Manchester derby will decide title

Manchester derby will decide title

 

Sir Alex Ferguson has labelled the Manchester derby as the most important in his career after branding the April 30 encounter at the Etihad Stadium a "title decider".

Ten minutes from the end of the clash with Everton at Old Trafford, it seemed United would be preparing for the ultimate act of revenge after that 6-1 mauling by the Blues in October.

But goals from Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar secured a staggering 4-4 draw for Everton in the latest of a sequence of amazing results this season, which now mean United go to Manchester City knowing if they lose they will surrender the initiative completely.

"Yes, definitely," said Ferguson, when asked if it was the most important derby he has known.

"We've given them the initiative, there is no doubt about that.

"It makes the game at the Etihad a really important game. A decider really.

"There has been an expectancy from City that it could be their decider, but it's our decider too."

Twice in the second half United established two-goal leads after initially falling behind to Jelavic's opener.

Wayne Rooney scored two more goals to take his seasonal tally to 33, one adrift of his best tally, and 190 overall, fourth on United's all-time list.

When Danny Welbeck and Nani scored in the space of two minutes around the hour mark, it appeared victory was secure.

But Ferguson was stunned by the collapse of a team that had kept six clear sheets in its previous seven games.

"There were defensive lapses," he said.

"Their goals were really soft. It was a real shock for us to defend like that.

"It was a travesty of a result in some ways but we made it difficult for ourselves and if you look at our history we keep doing that.

"We've thrown a game away that we should be coasting. But we didn't so we have given ourselves a difficult task."

Everton manager David Moyes said he felt "insulted" his side's character should have been questioned, even though they twice found themselves two adrift just eight days after they were beaten by old rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final.

"I am really disappointed people would question their character," said Moyes.

"It is a bit insulting because I would hate to think people either wouldn't understand me or the culture of Everton FC.

"At 4-2, did I think we were going to get back into it? I thought it would be very tough.

"But I felt we would definitely score one more goal, it was whether there would be enough time to get an equaliser."

Moyes conceded his side enjoyed "a bit of luck" when Patrice Evra's header came back off the post before the late drama.

However, the Toffees chief was making no apologies given he was already furious referee Mike Jones had not halted play in the build-up to United's second goal for treatment to Steven Pienaar.

"I was moaning at the referee because he made a decision for them and didn't equal it up for us," he said.

"I couldn't understand it. It was a hard day from that point of view."

Moyes was delighted with the final outcome though, which keeps Everton on track to finish the season above Liverpool, in addition to providing an unexpected twist in the title battle.

"We have reminded people that we are still here," said Moyes.

"We are not a bad team. Since January we have been a very good team.

"When you lose a semi-final against your local rivals it is tough to take.

"The message today [Sunday] was that we were going to go toe-to-toe with Manchester United.

"Only in the last minute were we hanging on a little bit.

"But how many teams are going to get back into it from a position like that at Manchester United?

"It will make next week's game at Manchester City a bit more tidy."

Barcelona vs. Chelsea: Will history repeat in semifinal ??

Almost three years ago, Andreas Iniesta fired an incredible shot in the nail-biting final moments of a European Champions League semifinal at Stamford Bridge. Scored in the last minute of stoppage time, it secured a 1-1 draw and put Barcelona into the final on away goals.

Iniesta's ecstatic team then took the title in Rome, beating Chelsea's English rivals Manchester United.

On Wednesday, the Spanish champions will return to London to face Chelsea for the first time since that fateful day on May 6, 2009 in the first leg of this season's semifinal.

Unsurprisingly, talk has centered on that goal, with 2010 World Cup winner Iniesta adamant that this time around Barca will not settle for a draw.

"We are going there to get a win, to put in a good performance and commit as few errors as possible," the midfielder said on Barca's website.

"I guess it's inevitable that that goal is being talked about again. It's good to remember it because it was a special and very intense moment -- not just for me, but for all of us. Life goes on though, and Wednesday is a different situation and a different game. I'm very proud of that goal and happy to have been able to have that experience. It's a feeling that is hard to describe."

I guess it's inevitable that that goal is being talked about again. Life goes on though and Wednesday is a different situation and a different game.
Andreas Iniesta, Barca midfielder

However, Iniesta warned that Chelsea's squad -- which now includes his compatriots Fernando Torres and Juan Mata -- will be a a strong opposition despite the London side's difficult first half of the season, which cost coach Andrew Villas-Boas his job.

"They have more experience. They were strong in 2009 and they will be stronger now -- strong, dangerous and intense. That will all be multiplied by the atmosphere at their own ground," Iniesta said

Wednesday's match will be the fifth meeting between the two sides in the knockout stage of the European Champions League, with 2009's dramatic match still looming large in the fierce rivalry.

