WORLD TOP SPORTS STARS

paula creamer professional golfer on the U.S

2011-08-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

Paula Creamer born August 5, 1986 is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. As a professional, she has won 11 tournaments, including 9 LPGA Tour events. Creamer has been as high as number 2 in the Women's World Golf Rankings. She was the 2010 U.S. Open champion, and is undefeated in three years of singles play in the Solheim Cup.
As an amateur, Creamer won numerous junior golf titles, including 11 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments. Creamer joined the LPGA Tour in the 2005 season, and her victory in that year's Sybase Classic made her the LPGA's second-youngest event winner.
Contents
* 1 Early life and amateur career
* 2 Professional career
o 2.1 2005–2007
o 2.2 2008–2010
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Professional wins (11)
o 4.1 LPGA Tour (9)
o 4.2 LPGA of Japan Tour (2)
* 5 Major championships
o 5.1 Wins (1)
o 5.2 Results timeline
* 6 LPGA Tour career summary
* 7 Team appearances
* 8 Solheim Cup record
* 9 Awards
* 10 References
* 11 External links
Early life and amateur career
Creamer was born in Mountain View, California and raised in Pleasanton, the only child of an airline pilot father and stay-at-home mother. The family's home overlooked the first tee of the Castlewood Country Club's golf course. Creamer participated in acrobatic dancing and gymnastics during her childhood, and started playing golf when she was 10 years old. At the age of 12, she won 13 consecutive regional junior events in Northern California, and the following year she became the top-ranked female junior golfer in the state.
During Creamer's amateur career, she won 19 national tournaments, including 11 American Junior Golf Association events, and was named Player of the Year by the AJGA in 2003. On two occasions (2002 and 2003), Creamer played on the United States team in the Junior Solheim Cup. She was a semi-finalist in the 2003 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship and U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, and reached the same stage of both events the following year. In June 2004, Creamer placed second in the LPGA Tour's ShopRite LPGA Classic, finishing one stroke behind Cristie Kerr. Later that year, she tied for 13th in the U.S. Women's Open and represented the United States in the Curtis Cup.
In December 2004, Creamer won the LPGA Tour Final Qualifying Tournament by five strokes to secure membership on the Tour for the 2005 season. She turned professional immediately after the event at the age of 18.
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer
paula creamer

allen iverson american professional basketball player

2011-08-14T02:14:00.000-07:00

Allen Ezail Iverson born June 7, 1975 is an American professional basketball player. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season. Iverson is an eleven-time NBA All-Star which includes winning the All-Star MVP award in 2001 and 2005.
Winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2004–05 seasons, Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his small stature (listed at 6 feet, 0 inches). His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks sixth all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game is second only to Michael Jordan. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 season and led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals the same season. Iverson represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning the Bronze medal. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies, before returning to the 76ers for part of the 2009-10 season.
He was rated the 5th greatest NBA shooting guard of all time by ESPN in 2008.
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 College basketball
* 3 Professional career
o 3.1 Philadelphia 76ers
+ 3.1.1 First four seasons (1996–2000)
+ 3.1.2 MVP season and trip to the finals (2000–01)
+ 3.1.3 Relationship with Larry Brown
+ 3.1.4 Falling out with Sixers
o 3.2 Denver Nuggets
o 3.3 Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies
o 3.4 Return to the 76ers
o 3.5 Beşiktaş
* 4 International career
o 4.1 2004 Olympics
* 5 NBA career statistics
o 5.1 Regular season
o 5.2 Playoffs
* 6 Personal life
* 7 See also
* 8 Notes
* 9 External links
Early life
Allen Iverson was born to his single 15-year old mother, Ann Iverson, in Hampton, Virginia, and was given his mother's maiden name after his father Allen Broughton left her.
At Bethel High School, Iverson started as quarterback for the school football team, and started as point guard for the school basketball team. Allen was able to lead both teams to state championships.
On February 14, 1993, Iverson and several of his friends became involved in an altercation with a group of white teenagers at the Circle Lanes bowling alley in Hampton, Virginia. Allegedly, Iverson's crowd was raucous and had to be asked to quiet down several times, and eventually a shouting duel began with another group of youths. Shortly thereafter, a huge fight erupted, pitting the white crowd against the blacks. During the fight, Iverson allegedly struck a woman in the head with a chair. He, along with three of his friends who are also African-American, were the only people arrested. Iverson, who was 17 at the time, was convicted as an adult of the felony charge of maiming by mob, a rarely used Virginia statute that was designed to combat lynching.[6] Iverson and his supporters maintained his innocence, claiming that he left the alley as soon as the trouble began. Iverson said, "For me to be in a bowling alley where everybody in the whole place know who I am and be crackin' people upside the head with chairs and think nothin' gonna happen? That's crazy! And what kind of a man would I be to hit a girl in the head with a damn chair? I rather have 'em say I hit a man with a chair, not no damn woman."
Iverson drew a 15-year prison sentence, with 10 years suspended. After Iverson spent four months at Newport News City Farm, a correctional facility in Newport News, Virginia, he was granted clemency by Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder, and the Virginia Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in 1995 for insufficient evidence. This incident and its impact on the community is explored in the documentary film No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.
allen iverson
allen iverson
allen iverson
allen iverson
allen iverson
allen iverson
allen iverson

allen iverson

david beckham all-time appearance record for

2011-08-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBEborn 2 May 1975 is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C. Milan, as well as the England national team, for whom he holds the all-time appearance record for an outfield player.
Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17. During his time there, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons,clinching the La Liga championship in his final season with the club. In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid for the Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy, signing a five-year contract with them on 1 July 2007. While a Galaxy player, he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010.
In international football, Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996, at the age of 21. He was made captain from 15 November 2000 until the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, which he played 58 times. He earned a much-publicised hundredth cap against France on 26 March 2008, and became the all-time outfield player appearance record holder on 28 March 2009 when he surpassed Bobby Moore's total of 108 caps. With 115 career appearances to date he has stated that he does not intend to retire from international football, having missed the 2010 World Cup through injury and not featuring in England manager Fabio Capello's post-World Cup plans.
Beckham has twice been runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 was the world's highest-paid footballer when taking into account salary and advertising deals.Beckham was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches.He is third in the Premier League's all time time assist provider chart, with 152 assists in 265 appearances. He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004. With such global recognition he has become an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.When joining the MLS in 2007 he was given the highest player salary in the league's history, with his playing contract with the Galaxy over the next three years being worth US$6.5m per year.
He has been married to singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham since 1999;
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham

César Cielo santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo, Brazil

2011-08-11T03:07:00.000-07:00

César Augusto Cielo Filho born January 10, 1987 in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, São Paulo, Brazil is a Brazilian professional swimmer who specializes in sprint events. He is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, having obtained two Olympic medals, four World Championships gold medals and breaking a world record within a one-year span.
Cielo is the current world record holder in the 100 meter and 50 meter freestyle. His gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in the 50 meter freestyle competition, is Brazil's sole Olympic gold in swimming to date.
Contents
* 1 Career
o 1.1 NCAA
o 1.2 International competitions
* 2 Positive drug test
* 3 Achievements
o 3.1 Olympic Games
o 3.2 FINA World Championships
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 Video interviews
* 7 External links
Career
Cielo began his career at small swimming clubs in his native state. As a young teenager, Cielo trained at the Esporte Clube Barbarense under coach Mario Francisco Sobrinho. When he was 13, Cielo started training in Piracicaba at the Clube de Campo de Piracicaba under coach Reinaldo Rosa. At the age of 16, he transferred to Esporte Clube Pinheiros, in São Paulo, to train and develop with coach Alberto Silva and Brazilian swimming legend Gustavo Borges. In 2005, he received a scholarship from Auburn University, in the United States, where he trains under Australian coach Brett Hawke. Cielo competed for eight-time NCAA National Champion Auburn Tigers' Swimming and Diving team. He was also tutored by short-distance specialist Fernando Scherer in 2008.
Nowadays, Cielo is sponsored by Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Arena and Correios. He represents Flamengo in Brazilian competitions, and also trains there, when in Brazil.
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo
César Cielo

allison stokke dream of becoming the world’s best

2011-08-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

Allison Stokke, Sex Symbol and Incoming Freshman
Allison Stokke‘s dream of becoming the world’s best pole vaulter seems to have been replaced by another dream: to be removed from the sexual spotlight that Internet bloggers have brightly shined on her over the course of the past few weeks.
As we’ve all probably seen by now, the second With Leather introduced Allison to the non-athletic world, the media has stuck to her like glue, painting her the picture of a young, adolescent sex symbol, barely out of high school. Her and her family have grown more and more uneasy with the unwanted attention, and her boyfriend’s douchebagginess has even come into question, thanks to all of her jealous male fans, who wish she’d do something with their poles instead. Ohhh, snap!
This summer is big for Allison, as she is preparing to compete in the Nike Nationals. There are rumors that Nike itself wants to sign her up for an actual marketing deal, although nothing at all has been confirmed.
Even if Nike did come to her, I don’t think she would accept, being that she hates the fact she’s more famous for being hot than an athlete at this point, and the company would more than likely try to bank on her looks and all of the media hubbub than anything else. She definitely does not seem to want any more attention – especially in print ads and on TV – for now at least, and I don’t blame her. (more pics after the jump)
Allison is also getting ready this summer to become an official college student at the University of California. HOLY HELL. That is going to be B-A-N-A-N-A-S for her and everyone who has a class with her, or shares a dorm with her, or sees her at a keg party. If there’s any way for her to get even more publicity, it’s through college. The drinking, the sex, the mixing and mingling with fellow classmates – so many people will undoubtedly try and befriend her, take advantage of her and snap pictures of her (which will show up on the Internet within minutes). Her college experience should be very interesting to say the least, and we’ll be sure to keep you nice and updated with every piece of juicy gossip.
As for the gross, pervy, fratty college guys at the University of California, they should be prepping their pick-up lines to use on her right about….now.
I see many, many more pole references in Allison Stokke’s future.
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke
allison stokke

allison stokke

Hope Solo poses nude for ESPN The Magazine

2011-08-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

Hope Solo poses nude for ESPN The Magazine
U.S. women’s soccer goalie and former Husky Hope Solo is getting some more, um, exposure.

She is reportedly baring it all for ESPN The Magazine.

“Being naked outside is very liberating….at least I hope it will be @ESPN and @ESPNMAG!!! GAMETIME BABY! Ball up!” she tweeted Monday.

Solo is expected to appear in the Body Issue, which features nude athletes in poses that creatively conceal their R-rated areas.

Solo also tweeted a photo of herself post-shoot in which she appears to be wearing little more than a bathrobe as she frolics in a fountain.

Solo, a Richland native who played at UW from 1999-2002, has seen her media exposure explode since the World Cup last month. That trend apparently will continue.
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo

david Beckham Leads Galaxy to 3-1 Win Over FC Dallas

2011-08-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Carson, CA – David Beckham was in good form Saturday night as he lead the LA Galaxy back from their dispiriting midweek loss away at Portland to a comfortable 3-1 home win over a formidable FC Dallas. The Texan side had won the last two encounters between the teams and looked to be on their way to a third victory when they took a smash and grab lead in the first ten minutes of the match.

However the world’s most famous soccer player had other ideas.

It was just after the thirty minute mark when the veteran England midfielder launched a free kick into the area that Dallas keeper Kevin Hartman deflected away but failed to control. Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez was quick to pounce and nodded in a free header to cancel out the goal Dallas’ Marvin Chavez had scored from the edge of the 18 in the ninth minute.

“The first goal we got tonight was a big one,” explained Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. “Because it would’ve been difficult to have been chasing that game the entire second half.”

The game was something of a chippy affair with Beckham and the Galaxy’s Gregg Berhalter both being shown yellow cards along with Chavez and Ricardo Villar on the Dallas side.

“It got chippy right away, they were hitting us and we were hitting them,” explained Galaxy midfielder Sean Franklin. “I thought it was a scrappy game, they were talking trash, we were talking trash back. But you know, it’s expected.”

The Galaxy grabbed the lead after the break when they were awarded another free kick just after the hour mark. Beckham again provided the service, floating the ball into the area for Gregg Berhalter who headed it back out to Juninho who was lurking on the edge of the area. The Brazilian wasted no time in connecting with a volleyed shot that drove the ball into the back of the net to give the Galaxy the lead.

Beckham almost added to LA’s tally himself when the Galaxy were awarded another free kick in the 79th minute. The former Manchester United man went for goal himself but sent his effort just wide of target.

“I felt like I was striking the ball well tonight,” said Beckham. “I felt that every ball that I was putting in I was putting in the right place. I thought I’d score from the free kick as well, but unfortunately I didn’t.”

With less than ten minutes remaining, LA took the game out of Dallas’ reach when Mike Magee connected with a header on another Beckham free kick to make it 3-1 Galaxy.

“Good goals and obviously they were all off of Beckham’s serve on set pieces,” said Arena. “Obviously he’s made quite a reputation for himself over the years on set pieces and he continues to have the ability to serve the ball in dangerous spots. When healthy we have a couple of players who can position themselves and attack the ball pretty well so we take advantage of it.”

Seven minutes after Magee scored Arena subbed him off to make way for the Galaxy’s perennial holding midfielder, Michael Stephens in an apparent effort to circle the wagons and run down the clock.

By this time Dallas had largely lost their momentum and seemed to be chasing shadows. However they nearly succeeded in pulling one back in injury time when Brek Shea turned and fired a shot from the edge of the box that went just wide of the far post seconds before the final whistle was blown with the score remaining 3-1 in the Galaxy’s favor.

