Report: DeSean Jackson to end holdout, report this week to Eagles

That didn't last long. After missing the first few days of training camp, reports from 6ABC are saying that DeSean Jackson will end his holdout and report to the Eagles on either Monday or Tuesday. He will return to the Eagles despite not getting the big contract he is after.

As Mark Trible pointed out earlier this week in his post, Jackson deserves a contract extension and he will get one sooner or later. I'm not sure what the point was of his holdout if he is willing to come to training camp without getting what he wanted but he probably isn't enjoying getting fined $30,000 for every day he misses. Jackson was trying to make a statement but with the "Dream Team" assembling, its time to get to work. The money will come later.

U-20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS | COSTA RICA 1 SPAIN 4 | GROUP C

The SPANISH FOOTBALL U- 20 NATIONAL TEAM kicked off its participation in the FIFA U - 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS being held in Colombia with 1 - 4 victory over COSTA RICA in their Group C match. Good start as a win is vital to release the nerves & be able to meet your other Group opponents with some relative "ease" in the pressure.



Rodrigo Spain U-20

The match was relatively well controlled by

FEMALE U-17 SPANISH FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM WINS EUROPEAN TITLE

SPANISH FOOTBALL is having a fantastic year & a grand summer with European Champions Titles coming in all categories. Today the SPANISH FOOTBALL FEMALE U-17 TEAM proclaimed themselves EUROPEAN U-17 CHAMPIONS for the second time after defeating FRANCE 1 - 0 in the Final.



Spain Football Female U-17 

Tight match that was resolved at the end when Spanish player Gema Gili back-heeled a loose ball

MALAGA FC DEFEATS FEYENOORD 0 - 2 IN FRIENDLY

SPANISH FOOTBALL has a new"player" on "the scene" & big time. MALAGA FC defeated Dutch Club FEYENOORD away 0 - 2 in a friendly pre-season game to notch up their sixth victory in the pre-season. The Spanish Club has done some big spending on new players (up to 8) & the results are showing pre-season that the Club is on the right track, gaining steam & becoming a serious rival for other Spanish

Eagles sign G Evan Mathis

Now that the defense is loaded, the Eagles turned their attention to the holes along the offensive line, signing Guard Evan Mathis to a one year deal. Having played for the Panthers, Dolphins and most recently the Bengals, Mathis has a bunch of experience in his 6 year NFL career but his signing is likely a depth move for the Eagles. Mathis started 12 games for the Bengals last year.

With rookie Danny Watkins still not signed, Mathis is insurance at guard should Watkins not be ready to start in Week One. Mathis will be a fine fill-in but he isn't someone the Eagles should be excited about starting for more than a few weeks.

FC BARCELONA 1 - MANCHESTER UNITED 2 | USA PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY GAME

FC BARCELONA lost 1 - 2 their Friendly game against MANCHESTER UNITED this morning ( Sp time ) in some sweltering & humid conditions in Washington (USA). However this was not a replay of the last Champions League Final in which Barça won, far from it, as Barça put on the field up to nine youngsters from their lower levels. This compared to Manchester United who virtually had all their big guns on

Dreamworld Cue Sports Championships 2011 conclude

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Dreamworld Resort & Golf Club, located on the outskirts of Karachi in the vicinity of the Northern Bypass, remains a cherished destination for thousands of its members and many more who come to know about it from different sources.

The resort offers a lot of recreational facilities to prompt the members to visit it on a regular basis and as usual there’s greater buzz and activity during the months of June of July when the majority of the educational institutions of the metropolis is closed and the families are looking for avenues to keep their kids and young children entertained.

The Dreamworld Cue Sports Championships were launched more than a decade ago during the summer months. They have been attracting good crowds since inception and it remains one of the showpiece events in their calendar. More people have come to know about it because of its extensive media coverage during the last few years.

The finals of the 12th Dreamworld Cue Sports Championships 2011 were held on July 24 and not surprisingly there was excitement in the air and the participants as well as their supporters were enthusiastic around the Billiards Parlour.

Despite the uncertain law and order situation of the city during this period the participation was to the satisfaction of the organizers and there were not too many walkovers in the initial stages.

In fact the city situation was far from normal when the 12th Dreamworld Cue Sports Festival 2011 concluded with the prize distribution ceremony soon after the conclusion of the finals. The environment at the resort remained electric but obviously returning to homes quickly was already at the back of their minds when the function commenced.

The popular figure of Shahid Nazir Minhas, one of the top ranked cueists of the country in the recent past, retained his snooker title successfully but was dethroned in the Pool masters event.

The tall and strongly built Shahid, who was active in the national circuit until a few years ago, continued to dominate the snooker tournament while Umar Saleem proved his mettle by claiming the Pool masters title.

Shahid retained the snooker trophy by whipping Rashid Habib 4-1 in the final with the frame scores of 68-60, 56043, 27-50, 84-25, 83-4. In the semifinals Shahid had blanked Ahsan Ahmed in straight frames with the scores of 68-31, 79-42, 80-21 while Rashid meted out similar treatment to Mohammad Zohaib with the scores being 41-30, 63-23, 63-38.

In the Pool masters semifinal defending champion Shahid was stunned by Umar Ahmed 2-5. Umar Saleem, who had prevailed over Rashid Habib 5-3 in the other semifinal, surprised Umar Ahmed in the final 5-3.

Fahim Iqbal won the Pool Amateurs title by whipping Hasan Aslam 3-1 in the final. In the semifinals Fahim had overpowered Ali Ahmed 4-2 while Hasan edged out Faizan Ahmed 4-3.

S G M Asim emerged triumphant in the Pool Seniors competition as he outclassed Aslam Qamar 4-2 in the final. In the semifinals Asim had outwitted Abdul Rauf 4-3 and Aslam defeated Saud Hasan by the same margin. Sadia clinched the Pool Ladies trophy by beating Sania 2-1 in the final.

Eagles deal DT Bunkley, re-sign LB Jordan

UPDATE: Bunk refused to go to the Browns so he was instead dealt to the Broncos for a conditional pick.

With the signing of Cullen Jenkins, the writing was on the wall for former starting DT Brodrick Bunkley. The Eagles moved quickly to deal Bunkley, shipping him to the Browns for a 5th round pick in 2012. The move re-unites Bunk with the man that drafted him, Tom Heckert, and gives the Eagles a whopping 11 picks already in the 2012 draft.

In other Eagles moves, the Birds re-signed Akeem Jordan. Jordan has experience at all three linebacker positions so he could challenge the man currently penciled in as the starting middle linebacker, rookie Casey Matthews. I still hope the Eagles further upgrade their linebackers but they might be content with a mediocre group given the strength of the rest of the defense.

SPAIN DRAWN IN GROUP I WITH FRANCE | WORLD CUP 2014 EURO ZONE QUALIFIERS

The SPANISH FOOTBALL NATIONAL TEAM, the current FIFA World Champions,  has been drawn in Group I for the upcoming preliminary European WORLD CUP 2014 qualifiers. The news is that in their Group they will find themselves with a strong competitor & historical rival FRANCE. The other European Nations that make up Group I are BELARUS , GEORGIA & FINLAND.




graphic courtesy of Sportyou

As you can

Getting richer: Eagles sign DT Cullen Jenkins

I'm starting to feel bad for the other teams in the NFL. In yet another surprising move, the Eagles have signed arguably the best free agent defensive lineman, DT Cullen Jenkins, to a 5 year, 25 million dollar contract. Jenkins is coming off a solid year with the Super Bowl Champion Packers where he recorded 7 sacks.

Jenkins figures to slide into one of the starting defensive tackle spots, likely replacing Brodrick Bunkley, who could get traded or released. He will have some learning to do as he has played in a 3-4 system with the Packers for the last several years but his talent will allow him to make an immediate impact for the Eagles in their 4-3 defense.

