klose is beginning to regain the confidence that made him the 2006 World Cup’s top scorer and his spring-heeled heading ability will be something Germany will look to exploit. As a sole striker Fernando Torres will spend most of his time as a running outlet for his midfielders rather than hovering menacingly in the box. As in the semi, the fresh legs of Spanish league top scorer Daniel Guiza will probably take over during the second half.

Source-http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Spain will be without forward David Villa when it takes on Germany in Sunday’s Euro 2008 final from Vienna.

But that doesn’t mean the Spanish are any less confident of beating the Germans and claiming their first European Championship since winning the tournament on home soil in 1964.

“I don’t think it will be a big problem for us,” said midfielder Xabi Alonso, who was a second-half substitute in Spain’s 3-0 semifinal win over Russia on Thursday. “Whoever is coming from the bench is doing a great job and that is as important as who is starting.”

Spain’s win over Russia came at a cost – Villa, the tournament’s top scorer with four goals, pulled a hamstring muscle in the first half while taking a free kick and immediately came out of the game.

His injury means he won’t play against Germany, but Villa has accepted his fate with good grace.

“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.

Against the Russians, Spanish coach Luis Aragones replaced Villa with playmaking midfielder Cesc Fabregas, effectively switching from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 formation with forward Fernando Torres playing alone up front.

The change in tactics paid off, as Spain exploded for three second-half goals, two of them set up by Fabregas.

“We are delighted and pleased with the performance,” Alonso said. “The result was brilliant. Hopefully on Sunday, we will repeat another performance like that. Let’s hope we can play a good match and lift the cup, which would be historic.”

Torres is coming off a sensational season with Liverpool, his first campaign in the English Premiership, but the former Atletico Madrid star has been underwhelming at this tournament, scoring just one goal.

Torres was ineffective against the Russians and was substituted in the second half by Aragones. Torres’s replacement Dani Guiza scored Spain’s second goal a mere four minutes after coming into the game, leading to speculation he will start against Germany instead of Torres.

“It would be a dream to play the final with the national team,” Guiza said. “But it’s the coach who makes the decisions.”

Ivanovic, who fought off three match points in the previous round, went down at the first opportunity on Zheng’s service winner. Entering a Grand Slam as the top seed for the first time in her career, she struggled with her serve.

Zheng, who entered the tournament with a 17-9 record in 2008 and was a wildcard entry, broke Ivanovic’s serve four times. Ranked 133rd in the world, Zheng advanced to the round of 16 in a Grand Slam just for the second time in her career.

“Last year, I was injured. I was just thankful that Wimbledon gave me the wild card,” said a surprised Zheng.

Ivanovic’s defeat came just two days after Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the No. 3 men’s seed, was upset by Marat Safin.

“She played really well today and it was a tough match for me,” Ivanovic said. “I’m disappointed with my loss but I still look at it as a learning experience.

“It was a very emotional last couple of weeks for me and it took a bit of a toll. I didn’t have great preparation.”

Roger Federer on Friday won his 62nd consecutive match on the grass surface, easily beating French veteran Marc Gicquel at Wimbledon.

The five-time defending champion won 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 on centre court at the All England Club in London. Federer, who has yet to drop a set in three matches, won 84 per cent of points on his first serve and made just 11 unforced errors.

“Again, difficult conditions, tricky opponent,” said Federer. “The wind was swirling. I got down a break in the first game and had to rally back. I played really well throughout the match considering the circumstances.”

His fourth-round opponent will be 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, who beat Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Hewitt was the last man to win Wimbledon before Federer went on his streak but has not beaten the Swiss star in their last 11 meetings.

Source:http://sports.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca

Wimbledon Tennis is one of the most highlighted Tennis tournament in the world. All Tennis players are waiting to meet here for this Grand slum. This is also most prestigious grand slum of the Tennis sports. here is the schedule of Wimbledon tennis.

A mighty performance from India’s batsmen, led by Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina, made easy work of Pakistan’s competitive target of 300 and gave India two points to take into the next round. The pair tore into Pakistan’s depleted and wayward bowling attack – scoring at more than eight an over during their second-wicket partnership of 198 – as India reached the target with six wickets and 47 balls to spare, their quickest chase while facing a target of 300.

The Indian approach was in stark contrast to Pakistan’s methodical plan in their innings. Their openers played cautiously at the start and accelerated once the new ball had been seen off. Malik’s maiden century as captain was the cornerstone of the innings and gave the batsmen who followed the freedom to innovate and bat aggressively to propel Pakistan to 299 for 4. In the end, however, they needed plenty more to challenge a trailblazing Indian batting line-up.