“We wanted to get the 3 points,” said Beckham. “But I think our performance was more important tonight after we let ourselves down in Portland. I think that was the biggest thing tonight so character-wise it was a very good performance all around the pitch. Everyone worked hard for each other and that’s the reason we won tonight.”
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham
david beckham

david beckham

serena Williams eases past Maria Sharapova in California quarter-final

2011-08-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Serena Williams was in dominant form as she beat Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3 to reach the semi-finals of Bank of The West Classic in Stanford, California.
In losing her sixth match in a row against the American, Sharapova hit 23 unforced errors.
Williams will meet Sabine Lisicki - who beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 2-6 6-2 - in one of the semi-finals.
In the other last-four tie, third-seed Marion Bartoli from France will take on Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova.
Williams is playing in only her third tournament since winning Wimbledon in July last year.
Continue reading the main stor
Serena's biggest strength is her power and you don't see so much of that in the top 10. It really makes her dangerous."
Maria Sharapova
She is currently ranked 169th in the world after spending time recovering from foot surgery and a blood clot on her lung.
There was little evidence of her long lay-off, however, as she sent down 17 winners against Sharapova, who lost in this year's Wimbledon final to Petra Kvitova.
"I had a good start," Williams said. "You can't go in against the fifth-ranked player with your mind everywhere. You have to be serious.
"I'm a better player this month than I was last month. I've put in a lot of work and I hope it continues to pay off."
Williams is building up to the US Open in New York at the end of August, a tournament she has won three times.
PREVIOUS STANFORD WINNERS
Continue reading the main story 2010 Bank of The West Classic winner Victoria Azarenk
* 2010 - Victoria Azarenka (above)
* 2009 - Marion Bartoli
* 2008 - Aleksandra Wozniak
* 2007 - Anna Chakvetadze
* 2006 - Kim Clijsters
Sharapova will certainly be hoping to improve her form.
"It certainly wasn't my night," she said. "Serena was serving and hitting so well and I was extremely late in my reactions. I felt sluggish.
"It was a bad day but it's also a reminder that I need to step up.
"When I had chances to change things around I couldn't do it. Her biggest strength is her power and you don't see so much of that in the top 10. It really makes her dangerous."
Standing in Serena's way for a place in the final will be Lisicki. The German is enjoying the best spell of her career, having reached the Wimbledon semi-finals and risen to 26 in the world rankings.
Lisicki, like Williams, has suffered from recent injury troubles, and spent five months out of the sport last year recovering from a serious ankle injury.
She ousted the higher-ranked Radwanska in the quarter-finals, and set her sights on further progress, saying: "I love competing in the big matches. I have nothing to lose. Coming from grass to hardcourt is always a challenge. It comes down to who plays the best that given day.
"I'm much better than I was before the injury. I've had to focus on so many aspects of my game. Last year I couldn't even walk. Now I feel I can rely on my serve when I need it at crucial moments."
Bartoli was given an easier passage to the last four as opponent Ayumi Morita of Japan retired after losing the first set 6-1. The third seed is a former champion at Stanford, and is seeking her second tour title of the year. In June she won the AEGON International at Eastbourne.
Cibulkova will play Bartoli for a place in the final, after the Slovakian eighth seed beat New Zealand qualifier Marina Erakovic 6-1 6-1.
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova
maria sharapova

cristiano ronaldo laLiga - Lost in translation: Chinese brand Ronaldo 'arrogant'

2011-08-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

la Liga - Lost in translation: Chinese brand Ronaldo 'arrogant'
Cristiano Ronaldo was branded "arrogant" by Chinese fans and media after he responded curtly to questions at a press conference during Real Madrid’s pre-season tour of Asia.
La Liga - Chinese slate Ronaldo
Related Links
* Real Madrid to help China build academy in Guangzhou
* Ronaldo denies making City claim
* Guti: Ronaldo bottles big games
* Real Madrid team page
* Bet on Football - Get £25 Free
Real are looking to tap into a potential 1.3 billion fans in China, but Ronaldo’s moody performance will not have helped their efforts.
The former Manchester United winger, who despite his flamboyant appearance is notoriously evasive about his personal life, was taking questions at a pre-match press conference in Guangzhou.
When asked about the condition of team-mate Kaka, he simply said "perfecto", while he replied to a question about what he thought of the city by saying "it’s very hot".
His frustration appeared to boil over when asked about whether he changed the nappies of his young son, answering "of course, as a father it is normal to change the baby's nappies".
Ronaldo also appeared bemused when quizzed about China’s table tennis team and if he knew any of the players.
"He always seems selfish and arrogant," said Yan Qiang, vice-president of Titan Media, told AFP. "His behaviour won't help his cause in China, nor will it help that of (sponsor) Nike.
"The questions he was asked didn't have much to do with football. Chinese fans are different from European fans. Chinese are more into the personal lives of their icons."
It is not the first time a European sports star has been in hot water for his antics at a press conference - in 2008 British snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan sparked outrage with a foul-mouthed, sexually explicit performance when he thought the microphones were off.
Despite heavy restrictions from the authoritarian government, China has the world’s largest internet population of just under half a billion, and they pulled no punches in their criticism of the Portugal winger.
"I don't know whether Ronaldo can be the World Footballer of the Year, but I am just sure he will be condemned for what he did at the news conference," one Netease user said.
"Ronaldo is really good at football, and good-looking, but he is really not that modest," another said. "He should hire a public relations company to teach him how to cope with the media."
One mimicked Ronaldo’s directness in its criticism, saying: "Look at you! C. Ronaldo, just go home!"
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo

sania mirza wobbling show in the International circuit

2011-08-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

NAGPUR: Time and again, Sania Mirza's wobbling show in the International circuit has resulted in fingers being pointed at her talent. Currently on a high after clinching Citi Open doubles title, Sania has had ups and downs in her career. While few blamed her technique, many questioned the amount of tennis she's playing around the year. Ask her sparring partner and he has a dissented opinion. Being a practice partner and coach of Sania, former India Davis Cupper Zeeshan Ali refused to blame it on burnout.
"Burnout is certainly not a reason for her toppling show every now and again. Though she has been suffering from a lot of injuries, if you see the amount of tennis she plays, one would know that she actually is playing less number of matches as compared to other stars," said Ali, who is in the city for coaching camp organized by Centre Point School, Dabha.
Having coached many top ranked players of UAE, Ali runs a Tennis academy in Dubai. "I am regularly coaching Sania after she shifted her base to Dubai and can make out that the problem lies in her mind. Technically she might be the best in India; in fact she has the capabilities to constantly be amongst the top 30 players in the World but she needs someone who inspires her time and again. It's sad that her body isn't supporting her but the real problem lies in her getting bogged down with unnecessary pressure," said Ali.
Ali also felt that though the number of kids playing tennis has swelled in last ten years in India, the country seriously lacks quality coaches.
"I must say that tennis is far more accessible in India these days. Gone are the days when you needed to be a member of a certain club to play tennis. Many schools have a tennis court in their premises and the game is spreading widely in India. However, India lack quality coaches who can impart basic coaching to the players. Many former ATP ranked players are coaching promising players but a good player can not necessarily be a good coach. Having a coaching experience of more than 16 years and being a visiting coach to many tennis academies in India, I still come across players who graduate to higher lever but still are not technically sound," he added.
Having served Dubai for such a long time, Ali, now, is chalking out plans to open a tennis academy in India. "I want to give back something to this country. At some point of time, I certainly plan to open an academy here and pass on my knowledge of the game to the Indians," he concluded.
sania mirza
sania mirza
sania mirza
sania mirza
sania mirza
sania mirza
sania mirza
sania mirza

sania mirza

hope solo magicJack of Women's Professional Soccer

2011-08-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hope Amelia Solo born July 30, 1981 is an American soccer goalkeeper who currently plays for the magicJack of Women's Professional Soccer. Contents
* 1 Personal life
* 2 Soccer career
* 3 Club career
* 4 International career
o 4.1 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
+ 4.1.1 Post-2007 World Cup fallout
o 4.2 2008 Summer Olympics
o 4.3 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
* 5 References
* 6 External links
Personal life
Hope Solo was born in Richland, Washington on July 30, 1981. Her father Jeffrey, a man of Italian descent who grew up in the Bronx, was a sometimes-homeless Vietnam War veteran. It was Jeffrey who taught her how to play soccer. Although her parents divorced when she was six and she lived with her mother, Solo maintained a close relationship with her father, who continued to be a major influence in her life until his sudden death in June 2007.
Soccer career
Hope Solo has played soccer with the Three-Rivers Soccer Club in the Tri-Cities. As a forward at Richland High School, Solo scored 109 goals, leading her team to three consecutive league titles from 1996–1998 and a state championship in her senior year. She was twice named a Parade All American. At the University of Washington, Solo switched to the goalkeeper position and was the team's all-time leader in shutouts, saves, and goals-against average (GAA). She was a four-time All-Pac-10 selection and a three-time NSCAA All-American.
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo
hope solo

shahid afridi crictket fantastic player

2011-03-30T02:11:00.000-07:00

2011 Cricket World Cup
Afridi's highlight of the World Cup was his lightining form with the ball. Against Kenya in the team's opening match he took five-wickets to lead Pakistan to a 205 run victory. Parsed wikitext: In a crunch-match against Sri Lanka he took three wickets, as Pakistan won by 11 runs. Agaisnt Canada Pakistan were bowled out for just 178, Afridi took four wickets to help Pakistan win by 43 runs as Canada were bowled out for. The following match against New Zealand turned into Pakistan's first defeat in the World Cup at the hands of New Zealand, Pakistan lost by 110 runs after being bowled out for 192. The following match against Zimbabwe sealed Pakistan's place in the quarter-finals as they won by seven-wickets, this meant that Afridi became the first Pakistani captain since 1999 to make sure that the team doesn't crash out in the first-round. Afridi's record as captain continued to improve during the World Cup he become the first skipper to beat an Australian team in a World Cup as Pakistan won by 4 wickets. The last captain to beat Australia in a World Cup was Pakistani Wasim Akram in 1999 during the Super Six stage of the tournament
Playing style
Batting
His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi". Moreover, out of the seven fastest ODI centuries of all time, Afridi has produced three of them.[50] As of 27 February 2011, he has an ODI strike rate of 113.83 runs per 100 balls, the third highest in the game's history. This attitude has been transferred to Test cricket as well, with Afridi scoring at a relatively high strike rate of 86.13. He has an approach to batting that can change the tempo of a game and inspire the mood of an audience, as shown when a mass exodus of spectators occurred in Pakistan in late 2005 following his dismissal from the crease.
He hits many sixes long and high, favouring straight down the ground or over midwicket and hit the longest ever six in the history of ODIs against Australia. His trademark shot is a cross-batted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump. However, his aggressive style increases his risk of getting out and he is one of the most inconsistent batsmen in cricket. This is reflected by the fact that he is the only player to score more than 6,000 ODI runs at an average under 25. Afridi has moved about the batting order, and this lack of consistency has made it difficult for him to settle. In the Indian subcontinent, where the ball quickly loses its shine, he prefers to open the batting however elsewhere he prefers to bat at number six

shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi

Tatiana Golovin tennis player

2011-03-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Tatiana Golovin Russian: Татья́на Голови́н; born January 25, 1988 is an inactive Russian-born French professional tennis player. She is best known for her explosive forehand, which is said to be one of the best at the time. She notably won the 2004 French Open mixed doubles event with Richard Gasquet, and reached the singles quarterfinal at the 2006 U.S. Open, losing to the eventual champion Maria Sharapova. The 23-year-old's highest singles ranking to date is 12. However, just as she began experiencing success, in 2008, she was diagnosed with a career threatening disease, Ankylosing spondylitis, and was forced to quit playing competitive tennis.
Golovin spent six years at Nick Bollettieri's tennis camp in Bradenton, Florida. She is currently coached by former World No. 1 Mats Wilander, having previously been coached by Brad Gilbert and Dean Goldfine.
Contents
* 1 Career review
o 1.1 Tour debut (2002–2003)
o 1.2 2004
o 1.3 2005
o 1.4 2006
o 1.5 2007
o 1.6 2008
o 1.7 2009
* 2 Major finals
o 2.1 Grand Slam finals
+ 2.1.1 Mixed doubles: 1 (1-0)
* 3 Career finals
o 3.1 Singles: 7 (2-5)
* 4 Singles performance time line
* 5 Personal life
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Career review
Tour debut (2002–2003)
Golovin made her ITF Circuit debut at Cagnes-sur-Mer (France) in 2002. She played in three more ITF events (including one semifinal) later that year, but she failed to qualify for the French Open.
In 2003, Golovin won her first WTA Tour main draw match at Indian Wells against No.146 Gisela Dulko (losing in the second round to Italian Francesca Schiavone). Golovin lost in the first round at Miami, Strasbourg and Roland Garros. She also played in four ITF Circuit events.
2004
At the Australian Open, Golovin (as No.354, with wild card) upset No.14 seed Anna Smashnova in the second round and No.23 seed Lina Krasnoroutskaya in the third round (on her 16th birthday), before falling to No.25 seed Lisa Raymond in the fourth round. It was just her second Grand Slam tournament and fifth Tour event she entered, and afterwards, on February 2, she rose to No.136 in the WTA ranking.
At Roland Garros, Golovin won the mixed doubles trophy with Richard Gasquet, as a Wild Card team, defeating Cara Black/Wayne Black. They became the youngest champions in 23 years (16 for Golovin, 17 for Gasquet). At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round, with wins over Alina Jidkova, Francesca Schiavone, and Emmanuelle Gagliardi, before falling to World No. 10 Serena Williams.
Golovin reached the semifinal at the Paris Indoors, losing to Mary Pierce, after beating world No.10 Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinal for her first Top 10 win. In her first Tour grass court main draw at Birmingham, Golovin reached her first Tour singles final, which she lost to Maria Sharapova in 3 sets. Golovin reached her first Tier I quarterfinal in Montreal at the Rogers Cup, losing to Vera Zvonareva. Afterwards, she also reached the quarterfinal in Luxembourg, losing to eventual champion Alicia Molik.
Golovin was a member of the France Fed Cup team, that defeated Italy in the quarterfinal and Spain in the semifinal, before falling to Russia in the final, in which she defeated No.5 Svetlana Kuznetsova. During the year, she debuted in the Top 100 on February 16 (at No.91), and in the Top 50 on June 14 (at No.50).

tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin
tatiana golovin

shahid afridi batting

2011-03-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Batting
His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi". Moreover, out of the seven fastest ODI centuries of all time, Afridi has produced three of them. As of 27 February 2011, he has an ODI strike rate of 113.83 runs per 100 balls, the third highest in the game's history. This attitude has been transferred to Test cricket as well, with Afridi scoring at a relatively high strike rate of 86.13. He has an approach to batting that can change the tempo of a game and inspire the mood of an audience, as shown when a mass exodus of spectators occurred in Pakistan in late 2005 following his dismissal from the crease.
He hits many sixes long and high, favouring straight down the ground or over midwicket and hit the longest ever six in the history of ODIs against Australia. His trademark shot is a cross-batted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump.[40] However, his aggressive style increases his risk of getting out and he is one of the most inconsistent batsmen in cricket. This is reflected by the fact that he is the only player to score more than 6,000 ODI runs at an average under 25. Afridi has moved about the batting order, and this lack of consistency has made it difficult for him to settle. In the Indian subcontinent, where the ball quickly loses its shine, he prefers to open the batting however elsewhere he prefers to bat at number six.
Bowling
Afridi bowling his stock leg-spin delivery
Having started as a fast bowler, Afridi decided to start bowling spin after someone told him he was throwing. He modelled himself on Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir. Afridi began his career as primarily a bowler, however after scoring the fastest century in his maiden ODI innings more was expected of him with the bat. He considers himself a better bowler than batsman. While he is renowned for his aggressive batting, he is also a handy leg-spinner capable of producing a good mix of wicket taking balls. He has over 300 International wickets, most of which are from the ODI format. While his stock ball is the leg break, his armoury also includes the conventional off break and a 'quicker one' which he can deliver in the style of a medium-pacer. He bowls at a high speed for a spinner, resulting in lesser turn, and relying more on variations in speed. He occasionally sends down a bouncer to a batsman, which is very rare for a spin bowler.
Records and achievements
Test centuries
* In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
* The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career
Test centuries Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year
[1] 141 2 India Chennai, India MA Chidambaram Stadium 1999
[2] 107 12 West Indies Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Sharjah C.A. Stadium 2002
[3] 122 18 West Indies Bridgetown, Barbados Kensington Oval 2005
[4] 103 21 India Lahore, Pakistan Gaddafi Stadium 2006
[5] 156 22 India Faisalabad, Pakistan Iqbal Stadium 2006
ODI centuries
* In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
* The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career
ODI centuries Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year
[1] 102 2 Sri Lanka Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi Gymkhana Club 1996
[2] 109 65 India Toronto, Canada Toronto CSCC 1998
[3] 108* 146 New Zealand Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Sharjah C.A. Stadium 2002
[4] 102 204 India Kanpur, India Green Park 2005
[5] 109 294 Sri Lanka Dambulla, Sri Lanka Dambulla International Stadium 2010
[6] 124 296 Bangladesh Dambulla, Sri Lanka Dambulla International Stadium 2010
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi
shahid afridi

