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Soccer star David Beckham is close to buying a U.S. team.

The international sports superstar announced last week he will be leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy in December ( after the MLS Cup against the Dynamo), but insisted he and his wife Victoria had no plans of moving their family away from California, where they have lived since he signed on for the current MLS champions six years ago.

And now it appears Beckham will be turning to ownership when he hangs up his boots – he has revealed plans to take over one of the teams he has played against in recent years.

During an appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s breakfast show on Thursday, the sports star said, “That (taking over a club) will obviously come into play now. It only came into play once I finished playing here. I’m excited about that. My commitment when I came here six years ago was to take this league to another level, and my commitment stays the same. I might not be playing here but I will become a owner of a franchise and it’s something that I’m excited about.

“We’re close to a decision on that, but I can’t say it right now.”





David Beckham plans to buy soccer team in U.S. | Celebrity Buzz | a Chron-com blog

Christine Nairn scored in the second minute of overtime to help Penn State beat Florida State 2-1 on Friday night in the NCAA Division I women's College Cup semifinals Friday night.

The Nittany Lions (21-3-2) advanced to the championship game Sunday against North Carolina, which beat Stanford 1-0 in two overtimes later Friday.

Penn State reached the final after losing in three previous semifinal games.

In overtime, Nairn took a long pass from Maddy Evans and beat goalkeeper Kelsey Wys from 6 yards.

Maya Hayes was instrumental in getting the ball to Evans, who rifled a shot from the left wing that Wys stopped. However, the ball bounced away and Nairn was there to tap it home.

"I guess I was in the right place at the right time," Nairn said about her 17th goal of the season. "Maddy and Maya did all the hard work. I just tapped it in."

Florida State (20-4) forced overtime when Tiffany McCarty headed a fed from Kristin Grubka past goalkeeper Erin McNulty with 42 seconds left in regulation. McCarty also has 17 goals.

"Over the last 25 games we have faced all sorts of adversity and it has left them with this belief that it doesn't matter what bad befalls them," Penn State coach Erica Walsh said. "You just see their shoulders go back, they take a second and pause and reflect and then Christine Nairn stepped up and led the charge.

"When the overtime started I looked over and I saw Christine looking at her teammates' eyes giving them poise, composure and all the confidence in the world to go out and win the game."

Penn State opened the scoring in the 57th minute on Hayes' 16th goal of the season.

"They did a better job than we did in the middle of the field," Florida State coach Mark Krikorian said. "They won more first ball and won more second balls. But we did pick up the pace in the second half and put a lot of pressure on them, but didn't finish enough of our plays."

Nairn helped set up the goal, leading a rush up the middle and feeding a pass to Mallory Weber on the left wing. Weber came in and fired a left-foot shot at Wys, who made the initial save, but dropped the ball. Hayes was right there to knock it into the far right corner with her left foot.

Read more: Penn State advances to women's soccer final - Connecticut Post

* Beckham completes treble of final season titles

* Galaxy equal record for MLS Cup titles (Adds detail, Beckham quotes)

CARSON, California, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Leaving the field draped in the Union flag and the Stars and Stripes, David Beckham bowed out of Major League Soccer on a winning note on Saturday as L.A. Galaxy retained their title with a 3-1 victory over Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup final.

An entertaining game in front of a lively, capacity 30,510 crowd, was a fitting way for Beckham to end his six seasons in MLS as he added another title to his collection.

"This is the goal we set ourselves at the start of the season," said Beckham. "It is another special occasion to win a championship at home, in front of our fans and our families."

L.A. had to come from behind after Calen Carr put Houston ahead a minute before the break, breaking free down the Galaxy left and blasting in a near post shot, but the home side took control in the second half.

Defender Omar Gonzalez headed in the equaliser on the hour from a Juninho cross before Landon Donovan converted a penalty five minutes later to give the Galaxy the lead, after Ricardo Clark was ruled to have handled.

Striker Robbie Keane, who had two efforts disallowed, got his reward in injury time when Houston keeper Tally Hall tried to bring him down and the Irishman rose to slot home the penalty.

There was a moment of discussion between regular penalty taker Donovan and Beckham over who would take the kick, with many in the crowd expecting the Englishman to crown his farewell with a goal.

"I told Landon to take it but he said let Robbie take it because he was too tired," explained Beckham.

"I didn't want to take it, it's about winning the game, not about me taking the penalty to top things off," he added.

The former England captain received a standing ovation as he was substituted in the final seconds.

"I think today was always going to be an emotional day for myself, win or lose. I've been here for six years and part of a team that has kept the majority of their players together. Coming off was tough but I enjoyed the win today," he said.

After the final whistle, Beckham was joined on the field by his children as he said his farewell to the Galaxy fans after a display in which he had shown some of the passing vision and execution that has been characteristic of his career.

The midfielder has won league titles in his final season with all three of the clubs he has played with on a permanent basis - Manchester United, Real Madrid and now Galaxy.

"It never gets old, I'm 37 and I've been able to play in quite a few finals and championship games and I still love it like I did when I won my first," he added.

Galaxy's fourth MLS title equals the tally held by D.C. United and the club said this week they intend to recruit another big name player to replace Beckham, having targeted Brazilian Kaka.

That may or may not be the next chapter in the Galaxy story but on Saturday one certainly closed as the most high profile soccer import in the United States since Pele in the 1970s, said goodbye. (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)



UPDATE 2-Soccer-Beckham ends American adventure with second title - Yahoo! Sports

North Carolina scored three goals in the second half to beat Penn State 4-1 in San Diego and win its 21st women's soccer title Sunday.

The Tar Heels (15-5-3), who were making their 26th appearance in the final four College Cup, won the title for the first time since 2009. They beat Stanford 1-0 in the semifinals Friday.

Penn State, which was playing in its first women's soccer championship game, finished its season at 21-4-2.

With the game tied 1-1, Hanna Gardner scored 48 seconds into the second half when she converted Katie Bowen's corner kick with a header past Penn State goalkeeper Erin McNulty.

Satara Murray, who had set up the Tar Heels' first goal early in the opening half, made it a 3-1 game in the 64th minute when she put home a rebound of a shot by Kelly McFarlane. It was Murray's first goal of the season.

