England: Roy Hodgson responds to Gary Lineker's criticism

Friday, May 31, 2013

Roy Hodgson insists his England team are on the right track despite Gary Lineker's criticism in the wake of the 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland.

Ex-England striker Lineker said using a 4-4-2 formation on Wednesday took the team "back to the dark ages".

He warned Brazil would "thrash us" in Sunday's Rio friendly, should the game go ahead, if the tactics are repeated.

When informed of those comments, Hodgson said: "Oh well, that's a pity. I thought we played well."

England are second in their World Cup 2014 qualifying group with four games to go, two points behind Montenegro.

Asked about his side's chances of qualifying for next summer's tournament in Brazil, Hodgson said: "We will wait and see. But you're asking me the question, do I believe, from what we saw against Ireland, that we are on the right track - and the answer is 'yes'.

"Other people will have other opinions. They're entitled to them and welcome to them."

Hodgson added: "What is the dark ages? Basically I suppose we were playing the two front players and asking at least one of those front players, when we lose the ball, to make certain he drops down and helps out in midfield.


Read more : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22720504

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Brazil v England 'to go ahead' despite Maracana safety fears

England's friendly with Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday is expected to go ahead despite safety concerns at the recently renovated Maracana stadium.

A court order on Thursday suspended the game but a duty judge later revoked the suspension, a Rio de Janeiro state government statement said.

The state government said it had presented a report showing the stadium complied with safety guidelines.

It had previously failed to deliver the report owing to a "bureaucratic flaw".

"All safety requirements for the friendly between Brazil and England have been complied with and, because of a bureaucratic failure, the appraisal from the public ministry that proves the compliance with the rules on safety at the Maracana have not been sent to Suderj," the Rio government said in a statement.

Suderj is a division of the Rio de Janeiro state authority which is responsible for administrative issues associated with major sports venues.

The iconic 78,000-seat Maracana reopened in April after nearly three years of work updating it for the 2014 World Cup finals.



Read more : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22725420

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Now that looks tasty! Sports enthusiast Maria Menounos grills up sausages for baseball fans outside of Fenway Park

Monday, May 27, 2013

She spends her days interviewing some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
But Maria Menounos engaged in a much more down to earth activity as she returned to her native city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
The television personality moonlighted as a sausage vendor outside of the legendary Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox and The Green Monster.

And the 34-year-old self-proclaimed sports fanatic was clearly pleased to be rubbing elbows with her fellow Red Sox fans as she served up the piping hot dogs.
The gregarious Greek manned the grill while also doling out the sausage and peppers for her stint as a street side vendor.

Maria tied her brunette locks into a half ponytail while operating the propane fuelled grill.
The EveryGirl's Guide To Life author donned a wind breaker emblazoned with the logo for the local sausage seller as she wore sanitary food serving gloves.
But it was her irrepressible smile that was the real attention stealer as she showed her flair for customer service.

The shift as short order cook was most likely for her new Oxygen reality show The Maria Menounos Project.
The new docu-series focuses on Maria's non-traditional life as an Extra host and television celebrity.
It also promises to provide insights into her traditional Greek family life.
The air date for the series has yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, the cholesterol rich sausages are in tune with the natural beauty's relaxed attitude toward diet, health and exercise.
The occasional journalist claims to hardly work out and yet has been able to maintain her flawless physique.
Speaking to E! she said: 'I have so many girlfriends that obsess over everything, and I just don't obsess.'



Read this from the source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2331471/Sports-enthusiast-Maria-Menounos-grills-sausages-baseball-fans-outside-Fenway-Park.html

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Australia plans to ban live betting odds during sports

Australia has unveiled plans to ban television and radio broadcasts of betting odds during live sports matches in a bid to curb problem gambling.

Gambling advertisements will no longer appear during live events and around sporting venues, the government said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australians had become "increasingly frustrated" with the promotions.

The broadcasting industry is expected to submit a revised code to Australia's media watchdog reflecting the changes.

"From the moment that the players step onto the field, to the moment that they leave the field, there will be no live odds," Ms Gillard told a press conference.

"This is good news for families, because families I think have become increasingly frustrated about the penetration of live odds into sporting coverage."

Under the new rules, advertisements would only be allowed before or after a game, or during a scheduled break in play, such as quarter-time and half-time.

'Focus of game'
Promotion of betting odds by bookmakers who appear to be part of broadcast teams will also be banned.

The National Rugby League, which in the past has allowed bookmakers to give odds during broadcasts, said it agreed with the government's plan.

"The overwhelming sentiment is that we do not want to see betting as the primary focus of our game," NRL chief executive Dave Smith said.

"Fans, and particularly young fans, should not be subject to excessive promotion of betting during matches.