The Eagles are clearly going all in in this season, particularly on defense. While they still have a few more moves to make, the team has gotten much better in both the secondary and along the defensive line. Adding Jenkins up front should help the line create more chaos which in turn should make things even easier for an a ridiculously talented secondary. All that is missing now is a middle linebacker and this team will be completely stacked.

Super Bowl or bust.

Phillies send Domonic Brown to the minors

With the addition of Hunter Pence to the roster, the Phillies had to make a move to clear up space. That move turned out to be the demotion of Domonic Brown to the minors, which means the Phillies will play the struggling Raul Ibanez every day in left field for the foreseeable future.

While Brown probably isn't happy to be sent to the minors it will be good for him down the road. With Pence in the fold for the next few seasons, right field, the position Brown is most comfortable playing, is locked up. The Phillies plan to play Brown in left field at Lehigh every day and let him get comfortable in the position with the hopes that he takes over in left next season when Ibanez is gone. Brown can also continue to develop at the plate in the minors and hopefully be a solid bat when he is called up again no later than September.

In other Phillies news, Placido Polanco was activated and the team sent Andrew Carpenter to the minors. The lineup is now stacked 1-8 and ready to roll. Can't wait for October.

REAL MADRID WIN 1 - 2 LEICESTER IN FRIENDLY GAME

REAL MADRID notched up its fith straight pre-season friendly victory 1 - 2 against English 2 º Division Club LEICESTER. Don´t know if it was just me but it seemed an odd game without the fluid movements & intensity of previous encounters. Perhaps it was the fact the Real Madrid Coach Mourinho "experimented" more in this match & that did not allow the side to fully blend together. Whatever, the

Phillies acquire Hunter Pence for prospects

The Phillies have finally acquired that right handed bat they have been looking for, getting Hunter Pence from the Astros for two of their top prospects, pitcher Jarred Cosart and outfielder Jonathan Singleton, pitcher Josh Zeid and a player to be named later. While he had been rumored to be a part of the deal, the Phillies thankfully were able to hold on to Dominic Brown. The Phillies also received cash in the deal.

Pence is a solid bat and should slide nicely into the 5th spot in the lineup. While he doesn't have a ton of power, the two-time All Star is hitting over .300 this season and driven in 62 runs on a terrible Astros team. He does strike out too much and doesn't have a great on base percentage but Pence should help to balance out the Phillies lineup with another threat from the right side of the plate.

As for where Pence will play, he has been a right fielder for most of his career. The Phillies will likely let him play every day and rotate Dominic Brown and Raul Ibanez in left, though I fear that Brown may be relegated to the bench more often than not, something that won't help his development.

It was a stiff price to pay for Pence as Cosart and Singleton where the best the Phillies farm system had to offer, but Pence does fulfill a big need for the club. While I would still like the Phillies to go grab another bullpen piece, picking up Pence, who will be with the team for several years, gives the lineup an extra boost heading down the home stretch. Does Pence guarantee that the Phillies get past the Giants this year? No, but he certainly will help. With the window of opportunity always closing for this aging Phillies team, this was a trade that needed to happen.

Eagles land Nnamdi Asomugha

Whoa. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Eagles have landed one of the best cornerbacks in football, signing Nnamdi Asomugha to a 5 year, 60 million dollar contract. Widely regarded to be the best available free agent this offseason, the Eagles swooped in seemingly out of nowhere and significantly upgraded their secondary with one of the best cover guys in the league.

With Asomugha joining Asante Samuel and the recently acquired Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the secondary, the Eagles suddenly have the best set of corners in the league. With three receiver sets becoming more and more common these days, having three Pro Bowl caliber corners will make things very difficult for opposing teams to move the ball through the air. You could argue that having three corners on that level is overkill but its hard to argue with grabbing a corner that can take half of the field away from the offense.

The Eagles secondary has gone from a big question mark to probably the best around. With the addition of Jason Babin to aid the pass rush and a secondary now filled with playmakers, the Eagles defense as a whole has taken a major step this offseason. First the Kevin Kolb trade and now this; the Eagles have executed an absolutely masterful plan this offseason. To come almost out of nowhere to grab Nnamdi is their second brilliant move. More to come?

SPAIN DEFEATS IRELAND 5 - 0 IN U-19 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS SEMI FINAL

SPANISH FOOTBALL again has managed to put another National Team in a European Final, this time in the U-19 Euro Championships being held in Rumania. The young Spaniards defeated IRELAND 5 - 0 in the semi final clash & now go on to meet the Czech Rep in the Final



Spanish Football player Morata Spain U-19


The Irish side managed to keep the flood gates closed until Spanish midfield-forward  

Vince Young to sign with Eagles

UPDATE: It's official, Vince Young will sign a one year deal with the Eagles tomorrow.

As one backup quarterback departs, another enters: according to a report from CBSSports.com, Vince Young is expected to sign with the Eagles. After getting officially released by the Titans earlier today, Young is a lock to join the Eagles and backup Michael Vick.

I'm completely on board with this move. While Young wasn't exactly a great starting quarterback in the NFL he will be the perfect backup for the Eagles. Not only does he have tremendous athletic ability but he also has 47 starts under his belt and can be trusted should Vick miss time due to an injury. In some ways, Young might be a lateral move from Kevin Kolb and certainly is a better fit for an offense designed around a scrambling quarterback like Vick.

Signing Young, despite his past locker room issues, is a no-risk move for the Eagles. He will learn the offense under Vick and not force the Eagles to completely change their scheme when the backup QB enters the game. So far, the Eagles deserve high marks for the moves they have made this offseason. Now if they can only get DeSean Jackson locked up....

Guest Post: Eagles must show Desean Jackson the money

The great Mark Trible gives his thoughts on the Eagles front office and DeSean Jackson:

With the trade of Kevin Kolb for a second round pick in next year’s NFL draft and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Philadelphia Eagles front office continued to improve their reputation as one of the finest in the league. They’ve earned the reputation in part with their understanding of when to let older players go, drafting well, and most importantly, extending their best young players early in their contract.

When they do the latter of those things, they often end up with a successful player that makes far less than he is actually worth. In the past, this has caused problems with contract renegotiations and fair market value from the player’s point of view. Sheldon Brown is one of the most recent cases of such a strategy and consequential conflict. But, in fairness to the franchise, Brown and players like him have the option of not extending early in their contract.

The payoff can be huge down the line if they continue to stay healthy and exceed expectations on the field. However, the cushion of falling into a large sum of money at an early age and having security seems to win out. Most players aren’t successful enough in their first couple years to make a significant dent in the Eagles’ checkbook. It works for the franchise the majority of the time, yet this year they’re in a different ballpark playing a different ballgame. DeSean Jackson has finally become the aberration that throws the front office’s intention out the window. Already a two-time Pro Bowler in just three NFL seasons, he’s due for a gigantic payday, and he knows it.

If he was just a serviceable receiver at this point in his career, the Eagles likely would have extended him by now. Obviously, that’s not the case and the aftermath of Jackson’s aberrational ways is now a quandary that the team must deal with. The first option is to reach deep into their wallets and pay the man what he’s worth. While biting the bullet will certainly cost them, it will get everything taken care of and keep number 10 in green for a while.

Behind door #2 is the option of waiting the receiver out when it comes to his participation in training camp. At this point, there’s no indication that Jackson will show up, yet under the brand new collective-bargaining agreement, he’ll be fined extensively for each day he misses. He may miss a week to send a message, but it’s unlikely that he holds out forever. He simply can’t afford to, he doesn’t make enough money. There’s some irony.

Jackson’s agent is Drew Rosenhaus, a man who has tried to call the Eagles bluff before and found out the hard way how they respond to such treatment. It’s safe to assume that at some point the two sides will get together and hammer something out. The lifting of the lockout and the pressure packed few days afterward certainly didn’t make things easier for either side to work on an extension.

