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Rooney celebrates with Owen after scoring against Estonia

Steve McClaren is confident Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney can forge a successful partnership up front for England.

Statistics show that Owen is a more prolific goalscorer at international level when he is paired with Emile Heskey, but McClaren insists it is his job to put the team’s interests ahead of individuals.

The England boss believes Owen can play well alongside Rooney, even if it means he does not score so many goals personally.

He explained: “People talk about statistics but football is not about individuals It is about pairings and it is about the team.

“Michael might score more with Emile Heskey but Emile hasn’t scored many goals. Michael got them all.

“They may be distributed slightly differently but the combination between Wayne and Michael will probably get just as many and that is the key thing.

“It is not about individuals scoring goals, it is about the team doing it.”

“Thierry Henry scored 30 goals a season at Arsenal, but when those goals are spread throughout the team, you are not going to miss him.”

No excuses

An artificial pitch awaits England in Russia on Wednesday but McClaren does not believe the surface will influence how the game is played.

“We have looked at research extending over 100 matches and there is no difference to a grass pitch at all,” he said.

“The loss of possession is the same, there are the same number of headers and tackles and it doesn’t bounce high.

“It is a flat pitch and there is absolutely no excuse.”

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Source: www.skysports.com

Michelle Wie

The losses for Michelle Wie keep piling up even though her LPGA Tour season is over. The latest came Monday when her agent resigned after less than a year on the job.

Greg Nared, a former Nike business manager whom the William Morris Agency hired a year ago to manage Wie, resigned as vice-president of golf. His announcement came one day after Wie finished 19th in a 20-player field at the Samsung World Championship.

”After careful consideration for my future, I have resigned effective immediately,” Nared said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. ”I’m very grateful to the William Morris Agency for the opportunity to work with world-class athletes. It has been an invaluable experience and I’ll forever cherish (it).”

Nared declined to elaborate when contacted before flying home to Oregon. Jill Smoller, to whom Nared reported at William Morris, did not immediately return a call.

”While we are sorry that Greg will no longer be handling the road management of Michelle, we wish to thank him for his work and wish him the best going forward,” Jesse Derris, a spokesman for the Wie family, said in a statement. ”The core group of agents handling Michelle’s business relationships remains intact, as it has from day one of her professional career.”

Wie, a Stanford freshman who celebrated her 18th birthday Thursday, played her eighth and final LPGA event at Samsung. She ended her season with a 76.7 scoring average. broke par only twice, failed to record a single round in the 60s and made only three cuts.

Wie turned pro in October 2005 and was managed by Ross Berlin, a former PGA Tour executive hired by the William Morris Agency as Wie’s agent.

Berlin had disagreements with Wie’s parents on her schedule, particularly in late 2006 when Wie was taken out of her senior year at Punahou School in Honolulu to play a European Tour men’s event in Switzerland, then the following week outside Pittsburgh on the PGA Tour at the 84 Lumber Classic. She finished last in both events. 

Berlin resigned after the Samsung last year and returned to the Tour. He was replaced by Nared, a former Maryland basketball player who had been a constant presence around Wie when he worked at Nike and was well-liked by the teenager and her family. Wie signed endorsement deals with Nike and Sony when she turned pro.

Nared quietly endured the heavy criticism that followed Wie during her most tumultuous year.

He was in the middle of her biggest controversy at the Ginn Tribute in South Carolina in the spring, conferring with her on the 16th tee moments before she withdrew. Wie was 14 over par through 16 holes when she quit, and it appeared as though she was trying to avoid the LPGA’s ”Rule 88,” in which nonmembers are ineligible for one year if they shoot 88 or higher.

Wie then showed up at Bulle Rock two days later to practise for the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, and Annika Sorenstam harshly denounced the move as disrespectful. 

Source: www.tsn.ca

Alpine Canada Alpin

CALGARY, AB - Max Gartner, the Chief Athletics Officer of Alpine Canada Alpin, has agreed to guide the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and ACA’s participation in ”Own The Podium 2010” through the 2010 Winter Olympics, Chief Executive Officer Ken Read announced Monday.

Gartner, the successful ski coach noted for guiding wife Kerrin Lee-Gartner to Olympic downhill gold in 1992, left  retirement to join Read during the rebuilding of Canada’s alpine ski racing programs in 2003.

