Brazil Open Opportunities for Ronaldo's Back to National Team

Brazil coach Mano Menezes will do anything to ensure his team can be competitive in every game. He did not close the possibility of going back to wearing Ronaldo if it is reasonably necessary.Menezes is confident Ronaldo who had a three-time World Player can answer the challenge. According striker who is now 33 years old still have a decent ability to play in the national team.Now Il phenomenological play for Corinthians. He was still sharp. Of the 22 games he had a collection of 13 goals.Menezes being considered for now is the fitness of Ronaldo. Knee injury which often disturb current look is not annoying anymore. But many doubt if the players who formed the backbone of Brazil at the 2002 world champion was able to play excellent in 90 minutes.

In the era of the early 1990’s until 2000, Ronaldo is the most deadly striker in the world. Acceleration amazing dribbling skills plus high level of its players makes it difficult to stop anywhere.In the official game at club level he played as many as 502 party with a collection of 347 goals. While for the national team he has a collection of 62 goals from 97 parties. (AP)

2022 World Cup will be in Japan

Tokyo  – FIFA officials who examined the Japanese candidacy to host the 2022 World Cup gives thumbs up at the main soccer stadium outside Tokyo, according to the chairman of Japan’s candidacy. Five-member team from world soccer’s governing body had visited the 64 000 seat stadium in the satellite town of Saitama, north of Tokyo, after being two days in the city of Osaka. Saitama Stadium, which has been used in the nine-year-old World Cup 2002, organized jointly by Japan and North Korea, and became the headquarters of J-League club, Urawa Red Diamonds, who won the Champions League Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2007.

Fifa’s team, led by President of the Chilean Football Federation Harolds Mayne-Nicholls, check out the stadium, which is one of the 13 stadiums are included in the nomination list of Japan, about an hour and check the condition of the field, seating, and locker room.

“They check everything is rincidan seemed very impressed,” said President of the Japan Football Association, Motoaki Inukai, who led Japan’s nominating committee, told reporters. FIFA inspectors arrived in Japan Monday for a four-day visit. The visit is the first visit of the tour two months to nine candidates for World Cup 2018 and 2022.

A total of 24 officials of the FIFA executive will choose the host on December 2 in Zurich. In Osaka, they used a helicopter to inspect the field the former central railway station of the city, a place that will build the stadium with a capacity of 83 000 seats and will use solar-powered electricity and will be used for the opening and final matches in the year 2022.

They also attended the presentation of the candidacy of Japan, including a plan to serve football fans around the world to watch live matches are broadcast in three dimensions. In Tokyo, they visited the convention center in downtown, The Tokyo International Forum, before meeting with Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

The next visit was to South Korea, Australia, Holland and Belgium jointly nominate, Russia, UK, Spain, Portugal, the United States, and Qatar. Japan, South Korea, and Qatar only nominate for the 2022 World Cup, while the lainnnya tried to nominate himself for the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.(AFP)

Yovani Gallardo is firm. Even if he's fortunate enough to make the All-Star team again next summer, he'll skip it."If the game is in Arizona

ANAHEIM, Calif. Yovani Gallardo is firm. Even if he’s fortunate enough to make the All-Star team again next summer, he’ll skip it.”If the game is in Arizona, I will totally boycott,” the Milwaukee Brewers pitcher said Monday.A year before Phoenix is set to host baseball’s big event, the state’s new immigration law kept drawing the attention of major leaguers.Kansas City reliever Joakim Soria, who leads the majors with 25 saves, said he would support a Latino protest and stay away. Detroit closer Jose Valverde can see himself steering clear, too.”It’s a really delicate issue,” said Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista, who leads the majors with 24 home runs. “Hopefully, there are some changes in the law before then. We have to back up our Latin communities.”

“If I do get chosen, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said.About three dozen protesters held signs Monday one block from the hotel where Major League Baseball held its welcoming news conferences. The demonstrators said they had over 100,000 petitions asking commissioner Bud Selig to move the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona.Another protest was planned outside Angel Stadium before Tuesday night’s game.