In the span of a couple of days, the Eagles found out that there would be a new season, signed 10 of 11 rookies, signed undrafted rookies, began training camp, and completed a blockbuster deal for quarterback Kevin Kolb. In the scheme of things, signing DeSean Jackson to an extension should fall beneath those on the priority checklist.

From the franchise’s point of view, Jackson must be signed not only for production and roster reasons, but also because he can quickly let his frustrations show. For a team that places significant value on players being ‘company men’, there’s no room to let a malcontent rub off on the rest of the roster. This is especially true in Philadelphia because they have such a large contingent of young players.

In the end, it would be shocking if the Eagles failed to negotiate an extension for Jackson in the near future. Over time they have found a way to avoid the big payday and pinch some pennies through early extensions. Yet, their most successful pick recently is standing with his hands open and a burlap sack that’s empty. He’s deserved the money and while the Eagles may regret having to fork it over, it’s tough to complain about the results they see on the field.

Follow Mark on Twitter (@Mtrible) for more great Flyers and Eagles thoughts.

Eagles finally deal Kolb to Cardinals for DRC, pick

Earlier today, the Eagles finally pulled the trigger on the Kevin Kolb trade, dealing him to the Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round pick. While it had been rumored to be happening for weeks, I'm still shocked the Birds pulled this one off.

No matter how you look at it, the Cardinals were robbed. Not only were the Eagles able to get a second round pick for their backup quarterback but they were also able to pry away a Pro Bowl cornerback? Sure, Kolb isn't your average backup quarterback, but he has only 7 career starts and already has a concussion on his resume. He was the Eagles quarterback of the future just one year ago but we have seen enough of him on the field to know there is more than a decent chance he isn't a franchise quarterback.

Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) will immediately step into the starting cornerback spot opposite of Asante Samuel and give the Eagles one of the best 1-2 corner combos in the league. While DRC hasn't fully lived up to his potential in his three years in the league, he's only 25 and he has already shown plenty of playmaking ability. At the very least, DRC should solidify the second corner spot that was so shaky last season.

The Eagles front office deserves a ton of credit for pulling off such a lopsided trade. Kolb may yet be a stud quarterback but he wasn't going to have any impact on the Eagles as long as Michael Vick stays healthy. Turning him into a Pro Bowl corner and a lottery ticket in the draft is nothing short of a brilliant move.

Eagles cut Leonard Weaver, 4 others

Cuts have begun around the league and the Eagles have announced that the following five players have been cut: DL Jeremy Clark, DB Gerard Lawson, DT Jeff Owens, FB Leonard Weaver, WR Jeremy Williams.

Obviously, the biggest name on the list is Leonard Weaver, who was released because he failed his physical. Weaver suffered a nasty injury in Week 1 last season and has been working hard to rehab the injury but clearly isn't healthy enough to play this season. In fact, he may work his tail off in rehab but I doubt Weaver ever plays again. Owen Schmitt will likely retain the starting fullback spot for another season.

As for the other 4 players cut, both Williams and Owens also failed their physicals.

ATLETICO DE MADRID 2 - STORMGODSET 1 | EUROPA LEAGUE PRE-QUALIFIER 1º LEG RESULT

SPANISH FOOTBALL action in full & serious swing tonight as ATLETICO DE MADRID attempts to qualify for the Europa League by overcoming the pre-qualifiers that then gives the team access to the last step which is the end of August play-off. The Spanish Football Team met Norwegian Club STORMGODSET & managed to win the 1º leg match 2 - 1.

Not a result to be too happy with as the Norwegians just need

Eagles bring back Jason Babin

The Eagles made their first unrestricted free agent signing of the offseason, agreeing to a 5 year, 28 million dollar contract with a familiar face in defensive end Jason Babin. Babin, who spent 2009 with the Eagles, was the best pass rusher on the market as he notched 12.5 sacks with the Titans last season. He should make an immediate impact on the opposite side of the line to Trent Cole.

While the signing of Babin is a little uncharacteristic for the Eagles considering his age (31) and the fact that he's only really been great for one year, it does re-unite him with Jim Washburn, the new Eagles defensive line coach who turned him into a pass-rushing stud in 2010. If anyone can make sure the Eagles get the most out of Babin, its Washburn, who is widely regarded as the best line coach in the game.

Signing Babin to a lengthy 5 year deal clearly shows the Eagles were desperate to upgrade their pass rush that was so bad at the end of last season. He should be a great addition to the Eagles defensive end rotation.

ATLETICO DE MADRID | WHO WILL REPLACE AGUERO?

With SERGIO AGUERO now gone from Spanish Football & from ATLETICO DE MADRID, the latter needs to urgently find a substitute forward. The cruelty of destiny made things worst for Atletico,  as forward Diego Costa injuried his knee in training yesterday & will be operated plus out of Football for about six months. The only class forward upfront is DIEGO FORLAN who has renounced holidays after his "

Eagles sign 8 draft picks, 3 remain unsigned

Despite not trading Kevin Kolb (yet) and not coming to terms with any unrestricted free agents, the Eagles were still plenty busy today, signing 8 out of 11 of their draft picks to contracts. The Birds acted quick to get these guys signed so they could practice with the rest of the team starting tomorrow. Only first round pick Danny Watkins and 7th round picks Stanley Havilli and Greg Lloyd remain unsigned. I bet Watkins gets taken care of pretty quickly as the Eagles expect him to be the starting right guard.

Here is a complete list of Eagles draft picks and their contract status:

Danny Watkins, G: No contract yet
Jaiquawn Jarrett, S: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Curtis Marsh, CB: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Casey Matthews, LB: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Alex Henery, K: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Dion Lewis, RB: 4 years, 2.14 million, $188,000 signing bonus
Julian Vandervelde, OL: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Jason Kelce, OL: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Brian Rolle, LB: 4 years, unknown salary, unknown signing bonus
Greg Lloyd, LB: No contract yet
Stanley Havill, RB: No contract yet

I will continue to update this list as more players are signed and the salaries are announced.

SERGIO AGUERO SIGNS WITH MANCHESTER CITY

First off, congratulations to MANCHESTER CITY & their fans for signing what many, including myself, consider the "Best Forward" currently in World Football. SERGIO AGUERO leaves ATLETICO DE MADRID with still 23 years of age & the World at his feet to evolve & explode into a World class player - if not already.


That is his dream, his ambition, to play at a Football Club that can guarantee

FC BARCELONA DEFEATS BAYERN MUNICH 0 - 2 IN FRIENDLY

FC BARCELONA won the 4 team tournament held in Munich(Germany) after defeating 0 - 2 BAYERN MUNICH in the final.In the other game Porto Alegre won AC Milan in the penalty shoot out & finished third with Milan in last position after losing both its games. 



FC Barcelona - Bayern Munich 2011

After witnessing FC Barcelona & both their victories, my question is ..."does Barça really need Cesc

REAL MADRID DEFEATS HERTHA BERLIN 1 - 3 IN FRIENDLY

SPANISH FOOTBALL Club REAL MADRID has defeated 1 - 3 HERTHA BERLIN in their German pre-season friendly game. It is still summer pre-season & experimentation is part of the method as Real Coach José Mourinho moves pieces about in order to fine tune his Football "machine". Said this the good news from this match was Frenchman KARIM BENZEMA who looked sharp, in tune with the game & scored two goals.

KG Ramazan Cricket Festival 2011 off to controversial start

By Syed Khalid Mahmood



The 26th edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament 2011 for the Bahria Town Trophy got off to a nightmarish start with far too many weaknesses of the organizers brought to light in the media briefing on July 26.



So fierce was the question-answer session following the details unveiled by Tournament Directors, Iqbal Umar and Mian Azmat Hussain, at the Gymkhana’s Banquet Hall that the high points of the event receded in the background for a while.



Former Test wicketkeeper-batsman, Saleem Yousuf, now Convener Sports and Chairman Tournament Committee, was at the centre of criticism for not having taken out draws of the upcoming event.