”The passion, leadership and expertise of Max Gartner is a key reason for the momentum of Canada’s alpine ski racing programs: the National Team and our athlete development system,” said Mr. Read, noting the Chief Athletics Officer will also lead ‘top secret’ 2010 research projects to provide Canada’s athletes with the best possible technical advantage at the Vancouver/Whistler Olympics.

”His decision to continue in a leadership role pushes forward our goal to make Canada a world-leading racing nation,” Read added.

With a powerful coaching staff lead by Canadian Team Alpine Director Dusan Grasic, Canadian Para-Alpine High Performance Director Jean-François Rapatel and National Technical Directors Mark Sharp and Benoit Lalande, Mr. Gartner said he is fully committed to achieving the continuously improving results required in the Alpine Canada Alpin strategic plan.

”With increased financial, technical and human resources, we have momentum and are making solid progress,” said Gartner. ”I want to contribute to Alpine Canada Alpin and our athletes achieving the stretch goals established for the Olympics.”

When Gartner joined Alpine Canada Alpin, Canada’s teams, especially male athletes, had struggled with a string of disappointing World Cup and Olympic results at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

The Canadian Alpine Ski Team had their best World Cup season ever last winter’s teams with a record-setting performance of 14 World Cup podiums and one World Championship medal.

Gartner, an Austrian native, has coached in Canada for 20 years. In addition to working with Lee-Gartner, he helped develop some of Canada’s top male talent from the past including Thomas Grandi, Edi Podivinsky and Cary Mullen.

Source: www.tsn.ca

Even mainstream media is now starting to say it - coach Doba must go. Howie Stalwick, who is carrying the mail for the WSU coverage these days in the P-I, says it plain as day today in Sport Tri-Cities. By the way, Howie is a good writer and better than anything else the P-I can do, so it’s working out. And I’d put him right above Vince of the SR, who in his first year on the beat has a very difficult time doing anything editorial (read: he seems afraid to say what’s so painfully obvious!).

But Stalwick is right on many levels. They aren’t getting it done, from recruiting to everything else that has been examined ad nauseum. But the most dangerous thing right now is the level of blowouts that we are seeing. Not only is that talent level issues, but, it’s also becoming an effort issue. In other words, Doba and staff seem to have lost this team, and we’ve still got five games left. I can’t imagine it getting any worse than 40-0 at the half or 47-7 early in the third, but with the way this year is going, anything is possible.

I just wish we were part of the party this year, a year with more parity than ever in college football. All the upsets that happen every week, it would have been fun to be competitive this year. But oh well. Personally I’m glad the bye is here. I think we ALL need a break from this slow-motion train wreck.

Brutal weekend for Washington football. Cougs get their pants pulled down at Autzen, UW lays down again in the 3rd quarter in a 44-20 embarrassment, and the Hawks dig a 21-0 hole that they can’t dig out of. WHHEEEEEE!

Source: wsufootball.blogspot.com

A heartening performance, a useful result and while pessimism continues to reign in Dublin, the fact is that mathematically the Republic of Ireland can still qualify for next summer’s finals. The odds against them are hefty because the Czech Republic are not expected to implode on the campaign’s penultimate day at home to Slovakia or at the death in Cyprus. But it is not over until it’s over, even if there was a feeling of a big decision delayed.

Particularly in the second half, albeit against an understrength Germany described domestically as their C team, Steve Staunton’s side held their own and on occasions did a bit more than that. Staunton may even be given some credit, but don’t bet on it.

Outmanoeuvred in the first half as Germany eased the ball around, the second half was an improvement and only a 50th-minute aberration in front of goal from Robbie Keane denied them a lead and a possible victory. He may have felt he was offside and the moment drained away.

There were then a couple of late flurries from Andy Reid but Jens Lehmann was secure in goal and the point gained completed the formality of Germany’s qualification. They can now help the Irish by beating the Czechs on Wednesday in Munich.

Due to an increasing number of German injuries that may not happen and Staunton’s team will be out regardless of how they perform against Cyprus here. The sour atmosphere surrounding the manager would then worsen. The cause will not be helped by fresh suspensions to Richard Dunne and Lee Carsley.

“It’s out of our hands,” said Staunton, who added that he was “bitterly disappointed we didn’t win the game. But it was a very good performance, especially in the second half. In that dressing room they are as sick as after a defeat. We just have to make sure we finish the group off properly and come third.” Of Keane’s chance, he added ruefully: “I think he thought he was offside and he didn’t play to the whistle. That is a cardinal sin. But he knows.”