-- Chasing its first title since Diego Maradona played for the club, Napoli thrashed 10-man Pescara 5-1 to move two points behind first-place Juventus in Italy's Serie A.

Read more: North Carolina women win soccer title - SFGate

Forward Alex Morgan, who played for the Sounders Women this year, has won the U.S. Soccer Federation award as female athlete of the year.

National-team standout Morgan, 23, prevailed in voting that was weighted equally between fans on Facebook and representatives from U.S. Soccer and national media, federation officials announced Monday.

Morgan leads Team USA this year with 28 goals, including the deciding score in the 123rd minute of the United States' 4-3 victory over Canada in the Olympic semifinals. The Americans proceeded to win the gold medal at the London Games.

Morgan, 23, also leads the U.S. team with 19 assists.

"I want to keep improving and continue to make an impact on this team," she said. "I want to continue to put the team first, help the team grow and obviously the World Cup in 2015 is on our minds every day."

Last month, Clint Dempsey was honored as U.S. Soccer's male athlete of the year.

A bout of injuries and adverse weather has disrupted the preparations of defending Suzuki Cup champions Malaysia ahead of their semi-final first leg against Thailand on Sunday.

The Malaysians will host the favourites for the Southeast Asian championship at the Bukit Jalil stadium but could be without key winger Wan Zack Haikal, who has injured his thigh.

Coach K. Rajagopal told local media Wan Zack, who scored once in the group stages as Malaysia edged Laos and Indonesia to qualify for the last four along with Singapore, had picked up the injury in training on Tuesday to add to the growing list.

Prized striker Safee Sali (thigh), forward Khyrill Muhymeen Zambri (groin) and midfielders Shakir Shaari (ankle) and S. Kunalan (groin) are all concerns ahead of Sunday's clash.

"Zack's injury looks the worst ... he complained of sharp pain and felt a muscle tear in his thigh. This puts us in a difficult situation," Rajagopal told reporters on Wednesday.

"We still have few more days to prepare for the match. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best for Shakir and Zack."

Heavy downpours in the Malaysian capital have also been of concern to Rajagopal, who said he was contemplating switching the squad's training sessions to later at night.

Rajagopal added his team, who beat Indonesia 2-0 in their final group game on Saturday to qualify for the knockout stages, would play a friendly against Malaysian second division side Police on Wednesday to keep his remaining players in shape.

"There's a gap between our last match and the one against Thailand. I feel that I need to see the condition of my reserve players," the 2010 Suzuki Cup winning-boss said.

"The friendly against Police will give me a clearer picture of what to do against Thailand ... I hope the players do not pick up any more injuries."


Soccer-Injuries and weather hit Suzuki Cup holders Malaysia - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

Ties are becoming an all too familiar and all too unsettling occurrence for the St. Francis High soccer team.

On Wednesday at Friedman Field, host St. Francis once again tied its opponent, resulting in its third draw in four games played this year. This one, against Ganesha, finished at 1-1 and, with the Golden Knights outplaying the visitors for long stretches and having a chance to win for the first time with a late penalty kick, coach Glen Appels was clearly unsettled once more. “Another tie and it feels like a loss,” Appels said. “Whenever you see the other team celebrating a tie, you know you should have done better. It’s the exact same story we have had all year. We just don’t finish our chances.”

With under seven minutes to play and the score knotted at 1, Ganesha’s Steve Caudillo dragged down Benjamin Gabella in the box and St. Francis (0-1-3) was awarded a penalty kick. Senior Christian Green, who anchored the defense all game long, took the shot for the Golden Knights, but Giants goalkeeper Christian Olivarez launched himself airborne to his left and turned away Green’s attempt.

“Keepers have to guess the right way, and [Olivarez] just guessed the right way that time,” Green said.

The rebound came down in the box, but the follow up shot sailed over the goal.

“We got down to a penalty kick and a rebound on the penalty kick and we couldn’t put them away,” Appels said. “We just talked to the boys, we’ve just got to learn to finish the game. When the ball is out in front we just need to kick it in. It’s about that simple.”

After that, neither squad came very close to scoring and the game ended without a winner or loser, a fact significant for Ganesha (0-3-1), which had dropped its first three games of the young season.

“We’ve been solid defensively,” said Appels, whose team has been limited to three goals this season. “It’s been typical of us that we’ve played terrific defense, we’ve had good possession, we keep the ball forward, we’ve just got to kick it in.”

The first half was scoreless, thanks in no small part to the play of Olivarez, who was rock solid all match, protecting the goal and organizing the defense in front of him, and St. Francis goalkeeper Luca Coppola, who had less to do but still came up big when needed.

In the 25th minute, Ganesha’s Raul Diaz broke behind the defense, coming down the left side with only Coppola left between the goal and him. The Golden Knights senior closed the distance and smothered the ball at Diaz’ feet just as he went for the shot, thereby absorbing the contact, holding on to the ball and keeping the game scoreless.

The same scenario played out in the fourth minute of the second half as Diaz once again broke free coming down the left side and, once again, Coppola went down for the ball just as it was shot. However, this time the ball popped away from the St. Francis netminder and dropped directly in front of Jose Saldana, who kicked it into the open goal mouth for a 1-0 advantage.

“I was ready for the first shot, but I wasn’t expecting a rebound. I don’t think our team was expecting a rebound either,” Coppola said. “We’re used to me keeping the ball in my hands, but this one got away from me.”

All game long, St. Francis never solved the question of how to get a ball past Olivarez, a junior playing his first year at the varsity level, but, luckily for the Golden Knights, one of his teammates did.

Midway through the second half, Golden Knight Frankie Veiga, who was a sparkplug on offense after the break, passed the ball to Reed Izumi, whose ensuing shot hit the bar and came back into the field of play. At that point, Giants senior Carlos Loreto, who was facing the goal mouth, swung his leg at the airborne ball and one-timed it straight past Olivarez for an own-goal and a fortunate equalizer for St. Francis.

“It feels like a loss, to be honest,” Coppola said.

St. Francis plays next on Friday at home against Chatsworth as part of continuing play in the Ralph Brandt tournament.

“We were on the doorstep and knocking, but we couldn’t get it open. It has been the story of our season,” Appels said.