One of the Past Presidents of the Karachi Gymkhana, Razzaq Bengali, who was sitting with the audience in the front row, stood up and advised the movers and shakers of the tournament to take note of the loopholes pointed out by the media. His move was clapped and appreciated.



Ali Rahim, President, Karachi Gumkhana, realized the gravity of the situation and he took a decision on the spur of the moment to have the draws taken out in front of the media corps right there.



According to the draws, that were openly done and duly authenticated by the officials of the Karachi Gymkhana as well as the representatives of media, defending champions Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has been placed in the Group B in the company of Advance Telecom, Dubai Islamic Bank and Karachi Stars while the last year’s runners-up, Omar Cricket Club, features in the Group A along with Dollar East, Karachi Gymkhana Blues and Brothers Cricket Club.



Last year’s semifinalist, Vital Five Club has been drawn in the Group C along with Fazal-ur-Rahman Sports, AO Cricket Club and Medicam while Tapal Cricket Club, who also ended as semifinalists last year, is placed in the Group D along with Karachi Gymkhana Whites, Ali Sports and Bahria Town.



The tournament was formally inaugurated by Zain Malik, Director, Bahria Town, in the presence of Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), and Gymkhana officials, Ali Rahim, Iqbal Umar, Jahangir Moghul, Mian Azmat Hussain and Saleem Yousuf.



In his opening remarks, Iqbal Umar, Tournament Director and a former President of the Karachi Gymkhana, talked about the history of the Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament which has been held every year since its launch in 1986. He described it as one of the leading tournaments of the country, having discovered many brilliant youngsters.



Mian Azmat Hussain, whose own team Mian Azmat Professionals will be absenting once more after having won the tournament on the highest number of occasions, disclosed that the semifinals and the final of will be telecast live on a private channel.



Ali Rahim, President, Karachi Gymkhana, announced that the tournament, which will be getting underway on the first day of the Holy month of Ramazan, carries enhanced prize money of Rs 825,000 with the winners to take home Rs 400,000 and the runners-up to collect Rs 200,000.

FIFA WORLD RANKING | JULY 2011 | SPANISH FOOTBALL TEAM NUMBER ONE

SPANISH FOOTBALL,  via the National Team,  keeps itself  Nº 1 in the Football - Soccer World Rankings for another month after FIFA released today the July rankings. The novelty is Uruguay which jumps to Nº5 after winning the "Copa America", & this position for them is a historical first since FIFA began its rankings.



Spain Football Team shirt

The next FIFA World Ranking is scheduled for the

SPANISH U-19 TEAM LOSE 3 - 0 TO TURKEY IN GROUP EURO

The SPAIN U-19 TEAM participating in the U-19 EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS in Rumania fell down hard back to Earth with a 3 - 0 defeat against TURKEY. The Spaniards had nothing to lose in this match as they had already qualified for the semis, however Turkey was playing for a spot & missed out because Serbia did not lose against Belgium.

But it was a terrible day at "the office" for the Spanish youngsters

ARSENAL CLOSE TO SIGNING VALENCIA -SPANISH FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL JUAN MATA

Spanish Football International & VALENCIA CF forward JUAN MATA is very, very close to landing at English Premier League Club ARSENAL FC. The operation is still not shut because TOTTEHHAM has made a last minute offer which has made the selling Club think along with the player. There is another English Premier League Club interested & they are LIVERPOOL FC, however it is Arsenal who is in the box

MALAGA FC SIGNS SPANISH FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL CAZORLA

SPANISH FOOTBALL Club MALAGA FC keeps on adding, building & putting together a formidable squad for the new upcoming season. The lastest incorporation is none other than Spanish International & now ex-VILLAREAL midfielder SANTIAGO CAZORLA. The player signs with Malaga for the next 5 years.  Villareal find themselves in need to secure their future financially & have been forced to sell some of

FC BARCELONA WIN PORTO ALEGRE IN FRIENDLY

FC BARCELONA is presently in Munich (Germany) in a fabulous tournament with Porto Alegre, Milan & hosts Bayern Munich. Yesterday Barça won the Brazilian team PORTO ALEGRE  4- 2 in the penalty shoot out after the match finished in a exciting 2-2 draw.

Barcelona gave a run to most of its players especially the youngsters & changed the composition of the team during the match. Midfielder THIAGO  

Chase Utley's inside the park home run

In case you missed it, here is Chase Utley's inside the park home run from Tuesday night:

Hmm, that play at the plate sure looked close....

Updated: Eagles add 10 rookie free agents

Let the free agent bonanza begin! While they can't officially sign unrestricted free agents yet, the Eagles can sign undrafted rookie free agents and they have worked quickly to add a bunch to the roster. Expect most to be among the first cuts at training camp but there could be a few in this group that have a role on the team. Here are the undrafted rookies the Eagles have signed so far:

Perry Baker, WR, Fairmount State

DeAndre Brown, WR, Southern Mississippi

Graig Cooper, RB, Miami

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia

Chas Henry, P, Florida

Jerrod Johnson, QB, Texas A&M

Brandon Pequese, LB, Hampton

Cedric Thornton, DL, Southern Arkansas

Terrance Turner, WR, Indiana

Martell Webb, TE, Michigan

I don't know too much about these guys but there might be an opportunity for a few to crack the roster. With Sav Rocca reportedly not being signed back, Henry, the best punter in college last year, could be the Eagles punter. Devine is also an incredible talent who put up some crazy numbers at West Virginia last year. With Jerome Harrison also possibly gone, he could stick as a backup running back.

REAL MADRID | AGUERO - NEYMAR | TWO CASES WHICH BAFFLE

SPANISH FOOTBALL sometimes perplexes me no end. In fact Spanish Football Clubs seem to do things that confuse & go against the grain of logic. Take the lastest case of REAL MADRID & two players within their orbit, SERGIO AGUERO & NEYMAR. The first is "dying" to go to Real Madrid & the second wishes to wait another year & play for Santos. The first, according to all the Football observers, is the

Eagles free agents: Who stays and who goes?

Now that the lockout is over, the Eagles have some work to do in free agency, starting with what they will do with their own free agents. With the removal of the transition tag on David Akers, the Birds now have 15 players set to be unrestricted free agents:

K David Akers
LB Stewart Bradley
G Nick Cole
LB Omar Gaither
S Antoine Harris
RB Jerome Harrison
CB Ellis Hobbs
G Max Jean-Gillis
LB Akeem Jordan
DE Bobby McCray
S Quintin Mikell
CB Dmitri Patterson
P Sav Rocca
LB Ernie Sims
G Reggie Wells

As for which of these players the Eagles will bring back, I wouldn't be surprised if they signed Rocca and let the rest leave town. The other player with the best chance to sign back is Bradley given how well he knows the system and how effective he has been when healthy. Jerome Harrison would be someone I hope the Eagles sign for another season but I can see him looking elsewhere so he can have a bigger workload. The only other player on the list that has any value to the Birds is likely Dmitri Patterson, who could be a nice depth piece in the secondary.

Given the linemen the Eagles drafted, the three offensive linemen, Cole, Jean-Gillis, and Wells are as good as gone. Akers will also be kicked to the curb with the drafting of Alex Henery. None of the linebackers besides Bradley will have a role with the Eagles, so Gaither, Jordan and Sims better look elsewhere for jobs.

The lockout is over, Football is BACK!

YES!! Finally, the NFL Lockout is over! With the owners and the NFLPA finally both approving the proposed CBA, football can finally get into full swing. Teams are opening their doors to the players tomorrow, with training camp starting Wednesday and free agency will start on Friday.

Highlights of the agreed 10 year deal include a 120 million dollar salary cap with a salary floor, 4 year rookie contracts and more money going to veteran players. The salary floor will likely have the most immediate impact on the league as several teams are forced to spend big money to get themselves compliant with the rules.