As is his way, Staunton surprised with his selection. Andy Keogh was picked ahead of Liam Miller and Aiden McGeady, and Keogh’s experience was emblematic of the team as a whole: the first half was spent chasing the ball, the second was about getting it and using it. Joey O’Brien came in at centre half after John O’Shea failed a fitness test but the two men may now be partners against Cyprus.

The defenders were significant contributors in the first half. Mario Gomez might have scored twice before Steve Finnan headed a Christoph Metzelder flick off the line in the 37th minute. Keane was denied by Lehmann after a deft pass from the inventive Reid. The second half needed a better home tempo and they delivered. Keane latched on to a header by Stephen Kelly 10 yards out with only Lehmann to beat but his dismal lob betrayed a lack of belief about him being onside.

There was a smattering of applause on the final whistle but Staunton has lost a lot of these fans along the way.

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Source: sport.independent.co.uk

Anyway, here are the regular league numbers 187 games into the season:SeasonWeek 28Attendance**3,070,539116,512Att per game16,59719,419Beckham Att (5*)195,8470Beckham Avg Att39,1690Goals50214Goals per game2.6842.333Inter-conferenceTie 28-28-25West 1-0-0Visitors49-91-472-2-2Ties47 (25.1%)2 (33.3%)* Number of MLS matches with Beckham in attendance
** I cannot locate the attendance numbers for Colorado-Columbus (2 Sept) or LA-Columbus (30 Sept) so the season average is for only 185 games.

Chicago Fire 0-0 DC United
If it were not for the work of Troy Perkins, United would not have the Supporters’ Shield wrapped up. DC looked extremely flat on the night while Chicago was pushing to find a way to make something happen. Blanco was shut down for large portions of the match, but Chad Barrett stepped up for the Fire. So is this just a moment of rest prior to the playoffs or is DC having another late season meltdown?
Attendance: 25,404

Columbus Crew 3-2 New England Revolution
The Crew showed a lot of talent, but even with the win, their hope of post-season play comes to an end. New England owned the first half but missed a number of good chances. The Crew brought Guillermo Barros Schelotto in at the start of the second and everything changed for them. They were much better on the attack and caught Matt Reis flat. The Revs came back but like NE’s teams of the past, couldn’t hold the lead late.
Goals: NE: Taylor Twellman (15) 26′, Steve Ralston (4) 83′
CC: Eddie Gaven (5) 61′, Stefani Miglioranzi (3) 77′, Schelotto (5) 86′
Attendance: 22,295

Kansas City Wizards 1-2 New York Red Bulls
Kansas City actually looked like a team looking for a win for most of the game, but they still gave NY far too many chances to beat them. The Wizards have some of the worst passing in the league and it costs them. The Bulls were lacking in the midfield control, but with Angel hot and with Jozy Altidore and Francis Doe pulling defenders towards them, they have enough to top the lesser MLS sides.
Goals: NY: Juan Pablo Angel (18) pk 19′, (19) 24′
KC: Jack Jewsbury (2) 21′
Attendance: 20,083(great job NY)

Toronto FC 1-2 Los Angeles Galaxy
LA kept the league’s dreams alive on Saturday night with a strong, though not fantastic, performance against Toronto. The best news for the Galaxy, their passing and ball control is coming together. Cobi Jones is still making a case for not retiring while Chris Klein is wonderful at finding the little places and Donovan is starting to show the late season work rate that has become his norm. Toronto held up thanks in large part to the work of Kenny Stamatopoulos in goal.
Goals: LA: Landon Donovan (8) pk 56′, Edson Buddle (5) 78′
TFC: Collin Samuel (2) 68′

Colorado Rapids 2-1 Chivas USA
I didn’t think that Chivas would go undefeated at home for the entire season but I also didn’t think that such a weak game by the Rapids would be their undoing. Chivas showed a side that had been pretty absent since July in that they needed a huge number of changes before they could make something come together. The Rapids played their normal tough on defense style, but that took a big hit early in the second half when Brandon Prideaux get ejected for pulling down Maykel Galindo. This opened up the gallery for Chivas and they shot away, but it was the Rapids that got the first goal on the counter. Chivas came back to tie, but the Rapids showed some true smarts and a great deal of luck with their second goal. Keeper Bouna Coundoul quick cleared it out to Conor Casey who beat his defender on a stumble and headed right at goal, however at the last moment he slow rolled it across goal to an on rushing Omar Cummings who finished it with ease. It is not often that Chivas goaltender Brad Guzan gets beat by such a play but he did and the Rapids are still in the playoff picture. Also, if Houston wins tonight against Real Salt Lake, then next Saturday’s match between Chivas and the Dynamo will decide the winner of the Western Conference.
Goals: CR: Ugo Ihemelu (1) 64′, Omar Cummings (2) 90′
CV: Orlando Perez (1) 78′

So, for the last time before we know for sure, this is the way the first round would look if the season ended today:
East
DC United - Chicago Fire
New England - New York

West
Chivas USA - KC Wizards*
Houston Dynamo - FC Dallas
* Wizards move over to the West as the fifth team from the East.

Labels: 2007 MLS Playoffs, 2007 MLS Recap, Attendance, MLS

Source: mysoccerblog.blogspot.com

The Colorado Rockies extended their incredible streak to 20 wins in 21 games.  Rockies starter Josh Fogg spread out 7 Arizona hits while giving up just 1 run in 6 innings of work, catcher Yorvit Torrealba provided the offensive punch breaking up a 1-1 tie with a three run 6th inning homer off of Diamondbacks’ starter Livan Hernandez and the bullpen trio of lefthanders Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Fuentes and closer Manny Corpas locked down the Diamondbacks allowing them only 1 hit and 1 baserunner over the final 3 innings as Colorado took a commanding 3-0  game lead in the NLCS with a 4-1 win.

Torrealba’s two out 6th inning blast broke up a tight pitching duel between Hernandez and Fogg in which Colorado scored first, in the bottom of the 1st on leftfielder Matt Holliday’s 2 out solo homer to leftfield off of Hernandez.   Diamondbacks’ 3rd baseman Mark Reynolds answered with a 2 out solo shot to leftfield off of Fogg to tie the game in the 4th inning.

Incidentally, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen also held the Rockies offense giving up but 1 hit in 2 1/3 innings while walking two, but it was too late — the damage, Torrealba’s 3 run shot had already been struck.

MLB.com’s Thomas Harding records Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s perspective on the Rockies’ late season ride;

Torrealba grew up in Venezuela listening as his dad told stories of baseball’s greatest teams. Little did he know he’d be living what could end up one of the greatest hot streaks ever.

From a historical context, a team going at least 20-1 after Sept. 1 has been accomplished just three times in history. But the 1916 New York Giants, 1935 Cubs and 1977 Royals didn’t win the World Series. That fact relegates them to bar trivia, rather than bedtime stories.

(trivia: The ‘77 Royals called up a catcher named Clint Hurdle, now the Rockies’ manager, for his first nine Major League games.)

The Rockies, however, joined two teams of legend — the 1970 Orioles and the 1976 Reds, both of whom steamed through the World Series — as the only ones to start a postseason 6-0. Colorado swept the Phillies in three games in the NL Division Series.

“My dad used to tell me about those teams … but this is something. What can I say? That’s crazy,” said Torrealba, whose homer came on a tense, seven-pitch at-bat with two outs and the count full. “It’s amazing.”

That’s about as close as any of the Rockies came to embracing their place in history.

AP sports writer Arnie Stapleton records comments as to how the Rockies will approach Monday’s possible pennant clincer for Yahoo sports;

The Colorado Rockies were one strike away from not even making the playoffs. Now, they’re one win away from their first World Series.

With a cold rain falling, Josh Fogg shut down Arizona’s bats in his first postseason start and Yorvit Torrealba hit a tiebreaking three-run homer to fuel the Rockies’ 4-1 victory Sunday night in Game 3 of the NL championship series.

“Tomorrow we’re going to come here just like we have been doing,” Torrealba said. “We’re going to relax, watch TV, and when it’s time to play, we’re going to try to get one more win.”

And not think about their first World Series until then.

“No, no, no, no, I’m not thinking about that,” insisted the face of the franchise, Todd Helton, whose decade of disappointment has disappeared in one of the most incredible winning streaks in baseball history.

“We’re still focused on the task at hand.”

About two weeks ago, the Rockies had no control over whether they’d even make the playoffs.

The San Diego Padres could’ve eliminated Colorado on the final Saturday of the regular season. But Milwaukee’s Tony Gwynn Jr. hit a tying, two-out, two-strike triple off San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman that gave the Rockies a chance.

