Friday, May 28, 2010

My favourite World Cup Team - SPAIN!

I hope they win the World Cup.


Thursday, May 27, 2010

My Pre-World Cup XI


It is hard to predict who would shine in the coming World Cup... I am selecting the best XI from the players that are predicted to make the World Cup list for their countries. Some of the players here are not having the best of a season for their clubs (i.e. Torres, Essien, Vidic), and some of them have been tremendous in their club football and won the lots.

I don't even know if Maicon will start ahead of D.Alves, but I went for Maicon because of his performance for Inter in the ECL. Lucio too made the list because of his outstanding performance in the ECL.

Who are going to shine in South Africa? I am sure not everyone on the list here will make it.

Bring on the World Cup!

** okay, news today confirms that Essien is not going to be in the World Cup finals. I need to find a replacement. For ball winner in the middle of the field, it has to be Javier Mascherano.

Smart Living

Gulf of Mexico oil spill

[click for full image]

Keeping up-to-date on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill

It is estimated that at least 6 million gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon explosion a month ago. Cleanup efforts are underway, but the oil has spread extensively around the Gulf and along the southern U.S. coastline. Oil has begun washing up onthe beaches of Louisiana and the delicate wetlands along the Mississippi River, and can spread to Florida and throughout the Gulf as weather conditions change.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

That is really SPECIAL! Jose leads Inter to historic treble



José Mourinho spoke of his pride after two goals from Diego Milito clinched FC Internazionale Milano's third European Champion Clubs' Cup, and their first in 45 years, against FC Bayern München at the Santiago Bernabéu. Bayern coach Louis van Gaal felt the difference between the teams was minimal and rued the great chance Thomas Müller missed soon after half-time.

José Mourinho, Inter coach
It was a provocation in a football sense when [Van Gaal] said before the match Inter are a defensive team. But I knew what he wanted and I wanted the same thing – to win. We didn't lose our personality, we're a very compact team and we managed to play and win with counters. After the second goal the match was over.

With Bayern attacking with so many players it was easier for us to control the middle of the pitch and from there we attacked. It's important to have emotional control. We played a beautiful final and we deserved to win, not just for this match but for the whole run to the final.

Inter is an Italian team, with only Italians on the bench, but we are a club with an Italian culture and we are proud to represent Italian football. It is an important victory. Italy are world champions and now also European club champions. It's fantastic and I'm proud to give this little contribution. I like the pressure of Italy. They have this incredible passion for football and for their clubs. That pressure is perhaps the cause of my grey hair but I feel stronger for my time in Italy.

Everyone wants to win [this competition] but few have the privilege of winning and I think it's an even bigger privilege to win it twice. Some have asked if I feel different to how I felt after winning with Porto [in 2004] but I don't feel a major difference. Perhaps I can win again, but I don't think the feeling will be different. I'm the same person with the same feelings: huge joy and happiness, with a tear here and there if I have to leave.

I will always remember this season with Inter. More than the words, it was an incredible marriage between us. [Inter president Massimo Moratti] wanted me a few years ago when I was at Chelsea. When I came maybe he had a feeling I was the one to give him his dream. For so many years he has dreamed of this, to have the same photo his father had with the European Cup and I am very, very happy to give him that.

I am very, very proud right now to be coach of Inter. If you want to win you must be able to build a team. The team must have spirit and work together and that's why I'm proud of Inter. They have worked endlessly to achieve that and everyone from the groundsman to the players on the pitch and even those that did not play a minute are a marvellous family. At all my clubs we have created a family feeling and that's the most important thing.

* * *

The Portuguese coach emulates the feat previously achieved by Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld, having earlier won the trophy with FC Porto in 2004.

Happel lifted his first European Cup with Feyenoord, 2-1 winners against Celtic FC in 1970, and claimed a second 13 years later when Hamburger SV overcame Juventus 1-0. Hitzfeld steered BV Borussia Dortmund to the 1997 title when – as with Happel's Hamburg – they caused an upset in beating Juventus 3-1 before masterminding Bayern's 2001 defeat of Valencia CF, 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Both Happel – with Club Brugge KV versus Liverpool FC in 1978 – and Hitzfeld, thanks to Bayern's dramatic 1999 reverse against Manchester United FC in Barcelona, experienced setbacks in European Cup finals before their second triumphs.

Van Gaal, whose Ajax team were downed by Juventus in 1996, is the seventh coach to lose two European Cup finals. Marcello Lippi, defeated with Juventus in 1997, 1998 and 2003, is the only trainer to finish on the losing side in three finals.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Lost the Title to Chelsea...




Chelsea are the new English Premier League Champions.

Time to rebuild.

Bring on the World Cup! Bring on the new season.




Monday, May 3, 2010

Liver-fool didn't do us a favour...


Nani finished a wonder striker, as the wasteful Berbatov wasted 3 clear cut chances... Those were all didn't matter much though as Liverpool surrendered the match again Chelsea far too easily...

Wigan to hold Chelsea at the Bridge? Yeah, we can only be dreaming.