The first order of business for the Eagles will be to trade Kevin Kolb, who has been linked to the Cardinals for weeks now. Andy Reid has said all along that he has a plan in place once free agency begins so we'll see what that entails and whether the new salary cap has any affect on what the Birds can accomplish. Expect Kolb to be dealt immediately tomorrow.

It's so good to talk about football again. These next few weeks are going to be crazy as teams quickly ramp up for a season that is just over a month away. With only the Hall of Fame game being cancelled, the Eagles schedule will go ahead as planned with the first exhibition game on August 11th and the regular season opener against the Rams on September 11th.

SPANISH FOOTBALL DOMINATES UEFA BEST PLAYER IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL AWARD

Three SPANISH FOOTBALL based players ( one Spanish born ) are the final candidates for the "UEFA Best Player in European Football Award season 2010 - 2011". The three names are CRISTIANO RONALDO ( Real Madrid ) , LIONEL MESSI & XAVI HERNANDEZ ( FC Barcelona). The winner will be announced the 25th of August at Monaco were a jury of 53 European sporting journalists will hand down their decision. 

DIEGO ( WOLFSBURG ) GETTING CLOSE TO ATLETICO DE MADRID

SPANISH FOOTBALL Club ATLETICO DE MADRID is rumoured from Germany to be the soon "new home" of WOLFSBURG Brazilian midfielder DIEGO RIBAS DA CUNHA (Diego). The 26 year old has already a relative long list of Clubs were he has given services as Santos, Porto, Werder Bremen, Juventus & now, Wolfsburg.




Diego

The Brazilian has been on the list of Atletico for some years, & now has the best

SPANISH SPORTS | GOOD RESULT IN USA MOTOGP

Good day for SPANISH SPORTS & Sportsmen in the USA MOTO GRAN PRIX at the famous "Laguna Seca" race circuit. Only category MotoGP with a beautiful race between three extraordinary riders which dominated proceeding, with two Spaniards in that elite group. Aussie CASEY STONER won with a perfect performance coming from third to end up winning, ahead of current World Champ JORGE LORENZO & fellow

U - 20 EURO BASKETBALL FINAL | SPAIN CHAMPIONS

Hi guys, back from a couple of days break from Spanish Football Sports, & I find some great news in the Basketball area, with SPAIN defeating ITALY 82 - 70 to proclaim themselves U-20 Basketball European Champions. 



Spanish U-20 Basketball

Details:
Spain 82 (17+25+26+14): Franch (19), Pozas (5), Sastre (-), Llovet (3), Mirotic (29) -quinteto inicial-; Simeón (-), Barrera (10), Arévalo (-),

Rumor: Eagles interested in Brett Favre. Wow.

Say it ain't so.

Normally, I don't put much credence into what Howard Eskin puts out there, but this rumor is just too insane: once they trade Kevin Kolb, the Eagles might look to sign Brett Favre to be the backup quarterback. Let that sink in for a minute.

According to Jeff McLane of Philly.com, the Eagles didn't deny that they were interested, so this story might have some legs. Andy Reid and Favre go way back and he certainly knows the offense, so it actually makes some sense, except for the fact that Favre is 41 and supposedly retired again. There is no word right now if Favre wants to play in Philly or if he is even willing to be a backup quarterback.

The Eagles have brought the circus to town just for a backup quarterback before, so who says they won't do it again? There is no denying that Favre knows the offense but how much of a glutton for media attention must this team be to bring in the ol' gunslinger? I know the Eagles need a proven backup quarterback who can step in for the oft-injured Michael Vick but this is pretty ridiculous.

BOJAN KRKIC LEAVES FC BARCELONA FOR AC ROMA

FC BARCELONA sold its "son" to AC ROMA for 12M€ with a contract clause of a buy back in 2 years, or AC Roma can own in "property" adding 28M€ after 2 years. This leaves the door open to BOJAN KRKIC to return to his beloved Barça in the future, & the latter the chance to regain the player if he explodes in Italian Football.

As is habitual with Barça, the player left after a press conference

Phillies activate Lidge, kick Baez to the curb

The moment we have all been waiting for has finally happened! No, not the activation of Brad Lidge, which also happened today, but the Phillies finally rid themselves of Danys Baez, designating him for assignment to make room for Lidge on the roster.

Baez has been nothing but awful for the Phillies the last two seasons, posting an ERA well above 5 while being completely unreliable in the late innings. Baez had become so useless that Charlie Manuel only called on him to pitch three times in July, his most recent appearance coming against the Mets when he got shelled for 4 runs in an inning of work. So long, Baez, I can't say you'll be missed.

Lidge's return to the Phillies shouldn't be overlooked. He won't be stepping back into the closer role any time soon but Lidge could turn into a useful 7th or 8th inning setup man. He should help alleviate the workload of Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes, who have been busting their tails in the late innings this season. Lidge isn't the most consistent guy so it will be interesting to see what role he works himself into.

SERGIO AGUERO AT THE CROSSROADS | REAL SAYS NO , MANCHESTER CITY THE OPTION

The leyendary Bluesman Robert Johnson told the World in his song "Crossroads"

I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroads, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, have mercy now, save poor Bob if you please
Standin' at the crossroads, tried to flag a ride
Whee-hee, I tried to flag a ride
Didn't nobody seem to know me, everybody pass me by


Leyend has it that

Phillies sign Aaron Heilman to minor league deal

The Phillies will be adding at least one former Met to their organization this July as Aaron Heilman has signed a minor league contract with the team. Heilman was recently released by the Diamondbacks after putting up a 6.88 ERA this season in 32 appearances. Expect Heilman to remain in the minors unless he somehow figures out how to be an effective reliever again.

Heilman was a Met for 6 seasons earlier in the decade and was a quality reliever. At age 32, the Phillies aren't counting on him to be what he once was but he's worth taking a flier on. Best case scenario is that he puts up great numbers at AAA and then replaces Danys Baez on the major league roster down the stretch.

FC BARCELONA ANNOUNCES THE SIGNING OF ALEXIS SANCHEZ

Finally, its over. FC BARCELONA has announced officially ( via Twitter ) the signing of Chilean International & UDINESE forward,  the 22 year old ALEXIS SANCHEZ. FC Barcelona Directives & player representative passed all this morning-afternoon in a Barcelona Hotel shutting all the details.



Alexis Sanchez (photoshop by Sport.es)

The deal is 26M€ in cash to the Italian Club plus 11M€ (11.5M€

SPAIN DEFEATS BELGIUM 1 - 4 | U - 19 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP | GROUP B

The SPANISH FOOTBALL U-19 TEAM defeated BELGIUM 1 - 4 in todays EUROPEAN U-19 CAHMPIONSHIP Group B match held in Rumania. The game was cancelled yesterday after severe weather conditions stopped the match in the 18th min with Spain leading 0 - 1.



Spain U-19 Football 

The "re-match" started well for Spain ( bad for Belgium ) when in the 11th min the Belgium goalkeeper Casteels was sent off

China lauded for winning Snooker World Cup 2011

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) have expressed immense delight at the Chinese victory in the just concluded PTT-EGAT Snooker World Cup 2011 at the Bangkok Convention Centre in Thailand.

“China have made the whole continent proud by winning the World Cup in the presence of the European giants. Their sensational victory augurs well for the future of the sport in the continent in general and their country in particular, Ali Asghar Valika, Executive Vice President, ACBS, remarked in an interview in Karachi upon his arrival from Bangkok.

The Chinese duo of Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo completed a 4-2 victory over the Northern Ireland pair of Mark Allen and Gerard Greene in the final to pocket the trophy.

“This is the first time China have ever won the title and the Asian countries have a right to celebrate their accomplishment. They played superbly throughout the event and deserved the glory,” Asghar Valika, who was in Bangkok to witness the event,” observed.

