Cristiano Ronaldo Fergie: Ron’s as good as Messi!

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

ALEX FERGUSON insists that Cristiano Ronaldo is as good as his arch-rival Lionel Messi.

The Manchester United boss made his judgment as he awaits a possible reunion with Real Madrid star Ronaldo.
The Old Trafford boss has kept tabs on the £80million man since he left Old Trafford in June 2009 and believes he is right up there with Barcelona’s Argentinian ace Messi as the best of his generation.
Fergie’s men have a big chance of being paired with Jose Mourinho’s Spanish giants — and Portuguese winger Ronaldo — in this morning’s last-16 draw in Switzerland.
Ferguson said: “There is nothing between the two of them, they are both the best players in the world.
“There will always be great players. You can go back to the 60s with Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas and Eusebio.
“Going into the 70s you had Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer and then in the 80s Marco van Basten.
“I think what we are seeing at the moment is that Messi is an exceptional player from this decade, along with Cristiano.
“I don’t think the rivalry against each other bothers them.
“I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best and I certainly know that about Cristiano because he played here at United for six years.”
Arsenal are the only other English club to qualify for the knockout stages and Ferguson believes it is only a blip.
He added: “Europe has been disappointing for Premier League teams in the last couple of years.
“Sometimes you get blips but I don’t see this happening consistently as I think English teams will always be challenging in the latter stages of the Champions League.”

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4706152/Cristiano-Ronaldo-is-as-good-as-Lionel-Messi-says-Fergie.html#ixzz2Fa7nfDcZ

Με την πιπίλα στην κάλτσα έμεινε ο Μέσι

Ήθελε να αφιερώσει ένα γκολ στο γιο του

Μία ξεχωριστή αφιέρωση ετοίμαζε στο γιο του, που γεννήθηκε την περασμένη Παρασκευή, ο Λιονέλ Μέσι.

Ο φωτογραφικός φακός τον «έπιασε» με μία πιπίλα στην κάλτσα που θα χρησιμοποιούσε για να αφιερώσει το πρώτο του γκολ στον γιο του, Τιάγκο.

Ο Μέσι όμως δεν σκόραρε στον σαββατιάτικο αγώνα της ομάδας του με τη Θέλτα και η πιπίλα… έμεινε στην κάλτσα. Βέβαια το μόνο σίγουρο είναι δεν θα αργήσει η ώρα που ο Αργεντινός θα βάλει το πρώτο του γκολ ως πατέρας.

Παράλληλα, στο ματς με τη Θέλτα, ο Λιονέλ φορούσε ένα ζευγάρι παπούτσια ειδικό για την περίσταση. Στα παπούτσια του ήταν γραμμένο το όνομα Τιάγκο.

Πηγή: www.newsbeast.gr

Hurricane Sandy Amazing Pics

Hurricane Sandy in on the way to the east coast of USA and i have found some amazing pics which show the tremendous strength of this storm.

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com  http://www.salon.com

Mark Clattenburg: Chelsea make complaint against referee

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Chelsea have made a formal complaint against referee Mark Clattenburg after accusing him of using "inappropriate language" to two of their players in the defeat by Manchester United.

Part of the allegation is that Clattenburg used racial language, BBC Sport has learned.
It is also understood midfielder John Mikel Obi is involved in the complaint.
"We have lodged a complaint to the Premier League match delegate," said a Chelsea spokesman.
"The match delegate will pass the complaint to the Football Association."