Another tie for St. Francis soccer - Glendale News Press

It's all about money. Or is it? Look at the Champions League in Europe. English champions Manchester City, bankrolled to the tune of $1 billion by Middle East oil money, will not be throwing soccer's equivalent of punches in the knockout stage of this year's tournament. It failed to qualify, finishing at the bottom of its group. Add wealthy London rival Chelsea, the holder of the European Cup, also eliminated.

By contrast, take Borussia Dortmund, the current German champion. It finished at the top of its group, defeating Manchester City on the path to the next round. And it achieved with a fraction of City's budget.

The German model is different. In 2001, the top flight German clubs established the "50 percent plus one rule." With a few grandfathered-in exceptions, clubs are majority owned by the fans. Members are no longer customers. Clubs belong to them.

Visit Borussia Dortmund's stadium to see the "Yellow Wall," 25,000 fans dressed in the team's yellow colors. Align them on a standing-only embankment, and you get an overwhelming show of support that galvanizes the team and scares the living daylights out of opponents. It is one of the wonders of the soccer world. And it makes for cheaper tickets for fans. A standing, season ticket at Dortmund costs about $250.

You won't find this option in England. Standing at soccer matches is outlawed. The Hillsborough disaster in 1989, when 96 fans were crushed to death at a stadium, compelled clubs to convert to all-seated venues. The culture of watching live soccer on the cheap died out. Seats are more expensive. When you sit down at a club like Chelsea, expect to pay close to a $1,000 for a season ticket. There, you are a consumer, not a member.

Borussia Dortmund's success is down to its democratic nature, stable management and collectivist team spirit. Consider it proof that achievement may not always be about the money monster.

What now for Beckham? Now that David Beckham has played his last act in an American soccer role, what is next for the Englishman abroad? Because he has spent the past five years in Hollywood making friends (Tom Cruise is a mate), casting agents must be wondering if Beckham desires the spotlight of the screen.

Start his acting career in "Downton Abbey," the darling smash hit, Masterpiece Theatre drama set in the snobbery fields of England, in a stately home with aristocrats and servants.

The question is this: Would he be cast as a servant downstairs known as Becks or be claimed by the aristocracy upstairs as Sir David Beckham of Essex?

Upstairs could prove difficult. Beckham speaks fondly of his humble roots and I don't mean his immaculate hair. Plus his accent is not from the plum tree of linguistic fruits. He does not replace his "r" with an "h" as in, "Dahling, pass the sugah."

So, he must be a servant. I can't see Footman Becks bending his elbow to serve the aristocrats their garden peas at dinner? Nor can Beckham be a valet, dressing the lord of the manor when he is a fashion model himself. He cannot be imagined putting toothpaste on the toothbrush for his lordship.

Becks would have to be higher up the food chain perhaps as a junior butler, serving under Mr. Carson, the butler in "Downton Abbey." Think of it as the same type of relationship Mr. Beckham had with Mr. Alex Ferguson, his "soccer father" and coach at Manchester United.

Read more: German pros level soccer's money plane - SFGate

With just one swish of his right foot, Sergio Aguero changed the landscape of English soccer forever. His stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the Premier League season in May clinched Manchester City’s first league title in 44 years and confirmed Manchester United was no longer the only soccer superpower in the northwest of England. United’s players and manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, thought they had done enough to avoid such a fate. After they won their game at Sunderland, news filtered through that City was losing, 2-1, with just minutes to play, enough to give United the championship. Its fans were celebrating a record 20th title.

Then Edin Dzeko scored the equalizer, and Aguero provided the defining moment. City finished on top of the table on goal difference.

United and City will face off again Sunday, this time on the same field. And once again, they hold the top two spots in the league, with United 3 points ahead of City 15 games into the 38-game season.

Historically, the rivalry between City and United has been similar to that of the Mets and the Yankees. While one team strutted like rock stars, the other could only watch with envy.

Those days are gone. The Abu Dhabi United Group has pumped around $900 million into Manchester City since taking over in 2008. Many say City’s Premier League title has a price tag hung on it, but supporters say the money spent is irrelevant.

A banner was once displayed on the Stretford End at Old Trafford (where United’s most fervent supporters sit) showing the years since City’s last trophy. When City lifted the F.A. Cup last year, the ticker stopped at 35 years. The City players even paraded a banner of their own on the Wembley turf — it read 00 years. The rivalry had been reset.

Not long after that, City inflicted the worst defeat on United in Ferguson’s 25-year reign. Its 6-1 win at Old Trafford retains shock value even now.

Yet it was the team’s dramatic snatching of the league crown from its rival in May that was the most powerful statement.

One place City cannot yet claim to compete with United is the Champions League, where it was eliminated at the group stage for the second successive year. In fact, City’s display this season was the worst ever recorded by an English team in the competition.

Ryan Giggs insisted this week that United’s biggest rivalry remains with Liverpool — the club it toppled as England’s most successful last year — but given the current shape of the Premier League, it is hard to believe him.

With Chelsea in transition — some might say disarray — Arsenal struggling with a transfer policy that almost habitually lets its best players leave every summer, and Liverpool embarking on reconstruction, the arrival of a compelling narrative in Manchester has been a welcome one. Manchester is undoubtedly England’s soccer capital, maybe the world’s.

United has fallen behind in 16 of its 24 games this season, with Ferguson comparing his team’s defending to a children’s television show in his native Scotland: “I can’t remember us losing so many goals before Christmas. It’s like ‘Cartoon Cavalcade.’ ”

Such fragility could be attributed to the absence of the club captain, Nemanja Vidic, who has been sidelined by a knee injury since September.

For City, it appears that the star midfielder David Silva will be available after a recovery from a hamstring injury. With Manager Roberto Mancini so far unable to rediscover the attacking spark that took City to the title last season, many believe Silva’s participation might be enough to swing the derby toward his team.

Ferguson has fended off challenges to his supremacy before, most notably from Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and Arsene Wenger’s famous Invincibles team at Arsenal. He says a win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday would be “one of our best results ever.” Avenging last season’s pain might be his most satisfying victory yet.


Eyes of the Soccer World Turn to Manchester - NYTimes-com

Playing ugly and winning is fine but when you play ugly and lose you've got a problem on your hands.