The Chinese cueists were also understandably elated by with their side's achievement. "When the last World Cup was held I was nine and had only just picked up my first cue a few months before. I'm very proud of China,” the smiling Ding Junhui stated.

"We are the best two players from China and we are proud to win the World Cup. You don't get many chances to play in this tournament and this is the first time I've played in it but I hope I can play in this more times and win more times,” he added.

The breaks of 84 and 46 helped China move into a 3-0 lead in the final but a 115 from Greene in the fourth and 69 from Allen in the fifth made it 3-2 but Ding and Liang's effort of 89 in the doubles saw them lift the trophy and collect the $200,000.

"We were up against it right from the start and in the first two frames China played flawless snooker and we didn't have a chance. It was just about digging in and staying in the match and we managed to win two frames. But they played better snooker on the day so they probably deserved to win. It's disappointing but we found ourselves 2-0 down through no fault of our own,” Ireland’s Mark Allen conceded.

Pakistan had narrowly failed to qualify fir the quarter-finals despite having shocked Republic of Ireland in the opening game and overpowering Egypt 3-2 in their last league outing.

The youthful Pakistan duo of Shahid Aftab and Mohammad Sajjad came very close to creating the sensation of claiming a quarter-final spot at the expense of one of the European giants.

In the end, they had to settle with third place in the Group A, falling behind top seeded Wales and Republic of Ireland but finishing ahead of Germany and Egypt. Wales finished undefeated with 14 points while Republic of Ireland, despite losing to Pakistan in the opening match, aggregated 11 points with Pakistan ending up with 10 points.

Pakistan needed a bigger than 3-2 victory over Egypt to press home the advantage. They could have still sneaked into the quarters if leaders Wales hammered their rivals by 5-0 or 4-1 but the Irish duo of Ken Doherty, a former world champion, and Fergal O'Brien managed to snatch two frames while losing eventually to their Welsh rivals, Mark Williams and Mathew Stevens.

BENFICA CLOSE TO SIGNNING VILLAREAL SPANISH FOOTBALL INTERNATIONAL CAPDEVILA

Portuguese Club BENFICA has "tweeted" this interesting picture. Its Benfica President Luis Felipe with Spanish International & VILLAREAL Spanish Football Player CAPDEVILA. Mates? Was in Lisbon & I thought I would drop in to say hello?


No, apparently putting the final touches to a transfer agreement were Capdevila is the chosen defender to take the place of the now Real Madrid player Fabio

REAL MADRID DEFEATS CHIVAS 0 - 3 IN FRIENDLY | CRISTIANO RONALDO HAT-TRICK

REAL MADRID played its second "friendly"  pre-season game as part of their self proclaimed "US Tour", & defeated 0 - 3 Mexican Club CHIVAS DE GUADALAJARA. The game had one dominant player, CRISTIANO RONALDO, who scored a HAT TRICK. That is, in a space of 10 mins, the Portuguese player scored three goals.



Cristiano Ronaldo 2011

The game was beamed into Spain in an awkward hour - 5.00am -

Offensive assault, Worley's gem help Phillies crush Cubs

The heat in Chicago didn't slow the Phillies down this time. With temperatures in the mid to upper 90's throughout the game, the Phillies offense took charge early as they crushed the Cubs, 9-1.

The offense jumped all over Cubs starter Ryan Dempster, knocking him around for 7 hits and 6 runs in the first three innings. It was a team effort, with every Phillies starter except Shane Victorino picking up a hit. Jimmy Rollins provided the power for the Phils, hitting a pair of solo shots from each side of the plate in the later innings while scoring 4 runs in the game. When you get a big contribution from a guy like Michael Martinez (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 steals), you know the Phillies are going to be tough to beat.

Vance Worley threw yet another gem for the Phillies, striking out 7 while giving up just one run and four hits in 8 innings of work. He was solid early, allowing no hits until the 5th inning, and lowered his ERA on the season to a miniscule 2.02. Worley has turned into quite the asset for the Phillies and has more than adequately filled in for the injured Roy Oswalt. When Oswalt is healthy, Worley will certainly bump Kyle Kendrick out of the rotation. The Phillies will have an interesting decision to make with their rotation when Joe Blanton returns. With his value at as high of a point as it ever will be, could now be the perfect time to trade Worley?

With an off day tomorrow and a series with the Padres starting on Friday, the Phillies continue to find themselves in a great position. While the Braves are nipping at their heels, the Phils are in virtually no danger of not making the playoffs. Once they get there, we know this team is built for a deep playoff run.

U-19 EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011 | SPAIN - BELGIUM CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

An almost "biblical" rain storm has cancelled the U-19 European Championship Group B game between the SPANISH FOOTBALL NATIONAL team & their BELGIUM counterparts in Rumania this afternoon.



Huge rain storm : U- 19 Spain vs Belgium cancelled 

The English referee decided to halt play after lighting & torrential rain covered the Football ground in the 18th min & with Spain winning 1 - 0 thanks to

Phillies reportedly pursuing Carlos Beltran

The baseball trade deadline is under two weeks away so you know how rumors fly this time of year. With the Phillies reportedly looking around the league for some extra help in the outfield, Ken Rosenthal presented this little nugget today: the Phillies, along with the Red Sox, are the most aggressive suitors for Carlos Beltran of the Mets.

While Beltran, who will be a free agent after this season, isn't the player he once was, he has put up decent numbers this year, including a .287 average and 14 homers and 59 RBI. If he could remain healthy, he would be a great piece to add as an everyday corner outfielder, likely forcing Raul Ibanez and Domonic Brown into some kind of strange lefty-only platoon situation.

Of course, there are a number of questions that surround this rumor. Would the Mets even trade Beltran to a rival? What prospects would it take? Can the Phillies, who have repeatedly said they are out of money, afford to add his salary? How much, if any, of his salary will the Mets eat? My guess is that the Phillies would have to overwhelm the Mets with a few of their better pitching prospects to make it work, a price that might be too steep for someone who isn't a huge improvement over what they already have.

Prepare yourselves for the onslaught of rumors to come. Expect every outfielder and every relief pitcher to be linked to the Phillies in the coming weeks.

FC BARCELONA - CESC FABREGAS | MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

A couple of days ago I wrote a post about the Cesc Fabregas - FC Barcelona situation & how the Spanish Football player was seeing his attempt to join Barça being turned into a frustrating & almost nightmare experience. I made the point here that it looks like that FC Barcelona was not as "keen" in getting back their long "lost" son , as the long "lost" son is keen in getting back home. At least

ATLETICO DE MADRID PRESENTS ADRIAN | HAPPY ENDING TO A LONG STORY

A SPANISH FOOTBALL story with a good ending. Young Spanish U-21 International , European U-21 Champion, European U-21 Golden Boot & ex newly relegated to 2º Division Deportivo A Coruña forward ADRIAN LOPEZ has finally made his desires a reality by signing with ATLETICO DE MADRID.




Spanish Football Player Adrian Lopez

The player finished contract this year & after Deportivo gave no signs of

Sixers release 2011/12 schedule

Even though the chances that the 2011/12 NBA season starts on time (or even starts at all) are slim, the Sixers released their schedule today. The schedule includes a handful of nationally televised games, including 3 on ESPN and 2 on TNT. There aren't many surprises but here are a few key dates:

Season Opener: November 2nd, at Toronto
Home Opener: November 4th, vs. Timberwolves
Thanksgiving Game: November 24th, at Atlanta
New Years Day Game: January 1st, at Lakers
All-Star Break: February 23rd-27th
Last Game: April 18th, at Miami

Click here for the complete schedule

SPORTING DE GIJON JOSE ANGEL SIGNS FOR AC ROMA

Italian Football Club AC ROMA have got themselves a very fine SPANISH FOOTBALL player.  REAL SPORTING DE GIJON has announced officially the transfer of their young defender JOSE ANGEL to AC ROMA. The deal is around 5M€ & that makes the player the highest transfer in Sporting´s history. The player joins Spanish Coach Luis Enrique who specifically requested the player & "snatched" away from FC 

It was a rough night for Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay isn't a machine after all. The usually unflappable Halladay had a rough night in Chicago, laboring through just 4 innings of work before having to exit due to heat. With game time temperatures in the 90's, Halladay was visibly struggling with the heat, sweating and turning red as he tried to work through it. With the Phillies fearing exhaustion and dehydration, they removed their ace pitcher after he gave up a single in the 5th inning and then threw two pitches to the next batter.

