Sabtu, 30 Jun 2012

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha - Google Blog Search

0 ulasan
URL Sumber Asal :-

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha - Google Blog Search


Google Blog Search - <b>Norshahrul Idlan Talaha</b>

Posted: 09 Jun 2012 03:05 AM PDT

URL Sumber Asal :-

SPORTS NEWS PICKS : SATURDAY JUNE 9, 2012 : aforadio.com <b>...</b>

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 10:24 PM PDT

Saturday 9th June 2012

Poland open Euros with Greece draw

Poland vs Greece: Giorgios Samaras, Lukasz Piszczek

Substitute goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton was the hero for Poland their dramatic 1-1 draw with Greece which saw both sides reduced to ten men in Warsaw on Friday.

Tyton came off the bench in the second half for the co-hosts after Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had been sent off for bringing down Greek substitute Dimitris Salpigidis.

The reserve goalkeeper promptly saved the resulting spot-kick from Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis to ensure the points were shared in a wonderfully entertaining match in Group A at the National Stadium.

Poland will be kicking themselves, however, after throwing it away having gone in at half-time with a one-goal lead and with Greece down to 10 men after defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off harshly for two innocuous yellow cards.

The Poles, who began the game with swaggering intent in front their home fans, had dominated the first half.

It was no surprise when Robert Lewandowski gave them the perfect start after 17 minutes, although the goal had as much to do with the poor positioning of Greek goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias as the sharpness of Lewandowski.

Chalkias found himself flapping his arms in no man's land to leave the Borussia Dortmund striker, who scored a hat-trick in the German cup final last month, to head home a swinging cross from Jakub Blaszczykowski.

It was no more than the Poles deserved.

They were hungrier, quicker to the ball and seemingly desperate to prove that while they are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament they have a realistic chance of reaching the quarter finals at least.

In that 45 minutes the Greeks looked a shadow of the organised side who had gained a reputation for being tough to beat, having lost just one of 21 games under manager Fernando Santos.

In fact, the Poles would have been kicking themselves that they were not further ahead at half-time after Rafal Murawski, Maciej Rybus and Lewandowski all missed clear-cut chances.

Damien Perquis should also have scored when the ball fell to him in the penalty area but the Polish defender, in unfamiliar territory, drilled his shot wildly wide of the post.

It looked as if the Greeks' fortune had deserted them completely, however, when Papastathopoulos saw red just before half-time.

The Greek defender had become the first player to be booked in the tournament when he received the yellow card from Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo for what appeared an harmless challenge with a Polish attacker.

His second yellow was equally as harsh when he was adjudged to have brought down Murawski. The referee, however, produced red and Greece were down to 10 men and seemingly heading to an opening defeat.

Perhaps fired up by the injustice the Greeks, however, came out in the second half with more determination and resolve and it paid off, even in they did have Szczesny to thank for their equaliser.

Szczesny raced out of his goal attempting to collect Vassilis Torosidis' right-wing cross but misjudged it totally, allowing substitute Salpigidis to score from close-range.

The drama, however, was far from finished and the teams were down to 10 players each after 70 minutes when Szczesny endured a moment of madness, sticking out a leg to trip Salpigidis in the penalty area.

The resulting penalty was delayed while PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Tyton came off the bench and Maciej Rybus went off, but Tyton's first action was the most crucial of the match, saving the tame spot-kick of Karagounis.

A point was probably a fair result. But what a dramatic way for Euro 2012 to begin.

espnstar.com

Saturday 9th June 2012

Russia vs Czech Republic: Petr Cech; Roman Shirokov

Russia top Group A with Czech victory

Russia went top of Group A in Euro 2012 as Alan Dzagoev's double helped them to a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw.

Dick Advocaat's side made a slow start but soon found their stride to take a 2-0 interval lead through midfielders Dzagoev and Roman Shirokov.

Vaclav Pilar gave the Czechs hope by pulling one back shortly after the break but Dzagoev and substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko, on for the profligate Aleksandr Kerzhakov, sealed the win.

Despite Russia being favourites to top the group, it was the Czechs who settled the better of the two sides.

It took Russia almost a quarter of an hour to muster a meaningful attack, and when they did they came close to taking the lead.

The imperious Andrey Arshavin brilliantly played in Yuri Zhirkov near the left-hand byline but striker Kerzhakov could only steer his effort wide.

But it was a brief reprieve for the Czechs as Dzagoev drove at the heart of their defence to tee Konstantin Zyryanov up for a cross that was headed against the post by Kerzhakov, Dzagoev followed up to slam home the loose ball.

The CSKA Moscow midfielder should have doubled the lead just a few minutes later after another incisive Russian break out, but he flashed wastefully wide of Petr Cech's goal.

Rezek saw a glancing header saved by Vyacheslav Malafeev at the other and but an error from Jaroslav Plasil allowed Russia to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute.

The midfielder gave away possession and Arshavin seized on it, the Arsenal player's pass was meant for Kerzhakov but the striker's miscontrol saw the ball reach Shirokov, who lofted over the advancing Cech.

Plasil was fortunate to get away with a clumsy push on Arshavin in the penalty area, as English World Cup final referee Howard Webb waved away the appeals.

Kerzhakov was once again guilty of being profligate in front of goal 12 minutes before the break, blazing over the bar from Zyryanov's pull back as Russia again toyed with the Czech defence.

Having been second best for much of the opening stanza the Czechs were again on the back foot after the restart with Kerzhakov again going close.

But Russia's momentum was halted in the 52nd minute as they were pegged back by by Pilar.

Bordeaux midfielder Plasil produced a superb pass to cut the Russian defence, allowing diminutive winger Pilar to round Malafeev and find the net.

Buoyed by the goal Michal Bilek's side suddenly looked far more assured and began to take the game to Russia as the match became increasingly open.

Arshavin's artistry meant Russia remained a threat at the other end, but once again Kerzhakov failed to hit the target from a lovely through ball.

The striker's nightmare evening soon got worse as he shot hopelessly wide after cutting inside Michal Kadlec, prompting Advocaat to put him out of his misery and summon Pavlyuchenko from the bench.

Theodor Gebre Selassie almost produced a stunning effort as his first-time volley from a Tomas Rosicky cross flashed narrowly wide of the near post, before the Arsenal midfielder's awkward angled shot was gathered at the second attempt by Malafeev.

But Dzagoev effectively killed the game off when Pavlyuchenko seized on a loose ball 12 minutes from time to set up the midfielder to plant a firm shot beyond Cech.

Pavlyuchenko then put a gloss on the win as he tricked his way into the box before firing into the roof of the net.

espnstar.com

French Open 2012: Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to reach final

FRENCH OPEN MEN'S FINAL

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  • Date: 10 June
  • Time: 14:00 BST

Novak Djokovic outclassed Roger Federer to reach the French Open final and maintain his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

The world number one came from a break down to win the first set before overturning a 3-0 deficit, preventing Federer serving out to take the second.

Djokovic sealed a comfortable 6-4 7-5 6-3 win in two hours and five minutes.

In his first Paris final on Sunday, Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal, who has won 11 of their 13 matches on clay.

"Perhaps this is Federer in decline? On today's evidence he hasn't got the consistency to live with Djokovic and Nadal. He can do it in best-of-three set tournaments but that's the difference for me. I don't like saying this because he is a legend and I hope he continues playing long into the future."

The world's two best players will both be attempting records, Nadal a seventh Roland Garros title and Djokovic seeking to become only the third player, and the first since Rod Laver in 1969, to hold all the major trophies at once.

Djokovic and Federer's 10th Grand Slam meeting could not sustain expectations as the Serbian levelled the overall score to 5-5.

Federer won in four sets when the pair met in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, but his many followers will have been alarmed with his failure to compete for long periods in this encounter.

The match began in suitably gladiatorial fashion with the two players trading imperious winners.

Federer captured the first break with a sweeping forehand but Djokovic, who needed to save four match points to overcome Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals, broke back immediately.

As Federer tried to combat Djokovic's athleticism with some bold winners, his precision deserted him and the opening set slipped away.

Having prevailed in an epic 36-stroke rally. Federer then landed a smash to break in the first game of the second set, before sending an ace down the middle for his first love hold in the next.

It appeared there was to be no response from Djokovic, who netted then sent a forehand long to drop serve again, but a more expansive approach saw him swiftly break Federer and the set was soon all square.

