Why Chelsea DID deserve to win the Champions League
Sport expresses itself in many different arts and forms. Football, soccer, calcio, fùtbol or fussball is the most followed type of sport on this planet, and probably on all the others, too. But this does not mean that this sport is the most meritocratic of all.
Why Chelsea didn’t deserve to win the Champions League
The 2011/12 season in the Champions League is now over. Chelsea are the winners, but the question is- did they really deserve to be?
People say that once someone has achieved something, it shouldn’t be questioned by others. Nothing personal against anyone, but this is exactly what I’m going to do now; and I‘ll tell you why I think Chelsea didn’t deserve to win the Champions Cup.
Olympiakos-Panathinaikos, another Athens derby marked by violence
Photo www.redplanet.gr
Groups of rioters grip a few stones and violently fling them towards shop windows or other nearby glass surfaces. This has become a sadly popular scene in the last couple of years in Greece, especially on the occasion of general strikes and demonstrations against the austerity measures adopted by the now former government of Georgios Papandreou.
But violence is ruling in sports, too. Athens has witnessed a turbulent spring and the last dramatic episode took place last Thursday, when the first match of the national basketball league playoff finals between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos was postponed. The decision was taken after the bus of the latter side, who won the last nine domestic titles, was attacked by unknown hooligans.
Are the Orioles for real?
Written by Baseball contributor Toby Durant
At the start of the month I left Baltimore out of my top 10. I did this because despite their 15-9 record on May 1st (5th best in the league) I was sceptical due to a relatively easy schedule. Of the trio of AL East giants they had only played 4 games against the Yankees, and lost all 4. They’d lost a 3 game series against a struggling Angels team. So getting fat off a diet of the Twins, A’s and White Sox didn’t really impress me.
Well since May 1st the Baltimore Orioles have had an incredibly difficult stretch. They took the final 2 games in New York against the Yankees convincingly, went into Fenway and swept the Red Sox (including the memorable 17 inning game with DH Chris Davis pitching 2 shutout innings to get the win), lost 3 of 4 against Texas (no shame there), won 2 out of 3 against Tampa and just split a 2 game series with the Yankees. That’s a murderers row of teams and they managed to go 9-5. Sure, they only have a +3 run differential for those games, but that’s mostly thanks to one Josh Hamilton.
As it stands the Orioles are tied for 1st in the AL East with Tampa at 23-14 with a +15 run differential. So, are the Orioles for real? Could they actually keep this going the rest of the way? To put things into context we’re not quite a quarter of the way through this season, but Baltimore haven’t been over .500 in mid-May since 2008 so fans are understandably excited.
Italy claim Olympic spot after winning the Qualification Tournament in Bulgaria
Written by special guest author Victoria Georgieva!
The Olympic Volleyball Qualification Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria is already over.
It seems like nobody wanted the qualification to come to an end though, even the weather is moody and dark after the end of the competition.
But the teams are already at home, preparing for the next qualifications and for the World League, the emotions are about to fade away…
And London 2012 has its new participant – the team of Italy won the one-and-only quota after beating 3-2 Germany.
So here we should aks ourselves – why Italy?
Let’s have a look at the performance of each team in order to make it clear.
2011/12 Season Review: English Premier League
Yet another season in English football has come to a close! The 2011/12 campaign ended on Sunday, the 13th of May, in what were some of the most bizarre circumstances in recent history.
Manchester City were crowned champions of England for the first time since 1968, but how close were they to losing an otherwise deserved title? With Manchester United winning against Sunderland 0-1, and City losing to QPR 1-2 until the 90th minute, who would have thought that the “Citizens” were going to celebrate winning the trophy just 5 minutes later, after first Edin Dzeko equalized, and then Sergio Aguero got the winner?
Clericus Cup: Football in the Shadow of the Dome
Photo www.calciopro.com
According to a common belief, football is like religion. Indeed, it is a religion. Football fans are entirely devoted to their favourite team. They know by heart the names of the Starting XI as if they were the Ten Commandments. The stands of the stadium are like the pews of a church; people seat there every weekend, the former for enjoying football, the latter for attending the mass.
Religion does care about football and the relationship can occasionally be troublesome. Take the case of the harsh rivalry between catholic Celtic and protestant Rangers in Glasgow, or the sectarianism promoted by Beitar Jerusalem fans. But if you are looking for a peaceful connection, the Vatican City is definitely the place to be.
There will be no colourful flares or noisy drums this Saturday at the Pontificio Oratorio di San Pietro leisure centre in the hills, just above the Vatican. Here, on an astroturf pitch that gives a breathtaking view of the monumental dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, a team between Gregoriana and the North American Martyrs will lift the Clericus Cup. It is a competition for priests and seminarians of the Catholic Church, organised by Christian organisation Centro Sportivo Italiano.
The big volleyball show starts …now!
Written by special guest writer Victoria Georgieva.
8-13 of May. Sports hall Arena „Armeets”. Sofia, Bulgaria.
It might sound like I’m representing you some kind of a new film, a music festival or a new book .. Nothing like that.
In fact, what is about to happen in the capital of this southeastern country is way more interesting in comparison to the listed above. Sofia will be the host of the volleyball Olympic qualification for men.
Those 6 days will give the sports fans the opportunity to enjoy the big battle between some of the best teams in the world :
Rotherham United 1-1 Northampton Town
Rotherham:
Taylor; Bradley, Raynes, Mullins, Tonge, Schofield, Taylor, Pringle, Grabban, Hoskins, Revell
Northampton:
Kitson; Charles, Tozer, Akinfenwa, Johnson, Jacobs, Guttridge, Wilson, Silva, Carlisle, Adams
Referee: C. Boyeson
Goal: Alex Revell (31); Adebayo Akinfenwa (90)
Bookings: Clarke Carlisle, Adebayo Akinfenwa (NT)
Attendance: 4729
May Top 10: Entering the grind
Written by special guest contributor Toby Durant
One month into the season and we’re starting to get a flavour of who’s good and who really, really isn’t (I’m looking at you San Diego). So what better time to do a power ranking?? This won’t be a full 1-30 ranking because who really has time to read, or write, one of those anyway. Instead it’s a top 10 of those teams I think have excelled in April and will be the best teams going forward into May.