That game is also remembered for Chelsea player Didier Drogba's foul-mouthed tirade at referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the Norwegian turned down four penalty appeals from his team in the second leg.

The Ivory Coast striker is keen to move on from the outburst which landed him a three-game ban.

"It is not about 2009 because I think about the other times we played Barcelona and it is not only bad memories, we have some good memories as well," he said on Chelsea's website.

"So it is 50-50, even if Barcelona are set to be the best team in the world and they have the best player in the world. It is two games, anything can happen."

It is not about 2009 because I think about the other times we played Barcelona and it is not only bad memories, we have some good memories as well.
Dirdier Drogba, Chelsea striker

Drogba has reason to be confident, with the Blues boasting a perfect record in the Champions League at home this season, winning all five games played.

"The only thing I want is to play on Wednesday with my teammates and make a good result. Barcelona are the winners of last year's competition and nobody expected us to be in the semifinal so we have to show that we deserve to be there," he said.

The match will be particularly loaded for Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola and his Chelsea counterpart Roberto di Matteo, who faced each other as players for the teams in the Champions League quarterfinals 12 years ago.

Again, it was Barcelona who triumphed, beating the Blues 5-1 after extra time at Camp Nou to triumph 6-4 on aggregate.

Champions League Semi Final : Bayern ready for Real test

Munich: Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes faces his former club Real Madrid over two legs, knowing that victory will ensure the German side will be the first to contest a Champions League final in its own stadium.

 Heynckes led Real to the 1998 trophy and knows the pressure on the Spanish powerhouse to claim a record 10th title is immense.

"The obsession to win this trophy was there from the beginning," the 66-year-old said of his solitary year in charge. Heynckes was sacked for finishing the season in a lowly league position — fourth.

Four-time winners Bayern are hoping their strength at home will prove decisive in Tuesday's semi-final first leg.

"Lust, passion, desire for success are decisive," Heynckes said in Monday's press conference. "And I feel that in my team. They have this chance perhaps once in their lives."

Bayern have won 13 of their last 14 games in Munich, where Real have never won in nine attempts. The Spaniards have only one win from 22 visits to Germany — a 3-2 victory at Bayer Leverkusen in September 2000.

History also favors the Germans, who have 10 wins from 18 previous clashes between the great rivals — including eight from those nine games in Munich.

Bayern have prevailed in three from four semifinal clashes, going on to win the title when the sides last met at this stage in the competition in 2001.

It was Bayern's last European title, and the Bavarians are keen to make up for disappointing form in the Bundesliga by reaching a ninth final.

"We'll pull everything out, we'll fight, give everything to make it," said winger Thomas Mueller.

Bayern have all but conceded defeat in the league after falling eight points behind defending champions Borussia Dortmund.

"Our focus now is on the Champions League and the German Cup," said sporting director Christian Nerlinger after Saturday's 0-0 draw to Mainz ended Bayern's 11-game winning run at home.

Munich play Dortmund in the German Cup final on May 12.

Bayern's 1-0 defeat at Dortmund last Wednesday effectively decided the Bundesliga, and Heynckes acknowledged as much by starting regulars Toni Kroos, Franck Ribery, Philipp Lahm, Luiz Gustavo and league topscorer Mario Gomez on the bench against Mainz.

"Rotations were necessary to be fully there on Tuesday," said Heynckes.

Gomez, with 25 Bundesliga goals, will be hoping to add to his Champions League tally of 11.

Bayern winger Arjen Robben, for one, could feel he has a point to prove after scoring 11 goals in 50 league appearances for Real before being deemed surplus to requirements in 2009.

"I hope and believe that he will be particularly motivated against his ex-club," Heynckes said Monday. "He's a player that can make the difference."

But Real are unbeaten in 20 games in all competitions and have only conceded one goal in five away Champions League games so far.

"Everyone knows what's coming. It's the toughest opponent of the season," said Kroos.

Real are four points ahead of three-time defending champions Barcelona in the league, Saturday's 3-1 win at home over Sporting Gijon maintaining the capital side's advantage before Saturday's crucial "clasico" in Barcelona.

Mourinho used Karim Benzema and Angel di Maria as second half substitutes to give his regulars extra rest, while neither Kaka nor Xabi Alonso featured against Sporting, the latter missed out through suspension.

Real called up their entire 23 man squad for Munich, plus reserve team goalkeeper Tomas Mejias.

"For those who say Mourinho is a defensive coach, the numbers aren't bad," said Real's assistant coach Aitor Karanka after his side matched the league record 107 goals it scored during the 1989-90 season.