The fluctuations continued as a backhand down the line created a break point for Federer, which he duly accepted.

But when serving to level the match he was broken for a third time and Djokovic soon moved ahead for the first time in the set.

Federer has not won a Grand Slam since January 2010 and when he sent a forehand long to concede the set, he would no doubt have been aware that Djokovic had never lost from two sets up, a statistic that was not about to change.

A single break in the sixth game of the third set was enough for Djokovic to complete victory as Federer succumbed to his sixth successive defeat against a number one ranked player.

"I thought I was playing very aggressive early on but it was always going to be hard serving well in the wind and when Novak picks up some good returns my first serve is always going to be difficult," Federer lamented.

"I was actually feeling well in the second set so that one hurts the most to lose. In the third I wasn't able to put a good game together and with a two sets lead it's not the same match anymore and Novak goes for broke.

"The Olympics is still two months away, Wimbledon is two weeks away so there is still time, but semi-finals is a very good result for any tennis player.

"I've got to change things for grass anyway and I'm looking forward to that. It's been a difficult clay court season, I wasn't in the best shape physically and maybe I did feel that coming down the stretch."

Assessing the challenge awaiting him against Nadal, Djokovic said: "I know I have to be playing consistently well on a very high level to win a best-of-five against Nadal here.

"It's the ultimate challenge. But I believe today was my best match of 2012 Roland Garros for me. I raised my game when I needed to. That's something that gives me confidence before the final.

"When you come back from double break down against a player like Federer, it's a success, a great achievement, but I can't allow myself to have that many ups and downs, especially in the next match."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/

Nadal stands in the way of Novak's dream

Tennis News: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in a fourth consecutive grand slam final at the French Open on Sunday.

History has already been made as four straight finals have never been contested by the same two men before, while for Djokovic there is the carrot of becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all the titles.

Nadal can make a piece of history all of his own, for victory on Sunday, overturning the results in London, New York and Melbourne, would earn him a seventh Roland Garros crown and surpass the record mark he currently shares with Bjorn Borg.

And he certainly goes in as the favourite after showing once again today what supreme form he is in with a 6-2 6-2 6-1 thrashing of David Ferrer, while Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 6-4 7-5 6-3.

After the classic encounter between Djokovic and Federer last year, which went the way of the Swiss, today's [Friday] match was a disappointment, the windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier certainly not helping.

Neither player went into the match playing his best tennis, and that did not change, but Djokovic was more consistent, making only 17 unforced errors compared to 46 from his opponent, and that told its own story.

The second set was the key, with Federer breaking twice to lead 3-0, Djokovic clawing his way back and then breaking the Swiss twice more, including when he served to level the match.

The third was much more straightforward as Djokovic booked his place in his first French Open final, taking revenge after Federer ended his 43-match winning streak last year.

The Serbian, who saved four match points against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Tuesday, is still not entirely happy with his form, and he said: "I think I would really want myself not to have the downs that I had at the beginning of the second set.

"But I regrouped mentally and I came back. That's really a positive, especially when you come back from a double break down. Against a player like Federer, it is a great achievement."

When asked his views on Sunday's match, Federer declared Nadal to be the "overwhelming favourite", and Djokovic conceded his rival is indeed in the driving seat.

The 25-year-old said: "He's the favourite, definitely. But it's a final so I think it's unpredictable what's going to happen because we are top two players, and we have played so many times the last year and a half in so many finals. I believe in myself. I think I have a chance."

Federer had been open about the fact he had struggled to find his rhythm all fortnight but he felt he had got his tactics right today despite the high error count.

He said: "I wondered about many things but there comes a time when you have to stop asking yourself questions and play, which is what I tried to do.

"What's certain is that, given the conditions, I tried to be aggressive. It's more complicated. Even more the case on clay.

"I had opportunities, I missed them, even though I didn't play badly on the break points. But then it's on my serve. When I was serving, I didn't manage to play better. It was tough.

"It was difficult to attack. I could have waited a little but if I were to do this, I was playing for him. I was not here to play a good match but to win the match, so I had to hit the shots. It was a bit disappointing today."

Earlier, Nadal put on an absolute masterclass against Ferrer, who simply could do nothing about the relentless power and accuracy of his opponent.

Nadal won 19 of the last 22 points in the opening set and even a break in the second for a heavy shower did nothing to put the 26-year-old off his rhythm as he clinched victory in an hour and 46 minutes.

The Spaniard goes into Sunday's final having lost his serve only once, not dropped a set and lost just 35 games – the fewest since Bjorn Borg dropped 27 in 1978 on his way to the final.

Nadal said: "It was one of my best matches on this court. In my opinion I did almost everything right, because my serve worked very well, my backhand was the best day so far.

"I am very happy, but sorry for David. He's a great fighter. He's always there week after week.

"I really don't like to talk about perfection, because that, in my opinion, doesn't exist. You can always play better."

Ferrer, who ousted Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, was content with his performances over the tournament as a whole and felt there was little he could have done to change the outcome today.

The 30-year-old said: "I tried to do my best, but when the opponent was better than me, I can't do anything. He played very good all the time, I didn't have any chance.

"I'm very happy with my game all tournament. Maybe today [Friday] was not the best match of these two weeks, but it's my first semi-final at Roland Garros."

http://www.espnstar.com/tennis/french-open/news/detail/item812682/Nadal-stands-in-the-way-of-Novak%27s-dream/

Maria Sharapova eyes career Slam in French Open final

FRENCH OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  • Date: 9 June
  • Time: 14:00 BST

Maria Sharapova will bid to become only the 10th woman to complete the career Grand Slam when she meets Sara Errani in Saturday's French Open final.

Sharapova has returned to the top of the world rankings with her run to the final, her first at Roland Garros.

"It will be special," said the 25-year-old Russian, a former Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon champion.

"To be in this situation is going to be quite new, but it's something I've dreamed of for a long time."

Sharapova won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, and added the US and Australian titles by the time she was 20.

However, with a shoulder injury having put her career in jeopardy, Sharapova last topped the world rankings in 2008, and ended a three-year run without a Grand Slam final appearance at last year's Wimbledon.

She was beaten by Petra Kvitova, and suffered a similar fate against Victoria Azarenka at this year's Australian Open, but will start as favourite against Errani.

The Italian had won only one match at the French Open before this year, but arrived at Roland Garros having reached the last eight at the Australian Open and won three Tour titles, all on clay.

Sharapova said: "She's won so many titles already on clay, and these last couple of weeks she's really been improving, beating great players, and is really confident – and that's obviously a dangerous opponent."

Errani left Italy at the age of 12 to join Nick Bollettieri's famous academy in Florida, staying there for 10 months before returning to Europe and training in Spain.

Sharapova is also a former Bollettieri pupil, having arrived there in 1994 aged seven. However, she and Errani have never played each other.

Prior to her run at Roland Garros, the 21st-seeded Italian had lost all 28 of her matches against players in the world's top 10, but changed all that with wins over Angelique Kerber and Sam Stosur.

"I've never thought, 'I can't beat someone in the top 10.' I play and give my best, and if I don't win, I don't win," Errani explained.

"I don't think about whether I can win the title. I just think about the next match. If I win, then I think about the next one."

She attributes her good form this season to using a racquet with a longer handle to generate extra power.

"It was love at first sight," said the 25-year-old. "From my first practices with it, I really felt completely different. I could control the ball better. I could hit it faster. It boosted my confidence." / BBC SPORT

Career Grand Slam holders

Maureen Connolly Brinker (US)

Doris Hart (US)

Shirley Fry Irvin (US)

Margaret Court (Aus)

Billie Jean King (US)

Chris Evert (US)

Martina Navratilova (Cze/US)

Steffi Graf (Ger)

Serena Williams (US)

Friday 8th June 2012

Lions stun Malaysia with late fightback

Singapore vs Malaysia: Baihakki Khaizan, Safee Sali

Singapore scored two goals in the final three minutes of the game to salvage a 2-2 draw against Malaysia in the first leg of the Causeway Challenge on Friday.

While officially labelled a two-legged friendly encounter, there was always going to be plenty of intensity in a game between two arch-rivals, and K. Rajagobal's men certainly looked headed for victory after substitute Azamuddin Akil and captain Safiq Rahim had given them a two-goal lead inside the opening hour.