The Wellington Phoenix offered next to nothing this afternoon as they were comfortably beaten 2-1 by Sydney FC at Westpac Stadium.

Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante made no apologies during the week for his side winning ugly against the Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend saying they were just doing what's required to get three points.

But his side were listless today as a Alessandro Del Piero-less Sydney FC were by far the better outfit as the final scoreline flattered the Phoenix.

There's just something about a team who has a new coach, and Sydney seemed inspired playing their first official game under new mentor Frank Farina.

They were organised on defence, aggressive in the tackle and flew around the park at breakneck speed to shut down the Phoenix players who were too slow on the ball.

Wellington only registered four shots on target throughout the whole contest, one courtesy of Vince Lia as he stung the palms of Sydney custodian Vedran Janjetovic in the first spell but it was a comfortable save in the end.

Sydney absorbed their fair share of pressure in the opening 45 minutes and counter-punched at the right moment as Sebastian Ryall ran on to a beautiful Jason Culina cross to give the visitors the lead only seconds before half-time.

Ryall's well-placed header gave Phoenix goalkeeper Mark Paston no chance, and the wind was taken from the sails of the home side who barely strung a decent collection of passes together throughout the game.

With his side down 1-0, Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert went to his bench and summoned young tyros Louis Fenton and Tyler Boyd, but rather than remove a defensive player he pulled striker Stein Huysegems and midfielder Alex Smith.

It was a bizarre move given his side needed to chase the game and Herbert's use of the bench took another curious twist when he brought on Benjamin Totori for his side's best attacking weapon Paul Ifill after they conceded the all-important second goal.

It seemed questionable that Herbert would leave a full quota of defensive players out there when they were in such dire need of some inspiration in the final 20 minutes.

Sydney's second came through Rhyan Grant who beat the offside trap to loft the ball past Paston and seal the points for the Sky Blues.

Sydney skipper Terry McFlynn was given his marching orders late in the game as he received his second yellow card for a hand ball on the edge of the box.

Phoenix striker Jeremy Brockie, who has been in hot form of late, could only hit his free kick straight at Janjetovic who parried the ball down and averted any danger.

Brockie did manage to find his way onto the score sheet when he buried a penalty in stoppage time after Manny Muscat was fouled in the goal box, but it was too little to late.

It's back to the drawing board for the Phoenix who travel to South Australia next weekend to meet Adelaide United.

Sydney FC 2 (Sebastian Ryall 45+1, Rhyan Grant 69) Wellington Phoenix 1 (Jeremy Brockie 90+2) HT: 1-0



Soccer: Phoenix lacking in direction - Sport - NZ Herald News

Lionel Messi broke German great Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a year by scoring for the 86th time in 2012 on Sunday.

The Argentina forward scored twice to lead Barcelona to a 2-1 win at Real Betis in the Spanish league match.

His first was an individual effort in the 16th minute to equal Mueller's mark, and he eclipsed the 1972 milestone with a familiar left-footed finish nine minutes later.

"As I have said many times, the record is nice but the important thing is the victory that keeps us on the patch we want to continue on," Messi said. "As I always say, my objectives are on a team level: to win the league, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey again."

Messi has scored 74 goals for Barcelona and 12 times for Argentina this year, and he has three more games in which he can add to his tally before the end of the year. Mueller scored 85 for Bayern Munich and West Germany. The 25-year-old Messi passed Brazil great Pele's single-season milestone of 75 goals for Brazil and Santos in 1958 with his 75th and 76th goals of the year on Nov. 11 to move into second place behind Mueller.

After his record 50 goals in the Spanish league last campaign, Messi has led Barcelona to the best start in the history of the championship this season with 14 wins and a draw in the opening 15 rounds. The scoring ace has found the net 30 times already this season in all competitions for Barcelona.

"We won't see another player like (Messi)," Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said. "Not just because of his ability to score. But also for his ability to pass, play defense, and his understandings of the game. He is a global star that helps us in so many ways."

Messi, who became a father for the first time on Nov. 2 to a baby boy named Thiago, was announced as one of the three finalists for the FIFA world player of the year award along with teammate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi has won the Ballon d'Or award for the past three years in helping Barcelona win three Spanish league titles and two Champions League crowns, along with various other competitions. He is seeking to become the only player to win the award for a fourth time when the winner is announced in Switzerland on Jan. 7.

Iniesta participated in both of Barcelona's goals in Seville on Sunday, and Messi said he would be happy to see his teammate win the award.

"If the Ballon d'Or is for Andres, he deserves it for everything he shows us game after game," Messi said.

Nicknamed "The Flea" for his small stature and uncanny ability to slice through defenses, Messi has shattered several records during the past year.

He scored 73 times in all competitions for Barcelona last season, breaking the previous European club record of 67 goals set by Mueller in 1972-73 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924-25.

Fittingly, Messi scored his 73rd and final goal of the 2011-12 season as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Copa del Rey final in May to give then-coach Pep Guardiola his 14th title in his final game.

In March, Messi passed Cesar Rodriguez's 57-year-old milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona all-time leading scorer. He also equaled the record of 14 goals in a single European Cup competition last season, scoring five times in one Champions League match to set yet another mark.

"Leo is supernatural," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. "He doesn't have limits. We'll always have to remember everything he gave us. We have to enjoy every minute we have with him."




Messi breaks 40-year-old soccer record with 86th goal - CBS News

S

occer is not usually considered a sport for number crunchers. Unlike baseball fans, for example, who often use players' statistical breakthroughs — Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, Ted Williams' .406 batting average in 1941 — to define greatness, soccer aficionados pride themselves on finding greatness in moments of grace: Diego Maradona weaving through a field of players, or Dennis Bergkamp bringing down a long-range pass with the lightest of touches. The only number that really matters is one, the minimum number of times most of soccer's legendary players have won the World Cup. And even that standard doesn't apply to the likes of Johan Cruyff or Eusebio, both of whom made it into the top tier on the strength of superb control, wondrous goals and deft footwork.

