Man City handle Liverpool 3-0 in EPL

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

MANCHESTER, England (AP)—Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the English Premier League by easily dealing with Liverpool 3-0 at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. First-half goals from Sergio Aguero, courtesy of a bad error by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, and Yaya Toure allowed City to continue its remarkable home form.

City lost midfielder Gareth Barry to a 73rd-minute red card, for a second bookable offense, but within a minute it added a third goal courtesy of a James Milner penalty. The calendar year of 2011 saw City collect 52 points from a possible 54 on its own ground and, after one point from its last two away fixtures, Roberto Mancini’s team relished the return to home turf.

Liverpool was without Luis Suarez, after announcing before kickoff that it will not appeal the eight-match suspension handed to him for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. But City were left with personnel problems of their own with Yaya Toure, along with brother Kolo, leaving the club after Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Manchester United to represent the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations.

“I tried to find another Yaya in the squad but there isn’t another one,” Mancini said. “For us he is a very important player and for this reason January is a crucial month for us.

“If we can stay at the top in January, we could win the title but we play every three days and will be without Yaya, without Kolo.

“I think United are a strong team but we should think only about ourselves, try to win every game and see what happens in the end. It will be a hard championship from now until the end because also Tottenham are very close.”

Liverpool created the first real opening after just seven minutes when Jordan Henderson’s accurate throughball played in Stewart Downing only for the winger to be denied by a fine reaction save from Joe Hart.

That miss proved especially costly when City took the lead in the 10th from a move started when Milner dispossessed Dirk Kuyt and found David Silva with a short pass. The Spaniard fed Aguero, whose 20-meter shot passed under Reina’s diving body into the back of the net.

After 33 minutes, Liverpool’s run of just one defeat in 17 previous games looked like being under severe pressure as the home side doubled its lead through Toure. Reina made amends for his earlier blunder by tipping over a goal-bound Vincent Kompany header from a Milner corner.

Silva took the resulting right-side flag kick and found the unmarked Toure, who guided in an unstoppable header via the underside of the crossbar. While Liverpool threatened on the counterattack, the two-goal lead did not flatter City.

An Edin Dzeko shot was barely saved by Reina at the foot of his post and Aguero’s audacious chip, soon after his opening goal, forced Reina into a solid piece of handling. For its part, City was rarely tested with Hart’s save from a strong Charlie Adam free kick a rare piece of first-half activity for the England goalkeeper.

Even though the visitors brought on the experienced Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy before the hour mark, there was little hope of recovery until Barry, booked for a first-half foul on Jay Spearing, brought down Daniel Agger and was sent off.

However, within a minute, Skrtel body-checked Toure to the ground and Milner confidently planted his penalty kick high into the right side of the goal for 3-0. Mancini was seen gesturing for the referee to send off Skrtel for the challenge, and apologized for the action.

“I did it because I was nervous,” Mancini said. “Maybe I made a mistake by doing it but I didn’t agree with the referee for the second yellow card (for Barry). I watched all the games yesterday and there were lots of tackles without any yellow or red cards and we play a game and we lose a player.”

City substitute Adam Johnson struck the post from 18 meters while Hart’s only other business was to save from a long-range Bellamy shot late in the game.

Source : sports.yahoo.com

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Real Madrid 1-3 Barcelona in Santiago Bernabéu

Friday, 30 December 2011

Barcelona were the comeback kings at the Santiago Bernabeu as the champions recovered from conceding within the first minute to defeat bitter rivals Real Madrid 3-1 in the seventh and final Clasico of 2011. Jose Mourinho’s men took the lead after only 22 seconds when Karim Benzema grabbed the quickest goal in Clasico history. The home side were pegged back on the half hour mark when Alexis Sanchez grabbed an equaliser in his first league appearance against Madrid.

A Xavi volley took a fortuitous deflection off Marcelo to give the visitors the lead, before Cesc Fabregas’ header finished off a wonderful team move in the 66th minute in what proved to be the fixture’s final strike. The victory sends Barcelona level on points with Jose Mourinho’s men and to the top of the Liga table due to their superior head-to-head record against Madrid, who have a game in hand.

In one of the most astonishing starts in the history of the Clasico, Real Madrid were a goal to the good within 22 seconds. Victor Valdes’ poor clearance fell to the feet of Angel Di Maria who drilled the ball into the penalty area only for Sergio Busquets to block its progress. Mesut Ozil’s attempted volley deflected off Busquets into the path of Benzema to fire home six yards from goal.