Pakistan’s attack was weakened by a rib-muscle injury to Umar Gul, who left the field after bowling only 1.2 overs. Shoaib Malik’s offspin was also unavailable because he didn’t take the field after cramping towards the end of his century, which left acting captain Misbah-ul-Haq with only three specialist bowling options – Sohail Tanvir, Iftikhar Anjum and Shahid Afridi – and their flat performance cost Pakistan dearly.

Despite snaring Gautam Gambhir early – Misbah showed lightning reflexes in taking a one-handed catch to his left at gully – Pakistan were unable to contain India. After the Kitply Cup final, Dhoni had admitted that promoting Raina ahead of himself was a mistake but today Raina walked in at No. 3, instead of the out-of-touch Rohit Sharma.

Bristling with confidence after his century on Wednesday against Hong Kong, Raina began with free-flowing cover drives when offered width outside off stump by Tanvir and Anjum. He did most of the early scoring and Sehwag hadn’t got off the mark till the fourth over. However, Sehwag began to gather momentum by flicking consecutively to the long-leg boundary when Anjum strayed on to his pads, and slashed two short and wide balls from Tanvir to the third-man boundary.

With Tanvir and Anjum ineffective, Misbah turned to Afridi in the 11th over. Afridi bowled one satisfactory over before Sehwag hit him for two straight sixes in his second. Raina lofted Anjum audaciously over extra cover for another six and when Misbah brought Tanvir back, Sehwag immediately glided him down to the third man for four.

Five stats

* The triumph in Karachi was India’s first win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in nearly 20 years.
* Shoaib Malik’s unbeaten 125 was his first century as Pakistan captain, and his third in Asia Cup matches.
* India chased down their target at a run-rate of 7.13, the third-best scoring-rate in a second innings’ total of 300 or more. India’s 301 for 4 was also the first time a team had chased a target of 300 or more in the Asia Cup.
* The 198-run stand between Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina is the highest for the second wicket, and the third-highest overall, in the Asia Cup.
* Malik’s 125 is the second-highest for a batsman who has ended his innings as retired hurt. The highest is Salman Butt’s 129 in the recent Kitply Cup final against India. The top five such scores have come against India.

Pakistan began to haemorrhage runs and by the time Malik took the field, India had raced to 100 in 14 overs. They found the boundary virtually every over: Raina lofted Fawad Alam’s left-arm spin over the midwicket boundary, Sehwag hit Afridi over long-on for six once more. And when Malik, who wasn’t allowed to bowl for 71 minutes after taking the field, turned to Salman Butt, Sehwag responded by charging him and smashing the ball twice into the stands at deep midwicket to move into the 90s.

Sehwag brought up his century of only 80 balls but Raina missed his, chipping Anjum tamely to Alam at cover. At that stage India needed 90 runs in 23 overs and victory was only a matter of time.

The ease with which India achieved victory was startling for Pakistan, who had worked extremely hard to build a competitive total on a benign pitch. They reverted to the caution-before-aggression approach that won them the Kitply Cup final in Dhaka earlier this month. In that game, Butt and Younis Khan did the groundwork, steering Pakistan cautiously to 104 for 1 after 25 overs before they went on to score hundreds in a final total of 315 for 3.

Today, Malik’s effort was an example of how to pace an innings. He and Butt gave the first eight overs to the Indian bowlers and took no risks. By the end of the 13th over, Pakistan had only scored 38 but India’s fast bowlers had failed to create wicket-taking opportunities. Thereafter, Malik began to attack, driving Praveen straight for four and then gliding him between Dhoni and short third man. He was offered width twice by Ishant and cut him through and over point for fours. Dhoni finally resorted to spin in the 20th over but by now Malik was well set and he hit Chawla for two fours through midwicket to reach his fifty off 61 balls.

Malik and Younis, who scored 59, strengthened Pakistan’s grip on the game during their 129-run stand for the second wicket. Brimming with confidence, Younis swept the spinners fluently, made room to cut, lofted them over midwicket and threw them completely off line by using the reverse-sweep repeatedly. They played crucial roles in setting a challenging target but their hardworking partnership, during which they ran between the wickets splendidly, was put firmly in the shade by the blitzkrieg launched by Sehwag and Raina.

George Binoy is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Source: http://cricinfo.com