Qiu Li then missed a chance to pull one back for Radojko Avramovic's men in the 83rd minute when he missed a controversial penalty, before referee Ng Kai Lam made an even more-questionable call to award an indirect freekick inside the box after apparently penalising Aidil Zafuan for dissent.

From 15 yards out, Shahdan Sulaiman made no mistake by curling in an effort, before Qiu made amends deep into stoppage time when he drilled a piledriver into the top corner from the edge of the area to cap off an unlikely comeback from Singapore.

With the memory of last year's FIFA World Cup qualifying elimination at the hands of the Lions still fresh in their minds, plenty of talk from the Malaysian camp in the build-up to the game had been centred around exacting vengeance on their arch-rivals.

However, it was Singapore who started the brighter of the two teams and they very nearly took the lead three minutes in when Shaiful Esah whipped in a cross onto the head of Agu Casmir, whose firm header forced a terrific save from Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.

Six minutes later, the visitors created their first chance when Safee Sali picked up the ball inside the area and took Baihakki Khaizan out of the equation with a sharp turn, only to see his drilled cross cleared away from the danger zone by Safuwan Baharudin.

Safuwan then very nearly made an impact at the other end in the 24th minute when he ventured forward for a corner and met Shaiful's delivery with a powerful header. Unfortunately for the hosts, Harimau captain Safiq was perfectly positioned at the post to clear off the line.

Singapore were beginning to dominate proceedings as their opponents struggled to cope with their aerial superiority but there was a distinct lack of clear-cut openings created by the hosts, and they were made to pay a minute before the break.

With a clever turn-and-pass, Azamuddin released Safee down the right-side of the area before making a follow-up run into the box, where he was then picked out by his team-mate, after a ingenious dummy from Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, and made no mistake from six yards out.

Four minutes after halftime, the Pahang winger almost found himself in another scoring opportunity when Norshahrul looked to play him in with a neat square ball, only for Baihakki to weigh in with a vital intervention.

However, the Lions stand-in captain turned villain on the hour mark when he conceded a needless foul on Norshahrul on the edge of the area, allowing Safiq to step up and double Malaysia's advantage with a brilliant freekick into the far corner.

With nothing to lose, Singapore began to push more and more men forward but they struggled to carve out a real opening until seven minutes from time when Ng inexplicably pointed to the spot after Khairul Nizam had fired a shot straight at Fahmi, before running straight into the Malaysia custodian and tumbling inside the area. Justice was arguably served as Qiu's effort from 12 yards was expertly saved by the Kelantan man.

Yet in a decision stranger than the original penalty call, the referee blew his whistle again and penalised Aidil for dissent before awarding the hosts an indirect freekick 15 yards out from goal. This time, the set-piece was left to Shahdan, who expertly curled an effort just inside the far post after Mustafic Fahrudin had tapped the ball into his path to give his side a glimmer of hope.

A minute from time, the Lions had another penalty shout after Nizam sneaked in behind the Malaysia defence and looked odds-on to race through on goal, only to be clattered into by Fahmi. On this occasion, Ng decided to turn down what looked a legitimate appeal.

However, Harimau were starting to get really rattled by now and three minutes into stoppage time, the hosts finally forced an equaliser after Shahdan cleverly laid the ball back to the edge of the area from a freekick down the right wing. With everyone expecting a cross into the box, Qiu had all the time in the world to set his sights and unleashed a ferocious first-time shot into the top corner to steal a draw for Singapore and send the home fans delirious.

Singapore: Izwan Mahbud, Irwan Shah (Qiu Li 46′), Safuwan Baharudin, Baihakki Khaizan, Shakir Hamzah (Safirul Sulaiman 76′), Yasir Hanapi (Shi Jiayi 46′), Isa Halim (Mustafic Fahrudin 46′), Hariss Harun, Shaiful Esah (Daniel Bennett 46′), Shahdan Sulaiman, Agu Casmir (Khairul Nizam 71′).

Malaysia: Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Bunyamin Umar, Fadhli Shas, Aidil Zafuan (S. Subramaniam 88′), Azmi Muslim (Mahalli Jasuli 71′), Shahurain Abu Samah (Azamuddin Akil 35′), K. Gurusamy, Safiq Rahim, S. Kunanlan (S. Chanturu 79′), Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (Ahmad Shakir 74′), Safee Sali (Amar Rohidan 82′).

espnstar.com

Did you like this? Share it:

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha - Google Blog Search

0 ulasan
URL Sumber Asal :-

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha - Google Blog Search


Google Blog Search - <b>Norshahrul Idlan Talaha</b>

Posted: 09 Jun 2012 03:05 AM PDT

URL Sumber Asal :-

SPORTS NEWS PICKS : SATURDAY JUNE 9, 2012 : aforadio.com <b>...</b>

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 10:24 PM PDT

Saturday 9th June 2012

Poland open Euros with Greece draw

Poland vs Greece: Giorgios Samaras, Lukasz Piszczek

Substitute goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton was the hero for Poland their dramatic 1-1 draw with Greece which saw both sides reduced to ten men in Warsaw on Friday.

Tyton came off the bench in the second half for the co-hosts after Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had been sent off for bringing down Greek substitute Dimitris Salpigidis.

The reserve goalkeeper promptly saved the resulting spot-kick from Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis to ensure the points were shared in a wonderfully entertaining match in Group A at the National Stadium.

Poland will be kicking themselves, however, after throwing it away having gone in at half-time with a one-goal lead and with Greece down to 10 men after defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off harshly for two innocuous yellow cards.

The Poles, who began the game with swaggering intent in front their home fans, had dominated the first half.

It was no surprise when Robert Lewandowski gave them the perfect start after 17 minutes, although the goal had as much to do with the poor positioning of Greek goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias as the sharpness of Lewandowski.

Chalkias found himself flapping his arms in no man's land to leave the Borussia Dortmund striker, who scored a hat-trick in the German cup final last month, to head home a swinging cross from Jakub Blaszczykowski.

It was no more than the Poles deserved.

They were hungrier, quicker to the ball and seemingly desperate to prove that while they are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament they have a realistic chance of reaching the quarter finals at least.

In that 45 minutes the Greeks looked a shadow of the organised side who had gained a reputation for being tough to beat, having lost just one of 21 games under manager Fernando Santos.

In fact, the Poles would have been kicking themselves that they were not further ahead at half-time after Rafal Murawski, Maciej Rybus and Lewandowski all missed clear-cut chances.

Damien Perquis should also have scored when the ball fell to him in the penalty area but the Polish defender, in unfamiliar territory, drilled his shot wildly wide of the post.

It looked as if the Greeks' fortune had deserted them completely, however, when Papastathopoulos saw red just before half-time.

The Greek defender had become the first player to be booked in the tournament when he received the yellow card from Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo for what appeared an harmless challenge with a Polish attacker.

His second yellow was equally as harsh when he was adjudged to have brought down Murawski. The referee, however, produced red and Greece were down to 10 men and seemingly heading to an opening defeat.

Perhaps fired up by the injustice the Greeks, however, came out in the second half with more determination and resolve and it paid off, even in they did have Szczesny to thank for their equaliser.

Szczesny raced out of his goal attempting to collect Vassilis Torosidis' right-wing cross but misjudged it totally, allowing substitute Salpigidis to score from close-range.

The drama, however, was far from finished and the teams were down to 10 players each after 70 minutes when Szczesny endured a moment of madness, sticking out a leg to trip Salpigidis in the penalty area.

The resulting penalty was delayed while PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Tyton came off the bench and Maciej Rybus went off, but Tyton's first action was the most crucial of the match, saving the tame spot-kick of Karagounis.

A point was probably a fair result. But what a dramatic way for Euro 2012 to begin.

espnstar.com

Saturday 9th June 2012

Russia vs Czech Republic: Petr Cech; Roman Shirokov

Russia top Group A with Czech victory

Russia went top of Group A in Euro 2012 as Alan Dzagoev's double helped them to a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw.

Dick Advocaat's side made a slow start but soon found their stride to take a 2-0 interval lead through midfielders Dzagoev and Roman Shirokov.

Vaclav Pilar gave the Czechs hope by pulling one back shortly after the break but Dzagoev and substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko, on for the profligate Aleksandr Kerzhakov, sealed the win.

Despite Russia being favourites to top the group, it was the Czechs who settled the better of the two sides.

It took Russia almost a quarter of an hour to muster a meaningful attack, and when they did they came close to taking the lead.