"We want young kids to be enjoying the skills of their favourite team, not quoting the odds."

The broadcasting industry is expected to submit a revised code to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, said the government.

It estimates that up to 500,000 Australians are at risk of becoming, or are, problem gamblers.



Read this from the source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-22677753

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Europa League: Mousa Dembele leaves it late to put Tottenham through

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Tottenham left it late to book their spot in the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League as Mousa Dembele netted in the 90th minute to seal a 3-2 aggregate win at Lyon.

Spurs were mere minutes away from being dumped out on away goals after Maxime Gonalons had pulled the Ligue 1 side back into it in the 17th minute, trimming the visitors' 2-1 first leg lead.

Gonalons planted a free header home from Clement Grenier's well-taken free-kick to level the aggregate score at 2-2 and make it 1-0 on the night.

But Dembele saved the day for Spurs late on, driving into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to fire Andre Villas-Boas' men into the next round, where a glamour tie with Inter Milan awaits.

Clement Grenier swung in a teasing corner in the first minute, Brad Friedel was caught in two minds and Jan Vertonghen put in an emergency clearance before Lyon could pounce. Grenier tested Friedel again soon after, whipping over a looping ball, but Alexandre Lacazette could only head into the goalkeeper's arms.

Other than the lively Lewis Holtby, who was making his second start, Tottenham failed to impress. Careless defending from Benoit Assou-Ekotto allowed Lacazette to break free down the right, but luckily for the Cameroonian, referee Wolfgang Stark brought play back for a foul.

Gareth Bale, so devastating in the first leg with two stunning free-kicks, was anonymous for the first 15 minutes. The first time the Welshman had a say in the course of the game was when his shoddy marking allowed Lyon to break the deadlock after 16 minutes.

Kyle Walker fouled Lisandro and when Grenier clipped the free-kick to the near post, Bale turned away from Gonalons - who beat a rooted Friedel from eight yards.

Walker was having a poor game at right-back. The England defender was booked soon after for fouling Samuel Umtiti. He was not the only one underperforming, though. Scott Parker and Dembele were painfully slow in possession in midfield while Emmanuel Adebayor struggled up front on his own.

Spurs came out much more confidently after the break. Parker worked the ball out to Adebayor, who whipped a beautifully shaped ball to the back post, but Bale sidefooted barely an inch wide to squander a golden chance.

Lyon raced up the other end and Tottenham needed a superb save from Friedel to deny the ever-impressive Grenier. The goalkeeper then made an error trying to clear a chipped ball over the top, but Assou-Ekotto muscled past Lacazette to retrieve the ball. The forward appealed for a penalty but it was not given.

If Tottenham were going to get an equaliser, it looked like it was only going to come from Bale. Vercoutre had a nightmare trying to handle the Welshman's swirling shots last week and he looked uncomfortable punching away two similar efforts in quick succession. Adebayor then hooked the ball on to the top of the Lyon bar and Aaron Lennon had a penalty appeal turned down soon after.

Clint Dempsey went close twice soon after his introduction, and it seemed Spurs were destined to fail. Dembele had other ideas, however, dropping his shoulder to beat Grenier before hitting a powerful long-range shot beyond Vercoutre.

Source : http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/281016/report

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Ryder Cup: Paul McGinley handed Europe captaincy

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Irishman Paul McGinley has been named as Europe's captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. 

 The 46-year-old played in three Ryder Cups, was vice-captain in 2010 and 2012 and holed the winning putt in 2002. McGinley was preferred to Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie, who captained a victorious European team in 2010 and wanted to fulfil the role again. "This is a position I'm really thrilled to be in," said the Dubliner, Ireland's first captain. "It's also a very humbling experience and I can't wait to get into the role of captain and to working with the players." World number one Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup stalwarts Luke Donald and Justin Rose all publicly backed McGinley for the captaincy of the biennial event against the United States. And McIlroy welcomed the appointment, writing on Twitter: "Common sense prevailed in the end.... Couldn't be happier for him... Roll on Gleneagles." Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open champion, was originally the favourite but formally requested not be considered. Scotland's Paul Lawrie, Open champion in 1999, and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez were also considered. The decision was made by the European Tour's tournament committee, led by chairman Thomas Bjorn, after a meeting in Abu Dhabi. Scotsman Montgomerie, who played in eight Ryder Cups, was seen by some as better able to oppose American choice, eight-time major champion Tom Watson. But in recent times Europe have taken the view that the Ryder Cup captain should serve for one match only, with Bernard Gallacher ('91, '93 and '95) the last man to lead the side more than once. A winner of four European Tour titles, McGinley's best campaign was in 2005 when he finished runner-up three times before lifting the season-ending Volvo Masters crown. And while the Dubliner may not have had as much individual success as eight-time European number one Montgomerie, many felt he did enough as a vice-captain (in 2010 and 2012) and as Britain and Ireland's two-time winning Seve Trophy captain to suggest he has the ability to lead Europe. "It's amazing how much you can learn when you listen and don't talk," said McGinley, referring to the media scrutiny surrounding the decision. "I knew I had the support of players and felt the more I said the more my chances would lessen." In 2009 McGinley cajoled a supposedly weaker GB and Ireland team to a 16½-11½ victory over a continental Europe side led by Bjorn. Opposite number Watson tweeted: "Congrats to Paul McGinley on your R/C Captaincy. Looking forward to our future competition. You're a class act." And McGinley said he was relishing taking on "one of my great heroes". "Tom Watson is not only a wonderful person abut a great ambassador for the game of golf," added McGinley. "I've never had an opportunity to go up against him in a playing sense. To go up against him in a captaincy sense will be a real thrill for me."