Despite the soccer world's relative indifference to stats, Barcelona's Lionel Messi is being talked up again as the greatest player of all time after scoring his 86th goal of the calendar year this weekend, breaking a 40-year record held by the German striker Gerd Mueller. (Watch all 86 goals below.) Messi has managed to average 1.3 goals per game — more than many entire teams manage, as non-soccer fans might drily note. "At times the consistency can serve to make [Messi's achievement] seem mundane," says Sid Lowe at Britain's The Guardian, "but it is exactly that consistency that makes it so extraordinary. The stats reinforce that fact." Indeed, the only player who seems capable of breaking Messi's record is Messi himself, who, at 25 years old, has much of his career ahead of him.

And Messi's play is anything but mundane. In contrast to Mueller, a poacher who only reinforced stereotypes of German uber-efficiency on the pitch, Messi is a virtuoso, excelling at everything that is celebrated in soccer: Control, speed, balance, and, above all, creativity. He can go solo, a one-man whirlwind with the ball glued to his feet. He can also anchor an entire team with his distribution and vision. If his greatest contemporary rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the apotheosis of the modern player — a brutal combination of speed and power, Usain Bolt in a soccer uniform — then Messi is something of a throwback, so small that his nickname is The Flea. His diminutive stature only makes his style of play seem all the more timeless.

The case for Messi as the greatest of all time is also inextricably intertwined with the performance of his club, Barcelona, which has ushered in a golden era of soccer perhaps last matched by the great Brazilian teams led by Pele. Barcelona's tiki-taka style of lightning-quick passing and constant movement, as well as its success on the European stage, where it has won the UEFA Champions League three times in the Messi era, have led many commentators to deem it the greatest club of all time. Barcelona has also left its mark on the international stage: Seven of Spain's starting 11 players on its World-Cup winning squad of 2010 hailed from the club.

Which brings us to the unavoidable argument against Messi: He has yet to win a World Cup, which while not enough to rob a player of greatness is incompatible with the status of "greatest." Argentine by birth, Messi has been plagued on the international stage by abysmal coaching and, perhaps, difficulty in adjusting to a style of soccer that isn't tiki-taka. As someone who has been named FIFA's player of the year three times, and who has provided more magical moments than one can count, Messi is doubtlessly exceptionally gifted. But he can't be considered a contender for the best of all time, alongside Pele, Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane, who, for example, lifted (at times single handedly) a solid supporting cast of players into a World-Cup winning team. In the cold judgment of soccer history, Messi would have to do the same.


Is Lionel Messi the best soccer player of all time? - The Week

On the weekend that Lionel Messi broke the world record for goals in a calendar year, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was far from the spotlight. One goal from close range, one assist and a 4-0 victory for Paris Saint-Germain over Evian — you know, tedious stuff. It could not have been a happy day for the big Swede.

The hat trick he scored Tuesday in another 4-0 PSG win, this one over Valenciennes, was more like it for a man who lives for the sensational.

Ibrahimovic is a comic book superhero come to life, a genuine martial artist with outsized features and an ego to match. He doesn’t pile on the goals at Messi’s pace, but the ones he does score can be spectacular — none more so than his audacious 30-yard bicycle kick against England last month.

If we think of them as forces of nature, the 5-7 Messi is a stretch of roiling rapids, churning his way through defenses with sudden bursts and deft touches. The 6-5 Ibrahimovic is more like a tornado — awesome, dynamic, unpredictable, sometimes doing little damage but other times leaving devastation in his wake.

Months into his first season in France, the 31-year-old striker has already made a massive impact. When he moved from AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain last July on a $25 million transfer, he was merely the latest megastar on a club loaded with high-priced talent. Though second-place PSG hasn’t been as dominant as expected, Ibrahimovic has come through with a league-best 17 goals — more than half of the club’s 17-game Ligue 1 total.

“I don’t know a lot about French players,” Ibrahimovic said when he joined PSG. “For sure, they know who I am.”

The French don’t seem to know what to make of Ibrahimovic. Some have howled in outrage at his salary — reported to be as much as $18 million after taxes, in a country in the midst of an economic crisis. But for fans and critics alike, he’s irresistible.

A website, zlatanfacts.fr, has sprouted up to catalog amazing untruths about the man (“Lance Armstrong never dared inject himself with the blood of Zlatan. His body couldn’t have coped with it.”).

Some actual Zlatan facts are crazy enough:

Last season ended Ibrahimovic’s streak of eight league titles in eight years at five clubs (Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan) — never mind that Juventus was later stripped of the two championships he won there.

His autobiography I Am Zlatan has sold more than 500,000 copies in his native Sweden, a nation of 9 million.

At AC Milan, he had what he called a “life and death” fight with 6-4 U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu, who left him with a broken rib. The thing is, they were teammates at the time.

It’s fitting that one French TV show plays the Darth Vader theme whenever it reports on Ibrahimovic.

On the country’s popular satirical comedy show Les Guignols de l’info (The News Puppets), Ibrahimovic has his own latex look-alike — one who eats horse heads and speaks of himself only in the third person. In one sketch, the puppet introduced a cologne, Eau de Zlatan, “made from concentrated Zlatan sweat.” If you “zlatan yourself” with the fragrance, “everyone will respect you. You’ll no longer need to queue at the post office.”

In 2003, early in his pro career, Ibrahimovic trademarked “Zlatan” and “Zlatan Ibrahimovic.” Now his first name has become a French verb: “zlataner,” to overpower or subdue. “Les Verts Zlatanent Paris” read the headline in the sports daily L’Equipe when Saint-Etienne — known as “les Verts,” or the Greens — defeated PSG last month.

Less than two weeks later, England got zlataned in Stockholm. Ibrahimovic scored all four goals in Sweden’s 4-0 exhibition rout, and the last was the most talked-about soccer moment of the year. Showing off his skills as a taekwondo black belt, Ibrahimovic rose with his back to the goal and struck an overhead shot that looped in the net.

“Zlatan against children” is how Swedish teammate Tobias Sana summed up the evening.

Ibrahimovic had often been reminded of his poor goal-scoring record against English opposition, prompting him to warn in 2010, “Wait and see. I will show you.” For Zlatan the tornado, retribution — like everything else about the man — came in a Category 5 package.

Fans have been calling for the Wellington Phoenix to play a more attractive brand of football and even the owners have got involved saying the club needs to produce a better product.