Like Real, Bayern have no major injury worries ahead of the tie, though Bastian Schweinsteiger is still not 100 percent after recently returning from a nagging ankle injury.

"It's still difficult for me in terms of stamina," he said. "It's all or nothing on Tuesday. We have to go to the limits and beyond, but we can do it with our fans behind us. It won't be easy, and it comes down to mental strength. I hope we show the mentality which marks Bayern out."

Mueller, Kroos, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and Luiz Gustavo are all one booking from suspension, while no Real player is in danger of missing the second leg.

Bayern's defense will need to be at its best to stop Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Benzema, who have combined to score 107 goals in all competitions this season.

"Real are pure attack," Heynckes said in a Kicker interview.

Ronaldo scored his 41st against Gijon to become the first Spanish league player to score more than 40 goals in back-to-back seasons.

"We have to take advantage of Cristiano's goals, there are no limits to his abilities," said Real left back Marcelo.

Meanwhile Real defender Sergio Ramos is prepared for a busy evening.

"Bayern have very dangerous players of great quality in attack like Ribery and Robben, but success is achieved through the collective," the 26-year-old Spain international said. "Hopefully we can manage a good result there to help get to the final."

Real haven't won the title since 2002 and are also spurred on by the prospect of a possible final against arch-rivals Barcelona on May 19.

The defending champions face Chelsea in the other semi-final tie.

"We're going up against a very tough rival but we know this is the only series standing in the way of the final we want," said Higuain.

 

Tendulkar set to return for Mumbai Indians against Daredevils

Mumbai : It wouldn't be a stretch to say that on paper, at least, the Delhi Daredevils look the most improved side in the Indian Premier League since last season.
Two solid wins have sandwiched below-average display in Bangalore last week, but it is on Monday the Daredevils will face their toughest challenge yet when they take on a Mumbai Indians side that, along with league leaders Pune Warriors India, is looking the most potent in the competition.
A win on Monday will take the Daredevils to the top of the table after four games, given their strong net run rate of + 0.820, while Mumbai too will get past Pune if they win, albeit having played one more game.
Mumbai slipped up once when they couldn’t chase down a paltry run target against Pune but Harbhajan Singh’s team has been force to reckon with, despite the absence of Sachin Tendulkar due to a finger injury for the last three games. The Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise beat defending champions Chennai Super Kings the opening match of the season, and also notched up resounding wins against Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals.
Their main strength have been their bowlers, with Munaf Patel, Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard being the top three wicket-takers thus far in the league. The likes of Rohit Sharma and Pollard have stepped their game and played match-winning knocks.
Up against last year’s Champions League Twenty20 winners is a Daredevils side that has finally got batting calibre to match the guns from other teams.
The ever-dangerous skipper Virender Sehwag is joined by the number one Twenty20 batsman in world according to the ICC rankings, Kevin Pietersen, and vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene slots in as the fulcrum around which the batting revolves. Add to mix the availability of the explosive Ross Taylor, and Delhi are full of potential match-winners.
In the bowling department, is South African Morne Morkel who has led the way with seven wickets in three games, while Umesh Yadav has maintained the pressure by not giving too much away.
The fact that Tendulkar knocked the ball around in the nets for a long time on both days preceding the match would have a few hearts aflutter in their dressing room, and it will be up to Delhi’s supporting cast of bowlers - Irfan Pathan and the left-arm spin duo of Roelof van der Merwe and Shahbaz Nadeem — to make sure they provide enough support to their star bowlers.

The Wankhede Stadium pitch is expected to be favourable to batsmen, as are the short boundaries square of the wicket. With the weather forecast ideal, it looks like a mouth-watering runfest could be on the cards for the Mumbai crowd. And they would certainly hope that the Master Blaster will be able to showcase a few of his trademark straight drives, like he did in the nets.

'It has been the toughest battle of my life' - Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh is confident he will return to playing cricket for India but says he is neither in a hurry nor anxious to do so, and that cancer changed his approach to both life and the sport.

In his first media conference on returning to India after receiving treatment in the USA for a rare germ-cell cancer called mediastinal seminoma, Yuvraj said his chemotherapy cycles often left him "depressed" and in tears, but having cancer had taught him a lot. "Cancer may be the best thing to have happened to me and maybe I will realise this in the future," he said. "There were more bad days than good. I haven't played cricket for one year, and it has been the toughest battle of my life."