Cristiano Ronaldo footballer pics

2011-03-02T03:55:00.001-08:00

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OI; born 5 February 1985commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and serves as captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo is the most expensive player in football history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer deal worth £80 million (€94m, US$132m). In addition, his contract with Real Madrid, in which he is to be paid £11 million per year over the following six years, makes him the highest-paid football player in the world. holds the distinction of being the first player to win the FIFA Puskás Award, an honour handed by FIFA to the best goal of the year. He scored that goal from 40 yards out against FC Porto in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final match, while still playing for Manchester United.
Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, then moved to Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal. Ronaldo's precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, and he signed the 18-year-old for £12.24 million in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup, and reached the Euro 2004 final with Portugal, in which tournament he scored his first international goal.
In 2008, Ronaldo won the Champions League with United, and was named player of the tournament. He was named the FIFPro World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to becoming Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or winner in 40 years. Three-time Ballon d'Or winner Johan Cruyff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 Club career
o 2.1 Early career
o 2.2 Sporting CP
o 2.3 Manchester United
+ 2.3.1 2003–2006
+ 2.3.2 2006–2009
o 2.4 Real Madrid
+ 2.4.1 2009–10 season
+ 2.4.2 2010–11 season
* 3 International career
o 3.1 2006 World Cup
+ 3.1.1 Post-World Cup
o 3.2 Euro 2008
o 3.3 2010 World Cup
o 3.4 International goals
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 Club
o 4.2 International
* 5 Honours
o 5.1 Club
o 5.2 Individual
+ 5.2.1 Orders
* 6 Personal life
* 7 Philanthropy
* 8 References
* 9 External links
Early life
Ronaldo was born on 5 February 1985 in Santo António, a neighbourhood of Funchal, Madeira, the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener. His second given name, "Ronaldo", was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.
Club career
Early career
At the age of eight, Ronaldo played for amateur team Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club Nacional, and, after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.
Sporting CP
Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Academia Sporting, the club's football academy, in Alcochete. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team, all within one season. He scored two goals in his league debut on 7 October 2002, which Sporting CP won 3–0 against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the 2002 European Under-17 Championship.
When he was 15, Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that might have forced him to give up playing football. The Sporting staff were made aware of the condition and Ronaldo's mother gave her authorisation for him to go into hospital. While there, he had an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart that was causing the problem. The surgery took place in the morning and Ronaldo was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon; he resumed training only a few days later.
He was first spotted by then-Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier at the age of 16, but Liverpool declined to take him on because they decided he was too young and needed some time to develop his skills. However, he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3–1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.
Manchester United
2003–2006
Ronaldo with Manchester United in April 2006
Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for €15 million (£12.24 million) after the 2002–03 season. He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by players such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour."
Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers. He scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November 2003. Ronaldo ended his first season in English football by scoring the opening goal in United's 3-0 FA Cup final victory over Millwall.
He scored United's 1000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough.[20] He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to his first FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award in 2005.
Ronaldo won his second trophy in English football in the 2005–06 season, scoring the third goal in Manchester United's 4-0 Football League Cup final victory over Wigan Athletic.
2006–2009
Ronaldo with United during their 2006–2007 season.
The 2006-2007 season proved to be the breakout year for Ronaldo, as he broke the 20 goal barrier for the first time and picked up his first league title with Manchester United.
In November and December 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996. He scored his 50th Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City on 5 May 2007 as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years, and he was voted into his second consecutive FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award at the end of the year.
Despite rumours circulating in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo,[24] he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week (£31 million total) extension with United on 13 April, making him the highest-paid player in team history.
Ronaldo amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honour. In April, he completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Ronaldo was also one of eight Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo
cristiano ronaldo

cristiano ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo footballer pics

2011-03-02T03:55:00.000-08:00

justine henin tennis career

2011-01-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Justine Henin born 1 June 1982, formerly known as Justine Henin-Hardenne (2002–2007), is a professional Belgian tennis player and former World No. 1.
Henin has won 43 WTA singles titles and seven Grand Slam singles titles, including four French Open titles, one Australian Open title, and two US Open titles. She has also won the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships twice and the singles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Tennis experts cite her mental toughness, the completeness and variety of her game, her footspeed and footwork, and her one-handed backhand (which John McEnroe has described as the best single-handed backhand in the women's or men's game) as the principal reasons for her success.
Critics and all-time-great players have made testament to Henin's talent. Upon Henin's first retirement from the WTA in the early part of the 2008 season, Billie Jean King said that "pound for pound, Henin is the best tennis player of her generation." as well as that "Justine is the best women's athlete I've ever seen." Andre Agassi said of Henin, "Justine Henin is one of the most talented women ever to have played the game of tennis." In 2007, 18 time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova said that "She is head and shoulders above everyone else right now" John McEnroe concurred, saying that Henin is "The player I most like to watch.Henin made a return to the WTA in early 2010, losing the final of the Australian Open in only her 2nd tournament back.
Henin sits at 1st place on the WTA tour of active players with most titles won (43), tied with Venus Williams. She is also the only active WTA player to have reached the finals of all four grand slams in one calendar year. She is one of only 3 active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams, the other two being Serena Williams and Venus Williams. She has won 3 out of the 4 Grand Slams.
Contents
1 Playing style
2 Personal life
3 Tennis career
3.1 Early career
3.2 2003
3.3 2004
3.4 2005
3.5 2006
3.6 2007
3.7 2008: Retirement
3.8 2010: Return
3.9 2011
4 Public life and endorsements
5 Career statistics
5.1 Records
6 Awards and honors
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Playing style
At the 2007 French Open, Martina Navratilova said that "Henin's offense is just phenomenal ... it's sort of like we've got 'the female Federer', or maybe the guys have 'the male Justine Henin', because she is just head and shoulders above everyone else right now." Henin's footwork, balance, and court coverage—and she is adept at changing from a defensive style to an aggressive one.[citation needed] Henin's volleying skills are considered exceptional.[citation needed] She utilized serve-and-volley play with more frequency prior to her 2-year long retirement. Henin has started approaching the net more often, in addition to utilizing serve-and-volley going after quicker points rather than opting for long rallies like she used to.[citation needed]
Despite her relatively small size, Henin has a powerful serve, which has been measured at a top speed of 196 km/h (122 mph) at the 2005 Family Circle Cup. Henin's single-handed backhand, is one of the most powerful and accurate in the game. She can hit her backhand 'flat', with heavy topspin, or slice [underspin]. Her backhand can also be used to surprise her opponents with dropshots, breaking up the pattern of a groundstroke rally. Her slice backhand is regarded as one of the best of all time.[citation needed] However, Henin's forehand is generally regarded as her most dangerous weapon,[citation needed] and the stroke that she normally uses to dictate the play of a match.
Personal life
Justine Henin was born in Liège. Her father is José Henin; her mother, Françoise Rosière, was a French and history teacher who died when Justine was 12 years old. She has two brothers (David and Thomas) and a sister (Sarah). Another sister was killed in a car accident before Justine was born.
When Justine was two, her family moved to a house in Rochefort, situated next to the local tennis club, where she played tennis for the first time.
Henin's mother routinely took the young Henin across the border to France to watch the French Open.[11] Henin saw the 1992 final involving her idol Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Although Graf lost, the experience impressed Henin.

In 1995, shortly after her mother's death, Henin met her coach Carlos Rodriguez who guided her career both before her retirement in 2008 and during her 2010 comeback. Following a conflict between Justine and her father[clarification needed] over her tennis career and her relationship with Pierre-Yves Hardenne, Rodriguez soon became not only her trainer but in some ways a second father figure.
On 16 November 2002, Henin married Pierre-Yves in the Château de Lavaux-Sainte-Anne. On 4 January 2007, Henin withdrew from the upcoming tournaments in Australia, including the Australian Open, due to personal problems. Various news agencies reported that she intended to divorce. She later confirmed on her official website that she had separated from her husband and she also resumed her maiden name, Justine Henin, instead of Justine Henin-Hardenne. Her divorce and the serious car accident of her eldest brother helped to clear the path for Justine to make contact again with her family[clarification needed], which she communicated very openly to the local press. During the 2007 French Open, her brothers and sister attended her matches for the first time in her professional career.
Tennis career
Justine Henin is a globally recognized tennis player, who has had huge success on all surfaces of the game, and has so far achieved Grand Slam success on clay and hard courts, winning 4 French Open titles, including 3 consecutive titles between 2005 and 2007, which ties Monica Seles' record of most consecutive Roland Garros titles won by a woman. This achievement has made her the most successful female clay court player of the last decade (2000–2009). She has also won 3 Grand Slam titles on hard court, winning the US Open title in 2003 and 2007, and the Australian Open title in 2004. She has also reached the Wimbledon final 2 times, in 2001 and 2006; the only Grand Slam singles title she has not won.
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin
justine henin

philippe coutinho international career

2011-01-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

Philippe Coutinho Correia (born 12 June 1992), also known as Philippe Coutinho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Serie A club Internazionale.
Contents
* 1 Club career
* 2 International career
* 3 Career statistics
* 4 Honours
o 4.1 Club
o 4.2 Country
* 5 References
* 6 External links
Club career
A talented two-footed midfielder who gets supporters off their seats with dribbles, tricks to beat defenders and shots at goal, Coutinho started his footballing career as part of Vasco da Gama's youth system, and was successively bought by Italian Serie A powerhouse Internazionale in 2008, at the age of 16, for €4 million. Coutinho stayed at Vasco on loan until his 18th birthday, becoming a first team player for the Brazilian side despite his very young age.
's move to Inter became effective on July 2010, after he turned 18, with new head coach Rafael Benítez and chairman Massimo Moratti being quoted saying that "Coutinho is the future of Inter".[citation needed]
He made his official debut in an Inter jersey as a substitute during the Nerazzurri's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup final on 26 August 2010. Since then, he was regularly featured in the starting lineup for Inter, being hailed as one of the most talented and promising Serie A footballers.[citation needed]
International career
A key player in the Brazilian squad that won the 2009 South American Under-17 Football Championship, Coutinho made his debut with a Brazil jersey as a senior international player on 7 October 2010 in a friendly match against Iran.
statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brazil League Copa do Brasil League Cup South America Total
2009 Vasco da Gama Série B 12 0 0 0 0 0 — 12 1
2010 Série A 7 1 7 1 17 3 0 0 31 5
Total Brazil 19 1 7 1 17 3 0 0 43 6
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
2010–11 Internazionale Serie A 10 0 0 0 — 4 0 14 0
Total Italy 10 0 0 0 — 4 0 14 0
Career total 25 1 7 1 17 3 4 0 53 6
Honours
Club
Vasco da Gam
* Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2009
Internazionale
* Supercoppa Italiana: 2010
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Country
Brazil
* South American Under-17 Football Championship: 2009
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho
philippe coutinho

Philippe Senderos Club career and everton

2011-01-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

Philippe Sylvain Senderos - Swiss pronunciation: Sen-Day-Ros; born 14 February 1985 in Geneva) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a defender for Fulham and the Switzerland national football team. Previously he has played for Servette, Arsenal, A.C. Milan and Everton.
Contents
* 1 Club career
o 1.1 Servette
o 1.2 Arsenal
o 1.3 A.C. Milan
o 1.4 Everton
o 1.5 Fulham
* 2 International career
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Honours
o 4.1 With Arsenal
o 4.2 International
* 5 References
* 6 External links
Club career
Servette
Born to a Spanish father, Julián Senderos, and a Serbian mother, Zorica Novaković, Philippe came up through the youth team set up at Swiss club Servette. He was initially a Striker but had to move to defense after it was realized he was simply too good.
Arsenal
Senderos signed for Arsenal in December 2002, though he remained at Servette until the following summer. During the 2005–06 season Senderos scored his first Arsenal goal in a 2–1 loss to West Bromwich Albion, and again in a 7–0 win over Middlesbrough.
A.C. Milan
Senderos fell out of favour with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.In August 2008 Senderos joined Italian club Milan on a season-long loan. He quickly picked up an injury and struggled to make the first team ahead of Paolo Maldini and Kakha Kaladze, but finally made his first full appearance for the Rossoneri in a UEFA Cup Group Stage tie against Portuguese side Braga, and came on as a substitute for his first Serie A appearance against Fiorentina, after half the season had gone. Senderos made fourteen appearances in Serie A for Milan before returning to Arsenal.
Everton
Senderos made only two appearances for Arsenal in 2009–10, both in the League Cup, and in January 2010 joined Everton for the remainder of the season, and wore the number 23, vacated by the departure of Lucas Neill. He made his first appearance for the club in a 1–0 win away against Wigan Athletic. He returned to Arsenal at the end of the season having made only three appearances for Everton (two in the Premier League and one in the Europa League).
Fulham
In June 2010, Senderos signed a three-year deal with Fulham on a free transfer. On 9 August while training, Senderos tore his Achilles tendon. He underwent surgery and is expected to be out for 6 months.
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos
Philippe Senderos

sports oops pics 2010

2011-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops
sports oops

sports oops
sports oops

sports oops
sports oops

jhon cena professional wrestling career

2011-01-18T18:25:00.001-08:00

John Felix Anthony Cena ; born April 23, 1977 is an American actor, rapper, and professional wrestler employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its Raw brand.
In WWE, Cena has won fifteen championships in total, including nine World Titles (having won the WWE Championship seven times and the World Heavyweight Championship twice). In addition, Cena has also won the WWE United States Championship three times the World Tag Team Championship twice (once with Shawn Michaels, once with Batista), and the WWE Tag Team Championship once (with David Otunga). Cena also won the 2008 Royal Rumble match, and is a two-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner (2009 and 2010).
Cena started his professional wrestling career in 2000, wrestling for Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship. In 2001, Cena signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) where he held the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino).
Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at #15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010). Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk'd, and Psych. Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Professional wrestling career
2.1 Training
2.2 World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)
2.2.1 Debut (2002–2003)
2.2.2 United States Champion and WWE Champion (2004–2005)
2.2.3 Various feuds and injury (2006–2007)
2.2.4 Return from injury (2008–2010)
2.2.5 Feud with Nexus (2010-present)
3 Other media
3.1 Film
3.1.1 Filmography
3.2 Guest appearances
3.3 Television
3.4 Endorsements
3.5 Fashion
3.6 Music
4 Personal life
5 In wrestling
6 Championships and accomplishments
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Early life
Cena was born April 23, 1977, in West Newbury, Massachusetts, the son of Carol and John Cena, Sr.He is the second eldest of five brothers – Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean. After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. In college he was a Division III All-American center on the college football team, wearing the number 54, which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise. He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology, after which he pursued a career bodybuilding, and also worked as a chauffeur for a limousine company.
Professional wrestling career
Training
Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 2000 at the California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic character known as The Prototype. Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight Championship for just shy of a month in April 2000.In 2001, he signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). During his time there, Cena wrestled as both The Prototype and Mr. P, and held the OVW Heavyweight Championship for three months and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino) for two months.
jhon cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena john cena
john cena

