CONFEDERATIONS CUP : SPAIN 0 - 0 ITALY

 

 

Spain win 7-6 on penalties

Favourites Spain will face Brazil in the Confederations Cup final after a dramatic 7-6 penalty shoot-out victory against Italy in Fortaleza.

Spain substitute Jesus Navas drilled in the decisive penalty after Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci missed.
Italy dominated much of the 90 minutes but were left to pay for their misses.

 

 

Emanuele Giaccherini hit the Spain post in extra-time, while Gianluigi Buffon pushed Xavi's shot on to the woodwork.

Each of the first 12 penalties were converted in a high-quality shoot-out before Bonucci blasted his effort over Iker Casillas's crossbar.
His miss allowed new Manchester City winger Navas to coolly convert past Buffon to set up an eagerly anticipated clash against the host nation, 2-1 winners against Uruguay in their semi-final, in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.

But the complexion of the match would have been totally different had Italy, without injured striker Mario Balotelli, not squandered a host of goalscoring chances.
The Azzurri dominated a high-tempo first half as the tactical instructions of boss Cesare Prandelli - to stay tight and compact defensively before breaking quickly down the Spanish flanks - were carried out to perfection.

Spain, who beat their opponents 4-0 in the Euro 2012 final, looked vulnerable as they failed to cope with the Italian raids, but were left unpunished.
Italy wing-back Christian Maggio was the outstanding performer in a frenetic first half as he worried Spanish left-back Jordi Alba with his pace and movement down the right flank.
The Napoli player missed three gilt-edged chances, notably when heading straight at Casillas from six yards when unmarked, as well as creating spurned opportunities for Alberto Gilardino and Claudio Marchisio.
The stern expression etched across coach Vincente del Bosque's face as the game approached half-time epitomised Spain's worries.

Having guided the world and European champions to a record 28 competitive matches without defeat, the veteran coach has rarely seen his side struggle. But, despite his half-time intervention, their lethargic approach continued after the interval. 

Italy, backed by a large vocal support inside the Estadio Castelao, continued to press with Marchisio denied by a desperate block from Gerard Pique and Giorgio Chiellini heading Andrea Pirlo's corner onto the roof of the Spanish net.

However, the energy of the hard-working Italians started to wane as they felt the effects of sweltering temperatures in northern Brazil.

Spain found renewed energy as the game entered extra-time - Xavi and Andres Iniesta pushing and probing the tiring Italian defence with their slick interchanges.

 

 

Confederations Cup: Navas penalty sends Spain into final

Pique saw a shot blocked, Daniele De Rossi poked clear away from Sergio Ramos and the Real Madrid defender then lashed over as Spain piled on the pressure with a succession of corners.
In the final moments of extra-time, Italy captain Buffon unconvincingly pushed Xavi's arcing long-range shot onto his left-hand post and escaped further punishment when Javi Martinez steered the rebound wide.
Seconds later, Navas's drilled cross was palmed away by Buffon as the Italians held out for penalties after a breathless finale.

Buffon and Casillas were virtual bystanders in a shoot-out full of cool finishes, but it was Spain who were left celebrating after Navas's winner and they travel to Rio aiming to add the Confederations Cup to their trophy haul.

• Spain 0-1 Italy - Candreva
• Spain 1-1 Italy - Xavi
• Spain 1-2 Italy - Aquilani
• Spain 2-2 Italy - Iniesta
• Spain 2-3 Italy - De Rossi
• Spain 3-3 Italy - Pique
• Spain 3-4 Italy - Giovinco
• Spain 4-4 Italy - Ramos
• Spain 4-5 Italy - Pirlo
• Spain 5-5 Italy - Mata
• Spain 5-6 Italy - Montolivo
• Spain 6-6 Italy - Busquets
• Spain 6-6 Italy - Bonucci MISSES
• Spain 7-6 Italy - Navas 

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk
 

Cleveland Takes UNLV's Bennett With First Pick Of NBA Draft

 

With the first overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers have selected Canadian Anthony Bennett, a 6'8" power forward from UNLV. The selection comes as a surprise to many observers, who had projected Nerlens Noel, a center from the University of Kentucky, as the likely top pick.
You can follow the draft at . After Cleveland, here are the next four teams in the draft:

• Orlando Magic: Guard Victor Oladipo, 6'4", of Indiana University.
• Washington Wizards: Otto Porter, a 6'9" forward from Georgetown.
• Charlotte Bobcats: Cody Zeller, a 7' center from Indiana.
• Phoenix Suns: Maryland center Alex Len, 7'1", a native of Ukraine.

Because this year's draft isn't seen as a source of game-changing talent, some sports analysts had predicted Cleveland might trade its No. 1 pick for a veteran presence, in exchange for a top pick in the coming years.

Source : http://www.npr.org

 

DOMA widow cried on hearing of Supreme Court win

 

NEW YORK -- The 84-year-old widow at the center of an historic gay-rights marriage case before the Supreme Court said she cried on Wednesday upon learning of her win, with the justices deeming unconstitutional a federal law that bars recognition of same-sex marriage.
Smiling and at some times emotional, Edie Windsor said: “I cried, I cried,” after learning of her landmark victory, hailed by one of her attorneys, James Esseks, as a “watershed” moment in the decades-long battle for gay rights.

“We won everything we asked and hoped for.  Wow,” she told a room full of reporters at The Center, a LGBT rights community center in New York City.

DOMA plaintiff Edie Windsor reacts to the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act Wednesday.

The victory means the federal government must recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples married in the 12 states that allow same-sex marriage, plus the District of Columbia, and give them the same benefits that they had been previously denied under the struck-down law, the Defense of Marriage Act (or DOMA).
Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said it meant the end of what Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had called "skim-milk marriage" during oral arguments in March.

“I thought we had every right to win. I thought our arguments were sound and everyone else's were insane,” she quipped.

Windsor noted that her journey as a lesbian throughout the decades meant she had had to lie a lot of the time about her sexuality. Her other attorney, Roberta Kaplan, likened Windsor to Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks and Harvey Milk.

“It makes me feel incredibly proud and humble,” Windsor said.

Windsor launched her lawsuit after getting a bill for $363,000 in estate taxes after her wife, Thea Spyer, died in 2009 – two years following the couple's marriage in Canada. She noted that if her spouse had been named “Theo,” she wouldn't have received that bill.

She was heartbroken after Spyer’s death but also “overwhelmed with a sense of injustice and unfairness” and decided to sue to get her money back.

“Children born today will grow up in a world without DOMA. And those same children who happen to be gay will be free to love and get married – as Thea and I did – but with the same federal benefits, protections and dignity as everyone else,” Windsor said. “If I had to survive Thea, what a glorious way to do it and she would be so pleased."

Kaplan said Windsor would recoup that money plus interest, as would other couples who brought a case. For other couples, who are married now, the reimbursement will depend on each federal program and benefit. DOMA had blocked the access of same-sex married couples to more than 1,100 federal benefits.
As to the future, Windsor said she would be supportive of the ongoing efforts to bring same-sex marriage nationwide but would otherwise take a back seat.

"I don't have a ton of years left and I would like to relax a little bit," she said lightheartedly.
And when asked what she thought Thea, her partner of 44 years, would say on this big day, Windsor surmised: “You did it, honey.”

Source : http://usnews.nbcnews.com

Roger Federer stunned in second round at Wimbledon

On one of the most surprising days at Wimbledon ever, this may have been the most surprising.
Sergiy Stakhovsky, ranked 116th, knocked out seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5, 7-6.