Yuvraj was speaking at his academy, the Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence, at a Pathways School outside Delhi, turning up bald following his hair loss due to chemotherapy. He was accompanied by his doctor, Nitesh Rohatgi, a senior medical oncologist. Yuvraj wore sunglasses indoors, not as a style statement, but to handle the extreme glare from camera lights. Over the course of what was nearly an hour-long conference, he spoke openly of his two months in the USA, when he avoided watching cricket on TV ("there was a little bit of frustration when I watched the team play") and found himself inspired by the practical approach of fellow chemotherapy patients. He discovered he now belonged to another larger group of people, a group he called "the cancer family".

When asked about his return to competitive cricket, Yuvraj said, "I don't know what I will come back and be able to do. Getting back on the field will be a big achievement for me. My body needs to recuperate, and to deal with all that pressure, and to play for India again will be a very big achievement for me. What happens after that, I don't know. As a sportsman you can only say, I'm going to work hard - one thing I always think about is that I want to put the cap with the India logo back on my head. I can't say what I will do when I come back, but I am sure I will come back to cricket."

He made it clear that he had no targets or ambitions related to cricket. "At the moment it is very important that I look after my health, eat the best diet, have the best surroundings. The focus will be on my health, and what the priorities are with regards to my health. Rather than being emotional and saying 'oh people want me back quickly'. I've gone through a very tough time, when I come back on the field I want it to be when I am absolutely fit, not to rush, even if it takes me an extra month. But I'm sure that I will return."

Yuvraj's treatment in the USA had involved working with Dr Lawrence Einhorn, the doctor who helped Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong recover from a form of cancer that had been considered terminal. A few years ago, Yuvraj had left Armstrong's book It's Not About The Bike half-finished. "Maybe I had to come back to it this way and finish the book," he said. "He also had a young mother who helped him through the illness, he also had close friends who helped him survive … To me, Lance is a real life hero; he is a great sportsman but his achievements in life are much greater."

The disease, Yuvraj said, had made him appreciate friends, family, health and happiness over fame, popularity, success or money. "My thoughts have changed … Ever since I have played for India, I would get up thinking, will I score runs today or won't I, will I field properly, will I take catches, what will X or Y say about me, what will the press say about me. For ten years, I got into the pressure getting up every day thinking that I wanted to prove them wrong. But now that is gone, it doesn't matter and I am content. I have my friends around; I have my family. Definitely, I want to play cricket but I am sure I will play it with less stress on my mind … Playing cricket after this, looks a lot easier."

The disease may have left his body, Yuvraj said, "but the scar has not gone," and he wanted to be involved in working with cancer patients. "I don't have any specific plans now, but in the coming time, I will definitely do something for people with cancer… now patients struggling with cancer are like a family to me. I can understand their pain and I feel more connected to anyone who is going through it."

Cancer "hit him very bad" and at the start Yuvraj had found it hard to believe he had it. "This illness, it was hard to believe that a person like me can go through this. First of all, I am an athlete, I run six hours a day and I am playing from morning to evening. How can I have any illness?"

Yuvraj's problems had begun with difficulties in breathing during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, during which he emerged as the player of the tournament. During the World Cup he found he could not breathe comfortably on his left side, had bouts of nausea and had coughed blood on a few occasions. Yuvraj said the delay in undergoing chemotherapy had risen due to the difficulty in diagnosing the cancer he was suffering from. Mediastinal seminoma is a rare tumour which forms less than 1% of cancers on the whole.

"For six months we had wondered is this cancer or is it not. It was tough to diagnose. Maybe I responded late by two months. It was hard to accept you have cancer. I was in denial most of the time, I was afraid. But once I knew what I need to do, what was the right thing to do about it, I went to the US straightaway for my treatment."

Yuvraj also had a message for others who have difficulty accepting their affliction. "Awareness is very important. I wanted to portray to everyone who had the same illness, that don't be afraid. I was also in denial, I was also afraid, if you have any issue, get it checked. I ignored the coughing which was not the right thing to do. The World Cup was coming, there was a lot of pressure on us to do well, so there were other issues … but get yourself checked. Fight it out, be strong. It's not easy, but if I can do it, they can do it."

In Indianapolis, Yuvraj said he had watched joggers go past his apartment window and wondered whether he would ever be able to run around again or return to his family and friends in India. He was home now, he said, "with a lot of happiness inside me, that I can now live like any normal man, that I am breathing normally, there is no stress."

Sparks could fly as MI meets CSK

Chepauk should witness high-voltage action on Wednesday (04.04.2012) when two marquee teams — Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians — face-off. Amid the heat, dust and the dazzling lights, cricket could be explosive.

After the glittering opening ceremony of light and sound, there should be fireworks in the middle.

The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League could be a box of excitement and surprises.

This is Twenty20 time and the fielders might be chasing leather. But, then, at Chepauk, the ball might also hold sway.

The relaid pitch played low and slow during the Champions League matches at this venue last year. Run-making demanded application, and spinners turned influential.

Since then, the surface appears to have settled down. A measure of grass on the wicket for the matches here should assist in the binding of the pitch. There should also be greater bounce in the wicket, at least in the early games, here.

In the practice games on the track prior to the tournament-opener, the cricketers appeared pleased with the ‘carry' off the pitch.

The spinners could be hard to counter if the turn they extract combines with bounce. Red soil was mixed with the pitch's largely clay content using air holes ahead of the competition. This surface will surely be under scrutiny.

For CSK, Chepauk has been a fortress. Under the circumstances, the team's reverse here during the Champions League was a shock of sorts for its supporters.

The Mumbai Indians, in contrast, will have recent happy memories of the venue. It was here that the side, under Harbhajan Singh, grabbed its first title — the Champions League.

With Sachin Tendulkar, who was injured then, giving up captaincy ahead of this IPL, Harbhajan remains Mumbai Indians' captain. Both the skipper and his men face a test of character.

M.S. Dhoni continues to lift CSK. The game's great finisher has an instinctive feel for the format that is hard to ignore. The CSK is a potent force collectively and a sense of bonding in the side is unmistakable.

The side from Chennai is a batting powerhouse; it is packed with big hitters who can swing games. The outfit also has a worthy blend of the right and the left-handers. This aspect of the CSK line-up constantly forces the bowlers to shift line.

In the bowling department, the focus will be on how off-spinner R. Ashwin teams up with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. The result could hinge on the sort of pressure the two can put on the opposition in the middle-overs.

CSK's Doug Bollinger, the left-arm paceman from Australia, can strike with bounce and movement with the new ball, and make dents with fuller length and swing in the end overs. Morkel too can rearrange woodwork with his yorkers in the end overs.

The inspirational Tendulkar shares a symbiotic relationship with the Chennai crowd. If he waltzes, years fall away and strokes flow.

Like CSK, Mumbai Indians has men who can bludgeon the sphere; the lanky Kieron Pollard is among the longest hitters of the cricket ball. And the spunky Dinesh Karthik is a wicket-keeper batsman who can give the ball a thump.

The incisive Lasith Malinga could be in the business with the ball for Mumbai Indians, if there is swing — the condition of the ball and the breeze blowing in from the Bay of Bengal through the large gaps in the stand could be major factors.

And if the ball grips, Harbhajan's off-spin and left-armer Pragyan Ojha will come into the picture.

This will be a high-pressure match that will test the nerve of both sides. As the heavyweights clash, sparks could fly.

Leander Paes hits a half-century with Miami doubles title win

 The red-hot pairing of Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek, seeded seventh, claimed their second title of the season, winning the ATP Masters event in Miami late on Saturday. 

It was a double celebration for the Indo-Czech pair as the win gave the Mumbai-based Paes a milestone 50th title. After blasting past the world No.1 pairing of Americans Bob and Mike Bryan in the semifinals on Thursday, Paes and Stepanek gave a sublime performance to score a 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 win over Belarus' Max Mirnyi and Canada's Daniel Nestor. 

Paes, who became the 24th player in ATP Tour history to complete 50 doubles titles, claimed $24,270 in prize money and 250 points. "It's really, really special. 50 tournaments takes a little doing, 600 matches takes a little bit of doing," said Paes . 

The 38-year-old Paes also collected his third straight crown in Miami, having triumphed with Lukas Dlouhy in 2010 and Mahesh Bhupathi in 2011. Paes said, "It is awesome to have managed a three-peat here in Miami. 

Next year, I hope to start another one." After dropping the first set, the Australian Open champions broke Mirnyi and Nestor twice in the second set to take the match into the deciding super tie-break. 

The Indo-Czech tandem trailed 1-4 before winning six straight points to surge and closing out the match in 82 minutes. Stepanek, who made his sizzling returns count, said, "We fought through the match, we got on top of them in the second set. We were the more aggressive and creative team that's why we won." 

Paes' next assignment is India's Davis Cup Asia-Oceania second round clash against Uzbekistan from April 6 to 8 on indoor clay at Namangan's sports complex. Paes will partner Bangalore's Rohan Bopanna in the doubles while Delhi boy Yuki Bhambri, ranked 263, will lead the singles line-up. 

American collegian Sanam Singh, ranked 436, is the second singles player. The 44th-ranked Denis Istomin and the 265th-ranked Farrukh Dustov will do the singles honors for Uzbekistan