As the A-League franchise struggles to pull punters through the gate, Welnix consortium member Gareth Morgan said the club were working on changing their style.

"We are trying to go towards what they call 'total football'," Morgan told Radio Sport today.

"Changing the formation ... from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 to make for a more attacking sort of game and that's a big change for the players, particularly the midfield who have to do a hell of a lot more work with only three in there rather than four. That'll take time to adjust but we are going to stick to this because I think it's attractive football."

Interestingly, Wellington's best performance this season, in attacking sense, came when they employed a 4-4-2 formation in a 2-0 defeat of Sydney FC in Wellington during round one.

Since then the club's form has been up and down and there have been few more boring football games seen at Westpac Stadium than Wellington's 1-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers two weeks ago.

The Phoenix occupy sixth spot on the A-League ladder after 10 rounds and have made the playoffs for the past three seasons but they've historically struggled to score goals.

Morgan said he was aware of the club's reputation that they were perceived as a boring side but noted the owners, players and coaches had bought in to the idea of changing that. He also reiterated the club's top brass would do what it takes to produce a team they could be proud of.

"We want a style of football that the club is known for and we will essentially hire coaches that give us that style. So in other words, the style of football will be determined by the club, not by the coach."

Morgan's comments echoed those of fellow Phoenix owner Rob Morrison who also said today that the side needed to become a more attractive product to pull in the casual fan.

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert, who has been at the helm of the club since their inception to the A-League in 2007, said he embraced Morgan's comments and also managed to get in a not-so subtle reminder of what he had achieved at the franchise.

"Good on Gareth. Everyone wants to be positive around the club and we put 32,000 people in a semifinal at the stadium here [against Newcastle in 2010] so I kind of think the football hasn't been too bad," Herbert said.

"But for me the future of the club is starting to evolve now and I think with the growth of the academy it gives us a chance to groom and prepare players in a different way. So if that can help systems, if that can help the team and it produces better players for us then, great."

Herbert pointed out the development of youngsters Louis Fenton and Tyler Boyd from the club's school of excellence had been an indication of what they could do and they also operated within the salary cap which put constraints on who they could sign.

Herbert also acknowledged his side needed a creative spark for Sunday's game against Adelaide United in South Australia after they produced a poor performance in last weekend's 2-1 loss to Sydney FC.

Midfielder Dani Sanchez comes in to the selection equation after recovering from a knee injury and could make his first start of the season.

His injection to the centre of the park would give the Phoenix a different dimension in attack.

Striker Jeremy Brockie is in doubt with a hamstring injury but will be given until Saturday to prove his fitness.

Whether they turn up and receive a barrage from an in-form Adelaide United outfit or cop some of the worst refereeing the A-League has seen this season, Wellington's trips to South Australia so often end in tears.

The Phoenix have gone to Adelaide 10 times during their A-League existence and have only came back with the chocolates twice and their last appearance there in October was particularly controversial.

Despite the Phoenix taking a 1-0 lead through Stein Huysegems, the Wellingtonians went down 3-1 and watched Ben Sigmund receive a late red card after he was adjudged to have fouled Adelaide player Jeronimo Neumann who clearly dived.

Phoenix skipper Andrew Durante delivered an explosive post-match interview where he voiced his displeasure at the standard of officiating in the game and labelled Neumann a cheat.

"We had a few tough decisions against us, I think the first one was offside from what I saw, the second one he's dived - he's a cheat in my book if he's dived and I think the referees were shocking tonight,'' Durante said after the game.

The tensions have simmered since that round four outing that subsequently saw Sigmund serve a one-match ban for his red card - the Phoenix unsuccessfully appealed his suspension - and the defender said the Wellington franchise just wanted to get on and play football.

"We've just got to put it in the past,'' Sigmund said. "It's just one of those things and you move on and both teams want to win and get the three points and that's what we'll be going out to do.''

John Kosmina's second-placed Adelaide side have played an attacking brand of football this season, something the Phoenix would dearly love to replicate as they have come under fire in recent weeks as their style of play is perceived as boring.

Whether the Phoenix's play spins your wheels or not it has led them to hold sixth place on the A-League ladder after 10 rounds so it hasn't been largely unsuccessful but coach Ricki Herbert would love to bank three points this weekend.

The Phoenix will also have to do without forward Jeremy Brockie who is a late scratching due to a hamstring complaint and his replacement remains unclear although Herbert has a few cards he can play.

One of those is the fit-again Dani Sanchez who has overcome a knee complaint and is in line to make his first appearance of the summer.

Wellington looked particularly underwhelming in their 2-1 loss to Sydney FC last weekend and Sigmund, who will play his 100th game for the franchise on Sunday, said the side were fully aware they had to lift their performance this week.

"At the end of the day everyone was probably below par in terms of attitude and effort and that's pretty easy to fix so I think you've got to look at yourself and I think that's what we've done. Training this week was 10 times better and everyone's put themselves about so hopefully come Sunday you'll see a different team on the pitch than last week.''

As for the woeful record in South Australia, Sigmund said he didn't like to study the history books.

"You tackle every game as it comes. You don't sort of think too much about what's happened in the past but Adelaide's a tough place to go, we know that. But as I say, we are so disappointed in ourselves that we are going to go over there and certainly give it everything.''



Soccer: Phoenix heading back to their bogey location - Sport - NZ Herald News

A composite logo touting Ottawa's role as a host city for the 2015 Women's World Cup was unveiled today by Mayor Jim Watson and Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure.

Ottawa is one of six Canadian cites where games will be played for the international event, expected to attract soccer fans from around the world.

"The excitement is building for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada and we are looking forward to hosting matches in our fabulous new stadium and showcasing our beautiful city to whole world," said Watson. "We have high hopes for Canada’s team and we look forward to cheering them on and celebrating their achievements in 2015."

Canada's women's soccer team was minutes away from playing for the gold medal during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. However, a controversial ruling by an official during the semi-final match against Team USA relegated our national team to the bronze medal match, where Canada clinched third place in a 1-0 victory over France.

The six official host cities are Edmonton, Moncton, Montréal, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. The FIFA Women's World Cup will be the first single-sport event in Canada to be held from coast to coast.