The imperious Andrey Arshavin brilliantly played in Yuri Zhirkov near the left-hand byline but striker Kerzhakov could only steer his effort wide.

But it was a brief reprieve for the Czechs as Dzagoev drove at the heart of their defence to tee Konstantin Zyryanov up for a cross that was headed against the post by Kerzhakov, Dzagoev followed up to slam home the loose ball.

The CSKA Moscow midfielder should have doubled the lead just a few minutes later after another incisive Russian break out, but he flashed wastefully wide of Petr Cech's goal.

Rezek saw a glancing header saved by Vyacheslav Malafeev at the other and but an error from Jaroslav Plasil allowed Russia to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute.

The midfielder gave away possession and Arshavin seized on it, the Arsenal player's pass was meant for Kerzhakov but the striker's miscontrol saw the ball reach Shirokov, who lofted over the advancing Cech.

Plasil was fortunate to get away with a clumsy push on Arshavin in the penalty area, as English World Cup final referee Howard Webb waved away the appeals.

Kerzhakov was once again guilty of being profligate in front of goal 12 minutes before the break, blazing over the bar from Zyryanov's pull back as Russia again toyed with the Czech defence.

Having been second best for much of the opening stanza the Czechs were again on the back foot after the restart with Kerzhakov again going close.

But Russia's momentum was halted in the 52nd minute as they were pegged back by by Pilar.

Bordeaux midfielder Plasil produced a superb pass to cut the Russian defence, allowing diminutive winger Pilar to round Malafeev and find the net.

Buoyed by the goal Michal Bilek's side suddenly looked far more assured and began to take the game to Russia as the match became increasingly open.

Arshavin's artistry meant Russia remained a threat at the other end, but once again Kerzhakov failed to hit the target from a lovely through ball.

The striker's nightmare evening soon got worse as he shot hopelessly wide after cutting inside Michal Kadlec, prompting Advocaat to put him out of his misery and summon Pavlyuchenko from the bench.

Theodor Gebre Selassie almost produced a stunning effort as his first-time volley from a Tomas Rosicky cross flashed narrowly wide of the near post, before the Arsenal midfielder's awkward angled shot was gathered at the second attempt by Malafeev.

But Dzagoev effectively killed the game off when Pavlyuchenko seized on a loose ball 12 minutes from time to set up the midfielder to plant a firm shot beyond Cech.

Pavlyuchenko then put a gloss on the win as he tricked his way into the box before firing into the roof of the net.

espnstar.com

French Open 2012: Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to reach final

FRENCH OPEN MEN'S FINAL

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  • Date: 10 June
  • Time: 14:00 BST

Novak Djokovic outclassed Roger Federer to reach the French Open final and maintain his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

The world number one came from a break down to win the first set before overturning a 3-0 deficit, preventing Federer serving out to take the second.

Djokovic sealed a comfortable 6-4 7-5 6-3 win in two hours and five minutes.

In his first Paris final on Sunday, Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal, who has won 11 of their 13 matches on clay.

"Perhaps this is Federer in decline? On today's evidence he hasn't got the consistency to live with Djokovic and Nadal. He can do it in best-of-three set tournaments but that's the difference for me. I don't like saying this because he is a legend and I hope he continues playing long into the future."

The world's two best players will both be attempting records, Nadal a seventh Roland Garros title and Djokovic seeking to become only the third player, and the first since Rod Laver in 1969, to hold all the major trophies at once.

Djokovic and Federer's 10th Grand Slam meeting could not sustain expectations as the Serbian levelled the overall score to 5-5.

Federer won in four sets when the pair met in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, but his many followers will have been alarmed with his failure to compete for long periods in this encounter.

The match began in suitably gladiatorial fashion with the two players trading imperious winners.

Federer captured the first break with a sweeping forehand but Djokovic, who needed to save four match points to overcome Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals, broke back immediately.

As Federer tried to combat Djokovic's athleticism with some bold winners, his precision deserted him and the opening set slipped away.

Having prevailed in an epic 36-stroke rally. Federer then landed a smash to break in the first game of the second set, before sending an ace down the middle for his first love hold in the next.

It appeared there was to be no response from Djokovic, who netted then sent a forehand long to drop serve again, but a more expansive approach saw him swiftly break Federer and the set was soon all square.

The fluctuations continued as a backhand down the line created a break point for Federer, which he duly accepted.

But when serving to level the match he was broken for a third time and Djokovic soon moved ahead for the first time in the set.

Federer has not won a Grand Slam since January 2010 and when he sent a forehand long to concede the set, he would no doubt have been aware that Djokovic had never lost from two sets up, a statistic that was not about to change.

A single break in the sixth game of the third set was enough for Djokovic to complete victory as Federer succumbed to his sixth successive defeat against a number one ranked player.

"I thought I was playing very aggressive early on but it was always going to be hard serving well in the wind and when Novak picks up some good returns my first serve is always going to be difficult," Federer lamented.

"I was actually feeling well in the second set so that one hurts the most to lose. In the third I wasn't able to put a good game together and with a two sets lead it's not the same match anymore and Novak goes for broke.

"The Olympics is still two months away, Wimbledon is two weeks away so there is still time, but semi-finals is a very good result for any tennis player.

"I've got to change things for grass anyway and I'm looking forward to that. It's been a difficult clay court season, I wasn't in the best shape physically and maybe I did feel that coming down the stretch."

Assessing the challenge awaiting him against Nadal, Djokovic said: "I know I have to be playing consistently well on a very high level to win a best-of-five against Nadal here.

"It's the ultimate challenge. But I believe today was my best match of 2012 Roland Garros for me. I raised my game when I needed to. That's something that gives me confidence before the final.

"When you come back from double break down against a player like Federer, it's a success, a great achievement, but I can't allow myself to have that many ups and downs, especially in the next match."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/

Nadal stands in the way of Novak's dream

Tennis News: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in a fourth consecutive grand slam final at the French Open on Sunday.

History has already been made as four straight finals have never been contested by the same two men before, while for Djokovic there is the carrot of becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all the titles.

Nadal can make a piece of history all of his own, for victory on Sunday, overturning the results in London, New York and Melbourne, would earn him a seventh Roland Garros crown and surpass the record mark he currently shares with Bjorn Borg.

And he certainly goes in as the favourite after showing once again today what supreme form he is in with a 6-2 6-2 6-1 thrashing of David Ferrer, while Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 6-4 7-5 6-3.

After the classic encounter between Djokovic and Federer last year, which went the way of the Swiss, today's [Friday] match was a disappointment, the windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier certainly not helping.

Neither player went into the match playing his best tennis, and that did not change, but Djokovic was more consistent, making only 17 unforced errors compared to 46 from his opponent, and that told its own story.

The second set was the key, with Federer breaking twice to lead 3-0, Djokovic clawing his way back and then breaking the Swiss twice more, including when he served to level the match.

The third was much more straightforward as Djokovic booked his place in his first French Open final, taking revenge after Federer ended his 43-match winning streak last year.

The Serbian, who saved four match points against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Tuesday, is still not entirely happy with his form, and he said: "I think I would really want myself not to have the downs that I had at the beginning of the second set.

"But I regrouped mentally and I came back. That's really a positive, especially when you come back from a double break down. Against a player like Federer, it is a great achievement."

When asked his views on Sunday's match, Federer declared Nadal to be the "overwhelming favourite", and Djokovic conceded his rival is indeed in the driving seat.

The 25-year-old said: "He's the favourite, definitely. But it's a final so I think it's unpredictable what's going to happen because we are top two players, and we have played so many times the last year and a half in so many finals. I believe in myself. I think I have a chance."

Federer had been open about the fact he had struggled to find his rhythm all fortnight but he felt he had got his tactics right today despite the high error count.

He said: "I wondered about many things but there comes a time when you have to stop asking yourself questions and play, which is what I tried to do.

"What's certain is that, given the conditions, I tried to be aggressive. It's more complicated. Even more the case on clay.

"I had opportunities, I missed them, even though I didn't play badly on the break points. But then it's on my serve. When I was serving, I didn't manage to play better. It was tough.

"It was difficult to attack. I could have waited a little but if I were to do this, I was playing for him. I was not here to play a good match but to win the match, so I had to hit the shots. It was a bit disappointing today."

Earlier, Nadal put on an absolute masterclass against Ferrer, who simply could do nothing about the relentless power and accuracy of his opponent.