In all, Halladay gave up 7 hits and 3 runs in his 4 innings of work. His streak of lasting in at least 6 innings in his last 63 consecutive road starts is over. That's a pretty arbitrary stat, anyway.

After the game, Halladay already made it clear that he wouldn't miss his next start. While it didn't look pretty for him, this can probably be chalked up to a one night thing. Expect Roy to come out with a vengeance against the Padres in his next start this coming weekend.

COURT OPENS WAY FOR SPANISH FOOTBALL U-21 INTERNATIONAL ADRIAN TO GO TO ATLETICO

Back on the 3rd of July Spanish Football Sports posted the situation on young U-21 Spanish Football sensation ADRIAN & his conflict with his current Club DEPORTIVO who was halting his desire to move to ATLETICO DE MADRID.



Adrian

Today the Courts , via judge Cardenal, has given the reason to Adrian over his Club Deportivo after the latter unilaterally extended his contract without the consent

WHAT ABOUT THE SPANISH FOOTBALL FEMALE NATIONAL TEAM ?

Did you know that there was a World Cup Football competition happening? Yes, the female version, with JAPAN proclaiming themselves yesterday 2011 World Champions after defeating the brave USA female team in a dramatic penalty shoot - out after the game finished 2- 2 in the regular period (+ extra time). 


I am almost certain that the "Copa America" with Forlan, Aguero, Neymar & company grabbed

THE FUTURE OF SERGIO AGUERO | THIS COULD BE THE DECISIVE WEEK

SPANISH FOOTBALL promises to be interesting & agitated this week as the elimination of Brazil (Neymar) & Argentina (Aguero) will speed up transfer & signing proceedings, or at least clear up the future of some players & where they will play next season. While the case of Brazilian International looks pretty much clear, the future of Argentine & ATLETICO DE MADRID forward SERGIO AGUERO now enters

SPANISH SPORTS | GERMAN MOTO GP 2011 | ALL THREE CATEGORIES FOR SPANISH RIDERS

SPANISH SPORTS had a magnificent day at Germany today, concretely at the Sachsenring race circuit where the German MOTO GP in all three catagories was celebrated. Spanish riders won in all the three catagories for the second time in a row, with podium places & great performance improvements all round.



Dani Pedrosa

In the GP category, Spaniard DANI PEDROSA won in grand fashion after being out

LA GALAXY 1 - REAL MADRID 4 | REAL MADRID PRE-SEASON 2011 US TOUR

Real Madrid
SPANISH FOOTBALL action this early morning (Sp time) with REAL MADRID playing LA GALAXY in their first Friendly game of the season. The Spanish Football Club defeated the locales Captained by David Beckham 1 - 4 in an impressive match considering Real is full of new signings & its the start of the season.



Ronaldo scores against LA Galaxy


Coach José Mourinho experimented & used

NEYMAR UPDATE | "REAL" CLOSE

Brazilian young Football promise NEYMAR has his destiny closer & closer with SPANISH FOOTBALL via his soon incorporation - or signing - with REAL MADRID. As updated here days ago on a below post about Neymar the player had basically agreed to a 6 year contract at 5M€ per season: the transfer price 45M€. Real Madrid President Florentino Perez flew to Paris to meet Santos President to accelarated

REAL MADRID 2011 | THE WATERPOLO TEAM ?

The Real Madrid Waterpolo Squad? No,  the Club hasn´t a water sports division, not yet at least. This picture was uploaded by REAL MADRID Spanish Football player ARBELOA to his Twiter account. Coach José Mourinho planned a relaxed afternoon of training at the UCLA pools for a Waterpolo game, that by the looks of things was more fun & a team building exercise.



Some of the known players visible

Good news: Madson is back. Bad news: Polanco to the DL

As one Phillie returns, another exits. It has been a year filled with injuries for the Phillies, and that continues today as Placido Polanco has been placed on the disabled list with back problems. The move is retroactive to July 5th, so there is a chance that Polanco misses just a few more games. I wouldn't be surprised if he missed several weeks waiting for his back to get 100%.

With Polanco's return, the Phillies activated closer Ryan Madson, who has missed a month with a hand injury. I would expect Madson to step right back into his 9th inning role, bumping Antonio Bastardo, who did an admirable job as the closer, back to the 8th.

Polanco joins a long list of Phillies on the disabled list, including Joe Blanton, Jose Contreras, Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt, Shane Victorino.

ATLETICO DE MADRID MATCHED WITH STROMSGODSET OF NORWAY | PRE - EUROPA LEAGUE QUALIFIER

Spanish Football & Atletico de Madrid has a starting date with the new Football - Soccer season & the Europa League pre-qualifiers after the draw was held this afternoon at UEFA headquarters in Nyon (Switzerland). Atletico will meet Norway Club Stromsgodset in the third round of the pre - qualifying phase. The first away date is the 28th of July at Madrid with the return the 4th of August at

CESC FABRAGAS - FC BARCELONA | LOVE IS BLIND

This SPANISH FOOTBALL transfer story is beginning to stink. Its a "love story" that has hit the wall of reality with full heart wrenching consequences. FC Barcelona player Xavi Hernandez mentioned it the other day ..."Cesc is suffering", reminding me of Romeo yelling his heart out for Juliette.

The negotiations between ARSENAL & FC BARCELONA for Spanish Football International CESC FABREGAS are

REAL MADRID 2011 - NEYMAR | AN UPDATE

Spanish Football Sports has received several e-mails today from readers, especially from the Asian region, asking what's the current situation between Brazilian young 19 year old sensation NEYMAR & REAL MADRID. Good question, the situation is full of gossip although the consensus from the Spanish Sports media is that the deal is almost done. 



Neymar (efe)

A couple of days back I posted here

SERGIO AGUERO | SPANISH FOOTBALL ´S SHAKESPEARIAN TRAGEDY

spain football
SPANISH FOOTBALL has its own Shakespearian play underway with two stories full of drama, changing destiny, backstabbing, betrayal, rumour, lies & human suffering. One is Cesc Fabregas & his endevour to leave Arsenal & get to FC Barcelona, the other which is todays post,  SERGIO AGUERO & his desire to leave ATLETICO DE MADRID for rival REAL MADRID.

One day someone may decide to

Comcast-Spectacor has sold the Sixers

The long awaited deal is finally done! No, not the NFL or NBA lockouts; Comcast-Spectacor has finally completed their sale of the Sixers, for 280 million, to a group of investors led by billionaire Joshua Harris. The new ownership group will own 90% of the team with Comcast retaining 10%.

On the surface, not much will change for the Sixers; they will still play in the Wells Fargo Center, though they will now be tenants. It isn't known at this time if any front office changes will be made, though given all of the changes over the last few years, the new owners might want some continuity. Let's hope this new group of owners is more interested in the on-court product and less interested in making a profit.

This deal has nothing to do with the Flyers, who Comcast-Spectacor also owns. Don't count on them being sold off as long as Ed Snider is alive.

SPANISH FOOTBALL | REAL MADRID Nº 6 IN FORBES TOP 50 MOST VALUABLE TEAM LIST

SPANISH FOOTBALL is dominated by REAL MADRID. At least in the economic & financial league according to the prestigious Financial magazine Forbes . The American source published its "TOP 50 World Most Valuable Teams" List for 2011. Although the list highlights Teams from all types of Sports around the globe, a Football Club dominates the list at Number 1, that is English Football Club MANCHESTER

India’s abandoned chase raises eyebrows again

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Will you believe it that the most potent batting side of the world refused to chase down a target of around four runs an over on the friendliest of pitches against a flattened bowling attack.