Referees' organisation Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) later issued a statement which said: "PGMO is aware of the allegations and they are being treated with the utmost seriousness.
"Mark will co-operate fully and welcomes the opportunity for the facts to be established."
All four officials - the referee, his two assistants and the fourth official - wear microphones and ear pieces that allow them to hear what each other is saying throughout the match, although what is said between them is not recorded.
The news that Chelsea had made the complaint rounded off a dramatic day which saw the Blues lose their unbeaten top-flight record after Javier Hernandez struck a controversial winner 15 minutes from time.
Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres were both given red cards in the space of five minutes in United's 3-2 win, with the Spaniard's dismissal for diving disputed by Chelsea.

orres was shown a second yellow card in the 68th minute despite appearing to be clipped by defender Jonny Evans.
Chelsea also felt aggrieved that Hernandez's winner was allowed to stand, as television replays suggested he was marginally offside before converting Rafael Da Silva's cross.
"It is a shame a game like this had to be decided in that manner by officials," said Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo.
"Surely when the referee watches it he will realise he has made big mistakes."
Durham-based Clattenburg, 37, is viewed by the PGMO as one of the country's leading officials.
He regularly referees games in European competitions and was put in charge of the League Cup final in February and the Olympic final between Brazil and Mexico in August.
In 2009, he was suspended over allegations about his business dealings but Clattenburg appealed and returned to officiating having served an eight-month ban.
In addition, Chelsea are to investigate reports that a steward was injured by objects thrown from the crowd at Stamford Bridge.
Hernandez appeared to be pelted as he celebrated scoring United's winner in front of Chelsea fans in the Matthew Harding Stand.
After that, a steward required 10 minutes of treatment before being taken to hospital.

 

Milan Jovanovic Candidate for 'miss of the season' competition

Although Jovanovic’s miss may not surpass Chris Iwelumo’s open-goal fiasco for Scotland against Norway in 2008, it certainly rivals that of Fernando Torres against Manchester United last season.

Unlike the previous two examples, the Serbian international was saved by the fact his side came away from Friday night’s match with a 2-0 win and Jovanovic bagging one of the goals, but it was a bit of a stinker none-the-less.

Anderlecht currently sit second in the Belgian top-flight, level on points with Club Brugges who currently have a game in hand, while their opponents Waasland-Beveren are just three points clear of bottom side Cercle Bruges.

With things so tight at the top of the league, Anderlecht and Jovanovic will both be hoping the title doesn’t come down to goal difference at the end of the season...

Roy Hodgson satisfied by England's 1-1 draw in Poland

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

England boss Roy Hodgson said a point was the most his side deserved from a below-par performance in the World Cup qualifier against Poland in Warsaw.

Wayne Rooney's 32nd England goal gave Hodgson's side a lead they protected until 19 minutes from time, when Kamil Glik headed an equaliser.
Hodgson was critical of England's poor passing in a game postponed 24 hours because of a waterlogged pitch.

He said: "Sometimes you just have to be satisfied to come away with something."

England are top of Group H and, although they lead second-placed Montenegro by a point and Poland by three points, Hodgson's side have played a game more.
"Sometimes there are days when things don't always go your way and it is important when they happen to come away with a result you can regard as a positive one," the England manager said.
"A point in Poland is not to be looked down on and it will not be easy for any of our rivals coming here. After the draw against Ukraine we would have had to play better to win here. We didn't, so then you have to take the second prize of a point."

Hodgson said the delay in staging the game may also have had an impact on his players, insisting: "I don't want to sit here and give the impression we were hard done by, but if a game is postponed it is a little bit easier if you are on home soil.
"On the pitch on Monday I thought the players looked very sharp and lively, but I didn't get that impression today.
"Whether that is down to the extra day, the sodden pitch or whether we just didn't play very well, there are days in any group of matches when you just don't hit the heights and you just have to make sure you don't go away rueing the fact you didn't play well."
Montenegro will move to the head of Group H if they beat San Marino in November.
Hodgson added: "The extra day, the extra stay and the soggy, dead pitch didn't work in our favour, but it was the same for both sides.
"Both sides made a few passing mistakes and, unusually for us, we were surprised at how many we sent astray, particularly in the first half."
Hodgson explained his decision to substitute goalscorer Rooney was a combination of tactical and physical reasons.
"There was an element of physicality," Hodgson said. "He looked as though he was tiring and because he was tiring we thought it was the right moment to bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to give us a bit of a boost to our game."