Nadal won 19 of the last 22 points in the opening set and even a break in the second for a heavy shower did nothing to put the 26-year-old off his rhythm as he clinched victory in an hour and 46 minutes.

The Spaniard goes into Sunday's final having lost his serve only once, not dropped a set and lost just 35 games – the fewest since Bjorn Borg dropped 27 in 1978 on his way to the final.

Nadal said: "It was one of my best matches on this court. In my opinion I did almost everything right, because my serve worked very well, my backhand was the best day so far.

"I am very happy, but sorry for David. He's a great fighter. He's always there week after week.

"I really don't like to talk about perfection, because that, in my opinion, doesn't exist. You can always play better."

Ferrer, who ousted Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, was content with his performances over the tournament as a whole and felt there was little he could have done to change the outcome today.

The 30-year-old said: "I tried to do my best, but when the opponent was better than me, I can't do anything. He played very good all the time, I didn't have any chance.

"I'm very happy with my game all tournament. Maybe today [Friday] was not the best match of these two weeks, but it's my first semi-final at Roland Garros."

http://www.espnstar.com/tennis/french-open/news/detail/item812682/Nadal-stands-in-the-way-of-Novak%27s-dream/

Maria Sharapova eyes career Slam in French Open final

FRENCH OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  • Date: 9 June
  • Time: 14:00 BST

Maria Sharapova will bid to become only the 10th woman to complete the career Grand Slam when she meets Sara Errani in Saturday's French Open final.

Sharapova has returned to the top of the world rankings with her run to the final, her first at Roland Garros.

"It will be special," said the 25-year-old Russian, a former Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon champion.

"To be in this situation is going to be quite new, but it's something I've dreamed of for a long time."

Sharapova won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, and added the US and Australian titles by the time she was 20.

However, with a shoulder injury having put her career in jeopardy, Sharapova last topped the world rankings in 2008, and ended a three-year run without a Grand Slam final appearance at last year's Wimbledon.

She was beaten by Petra Kvitova, and suffered a similar fate against Victoria Azarenka at this year's Australian Open, but will start as favourite against Errani.

The Italian had won only one match at the French Open before this year, but arrived at Roland Garros having reached the last eight at the Australian Open and won three Tour titles, all on clay.

Sharapova said: "She's won so many titles already on clay, and these last couple of weeks she's really been improving, beating great players, and is really confident – and that's obviously a dangerous opponent."

Errani left Italy at the age of 12 to join Nick Bollettieri's famous academy in Florida, staying there for 10 months before returning to Europe and training in Spain.

Sharapova is also a former Bollettieri pupil, having arrived there in 1994 aged seven. However, she and Errani have never played each other.

Prior to her run at Roland Garros, the 21st-seeded Italian had lost all 28 of her matches against players in the world's top 10, but changed all that with wins over Angelique Kerber and Sam Stosur.

"I've never thought, 'I can't beat someone in the top 10.' I play and give my best, and if I don't win, I don't win," Errani explained.

"I don't think about whether I can win the title. I just think about the next match. If I win, then I think about the next one."

She attributes her good form this season to using a racquet with a longer handle to generate extra power.

"It was love at first sight," said the 25-year-old. "From my first practices with it, I really felt completely different. I could control the ball better. I could hit it faster. It boosted my confidence." / BBC SPORT

Career Grand Slam holders

Maureen Connolly Brinker (US)

Doris Hart (US)

Shirley Fry Irvin (US)

Margaret Court (Aus)

Billie Jean King (US)

Chris Evert (US)

Martina Navratilova (Cze/US)

Steffi Graf (Ger)

Serena Williams (US)

Friday 8th June 2012

Lions stun Malaysia with late fightback

Singapore vs Malaysia: Baihakki Khaizan, Safee Sali

Singapore scored two goals in the final three minutes of the game to salvage a 2-2 draw against Malaysia in the first leg of the Causeway Challenge on Friday.

While officially labelled a two-legged friendly encounter, there was always going to be plenty of intensity in a game between two arch-rivals, and K. Rajagobal's men certainly looked headed for victory after substitute Azamuddin Akil and captain Safiq Rahim had given them a two-goal lead inside the opening hour.

Qiu Li then missed a chance to pull one back for Radojko Avramovic's men in the 83rd minute when he missed a controversial penalty, before referee Ng Kai Lam made an even more-questionable call to award an indirect freekick inside the box after apparently penalising Aidil Zafuan for dissent.

From 15 yards out, Shahdan Sulaiman made no mistake by curling in an effort, before Qiu made amends deep into stoppage time when he drilled a piledriver into the top corner from the edge of the area to cap off an unlikely comeback from Singapore.

With the memory of last year's FIFA World Cup qualifying elimination at the hands of the Lions still fresh in their minds, plenty of talk from the Malaysian camp in the build-up to the game had been centred around exacting vengeance on their arch-rivals.

However, it was Singapore who started the brighter of the two teams and they very nearly took the lead three minutes in when Shaiful Esah whipped in a cross onto the head of Agu Casmir, whose firm header forced a terrific save from Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.

Six minutes later, the visitors created their first chance when Safee Sali picked up the ball inside the area and took Baihakki Khaizan out of the equation with a sharp turn, only to see his drilled cross cleared away from the danger zone by Safuwan Baharudin.

Safuwan then very nearly made an impact at the other end in the 24th minute when he ventured forward for a corner and met Shaiful's delivery with a powerful header. Unfortunately for the hosts, Harimau captain Safiq was perfectly positioned at the post to clear off the line.

Singapore were beginning to dominate proceedings as their opponents struggled to cope with their aerial superiority but there was a distinct lack of clear-cut openings created by the hosts, and they were made to pay a minute before the break.

With a clever turn-and-pass, Azamuddin released Safee down the right-side of the area before making a follow-up run into the box, where he was then picked out by his team-mate, after a ingenious dummy from Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, and made no mistake from six yards out.

Four minutes after halftime, the Pahang winger almost found himself in another scoring opportunity when Norshahrul looked to play him in with a neat square ball, only for Baihakki to weigh in with a vital intervention.

However, the Lions stand-in captain turned villain on the hour mark when he conceded a needless foul on Norshahrul on the edge of the area, allowing Safiq to step up and double Malaysia's advantage with a brilliant freekick into the far corner.

With nothing to lose, Singapore began to push more and more men forward but they struggled to carve out a real opening until seven minutes from time when Ng inexplicably pointed to the spot after Khairul Nizam had fired a shot straight at Fahmi, before running straight into the Malaysia custodian and tumbling inside the area. Justice was arguably served as Qiu's effort from 12 yards was expertly saved by the Kelantan man.

Yet in a decision stranger than the original penalty call, the referee blew his whistle again and penalised Aidil for dissent before awarding the hosts an indirect freekick 15 yards out from goal. This time, the set-piece was left to Shahdan, who expertly curled an effort just inside the far post after Mustafic Fahrudin had tapped the ball into his path to give his side a glimmer of hope.

A minute from time, the Lions had another penalty shout after Nizam sneaked in behind the Malaysia defence and looked odds-on to race through on goal, only to be clattered into by Fahmi. On this occasion, Ng decided to turn down what looked a legitimate appeal.

However, Harimau were starting to get really rattled by now and three minutes into stoppage time, the hosts finally forced an equaliser after Shahdan cleverly laid the ball back to the edge of the area from a freekick down the right wing. With everyone expecting a cross into the box, Qiu had all the time in the world to set his sights and unleashed a ferocious first-time shot into the top corner to steal a draw for Singapore and send the home fans delirious.

Singapore: Izwan Mahbud, Irwan Shah (Qiu Li 46′), Safuwan Baharudin, Baihakki Khaizan, Shakir Hamzah (Safirul Sulaiman 76′), Yasir Hanapi (Shi Jiayi 46′), Isa Halim (Mustafic Fahrudin 46′), Hariss Harun, Shaiful Esah (Daniel Bennett 46′), Shahdan Sulaiman, Agu Casmir (Khairul Nizam 71′).