djibril cisse career

2010-12-17T10:50:00.001-08:00

Djibril Cissé French pronunciation; born 12 August 1981 in Arles is a French professional association football player who plays as a striker for Panathinaikos. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham. career at AC Arles in 1989 at the age of 8. After seven years at the club, he had a six-month spell at Nîmes Olympique before moving to Auxerre joining the club's youth system. Cissé spent two years in the system before graduating to the first team in 1998. Having had a move to Liverpool delayed once, he finally moved to the Merseyside based club in 2004, after playing for Auxerre for six seasons, scoring 90 goals in 166 appearances. During his time at Anfield, he played 83 games, scoring 26 times. Towards the end of his Liverpool career, he had a loan spell at Marseille scoring 15 goals in 25 appearances before the deal was made permanent. Cissé returned to the Premier League once more in 2008 with a loan spell at Sunderland, scoring 11 goals in 39 appearances. On 25 June 2009, he signed a four year contract with Greek side Panathinaikos, with a transfer fee of about €8 million.
Contents
1 Personal life
2 Club career
2.1 Auxerre
2.2 Liverpool
2.3 Marseille
2.4 Sunderland
2.5 Panathinaikos F.C.
3 International career
3.1 Youth career
3.2 Senior career
4 Career statistics
4.1 Club
4.2 International
4.3 International Goals
5 Honours
5.1 Club
5.2 International
5.3 Individual
6 References
7 External links
Personal lif
His father, Mangué Cissé was formerly a professional footballer and had captained his country before his parents moved from the Ivory Coast to France in 1974. Djibril was the seventh and last child of his family, after siblings Nma, Damaye, Abou, Fode, Seni, Hamed. After his move to Liverpool, Cissé purchased a house in the village of Frodsham, Cheshire, and in doing so gained the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham Son after buying the house, his decision to refuse the Cheshire Forest Hunt permission to hunt on his land received substantial press coverage. In June 2005, Djibril Cissé married Jude Littler, a College Lecturer from Anglesey. The wedding took place at Bodelwyddan Castle, with notable guests including Shaun Wright-Phillips and Cissé's French national teammates, Louis Saha and Sylvain Wiltord. got married in a tuxedo in the red of Liverpool. He and his wife, Jude, have three children. Djibril also has a daughter from a previous relationship, while Jude has a son Liam from a previous relationship.
Cissé also had a cameo role in a French comedy movie titled Taxi 4, featuring in a high speed driving scene. On 1 April 2009, Cissé was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a woman outside a lap-dancing club in Newcastle, believed to be The Diamonds club in Grey Street. He was later released on police bail.
Club career
Auxerre
Having started his career with Nîmes Olympique he then signed for AJ Auxerre at the age of 15. Playing for the youth team in 1999, Cissé won the Coupe Gambardella, the equivalent of the FA Youth Cup. But in his first two seasons as a senior with the South of France club, he made just three appearances scoring no goals. his first season as a regular in the 2000–01 season, he scored 8 goals in 25 games.His first honour in his senior Auxerre career came as they won the French Cup in May 2003 The French Cup win led to Auxerre playing in the French Champions Trophy, where they were defeated 2–1 by Olympique Lyonnais on 26 July 2003. Cissé was also the top scorer in the French Ligue 1 in the 2001–02 and 2003–04 seasons, and in his time there, he scored 70 goals in 128 league game before signing for Liverpool in a deal worth over £14 million. Liverpool had pursued Cissé for over a year, and it was an open secret that then Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier admired Cissé's qualities.
Liverpool
At Liverpool, Cissé scored 11 goals in 23 first-team games in all competitions for Liverpool in the 2004–05 season. He had only played 19 games for Liverpool when a freak accident occurred while playing against Blackburn Rovers on 30 October 2004. While Cissé and Blackburn's James McEveley were challenging for the ball, Cissé's boot got caught in the turf and his leg snapped. This resulted in a broken tibia and fibula, and physio Daryl Martin said "It could take six to nine months for a recovery and the absolute worst-case scenario is 18 months..." Cissé later revealed that had it not been for prompt attention from the trainers at the stadium, he would probably have lost the leg below the knee. He had pins inserted in the leg, and was expected to be out of action for the rest of the 2004–05 season.
However, in an unexpected return, Cissé was able to come on as a substitute in the 75th minute of the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final tie with Juventus, on 13 April 2005. He went on to score both Liverpool goals in their last Premiership match of the season, a 2–1 win over Aston Villa, and also converted a penalty in Liverpool's penalty shootout win over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final. During the 2005–06 season, Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez deployed Cissé on the right wing on numerous occasions. While his pace made him well suited to such a role, it was doubtful whether he would be happy to continue in this role rather than in his preferred position as striker.He scored two goals as Liverpool won the 2005 UEFA Super Cup. Cissé also scored the opening Liverpool goal in the 2006 FA Cup Final with a sliding shot past West Ham United keeper Shaka Hislop, Liverpool going on to win on penalties.
marseille
From summer 2005, the media had linked Cissé with a move away from Anfield.Speculation intensified as the season went on due to his lack of starting appearances. On 2 July 2006, Cissé claimed on Sky Sports that Benitez was forcing him out of the club. In early June 2006, it was reported that a transfer to Olympique de Marseille had been agreed. The very same day Cissé broke his leg in a takle from Zheng Zhi during France's final warm up match against China on 7 June 2006. It was thought that even though a relatively quick recovery was expected,Cissé's transfer would be postponed until at least the January transfer window. However, the two teams agreed a loan deal in July 2006.
Cissé made his return to training on 20 October 2006,nd scored his first goal for Olympique de Marseille on 22 December 2006 when they beat AS Saint-Étienne 2–1. With only four goals in 14 appearances by April, Cissé's performances were drawing such criticism that former player Jean-Pierre Papin urged Cissé's critics to be more patient while the striker recovered from his career-threatening injury. Despite the slow start, Cissé managed to score 4 goals in his final 7 league appearances to finish with 8 goals in 21 league appearances,helping Marseille to finish 2nd in the 2006–07 season and guarantee a Champions League place for the 2007–08 season.[34] On 12 May 2007, he scored 2 goals in the French Cup Final against Sochaux, although Marseille still lost the match 5–4 on penalties, after a 2–2 stalemate after extra time following a late equaliser by another Liverpool player on loan Anthony Le Tallec.
On 7 July 2007, Marseille president Pape Diouf announced that the club had struck a deal with Liverpool to sign Cissé permanently, for an estimated fee of €8 million. But subsequently, Cissé was linked with a return to the English Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers said to be interested. Manchester City had their approach for Cissé rejected by Marseille boss, who said, "He is wanted, that is for sure, I myself have been approached by Manchester City (about Cissé) but I turned it down categorically". On 26 January 2008, Cissé scored a hat trick in Marseille's 6–1 win against Caen.

Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cisse

Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cisse

Djibril Cisse
Djibril Cisse

Djibril Cisse

ezequiel lavezzi international career

2010-12-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Ezequiel Iván Lavezzim born 3 May 1985, nicknamed "El Pocho", is an Argentine football striker who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Napoli and the Argentine national team.
Contents
1 Club career
1.1 Early career
1.2 Genoa
1.3 San Lorenzo
1.4 Napoli
2 International career
3 Club statistics
4 Titles
5 References
6 External links
Club career
Early career
The media, as they tend to do to many promising young Argentine players who appear in Italy, have been quick to dub Lavezzi the "New Maradona". Lavezzi himself, however, plays this down, instead comparing himself to another young Argentine player, Carlos Tévez. Despite this, his style very much follows the principles of Argentine Football Creole Style made famous by Maradona himself.
As a youngster, Lavezzi had a very keen interest in football and supported his local side Rosario Central; he would later get their badge tattooed on his chest.
From a very young age, the footballing talent of Lavezzi was recognised, as he played in the youth squads of Rosario Central. After being rejected in Boca Juniors. Lavezzi moved to the youth side of Estudiantes de Buenos Aires in 2003, where over one season, he played 39 games and scored 17 goals.
Genoa
Known as el Pocho or the Chubby One, he was bought by Italian side Genoa in 2004 for €1 million, but was loaned out straight-away to Argentina side San Lorenzo. Here at the age of 19, he competed in the Apertura 2004 tournament scoring six goals in total over the course of the season; which saw him finish as 4th top scorer.
Lavezzi's most notable contributions included a spectacular effort against River Plate at the El Monumental. He scored in the 69th minute to give San Lorenzo a famous victory and seriously damage River's title challenge. This gained him the nickname la Bestia "the Beast" from the Argentine media.
Although it was planned for Lavezzi to return back to Genoa after a season on loan, there were problems: while Lavezzi was playing in Argentina, Genoa were involved in an alleged match-fixing scandal which saw them relegated down to Serie C1, the third level of Italian football. Due to financial constraints, the promising forward was sold to San Lorenzo for €1.2 million.
Lorenzo
On his return to San Lorenzo for the Apertura 2005 season, he managed to help the club up into the top half of the table, and with eight goals, he finished as the overall fourth top scorer. His last act as a San Lorenzo player was to help them to the Clausura 2007 title, beating out Boca Juniors by six points.
Napoli
Napoli had recently achieved promotion back to Serie A, after finishing as runners-up the previous season in Serie B. Looking to strengthen their squad for a return to the top level, Napoli signed Lavezzi on a five-year contract on 5 July 2007. The transfer deal was worth around €6 million and he was presented before the fans and given the #7 shirt for his first season.
Lavezzi soon made an impact for the club by scoring a hat-trick in a 3–1 victory over Pisa in the Coppa Italia at the Stadio San Paolo; this was the first hat-trick by a Napoli player in 14 years.[7] The first league goal Lavezzi scored for Napoli came during a 5–0 victory against Udinese on 2 September 2007. After the match, he was described in reports as "inspirational," with the media proclaiming, "Napoli's star is born." Neapolitan club hadn't won a league match by such a large margin since 1988, when Diego Maradona was at the club.
He completed the 2007–08 season with eight goals in 35 games. He quickly became a focal point of the fans' affection with his skills. In the 2008–09 season, he scored seven goals in 30 games.In the 2009/2010 he scored 8 goals in 30 games but he had not played around 10 games because of injuries.
International career
Lavezzi made his international debut for the Argentine national team team against Chile on 18 April 2007. He was chosen to represent Argentina at the 2008 Olympics. He scored two goals, one against Australia on 10 August 2008, and a penalty against Serbia on 13 August 2008. Lavezzi also appeared in the final minutes of extra time against Nigeria, in a game Argentina won 1–0.
Lavezzi's club form was not enough to see him included in Diego Maradona's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad.

ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi

ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi
ezequiel lavezzi

javier hernandez club career

2010-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Javier Hernández Balcázar pronunciation: xaˈβjer erˈnandes; born 1 June 1988, also known by his nickname "Chicharito"(Spanish: little pea), is a Mexican footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United, being the first Mexican to do so. He previously played for Mexican club Guadalajara. He made his début for the Mexico national football team in September 2009 in a match against Colombia and represented them at the 2010 FIFA World Cup scoring two goals. He is the son of Javier Hernández Gutiérrez and the grandson of Tomás Balcázar.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Club career
2.1 C.D. Guadalajara
2.2 Manchester United
3 International career
3.1 Mexico U-20
3.2 Mexico national football team
3.3 International goals
4 Style of play
5 Career statistics
6 Honours
6.1 Club
6.2 Individual
7 Personal life
7.1 Nickname
8 References
9 External links
Early life
Hernández was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on 1 June 1988. He first played in a recreation league when he was seven years old. His father, Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, himself a previous Mexican international striker, said he never thought his son would actually make it as a professional. Hernández joined C.D. Guadalajara at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract when he was 15. He was set to play in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, but an injury sidelined him from the team that ultimately won the championship.
Club career
C.D. Guadalajara
Hernández began playing with Chivas' lower division team, Chivas Coras in Tepic, Nayarit in the 2005–06 season. He made his debut for Chivas in the 2006 Apertura in a win over Necaxa at Estadio Jalisco. With the score at 3–0, Hernández came on as a substitute for Omar Bravo in the 82nd minute, before scoring the fourth goal of the game five minutes later. It was his only goal in seven appearances in 2006–07. He made a further six appearances in 2007–08 without scoring.
Hernández made ten appearances in the 2008 Apertura without scoring, but he scored four goals in fifteen appearances in the 2009 Clausura. In the 2009 Apertura, Hernández finished as the joint-third top scorer, with eleven goals in seventeen appearances.[5] He started the 2010 Torneo Bicentenario with eight goals in five games. He is currently leading the goalscoring charts for the 2010 Torneo Bicentenario, with ten goals in eleven games
javier hernandez
javier hernandez
javier hernandez
javier hernandez
javier hernandez
javier hernandez
javier hernandez
javier hernandez