Selig has not spoken directly on the subject. Asked in May about calls to shift next year’s game, he gave a defense of baseball’s minority hiring record. Selig did not take questions at Monday’s All-Star introductory event.Arizona’s much-debated measure takes effect July 29. The statute requires police, while enforcing other laws, to ask about a person’s immigration status if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is in the country illegally.”They could stop me and ask to see my papers,” Soria said. “I have to stand with my Latin community on this.”

The Mexican-born Gallardo said he’s talked with Soria and San Diego’s All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez about the Arizona law.”We don’t agree with it,” Gallardo said. St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols said he opposed the law and Valverde called it “dumb.”

Several All-Stars avoided the topic.”That’s a political thing,” New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said. “I don’t have anything to say about it. They already made a decision. If I say anything it’s not going to make any difference.””Wrong guy,” teammate Alex Rodriguez said, pointing to other players in the interview room.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal said he would wait for guidance from the players’ union.”The game is going on at this point, regardless,” said former All-Star Tony Clark, who played for Arizona last season and now works for the union. “Whatever decision an individual player makes, they would have the full support of the union.”The union has already condemned the law and said that if it is not repealed or modified additional steps would be considered.

Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, whose team holds spring training in Phoenix, said his sport was caught in a crossfire.”The Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball had nothing to do with making the Arizona immigration laws,” he said. “I know there are discrepancies. Hopefully, things can get resolved.”(AP) —

Spain's progress to their first World Cup final

Spain’s progress to their first World Cup final was seen by local media on Thursday as another vindication of their elegant brand of attacking football.Their 1-0 victory over Germany, who had been considered the most impressive side in South Africa to date, had Spanish newspapers praising Vicente del Bosque’s side and talking up their prospects for Sunday’s showdown against Netherlands.”The best in the world (and on Sunday the champions of the world)” sports daily Marca blared from their wraparound front page over a photo of the players celebrating Carles Puyol’s winning headed goal in Wednesday’s match in Durban.El Pais wrote: “If football is art and heroism, Spain is the team to follow. In their game against a fearsome and dazzling Germany they had everything, they were sublime in their play and knew to roll up their sleeves when required.”It was the manner of the victory, Spain’s best performance in the tournament so far, that was most commented on.

“Spain didn’t just win, they put on an exhibition, they played with evening suits on,” wrote daily El Mundo.”Once upon a time it was the Brazil team of 1970. Soon it will be Spain 2010 who will be talked about as the ultimate in a sport converted into one of the beautiful arts by the likes of Xavi, (Andres) Iniesta, (Xabi) Alonso and the other magicians.”Spain’s asphyxiating grip on the game may have been down to their ball-playing ‘artists’ in midfield but it was the shaggy-haired, old warhorse Puyol who was the center of attention in the papers and on the television news.The Barcelona center back, 32, is better known for his last-ditch tackles, flailing locks and never-say-die spirit than for his scoring prowess. He had only netted twice in 88 internationals before popping up with Wednesday’s vital goal.

SUPERMAN PUYOL“Was it Michael Jordan jumping near the penalty spot… or was it superman? No it was simply Puyol, with springs in his calves, and a cape of invincibility.” said El Mundo.Spanish left back Joan Capdevila told reporters: “It was time a defender scored a goal. I’m all for him shaving his head if we win the World Cup. If we win I’m going to try (to convince him).Del Bosque’s bold decision to leave out striker Fernando Torres and play winger Pedro instead had been a hot topic of conversation among fans before the kickoff but it was widely praised as an astute move.

“Del Bosque knew that he had to do something to surprise the Germans yesterday, and he did it. He surprised them and the whole world,” sports daily Mundo Deportivo wrote.Images of fans decked in red and gold, celebrating in bars, on the streets and in squares around the country on Wednesday night, filled the papers.”Spain is one big party,” wrote sports daily AS. “None of us have experienced anything like this not even the oldest of the old. It’s the first time the Spanish national team is going to play the final of a World Cup.””The whole country has been touched by the contagious enthusiasm of this group of players, the best we have ever seen. (After Sunday) it could be yet even greater.”(Reuters)

2014 World Cup head says plans now on track to Brazil

JOHANNESBURG  Preparations for the 2014 World Cup are back on track just two months after FIFA publicly criticized organizers for missing deadlines, Brazil’s top soccer official has said.”There are no problems,” Brazil soccer federation president Ricardo Teixeira said as the tournament’s official logo was launched Thursday.He acknowledged uncertainty over Sao Paulo’s role as a host city after Morumbi Stadium was removed from the project last month – despite repeated denials it would have to be dropped.FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke previously described Brazil’s lack of progress as “amazing.”FIFA awarded the 2014 World Cup hosting rights six years ago, but Brazil has barely begun building and renovating the 12 stadiums it needs.