"It was clearly not what I was hoping for," said Federer.

It was the first time in 21 tries that Stakhovsky had ever beaten a top-10 player.

"It's always a disappointment losing any match around the world, and particularly here," Federer said. "I've had some great moments here, but also some tougher ones. Can't have 'em all. It was a tough loss today."
Stakhovsky called his win "magic," saying, "I couldn't play any better today."

At one point in the match ESPN flashed a graphic showing that Stakhovsky had 12 grass court wins while Federer had 13 grass court titles.

Federer, who had made 36 consecutive major quarterfinals, played poorly at times, shanking a handful of forehand volleys. The winner was masterful with his serve and volley game.

"I still have plans to play for many more years to come," Federer said when he was asked whether he felt this might be a crossroads in his career. "It's normal that after all of a sudden losing early after being in the quarters 36 times, people feel it's different. "

On several points, he got Federer in a position in which he couldn't return a shot or could only return it in a dangerous place.

"I'm still in disbelief," Stakhovsky said. "When you play Roger Federer at Wimbledon it's like you are playing two persons. First you play Roger Federer, then you play his ego, and on the Centre Court of Wimbledon, where he is historical. So that's like playing two against one."

Federer, calling the loss "clearly disappointing" said he would invoke "the 24-hour rule" where you "don't panic" and "come back stronger."

The day also saw Lleyton Hewitt and Maria Sharapova getting upset and it was a day of injuries and retirement.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Victoria Azarenka and John Isner among the seven players to retire or not start a match due to injuries.

In addition, Caroline Wozniacki lost in straight sets after injuring her ankle early in her match.



Source : http://www.usatoday.com

CONFEDERATION CUP : BRASIL 2 - 1 URUGUAY

 

Brazil scraped into the final of the Confederations Cup with victory in an emotional and highly-charged encounter at the Estadio Mineirao.

Paulinho's late header ensured the Selecao finally saw off a resilient Uruguay to set up a clash with Spain or Italy in the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.

Fred had given Brazil a scarcely-deserved first-half lead, prodding home Neymar's cross. But Uruguay hit back shortly after the interval when Edinson Cavani capitalised on an error from Brazil captain Thiago Silva to strike a low shot beyond Julio Cesar.

 "Brazil just got themselves over the line but it was a performance that needs a lot of questions asking about it. I'm sure they will be asked over the next few days. They were not at their best but Sunday is a different day. They might even be loaned the ball by Spain if they get to the final."

Home goalkeeper Cesar had earlier saved Diego Forlan's first-half penalty, after David Luiz pulled down Uruguay captain Diego Lugano.

This was a test of character and spirit for Luiz Felipe Scolari's Brazil but the jubilation among the players and coaching staff at the final whistle showed just how much this meant. Brazil never approached their fluent best but they did just enough to get over the line.

The build-up had been every bit as passionate and spiky as the game itself. Cesar had described the rivalry between the nations as more intense than that of Brazil's with Argentina, while Uruguay captain Diego Lugano had accused Neymar of attempting to fool referees by diving.

But for all the talk, on both sides, of a fiesta of South American football, the match was fraught and fractious. Neither side found their fluency, as Uruguay drained the game of pace and momentum, quietening the crowd and adding to the mood of tension around the ground.
But it was an incident in the 14th minute, involving two players who had featured in the build-up, that changed the mood. Uruguay won a corner and as the players jostled in the penalty area, Luiz grabbed a handful of Lugano's shirt and the Uruguay captain went to ground for a penalty.

Paulinho's winner earned Brazil their 11th straight Confederations Cup win - a tournament record.

The Brazil players surrounded Chilean referee Enrique Osses and the stadium erupted in fury. Forlan was made to wait and wait to take the spot-kick and his effort was low and tame, allowing Cesar to dive to his left and turn the ball behind with a flick of his glove. 

The noise that rumbled around the Estadio Mineirao initially appeared to shake Brazil from their slumber. And yet for the remainder of the half, they looked a side lacking cohesion, confidence and sustained threat - insipid not inventive.

Uruguay continued to threaten, frustrating Brazil, snapping in tackles and denying them space. Rodriguez headed just over while Forlan fizzed a curling left foot shot just wide.
It seemed it might take a mistake, some individualism or a piece of good fortune to break the deadlock and give Brazil hope - so it proved.

With half-time in sight, Paulinho's lofted pass spun perfectly into the path of Neymar. He forced the ball back across goal, but it was deflected into the path of Fred, via a deflection off Lugano, allowing the local boy to force the ball into the net with his shin.

Did you know?

Brazil beat Uruguay 3-0 at the Estadio Mineirao in September 1965. It was the first international played at the venue.

And yet Brazil were still prone to lapses in concentration. With the second half just minutes old, their captain Thiago Silva ended a calamitous series of errors by passing the ball to Cavani in the penalty area. The highly-rated Napoli striker fired a low shot beyond Cesar before many Brazilians had taken their seats, to level the game and stun Estadio Mineirao into silence for a second time.

The introduction of home-town hero Bernard lifted the home crowd once more. His quick feet took him past two Uruguay defenders within minutes of his arrival only for Fred to fire high and wide when the ball finally came his way.

Uruguay dropped deeper and deeper as Brazil went to the flanks in search of an opening. Cavani, though, still threatened. One shot deflected narrowly wide, but with time running out it was the hosts who struck the decisive blow. Neymar floated a corner over from the left and Paulinho rose highest to head in at the far post and spark scenes of jubilation.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari:
"If you keep plugging away something good will happen and that happened today.
"Four wins in four games is important. We are on the right track."

Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez:
"More than having an effect on my team, the penalty miss had a huge effect on the opponent.
"They had been second best until then and from that moment they grew."

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk

Nelson Mandela has been placed on life support, CNN reported Wednesday afternoon.
The former South African president's health remained critical for the fourth consecutive day as tribal leaders reportedly were warned to prepare for his death.

According to Sky News' chief correspondent in South Africa, multiple sources confirmed that Mandela is no longer able to breathe unassisted. He has been undergoing treatment, including renal dialysis, at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria since June 8.

According to Reuters, South African President Jacob Zuma was scheduled to travel to Mozambique on Thursday -- that trip has now been canceled.

In an interview with CNN Tuesday, Mandela's daughter Makaziwe, the sole surviving child from his first marriage to the late Evelyn Mandela, said the family was enjoying “quality and sacred moments” with her father.

“All I pray for as a daughter is that the transition is smooth. He is at peace with himself. He has given so much to the world. I believe he is at peace," Makaziwe said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Wimbledon 2013: Serena, Djokovic ease into second round

WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams said she always feels the nerves entering the first round of a major.
There seemed to be few on Tuesday as the top seed and defending champion defeated Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-1, 6-3 to move into the second round of Wimbledon.

DAY 1: Nadal ousted in first round
It was the 32nd consecutive victory for Williams and ran her record in 2013 to 44-2.
"I don't think about it," Williams said about her streak. "Every single time I step out on the court it's a new match."

SERENA'S TAKE: Nerves before first match
The top seed on the men's side, Novak Djokovic, also moved on with ease.
Djokovic defeated Florian Mayer of Germany, who is ranked No. 34 in the world, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
Djokovic took a 3-0 lead in the first set and broke for a 6-5 lead in the second to take firm control. He served out the match to love before saluting the Centre Court crowd with a fist pump.
"It was a big pleasure again performing here on Centre Court in front of the packed crowd," Djokovic said. "For the first round, it was tricky. ... I think (Mayer's) game is really well suited for grass, so it took a lot of effort."