Malaysia: Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Bunyamin Umar, Fadhli Shas, Aidil Zafuan (S. Subramaniam 88′), Azmi Muslim (Mahalli Jasuli 71′), Shahurain Abu Samah (Azamuddin Akil 35′), K. Gurusamy, Safiq Rahim, S. Kunanlan (S. Chanturu 79′), Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (Ahmad Shakir 74′), Safee Sali (Amar Rohidan 82′).

espnstar.com

Did you like this? Share it:

Jumaat, 22 Jun 2012

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha - Google Blog Search

0 ulasan
URL Sumber Asal :-

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha - Google Blog Search


Google Blog Search - <b>Norshahrul Idlan Talaha</b>

Posted: 09 Jun 2012 01:33 PM PDT

URL Sumber Asal :-

Plucky Singaporesteals draw against Malaysia | aXross The Line

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 11:17 AM PDT

Shahdan Sulaiman (jersey number 8) scored one and made one to help the Lions to a 2-2 drawWith the clock ticking down to full-time and the Lions trailing 0-2 against the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup Champions, Singapore were headed towards a defeat that would have been deemed disastrous by the local football fraternity.

Shahdan Sulaiman's brilliance in the dying moments of the game ensured that Singapore go into the second leg of this Causeway Challenge at Shah Alam on Tuesday on level terms.

The first half saw the Lions dominating play for the opening 20 minutes. Agu Casmir drew a world class reflex save out of Khairul Fahmi Che Mat with a header off a perfectly weighted Shaiful Esah cross, and gasps from the 6,000 fans at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Safee Sali then issued a warning, weaving his way past two markers before seeing his angled shot cleared by Safuwan Baharudin three meters from goal.

Safuwan was the next to come close to scoring in the 23rd minute, his goal-bound header cleared off the goal line by Malaysia's skipper, Safiq Rahim.

The complexity of the game changed as Dato K Rajagopal made an early substitution, taking off Shahurain Abu Samah and putting on Azamuddin Akil, a move that proved to be the masterstroke of the game.

The Pahang winger caused several problems on the left flank, starting a move  that he finished off to break the deadlock in the 43rd minute.

Azamuddin played a through ball onto the path of Safee Sali, who cleverly broke the offside trap, before sending in a splendid ball into the danger area. The cut back was dummied by Norshahrul Idlan Talaha into the path of Azamuddin who continued his run, and lifted the ball over Izwan Mahbud to put the Malaysians one goal up at the break.

Radojko Avramovic responded by throwing on seasoned campaigners in the second period. The naturalized quartet came on in a bid to get Singapore back into the game, but the Lions went two goals down on the hour.

Norshahrul won a free kick for Malaysia just outside the box and skipper Safiq Rahim made no mistake from 20 yards.

The Lions were then awarded a penalty after Khairul Nizam was adjudged to have been fouled by Khairul Fahmi enroute to goal. Qiu Li stepped up and Khairul Fahmi guessed the right way, managing to firmly hold on to the spot-kick.

In what was a hotly disputed decision, Aidil Zafuan was shown a yellow card by referee Ng Kai Lam and who awarded Singapore an indirect free kick within the 18 yard box for reasons unclear to all but the Hong Kong national.

Shahdan Sulaiman stepped up and buried the free kick into the top right corner of the net.

Five minutes were added and Singapore poured forward in numbers. Safuwan received a message from the dug out, surged down the right flank and cleverly won a free kick near the corner flag.

Singaporethrew bodies toward goal with only Qiu Li lurking just outside the 18 yard box. Shahdan played a firm grounder onto Qiu's path, and the 31 year-old blasted an unstoppable shot into the roof of the Malaysian goal, as Jalan Besar erupted.

The final whistle went shortly after and Singapore maintained their unbeaten run (10 games) against Malaysia since 2004.

Hear what the coaches have to say here:

Dato K Rajagopal Part 1/2

Dato K Rajagopal Part 2/2

Radojko Avramovic 

Singapore National Football Team during the National Anthem

Malaysia National Football Team during the National Anthem

Safuwan and Shakir combines to stop Azamuddin Akil

Baihakki Khaizan showing focus and concentration

Safuwan towering ahead of Azamuddin, wins a header

Yasir Hanapi gets the better of Gurusamy

Fadhli Shas defending against Baihakki Khaizan and Agu Casmir

Norshahrul tries to get past Baihakki

Shakir gives chase as Azamuddin tries breaking free

The freekick that led to the first Singapore goal

Singapore head Coach Radojko Avramovic at the press conference

Malaysia head Coach Dato K Rajagopal at the press conference

The Lions will be leaving Singapore for Malaysia tomorrow 10 June. The Lions will go onboard MH604 from Changi Airport Terminal Two at 0950hrs.

SPORTS NEWS PICKS : SATURDAY JUNE 9, 2012 : aforadio.com <b>...</b>

Posted: 08 Jun 2012 10:24 PM PDT

Saturday 9th June 2012

Poland open Euros with Greece draw

Poland vs Greece: Giorgios Samaras, Lukasz Piszczek

Substitute goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton was the hero for Poland their dramatic 1-1 draw with Greece which saw both sides reduced to ten men in Warsaw on Friday.

Tyton came off the bench in the second half for the co-hosts after Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had been sent off for bringing down Greek substitute Dimitris Salpigidis.

The reserve goalkeeper promptly saved the resulting spot-kick from Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis to ensure the points were shared in a wonderfully entertaining match in Group A at the National Stadium.

Poland will be kicking themselves, however, after throwing it away having gone in at half-time with a one-goal lead and with Greece down to 10 men after defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off harshly for two innocuous yellow cards.

The Poles, who began the game with swaggering intent in front their home fans, had dominated the first half.

It was no surprise when Robert Lewandowski gave them the perfect start after 17 minutes, although the goal had as much to do with the poor positioning of Greek goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias as the sharpness of Lewandowski.

Chalkias found himself flapping his arms in no man's land to leave the Borussia Dortmund striker, who scored a hat-trick in the German cup final last month, to head home a swinging cross from Jakub Blaszczykowski.

It was no more than the Poles deserved.

They were hungrier, quicker to the ball and seemingly desperate to prove that while they are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament they have a realistic chance of reaching the quarter finals at least.

In that 45 minutes the Greeks looked a shadow of the organised side who had gained a reputation for being tough to beat, having lost just one of 21 games under manager Fernando Santos.

In fact, the Poles would have been kicking themselves that they were not further ahead at half-time after Rafal Murawski, Maciej Rybus and Lewandowski all missed clear-cut chances.

Damien Perquis should also have scored when the ball fell to him in the penalty area but the Polish defender, in unfamiliar territory, drilled his shot wildly wide of the post.

It looked as if the Greeks' fortune had deserted them completely, however, when Papastathopoulos saw red just before half-time.

The Greek defender had become the first player to be booked in the tournament when he received the yellow card from Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo for what appeared an harmless challenge with a Polish attacker.

His second yellow was equally as harsh when he was adjudged to have brought down Murawski. The referee, however, produced red and Greece were down to 10 men and seemingly heading to an opening defeat.

Perhaps fired up by the injustice the Greeks, however, came out in the second half with more determination and resolve and it paid off, even in they did have Szczesny to thank for their equaliser.

Szczesny raced out of his goal attempting to collect Vassilis Torosidis' right-wing cross but misjudged it totally, allowing substitute Salpigidis to score from close-range.

The drama, however, was far from finished and the teams were down to 10 players each after 70 minutes when Szczesny endured a moment of madness, sticking out a leg to trip Salpigidis in the penalty area.

The resulting penalty was delayed while PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Tyton came off the bench and Maciej Rybus went off, but Tyton's first action was the most crucial of the match, saving the tame spot-kick of Karagounis.

A point was probably a fair result. But what a dramatic way for Euro 2012 to begin.

espnstar.com

Saturday 9th June 2012

Russia vs Czech Republic: Petr Cech; Roman Shirokov

Russia top Group A with Czech victory

Russia went top of Group A in Euro 2012 as Alan Dzagoev's double helped them to a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw.

Dick Advocaat's side made a slow start but soon found their stride to take a 2-0 interval lead through midfielders Dzagoev and Roman Shirokov.

Vaclav Pilar gave the Czechs hope by pulling one back shortly after the break but Dzagoev and substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko, on for the profligate Aleksandr Kerzhakov, sealed the win.

Despite Russia being favourites to top the group, it was the Czechs who settled the better of the two sides.

It took Russia almost a quarter of an hour to muster a meaningful attack, and when they did they came close to taking the lead.

The imperious Andrey Arshavin brilliantly played in Yuri Zhirkov near the left-hand byline but striker Kerzhakov could only steer his effort wide.

