Deutschland – Strong contenders for Euro 2012

With the Euros only a week away teams are busy with their last minute preparation and the hosts Ukraine and Poland
have got more work to do than just host the matches. With wide spread protest likely to happen throughout Poland the
authorities have to be at their best to keep havoc at bay. Looking at the brighter side of things this edition of European Championships
will certainly showcase some of the brightest of talents. Although many still feel that the defending World and Euro champions ,Spain are
the team to beat I for one feel that the Germans might steal the championship right under their noses.

With a talent pool that can outclass any international or club side in the world Germany are very much in contention for this years title.
Deutschland have been grouped along with famous rivals Netherlands , Ronaldo’s Portugal and rank outsiders Denmark. Titled the ‘Group of Death’ for this edition of the Championship a mouth watering set of league matches awaits all football fans

The side boasts of the famous Bayern quartet of Bastian Schweinsteiger,Thomas Muller, Philip Lahm and Manuel Neuer.

The presence of Neuer in goal can certainly be intimidating for most opponents and if Germany ever go into penalties he would
be their trump card.

Philip Lahm and Scheweinsteiger will rue missed opportunities. After coming close in both the World cup and the Euros last time around
they will be inspired to do well. Not to forget the agonising defeat that the Bavarians faced against Chelsea in the final of the Champions
league will definitely play in the back of their minds.

Galacticos star Mesut Ozil will play a crucial role in the heart of mid field and will be the man oppositions will target.
Although the defence seems to be susceptible, one can never underestimate the talent of Per Mertasacker. On the defensive flanks
Lahm and Jerome Boateng will certainly add the attacking elements.

Fabio Capello Resigns!

In a shock move that stunned the English football fraternity , Fabio Capello resigned as the coach of the English national team. According to reports the FA was not very supportive with the coach’s short-term interests which directly said about his move to strip John Terry of captaincy just 4 months before Euro 2012.

Capello has not brought any cup glory to the national side  but he has certainly added some sanity to a side commprising of many superstars. With Harry Redknapp poised to take over the role one can only hope that England will put a decent performance at the Euro later this year.

India-Bayern Munich

The Indian national football team will feature in a friendly against German giants Bayern Munich on Jan10,2012. The match is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharalal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The German side boasts of players like Philip Lahm(Captian), Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery, Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Indians on the other hand are looking to bid adieu to their inspirational captian Bhaichung Bhutia who is set to retire after this game. All in all it will be a treat for football fans in India to see one of the world’s top clubs play on Indian soil.

Aircel Chennai Open 2012

By far the only ATP event in India that has garnered attention from some of the top tennis players from around the globe is the Chennai Open. This year it is scheduled to take place from Jan2-8.The  tickets will be sold online via the official website www.aircelchennaiopen.org and www.bookmyshow.com, the on-site sale of season tickets will start from December 23 at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu Stadium.
The organisers have announced that daily tickets will be sold at the venue on match days and 24 hours before they will be available online for respective match days. Some of India’s top players are expected to participate with Davis Cuppers Yuki Bhambri and Vishnu Vardhan being the latest wild card entries.

 

 

Suarez Banned over Racism row!

Liverpool star striker Luis Suarez was handed an 8 match ban following investigation on his alleged involvement in a racist attack against Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra during the 1-1 draw in October. The British FA was however lenient enough to suspend the ban until Suarez’s appeal is over. The Uruguayan forward reacted by saying that it was a very painful day for him and his family. He has also been fined 40,000  pounds. Liverpool will miss the striker as England’s costliest striker, Andy Carroll is yet to hit top form since his transfer from Newcastle.

Lead up to the Boxing Day Test Match

Over the past decade India-Australia test matches have a lot more flavor and excitement than there used to be. India begin their tour down under with a Boxing day test match at the MCG. Many believe that this Australian team is among the weakest they’ve seen and that India should capitalize on this. India may be the stronger team on paper but one can never write off the Aussies.

NBA Lockout 2011

The NBA season got off to a really bad start this year, with a lockout between players and owners regarding nothing other than money. The season which was scheduled to start on the first of November, but was delayed by more than six weeks. During this lockout several players signed deals with foreign leagues, but had a clause that would enable them to get back into the NBA.

End of UCL Campaign for United

Manchester United suffered a bitter loss against Basel on the final day of Group stage matches. Playing at home Basel fought their way to a 2-1 victory propelling them to the knockout stages, leaving United to rue their long periods of possession and a series of wasted chances. An early goal by Marco Streller and an Alex Frei header sealed their victory, while Phil Jones’s second goal in as many matches couldn’t save United the game. Needing only a single point going into the match, United had everything to play for had only themselves to blame.

A few muddy patches on the pitch may have caused a few problems for Rooney but they had to capitalize on the chances. A ligament injury to captain Vidic lead to him being carried away in the first half. After the match United players promised to win more silverware. Rio Ferdinand has vowed to win the Europa League. They will be joined by their noisy neighbors, Manchester City who failed to qualify despite a 2-0 victory over German giants Bayern Munich.

 

India at Champions Challenge

World Series Hockey is just around the corner. Several Indian players have signed up for it, but then they most certainly have international commitments. Will they jeopardize their places in the Indian side to cash in on the lucrative WSH? Only time will tell. At present though all the focus is on the Champions Challenge taking place at Johannesburg, South Africa.

India continues their great run in the tournament with a thrilling 5-4 extra time win over Malaysia. The Indians went into the break with a 2-1 advantage, but were soon found back pedaling 2-4. A great comeback lead to a 4-4 scoreline at the end of normal time. R.Raghunath scored off a penalty corner , which incidentally was the last play of the game. India marched onto the semifinals were they will meet host South Africa in a repeat encounter of the group stage.

World Series Hockey

In what will be another attempt by the Indian Hockey Federation(IHF) to revive the national game, the World Series Hockey is set to take place in mid-December in India. Built on similar lines as that of the now defunct PHL, IHF seem to be desperate to dish out something that will give some sort of competition to cricket. The league will comprise of 8 teams from various cities across India and will be played on a home-away basis. Winners will be awarded a whopping 40 million USD , which is 30 times that which is offered in some of the top European leagues. The fact that IHF is not recognized by the FIH could prove costly as far as foreign players is concerned. On the brighter side several international players have already inked deals with the league. The official broadcaster will be the Nimbus Group. Let us hope that this game is redeemed to the fullest come this December.