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[bia2209]

jewell said:

bia2209 said:

LMAO...maybe i should say i am an aspiring sports journalist...hehe

I worked part time at Europsort.com but they've moved to London.

But I finish with school (well mostly) in december..so then we'll see if I make it or not.

That's wonderful. You should really pursue it, if it is what you really want to do.

I also have the same aspirations as you, so don't be afraid to give me a buzz if you want some advice.

Another journalist...hehe. We should start like our own sports newspaper...it can be TGFR spinoff...

;D ;D

What's the job market like in London? I'm undecided about where to go next....damn the world for being such a big place anyways.

[sonya]

during the world cup,i was so sad that i'm not a footie addict-seeing all those crazy fans,all the fuss about it,the whole world talking about only one thing really,i feel like i'm missing something huge[and i'm sure i do ],just because i'm not crazy about football.it's your offiicial job now-find a way to get me into it ;D !i usually get excited around 4finals at the europian or world cup and that's it .

maybe if mama safin had had more sense for her son's dreams,it'd be a whole different story with my addiction to football . ah,well,i'm not complaining-it's so great to have such a guy in my favourite sport ;D !

[Annie]

Yesterday's results of Euro 2008 playoffs ;D ;D ;D

Finland 1 - 0 Armenia
Belgium 0 - 1 Poland
Portugal 3 - 0 Kazakhstan
Cyprus 1 - 1 Germany
Ireland 5 - 0 San Marino
Rep. of Macedonia 0 - 2 Russia ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Israel 3 - 4 Croatia

A few friendlies also hapenned yesterday and here are the results ;D

Malta 1 - 4 Lithuania
Zimbabwe 3 - 2 Namibia
Algeria 1 - 2 Burkina Faso
Estonia 2 - 1 Belarus
Slovakia 3 - 1 Bulgaria Veni
Georgia 2 - 0 Uruguay
Sweden 0 - 1 Ivory Coast (no prizes for guessing who scored LMAO ;D Drogba did it again)
Tunisia 2 - 0 Libya
Holland 1 - 1 England
Hungary 1 - 0 Canada
Luxembourg 0 - 0 Togo
Czech Republic 1 - 1 Denmark
Serbia 1 - 1 Norway
Austria 4 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
Morocco 6 - 0 Gabon
Switzerland 1 - 2 Brazil ;D ;D ;D Kaka Scored ;D ;D ;D
Egypt 1 - 0 South Africa
Italy 1 - 1 Turkey
France 1 - 0 Greece
Spain 0 - 1 Romania
Venezuela 2 - 1 Guatemala
Bolivia 4 - 1 El Salvador
Jamaica 1 - 1 Peru
Chile 3 - 2 Paraguay

[bia2209]

admin said:

Switzerland 1 - 2 Brazil ;D ;D ;D Kaka Scored ;D ;D ;D

And he was captain too....so cute.

[Annie]

From Chelsea's website

Spy on Thursday
Thursday, Nov 16, 2006

Chelsea’s Spy In The Camp has been bringing inside news, banter and comment for 20 years in the matchday programme, on Chelsea TV and now on the web. Today he sees Andriy Shevchenko adapting to José Mourinho’s training routines.



Andriy Shevchenko is the first player José Mourinho has bought from Italy.

The cultural difference between training practises in Italy and Mourinho’s ‘all-ball-work’ routines cannot be underestimated. With such a short pre-season it is not surprising that Sheva took a few games to settle.

But now he’s scored in each of his last three appearances. Like the team, he looks as though he’s just discovering his balanced state.

In England, we heard so much in the 1990s about the advanced technique and tactical awareness of footballers from overseas, and in particular from Italy. So it was a surprise when Gianluca Vialli became manager and brought in the hugely respected and popular Antonio Pintus as fitness coach at how much of training was given over to fitness — to building strength, pace and stamina.

Luca was very different to Claudio Ranieri, his successor, in most ways, but Claudio with his fitness coach Roberto Sassi gave a very similar role to fitness work.

Our managers in the 1990s were Bobby Campbell, Ian Porterfield, David Webb, Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit and Vialli, and then Ranieri in the 2000s before Mourinho.

Vialli and Ranieri required by far the most running in training from their players. Pintus and Sassi had sophisticated measuring techniques to work out each player’s potential maximum performance in a number of exercises, and then the player could be worked up to his maximum.

For the most part, the players appreciated it. Dennis Wise now uses Pintus’ exercises and measurements at Leeds. Dan Petrescu, who hated the running side of training, still says with bewilderment that he can’t imagine training when it is all with the ball and there is no specific running. How can you get fit, he asks. And he worked under Hoddle and Gullit who probably required the least specific running before Mourinho.

Sheva’s pre-season was reminiscent in many ways of Vialli’s first pre-season when Gullit signed him. Luca had just lifted the Champions League trophy for Juventus, but his pre-season was blighted with niggles and irregular work. He couldn’t re-attain his Italian level of fitness.

One injury kept his pre-season games to a minimum, and although he made the beginning of the season, the cultural differences affected him more than Roberto Di Matteo who had also come over from Italy. Luca, like all forwards, required sharpness, and it wasn’t there in the way he had normally felt it.