The next day, Colorado caught the Padres. The night after that, the  Rockies beat San Diego in a 13-inning, NL wild-card tiebreaker.

Since then, the Rockies have been unbeatable.

For the boxscore and recap on Sunday’s NLCS game, .

The Rockies can put the NL pennant away with a win in game 4 on Monday as two rookies oppose each other. Diamondbacks’ Micah Owings (8-8) is slated to go against Rockies young lefthander Franklin Morales (3-2).

The ALCS resumes on Monday in Cleveland as the Red Sox and Indians are knotted at one game apiece.  Boston’s rookie Japanese phenom  Daisuke Matsuzaka (15-12) is opposed by Jake Westbrook (6-9).
 
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Monday’s games, .

Source: www.blogging-baseball.com

Murray: No problem

Andy Murray has stated once again that his comments on alleged corruption in tennis were taken out of context.

The British number one was quoted last week as saying that ‘everyone knows’ that match-fixing goes on in the sport.

His comments followed several high-profile admissions from his fellow professionals that they had been offered money to throw matches.

However, Murray has sought to clarify his position, saying that he was referring to betting, and not match-fixing.

Out of context

Asked about the incident at a press conference ahead of the Madrid Masters the 20-year-old Scot said: “It was taken out of context, I never said once that players fixed matches and that players were involved directly in betting on matches.

“I did say that there was a lot of betting in tennis and everyone knows that betting within tennis is going on.

“Three or four of the players have said that they’ve been offered bribes, and I definitely said that that stuff goes on but whether players are accepting the money or not, nobody’s been found guilty and until they have I don’t think tennis matches have been fixed. I never said that.

“I know what I’ve said and I’ve spoken to a couple of other players about it and I don’t think what I said is as big of an issue as has been made out.”

Murray, who will face Radek Stepanek in the first round of the Madrid Masters, is due to meet with the ATP this week regarding his comments.

“I think they understand what happened. I think I am going to meet with them on Tuesday just to have chat about it, but I’ve spoken to a couple of them, there’s no problem,” Murray added.

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Source: www.skysports.com

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Italy’s Flavia Pennetta outclassed Taiwanese teen Chan Yung-jan 6-1, 6-3 to win the Bangkok Open on Sunday and claim her fourth career title.

The No. 7-seeded Italian played aggressively and Chan struggled to keep up.

“She played well, didn’t make mistakes and deserved to win,” said 18-year-old, who was playing in her first WTA final.

Rain interrupted play for four hours, stretching the total match time to over five hours.

“It was tough conditions,” Pennetta said, adding that she will “leave here with the good memory of beating great players.”

She advanced to the final by beating Venus Williams in a semifinal.

Source: www.sportingnews.com

The FA Carlsberg Sunday Cup
First Round
Sunday 15 October 2007
Winning clubs receive £175
Click here for results

If you score 11 goals in five games you might expect to become a marked man. Not so, apparently, as Birstall Stamford’s Kris Nurse followed up last season’s Sunday Cup heroics with a hat-trick in his side’s opener in this season’s competition.

Birstall Stamford reached the semi-final last season, for the second year in succession, before they fell to the eventual winners Coundon Conservative.

This year they are determined to go even further, with Nurse doubtless to the fore after he proved the difference in a 3-0 victory over Diffusion on Sunday afternoon.

Club Secretary Peter Barnsby admitted that Nurse could prove the catalyst for the team this season after he was awarded the Golden Boot for last term’s success before the game.

“Although we won 3-0, it wasn’t easy as Diffusion are a decent side,” said Barnsby.

“The difference was in the strikers, and Kris has clearly finished this season as he did the last.

“They were nothing spectacular, but they were very well-worked team goals and he has the knack of being in the right place at the right time.

“Kris is certainly an excellent player for us to have.”

And Barnsby admits that Birstall Stamford – and Nurse – will be names that other sides will be desperate to avoid in Monday’s draw.

“People will be wary of us,” said Barnsby. “We aren’t overconfident as we only went into the tournament to play teams from around the country, but the expectations are there as we have a good team.

“The players love the tournament as it is a step out of the norm. There are a lot of good teams and it’s true that there are no easy games, so from that point of view, to get a home draw would be nice.

“We’ve got to the semi-finals for the last two years and we want to go further and showcase what we can do.”

None more so, it seems, than Kris Nurse.

Source: www.thefa.com