Tuesday's match was Williams' first since she won the French Open in Paris two weeks ago, and it was a chance to turn the focus back to tennis following nearly a week of off-court controversy involving an article in Rolling Stone. First there were her comments about a high-profile rape case that resulted in two apologies and a promise to work on awareness with the family of the victim. Then there was a verbal spat with Maria Sharapova.

"It hasn't been a distraction," Williams said. "Like I said, I'm just here to focus on the tennis," Williams said. "I'm just here to play Wimbledon. It's the premier tournament in the world, of the year, so that's what's most important. ... We're playing on opposite days, so we don't really see each other."
On Tuesday, at last, it was back to tennis.

Williams rolled through the first set, not dropping a single point on serve. Her dominant roll slowed early in the second set when she was broken in her first service game.
She was one point from going down 3-0 but then won 15 of the next 18 points to take a 4-2 lead, and broke again to wrap up the win.

"For me, it's the greatest moment for a tennis player, to walk out on Centre Court," Williams said after her first match at Wimbledon since winning Olympic gold here last year. "That was such a great moment, too. So many great memories on this court."
Williams improved her career record to 68-8 at the All England Club and extended her career-best winning streak to 32 matches, which included her second French Open title.

Minella broke Williams early in the second set and led 2-0, but Williams had little trouble from there.
"I feel like I was a little rusty for some reason today," Williams said. "I don't feel like I played my best. I felt really upset when I lost my serve in the second set. With that being said, I think Mandy played really well. I thought she was really mixing up her shots, mixing up her game. It wasn't an easy match for me. I'm a little excited I was able to play a tough match and to get through it."
The 92nd-ranked Minella was making her second appearance at Wimbledon, having lost in the first round in 2012.

Williams will face Caroline Garcia of France in the second round. Garcia knocked off Zheng Jie of China, who took Williams to three sets at Wimbledon a year earlier.
Williams defeated Garcia 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the French Open.

The top seed on the men's side Novak Djokovic was next up on Centre Court.

Also Tuesday:
•French Open runner-up David Ferrer overcame a second-set slump and a couple of hard falls on the slippery grass to beat Martin Alund of Argentina 6-1, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Ferrer appeared to be favoring his left ankle late in the match.

•Juan Martin Del Potro made a winning return to Grand Slam competition, defeating Albert Ramos of Spain 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in the first round. The eighth-seeded Del Potro did not play at the French Open because of respiratory problems.

•James Blake of the USA ended a five-match Wimbledon losing streak by beating 93rd-ranked Thiemo De Bakker of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round.

•Bernard Tomic, whose father is barred from tour tournaments because of an assault case, defeated 21st-seeded Sam Querrey 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 after withstanding a flurry of 36 aces by the American.

•42-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm cruised past German teenager Carina Witthoeft — who is less than half her age — 6-0, 6-2 in just 44 minutes. Date-Krumm is the second oldest player to have won a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004. The 18-year-old Witthoeft was making her Grand Slam debut.

•Sixth-seeded Li Na of China reached the second round, routing Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-1.

•Laura Robson became the first British woman to defeat a top-10 player at Wimbledon in 15 years when she upset 10th-seeded Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-4. The 19-year-old Robson followed in the footsteps of Sam Smith, who upset No. 7 Conchita Martinez in 1998.

Source : http://www.usatoday.com/

Jodie Sweetin splits from third husband

Full House star Jodie Sweetin, 31, has filed for separation to end her third marriage.
She filed documents Monday in Los Angeles seeking a legal separation from husband Morty Coyle, reports TMZ. They married in March 2012.

According to the court papers, Sweetin wants their 2000 Toyota Avalon, and she's asking they split their $200 Kohl's credit card balance.

Sweetin, who detailed her troubled past and her battles with meth and alcohol problems in a 2009 memoir, and Coyle have a daughter, Beatrix, 2, together.

Sweetin also has a daughter, Zoie, 5, with ex-husband Cody Herpin. Her first marriage was to Shaun Holguin. It lasted from 2002 to 2006.
On Monday, the day she filed papers, Sweetin tweeted: "Hope you are all having an awesome Monday! A new week, a new beginning :).

http://www.usatoday.com

Michael Jackson's son to testify in singer's wrongful death trial

Prince Jackson, the eldest son of late pop star Michael Jackson, is expected to testify on Wednesday in the wrongful death suit filed by his family against concert promoter AEG Live, a Jackson family attorney said.

Lawyers for the Jackson family will call Prince Jackson, 16, to the stand four years and one day after the King of Pop died from a drug overdose, attorney Perry Sanders said on Tuesday.
Prince was 12 when Jackson died from an overdose of surgical anesthetic propofol while the singer rehearsed in Los Angeles for a series of comeback concerts in London in 2009.
AEG Live executives, Jackson's personal chef and the choreographer for his aborted "This Is It" concert series, are among those who have testified at the trial, which began in April.

Witnesses have painted a picture of the singer's final months. They testified Jackson, 50, had grown so weak he had difficulty executing dance moves and remembering song lyrics.
The "Thriller" singer's mother, Katherine, is suing privately held AEG Live, which was promoting Jackson's "This Is It" concerts, for negligence in hiring Dr. Conrad Murray as his personal physician.
Murray was caring for the singer as he prepared for the shows. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.

Prince will follow expert witness Gordon Matheson, a physician, who testified that Murray had a conflict of interest while caring for Jackson because Murray's heavy debts and monthly salary from AEG Live would bias his care of the singer.
AEG Live has said it did not hire or supervise Murray and argues that Jackson had prescription drug and addiction problems for years before entering into any agreement with the company.
AEG Live also has said they could not have foreseen that Murray posed a danger to Jackson.
Katherine Jackson, 83, along with the singer's three children - Prince, Paris and Blanket - are listed as plaintiffs in the case.

Earlier this month, Jackson's 15-year-old daughter Paris was rushed to the hospital after a suicide attempt, forcing Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff to order a court investigation into the teenager's "health, education and welfare."
Perry Sanders, Katherine Jackson's attorney, said on Tuesday that Beckloff had reviewed the report on the investigation into Paris' welfare, and would not be making any changes in Jackson's children's living situation.
"In light of all current circumstances and the special investigator's report, we agreed with the judge that appropriate decisions are being made regarding care of all three children, and no further action is required," Sanders said in a statement.

Source : http://www.reuters.com

BOSTON — The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off perhaps the most improbable comeback in the history of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night. Trailing the Boston Bruins, 2-1, with 76 seconds left, the Blackhawks erupted for two goals 17 seconds apart to stun the Bruins, 3-2, and win their second Cup in the last four seasons.

“This goal, this ending — nobody saw it coming,” said Blackhawks Coach Joel Quennville, after a finish that strained credulity. So sudden and late was Chicago’s rally that even the Blackhawks themselves seemed not to believe what they had just seen. 

Milan Lucic put the Bruins ahead, 2-1, with 7 minutes 49 seconds left in regulation, seemingly forcing a Game 7 in Chicago on Wednesday.

But then lightning struck. With 1:16 left, Bryan Bickell finished a feed from Jonathan Toews, knocking the puck past Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask and tying the score at 2-2. With 59 seconds to go, Dave Bolland beat the sprawling Rask after a rebound off the goal post, and just like that, the Blackhawks were ahead. 