 

Champions League round-up: Bayern Munich lose to BATE

Source: bbc.co.uk

Bayern Munich's perfect start to the season ended with a shock loss at BATE Borisov in Champions League Group F.

The 2011 finalists, who won their first 10 matches in all competitions, lost 3-1 as BATE stayed top, with Valencia second after beating Lille.
There were no such problems for Group G leaders Barcelona at Benfica, but the Spaniards lost captain Carles Puyol to an awful-looking arm injury.

Braga upset Galatasaray, while Juventus drew at home with Shakhtar Donetsk.

GROUP E
Shakhtar Donetsk sat top of the group at the start of the day and it seemed they would consolidate that position when Alex Teixeira powered them into a first-half lead at Juventus.
But Leonardo Bonucci scored with a first-time finish from Andrea Pirlo's corner as the Italians hit straight back and it finished 1-1.
That result ended Shakhtar's 21-match winning streak in all competitions and allowed Chelsea to leapfrog both Shakhtar and a Juventus following their 4-0 win at FC Nordsjaelland.

GROUP F
Bayern Munich had never lost their second match in the Champions League group stages, but that record was shattered by BATE Borisov. 

The four-time champions from Germany fell behind to a low finish by Aleksandr Pavlov in Belarus.

Vitali Rodionov found the top corner to double BATE's lead and although Franck Ribery clipped home to reduce the deficit, Renan Bressan rounded off a famous victory deep into stoppage time.
That makes it six points from a possible six for the Belarusians, who are three clear of Valencia - 2-0 winners at home to bottom-placed 10-man Lille - and the Spaniards lead Bayern on goal difference.
GROUP G
Celtic's 3-2 win at Spartak Moscow put the Scottish champions top of the group for a short time, but they were bumped into second when Barcelona prevailed 2-0 at Estadio da Luz.
Barca's fifth straight win over Benfica was orchestrated by Lionel Messi, the Argentine crossing for Alexis Sanchez to poke in an early opener before feeding Cesc Fabregas to make it two after half-time.
The four-time champions have now won their last seven group stage matches, but the night ended on a sour note for them as captain Puyol left the pitch in distress after a terrible fall and Sergio Busquets was sent off following a clash with Maxi Pereira.

GROUP H
With 15 of their 19 Champions League wins coming at home, Galatasaray were expected to deal with the threat of Braga and apply pressure on group favourites Manchester United.
But the Portuguese side took a first-half lead through Ruben Micael's first-half tap-in and doubled their advantage on 94 minutes when captain Alan converted Eder's centre.
Braga, now unbeaten in seven matches on their travels, find themselves third in Group H behind CFR Cluj on goal difference and leaders Manchester, who won 2-1 at Cluj.

 
 

I will return to manage in England

Source: bbc.co.uk

Jose Mourinho says he will return to English football when his reign as Real Madrid manager ends, but the Portuguese insists he is happy at the Bernabeu.

While the ex-Chelsea boss is contracted to Real until 2016, he feels his next job will be back in the Premier League.
"I just say openly that, for many reasons, after this the next step will be England," the 49-year-old told CNN.
"When? I don't know, I don't have an idea. I'm so happy in this moment to be manager of the best club in the world."

Mourinho joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 having guided the Italian club to their third European Cup triumph.

His side missed out on the Spanish league title to Barcelona in his first season but got the better of them a year later.
That meant Mourinho could add the La Liga crown to the two apiece he won with Inter (2008-10), Chelsea (2004-06) and Porto (2002-04).
He has been mentioned as a potential successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but Mourinho says he would rather the Scot still be in charge at Old Trafford when he returns to Britain.
"The perfect scenario is when I go there he is still coach," said Mourinho. "Because football will lose a lot when he stops.

"For me, he is the boss. I call him the boss because he is the boss of the coaches and I hope when I go back to English football he is still manager of Manchester United."
Mourinho led Porto to Champions League glory before taking over at Chelsea, winning two league titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
He made a shock exit from Stamford Bridge in 2007 after his relationship with Blues owner Roman Abramovich grew troubled.
But when asked if he would consider working under the Russian at Chelsea again, Mourinho replied: "Of course, of course.
"It was a perfect example of a fantastic divorce. We are a lot in touch. We have a great relationship."