Sheva started pre-season late like all the World Cup players, and he missed sessions and half-sessions intermittently with niggling injuries. He had gone into the World Cup, remember, with an injury he had found hard to shake off.

When the season started, it was his legendary sharpness that he most seemed to lack. Then, following the home win over Liverpool, the squad had its first uninterrupted midweek of training this season. The squad was divided into small groups to work, and Sheva’s group worked on sharpness — with the ball!

Over the next three games, Fulham away, Levski Sofia away and most notably Aston Villa at home, his game was slowly restored. Now it is beginning to bubble.

Following his goal against Portsmouth it was interrupted by his hamstring strain and then the birth of his baby, but he returned to score more against Aston Villa and Watford.

Mourinho has said, ‘there is no true way,’ when it comes to getting fit and playing football. The Italians, given their record and, most recently, their World Cup victory, cannot be wrong. Mourinho, given his triumphs in two countries and across Europe, cannot be wrong.

But moving from one style to the other is not necessarily easy even if they are both good. Andriy Shevchenko seems to be coming out of transition. With no Ukraine international this week, he has been able to enjoy another midweek of uninterrupted training ground work. One-third of the season has gone and he has scored five goals. Don’t bet against him netting 20 this season.

[maribrasil]

bia2209 said:

admin said:

Switzerland 1 - 2 Brazil ;D ;D ;D Kaka Scored ;D ;D ;D

And he was captain too....so cute.

I liked that.
i think the brazilian coach, Dunga, will keep him as the captain.
The only thing I don't like about our coach is that he doesn't seem to want Kaka, Robinho and Ronaldinho playing together.
i would love to see the three of them playing...anyway, i'm not the coach, but i think they can play together.

Just one nice thing I heard during the match:
One of the guys that were commenting said that he talked to Kaka one day before about the bad peformance of Milan in the Calcio. According to kaka, he needs to do more...
The commentator said: "More? He's the only one that's doing something there!!!"
Soooooooooooooo true!

[maribrasil]

I'm not so sure about Ronaldo going back to the national team...In fact, I wouldn't mind at all!

[Sammy]

Yipppeeeeeeee !!!
That's the least i can do after a 6/0 win Lol !!!
Even though it's not like they beat brasil, but thay won !! hehehe

[bia2209]

Btw...Mari, maybe you can shed some light on this. Is it true that Dida retired from international football?

[maribrasil]

bia2209 said:

Btw...Mari, maybe you can shed some light on this. Is it true that Dida retired from international football?

No...I heard that it was all a misunderstanding.
According to the news I read, he asked not to be select to play on the national team cause it was exausting and sad for him to be eliminated from the World Cup.
I mean, he created high expectations for this World Cup and it was very desappointing to be eliminated playing so badly.
He just needed a time to rest.

[bia2209]

Gazzetta.it are annoucing that Fabio Cannavaro has won the Ballon D'Or.

I am not sure how they are announcing that becasue in theory the identity of the winner is not revealed until November 28th. What i will say though,is they did the same thing when Sheva won it in 2004 and they weren't wrong so I guess they must be pretty sure of themselves.

Can't say he doesn't deserve it. He was amazing during the World Cup. Still, for just a tiny tiny bit, I would have put Buffon ahead of him. That save he made from Zidane in the final, from the header....

Congrats to Fabio though, if it's confirmed.

Btw, Mari...I'm glad to hear that about Dida. On his day he's one of the best keepers in the world. It would have been sad for Brazil to lose him.

[maribrasil]

They are announcing that Cannavaro is the winner because according to the spanish newspaper Marca (i guess) some people from France Football, wich is the magazine that presents the award, was in Madrid to make an interview with him.

Considering that this award is given to the best player of the season and not to the best player of the World Cup, I think Ronaldinho or Henry should win it. But the world cup seems to have a huge influence on the choice of the winner, so none of both will win this award.

[bia2209]

Major competitions are always a major part of winning the Ballon D'Or. Cannavaro was outstanding for Italy and Ronaldhinho was invisible for Brazil. So that takes care of that comparison.

Henry, for everything that he's done over the last few years. For playing the Champions Leage and World Cup finals, would deserve it. But the fact that he didn't play particularly well in either of those finals works against him. Plus the French, (even though the journalists that vote are not all french) have a thing with Henry. They are convinced that he is one of those players that goes missing in the big matches.

I understand Cannavaro winning it but I have to say it gives me regrets about Paolo Maldini. Now there is a defender and a man that would have deservered the Ballon D'Or for all he's done for football.

[Annie]

Milan drew today against nobodies That match was plain awful..

Chelsea beat WestHam 1:0 ... wasn't anything grand either

Next week: Chelsea - Manchester United and of course

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D

Let's rock n' roll!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sammy]

bia2209 said:

I understand Cannavaro winning it but I have to say it gives me regrets about Paolo Maldini. Now there is a defender and a man that would have deservered the Ballon D'Or for all he's done for football.

I'm totally behind u on this point, Cannavaro winning the Ballon d'or is fair enough, but Paolo I had regrets even during the WC, twenty years of great football and still no reward... that's sad, he played some great seasons with Milan, making it to the Champions league's final several times and winning it.. I mean, he has everything to be a Ballon d'or.. but they keep on bringing in the "he's a defender" thing; and here they are giving it to a defender this year...