“How can you call that?” Toews said, beaming, in the moments after victory. “We knew we needed just one bounce there. Obviously, that was a big goal for them to go up 2-1. But you never know what can happen, so you don’t stop playing until the end.”

Moments later, Toews was lifting the Stanley Cup over his head in triumph, the first Blackhawks captain in the club’s 87-year history to win it twice. 

“These are the feelings you live for,” said his teammate, Patrick Kane.

Bolland’s goal was the latest Stanley Cup-winning goal scored in regulation time, breaking the mark set in 1929, when Boston’s Bill Carson scored to win the Cup with 1:58 left in the deciding game against the Rangers. 

The Blackhawks also became the first club to win a Stanley Cup-clinching game in regulation by overcoming a deficit in the final two minutes.

On the Bruins side, shock mingled with dejection.

“It’s a tough way to lose, tough way to lose a game, tough way to lose a series,” said Zdeno Chara, the Bruins’ towering 6-foot-9 defenseman. Chara was especially glum. He had been on the ice for 10 of the Blackhawks’ last 12 goals in the series, although not Bolland’s Cup winner. 

Bolland, a third-line center, was surprisingly blasé about what he had done.

“I could always imagine the season ending this way,” he said, a sentiment that was as credulity-straining as the goal he scored. He was asked the difference between winning the Stanley Cup this season and in 2010.

“What’s the difference?” he said. “Nothing.”

Bolland and Bickell’s goals ended this classic, almost unbearably tense series, in which three games went to overtime and every game was razor close. Kane was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player, becoming the third straight American to receive the honor. He had 9 goals and 10 assists in the postseason. 

It was the Blackhawks’ fifth championship, joining their triumphs in 1934, 1938, 1961 and 2010.

Chicago trailed, 1-0, and did not mount a real threat until Toews, motoring at full speed after an undisclosed injury that knocked him out of Game 5 on Saturday, scored at 4:24 of the second period.

In Game 6, players dropped left and right as they put everything on the line with the Cup at stake. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron played a full game despite a series of injuries that did not become known until after the game. 

Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw played despite taking a hard shot to the face; later he carried the Cup around the ice while bleeding through his stitches. Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson left for a short time after blocking a shot. Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr was rattled by a check from Bolland and missed most of the second period. Chicago’s Marian Hossa and Boston’s Nathan Horton played on through nagging injuries, as they have throughout this series. 

The Blackhawks became the first team of the N.H.L.’s salary-cap era to win the Stanley Cup twice. After their 2010 victory, General Manager Stan Bowman had to trade away or decline to re-sign nine players from the championship roster because their rising salaries would have pushed the team over the cap.

On Monday, there were eight holdovers from that 2010 team on the ice: Toews, Kane, Bolland, Hjalmarsson, Patrick Sharp, Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. 

“There’s something about our core,” said Kane, who scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime at Philadelphia in 2010, another Blackhawks championship won on the road in Game 6. “Hopefully we can stay together a long time, because that’s two Cups in four years, and we seem to only be getting better and better as players as time goes on.”

“It’s unbelievable to be in this situation,” he added. 

Quenneville is also a holdover from 2010, and his Blackhawks teams have excelled at postseason crunch time. Their record in Games 5, 6 and 7 of playoff series since he became the coach in 2009 is 19-4.

Chicago rolled to the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks set an N.H.L. record by going unbeaten in the first 24 games of the 48-game season, half the schedule. They went on to win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champions, and on Monday became the first top regular-season team to win the Stanley Cup since the 2008 Detroit Red Wings. 

They kept rolling in the first playoff round, beating Minnesota in five games. But in the second round, they fell behind the Red Wings, 3 games to 1, and won three straight games, two on the road, to overcome the deficit. Seabrook scored the series winner, in Detroit, in Game 7 in overtime.

In the conference finals, the Blackhawks ousted Los Angeles, the defending Cup champions, in five games. Then came the Bruins, a team they had not faced in a playoff series since 1978, and never in the Cup finals.

“All the hard work pays off, all the way through,” Kane said. “Coming back from 3-1 to beat Detroit, down 2-1 tonight — this is an unbelievable team.” 

It was a series worthy of two big cities with long love affairs with hockey. Bruins flags and sweaters were everywhere in Boston, as Blackhawks flags and sweaters were in Chicago. The Michael Jordan statue in front of United Center wore a Blackhawks jersey. At the Boston Public Garden, the “Make Way for Ducklings” statuettes wore little Bruins sweaters.

The Bruins, champions in 2011, had an improbable ending of their own this postseason, in the first round against Toronto. Trailing by 4-1 with 11 minutes left in Game 7, they rallied to force overtime, scoring twice with their goalie pulled in the last 82 seconds. Bergeron, who tied the game with 51 seconds left, scored again in the extra session to win the series. 

That was an improbable finish that delighted Boston fans, and helped lift the spirits of a city still recovering from the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“In the back of our minds, we wanted to do it for those kinds of reasons, the City of Boston, what Newtown has been through, that kind of stuff,” Coach Claude Julien said. “It hit close to home, and the best way we felt we could try and cheer the area was to win a Stanley Cup. I think that’s what’s hard right now for the players. We had more reasons than just ourselves to win a Cup.” 

Football Transfer : Tottenham closing in on Paulinho deal

  Corinthians have confirmed they are in advanced talks with Tottenham over the transfer of their midfielder Paulinho.

Brazil international Paulinho, who has made an impression in this summer's Confederations Cup, is believed to be closing in on a £17m move to White Hart Lane, with Corinthians director of football Edu confirming a deal is imminent.

"The situation is well underway," stated the former Arsenal midfielder when asked about a possible deal with Tottenham. "We have to agree on some details of the negotiation, so I can't say he will leave yet, but the negotiations are good."

Paulinho, who scored for Brazil in their 2-2 draw with England earlier this month, has also been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Roma in recent weeks, but the Premier League appears to be his likely destination as Spurs look to seal their first big signing.

The move would also be the first to be concluded by the club's new director of football Franco Baldini, who is working closely with boss Andre Villas-Boas in a revised player recruitment set-up at the north London club.

Source : www.espn.co.uk

"Monsters University" reviews: Do critics want to enroll?

School may soon be out for summer, but not for the creatures of "Monsters University," Disney/Pixar's new animated film now in theaters.
A whopping 12 years after the box office hit "Monsters, Inc.," comes the prequel, featuring the voices of Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, John Krasinski, Beth Behrs, Jennifer Tilly and Sean Hayes. The movie chronicles how two mismatched monsters Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan overcome their differences and become best friends.