Elena Dementieva Early and personal life

2010-12-10T18:33:00.001-08:00

Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva (Russian: Елена Вячеславовна Дементьева, Russian pronunciation: [jɪˈlʲenə dʲɪˈmʲentʲjɪvə] ; born 15 October 1981) is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementiva achieved a career high ranking of World No. 3 which was accomplished on April 6, 2009. She announced her retirement on October 29, 2010 after her final match at the 2010 WTA Tour Championships. Dementieva ended her career ranked World No. 9.
Contents
* 1 Early and personal life
* 2 Tennis career
o 2.1 Early career
o 2.2 1999–2002: Professional debut
o 2.3 2003: Top ten debut
o 2.4 2004: First Grand Slam final
o 2.5 2005-2006: Continued form
o 2.6 2007: Dropping out of the top 10
o 2.7 2008: Resurgence
o 2.8 2009: Career-high no. 3 ranking
o 2.9 2010: Final year
o 2.10 Retirement
* 3 Playing style
* 4 Career statistics
* 5 Fed Cup
* 6 In popular culture
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links
Early and personal life
Dementieva was born in Moscow to Viatcheslav, an electrical engineer, and Vera, a teacher, both recreational tennis players. She was rejected by Dynamo Sports Club and the Central Red Army Tennis Club at the age of 7, before enrolling at Spartak Tennis Club, where she was coached for 3 years by Rauza Islanova, the mother of Marat Safin and Dinara Safina. She then moved to the Central Red Army Club with Sergei Pashkov, when she was 11. She is now coached by her mother Vera and her older brother Vsevolod. She has homes in Monaco, Moscow and Boca Raton, Florida. Dementieva enjoys snowboarding, baseball, reading and traveling.
Tennis career
Early career
Dementieva played and won her first international tournament, Les Petits As, in France at the age of 13. In 1997, she entered the WTA top 500. She turned professional in 1998 and entered the top 100 in 1999.
1999–2002: Professional debut
In 1999, Dementieva represented Russia in the Fed Cup final against the United States, scoring Russia's only point when she upset Venus Williams 1–6, 6–3, 7–6(5), recovering from a 4–1 third set deficit. She played her first Grand Slam main draws, qualifying for the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, along with receiving a direct entry into the US Open. She reached the second round at the Australian Open and French Open, made a first round exit at Wimbledon and reached the third round of the US Open. In 2000, she entered the top 20 by winning more than 40 singles matches for the second straight year and earned more than U.S. $600,000. She became the first woman from Russia to reach the US Open semifinals, where she lost to Lindsay Davenport. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Dementieva won the silver medal, losing to Venus Williams in the gold medal match 6–2, 6–4. In 2000, Dementieva was named the WTA tour's Most Improved Player.
2001 was the second straight year in which Dementieva finished in the WTA's top 20. During the year, she became the top ranked Russian player, a position previously held by Anna Kournikova since December 1997. Dementieva, however, suffered a shoulder injury in Australia. To keep playing matches, she altered her serve, adding slice and changing her motion. After her shoulder healed, her service motion stayed the same. She has double faulted as many as 19 times in a match and hit 50 mph first and second serves. In 2002, Dementieva and her partner Janette Husárová of Slovakia reached the final of the US Open and won the year-ending WTA Tour Championships. In singles, Dementieva defeated a top ranked player for the first time, beating world No. 1 Martina Hingis 6–2, 6–2 in a quarterfinal in Moscow. Dementieva reached the final of that tournament, losing to Jelena Dokić.
2003: Top ten debut
Dementieva at the Canadian Open in 2002.
Dementieva played the most tournaments among year-end top 10 players (27) and won US$869,740 in prize money. At the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, she won her first WTA Tour title, defeating Amanda Coetzer, World No. 9 Daniela Hantuchová, World No. 4 Justine Henin and World No. 5 Lindsay Davenport. Dementieva was the lowest seed (10th) to win the tournament in its 24-year history.[citation needed] She also won back-to-back titles in Bali and Shanghai, defeating Chanda Rubin in both finals. Dementieva finished the year in the top 10 for the first time (World No. 8). In addition, she reached the semifinals of the Wimbledon doubles with compatriot Lina Krasnoroutskaya, beating the Venus and Serena Williams team along the way.
2004: First Grand Slam final
Dementieva's breakthrough year was 2004. In Miami, she defeated Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Nadia Petrova in the semifinals. Dementieva then lost to the top-seeded and two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6–1, 6–1. On April 5, she reached her highest singles ranking at sixth in the world. With fifth-ranked Anastasia Myskina and ninth-ranked Petrova, it was the first time that three Russians appeared in the Women's Tennis Association top 10 simultaneously.
In May at the French Open, Dementieva reached her first Grand Slam final, defeating former top ranked Lindsay Davenport in the fourth round, Amélie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals and Paola Suárez in the semifinals, all in straight sets. Dementieva lost to compatriot Myskina in the first all-Russian Grand Slam final, 6–1, 6–2. Previous female Russian Grand Slam finalists had been: Dementieva's coach at the time, Olga Morozova, at 1974's French Open and Wimbledon, followed by Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.
Later that year at the US Open, after first round losses at Wimbledon to Sandra Kleinová and the 2004 Summer Olympics to eventual bronze-medalist Alicia Molik, Dementieva reached her second Grand Slam final, defeating Mauresmo and Jennifer Capriati en route, both in third set tie-breaks. Countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Dementieva in straight sets in the final, becoming the third consecutive Russian Grand Slam winner. Following the US Open, Dementieva won her first title in Hasselt and reached the Moscow finals for the second time, losing to Myskina.
2005-2006: Continued form
In 2005, Dementieva reached six semifinals, the most important being at the US Open. She also reached the final in Charleston, losing to Justine Henin, and Philadelphia, losing to Amélie Mauresmo despite serving for the match at 5–4 in the third set. In the quarterfinals of the US Open, Dementieva defeated top ranked Lindsay Davenport 6–1, 3–6, 7–6(6) for her second victory over a current No. 1 player. In the semifinals, she lost to Mary Pierce 3–6, 6–2, 6–2. The momentum of the match with Pierce changed in Pierce's favor when, with Dementieva up a set, Pierce received 12 minutes of on-court medical treatment. Partnering Flavia Pennetta of Italy, Dementieva reached her second doubles final at the US Open.
Following the US Open, Dementieva helped Russia repeat as Fed Cup champions, beating France 3–2 in the final. All three points came from Dementieva, as she avenged her loss to Pierce at the US Open, beat Mauresmo, and then won the deciding doubles match with partner Dinara Safina. At the WTA Tour Championships, Dementieva lost all three round robin matches against Mauresmo, Pierce, and Kim Clijsters with the same score each time: 6–2, 6–3.
Dementieva playing the first round of the 2006 US Open.
After losing to Kim Clijsters in an exhibition in Hong Kong, she lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Julia Schruff. But immediately following that tournament, Dementieva won her first Tier I event, the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. On the run to the title, she defeated Katarina Srebotnik, Nicole Vaidišová, and Anastasia Myskina, all in three sets. She then defeated the resurgent Martina Hingis, with Hingis saying after the match, "If she played like that all the time, she'd win Grand Slams". At the Pacific Life Open, despite double faulting 79 times in six matches, Dementieva reached the final. She defeated rising stars Sania Mirza, Ana Ivanović, and Na Li along the way. Dementieva then upset Justine Henin in a semifinal 2–6, 7–5, 7–5. The victory was her fourth three set match of the tournament, and fatigue contributed to her 6–1, 6–2 loss to Maria Sharapova in the final.
At the French Open she was upset in the third round by Shahar Pe'er 6–4, 7–5. On grass, Dementieva reached the s'Hertogenbosch semifinals, losing to Michaëlla Krajicek despite holding a match point. Dementieva then reached her first Wimbledon quarter-final before losing to fourth seeded Sharapova 6–1, 6–4. In August, Dementieva won the tournament in Los Angeles by defeating Jelena Janković in the final 6–3, 4–6, 6–4. En route to her sixth career title, she defeated everyone who had beaten (or, in the case of the US Open, would beat) her at the 2006 Grand Slam tournaments — Schruff in the second round, Peer in the third round, Sharapova in a semifinal (for the first time since 2003), and Janković in the final.
At the 2006 US Open, Dementieva reached the quarterfinals for the fourth time, losing to Janković 6–2, 6–1. The three games she won were all breaks of serve. Dementieva remarked afterwards, "Yeah, it is disappointing, you know. I'm getting older, and I haven't won a Grand Slam, so that's really what I'm thinking about all the time. I feel like I was in a good shape here. That's why it's sad". . She relinquished to Sharapova, who won the tournament, the distinction of being the Russian player to have won the most career prize money. Dementieva qualified for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships for the seventh straight time, the only active player to do so. She lost to all three players in her round robin group: Sharapova 6–1, 6–4; Svetlana Kuznetsova 7–5, 6–3; and Clijsters 6–4, 6–0. Her career win-loss record at this tournament fell to 3–14. She had lost her last nine matches played there.
2007: Dropping out of the top 10
Dementieva won two titles, reached three semifinals and five quarterfinals, and reached the fourth round at the Australian Open. After her first semifinal of the year at the Tier I Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Dementieva suffered a rib fracture in Antwerp and was off the tour for nine weeks, leaving the top 10 in April for the first time in nearly four years. Dementieva won her fourth event back on tour at the Tier III event in Istanbul, her first career singles title on red clay. She was upset in the third round of the French Open by Marion Bartoli the following week. Three weeks later, she lost to Bartoli again in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Eastbourne, United Kingdom 6–1, 6–0. At the J&S Cup in Warsaw, she lost to Venus Williams. She lost in the third round of Wimbledon to Tamira Paszek 3–6, 6–2, 6–3. During the North American summer hard court season, she reached the semifinals of the tournaments in San Diego and New Haven, Connecticut and the quarterfinals of the tournament in Los Angeles, but lost early at the Tier I Rogers Cup in Toronto and at the US Open. By the end of the summer, Dementieva had fallen to World No. 20, her lowest ranking since 2002.
In the fall, Dementieva reached two successive quarterfinals in Beijing and Stuttgart. At the latter event, Dementieva defeated Amélie Mauresmo and Daniela Hantuchová before losing to World No. 1 Justine Henin in the quarterfinals. In the final of the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Dementieva, being unseeded, defeated Serena Williams for the first time in her career. Winning the title in Moscow returned Dementieva to the top 10 at World No. 10 for one week. Her first round loss at the Zurich Open the following week, however, caused her ranking to fall to World No. 11. 2007 was the first year since 2002 that Dementieva did not finish the year in the top 10, and did not secure a spot at the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships.
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva

Billy Jean King personal life

2010-12-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Billie Jean King née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society. She is known for "The Battle of the Sexes" in 1973, in which she defeated Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's singles champion.
King is the founder of the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and World Team Tennis, which she founded with her former husband, Lawrence King.
Contents
* 1 Personal life
* 2 Tennis career
o 2.1 Playing style and personality
o 2.2 The early years: 1959 through 1965
+ 2.2.1 1959
+ 2.2.2 1960
+ 2.2.3 1961
+ 2.2.4 1962
+ 2.2.5 1963
+ 2.2.6 1964
+ 2.2.7 1965
o 2.3 Prime competitive years: 1966 through 1975
+ 2.3.1 Overview of these years
+ 2.3.2 1966
+ 2.3.3 1967
+ 2.3.4 1968
+ 2.3.5 1969
+ 2.3.6 1970
+ 2.3.7 1971
+ 2.3.8 1972
+ 2.3.9 1973
# 2.3.9.1 Battle of the Sexes
+ 2.3.10 1974
+ 2.3.11 1975
o 2.4 The later years: 1976 through 1990
+ 2.4.1 1976
+ 2.4.2 1977
+ 2.4.3 1978
+ 2.4.4 1979
+ 2.4.5 1980
+ 2.4.6 1982
+ 2.4.7 1983
+ 2.4.8 1984–1990
o 2.5 Furthering the tennis profession
o 2.6 Coach of national teams
o 2.7 Grand Slam singles tournaments
o 2.8 Singles titles and career prize money
o 2.9 Major international team competitions
+ 2.9.1 Federation Cup
+ 2.9.2 Wightman Cup
* 3 Awards, honors, and tributes
* 4 Career statistics
* 5 Grand Slam singles finals
o 5.1 18 finals (12 titles, 6 runner-ups)
o 5.2 Records
* 6 Footnotes
* 7 General references
* 8 Further reading
* 9 External link
Personal life
Billie Jean Moffitt was born into a conservative Methodist family, the daughter of a fireman father and housewife mother. Her younger brother Randy Moffitt grew up to become a professional baseball player, pitching for 12 years in the major leagues for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Billie Jean attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. After graduating, she attended California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) because her parents could not afford Stanford or the University of Southern California (USC). on September 17, 1965. In 1971, she had an abortion, revealed to the public in a Ms. Magazine article in 1972 by Lawrence without consulting Billie Jean in advance.[8] King said in her 1982 autobiography that she decided to have an abortion because she believed her marriage was not solid enough to bring a child into her family. Billie Jean and Lawrence divorced in 1987.
By 1968, King realized that she was interested in women, and in 1971, King began an intimate relationship with her secretary, Marilyn Barnett. King acknowledged the relationship when it became public in a May 1981 "palimony" lawsuit filed by Barnett, making King the first prominent professional female athlete to come out as a lesbian.[ King said that she had wanted to retire from competitive tennis in 1981 but could not afford to because of the lawsuit. "Within 24 hours [of the lawsuit being filed], I lost all my endorsements; I lost everything. I lost $2 million [$4,829,662 in current dollar terms] at least, because I had longtime contracts. I had to play just to pay for the lawyers. In three months I went through $500,000 [$1,207,416 in current dollar terms]. I was in shock. I didn't make $2 million in my lifetime, so it's all relative to what you make." King said in 1998 that Martina Navratilova was not supportive when King was outed, resulting in their relationship having a "very bad five years." about the lawsuit in 2007, 26 years after it was filed, King said:
“ It was very hard on me because I was outed and I think you have to do it in your own time. Fifty per cent of gay people know who they are by the age of 13. I was in the other 50%. I would never have married Larry if I’d known. I would never have done that to him. I was totally in love with Larry when I was 21. ”
Concerning the personal cost of concealing her sexuality for so many years, King said:
“ I wanted to tell the truth but my parents were homophobic and I was in the closet. As well as that, I had people tell me that if I talked about what I was going through, it would be the end of the women's tour. I couldn't get a closet deep enough. I've got a homophobic family, a tour that will die if I come out, the world is homophobic and, yeah, I was homophobic. If you speak with gays, bisexuals, lesbians and transgenders, you will find a lot of homophobia because of the way we all grew up. One of my big goals was always to be honest with my parents and I couldn't be for a long time. I tried to bring up the subject but felt I couldn't. My mother would say, "We’re not talking about things like that", and I was pretty easily stopped because I was reluctant anyway. I ended up with an eating disorder that came from trying to numb myself from my feelings. I needed to surrender far sooner than I did. At the age of 51, I was finally able to talk about it properly with my parents and no longer did I have to measure my words with them. That was a turning point for me as it meant I didn't have regrets any more.
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King
Billy Jean King