Madrid were left to rue opportunities to double their lead when Barcelona drew level on the half hour mark with Messi on hand to turn provider. The 24-year-old bypassed several challenges before sliding a weighted through ball to Alexis Sanchez, who calmly slotted past Casillas from the edge of the area to bring his side back into the game and all square at the break.

After a edgy opening to the second period, Barcelona were handed the lead thanks to a large slice of fortune on 53 minutes. Xavi’s speculative volley 25 yards from goal took a massive deflection off Marcelo, fooling a wrong-footed Casillas with the ball spinning off the post and into the back of the net.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who had in the first half skewed a shot wide of the target when Di Maria was perhaps better placed to his right, then squandered a golden opportunity to level the contest. Xabi Alonso’s cross found the Portuguese completely unmarked inside the area, but his header drifted wide of the post.

Madrid were made to pay, as Barca extended their lead in the 66th minute after a breathtaking counterattacking move. Messi slid the ball out to the right for Dani Alves to whip a beautiful cross towards the back post where an unmarked Cesc Fabregas was on cue to coolly head the ball into the far corner in what was to be the final goal of a pulsating encounter.

Next up for Real Madrid is a trip to Ponferradina on Tuesday as they look to defend their Copa del Rey title. Barcelona now head to Japan where they will feature in the Club World Cup. Their first task will be a semi-final meeting against either Esperance or Al Sadd on Thursday.

Source : goal.com

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Boxing Legend ‘Smokin’ Joe’ Frazier Dead at 67

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier, who was known for his personal and professional battles with Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 67 after a brief fight with cancer.

The youngest of 12 children, Frazier was born in 1944 into a working-class family on a farm in the racially-segregated southeastern U.S. town of Beaufort, South Carolina. Frazier dreamed of becoming a prize fighter from an early age, watching boxing matches on his family’s black-and-white television.

After fighting as an amateur for several years, Frazier won a gold medal for the United States at the 1964 Olympic Games.  But “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier really made his name in the 1970s during his epic rivalry with boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

Frazier became the first man to beat Ali, winning the heavyweight title in 1971 in a dramatic, 15-round unanimous decision at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Dubbed the “fight of the century,” an estimated 300 million people worldwide viewed the match, which left both men hospitalized.

After Ali responded with a 12-round victory in 1974, the two men met in the Philippines for the famed “Thrilla in Manila,” considered as one of the most famous sporting events in history. After battering each other for 14 rounds, Frazier was forcibly held back by his trainer after nearly being blinded by Ali’s punches. Ali later said the match was the “closest thing to dying” that he had ever experienced.

The no-nonsense Frazier was often overshadowed by Ali’s more aggressive and charismatic personality. Frazier resented being verbally attacked by Ali, who referred to him as a “gorilla” and accused Frazier of being too accommodating to the white-dominated society.

The two men remained bitter enemies for decades. But in later years, Frazier came to forgive Ali, saying he felt no bitterness against him for his attacks outside the ring. Ali also later apologized, saying the insults were only meant to promote the fights. Ali said in a statement late Monday that “the world has lost a great champion,” and that he will always remember Joe with “respect and admiration.”

Frazier’s aggressiveness, close-range style and devastating left hook compensated for his relative small size. He weighed just 93 kilograms – considered small for a heavyweight boxer. Frazier retired in 1976 with a record of 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw.  The boxing icon’s family said late Monday that he died in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia – one month after being diagnosed with an advanced form of liver cancer.

Source : www.bbc.co.uk

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Get in Fighting Shape with Mayweather and Mosley

Thursday, 29 December 2011

Floyd Mayweather was dressed in a nice suit, standing on a stage in Manhattan in front of journalists and fans. His soon-to-be opponent, Shane Mosley, was equally dapper and only a few feet away. The press conference to announce their May 1 fight had just had just ended, but Mayweather was already pumped. Already competing.

We asked him for his favorite workout, the one he’ll turn to as the fight day draws near, and he said, “Every day I go to the gym, the first thing I do is shadowbox. I probably shadowbox, I don’t know, 10 minutes.” He paused. Thought about what makes him a champion. Then he withdrew: “If I give my own gameplan, I’m giving the world my remedy on how I train. I can’t give the world my remedy.”

Sounds kind of ridiculous, doesn’t it? Floyd Mayweather is a hell of a boxer. A fierce talent. Could his workout be that important to his success? You’d be surprised at the answer. A smart plan separates a strong body from an imbalanced one, and a top athlete from an injured one.

These guys may be protective of their secrets, but we snagged a few from them anyway. We spoke with Mayweather, his trainer, and Mosley’s trainer, to give you the six keys to getting in top condition. Use them to succeed in any sport.

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