"Monsters University" has a solid 77 percent rating on the movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
The word "meh" perhaps best sums up many critics' takes on the film. Overall, critics enjoyed the movie, but very few were blown away -- some aren't rushing to campus to enroll in "Monsters University." Still, a few were quite pleased, including Newsday's Rafer Guzman, who noted, "'Monsters University' has an emotional quality that its whimsical predecessor lacked. It has a happy ending, of course, but this movie also feels -- in its monstery way -- very real."
See what some other movie critics had to say:
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: "It's all infectious fun, despite the lack of originality. In the art of tickling funny bones, Crystal and Goodman earn straight A's."
"Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: "'Monsters University' is so likable that it feels somewhat monstrous to criticize -- but nonetheless it isn't quite as funny as its predecessor, and some of the sequences toward the end feel a little flat... The Pixar bar, though, is awfully high, and not every film can be a 'Finding Nemo' or a 'Ratatouille.'"
Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly gave it an A-: "'Monsters University' is exactly the rebound Pixar needed after 2011's Cars 2 left some wondering if the studio had lost its magic. The delightful story of When Mike Met Sully puts those concerns to rest."
Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter: "It should be remedial school, not an institution of higher learning, for 'Monsters University,' an alarmingly lame effort from Pixar, the Oxbridge of animation studios. A prequel arriving 12 years after its progenitor, 'Monsters, Inc.,' this marks the third sub-par film in a row from Pixar, after 'Cars 2' and 'Brave,' suggesting that the brain trust in Emeryville has lost a bit of its edge."
Alonso Duralde, The Wrap: "Falling squarely between the studio's classics and its decidedly lesser work, Monsters University is a solidly average Pixar effort, one that brings laughs to the kegger, but you'll be hard-pressed to remember it at the reunion in 10 years."
Besty Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: "Whatever the reasons, 'Monsters University,' the prequel to the mild-mannered 'Monsters, Inc.,' is mostly memorable for being fine but forgettable. The 12-year span between the two suggests trepidation."
Claudia Puig, USA Today gave it 3 out of 4 stars: "'Monsters University' may not be as inventive as 'Inc.', but it's an amusing and amiable addition to Pixar's roster of animated coming-of-age stories."

source : http://www.cbsnews.com

Movies : World War Z Would Have Been Better if It Weren’t a Zombie Movie

For all of the delays, rewrites, and reshoots that plagued World War Z, it turned out to be a solid summer action flick. The irony, though, is the thing that might be its most festering infection is the plague itself.
World War Z would be better if it weren’t a zombie movie.
That’s not to say there shouldn’t be legions of infected undead swarming all over the place, because those things actually are pretty awesome. But when something markets itself as a “zombie movie,” it inevitably takes on certain baggage. Zombies — and the movies, TV shows, and comics about them — have a rich history and certain tropes that demand to be acknowledged. If they’re not, it’s hard to get past the cognitive dissonance created by a movie, no matter how enjoyable it might be, that isn’t what it’s billed as. It’s as if a scrawny, insecure Thor appeared in an Avengers flick. It might be an interesting story or character study, but that dude wouldn’t be a truly Asgardian superhero.
Similarly, if you’re a fan of gory zombie action and you’re going to this PG-13 flick looking for your bloody fix of gore, you might leave wanting.
Of course, changing up the zombie game is exactly what director Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball) and his fellow filmmakers set out to do. During a recent screening of World War Z in San Francisco, the movie’s star and producer Brad Pitt introduced the film by saying, “If you think you’re just about to see another zombie film, you’re in for a bit of a shock. … This thing is big, it’s like nothing you’ve seen before.”
He’s right.

(Spoiler alert: Minor plot points for World War Z in the text below.)
The movie, a fast-paced race by one man to stop a total zombie apocalypse, isn’t like a lot of zombie fare, which tends to focus on a small group of people fighting the undead in rural (or at least abandoned) surroundings.
Before we go any further, though, a quick primer: World War Z — loosely based on the book by Max (son of Mel) Brooks — is an enjoyable action movie in which former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane, played by Pitt, finds himself, his wife and two young daughters in the midst of a worldwide undead epidemic. The family escapes with help from Lane’s U.N. connections, but by calling in that favor he is asked to trace the source of the disease and stop it. He goes from South Korea, scene of one of the first reported cases, to Jerusalem, which has built a wall to keep the undead out, and ultimately to a World Health Organization facility.
His journey is a nail-biter. (We have the cuticles to prove it.) And in addition to being suspenseful, the flick drives home the personal and global reactions such an outbreak would bring. In a key moment, Lane believes he may have been infected and stands on the roof of a towering apartment building prepared to jump, knowing he’s better off dead than a threat to his family. That’s as real as it gets. Also telling are the geopolitical reactions and their ties to real-world politics. North Korea, for example, staves off an invasion of the undead by removing everyone’s teeth so they can’t bite. Such undertones make World War Z as intelligent as it is shocking.
That said, it could use a little more feeling and character development, but, hey, you can only tell so much story in a couple hours.
But considering the tweaking done to zombie lore, it could’ve just as easily been about another kind of outbreak and been just as poignant. And maybe it should have. As Annalee Newitz at io9 notes, “Maybe the problem with World War Z is that zombie movies require a certain amount of weirdness or subversiveness to succeed. Turning a zombie pandemic into a generic disaster movie robs the zombies of their dirty, nasty edginess and robs the disaster of its epic scope.”

Source : http://www.wired.com

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye Name Baby 'North West', Twitter Explodes

It was hardly the first time in history a celebrity couple have given their child an unusual name. (Brooklyn Beckham, anyone? How about Blue Ivy Carter?)
But when it emerged Thursday night that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have named the bouncing baby girl that arrived Saturday — and her name is North West, according to both TMZ and US magazine — wags around the world just couldn't resist taking to Twitter.
Within an hour of the announcement, "North West" became a global trending topic on the service. Reactions ran the gamut from confusion:

Will Instagram video weed out Vine?

Facebook has unveiled its new video feature for Instagram, five months after Twitter launched a very similar video app called Vine. Can the rival services co-exist?
“They can,” according to analyst Greg Sterling, because Instagram video and Vine serve different audiences, he argued.

The new Instagram feature lets users record videos three to 15 seconds long and apply one of 13 new filters. They can also edit their videos by deleting clips as they record them. And on iOS, the app has a “Cinema” mode to reduce shakiness and produce more professional-looking video.
Vine is a more stripped-down service that records three- to six-second videos, with no filters, editing or image stabilization. Once a video is recorded, users can either save it, upload it or start from scratch.
Vine lets users easily share their videos on its dedicated social network, as well as on Twitter and Facebook; Instagram offers built-in sharing support for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and also Tumblr and Foursquare.
“Vine is like fast food, while Instagram video is more like eating in a nicer restaurant,” said Ovum analyst Jan Dawson.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, he said. “Sometimes you just need to grab a burger and get out the door,” he said. “For Vine, it’s like, ‘share and forget.’”
Others said Instagram and Vine don’t serve different audiences as much as they represent two different social networks and their efforts to retain and engage users.
“Vine isn’t necessarily Twitter, and Instagram isn’t necessarily Facebook, but that doesn’t mean these apps aren’t part of the bigger collective [sites],” said Brian Blau, an industry analyst with Gartner.
Social media networks realize that features around photography and video are things they need to have, Blau said.
“Part of what’s going on here is who these companies are and the reach they have, and I think that could really make a difference in terms of the popularity of these features,” he added.
“There’s a lot of room for both Vine and Instagram video, at least in the short term,” said Zachary Reiss-Davis, an analyst with Forrester Research.
“This might be a case where the site that creates the best content wins, and the major social platform providers are all of a sudden becoming content providers,” he said.
So will Instagram video, with all its bling, better enable the creation of that content than Vine?
Vine may be getting ready to offer some advanced features of its own. On Wednesday, Vine co-founder Dom Hoffman posted two Vine videos on his Twitter feed that seemed to hint at new tools around texting or messaging. One post was titled, “Tinkering”; the other, “Say something nice.”
On Tuesday, Vine posted a thank-you message and video to its users on its blog and Twitter stream.
“Thank you for sharing so many wonderful videos on Vine,” the developers said in a tweet. “You’re all awesome.”
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing some exciting new parts to Vine,” developers recently said in a blog post. “This is just the beginning.”