Billy Jean King

Martina Navratilova Early life and tennis career

2010-12-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

Martina Navratilova born October 18, 1956 is a Czech American and former Czechoslovak tennis player and a former World No. 1. Billie Jean King said about Navratilova in 2006, "She's the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who's ever lived."
Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including 9 consecutive years from 1982 through 1990, and won the women's singles title at Wimbledon a record 9 times. She and King each won 20 Wimbledon titles, an all-time record. Navratilova is one of just three women to have accomplished a career Grand Slam in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles (called the Grand Slam "boxed set") a record she shares with Margaret Court and Doris Hart. She holds the open era record for most singles titles (167) and doubles titles (177). She recorded the longest winning streak in the open era (74 consecutive matches) and three of the six longest winning streaks in the women's open era. Navratilova, Margaret Court, and Maureen Connolly share the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam singles titles (six). Navratilova reached 11 consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, second all-time to Steffi Graf's 13. In women's doubles, Navratilova and Pam Shriver won 109 consecutive matches and won all four Grand Slam titles in 1984. Also the pair set an all time record of 79 titles together and tied Louise Brough Clapp's and Margaret Osborne duPont's record of 20 Grand Slam women's doubles titles as a team.
Originally from Czechoslovakia, she was stripped of her citizenship when, in 1975 at the age of 18, she asked the United States for political asylum and was granted temporary residency. At the time, Navratilova was being told by the Czechoslovakian Sports Federation that she was becoming too Americanized and that she should go back to school and make tennis secondary. Navratilova became a US citizen in 1981, but on January 9, 2008, she had her Czech citizenship restored. She stated she has not renounced her American citizenship nor does she plan to do so and that the restoration of her Czech citizenship was not politically motivated.
Navratilova is a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy. She also serves the Health and Fitness Ambassador for AARP in an alliance created to help AARP's millions of members lead active, healthy lives.
Contents
* 1 Early life and tennis career
* 2 Personal life
* 3 Activism and politics
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 Open era records
* 5 Recognition
* 6 I'm a Celebrity
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 Further reading
* 10 Video
* 11 External links
Early life and tennis career
Navratilova was born Martina Šubertová in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her parents divorced when she was three, and in 1962 her mother Jana married Miroslav Navrátil, who became her first tennis coach. Martina then took the name of her stepfather (adding the feminine suffix "ová"), thus becoming Martina Navrátilová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmarcɪna ˈnavraːcɪlovaː] ( listen)). Her father Mirek[9] remarried and divorced. When she was eight, he committed suicide. In 2008, Navratilova's mother died of emphysema, aged 75. has a sister, Jana, and an older paternal half-brother.
In 1972 at the age of 15, Navratilova won the Czechoslovakia national tennis championship. In 1973, aged 16, she made her debut on the United States Lawn Tennis Association professional tour but did not turn professional until 1975. She won her first professional singles title in Orlando, Florida in 1974 at the age of 17. Upon arriving in the United States, Navratilova first lived with former Vaudeville actress, Frances Dewey Wormser, and her husband, Morton Wormser, a tennis enthusiast.
Navratilova was the runner-up at two Grand Slam singles tournaments in 1975. She lost in the final of the Australian Open to Evonne Goolagong Cawley and in the final of the French Open to Chris Evert. After losing to Evert in the semifinals of that year's US Open, the 18-year-old Navratilova went to the offices of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York City and informed them that she wished to defect from Communist Czechoslovakia. Within a month, she received a green card.
Navratilova won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 1978, where she defeated Evert in three sets in the final and captured the World No. 1 ranking for the first time. She successfully defended her Wimbledon title in 1979, again beating Evert in the final, and retained her World No. 1 ranking. In 1981, Navratilova won her third Grand Slam singles title by defeating Evert in the final of the Australian Open. Navratilova also reached the final of the US Open, where she lost a third set tiebreak to Tracy Austin. Navratilova won both Wimbledon and the French Open in 1982.
After adopting basketball player Nancy Lieberman's exercise plan and using graphite racquets, Navratilova became the most dominant player in women's tennis. After losing in the fourth round of the first Grand Slam event of 1983, the French Open, she captured the year's three remaining Grand Slam titles (the Australian Open was held in December at that time). Navratilova's loss at the French Open was her only singles defeat during that year, during which she established an 86–1 record. Her winning percentage was the best ever for a post-1968 professional tennis player. During 1982, 1983, and 1984, Navratilova lost a total of only six singles matches.[citation needed]
Navratilova won the 1984 French Open, thus holding all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. Her accomplishment was declared a "Grand Slam" by Philippe Chatrier, president of the International Tennis Federation. Many tennis observers, however, insisted that it was not a true Grand Slam because the titles had not been won in a single calendar year. Navratilova extended her Grand Slam singles tournament winning streak to a record-equalling six following wins at Wimbledon and the US Open. She entered the 1984 Australian Open with a chance of winning all four titles in the same year. In the semifinals, however, Helena Suková ended Navratilova's 74-match winning streak (a record for a professional) 1–6, 6–3, 7–5.[citation needed]

A left-hander, Navratilova won all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles in 1984, partnering right-handed Pam Shriver, a tall and talented player whose most noted stroke was a slice forehand, a shot virtually unheard of in the game today. This was part of a record 109-match winning streak that the pair achieved between 1983 and 1985. (Navratilova was ranked the World No. 1 doubles player for a period of over three years in the 1980s.) From 1985 through 1987, Navratilova reached the women's singles final at all 11 Grand Slam tournaments held during those three years, winning six of them. From 1982 through 1990, she reached the Wimbledon final nine consecutive times. She reached the US Open final five consecutive times from 1983 through 1987 and appeared in the French Open final five out of six years from 1982 through 1987.[citation needed]
17-year old German player Steffi Graf emerged on the scene in 1987 when she beat Navratilova in the final of the French Open. Navratilova defeated Graf in the 1987 Wimbledon and US Open finals (and at the US Open became only the third player in the open era to win the women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the same event). Graf's consistent play throughout 1987, however, allowed her to obtain the World No. 1 ranking before the end of the year. Graf eventually broke Navratilova's records of 156 consecutive weeks and 331 total weeks as the World No. 1 singles player but did not break Navratilova's record 167 singles titles as Graf reached 107. In 1988, Graf won all four Grand Slam singles titles, beating Navratilova 5–7, 6–2, 6–1 in the Wimbledon final along the way.[citation needed]
In 1989, Graf and Navratilova met in the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open, with Graf winning both encounters in three sets. Despite the age difference between the two players, Navratilova won 9 of the 18 career singles matches with Graf and 5 of the 9 Grand Slam singles matches with her. At age 34, Navratilova defeated Graf the last time they played in a Gran
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova

Boris Becker Tennis career

2010-12-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

Boris Franz Becker born 22 November 1967 is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17. Boris also won four year end championships titles including three ATP Masters World Tour Finals (played 8 finals, second all-time to Lendl 9) and one WCT Finals. In addition five Masters 1000 series titles. Tennis Magazine put Becker in 18th place on its list of the 40 greatest tennis players from 1965 to 2005.
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 Tennis career
o 2.1 Playing style
* 3 Equipment
* 4 Records
* 5 Career statistics
* 6 Post-retirement career
* 7 Personal life
o 7.1 Relationships
* 8 References
* 9 See also
* 10 Further reading
* 11 Video
* 12 External link
Early life
Becker was born in Leimen, West Germany, the only son of Elvira (née Pisch), who was raised in Czechoslovakia, and Karl-Heinz Becker.[2] Becker was raised Catholic.[2][3] His father, an architect, founded the tennis centre (Tennis-Club Blau-Weiß 1964 Leimen e. V.) in Leimen, where Boris learned the game.
Tennis career
Boris turned professional in 1984 and won his first professional doubles title that year in Munich. As a West German teenager, Becker won his first top-level singles title in June 1985 at Queen's Club and two weeks later on 7 July, became the first unseeded player and the first German to win the Wimbledon singles title, defeating Kevin Curren in four sets. At the time, he was the youngest ever male Grand Slam singles champion at 17 years, 7 months (a record later broken by Michael Chang in 1989, who won the French Open when he was 17 years, 3 months). Two months after his triumph, Becker became the youngest winner of the Cincinnati Open.
In 1986, Becker successfully defended his Wimbledon title, defeating World No. 1 Ivan Lendl in straight sets in the final. Becker, then ranked World No. 2, was upset in the second round of Wimbledon in 1987 by the World No. 70 player, Peter Doohan. In the Davis Cup that year, Becker and John McEnroe played one of the longest matches in tennis history. Becker won 4–6, 15–13, 8–10, 6–2, 6–2 (at that time, there were no tiebreaks in the Davis Cup). The match lasted 6 hours and 22 minutes.
Becker was back in the Wimbledon final in 1988, where he lost in four sets to Stefan Edberg in a match that marked the start of one of Wimbledon's great rivalries. Becker also helped West Germany win its first Davis Cup in 1988. He won the year-ending Masters title in New York City, defeating five-time champion Lendl in the final. The same year he also won season ending WCT Finals for the rival World Championship Tennis tour defeating Stefan Edberg in four sets.
In 1989, Becker won two Grand Slam singles titles, the only year he won more than one. After losing to Edberg in the French Open semifinals, he defeated Edberg in the Wimbledon final and then beat Lendl in the US Open final. He also helped West Germany retain the Davis Cup, defeating Andre Agassi in the semifinal round. As a result, Becker was named Player of The Year by the ATP Tour. The World No. 1 ranking, however, still eluded him.
In 1990, Becker met Edberg for the third consecutive year in the Wimbledon final, but this time was on the losing end of a long five-set match. He also failed to defend his US Open title, losing to Agassi in the semifinals. Becker reached the final of the Australian Open for the first time in his career in 1991, where he defeated Lendl to claim the World No. 1 ranking. Another loss to Agassi in the French Open semifinals kept him from winning the first two Grand Slam tournaments of the year. He was ranked World No. 1 for twelve weeks during 1991, though he never managed to finish a year with that ranking.
In 1992 Becker won a seven tour titles including his second ATP Tour World Championships defeating Jim Courier in four sets.
By 1993, issues back home over his courtship of and marriage to Barbara Feltus, whose mother was German and father was African-American, and tax problems with the German Government, had caused Becker to slide into a severe mid-career decline. Becker was ranked World No. 2 during Wimbledon in 1991 and reached his fourth consecutive final there. However, he lost in straight sets to fellow German compatriot and World No. 7 Michael Stich. Becker and Stich developed a fierce rivalry, with the media often comparing a passionate Becker to a more stoic Stich.[citation needed] However, Becker and Stich teamed in 1992 to win the men's doubles gold medal at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. Becker defeated Jim Courier in straight sets to win the 1992 year-end ATP Tour World Championships in Frankfurt.
In 1995, Becker, now almost a half decade past his prime, reached the Wimbledon final for the seventh time, by defeating Agassi in the semifinals. In the final however, the years past-his-prime Becker, further fatigued after grueling baseline contests with Cedric Pioline and then with Agassi, ran out of gas after winning the first set in a tiebreak, and lost in four sets to Pete Sampras. He won the year-end ATP Tour World Championships for the third and last time in Frankfurt with a straight-set win over Chang in the final. Becker's sixth and final Grand Slam title came in 1996 when he defeated Chang in the final of the Australian Open. In that tournament, Becker delivered a humorous victory speech.[citation needed] When he mentioned his sponsors, he cut himself short, by saying that he did not have the whole day left. He then consoled Chang, by saying that his (Becker's) days were numbered, while Chang was still young. After winning the Queen's Club Championships for the fourth time, Becker was widely expected to mount a serious challenge for the Wimbledon title in 1996, but his bid ended abruptly when he damaged his right wrist during a third-round match against Neville Godwin and was forced to withdraw.
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris BeckerBoris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Becker

hakan sukur club career

2010-12-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hakan Şükür born 1 September 1971 a Turkish former footballer, who played as a striker.
He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı (Goal King, title and award given to the annual top goalscorer of the Süper Lig), the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.
Şükür represented Turkey a total of 112 times, scoring 51 goals, making him the nation's top goalscorer and 19th in the world. One of the most prolific strikers of the modern era, he netted 383 goals throughout his club career, as well as the fastest ever in a FIFA World Cup, in 2002. He retired from football in 2008, only scoring once in single digits for his main team, in 13 seasons.
Contents
* 1 Club career
* 2 International career
o 2.1 International goals
* 3 Statistics
o 3.1 Club
o 3.2 European Cup goals
o 3.3 International
* 4 Honours
o 4.1 Club
o 4.2 Country
o 4.3 Individual
* 5 References
* 6 External links
Club career
Born in Adapazarı, Sakarya Province, Şükür began his football career with local club Sakaryaspor, making his professional debut shortly after his 17th birthday. His first goal came in a match against Eskişehirspor on 26 February 1989: with the match tied 2–2, he entered the pitch as a substitute and scored the winning goal.[3] He went on to score a further 18 Süper Lig goals in his three-year spell with the club.
In the summer of 1990, Şükür joined fellow first division outfit Bursaspor. He scored six goals in 27 matches in his second season, helping the team to a sixth-place finish, and making his Turkish national team debut shortly after.
Subsequently, Şükür signed for national giants Galatasaray SK. Nicknamed the Bull of the Bosphorus, he scored 19 goals in 30 matches in his first season with the club, helping it lift both the league and cup titles, adding 16 and 19, respectively, in the next two seasons, and attracting the attention of Torino FC. In 1995, he moved to the Italian club, becoming the second Turkish player to ever play in the Serie A, but returned to his country and Galatasaray in the following winter transfer window, failing to settle and only scoring once in the league.
Upon his return to Galatasaray, Şükür regained his scoring form, scoring 16 goals in the league and helping the club win the cup. The following season, he bagged 38 goals in the league, tying him for second-most goals scored in a season with Metin Oktay, one goal behind record holder Tanju Çolak; both players were playing for Galatasaray when they broke the record.[3] Şükür also finished third in the ESM Golden Boot rankings with 57 points, behind Mário Jardel (60) and Ronaldo (68). He won the Gol Kralı award the following two seasons, scoring 32 and 19 goals respectively, with the Istanbul side winning the title in all three seasons.
In the 1999–2000 season, Şükür's last with Galatasaray in his second stint, the team completed a domestic double for the second year in succession, and added the year's UEFA Cup, becoming the first Turkish side to win a European title; in the 4–1 penalty shootout win against Arsenal, he scored on his attempt, having netted 10 times in 17 games during the campaign.
Subsequently, Şükür moved to Italy once again, this time to F.C. Internazionale Milano, scoring six goals in 35 official games. After one single season, he signed with another team in the country, Parma FC, but was unable to produce again, only scoring three times. In December 2002, he joined Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, scoring twice in nine appearances, both goals coming in a match against Fulham),
Şükür returned to Galatasaray in 2003, scoring 12 times in 28 league games in his first season, and 18 in the following, with the team winning the 2005 Turkish cup during that timeframe. Also, on 3 December 2003, he scored twice in a 2–0 home defeat of Juventus FC, for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as Turkey's Golden Player by the Turkish Football Federation, as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
In the 2005–06 season, Şükür again scored in double digits (ten) as Galatasaray again won the league. After helping the club win a record-tying seventeenth first division title in 2007–08, netting 11 goals, he decided to retire from the game, aged nearly 37. Subsequently, he often appeared as a television pundit on TRT. During his career, he scored 38 goals in all European competitions.
International career
Hakan Şükür playing for Turkey during the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Şükür won his first cap for Turkey in a friendly with Luxembourg in March 1992 - his debut being awarded by Danish manager Sepp Piontek - scoring his first international goal in his next match, against Denmark, and totalling six in his first 11 appearances.
He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 1996 (three matches, no goals), Euro 2000 (scoring twice for the quarterfinalists, in a 2–0 group stage win against hosts Belgium) and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In the latter competition, held in South Korea and Japan, he scored once for Turkey in seven matches, as the national team finished in third place: on 29 June, Şükür scored the fastest ever goal in a FIFA World Cup, netting against South Korea in 10.8 seconds (3–2 win).[5] Of his 112 senior appearances, he captained Turkey in 30; after appearing in some Euro 2008 qualifiers, notably scoring four against Moldova in a 5–0 win in Frankfurt, Germany,[11] he was not selected for the finals in Switzerland and Austria, his final game being a 0–1 home loss against Greece, at the age of 36 (17 October 2007).
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur
hakan sukur