10 Weird Sports From Around The World

Source: http://inventorspot.com

Depending on an individual’s perspective, some sports outside professional leagues can be classified as weird. North Americans aren’t too fond of cricket and even a few South Americans haven’t even heard of hockey.

The following sports go beyond the boundaries of unusual sports when it comes to rules and equipment.

Weird Sport #1. The Ultimate Test: Man v.s. Horse

If you thought the sport had anything to do with strength, then you’re wrong. The annual Man Versus Horse Marathon requires stamina and agility. Taking place in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells, the marathon puts human contestants up against mounted horse contestants.

The event started in 1980, when a landlord decided to hold the event after hearing two men arguing about whether or not an individual could beat a horse in a cross country race.

Weird Sport #2. Where Love Is The Key To Success

First introduced in Finland, wife carrying is an actual sport where male competitors race while carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle course in the fastest time. Major competitions are held in Sonkajarvi, Finland, Monona, Wisconsin and in Marquette, Michigan.

Talk about tough love.

Weird Sport #3. Going For A Different Kind Of Swim

Even though it does seem kind of gross, bog snorkelling is a sporting event where competitors swim in a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers and can only complete the course by swimming with their flippers and not using traditional swimming techniques.

The World Bog Snorkelling Championships take place every August Bank Holiday in a dense peat bog near Llanwrtyd Wells, in Wales.

Weird Sport #4. Putting Your Toe To Good Use

A popular activity for children, toe wrestling is now a competitive sport. The World Toe Wrestling Competition first started at a pub in Derbyshire, UK in 1976. Locals thought it would be a great idea to hold a competition where individuals lock toes together and force their opponent’s foot to the ground. The organizers applied in 1997 to get the sport included in the Olympics, but unfortunately, it was not accepted.

Weird Sport #5. Another Use For Those Fists Of Steel

Despite not being well-renowned in the media, fistball is an old sport that’s practiced all over the world. Like tennis and volleyball, the purpose of the sport is to hit the ball with your fist or arm and place it in the opponent’s half where they won’t get to it. After passing the net, the ball may be contacted up to three times (bounces are allowed) by the five players on each team.

The sport is played indoors and outdoors and is featured in The World Games.

Weird Sport #6. Taking Underwater Sports To The Next Level

Octopush (also known as underwater hockey) is a non-contact sport where two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool and into “goals”. Just like hockey but underwater, the game has actually become popular in countries like theUK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

Weird Sport #7. Reinventing A Childhood Sport

Even though it’s not entirely unusual, the fact that there is a kickball league is fun, yet weird. The popular playground game has now become a competitive sport with the creation of the World Adult Kickball Association.

Weird Sport #8. Combining Brains And Brawn

If you’re looking for a sport that combines using your strength as well as intelligence, then chess boxing is for you. The sport is a combination of boxing and chess with the different games alternating after each round. A match between two individuals lasts up to eleven rounds, starting with a four minute chess round and followed by two minutes of boxing.

The sport is governed by the World Chess Boxing Organization whose motto is:

“Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board”

Weird Sport #9. Finding Out Who's Faster: You Or Cheese

Cheese rolling is probably one of the simplest sports out there. From the top of hill, a round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled and competitors chase after it. The first individual across the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins (the cheese of course).

Competitors aim to catch the rolling cheese but this rarely happens as it has a one second head start and can reach speeds up to 112 km/hr. In 1997, the cheese took a wrong turn down the hill and accidentally injured a spectator.

Weird Sport #10. Putting Testosterone To Good Use

Facial hair can certainly make a man more masculine, but a competition? The World Beard And Moustache Championships is a biennial competition where men show off their extraordinary beards and moustaches. Categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle.

If only the competitors played in rock bands.