Mayor unveils FIFA logo for 2015 women's soccer world championship - Ottawa - CBC News

The South Australian horror show continued for the Wellington Phoenix tonight as they were beaten 3-1 by Adelaide United in an entertaining A-League encounter at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Adelaide has proven a tough place to go for the Phoenix and they've now lost eight of their 11 trips there during their short A-League existence.

They were on the back foot this evening from early on as the in-form Jeremy Brockie was ruled out with a hamstring niggle, which gave Louis Fenton the chance to start.

Midfielder Dani Sanchez also made his long-awaited return to the starting line-up after being on the shelf for an extended period with a knee injury as Alex Smith made way.

The Phoenix have been under pressure during the past fortnight as their style of play has been criticised and owner Gareth Morgan made his feelings known in a radio interview on Thursday and said the side needed to produce a better on-field product.

It was hard to deny the club's endeavour today as the Ricki Herbert-coached side played aggressively but their leaky defence through the middle of the park proved costly. The midfield was hardly to blame for the first goal they conceded though as Phoenix goalkeeper Mark Paston completely misjudged a Marcelo Carrusca free kick that sailed in to Paston's net untouched.

There was a hint of controversy surrounding the goal as there was a suggestion that it should have been an indirect free kick, which meant the goal shouldn't have stood as it went straight in from Carrusca's boot.

But there was no doubt about the second from the 29-year-old Argentine as he danced his way to the edge of the area and buried a shot in to the bottom corner that gave Paston no chance.

Portugese midfielder Fabio Ferreira then gave Adelaide a three-goal advantage just on the stroke of half-time as he found himself with plenty of space in the box and finished from close range.

The Phoenix should've gone in to the break with at least one goal next to their name on the scoreboard but a Stein Huysegems finish was incorrectly disallowed for offside.

Herbert would have been within his rights to tear the paint off the dressing room walls with a blast for his players after a sub-standard opening stanza and the message seemed to get through to his men in the second spell who brought more to the contest.

They also had to play the final 45 minutes without skipper Andrew Durante who was yanked at the split and was replaced by Smith, which must have been for an injury as Durante is rarely substituted.

Fenton had a golden opportunity to pull one back just past the hour-mark but he dragged his shot wide with the goal at his mercy and only Adelaide goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic to beat.

Sanchez marked his return to the field with a late goal as the Phoenix finished the stronger of the sides but it was to little too late for the Wellingtonians to pull off an unlikely comeback.

Youngster Tyler Boyd could've snatched another one with the final kick of the ball but his penalty was brilliantly saved by Galekovic.

The result means the Phoenix are outside the top six on the A-League ladder in seventh place.

Next up, they host the league-leading Central Coast Mariners in Wellington on Saturday night.

Adelaide United 3 (Marcelo Carrusca 19, 24, Fabio Ferreira 45+1) Wellington Phoenix 1 (Dani Sanchez 81) HT: 3-0








Soccer: Phoenix outclassed by Adelaide - Sport - NZ Herald News

A leftist Greek lawmaker was attacked by three men at a soccer match Sunday who he said identified themselves as members of the extreme right Golden Dawn party. Another legislator from the same party said he was attacked by riot police at a separate soccer game.

Dimitris Stratoulis, of the Radical Left Coalition, said the trio threatened to kill him while striking him with several blows to the head. Spectators came to his aid and the assailants fled.

Stratoulis, 54, was with his adult son at the time of the attack. It happened in the concourse area of the Olympic Stadium during halftime of the match between AEK Athens and Atromitos, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Stratoulis, who was bloodied but didn't sustain serious injuries, filed a police complaint.

Golden Dawn has denied involvement in the attack.

"Golden Dawn had nothing to do with the incident against member of parliament Stratoulis at the Olympic Stadium. The leftist party hacks, who promote violence in demonstrations, should stop using the name of the Golden Dawn," a party statement said.

The Radical Left Coalition, also known by its acronym SYRIZA, earlier said they believed Golden Dawn was responsible. "We demand the prompt arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators," the party said in a statement. "It is certain that tolerance towards the fascist Golden Dawn will lead to loss of life. The response must be immediate and decisive before it's too late."

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou and representatives from other political parties also condemned the attack.

In an unrelated incident in the central city of Volos, SYRIZA parliament member Alexandros Meikopoulos said he was the victim of violence by riot police who clashed with supporters of local club Niki shortly after the local second division derby with Olympiakos Volos had ended in a 0-0 draw.

Riot police were attacked when they tried to keep supporters of both teams from attacking each other. The police responded with tear gas and stun grenades, and struck Niki supporters with clubs.

Meikopoulos told a local radio station that he tried to mediate, but that when he showed his Greek parliament ID, he and his father were hit and pushed by police. Neither of the men was seriously injured.

A former marginal organization with a reputation for violence that used to boast of its neo-Nazi ideology, Golden Dawn won almost 7 percent of the vote in elections last June, running on an anti-immigrant platform. The party now stresses its nationalist credentials as it tries to expand its mass appeal. An analysis of the last election results showed that Golden Dawn seems to enjoy a better-than-average popularity among policemen.

SYRIZA, a mishmash of various leftist groupings that is aiming to evolve into a tightly organized party, have also benefited from Greece's financial crisis and dramatically expanded their electorate, from 4.6 percent in the last pre-crisis election, in 2009, to 26.9 percent in June, making them the second-largest party. They are ahead in recent opinion polls.


Greek Leftist Legislator Attacked at Soccer Match - ABC News

Ivan Vicelich has been named in Goal.com FIFA Club World Cup Best XI following his outstanding performance for Auckland City in their 0-1 defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Vicelich, 36, was a stand-out performer for the Oceania champions during their brave showing in Japan and joins a star-studded cast that includes Chelsea pair Juan Mata and David Luiz.

Goal.com website said: "Skipper Vicelich was a rock for his side in their play-off loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and was especially adept at clearing crosses sent in by the Japanese side throughout the match. His late header almost drew City even, and overall the New Zealand international's performance was representative of the progress the side have made since last year's CWC."

The 85-cap New Zealand international appeared at his third FIFA Club World Cup for Auckland City and impressed the selection panel more than Gary Cahill of England and Chelsea.

Tournament golden glove winner, Cassio, nabbed the goalkeeper slot with Corinthians team-mates Allessandro and Chicao joining Vicelich and David Luiz in the Best XI's defence.

The cosmopolitan selection saw Yojiro Takahagi of Sanfrecce Hiroshima joined by Lee Keon-Ho of Ulsan Hyundai and Juan Mata of Spain and Chelsea in a three man midfield.

The Goal.com strikeforce was equally diverse with Aboutrika of Al-Ahly starring alongside Cesar Delgado of Monterrey and Guerrero of Corinthians.

Corinthians won the FIFA Club World Cup title defeating Chelsea in the final in Yokohama 1-0 on Sunday.

Auckland City were eliminated by Sanfrecce Hiroshima on December 6.

Goal.com FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2012 - Best XI
1.Cassio (GK) Corinthians
2.Allesandro Corinthians
3.Chicao Corinthians
4.Ivan Vicelich Auckland City FC
5.David Luiz Chelsea
6.Juan Mata Chelsea
7.Yoji Takahgi Sanfrecce Hiroshima
8.Lee Keon-Ho Ulsan Hyundai
9.Abourtrika Al-Ahly
10.Guerrero Corinthians
11.Cesar Delgado Monterrey

A year in which racism and xenophobia have marred European soccer has brought another brazen act of intolerance. The largest fan club of Zenit St. Petersburg, the two-time defending Russian champion, has demanded that the team include no black or gay players. The prominent group of Zenit supporters, known as Landscrona, posted a letter on its Web site on Monday, saying it wanted to preserve the traditional identity of the team by signing only homegrown players or those from Slavic nations like Ukraine and Belarus, from the Baltic nations or from Scandinavia. The club did not have a black player until late summer and has a history of prejudiced behavior by some of its fans.

“Dark-skinned players are all but forced down Zenit’s throat now, which only brings out a negative reaction,” the fan group said, adding that gay players were “unworthy of our great city.”

Antiracism officials said the episode was another embarrassment for Russia as it prepares to host the 2018 World Cup and for Gazprom, the government-controlled natural gas company that owns Zenit St. Petersburg and is a sponsor of the Champions League, Europe’s most important club tournament.

Late Monday night, Zenit’s sporting director, Dietmar Beiersdorfer, rebuked the fan group, saying on the club Web site, “We make our player selections without any limitation regarding origin, religion or skin color.”

Zenit’s Italian manager, Luciano Spalletti, called for inclusiveness and respect of other cultures in an interview with the club’s radio network, saying that “being tolerant means that you fight against any kind of stupidity.”

Despite Zenit’s disavowal of its fan club’s demand to sign only white players, “at some point, this policy has been practiced by the club,” said Piara Powar, the executive director of the London-based FARE network, formerly known as Football Against Racism in Europe.

Zenit was the only top-level Russian club never to include a black player until early September, when it signed the Brazilian forward Hulk and the Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel for a combined $100 million. In late September, according to Russian news accounts, a fake bomb was found in a bag at Zenit’s training site, with a photograph of Hulk and the inscription, “Hulk out!”

The French midfielder Yann M’Vila, who is black, reportedly turned down a transfer to Zenit in August after receiving threats from some of the club’s most extreme supporters, known as ultras, who have a notorious saying, “There’s no black in the colors of Zenit.”

Last year, Zenit was fined about $10,000 after one of its fans offered a banana to Roberto Carlos, the onetime Brazilian great who was finishing his club career in Russia. Later last year, Carlos walked off the field before the final whistle in a match against Zenit after a banana was thrown at him.

In 2008, Zenit’s manager at the time, Dick Advocaat of the Netherlands, said, “I would be happy to sign anyone, but the fans don’t like black players.”

In 2007, Serge Branco, a midfielder from Cameroon playing in the Russian league, said he incurred repeated racial abuse by Zenit fans and added, “Zenit bosses do not do anything about it, which makes me think they are racists, too.”

European soccer has dealt with a number of high-profile instances of racial abuse since last December, including the suspensions of Luis Suárez of Liverpool and John Terry of Chelsea in England’s Premier League. By degree, racism and xenophobia have historically been more virulent in Eastern Europe, with some fans making monkey chants and throwing bananas, and others giving Nazi salutes.

The Russian soccer federation was fined $150,000 at the European Championships last summer after some fans fought with stadium stewards and displayed nationalistic “Russian Empire” flags. Russian fans also clashed with Polish fans in Warsaw and were accused of racially taunting Theodor Gebre Selassie, the lone black player for the Czech Republic.

“People ask me, ‘Are we in crisis in Europe?’ ” Powar of the FARE antiracist organization said in a telephone interview from London. “I don’t think so. There’s not the same focus on racial tribalism as in the past. I think some big gains have been made. But some things we took for granted have been eroded away. It’s been a tough year, a step backward.”

The latest racial behavior by Zenit fans underscores the education of tolerance necessary in Russia ahead of the 2018 World Cup, said Powar, who visited Moscow last week. The Russian soccer federation “understands the problems they face; they seem determined to do what they can,” Powar said. “But in the end, Russia is a very big place. To completely eradicate elements like this is going to be very difficult.”

Some antiracism officials have criticized the muted response by European soccer officials to the latest Zenit incident. UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, has asked Zenit to clarify its position on the signing of players. Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, which has called for zero tolerance of racism, could not be reached for comment. The FIFA Web site did not address the issue Monday or Tuesday.

“Where is the world governing body in its denouncement?” said Lord Herman Ouseley of London, chairman of the antiracist group Kick it Out.

Last week, Ouseley resigned a position with the English soccer federation, saying he thought it was retreating in its fight against racism. Of the demand by Zenit fans, he said from London: “It stands out because it’s gone public. But a lot of people are trying to articulate prejudices in different ways, behind the scenes, with a lot of pressure applied.”

Given the growing diversity on Europe’s elite club teams, adherence to a policy of racial purity would only limit the breadth of Zenit’s player pool and lead to isolation and failure, Powar said.

“Perhaps that is no bad thing,” he said.




[url]www-nytimes-com/2012/12/19/sports/