nani chnha career

2010-12-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha born 17 November 1986, commonly known as Nani, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger for English side Manchester United and the Portugal national team.
Nani began his career with Cristiano Ronaldo, joining the youth team in 2003 before making his first-team debut in 2005. During his two-year tenure in Portugal, Nani won only one trophy: the Portuguese Cup in the 2006–07 season. Before the 2007–08 season, Nani's performances attracted the attention of Manchester United, who eventually secured his services in July 2007. He gained first-team status almost immediately and has since won the Premier League twice, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, and the League Cup in the 2008–09 Season.
Nani made his Portugal debut in 2006, scoring his first goal in the process, and has since established himself as a key member for them. He was heavily featured during Euro 2008 and throughout the 2010 World Cup qualification process.
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 Club career
o 2.1 Early career
o 2.2 Sporting CP
o 2.3 Manchester United
+ 2.3.1 Early years
+ 2.3.2 Breakthrough
+ 2.3.3 2010–11
* 3 International career
o 3.1 International goals
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 International
* 5 Honours
o 5.1 Club
o 5.2 Individual
* 6 Celebration
* 7 References
* 8 External links
Early life
Born in Praia, Cape Verde, Nani emigrated with his family to Portugal at an early age. He was raised by his aunt Antonia in the Amadora district of Lisbon, where he and childhood friend, midfielder Manuel Fernandes, would often kick a ball about together. He was given the name Nani as a baby by his siter.
Club career
Early career
Nani grew up supporting Sporting CP and played junior football alongside Ricardo Vaz Tê at Queluz youth club Real Sport Clube, before joining the youth squad of Sporting CP.
According to the former coach of the Real Sport Clube junior team, a quick friendship was formed between Vaz Té and Nani but their dislike of losing became a complication in training. The two got into a fight during a training session which resulted in the two having to be separated and be punished for a week which resulted in neither playing the following Sunday. While Vaz Té came to practice for that week, Nani did not appear.
Sporting CP
Nani made his debut for Sporting in 2005–06, making 29 appearances and scoring four goals. In his second season, he had similar numbers with 29 appearances and five goals. He also played in six European games, scoring once.
Manchester United
Early years
Nani was sold to Manchester United for €25.5 million, five percent of which was paid to Real de Massamá. He passed his medical on 6 June 2007, and signed a five-year contract a month later, joining Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo – with whom he lived for a time at the start of his Manchester United career – at the club.
Nani scored on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Shenzhen, netting the third in a 6–0 win. He also scored in the following game against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical with a chip off the right post from the left side of the penalty area in a 3–0 win.
On 5 August 2007, Nani made his competitive debut for United, coming on as a substitute in the Community Shield against Chelsea. He marked his debut with a trophy after the Red Devils won 3–0 on penalties, following a 1–1 This was followed up by Nani's third goal for the club three days later, when he scored against Glentoran in another 3–0 pre-season win.
Nani with Gilberto Silva
Nani's Premier League debut came in United's opening match at home to Reading on 12 August as a substitute for Wayne Rooney, who had suffered a foot injury. 26 August 2007, Nani scored his first competitive goal for Manchester United, scoring a 30-yard winner in the 69th minute against Tottenham Hotspur. Nani also set up crucial goals for Louis Saha and Nemanja Vidić allowing United to beat both Sunderland and Everton 1–0.He also scored with a stunning strike against Middlesbrough, which set the ball rolling to a 4–1 win. It was the first game in which it was thought that Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez showed the first real promise of forming a good strike partnership. He returned to his previous club, Sporting, in a Champions League tie in September, though it was team-mate and fellow former Sporting man Cristiano Ronaldo who stole the limelight by scoring the winner in a 1–0 win.[22]
Nani playing for United in 2008
On 16 February 2008, Nani put in a man of the match performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup Fourth Round, his goal and two assists helping United to a 4–0 win over their rivals. During the match, Nani was involved in an altercation with Arsenal captain William Gallas who felt that the Portuguese was "showboating". After the match, Arsène Wenger was equally displeased, while Gilberto Silva said that Nani had a "big head".
On 23 March 2008, Nani set up the second and scored the final goal in a 3–0 victory over rivals Liverpool, in the 79th and 81st minutes respectively, after coming onto the pitch as a substitute.
On 3 May, towards the end of a 4–1 win over West Ham United, Nani was sent off for the first time in his Manchester United career for a headbutt on West Ham defender Lucas Neill. On 21 May, Nani came on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final as United defeated Chelsea 6–5 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time. Nani took and scored Manchester United's crucial fifth penalty in the shootout.
Nani scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season on 23 September 2008, scoring United's third goal in a 3–1 win over Middlesbrough in the last minute to secure passage to the Fourth Round of the Carling Cup. On 18 October, he scored from a Wayne Rooney assist to complete the 4–0 rout of West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford. On 20 January 2009, he opened the scoring for United in their 4–2 win at home to Derby County in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final.
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda
nani choda

alexandre pato career

2010-12-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva born 2 September 1989 commonly known as Alexandre Pato or simply Pato, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazilian national team. His nickname, Pato, refers to his place of birth, Pato Branco, it is also a reference to his nickname "the duck", the literal translation of pato in Portuguese. Contents * 1 Early career * 2 Club career o 2.1 Internacional + 2.1.1 2006 + 2.1.2 2007 o 2.2 Milan + 2.2.1 2007–08 season + 2.2.2 2008–09 season + 2.2.3 2009–10 season + 2.2.4 2010-11 season * 3 International career * 4 Personal life * 5 Statistics o 5.1 Club o 5.2 International o 5.3 International goals * 6 Honours * 7 References o 7.1 Publications o 7.2 Citations * 8 External links Early career He started playing indoor football in his hometown at the age of three. Soon, his ability became known all around the south Brazilian state of Paraná for being a skillful and talented goal scorer and, after being praised by many of his managers, the teenager went to Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, to try out for Grêmio. He was turned away by Grêmio, the club whom he had supported since a boy – but local rivals Internacional convinced him to play for them. Despite the two clubs being bitter enemies, Pato’s parents convinced their youngster to switch his allegiance. Pato said in an interview with the Brazilian television program, Esporte Espetacular that at age 11, he broke his arm and while examining the injuries, doctors found a tumour in the arm and feared the arm needed to be amputated. A successful operation removed the tumour. Club career Internacional 2006 In June 2006, at only 16 years of age, Pato was signed by Sport Club Internacional to compete in the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20. Despite the fact that he was competing against players up to four years older than him, Pato became top scorer of the competition as Internacional Sub-20 defeated Grêmio 4–0. Ready to join the Inter first team in November that same year, his debut finally happened at the Estádio Palestra Itália against São Paulo giants Palmeiras for the Campeonato Brasileiro. Alexandre Pato met and surpassed any and all expectations of what was expected of him as he scored his first professional goal within the first minute of the game. The rest of his participation was spent dribbling and confusing defenders as he made two assists (and almost scoring another himself) to help Internacional rout Palmeiras 4–1. He was substituted off in the 77th minute. Pato was included in the Internacional squad that won the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup. During this event, Pato broke Pelé's long standing record as he became the youngest ever player to score in a FIFA organised competition at the age of 17 years and 102 days old against African club champions Al-Ahly. Pelé was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored against Wales during the 1958 FIFA World Cup. 2007 Keeping up with his promising figure, Pato debuted at the Campeonato Gaúcho on February 24 against Veranópolis and scored a goal in the 2–1 victory. He also debuted in Copa Libertadores on February 28 against Emelec of Ecuador (also his first game at Beira-Rio) and scored once during the 3–0 thumping. But the biggest highlight of Pato's time with Internacional was during the Recopa Sudamericana as he helped Internacional win their first ever title. Against Pachuca of Mexico, he scored one goal in the 2–1 defeat in Mexico. But on the return game in June 7 and with more than fifty-one thousand Colorados present, Pato had a luxurious performance as he scored once and led the 4–0 thrashing to win Internacional's third international title. Milan 2007–08 season Incumbent European champions A.C. Milan officially confirmed the signing of Pato on 2 August 2007 €22 million to transfer his contract from Internacional. Due to FIFA football regulations regarding non-EU minors, Pato was unable to play official matches for Milan until 3 January 2008, when the Italian transfer window and registration reopened. However, Milan was allowed to include the player in friendlies and training beginning 3 September 2007, one day after his 18th birthday. Pato made his non-competitive debut in a 2–2 draw against Dynamo Kiev on 7 September 2007 and scored a header. On 4 January 2008, Pato's transfer to Milan became official. Pato scored his first Milan goal on his Serie A debut against Napoli in a 5–2 home victory on 13 January 2008. He scored his first brace for Milan, in a 2–0 victory over Genoa at the San Siro on 27 January 2008. He finished the 2007–08 season with 9 goals in 20 appearances (18 in the league). Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato Alexandre Pato

Miloš Krasić club career

2010-12-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

Miloš Krasić Serbian: Милош Красић; born 1 November 1984 in Kosovska Mitrovica, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for Juventus and the Serbian national team.
Contents
* 1 Playing style
* 2 Club career
o 2.1 Early years
o 2.2 CSKA Moscow
o 2.3 Juventus
* 3 International career
o 3.1 Under-21
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 International goals
* 5 Honours
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Playing style
Krasić is a right-sided midfielder/winger, noted for his powerful dribbling technique and speed.
Club career
Early years
After starting out with the hometown side FK Rudar Kosovska Mitrovica, Krasić was noticed by FK Vojvodina in 1999 and he made a switch northwards at age 14. He spent the next 4 and a half seasons in Novi Sad where he further raised his level and became the team captain.
CSKA Moscow
FK Vojvodina and CSKA Moscow were in negotiations over Krasić's transfer since January 2004, but the deal stalled. The player himself even made several unsuccessful trips to Moscow.Finally, during summer 2004 the deal got completed and the winger was on his way to Russia. He featured in three games during the club's UEFA Cup 2004–05 winning run, including a cameo appearance in the final. He also helped them win the Russian title in 2005 and 2006, the Russian Cup in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009, and the Russian Super Cup in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Juventus
After much speculation in the summer of 2010, Juventus and CSKA Moscow agreed on a fee for Krasić reported to be in the range of about €15 million. Krasić officially became a Juventus player on 21 August and was given shirt number 27.[4] Krasić was instrumental in his home début against Sampdoria, assisting a goal and creating many chances. The game ended 3–3. In his second away game in the Serie A, against Udinese, Krasic proved once again instrumental in their 4–0 victory, assisting Quagliarella and Marchisio for a goal each. Krasić scored his first Juventus goals against Cagliari on 26 September 2010, hitting a hat-trick. He scored his first European goal for Juventus, helping his side salvage a point against Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg in the Group A tie of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, in a match which finished 1–1. On 26 October 2010, he was given a two-match ban after diving, and successively winning a penalty, during the league match against Bologna. Krasic scored a goal in a 0-2 away win over Genoa after Eduardo put a ball in his own net on 18th minute.
International career
Under-21
Krasic has been an important part of Serbia-Montenegro under-21 squad on the last two European U-21 championships, as well as at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
He was in the team that finished as runners-up in the 2004 European under-21 Championship in Germany, but did not play in any games. Two months later, he was part of the Serbia and Montenegro squad at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In May 2006, Krasić was playing a leading role for Serbia-Montenegro in the 2006 European under-21 Championship in 2007 against Kazakhstan. He also played in the match against Portugal on 28 March at the Red Star Stadium at Belgrade. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. He was an important player for the Serbia national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. He scored one goal in the match against Lithuania, another in the game against Austria and set up three in the game against Romania, which sealed qualification.
milos krasic
milos krasic
milos krasic

