The news coming out of the Emirates is that the midfield trio of Cesc, Hleb, and Flamini have been declared match fit and will play Chelsea. RVP will be on the bench as Hleb starts in the slot behind Adebayor.
Man Utd just put the lumber on Liverpool’s Premiership chances winning 1-0, setting up a bit of a sticky situation between Rafa and his American handlers in their much anticipated meeting.
I know many of you that read our blog or the usual WSU coverage online already know a ton about Paul Wulff. But the Spokesman today hit a HOME RUN with the background story.
I believe that people really need to know what we’ve got here in coach Wulff. His hiring was big news in eastern WA, and in some pockets of Seattle, but otherwise it was barely a blip on the radar. But there’s just so much more than meets the eye with this guy. Again, Vince hits an absolute home run today with his story, and the accompanying unsolved murder story is a real eye-opener.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The top three places in the Dutch first division remained unchanged after matches involving Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord were postponed due to a police strike.
Feyenoord had been scheduled to play AZ on Saturday, with first-place Ajax hosting second-place PSV on Sunday.
Fabio Capello has negotiated a two-year escape clause in his England contract to allow both him and the Football Association a get-out if the 2010 World Cup finals qualification campaign ends in disaster. Capello was finally officially announced as the new England manager yesterday, with the FA claiming that he had signed a four-and-a-half year contract to take him up to the 2012 European Championship.
Here are the results of the Aftershock Events card at the All-Star Legacy Gym in Dulles, VA:
“Dangerous” Dana Dunston of Woodbridge, VA made his return after a seven-year layoff successful by winning a four-round split decision over Bernard “Bad Ass” Brown of Baltimore, MD. Dunston scored a knockdown in the fourth round that clinched the victory. Judges Brian Costello and Jerry Payne scored the bout for Dunston, 38-37 and 39-36 respectively while Judge Wayne Smith saw the bout 38-37 for Brown.
Dunston’s record is now 4-1, two KO’s while Brown is now 5-2-3, two KO’s.
North Korea will host a leg of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay, state media has reported.
The flame, which is due to pass through 22 cities in the four months before the Games, is expected to reach North Korean capital Pyongyang on 28 April.
Jamaal Tinsley’s latest off-the-court trouble has convinced the Pacers forward to heed his team’s advice and hire a security guard.
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Tonight is Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire’s 999th game as a coach in the NHL. Knowing Lemaire, its just another game to him and his attitude will likely be much more determined how the team plays tonight in Los Angeles. Lemaire, who has known plenty of success as a player, winning 8 Stanley Cups (he would win 3 more bringing his personal total to 11; 1 as a coach and 2 as a consultant) in a hall of fame career with the Montreal Canadiens. Minnesota is looking to get a big win to finish out this road trip with 3 wins, which can be considered a significant accomplishment for a team that has to have felt as if it has been sputtering as of late. Can they earn the 2 points tonight?
Minnesota started out with good jump in its skates to start the game against the Kings. The Wild were pressing the attack, cycling the puck well in the Los Angeles zone and generating chances early and often on Jean-Sebastien Aubin. With the flu ravaging the team, energy winger Aaron Voros was watching much of the 1st period from the bench, the Wild opted to move up defenseman Brent Burns to forward. Burns seemed to relish the freedom of playing on the wing, and he got involved right away by throwing his big 6′4″ frame around. Another energy player for the Wild who was getting another look on the top line was Todd Fedoruk, and the “Fridge” was looking very natural working with Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik. A nice outlet pass by Kim Johnsson would go along the boards to Marian Gaborik who got behind the Kings’ defense and he would fire a wicked wrister that found the twine behind Aubin to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. The Kings would try to rally back, with a nice shift by Anze Kopitar to hit Johnsson and knock the puck loose before allowing Dustin Brown to move in for a point-blank chance on Josh Harding and he would make the save. The Wild’s penalty kill would come up big to stop the league’s 4th best power play (at home). Minnesota would again pressure and draw a penalty on Anze Kopitar. On the ensuing power play, it would be the Kings that would get the best chance off of a poor cross-ice pass between defenseman that had Michal Handzus race down the ice on a breakaway and his high wrister was robbed by a fantastic glove save by Harding. The Kings tried to rally back, but the Wild’s defense did a good job at taking the body, and made quick but sound decisions with the puck. The State of Hockey kept dictating the pace of the game, and some of its lesser players started to fire shots on goal; including two quick snap shots by Dominic Moore. A late penalty by Kyle Calder, would give Minnesota a power play and the Wild would move the puck well down low, and Pavol Demitra came very close to giving the Wild a 2-0 lead but after a lengthy review it was ruled ‘no goal’ (and that was the correct call). Minnesota had to feel very good about its play in the first period, carrying a 1-goal lead into the 2nd.
Syracuse Crunch
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - It was one of those nights for the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Zenon Konopka had two goals and three assists and Joakim Lindstrom added a goal and five assists as the Syracuse Crunch blasted the Bulldogs 9-2 in American Hockey League action Saturday night.
OHL
The Erie Otters have Zach Torquato and Ryan O’Reilly to thank for their hottest home stretch in two seasons.
Torquato and O’Reilly extended their point streaks while Nick Palmieri had the game winner to lead the Otters to their fourth consecutive home victory, a 4-3 triumph over the Kingston Frontenacs in Ontario Hockey League action Saturday night.