15 January 2013 Last updated at 18:14
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/21034093

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Australian Open 2013: Heather Watson beats Ksenia Pervak

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Heather Watson produced a miraculous escape from three match points down to beat Ksenia Pervak and reach the third round of the Australian Open. 

The British number one, 20, looked as good as out when she trailed the Kazakh by a set and 6-3 in the second set tie-break on a blisteringly hot Court Eight. But Watson refused to buckle, finally finding her rhythm from the baseline at the crucial moment, and she battled back to win 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 after three hours and two minutes. She will play in-form fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last 32. That will be a mighty test against a player who has won all 11 matches and two titles in 2013, but that is a concern for Friday. For now, the world number 50 can reflect on a day when her tennis was way below par but her fighting spirit proved irresistible. "I do make it hard for myself but a win's a win, no matter how you do it," Watson told BBC Radio 5 live. "It was a very tough one today. I wasn't sure whether I was going to get through it but I did, I kept fighting, the crowd was amazing and kept pushing me on from start to finish, and I've put myself in a position to play another match here. "You've just got to keep fighting and fighting, because it's never over until that last point's done. "She's a tough opponent, she makes every single ball. I didn't win a point until the eight or ninth point of the match. She wasn't going to give me anything, but you've just got to fight through and find a way." Pervak, 21, was the better player in the early stages, breaking to love in the opening game and deservedly edging a scrappy first set with three breaks. When she moved 2-0 clear in the second, only the noisy contingent of British fans on the outside court seemed to believe Watson was still a contender. But while the errors continued to flow from the Guernsey-born player's racquet, the winners began to come as well. Watson hauled herself back level and forced the tie-break, but it looked like merely a stay of execution when some wild errors helped Pervak to 6-3. With defeat apparently inevitable, Watson loosened up and began striking with real freedom as she pounded from side to side on the baseline. The deficit was erased and, at the second opportunity, the Briton converted set point to level the match. Pervak, ranked 82nd, immediately headed for a bathroom break and took some time to return, presumably castigating herself for letting such a golden opportunity slip by. Within 25 minutes she found herself 4-0 down in the decider against an opponent apparently struggling with cramp, but at the same time cleverly mixing up her game. A nerveless love service game gave Watson victory and, understandably thrilled, moments later she was in an embrace with the British supporters gathered courtside.











16 January 2013 Last updated at 07:39
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/21038650

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Plymouth Raiders knock Leicester Riders off BBL top spot

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Plymouth Raiders knocked Leicester Riders off the top of the British Basketball League Championship table with a dramatic 86-82 home win. 

 They were leading by just a single point with 30 seconds remaining before Matt Schneck sealed the victory. The Raiders lost twice the previous weekend but defeating Leicester moved them up to fourth in the table. Schneck was the Raiders leading scorer with 19 points, taking his Championship tally past the 1,000 mark. The result enabled Newcastle Eagles to leapfrog Leicester at the top of the table, following their 89-80 win over Surrey Heat.





17 December 2012 Last updated at 10:44
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/basketball/20756048

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Jacques Kallis is fourth man to reach 13,000 Test runs

Veteran South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis has become the fourth batsman to pass 13,000 Test runs. 