Teixeira said that “the situation is completely different” to when Valcke spoke.”Some of the stadia have commenced building. We have already defined exactly what’s going to be happening in terms of budgets for the construction up to December,” he said through a translator.He did not cite any specific details, however.Teixeira said construction work at Belo Horizonte and Salvador had begun, but there were doubts over the status of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, and Curitiba as hosts.”We will come up with a definition about what role Sao Paulo will play in the World Cup,” Teixeira said. “Will there be a stadium built or not? How will they participate as a city?

“The issue with Sao Paulo will have to be solved as quickly as possible. Curitiba Stadium is facing some financial constraints, but once financial guarantees are in place construction will begin.”Brazil also must upgrade airports essential to moving teams, fans and officials around such a large country.

“The three main priorities we have are airports, airports, airports,” Teixeira said.Organizers also are considering dividing the 12 host cities into four regions to limit travel.Teixeira also admitted that Brazil, which has a reputation for high urban crime, has issues guaranteeing security.”It’s not surprising – this is a problem that’s not linked to any specific country,” he said. “We have sent a huge security group to South Africa, they were here for a few days and they had to analyze the situation and pick on those issues that needed to be sorted.”(AP)

World Cup organizers promise a high-tech closing ceremony featuring pop star Shakira

JOHANNESBURG World Cup organizers promise a high-tech closing ceremony featuring pop star Shakira, compared to the more traditionally African ceremony which opened the tournament.Organizing committee spokesman Jermaine Craig says Sunday’s show at Soccer City will be “more youthful and a bit more technologically advanced” than the June 11 opening ceremony.

Craig says the nighttime event has “nice lighting effects and special effects planned.”The closing ceremony is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. local time, two hours before the final match kicks off.Colombian star Shakira will perform the official tournament anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” Shakira also performed the song at a June 10 World Cup concert in Soweto.(AP)

All Star Game boycott sought to protest Arizona law

The only Latino in the Senate urged Major League Baseball players on Monday to boycott the 2011 All-Star game in Arizona to protest the state’s tough new immigration law.”The Arizona law is offensive to Hispanics and all Americans because it codifies racial profiling into law by requiring police to question anyone who appears to be in the country illegally,” New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez wrote Michael Weiner, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Menendez, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is the only Latino in the 100-member chamber. In his letter, he noted more than 1 in 4 players are Latinos.Signed into law last month by Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer, the law requires state and local police, after making “lawful contact,” to check the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspect is in the country illegally.The measure has prompted a number of calls for boycotts of businesses in the state, amid charges that it is unconstitutional and a mandate for racial profiling.

Representative Jose Serrano, a New York Democrat, and some Latino organizations have called upon MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to move the All-Star game, which is scheduled to be played in July 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona’s state capital. A Major League Baseball spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.Calls for a sporting boycott of Arizona began soon after Brewer signed the bill into law on April 23. A group of protesters turned out to picket the Diamondbacks, the state’s Major League baseball team, at a game in Chicago.

The new law has reignited calls for Congress to overhaul the U.S. immigration system, and Menendez joined two fellow Senate Democrats last month in unveiling a “draft” plan.But lawmakers from both parties appear reluctant to tackle the emotional issue months before November’s congressional elections.

‘HUMILIATION AND HARASSMENT’

Almost two-thirds of Arizona voters and a majority of voters nationwide support the law, which backers say is needed to curb violence and crime stemming from illegal immigration in the Mexico border state.

In late April, Brewer signed changes to the law that she said made it “crystal clear” racial profiling was illegal. However, a recent poll of Hispanic voters in Arizona found that 85 percent felt that Latinos who are legal immigrants or U.S. citizens were likely to be stopped or questioned by police.In his letter, Menendez wrote that Latino players come to the United States legally “and should not be subjected to the humiliation and harassment that (the new law) would inflict” on them during their visit to the state for the All-Star game.”Imagine if your players and their families were subjected to interrogation by law enforcement, simply because they look a certain way,” the senator added.

Menendez said, “the Arizona law is an embarrassment to our country and a call to action to our communities to stand up against injustice.””For these reasons, I ask that you consider boycotting the All-Star Game in Arizona until SB1070 (the new law) is repealed, or the League decides to move the game to an alternate location,” Menendez wrote.(Reuters)

Kevin Garnett soars as Lakers' Pau Gasol struggles

Battle of the power forwards in Game 5 clearly goes to Boston, which also gets some Zen-like leadership from Garnett.Boston The man who likes to abuse his own bald head  either as a way to psych himself up or express simple frustration  was the one trying to ramp down the energy on Sunday.Boston’s Kevin Garnett certainly won’t ever become Mr. Zen, but Celtics Coach Doc Rivers found himself somewhat amused when the emotional Garnett went against type in the Celtics’ 92-86 victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden.

“That tells you how screwed up we are,” Rivers said. “Kevin Garnett is calming our team down. It’s funny now, but it was Kevin and Tony Allen in the huddle telling everyone to calm down. I jokingly told [assistant coach] Armond [Hill] this is a crazy basketball team.”Rivers thought it was Garnett’s best all-around game in this series against the Lakers. Not only did Garnett issue an emphatic double-double, scoring 18 points and adding 10 rebounds and two blocked shots, but he clearly got the best of the Lakers’ Pau Gasol in their key matchup.Though Gasol finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, going five for 12 from the field, he was close to a non-factor in the first half, scoring two points and only taking four shots.

“He’s been consistent for us for a while now, so he can afford to have a bad game every once and a while,” Kobe Bryant said of Gasol.Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he would have to look at the tape to get a complete analysis of Gasol’s game, of whether the Spaniard was tentative.

“He didn’t have a lot of opportunities in the first half, and in the second half it looked like he broke away, went by Garnett, got to the front of the hoop, and he blocked it from behind,” Jackson said.”… I thought Garnett made a couple good defensive plays.”Gasol averaged 20.5 points the first four games of the series, which is why the vanishing act seemed so startling in Game 5.

“I’ve got to find ways to get better looks than I did tonight throughout the game,” he said. “And when I do, just be assertive and be aggressive and don’t be hesitant when I get the ball. Just attack.”That was Garnett’s mantra after a rough go in Los Angeles, most notably in Game 1. Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo talked about the big turnaround in Garnett’s game.

“I think a couple of guys maybe thought KG lost a step or something when he struggled in the first few games,” Rondo said. “But he’s caught his rhythm, doing intangibles on the court, scoring, rebounding, assisting, blocking shots. He’s changing the game.”That’s what he’s been doing for us all year. He’s big for us. He may not score 27 points, 26 points. But he’s happy with his role and he’s doing it well.”

Garnett recognized the moment of truth in the series. “The severity of this game is huge, man,” he said. “You don’t want to go back to L.A. with them having a chance to close it out and it being on their floor.

“Tonight, I thought for the most part I was active. I got my hands on a lot of loose balls. Some knucklehead plays in the fourth quarter I would like to take back.”But for the most part, I was talkative. I was loud. Just got to carry that over and be all out.”

Thieves steal cash at Greece team at 2010 World Cup

Thieves stole large amounts of cash from Greece World Cup hotel base in South Africa, police and a team spokesman said on Thursday.Although the team has declined to press charges the team spokesman confirmed that around 1,500 euros in cash had been taken from players’ rooms at the hotel in Umhlanga, north of Durban.A police spokesman said that the theft had taken place two days ago and that officers had tried to persuade the team to file a formal report so that they could launch an investigation.