Offering more features to better compete with Instagram could be a motivating factor. “There is no doubt Twitter will move quickly to up the ante on Vine, and this could undercut Facebook’s efforts with video on Instagram,” said Ovum analyst Eden Zoller.
Instagram video “is going to create a leapfrogging competition between Twitter and Facebook to create a service that is not only easy to use, but also create videos that are high quality and enjoyable to consume,” said Forrester’s Reiss-Davis.
But the next step isn’t about focusing on video length or number of filters—it’s about offering an easy-to-use service that ordinary people who don’t live in the Silicon Valley bubble will want to adopt, Reiss-Davis said.
“It’s not competing on things like 12 filters or three filters,” he said. “It’s, is this going to be really easy to use?”
Instagram video was announced Thursday morning at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California.

Source : http://www.pcworld.com

Tahiti Loses, 10-0, And Keeps Celebrating In Brazil

There were no miracles for Tahiti at the Confederations Cup Thursday. After all, they were facing Spain, currently the No. 1 soccer team in the world. But even a stark 10-0 loss, a record result this late in a FIFA tournament, didn't dampen the enthusiasm the Tahitians have brought to Brazil.
The game was played in a stadium that held a crowd reported at 71,000 people — equal to a bit more than a quarter of the total population of Tahiti, which different estimates place at between 267,000 and 277,000.
The team from Tahiti, nearly all of them amateur players who live on the French territory's islands, made headlines earlier this week simply by scoring a single goal. That strike came against Nigeria, and it sparked a celebration in which its players lined up on the turf and pretended to row a boat together.
In that game, Tahiti lost to Nigeria handily, 6-1. But that lone goal fulfilled the mission of the Toa Aito, as the team is called (it translates to Great Warriors).

Tahitian striker Marama Vahirua, who plays in France for Nancy, is the only professional player on the squad, which also includes several promising young players. He recently said that scoring one goal in Brazil is the highest aspiration for his team.
"A goal for us, it will be a victory in the competition, no matter who scores," he said, according to . "I did not come here to have fun but to defend the colors of Tahiti and French football. If we can at least score a goal."
And when they achieved that goal, the team's celebration solidified its status as the darlings of this tournament, where fans chant for Tahiti and boo teams from Spain and Nigeria. Ranked No. 138 in the world, Tahiti is one of eight teams competing in Brazil, alongside such elite squads as Italy and the host country itself.

"Wow, we are in Brazil to play the best teams in the world," Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta, according to , which also notes that the coach shook his head as he made the comment.
Tahiti punched its ticket to the Confederations Cup last year, with a surprising win at the continental played in the Solomon Islands — the first by a Pacific Islands nation in the competition's 39 years.
"We are honest," Etaeta said before the Nigeria game. "Tahiti has not come to win." He said the team would like to score a goal in a game, "or maybe get to halftime at 0-0."
Before Thursday's game, Tahiti's players walked up to their Spanish opponents holding gifts. They carefully placed necklaces made of shells around the Spaniards' necks, and then waited for the game to start.
In the game, Spanish stars Fernando Torres and David Villa together scored seven goals. But the Tahiti team showed resolve, possessing the ball 38 percent of the time. And after the game's first 30 minutes, Tahiti only trailed by 1-0. Afterwards, the Spanish players said they were impressed with how their opponents handled the game.

After the game was over, Tahiti's players led cheers to thank the crowd, then they lined up to shake hands with the Spanish players, and trade jerseys.
With only one more game left in group play — against Uruguay — it's unlikely Tahiti will win in Brazil. But the Tahitians are there. And they've scored.

Source : www.npr.org

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Actor James Gandolfini dead at age 51

 James Gandolfini, best known for his role as an anxiety-ridden mob boss on HBO's "The Sopranos," died Wednesday while on vacation in Italy. He was 51.

The exact cause of death is not known, but his managers said it was possibly a heart attack.

"It is with immense sorrow that we report our client, James Gandolfini. passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy," managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. "Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving."

The actor had been scheduled to make an appearance at the Taormina Film Fest in Sicily this week.

Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the angst-wracked mob boss who visited a therapist and took Prozac while knocking off people. "The Sopranos" aired from 1999 to 2007.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com

Best-selling author Vince Flynn dies at 47

Best-selling author Vince Flynn, who wrote the Mitch Rapp counterterrorism thriller series and sold more than 15 million books in the U.S. alone, died Wednesday in Minnesota after a more than two-year battle with prostate cancer, according to friends and his publisher. He was 47.
Flynn was supporting himself by bartending when he self-published his first novel, "Term Limits," in 1997 after getting more than 60 rejection letters. After it became a local best-seller, Pocket Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint, signed him to a two-book deal -- and "Term Limits" became a New York Times best-seller in paperback.

The St. Paul-based author also sold millions of books in the international market and averaged about a book a year, most of them focused on Rapp, a CIA counterterrorism operative. His 14th novel, "The Last Man," was published last year.
He counted former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton among his fans, as well as foreign leaders and intelligence community figures.
"As good as Vince was on the page -- and he gave millions of readers countless hours of pleasure -- he was even more engaging in person," said Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of his publisher, Simon & Schuster. "Yes, we will miss the Mitch Rapp stories that are classic modern thrillers, but we will miss Vince even more."
Flynn died at a hospital in St. Paul, surrounded by about 35 relatives and friends who prayed the Rosary, said longtime family friend Kathy Schneeman. She said his deep Catholic faith was an important part of his character.

"That's what he would have liked. He talks about his faith just as much as he would talk about politics and current events with our group of friends," Schneeman said.
Flynn was born to an Irish Catholic family in St. Paul, the fifth of seven children. After graduating with an economics degree from the University of St. Thomas in 1988, he went to work as an account and sales marketing specialist with Kraft General Foods. That marketing background later came in handy as he promoted "Term Limits."
Wanting a new challenge, he quit Kraft in 1990 when he landed an aviation candidate slot with the Marine Corps, but he was later disqualified due to seizures he suffered following a childhood car accident. Thwarted from becoming a military aviator, he got the idea of writing thrillers.
"If (Tom) Clancy could do it, why can't I?" Flynn said in a 2005 interview with The Associated Press.
He went to work for the Twin Cities based commercial real estate company United Properties and started working on a book idea in his spare time. Two years later, he quit so he could devote more time to writing and moved to Colorado. He began working on what became "Term Limits," a story about assassins who targeted fat-cat congressmen.

A man of almost superhero powers, Mitch Rapp races the clock to foil terrorists' plans to detonate a nuclear warhead in Washington in "Memorial Day" (2004), battles terrorists who seize the White House and take hostages in "Transfer of Power" (1999) and is out for vengeance after a Saudi billionaire puts a bounty on his head in "Consent to Kill" (2005).
Flynn told the AP that with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of the Cold War, he decided to write about terrorism.
"That's where the future's going. That's going to be the next big menace," Flynn recalled telling himself.
"He was so ahead of his time with what he was writing about terrorism and threats. His mind worked in a different way that most of us," said Frank Vascellaro, a WCCO-TV anchor who had been close friends with Flynn since just before "Term Limits" took off.