But it was a brief reprieve for the Czechs as Dzagoev drove at the heart of their defence to tee Konstantin Zyryanov up for a cross that was headed against the post by Kerzhakov, Dzagoev followed up to slam home the loose ball.

The CSKA Moscow midfielder should have doubled the lead just a few minutes later after another incisive Russian break out, but he flashed wastefully wide of Petr Cech's goal.

Rezek saw a glancing header saved by Vyacheslav Malafeev at the other and but an error from Jaroslav Plasil allowed Russia to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute.

The midfielder gave away possession and Arshavin seized on it, the Arsenal player's pass was meant for Kerzhakov but the striker's miscontrol saw the ball reach Shirokov, who lofted over the advancing Cech.

Plasil was fortunate to get away with a clumsy push on Arshavin in the penalty area, as English World Cup final referee Howard Webb waved away the appeals.

Kerzhakov was once again guilty of being profligate in front of goal 12 minutes before the break, blazing over the bar from Zyryanov's pull back as Russia again toyed with the Czech defence.

Having been second best for much of the opening stanza the Czechs were again on the back foot after the restart with Kerzhakov again going close.

But Russia's momentum was halted in the 52nd minute as they were pegged back by by Pilar.

Bordeaux midfielder Plasil produced a superb pass to cut the Russian defence, allowing diminutive winger Pilar to round Malafeev and find the net.

Buoyed by the goal Michal Bilek's side suddenly looked far more assured and began to take the game to Russia as the match became increasingly open.

Arshavin's artistry meant Russia remained a threat at the other end, but once again Kerzhakov failed to hit the target from a lovely through ball.

The striker's nightmare evening soon got worse as he shot hopelessly wide after cutting inside Michal Kadlec, prompting Advocaat to put him out of his misery and summon Pavlyuchenko from the bench.

Theodor Gebre Selassie almost produced a stunning effort as his first-time volley from a Tomas Rosicky cross flashed narrowly wide of the near post, before the Arsenal midfielder's awkward angled shot was gathered at the second attempt by Malafeev.

But Dzagoev effectively killed the game off when Pavlyuchenko seized on a loose ball 12 minutes from time to set up the midfielder to plant a firm shot beyond Cech.

Pavlyuchenko then put a gloss on the win as he tricked his way into the box before firing into the roof of the net.

espnstar.com

French Open 2012: Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer to reach final

FRENCH OPEN MEN'S FINAL

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  • Date: 10 June
  • Time: 14:00 BST

Novak Djokovic outclassed Roger Federer to reach the French Open final and maintain his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

The world number one came from a break down to win the first set before overturning a 3-0 deficit, preventing Federer serving out to take the second.

Djokovic sealed a comfortable 6-4 7-5 6-3 win in two hours and five minutes.

In his first Paris final on Sunday, Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal, who has won 11 of their 13 matches on clay.

"Perhaps this is Federer in decline? On today's evidence he hasn't got the consistency to live with Djokovic and Nadal. He can do it in best-of-three set tournaments but that's the difference for me. I don't like saying this because he is a legend and I hope he continues playing long into the future."

The world's two best players will both be attempting records, Nadal a seventh Roland Garros title and Djokovic seeking to become only the third player, and the first since Rod Laver in 1969, to hold all the major trophies at once.

Djokovic and Federer's 10th Grand Slam meeting could not sustain expectations as the Serbian levelled the overall score to 5-5.

Federer won in four sets when the pair met in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, but his many followers will have been alarmed with his failure to compete for long periods in this encounter.

The match began in suitably gladiatorial fashion with the two players trading imperious winners.

Federer captured the first break with a sweeping forehand but Djokovic, who needed to save four match points to overcome Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals, broke back immediately.

As Federer tried to combat Djokovic's athleticism with some bold winners, his precision deserted him and the opening set slipped away.

Having prevailed in an epic 36-stroke rally. Federer then landed a smash to break in the first game of the second set, before sending an ace down the middle for his first love hold in the next.

It appeared there was to be no response from Djokovic, who netted then sent a forehand long to drop serve again, but a more expansive approach saw him swiftly break Federer and the set was soon all square.

The fluctuations continued as a backhand down the line created a break point for Federer, which he duly accepted.

But when serving to level the match he was broken for a third time and Djokovic soon moved ahead for the first time in the set.

Federer has not won a Grand Slam since January 2010 and when he sent a forehand long to concede the set, he would no doubt have been aware that Djokovic had never lost from two sets up, a statistic that was not about to change.

A single break in the sixth game of the third set was enough for Djokovic to complete victory as Federer succumbed to his sixth successive defeat against a number one ranked player.

"I thought I was playing very aggressive early on but it was always going to be hard serving well in the wind and when Novak picks up some good returns my first serve is always going to be difficult," Federer lamented.

"I was actually feeling well in the second set so that one hurts the most to lose. In the third I wasn't able to put a good game together and with a two sets lead it's not the same match anymore and Novak goes for broke.

"The Olympics is still two months away, Wimbledon is two weeks away so there is still time, but semi-finals is a very good result for any tennis player.

"I've got to change things for grass anyway and I'm looking forward to that. It's been a difficult clay court season, I wasn't in the best shape physically and maybe I did feel that coming down the stretch."

Assessing the challenge awaiting him against Nadal, Djokovic said: "I know I have to be playing consistently well on a very high level to win a best-of-five against Nadal here.

"It's the ultimate challenge. But I believe today was my best match of 2012 Roland Garros for me. I raised my game when I needed to. That's something that gives me confidence before the final.

"When you come back from double break down against a player like Federer, it's a success, a great achievement, but I can't allow myself to have that many ups and downs, especially in the next match."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/

Nadal stands in the way of Novak's dream

Tennis News: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will meet in a fourth consecutive grand slam final at the French Open on Sunday.

History has already been made as four straight finals have never been contested by the same two men before, while for Djokovic there is the carrot of becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all the titles.

Nadal can make a piece of history all of his own, for victory on Sunday, overturning the results in London, New York and Melbourne, would earn him a seventh Roland Garros crown and surpass the record mark he currently shares with Bjorn Borg.

And he certainly goes in as the favourite after showing once again today what supreme form he is in with a 6-2 6-2 6-1 thrashing of David Ferrer, while Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 6-4 7-5 6-3.

After the classic encounter between Djokovic and Federer last year, which went the way of the Swiss, today's [Friday] match was a disappointment, the windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier certainly not helping.

Neither player went into the match playing his best tennis, and that did not change, but Djokovic was more consistent, making only 17 unforced errors compared to 46 from his opponent, and that told its own story.

The second set was the key, with Federer breaking twice to lead 3-0, Djokovic clawing his way back and then breaking the Swiss twice more, including when he served to level the match.

The third was much more straightforward as Djokovic booked his place in his first French Open final, taking revenge after Federer ended his 43-match winning streak last year.

The Serbian, who saved four match points against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Tuesday, is still not entirely happy with his form, and he said: "I think I would really want myself not to have the downs that I had at the beginning of the second set.

"But I regrouped mentally and I came back. That's really a positive, especially when you come back from a double break down. Against a player like Federer, it is a great achievement."

When asked his views on Sunday's match, Federer declared Nadal to be the "overwhelming favourite", and Djokovic conceded his rival is indeed in the driving seat.

The 25-year-old said: "He's the favourite, definitely. But it's a final so I think it's unpredictable what's going to happen because we are top two players, and we have played so many times the last year and a half in so many finals. I believe in myself. I think I have a chance."

Federer had been open about the fact he had struggled to find his rhythm all fortnight but he felt he had got his tactics right today despite the high error count.

He said: "I wondered about many things but there comes a time when you have to stop asking yourself questions and play, which is what I tried to do.

"What's certain is that, given the conditions, I tried to be aggressive. It's more complicated. Even more the case on clay.

"I had opportunities, I missed them, even though I didn't play badly on the break points. But then it's on my serve. When I was serving, I didn't manage to play better. It was tough.

"It was difficult to attack. I could have waited a little but if I were to do this, I was playing for him. I was not here to play a good match but to win the match, so I had to hit the shots. It was a bit disappointing today."

Earlier, Nadal put on an absolute masterclass against Ferrer, who simply could do nothing about the relentless power and accuracy of his opponent.

Nadal won 19 of the last 22 points in the opening set and even a break in the second for a heavy shower did nothing to put the 26-year-old off his rhythm as he clinched victory in an hour and 46 minutes.