“They refused to open a case but we have sent a high-level delegation of detectives to interview them and try to pursue an investigation,” Colonel Vish Naidoo told the SAPA news agency.News of the theft comes on the eve of the tournament and a fortnight after the Colombian team, which was not one of the World Cup qualifiers, also had a similar amount of cash stolen while staying in a hotel in Johannesburg.(AFP)

world cup 2010 match preview: England vs United States

When England entered their first World Cup in 1950, they went down to a famous 1-0 defeat at the hands of the amateurs of USA in a match that became known as the ‘Miracle on Grass’.The game has come a long way in America since that match and, while most firmly expect an England victory in Rustenburg on Saturday, an upset would hardly be viewed as miraculous.England have mixed feelings going into the 2010 tournament. While Fabio Capello has turned the team around following the failure to qualify for Euro 2008, winning all but one of his competitive matches, the disjointed performances in the warm-up games for South Africa have done little to inspire confidence.

USA, though, have also struggled to convince during their warm-up matches, and it is largely the memories of last year’s 2-0 victory over Spain in the Confederations Cup that will provide hope of a win in what represents a huge match for both countries.”For the last six months, all we’ve seen is US-England, so if you’re a casual sports fan at home you might think this is the World Cup final,” USA star Landon Donovan said in his press conference ahead of the game.

“We’re not like Brazil where if they don’t win the World Cup soccer is still the biggest thing in anyone’s mind, but this is a great opportunity to grow the sport.”USA could adopt a 4-5-1 formation for the match with Jozy Altidore as a lone striker, with Japan enjoying success against England using the same formation as they dominated the midfield battle. With Donovan and Clint Dempsey out wide, the tactic would not be overly defensive.England have largely used 4-4-2, and a change seems unlikely at this stage, but it was only when Joe Cole was brought on as a substitute against Japan that England were able to compete in the middle, so Capello’s hand may be forced.USA coach Bob Bradley has said all 23 players in his squad are ready to play the full 90 minutes, although Oguchi Onyewu’s lack of match practice in recent months remains a concern. For England, Gareth Barry’s absence could prove problematic given the lack of an alternative holding midfielder in the squad.England player in focus: Aaron Lennon. England’s right winger has often been central to hopes of unlocking opposition defences and, while Joe Cole should offer creativity from the left, Lennon could become the focus if his team struggle. He’ll come up against an experienced opponent in USA captain Carlos Bocanegra, the former Fulham man who now plays in Ligue 1 with Rennes, so Fabio Capello will hope the Tottenham man can rediscover his pre-injury form on the big stage.USA player in focus: Landon Donovan.

This pacy attacker is very much the star of the USA team and he can provide a real threat out wide, frequently swapping flanks with Fulham’s Clint Dempsey. The English defenders will be fully aware of his capabilities following his loan stint with Everton earlier this year, and Ashley Cole may be a little wary of facing the man whose tackle nearly ruled him out of the tournament. If Donovan gets a chance to play on the left flank, Glen Johnson will need to curtail his natural instinct to support the attack.Key battle: Wayne Rooney v Oguchi Onyewu. Rooney finally ended an international goal drought with his strike in the warm-up match against Platinum Stars, but he may have the chance to really kick-start his England career on Saturday. USA centre back Onyewu, the former Newcastle loanee, joined AC Milan from Standard Liege last summer but made just one appearance in Serie A after suffering a knee injury on international duty. USA coach Bob Bradley believes Onyewu is fit to play the full 90 minutes but, as he has not appeared in any of the warm-up games, it is essential that he gets back up to speed from the off.Trivia: England boss Fabio Capello gave USA coach Bob Bradley some help and insights into the world of management during his time at AC Milan in the 1990s.Stats: Wayne Rooney was involved in more goals than any other player in Europe during the qualification campaign, with nine goals and five assists. USA have not kept a clean sheet in a World Cup finals match since beating England 1-0 in 1950.Odds: England (1.50), the draw (4.20), USA (7.00) with Bet365. USA are 15.00 to win 1-0, which could be worth a flutter.Prediction: USA showed they are capable of causing shocks in the Confederations Cup last year, and their experience in South Africa may give them an advantage in terms of adapting to the altitude. However, England are firm favourites for the match and should have enough to clinch a victory.