Once more the Indians lived upto the reputation of following a suspected script rather than playing their natural game. The match was in their bag but they were not prepared to take it. Strange, isn’t it?

India had never won more than just one Test match in a series in the Caribbean and they were ideally placed to double the lead in the third and final Test. The game was in their kitty all the way until they decided to shut the door themselves and stage a walkout much to the amusement of literally every follower of the game.

The face expression and body language of the West Indian skipper, Darren Sammy, summed it all when umpire Asad Rauf inquired him if he agreed to calling off the game before the start of the 15 mandatory overs of the final hour.

Sammy couldn’t believe his luck nor did he hide emotions when informed that the Indians were willing to walk off. Obviously there was no way any team would have abandoned the chase in the manner the Indians did. Even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe would have gone for it and in all probability the target would have been achieved.

There was plenty to suggest on the last two days of the Dominica Test that the Indians had lost the intensity all of a sudden. More than anything they are likely to have received some ‘advice’ from their administrators not to go for it. Otherwise Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men would never let the West Indies off the hook as they did.

India, the number one team of the world, could have never done the rubbish things they did. Allowing Kirk Edwards and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul to score centuries in the given circumstances was a shame.

"Shame on India, Black day for cricket," was indeed a comment well deserved after calling off the game needing 86 runs off 90 balls with seven wickets in hand.

Fire must have been raging in India where millions of fans had sacrificed their night’s sleep in anticipation of a rare overseas Test victory. But they were denied the pleasure, at whose behest they might never know.

Duncan Fletcher, India's coach, was sent it to tackle the media and defend the debacle once the match was over. This is one duty he will be needed to perform while getting hefty fees and lavish lifestyle that comes with the package. He will be required to cover up the sins of those movers and shakers who are ruling the stage at the moment.

“Once it got to four or five runs per over we were struggling to score. We were struggling to score three runs per over. The side decided it was difficult to get those runs and thought what's the point in going there and ending up maybe with just one side able to win it" was an explanation nobody cared to believe. It was laughing stock. Fletcher should be having plenty of such fun in future as well.

Carlos Ruiz on the cover of Sports Illustrated

Yet another Phillie is on the cover of Sports Illustrated! It's only a regional cover, as Derek Jeter gets the national cover, but its quite a cover. CHOOOOOCH!

Via TheFightins.com.

Roy Halladay will start for NL in All-Star Game

Even though basically everyone in baseball has made the All-Star team at this point, at least the best pitcher in baseball will be starting: Roy Halladay has been named the starting pitcher for the National League. Expect him to pitch an inning or two before exiting the game.

Halladay could end up being the only Phillie to play in the game. Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino are injured and won't play and Cole Hamels has already been replaced after pitching yesterday. There is a chance that Cliff Lee will pitch in the game but he did just pitch Saturday and would likely prefer to rest.

Even though this game "counts", it's nice to know I can turn it off after the second inning and likely not miss any of the Phillies in action.

Nawab Yousuf Talpur greets BFAME champions

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), and Member National Assembly (MNA), hosted a dinner-reception he hosted in the honour of the BFAME champions at his residence in Karachi recently.

It turned out to be a wonderful get-together in which Nawab Yousuf Talpur, having taken over as the chief of the PBF just a few months ago, also had informal chat with the sports scribes covering the mind sport of bridge for a long time.

It was his first proper interaction with the bridge journalists after becoming the PBF President, although he had been speaking to them individually in the past as well.

He disclosed that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will soon be meeting the victorious national bridge team, who came up with stunning performance to annex the 16th Bridge Federation of Asia and Middle East (BFAME) Championship in Chennai, India, last month.

Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Tahseen Gheewala, Tahir Masood, Javed Ahmed Miran, Syed Hassan Jawwad and Hasan Askari with Tariq Rasheed Khan being non-playing captain and manager, it may be recalled, had prevailed over arch-rivals India to recapture the crown after 12 years.

“The Prime Minister has also approved a summary in which substantial funds have been allocated to the PBF for taking care of the costs to be incurred for sending our national team to the 2011 Bermuda Bowl World Championship to be staged at Veldhoven, the Netherlands, in October,” Nawab Yousuf Talpur revealed.

“The Prime Minister has congratulated each and every member of the team for having produced sensational performance to win the zonal title. Being preoccupied in the budget sessions presently, he has expressed the desire to meet the squad that brought home the glory in the very near future,” the PBF President added.

Nawab Yousuf Talpur, having succeeded Tariq Rasheed Khan, who retired after a second term at office, expressed his confidence over securing more governmental funds for the cash-starved federation.

He also hinted at the possibilities of holding an international tournament in Karachi later this year, provided the foreign teams agreed to come over for a few days to Pakistan.

“Let the mind sport of bridge benefit by my presence in the PBF. We have to put together our resources to generate funds and have a lot of activity. We have some plans which will soon be implemented,” he announced.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, who brought with him the trophy his team won in Chennai, shared the experiences there and described the tournament as a well organized one, crediting the hosts for the hospitality.

He attributed the success in Chennai to teamwork and looked forward to carrying the momentum to Veldhoven. He also acknowledged the support of the legendary Zia Mahmood that helped in motivating the team during the BFAME Championship.

With the sole exception of Javed Ahmed Miran, who’s presently out of country, all the other members of the victorious outfit attended the reception alongwith the PBF officials, Azwer-ul-Haq and Masood Mazhar and bridge stalwarts, Parvez Mirza and Shaheen Iqbal.

Phillies pound Braves, enter All-Star break with best record in baseball

You couldn't have scripted a better way for the Phillies to enter the All-Star break. After two nail biters against the Braves, the Phillies demolished Atlanta, winning 14-1 to maintain their 3.5 game lead in the NL East.

It was an offensive explosion for the Phils, who knocked out 20 hits against Derek Lowe and the rest of the solid Braves pitching staff. It was a complete team effort as every starter had at least one hit and one run, with most scoring twice and picking up multiple hits. Raul Ibanez had a huge game, driving in 6 runs while hitting his 12th home run of the season. Michael Martinez and John Mayberry, both filling in for injured All-Stars, also were key contributors, combining for 7 hits, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored. When Martinez and Mayberry have games like that, you know things are going well.

Cole Hamels also put together one last dominant start before the All-Star game, giving up just 3 hits while striking out 6 in 8 innings of work. He picked up his 11th win, tying Roy Halladay for most wins on the team.

The Phillies now enter the All-Star break with the best record in baseball. After crushing the second best team in the NL, they have to feel pretty good about their season so far. They've positioned themselves in such a way that all they need to worry about is getting healthy for the playoffs. With their starting pitching, they are built for another deep playoff run as long as they get even league average offense. If they hit even close to how they did today, they might not lose another game.
(Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

No All-Star Game for Victorino, who lands on DL

Even though he won the Final Vote yesterday, Shane Victorino won't be playing in the All-Star Game. The Phillies have announced today that Victorino has been placed on the disabled list due to his injured thumb. Replacing Victorino on the roster will be Pete Orr, who was called up from Lehigh Valley.

Victorino had been confident that he would still be able to play in the All-Star game but apparently it wasn't worth risking further injury. He will be placed retroactively on the DL, starting on July 4th, so Victorino might just miss a few more games before he returns. In his place, John Mayberry and Michael Martinez will get the bulk of the playing time in center.

With the big Braves series starting today, this is certainly bad timing but nothing the Phillies can't overcome. They've gotten pretty used to dealing with injuries so I'm sure they'll take this in stride. No word yet on who replaces Victorino on the All-Star team, though Andrew McCutchen is certainly the most deserving.