The 37-year-old reached the mark with a four through third man off seamer Doug Bracewell after tea in the first Test against New Zealand at Cape Town. He joins India's Sachin Tendulkar and Raul Dravid, and ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting in passing the figure. "I'm probably batting as well as I've ever batted in my career," said Kallis, who was later out for 60. "Hopefully I can carry on with that form for a little while longer." Kallis achieved the milestone having played the fewest Tests of the four (159). However, Tendulkar, who tops the standings with 15,645 runs, managed to reach the 13,000 mark in fewer innings (266 to Kallis's 269). Cape Town-born Kallis, who celebrated the milestone on his home ground at Newlands, has also taken 282 Test wickets in a 17-year Test career. Having needed to score 20 to reach the 13,000 figure, he completed his 57th Test fifty in 68 balls, before departing for 60 when he edged seamer Trent Boult to keeper BJ Watling. "I love playing at Newlands so it was nice that I could get that achievement here," said Kallis. "The public have been fantastic to me. To get an ovation like that certainly means a lot to me, and these are very special moments that will live with me forever." Kallis, now on 13,040 runs, may struggle to overtake Tendulkar at the top of the list but, with no thoughts of retiring from Tests, should pass the retired Ponting (13,378) and Dravid (13,288). "When I feel that I'm not contributing to the team in the way that I think I should be, or holding some youngster up, then I'll definitely start thinking about it (retirement)," he added. "But that's certainly the furthest thing from my mind at the moment." Earlier in the day, New Zealand were bowled out for 45 - their third lowest all-time Test score - in only 68 balls, while the Proteas finished day one on 252-3, with Alviro Petersen 103 not out. Highest run-scorers in Test cricket: 15,645 - Sachin Tendulkar, India (194 Tests) - average 54.32 13,378 - Ricky Ponting, Australia (168) - average 51.85 13,288 - Rahul Dravid, India (164) - average 52.31 13,040 - Jacques Kallis, South Africa (159) - average 56.94 11,953 - Brian Lara, West Indies (131) - average 52.88 11,174 - Allan Border, Australia (156) - average 50.56 10,927 - Steve Waugh, Australia (168) - average 51.06 10,696 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indies (146) - average 51.67 10,674 - Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka (137)- average 49.41 10,122 - Sunil Gavaskar, India (125) - average 51.12













 2 January 2013 Last updated at 15:29
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/20891908

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India v England: Jonathan Trott & Ian Bell lead England to series win

Monday, December 17, 2012

England completed their first series victory in India for 27 years as Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both hit centuries on the final day in Nagpur.

  Trott scored 143 and Bell 116 not out as the tourists - who lost in Ahmedabad before winning in Mumbai and Kolkata - earned the draw they needed to secure an historic achievement. India took just one wicket all day as debutant Joe Root added an unbeaten 20. England finished 356 runs ahead on 352-4 when stumps were drawn early. Their final-day dominance was fitting because, since being beaten by nine wickets in the first Test, England have outplayed their hosts in every department. While recent Ashes victories will rank as some of England's finest displays in recent years, former captain Michael Vaughan put the accomplishment into context by describing winning a Test series in India as the hardest thing to do in cricket. It is only the fourth time in history England have won there, and it is the first time since David Gower's tourists were triumphant in 1984-85. England also inflicted India's first series loss on home soil since the legendary Australia team of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting won in 2004 - a series which became billed as "The Last Step To Greatness". Cook's team may not be "great" yet, but they certainly gave players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni plenty to think about with their dominant performances. Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar outbowled India's spinners, James Anderson underlined his status as one of the best seamers in the world, while - led by the insatiable run-scoring feats of captain Cook - all of England's batsmen scored runs. Trott and Bell were the two players most in need of a good score on the final day of the match - and both delivered emphatically. The Warwickshire pair posted their highest Test scores of the year, with a century particularly welcome for Bell who averaged just 18 in India before he came to the crease when England were stuttering slightly at 94-3 on the fourth day. Scoring may have been slow, with Trott facing 310 balls and Bell 306, but it is a measure of England's progress that they suffered so few alarms on the final day after such a chastening start to the year. Both Trott and Bell were part of the side in January which was bowled out for 72 against Pakistan, on their way to a series whitewash in the United Arab Emirates. But there was no way Trott was going to allow the year to end on a sour note. He continued in a defiant manner on the fifth morning - timing the ball to perfection - as he eased a four through the leg side to bring up his eighth Test century. It appeared he might bat throughout the final day until his dismissal just before tea.

The 31-year-old chased a Ravichandran Ashwin delivery and chipped the ball into the hands of Virat Kohli at leg-slip. Bell batted similarly serenely, but did enjoy a let-off on 75 when he slashed hard outside off stump and was dropped at slip by Sehwag. He capitalised on his fortune late in the day when he completed his 17th Test century - the slowest of his international career - as he and Root, who swept Ashwin for six to compound the off-spinner's misery, closed out the historic and memorable series victory. England, who consolidated their second-placed position behind South Africa in the ICC Test rankings, travel to New Zealand for a three-Test series in March before hosting the Kiwis in the summer ahead of back-to-back Ashes contests. Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast. We are using archive pictures for this Test because several photo agencies, including Getty Images, have been barred from the ground following a dispute with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while other agencies have withdrawn their photographers in protest.














17 December 2012 Last updated at 10:23
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/20752998

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