Vascellaro, who takes credit for having introduced Flynn to his wife, said the author's success was all the more remarkable given his struggles with dyslexia. "But at the same time it was a gift, because his brain did not think in the linear way 99 percent of the population sees things," he said.
Flynn became friends with Bush during one of his visits to Minnesota, Vascellaro said. As they shook hands on the airport tarmac along with dignitaries including the governor, the president told Flynn he was a big fan. Then an aide invited Flynn to ride downtown with Bush in the presidential limousine.
Vascellaro also recalled how Flynn met Clinton. He said Flynn was in New York with his wife when they saw a crowd around him. He pushed his way through to introduce himself, but Clinton replied, "I know who you are" and said he had read all his books.

Flynn was diagnosed with stage three metastatic prostate cancer in November 2010. The fatigue from his radiation treatments eventually made it difficult to focus on writing for more than an hour or two, and in October 2011, he reluctantly postponed publication for several months of his 13th book, "Kill Shot," which followed Rapp's adventures as he pursued those responsible for the bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.
But he never expressed any bitterness about dying at such a young age and kept his faith, Vascellaro said.
"It was remarkable how much courage he showed in the face of adversity," he said. "I will remember that for the rest of my life."

Schneeman said Flynn had been working on his next book as recently as Valentine's Day, when she and her husband vacationed with the Flynns in Mexico. And development for a Mitch Rapp movie based on 2010's "American Assassin" remains on track, said Grey Munford, a spokesman for CBS Films, which plans to build an action-thriller franchise around the character. Bruce Willis has signed on to play Rapp's mentor, Stan Hurley.  Munford said an announcement about the movie is expected soon.
Flynn is survived by his wife, Lysa Flynn, and three children.

source : http://www.foxnews.com

ITALIA MENANG DRAMATIS LAWAN JEPANG

Italia mampu bangkit dan membalikkan keadaan di babak kedua dengan memastikan kemenangan 4-3 atas Jepang di pertandingan Piala Konfederasi di Itaipava Arena Pernambuco, Brasil, Kamis (20/6) dini hari WIB.

Dengan kekalahan ini, wakil Asia ini dipastikan tidak dapat melanjutkan turnamen ini karena sampai saat ini tidak mampu mendapatkan poin setelah mengalami kekalahan beruntun yakni atas brazil dan Italia. Sementara itu, Italia sudah mengumpulkan enam poin dari dua kemenangan dan berhak menemani Brasil melangkah ke babak semi-final.

Sebenarnya Jepang tampil percaya diri sejak awal babak pertama. Sejumlah peluang mampu mereka ciptakan. Salah satunya pada menit keenam. Menerima umpan Shinji Kagawa, Ryoichi Maeda melepaskan sundulan kepala, namun bola mampu ditepis Gianluigi Buffon.

Pada menit ke-17, Kagawa nyaris saja menjebol gawang Italia dengan tendangan keras kaki kirinya dari luar kotak penalti, namun Buffon dengan sigap mampu menempis bola sehingga keluar lapangan.

Empat menit berselang, wasit D. Abal melakukan keputusan yang bisa terkesan kontroversial. Buffon dianggap melakukan pelanggaran ketika dua kakinya berusaha menghalau bola saat akan direbut Shinji Okazaki. Bertindak sebagai eksekutor tendangan penalti, Keisuke Honda sukses menjalankan tugasnya dengan menyarangkan bola ke pojok kiri gawang.

Jepang kembali unggul pada menit ke-33. Kagawa dengan cerdiknya mampu memanfaatkan bola yang gagal dihalau Giorgio Chiellini di dalam kotak penalti, dengan tendangan volinya ke pojok kiri gawang. Buffon hanya terdiam melihat arus bola yang mengalir cukup deras.

Endo nyaris memperbesar keunggulan Jepang ketika tendangan kerasnya dari luar kotak penalti pada menit ke-36 mampu ditepis Buffon. Bola muntah mampu diteruskan dengan sepakan Okazaki dari jarak dekat, namun lagi-lagi kiper Juventus itu mampu mengamankan dengan baik, kali ini dengan tangkapan.

Peluang bagus untuk Italia pada menit ke-39. Mario Balotelli dilanggar di posisi yang cukup strategis. Namun, tendangan bebas Andrea Pirlo masih tipis melambung di atas mistar gawang.

Gol yang ditunggu-tunggu Azzurri untuk memperkecil ketertinggalan akhirnya datang satu menit kemudian. Berawal dari tendangan sudut Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi sukses menyambut dengan sundulan kepala, tanpa bisa dihalau kiper Eiji Kawashima.

Italia hampir saja bisa menyamakan kedudukan jelang pertandingan babak pertama akan selesai, namun tendangan keras Emanuele Giaccherini mampu ditepis Kawashima dan bola membentur tiang gawang.

Di awal babak kedua, Italia bangkit dan lebih banyak melakukan serangan ke pertahanan lawan. Mereka sangat termotivasi untuk mengejak ketertinggal dan membalikkan keadaan.

Harapan itu akhirnya terwujud pada menit ke-50. Giaccherini melakukan pergerakan apik di sisi kanan kotak penalti Jepang dengan mengirim umpan crossing ke depan kotak penalti, dan Atsuto Uchida berusaha mengahalu bola, namun justru masuk ke dalam gawangnya sendiri.

Italia hanya butuh waktu dua menit untuk balik unggul. Makoto Hasebe dianggap melakukan pelanggaran di kotak terlarang karena handball. Balotelli sukses menjalankan tugasnya dalam mengeksekusi tendangan penalti.

Italia kian percaya diri untuk bisa meraih kemenangan di pertandingan setelah unggul 3-2. Namun, mereka belum bisa tenang karena ternyata pada menit ke-69, Jepang mampu menyamakan kedudukan. Okazaki sukses memanfaatkan umpan tendangan bebas Endo dari sisi kiri pertahanan Italia dengan sundulan kepala. Buffon gagal mengahalu bola dengan tangannya.

Kekuatan mental Italia akhirnya kembali berbicara. Empat menit jelang pertandingan akan berakhir, pemain yang baru masuk pada menit ke-58, Claudio Marchisio memberi umpan bagus kepada rekannya di Juventus yang menggantikan Alberto Aquilani pada menit ke-30, Sebastian Giovinco. Dengan tenang, sang striker menceploskan bola dari tengah kotak penalti. Italia unggul 4-3.

Maya Yoshida mencetak gol pada menit ke-88 setelah bola muntah hasil tendangan rekannya yang menerpa mistar gawang. Namun, wasit tidak mengesahkan gol tersebut karena sang pemain jelas sudah terjebak off-side. Italia dipastikan memenangkan pertandingan yang berlangsung seru dan sengit ini.

Setelah mengamati jalannya pertandingan tadi malam gan, menurut ane, sebenarnya secara keseluruhan pertandingan berjalan berimbang. di babak pertama memang Jepang lebih dominan atas italia, buktinya jepang mampu unggul 2-1. Nah, memasuki babak kedua, Italia mulai meningkatkan intensitas gempuran ke daerah pertahanan Jepang. wal-hasil Italia bisa unggul, meskipun salah golnya dari hasil bunuh diri dan penalti. Italia beruntung karena pergantian pemain di babak kedua ternyata berjalan sesuai rencana. Gol yang diharapkan akhirnya datang dari kaki pemain pengganti. So, menurut ane kemenangan italia lawan Jepang berbau keberuntungan.

Sumber : http://www.goal.com/id-ID/match/9789...-jepang/report

Thiago hatricks secures glory for Spain against Italy

Spain captain Thiago Alcantara scored a first-half hat-trick to help his side secure European Under-21 Championship glory with a 4-2 victory over Italy in Yerusalem, Israel.