The Spaniard goes into Sunday's final having lost his serve only once, not dropped a set and lost just 35 games – the fewest since Bjorn Borg dropped 27 in 1978 on his way to the final.

Nadal said: "It was one of my best matches on this court. In my opinion I did almost everything right, because my serve worked very well, my backhand was the best day so far.

"I am very happy, but sorry for David. He's a great fighter. He's always there week after week.

"I really don't like to talk about perfection, because that, in my opinion, doesn't exist. You can always play better."

Ferrer, who ousted Andy Murray in the quarter-finals, was content with his performances over the tournament as a whole and felt there was little he could have done to change the outcome today.

The 30-year-old said: "I tried to do my best, but when the opponent was better than me, I can't do anything. He played very good all the time, I didn't have any chance.

"I'm very happy with my game all tournament. Maybe today [Friday] was not the best match of these two weeks, but it's my first semi-final at Roland Garros."

http://www.espnstar.com/tennis/french-open/news/detail/item812682/Nadal-stands-in-the-way-of-Novak%27s-dream/

Maria Sharapova eyes career Slam in French Open final

FRENCH OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL

  • Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
  • Date: 9 June
  • Time: 14:00 BST

Maria Sharapova will bid to become only the 10th woman to complete the career Grand Slam when she meets Sara Errani in Saturday's French Open final.

Sharapova has returned to the top of the world rankings with her run to the final, her first at Roland Garros.

"It will be special," said the 25-year-old Russian, a former Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon champion.

"To be in this situation is going to be quite new, but it's something I've dreamed of for a long time."

Sharapova won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old, and added the US and Australian titles by the time she was 20.

However, with a shoulder injury having put her career in jeopardy, Sharapova last topped the world rankings in 2008, and ended a three-year run without a Grand Slam final appearance at last year's Wimbledon.

She was beaten by Petra Kvitova, and suffered a similar fate against Victoria Azarenka at this year's Australian Open, but will start as favourite against Errani.

The Italian had won only one match at the French Open before this year, but arrived at Roland Garros having reached the last eight at the Australian Open and won three Tour titles, all on clay.

Sharapova said: "She's won so many titles already on clay, and these last couple of weeks she's really been improving, beating great players, and is really confident – and that's obviously a dangerous opponent."

Errani left Italy at the age of 12 to join Nick Bollettieri's famous academy in Florida, staying there for 10 months before returning to Europe and training in Spain.

Sharapova is also a former Bollettieri pupil, having arrived there in 1994 aged seven. However, she and Errani have never played each other.

Prior to her run at Roland Garros, the 21st-seeded Italian had lost all 28 of her matches against players in the world's top 10, but changed all that with wins over Angelique Kerber and Sam Stosur.

"I've never thought, 'I can't beat someone in the top 10.' I play and give my best, and if I don't win, I don't win," Errani explained.

"I don't think about whether I can win the title. I just think about the next match. If I win, then I think about the next one."

She attributes her good form this season to using a racquet with a longer handle to generate extra power.

"It was love at first sight," said the 25-year-old. "From my first practices with it, I really felt completely different. I could control the ball better. I could hit it faster. It boosted my confidence." / BBC SPORT

Career Grand Slam holders

Maureen Connolly Brinker (US)

Doris Hart (US)

Shirley Fry Irvin (US)

Margaret Court (Aus)

Billie Jean King (US)

Chris Evert (US)

Martina Navratilova (Cze/US)

Steffi Graf (Ger)

Serena Williams (US)

Friday 8th June 2012

Lions stun Malaysia with late fightback

Singapore vs Malaysia: Baihakki Khaizan, Safee Sali

Singapore scored two goals in the final three minutes of the game to salvage a 2-2 draw against Malaysia in the first leg of the Causeway Challenge on Friday.

While officially labelled a two-legged friendly encounter, there was always going to be plenty of intensity in a game between two arch-rivals, and K. Rajagobal's men certainly looked headed for victory after substitute Azamuddin Akil and captain Safiq Rahim had given them a two-goal lead inside the opening hour.

Qiu Li then missed a chance to pull one back for Radojko Avramovic's men in the 83rd minute when he missed a controversial penalty, before referee Ng Kai Lam made an even more-questionable call to award an indirect freekick inside the box after apparently penalising Aidil Zafuan for dissent.

From 15 yards out, Shahdan Sulaiman made no mistake by curling in an effort, before Qiu made amends deep into stoppage time when he drilled a piledriver into the top corner from the edge of the area to cap off an unlikely comeback from Singapore.

With the memory of last year's FIFA World Cup qualifying elimination at the hands of the Lions still fresh in their minds, plenty of talk from the Malaysian camp in the build-up to the game had been centred around exacting vengeance on their arch-rivals.

However, it was Singapore who started the brighter of the two teams and they very nearly took the lead three minutes in when Shaiful Esah whipped in a cross onto the head of Agu Casmir, whose firm header forced a terrific save from Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.

Six minutes later, the visitors created their first chance when Safee Sali picked up the ball inside the area and took Baihakki Khaizan out of the equation with a sharp turn, only to see his drilled cross cleared away from the danger zone by Safuwan Baharudin.

Safuwan then very nearly made an impact at the other end in the 24th minute when he ventured forward for a corner and met Shaiful's delivery with a powerful header. Unfortunately for the hosts, Harimau captain Safiq was perfectly positioned at the post to clear off the line.

Singapore were beginning to dominate proceedings as their opponents struggled to cope with their aerial superiority but there was a distinct lack of clear-cut openings created by the hosts, and they were made to pay a minute before the break.

With a clever turn-and-pass, Azamuddin released Safee down the right-side of the area before making a follow-up run into the box, where he was then picked out by his team-mate, after a ingenious dummy from Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, and made no mistake from six yards out.

Four minutes after halftime, the Pahang winger almost found himself in another scoring opportunity when Norshahrul looked to play him in with a neat square ball, only for Baihakki to weigh in with a vital intervention.

However, the Lions stand-in captain turned villain on the hour mark when he conceded a needless foul on Norshahrul on the edge of the area, allowing Safiq to step up and double Malaysia's advantage with a brilliant freekick into the far corner.

With nothing to lose, Singapore began to push more and more men forward but they struggled to carve out a real opening until seven minutes from time when Ng inexplicably pointed to the spot after Khairul Nizam had fired a shot straight at Fahmi, before running straight into the Malaysia custodian and tumbling inside the area. Justice was arguably served as Qiu's effort from 12 yards was expertly saved by the Kelantan man.

Yet in a decision stranger than the original penalty call, the referee blew his whistle again and penalised Aidil for dissent before awarding the hosts an indirect freekick 15 yards out from goal. This time, the set-piece was left to Shahdan, who expertly curled an effort just inside the far post after Mustafic Fahrudin had tapped the ball into his path to give his side a glimmer of hope.

A minute from time, the Lions had another penalty shout after Nizam sneaked in behind the Malaysia defence and looked odds-on to race through on goal, only to be clattered into by Fahmi. On this occasion, Ng decided to turn down what looked a legitimate appeal.

However, Harimau were starting to get really rattled by now and three minutes into stoppage time, the hosts finally forced an equaliser after Shahdan cleverly laid the ball back to the edge of the area from a freekick down the right wing. With everyone expecting a cross into the box, Qiu had all the time in the world to set his sights and unleashed a ferocious first-time shot into the top corner to steal a draw for Singapore and send the home fans delirious.

Singapore: Izwan Mahbud, Irwan Shah (Qiu Li 46′), Safuwan Baharudin, Baihakki Khaizan, Shakir Hamzah (Safirul Sulaiman 76′), Yasir Hanapi (Shi Jiayi 46′), Isa Halim (Mustafic Fahrudin 46′), Hariss Harun, Shaiful Esah (Daniel Bennett 46′), Shahdan Sulaiman, Agu Casmir (Khairul Nizam 71′).

Malaysia: Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Bunyamin Umar, Fadhli Shas, Aidil Zafuan (S. Subramaniam 88′), Azmi Muslim (Mahalli Jasuli 71′), Shahurain Abu Samah (Azamuddin Akil 35′), K. Gurusamy, Safiq Rahim, S. Kunanlan (S. Chanturu 79′), Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (Ahmad Shakir 74′), Safee Sali (Amar Rohidan 82′).

espnstar.com

Did you like this? Share it:

 

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved