Kim Kirchen in Coma after Hotel Heart Attack

June 20th, 2010 by Jack Sargeant No comments »

Cyclist Kim Kirchen is in a medically-induced coma in Zurich hospital after suffering a heart attack at a hotel he was staying at while competing in the Tour of Switzerland in preparation for this summer's Tour de France.

A statement released by the Luxembourg rider's team Katusha ruled out the possibility of it being infarctus or thrombosis, but confirmed that Kirchen will be kept in the coma state for at least the next 24 hours.

Fellow riders like Robbie McEwen and Lance Armstrong have been sending their wishes via Twitter.

Kirchen held the maillot jaune for four stages in the 2008 Tour de France, and won a stage of Le Tour in 2007, and had been in 48th position after seven stages of the Tour of Switzerland, 46 sec behind leader Robert Gesink.

"He felt bad so the team doctor sent him to hospital," said team sports director Serge Parsani.

"He already had a similar kind of problem two or three months ago. We don't know (what the diagnosis is)."

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Kim Kirchen and his family well.

2010 WPS Power Rankings: Week 10

June 20th, 2010 by Jo-Ryan Salazar No comments »

Finally, the Atlanta Beat earn their first victory of the season to escape the cellar in this week's WPS Power Rankings. Meanwhile, FC Gold Pride continues to keep their place at the top of the Rankings for another week.

Let's take a look...

1. FC GOLD PRIDE


Albertin Montoya's FC Gold Pride opened their new home at Cal State East Bay's Pioneer Stadium with a 1-0 victory over the Boston Breakers.

The Lionesses of the East Bay rode on solid dispossessing, a relentless offensive attack, and a goal by Christine Sinclair in the 37th minute.

“In the first five minutes we came out, and it took us a couple of minutes to get used to [the wider field]," forward Kelley O'Hara said regarding the pitch.

“We took a chance on playing three midfielders that were somewhat similar [Boxx, Dew, and Edwards]," Montoya said after the match. “With a lot of space to cover, we made a tactical change in the second half to put Tiff [Milbrett] and Kiki [Bosio] with a bit more speed in the middle, and Kelley out wide."

The Pride outshot Boston 13-10, and had nine shots on goal.

With the win, the Pride improve to 7-2-1 and remain five points ahead of the Philadelphia Independence, who also picked up a victory this week.

Next Sunday, FC Gold Pride takes on Sky Blue FC at Pioneer Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by the Fox Soccer Channel.

2. WASHINGTON FREEDOM


Jim Gabarra's Washington Freedom were off this week. Next Saturday, they will take on the Philadelphia Independence at John A. Farrell Stadium in West Chester, Pa. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

3. PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENCE


It wasn't even close down on the banks of the Raritan river.

Paul Riley's Philadelphia Independence stormed into Joe Yurcak Field and annihilated Sky Blue FC, 4-1.

No sooner had the match started when Danesha Adams opened her scoring account five minutes into the contest. A cross from Amy Rodriguez on the right flank found Adams inside the box.

The floodgates opened in the 18th minute. This time, it was Adams who provided an excellent delivery to Rodriguez to make it 2-0.

Later in the second half, a blistering volley by Adams was initially parried away by Sky Blue FC goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill, but Joanna Lohman made her pay for sending it in her direction. The 56th minuete goal was Lohman's second of the year.

Just for insurance, Tina DiMartino scored her second of the year unassisted with a shot from 20 yards out.

Goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc made seven saves for the Indies, who outshot Sky Blue FC 21-17 and had more shots on goal, 10 to eight.

Next up for Philly is a match with the rejuvenated Atlanta Beat. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23 at the Beat/KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.


4. ATLANTA BEAT


Gareth O'Sullivan's Atlanta Beat got a huge gorilla off their backs. They finally won a contest in Women's Professional Soccer, a 1-0 shutout of the Chicago Red Stars in front of 3,589 at the BEat/KSU Soccer Stadium.

And the goal came from the unlikeliest of heroines in Tina Ellertson. A set piece from Monica Ocampo found Ellertson, whose goal also opened her scoring account.

Atlanta outshot Chicago 17 to four. Brett Maron, back in goal for the Beat, needed to make just one save on Saturday.

With a new sense of rhythm, the Beat will look to keep it going as they face off against the Philadelphia Independence on Wednesday, June 23 in Kennesaw. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

5. SKY BLUE FC


It was an ugly ambush from the beginning for Pauliina Miettinen's Sky Blue FC, as they were crushed by the Philadelphia Independence 4-1 at Joe Yurcak Field on the campus of Rutgers University.

"Philadelphia was very efficient tonight," Miettinen said after the game. "They capitalized on each of their opportunities, and that paid off for them in the result.

"As a team, we have to take a long look at the film so we can correct our mistakes and come out with a better effort in our next match."

The only goal for the Ladies of the Raritan came in the 28th minute, when Rosana scored a penalty kick for her second of the season.

Goalkeeper Kristin Luckinbill made six saves in the defeat.

Sky Blue FC will look to redeem themselves when they visit Pioneer Stadium for the very first time against league leaders FC Gold Pride on Sunday, June 27.

Kickoff in Hayward is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET on the Fox Soccer Channel.

6. BOSTON BREAKERS


The misery for Boston's teams continues. First the Celtics, and now this.

Tony DiCicco's Boston Breakers were hoping to get a result against FC Gold Pride, but it wasn't the case as they fell to the league leaders 1-0 at Pioneer Stadium on the campus of Cal State East Bay.

Adding insult to defeat was goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who has to be subbed off for Ashley Phillips in the 30th minute due to an injury. Together, both keeper made eight saves in the defeat.

The Breakers had a golden opportunity to equalize, but Fabiana's shot in the 68th minute dinged off the woodwork. Earlier in the match, a similar shot by Kristine Lilly in the ninth minute hit the crossbar.

Boston will hope that such bad luck will be harder to come by when they head back to Soldiers' Field to take on the Chicago Red Stars on Friday, June 25. Kickoff at Cambridge's Harvard Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.


7. CHICAGO RED STARS


Omid Namazi's Chicago Red Stars will forever earn the indignation of becoming the first-ever team to lose to the Atlanta Beat.

Saturday 1-0 defeat at the Beat/KSU Stadium in Kennesaw sees them crash down to this week's WPS Power Rankings.

The loss marked the end of a three-game unbeat streak and the first defeat of Namazi's career as a coach in WPS.

Chicago nearly forced a point split—not once, but twice. A shot by Jessica McDonald found Brett Maron for her only save of the night in the 88th minute. In the 89th, it was Cristiane's turn to take a chance, but her shot went well over the crossbar.

The Red Stars will look to turn their fortunes around on Friday, June 25 when they face the Boston Breakers. Kickoff at Cambridge's Harvard Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.



Chelsea Reportedly Sign £5m Czech Youngster

June 20th, 2010 by Saura Bhattacharjee No comments »

Chelsea have reportedly landed the talented 17-year-old Tomas Kalas from Sigma Olomouc. The West London outfit reportedly have defeated Arsenal, Inter, and German giants Bayern Munich in signing the highly rated starlet from his club.

Arsenal were particularly keen on signing the youngster, with their manager Arsene Wenger even meeting the player to convince him for a move to the Gunners. But it seems that the Blues' have pipped their rivals in securing Kalas.

Kalas' current club's website carried the message "A spell at a top European club for Tomas Kalas was successfully arranged today." Though neither his club nor his agent revealed the name of the club to where Kalas will be moving, Chelsea are reportedly Kalas' next destination.

The move will be welcomed by the Blues' fans as the Premier League champions look to add young blood to their ageing squad. Moreover, with financial regulations coming into effect such a signing is a step forward for the club's future sustainability.

Ancelotti has enough faith in the 17-year-old centre back, who has made only a single senior appearance, to part with a significant sum as his transfer fee.

Chelsea's defense is ageing with most of their defenders nearing 30 or are already. Chelsea are looking to bring in more young players into their team and Kalas will be a good addition. With proper training and development he can turn into future Terry or Carvalho for the Blues.

Now it remains to be seen whether he can live up to his huge potentials that is promised with his arrival. Only time will tell if Tomas Kalas can fill the big boots of his predecessor and achieve success as them.

Kalas will presently stay at his club for another year to complete his development program and will join his new highly respected teammates next year.

Californian Viliami Moala: A Future Faster Mt. Cody Type For Alabama?

June 20th, 2010 by Larry Burton No comments »

Larry Burton (Panama City Beach, Fla.)

Last season when Vilaiami Moala and his Sacramento (Calif.) Grant team played a team in Washington his father couldn't make the trip, and it bothered the young man. He said after every tackle he'd look to find his father but realized he wasn't at the game.

Moala is one of the top defensive linemen in California.

Some think that may a big factor in his recruitment from Alabama, Florida, and other national programs but the question remains will he want to travel that far since his family won't be able to watch him every Saturday?


The schools in the PAC 10 certainly hope that's a reason he'll "Stay home".

"It can influence me. Every time I look in the stands that seat is empty. (referring to his father not being there) But maybe one day he can come and watch me."

However, he said this week that Nick Saban and the rest of the staff said that 13 of their 14 games were on television last year and that combined with the good vibes he got from everyone at Alabama, has put them clearly in the running .

At 6'3" and somewhere around 343 pounds, Vilami now plays defensive tackle and is a force in high school. He is like a man playing with boys, but Saban and others see him as the prototypical nose guard in systems like Alabama's 3-4 defense.

This is a move that Moala says he wouldn't mind making.

According to Scout.com, Moala is a compact run stuffing defensive tackle/nose guard, but his quickness off the ball allows him to be involved in making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He has the ability to be by a center before he's even gotten set after snapping the ball. Moala is a space eater inside, but his quickness makes him more than just a double team occupier; he can dictate the action in front of him

Moala can bench 495 pounds, which is rather impressive for a high school junior. But he is soon to hit 500, which, he says…”I’m super close. I try to add two 2.5 pounds to equal 500 but I can’t quite get it up. I get it half way but I can’t extend and lock out my elbows.”

"He's a huge kid with thick legs and impossible to move in the middle of a line," said ESPN RISE's Greg Biggins.

Interestingly, he goes by the nickname "Tiny".

The great thing about him is that he brings the same run stopping ability that Terrence Cody brought to Alabama, but with a much better pass rushing ability. There would be no real need to bring him out on third down situations.

"Alabama showed me the drills that they did and I've been practicing them and they do some of the drills we did out here. I had an upper-hand in some of these drills." Moala said.

The fact that Alabama have just signed another Californian with Samoan heritage, Isaac Luatua (of La Mirada, California) may also help.

Right now it is thought that Moala's top three are Cal, Washington, and Alabama, though there are many more actively recruiting him. USC was a potential top player, but it is now thought that the probations they've received have taken them from the top ranks.

"Every school out there has their advantages," Moala said. "I'm willing to travel the distance. It's going to be bad because my father can't watch me play but I'm willing to go."

U.S. Open: A Saturday Charge Has Put Tiger Woods In Contention To Win

June 20th, 2010 by Ron Furlong No comments »

Tiger Woods hasn't had the fist pump going for awhile, but on Saturday at the U.S. Open it was evident at least a couple times on Tiger's back nine.

During his Saturday charge Tiger moved up the leaderboard rapidly. His 31 on the back nine gave him a round of 66 and moved him into sole position of third place.

The only problem for Tiger, Dustin Johnson equaled his 66 and leads the U.S. Open by three shots over Graeme McDowell and five shots over Tiger. Ernie Els and Gregory Havret are six back. Phil Mickleson is in sixth place, seven shots back of Johnson.

The galleries were roaring as Tiger made his Saturday push. The round didn't start out great for the world's top ranked player. A couple of early bogeys made it appear as though he would not be a factor.

But Tiger had it going. He has been claiming all week that this tournament, more so than any other, is a long grind, and is not likely to be won in any one round. However, it can be lost in one round.

As has been well-documented, Tiger Woods has never come from behind on Sunday to win any of his 14 majors. He would have to do that at Pebble Beach to win number 15. But everything with Tiger Woods in now unchartered territory, and there is no reason to believe he couldn't come from behind here.

This Saturday at the U.S. Open was very reminiscent of the Open two years ago down the free way in San Diego at Torrey Pines.

Woods came surging from five shots back to take a one shot lead into Sunday. The difference is, of course, he was able to pull himself into the lead after Saturday two years ago. This year, even with the great round, he is still five shots back.

The 66 Woods and Johnson both carded equaled the 66 fired by Phil Mickelson on Friday as the lowest rounds of the week.

Mickelson, who has five times finished a runner up in this tournament but remains without a win, was in prime position heading into Saturday, but an inconsistent day saw him shoot a 73. Not horrible, and certainly still in contention.

Dustin Johnson will not be easy to catch on Sunday, although no doubt both Woods and Mickelson will think a low round might give them a chance. Johnson knows how to win at Pebble Beach.

He is now the two-time defending champion of the Pebble Beach National Pro Am, played on this course every year in February. He knows the course, and knows what it takes to win it.

At least, he does in February. We'll see about June.

The conditions, not to speak of he pressure, are just a little more difficult.

 




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