The Barcelona midfielder, who has been linked with a summer switch to Manchester United, netted three times - with his head, left foot and right foot - in a pulsating opening 45 minutes as Spain successfully defended their Under-21 crown.
With the senior side the reigning European champions and World Cup holders, it appears the Iberian nation can look forward to dominating the global game for many years to come.

There were just six minutes on the clock when Julen Lopetegui's side forged ahead as Isco's pass sent Alvaro Morata jinking towards the touchline and his precision cross was headed home by an unmarked Thiago from the centre of the six-yard box.
However, Italy responded immediately with a searching ball out of defence from Giulio Donati superbly brought down by Ciro Immobile's first touch, with the striker's second lifting it over the head of the advancing David de Gea.

Francesco Bardi was called into action three times to keep the scores level, denying Morata twice and then getting down well to keep out Koke's clever flick through his legs from Crisian Tello's low cross, while De Gea was in the right place at the right time to deny Allesandro Florenzi after a piece of skill reminiscent of Paul Gascoigne's Euro 96 goal for England against Scotland.
But the Azzurrini goalkeeper was helpless when Koke's excellent ball into the box found Thiago in space between two defenders, with his left-foot drive after chesting down having too much power for the Italy No.1.

And it was 3-1 to Spain before the interval with Donati penalised as he slid in on Tello, with Thiago taking responsibility from the penalty spot and firing straight down the middle with his right foot to complete the perfect treble.
Bardi had to be alert to deny Thiago a fourth in the opening moments of the second half before Italy had a rare sight of goal, only for Florenzi to fire over the bar when the ball dropped to him in the box.
Isco was inches away from extending Spain's lead in the 54th minute as he side-footed just past the post with a first-time effort from outside the box following Tello's run and pull-back, before play switched to the other end and semi-final hero Fabio Borini could not test De Gea.

Spain effectively sealed victory with their second penalty of the evening in the 64th minute, with Isco handed the responsibility this time and calmly sending Bardi the wrong way after full-back Martin Monotya was brought down by Vasco Regini as he cut back inside.
Liverpool striker Borini did get his name on the scoresheet with 10 minutes remaining as he played a neat one-two with Lorenzo Insigne before unleashing a low drive from outside the box which curved away from Manchester United's De Gea and into the bottom corner of the net.

Source : http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/287053/report

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Bonnaroo: Paul McCartney rules

  Ex-Beatle's show blocked a schedule that included Jack Johnson, Björk and R Kelly in a balmy Tennessee setting

Bonnaroo has a reputation for being an all-night bender. But even if you suspect that the happy atmosphere here may have something to do with a large stock of illicit substances, you can't doubt the genuine goodwill that sloshes around the place. When Mumford & Sons had to pull out of the headlining slot because of bassist Ted Dwane's sudden illness, Jack Johnson – only at the festival to hang out with his friends Animal Liberation Orchestra and listen to music – was asked to fill in, despite the fact he hadn't performed with his band in more than a year.

And so Manchester, Tennessee hosted a Jack Johnson comeback gig, and no one minded when he forgot a few lyrics. He even whipped up a song about the saga, with a chorus specially crafted to allow the crowd to howl out "Bonnaroo", before leading them in a singalong of Mumford's The Cave. There was Brushfire Fairytales, an acoustic encore, and some lively backup from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
This being America's version of Glastonbury, however, there were plenty of options to suit the eclectic ear. You could get up with Nas, get down with the National, or get high with Empire of the Sun; you could soak in a whole magical day of acoustic picking courtesy of Ed Helms's Bluegrass Situation. There was no doubt about who Bonnaroo's big star was this weekend, however. Rumour has it the organisers have been trying to secure Paul McCartney for years, and he arrived on Friday night with a phalanx of police outriders, taking to the stage to shouts of: "We love you Sir Paul!"
He more than earned his starry passage with nearly three hours of greatest hits, causing chaos in the schedules. ("Paul McCartney wanted to rock," said an apologetic Oliver Sim as the XX kicked off their moody set half an hour late. "What can you do?") Some punchy Wings numbers and an attitudinal Paperback Writer set the tone; McCartney doesn't need to work a crowd, but his well-honed set kept them busy, from a flamenco-flavoured And I Love Her to a frankly dotty Altogether Now, accompanied by graphics of blinking, blobby characters that suggest Macca's next project may be a kids' TV series. There was the civil-rights-inspired Blackbird, and later he held his fist in the air and declared "Free Pussy Riot!" before launching into a kick-ass rendition of Back in the USSR.

Between songs, he told the occasional story about Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix, and dedicated songs to Linda and Nancy. If an occasional number misfired – an underpowered Eleanor Rigby, an exposed solo on Here Today – that was never what you were going to remember; instead, it was the moment when, halfway through the intro to Live and Let Die, a giant image of a building resembling Buckingham Palace was blown up to a surprise volley of on-stage pyrotechnics.

It says something about the breadth of the festival that the next day, at a smaller stage, you could watch a musician doing a punk parody of Blackbird and shouting "Mac sucks!" to the delight of his audience (this was Mac deMarco, the slacker-rocker from Alberta, who had plenty of buzz at the festival for his goofy iconoclasm). Or, for example, on one afternoon see Wilco deliver an amiable set of alt-rock – Nels Cline's extended jams thrilling the guitar purists – and the next watch Björk emerge, her head subsumed in a cloud of shimmering fibres, her body wrapped in contoured silver.

A 14-strong choir in metallic robes accompanied the Icelander's ethereally voiced songs, underpinned by xylophone clock-beats. Her song Crystalline was mesmeric, Björk's pitter-patter around the stage accompanied with Wonder Woman punches; Pagan Poetry was a cosmic aria. The choir danced loose-limbed around the stage like Zooey Deschanel on mescaline.
It seems a strange decision that someone whose act is so visually compelling chooses not to share it with the masses via the video screens. As the sun went down, she turned the set into an EDM party, leaving the more ambivalent audience members to stand bemused as she exhorted them to "Declare independence!" In the next field, the Lumineers, whose shout-along folk rock has found such an adoring and high-pitched fanbase, caused virtual gridlock.

Still, they couldn't compete with R Kelly, whose showmanship reached new literal heights when he began his performance on a crane high above the Which Stage. Slick, sure-footed and displaying a wicked sense of humour ("They told me backstage, no cursing. I just laughed at those motherfuckers"), he maintained a relentless momentum through his opening 40 minutes – before breaking into an improvised ballad. "Can I get a towel to wipe my face," he crooned, then returned to his analysis of how many sexy ladies there are, with the melancholy of a man who knows he can't have them all. You didn't even need to be at the stage to get a taste of his grand finale, I Believe I Can Fly, for which festivalgoers were treated to a gigantic flock of paper birds winging their way through the night sky.

Minutes later, Kelly was covering Sam Cooke (A Change Is Gonna Come) with Jim James and John Oates at the late-night Superjam. Bonnaroo's no-curfew policy means the party goes on all night in these legendary sessions, and this year saw Wu-Tang Clan mash it up with Solange, John Oates and Jim James cover 1999 and Billy Idol yelling at the crowd to Bang a Gong (Get it On). Wandering around at 3am in T-shirts and shorts, you realise why rural Tennessee's an ideal venue. On the final night, as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers closed the festival at the main stage, the heavens opened – and his audience rocked out to him, delighted, in the rain.

Source :  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7969424802707485209#editor/target=post;postID=3618235193208276850