milos krasic
milos krasic milos krasic

milos krasic
milos krasic
milos krasic
milos krasic
milos krasic

Ryan Giggs early years

2010-12-01T14:06:00.000-08:00

Ryan Joseph Giggs OB(born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United for his entire professional career. He established himself as a left-winger during the 1990s and continued in this position well into the 2000s, but he has been increasingly used in a deeper playmaking role in his later years.
Giggs holds a host of football records, including that of being the most decorated player in English football history. On 16 May 2009, he became the first footballer to collect 11 top division English league title medals. Giggs was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993) and is the only player to have played and scored in every single season of the Premier League since its inception.
Giggs has had a long-lasting domestic and continental career and is the first player in UEFA Champions League history to have scored in 11 successive seasons, on top of being elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade, in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century. Giggs is also the only United player to have played in all 11 Premier League winning teams and the first three League Cup-winning teams. At the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, held on 21 May 2008, Giggs surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for Manchester United to become the club's all-time leader in appearance
At international level, Giggs played for the Welsh national team prior to his retirement from international football on 2 June 2007, and was once the youngest player to ever represent his country. In addition to the many honours Giggs has received within football such as being named in the Football League 100 Legends (the last active player in the list), he was appointed an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours List, and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005, for his services to English Football. He was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009.
Contents
* 1 Early years
* 2 Manchester United first team
o 2.1 Debut and breakthrough season
o 2.2 Early career
o 2.3 Since 2000
* 3 International career
o 3.1 International goals
* 4 Discipline
* 5 Career statistics
* 6 Honours
o 6.1 Manchester United
o 6.2 Individual
o 6.3 Orders and special awards
* 7 Records
* 8 Personal life
o 8.1 Campaigner
o 8.2 Post-playing career
* 9 References
* 10 External links
Early years
Ryan Joseph Wilson was born at St David's Hospital in Canton, Cardiff, Wales, to Danny Wilson, a rugby union player for Cardiff RFC, and Lynne Giggs (now Lynne Johnson). As a child, Giggs grew up in Ely, a suburb of western Cardiff, but spent much time with his mother's parents and playing football on the roads outside their house in Pentrebane. In 1980, when Giggs was six years old, his father switched rugby codes and signed for Swinton RLFC, forcing the whole family to move north to Swinton, a town in Salford, Greater Manchester. The move was a traumatic one, as Giggs was very close to his grandparents in Cardiff, but he would often return there with his family at weekends or on school holidays. Giggs is mixed race – his paternal grandfather is from Sierra Leone and has spoken of the racism he faced as a child.
After moving to Salford, Giggs appeared for the local team, Deans FC, who were coached by Manchester City scout Dennis Schofield. His first game for Deans ended in a 9–0 defeat to Stretford Vics but, nevertheless, many people commented that Giggs had been the best player on the pitch that day. Schofield recommended Giggs to Manchester City, and he was signed up to their School of Excellence. Meanwhile, Giggs continued to play for Salford Boys, who went on to reach the final of the Granada Schools Cup competition at Anfield in 1987. Giggs captained the Salford team to victory over their Blackburn counterparts, and the trophy was presented to him by Liverpool chief scout Ron Yeats. Yeats was impressed by Giggs's performance, and would have recommended him to Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, had Giggs not already been picked up by Manchester United.
While playing for Deans, Giggs would be watched regularly by local newsagent and Old Trafford steward Harold Wood. Wood regularly told the senior staff at Manchester United about Giggs, but they did not send anyone down to watch him until Wood spoke personally to Alex Ferguson. So Ferguson sent a scout to a Deans match, who was impressed enough for United to offer Giggs a trial over the 1986 Christmas period. Prior to the trial, Giggs played in a match for Salford Boys against a United Under-15s side at The Cliff and scored a hat trick, with Ferguson watching from his office window. On 29 November 1987 (his 14th birthday), Ferguson turned up at Giggs's house with United scout Joe Brown and offered him two years on associate schoolboy forms. They offered to waive YTS forms, and persuaded Giggs to sign by offering the opportunity to turn professional in three years. Giggs signed there and then for a record non-professional transfer fee of £350,000, which is still the highest ever.
Using the name Ryan Wilson, Giggs captained England at Schoolboy level, playing at Wembley Stadium against Germany in 1989. He changed his surname at the age of 16, when his mother remarried so that "the world would know he was his mother's son His parents had separated two years earlier.
Manchester United first team
Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season. He holds the club record for competitive appearances, and the club record for team trophies won by a player (23). Since 1992, he has collected 11 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He also has runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of four United teams to have finished second in the league. In recent years, Giggs has captained the team on numerous occasions, particularly in the 2007–08 season when regular captain Gary Neville was ruled out with various injuries. Giggs is the only player to play every season of the Premier league for one club and score in every season of the Premier League for any club.
Debut and breakthrough season
Giggs turned professional on 29 November 1990 (his 17th birthday), by which time he was described by various sources to be the finest prospect in English football since George Best in the 1960s.
At this time, United had recently won the FA Cup – their first major trophy since the appointment of Alex Ferguson as manager in November 1986. After two precarious seasons in the league where they had finished mid table, they were finally starting to threaten the dominance of Liverpool and Arsenal, though they only managed to finish sixth that season. Ferguson's quest for a successful left winger had not been an easy one since the departure of Jesper Olsen two years earlier. First he had signed Ralph Milne, but the player was not a success at United and lasted just one season in the first team before Ferguson secured the Southampton winger Danny Wallace in September 1989. However, Wallace had failed to repeat the performances that had made him one of the highest rated flanksmen in his days on the South Coast, and by the time Giggs turned professional Wallace was battling with 19-year-old Lee Sharpe for the role of first choice left winger.
Giggs made his League debut against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991, as a substitute for the injured full-back Denis Irwin in a 2–0 defeat. In his first full start, Giggs was credited with his first ever goal in a 1–0 win in the Manchester derby on 4 May 1991, though it appeared to be a Colin Hendry own goal. However, he was not included in the squad of 16 that defeated Barcelona in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final 11 days later. Lee Sharpe, who had now won the race to displace Danny Wallace as United's regular left winger, took to the field as United's left winger, while Wallace was selected as a substitute.
He became a first-team regular early in the 1991–92 season, yet remained active with the youth system and captained the team, made up of many of "Fergie's Fledglings", to an FA Youth Cup triumph in 1992.
Giggs broke into the first team even though he was still aged only 17, a mark of his skill and maturity, and paved the way as the first of many Manchester United youth players to rise into the first team under Ferguson. As the youngest member of the United first team squad, Giggs looked to the older players such as Bryan Robson for advice. Robson recommended that Giggs sign up with Harry Swales, the agent that he himself had inherited from Kevin Keegan.
That season, Giggs played in the team that finished as runners-up to Leeds United in the final year of the old First Division before the advent of the Premier League. United had led the table for much of the season before a run of dismal results in April saw them overtaken by the
Giggs collected his first piece of silverware on 12 April 1992 as United defeated Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final, after Giggs had set up Brian McClair to score the only goal of the game. At the end of the season, he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year – the award which had been credited to his colleague Lee Sharpe a year earlier.
Ryan GiggsRyan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs

Michel Bastos club career

2010-12-01T13:48:00.002-08:00

Michel Fernandes Bastos (born 2 August 1983), commonly referred to as Michel Bastos, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a winger capable of playing on either side of the field, but plays as a left back for the Brazil national team. Bastos made his national team debut on 14 November 2009 against England in Doha, Qatar
Bastos has played in the Netherlands, Brazil and France.
Contents
* 1 Club career
o 1.1 Lille OSC
o 1.2 Olympique Lyonnais
* 2 International career
* 3 Career statistics
o 3.1 International goals
* 4 Notes
* 5 References
* 6 External links
Club career
Bastos was born in the Brazilian city of Pelotas and began his career playing for hometown club Esporte Clube Pelotas. In 2001, he moved to the Netherlands joining Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam playing for the Jong Feyenoord, the club's reserve section. Following a loan stint at nearby Excelsior Rotterdam, he returned to Brazil joining Atlético Paranaense. Bastos later played for Grêmio and Figueirense before deciding to return to Europe.
Lille OSC
Bastos joined French club Lille OSC in 2006 and made his league debut in the club's opening match of the 2006–07 season against Rennes playing 65 minutes before being substituted out. Lille won the match 2–1.[1] Bastos scored his first goal for the club against Lens in the annual Derby du Nord and finished the season with a total of three goals. Over the next two seasons, his goal output quickly increased. He scored eight league goals during the 2007–08 season, including goals against Rennes, Lyon, and Lorient to help Lille finish in a respectable 7th place. During this season, Bastos began alternating between the left back and left winger position.
For the 2008–09 season, he was installed in the left winger role permanently. He scored his first goal in just the second match of the season in a 1–3 loss to Le Mans. Two weeks later, he scored in the club's 2–1 win over Bordeaux and, a week later, scored again, this time in a 1–1 draw with Sochaux. He also scored in a 2–2 draw against Lyon. With the match tied 1–1, Lille had a free kick from an odd angle from 30 meters out. Bastos took the free kick with his powerful left foot delivering it with such force, Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris could not stop it.
From 11 November 2008 onwards, Bastos scored in five straight matches. He scored goals against Marseille, Lorient, Toulouse, Nice, and Le Havre. accumulated 2 wins and 3 draws in that span. Several weeks later, he began another streak scoring a goal in six straight matches. With Lille winning all of those matches, they moved into the European places in the standings and eventually finished 5th earning a UEFA Cup spot on the final day of the season. In total that season, Michel appeared in 41 matches and scored 16 goals, 14 in the league and also assisted on nine goals, which led Ligue 1. He was awarded the Trophée du Meilleur Passeur and became the only player in Ligue 1 history to appear in the top five of both the goalscorers' table and the assists' table since the creation of the assists' table for the 2007–08 season.[citation needed] He was also nominated for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year Award and named to the league's Team of the Year
Michel Bastos
Michel Bastos
Michel Bastos
Michel Bastos

Michel Bastos
Michel Bastos
Michel Bastos
Michel Bastos

Michel Bastos

Cesc FabregasCesc style of play

2010-12-01T13:32:00.001-08:00

Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsɛsk ˈfaβɾəɣəs]; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder. He captains the Premier League side Arsenal and also plays for the Spanish national team.
Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16. Following injuries to key midfielders in the 2004–05 season, he established himself as Arsenal's starting central midfielder and playmaker. He went on to break several of the club's records, earning a reputation as one of the best young players for his position.
In international football, the Spaniard's national career began when he represented the Under-17 side at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland. As a result of his club performances, he was called up to the senior squad in 2006. He has played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup, helping Spain to become eventual winners in the two most recent tournaments.
Contents
* 1 Club career
o 1.1 Early years
o 1.2 Arsenal
+ 1.2.1 Adapting to England
+ 1.2.2 Making the starting eleven
+ 1.2.3 Captaincy
* 2 International career
o 2.1 Youth team
o 2.2 Senior team
+ 2.2.1 2006 World Cup
+ 2.2.2 Euro 2008
+ 2.2.3 Confederations Cup 2009
+ 2.2.4 World Cup 2010
o 2.3 International goals
* 3 Style of play
* 4 Statistics
* 5 Honours
o 5.1 Arsenal
o 5.2 International
o 5.3 Individual
* 6 Other projects
* 7 References
* 8 External links
Club career
Early years
Fàbregas was born in Vilassar de Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia Francesc Fàbregas, Sr., who runs a property company, and Núria Soler, the owner of a pastry company. Fàbregas has supported Barcelona since childhood and went to his first match when he was nine months old with his grandfather. He began his club football career with Mataró, before being signed for Barcelona's La Masia youth academy aged 10. His first coach, Señor Blai, reportedly did not select Fabregas for matches against Barcelona in an attempt to hide him from their scouts. This tactic, however, was unable to withstand Barcelona for long, and Mataró gave in and allowed Fàbregas to train with Barcelona one day per week. Eventually Fàbregas joined Barcelona's academy full time. His initial training was as a defensive midfielder, yet he was also a prolific scorer, sometimes scoring more than 30 goals in a season for the club's youth teams. Despite this, he did not manage to play a first team game at the Camp Nou. During his time at Barcelona's youth academy, Fàbregas idolised Barcelona's then-captain and number four Josep Guardiola, who would later give Fàbregas his shirt as consolation when Fàbregas' parents divorced.
Arsenal
Adapting to England
Fàbregas (left) in a game against Sheffield United in 2006
Sensing that he would have limited opportunities at Barcelona, he joined Arsenal, signing for the London club in September 2003.[4] Initially, he found life difficult in England's capital but soon struck a friendship with Spanish-speaking team-mate Philippe Senderos, who helped him settle down.[10] As a 16-year-old, Fàbregas did not contemplate breaking into the first team immediately but looked up to senior players like Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, while concentrating on training and learning the English language.[10] He nevertheless made his debut for Arsenal not long after, on 23 October 2003, in a League Cup tie at home to Rotherham United. In doing so he became Arsenal's youngest ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days. He then became the youngest goalscorer in Arsenal's history in a later round of the League Cup, scoring in a 5–1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Although Arsenal went on to win the league unbeaten in the 2003–04 season, Fàbregas was not awarded a winner's medal because he did not play a single league game.
It was not until the start of the 2004–05 season that the Spaniard started making first team appearances in matches outside the League Cup. His first match of the season was against Manchester United in the Community Shield. Following an injury to Vieira, Fàbregas stepped in and made four consecutive Premier League starts. He was praised for his performances in those games, even claiming a goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 3–0 victory, and becoming Arsenal's youngest ever goalscorer in a league game. With further injuries to Edu and Gilberto Silva, he received more playing time in all competitions.[ He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in September 2004 In the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the competition's history after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg in a 5–1 win. He concluded his season by winning his first honours with Arsenal when he was in the starting eleven that defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final.
Making the starting eleven
After the departure of Vieira to Juventus, Fàbregas was given the Frenchman's number 4 shirt and featured regularly in the Arsenal central midfield alongside Gilberto Silva. He made 49 appearances in all competitions during the 2005–06 season.[14] Despite his young age, his performances came under greater scrutiny due to his increased involvement in the first team. Further, as Fàbregas possessed a smaller frame and played with less aggression than Vieira, there were initially doubts over his ability to fill in the void left by the Frenchman. Nevertheless, Fàbregas asserted his own style of play and impressed pundits in the Champions League against Real Madrid and Juventus. In the latter, he scored Arsenal's first goal and set up Thierry Henry for the second,[21] at the same time proving that he could compete against tough, hard-tackling midfielders like Vieira. He then played in the final against his former club Barcelona, but Arsenal were defeated 2–1, completing a trophyless 2005–06 campaign for Arsenal.
Fàbregas celebrates a goal with his Arsenal team-mates
Fàbregas' increase in exposure drew transfer speculation during the summer; Real Madrid expressed a desire to sign the Spaniard despite his long-term contract with Arsena but Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger stated that Arsenal would not listen to any offers. In September 2006, with six years left on his deal, Arsenal offered a new five-year deal (with an option to extend by a further three years) to the midfielder, which he signed on 19 October 2006. While the contract was unusually long, Fàbregas cited Arsenal's playing style and Wenger as reasons for his long-term commitment to the club.
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas

Ramires career

2010-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Ramires Santos do Nascimento (born 24 March 1987 in Barra do Piraí, Rio de Janeiro), commonly known as just Ramires, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelsea in the English Premier League. In 2008, he won a Bronze medal of XXIX Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Contents
* 1 Club career
o 1.1 Cruzeiro
o 1.2 Benfica
o 1.3 Chelsea
* 2 International career
* 3 Honours
o 3.1 Club
o 3.2 International
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 International statistics
* 5 References
* 6 External links
Club career
Cruzeiro
In January 2008, Ramires agreed to a five-year deal with Cruzeiro in a permanent move from Joinville for a fee of $300,000, giving Cruzeiro 70% of the players' economic rights. Joinville kept 30% in the event of any transfers in the future.[2] He was referred to by the fans and media during his time there as the "Queniano Azul", or "Blue Kenyan", due to Cruzeiro's blue kit and his endurance.
Benfica
On 21 May 2009, Ramires joined Portuguese club Sport Lisboa e Benfica for €7.5 million on a five-year contract with a minimum fee release of €30 million.
June 2010, Benfica sold 50% of the economic rights to Ramires to Jazzy Limited for €6 million.
Chelsea
On 4 August 2010, Benfica announced they had agreed a deal with English Premier League champions Chelsea and his third-party owner for €22 million.[7][8][9] Ramires completed his move to Chelsea on 13 August 2010, on a four-year contract. He was handed the number 7 shirt, previously worn by Andriy Shevchenko.. He made his debut on 28 August 2010 against Stoke City, coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute, replacing Michael Essien. On 11 September 2010, he made his full Premier League debut, starting against West Ham United. He started in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal on 3 October 2010, winning possession and then putting Ashley Cole through to cross to Didier Drogba for Chelsea's first goal.
International career
On 21 July 2008, Ramires was named the replacement for Robinho on the Brazil U-23 team for the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. He appeared four times at the Olympics, as Brazil went on to achieve bronze medal.
On 21 May 2009, he was called up for the first time to the Brazilian national team for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
He played his first game for the national team on 6 June 2009, a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Uruguay, in which he came as a substitute for El
Ramires scored his first International goal on 7 June 2010, against Tanzania leading up to the World Cup finals. He scored again later in game setting the score to 5–1.
Honours
Club
Cruzeiro
* Campeonato Mineiro: 2008, 2009
Joinville
* Campeonato Catarinense: 2005, 2006
Benfica
* Portuguese Liga: 2009–10
* Taça da Liga: 2010
International
Brazil
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 2009
Career statistics
Club Season League Cup League Cup South America Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Joinville 2006 14 3 * * * * * * * 14 3
Cruzeiro
2007 32 3 * * * * * 2 0 34 3
2008 25 6 * * * * * 10 5 35 11
2009 4 1 * * * * * 8 1 12 2
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Benfica 2009-10 26 4 1 1 0 4 1 12 0 43 5
Chelsea 2010-11 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 15 0
Career Total 37 17 1 0 0 4 1 35 6 152 24
Last update - 1 December 2010
International statistics
As of 3/11/2010
National team Club Season Apps Goals
Brazil Cruzeiro 2009 12 2
Benfica 2009–10 31 5
Chelsea
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires
Ramires