Italian JLWS team enjoys local club's hospitality

The reigning teenage baseball champions from Lazio, Italy, were welcomed with open arms by the Downriver-Italian American Club in Wyandotte Wednesday at the club’s monthly pasta luncheon.

The 13- and 14-year-old boys from Lazio have been in Taylor this week for the Junior League Baseball World Series. They are the champions of the region that includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The team entered the hall carrying the Italian flag and was warmly greeted by all of the members. Before enjoying a delicious pasta lunch, the Italian national anthem was played followed by an exchange of gifts between the members and coaches.

For the Italian champions, the World Series is an amazing experience because it is the first visit for most players and coaches to the United States.

Manager Fernando Ricci said through an interpreter that “it’s fantastic to play in the Junior League World Series here in Taylor. It is a great way to begin learning about American baseball.”

For Ricci, this year’s tournament marks his second time managing a European championship team in the United States. He said he managed a team at the Senior League World Series – big brother of the Junior League World Series – in Bangor, Maine.



The manager said “everybody on the team is having fun. The Junior League World Series is well organized, the volunteers are helpful and the players can be in contact with their families.”

The Downriver Italian-American Hall’s pasta cooking passed the team’s evaluation with flying colors and the general consensus of the team was that the pasta was very good.

Members of the Downriver Italian-American Club invite the community to check out “Downriver’s best kept secret” – the pasta dinner – on the third Wednesday of each month. 

article source: http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2012/08/27/sports/doc502ec1584af51154604845.txt

Read More

Juventus have completed the permanent signing of promising defender Alberto Masi and also struck a deal for James Troisi.

Juventus have completed the permanent signing of promising defender Alberto Masi and also struck a deal for James Troisi.

Masi, 19, moved to the Serie A champions on a co-ownership deal with Pro Vercelli earlier in the summer.

But, after impressing Massimo Carrera throughout pre-season, La Vecchia have opted to secure the Italy Under 21 international's services outright.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Alberto Masi is 100 per cent a Juventus player.

"An agreement has been reached for Pro Vercelli to concede their half of his registration."

Complex deal

Juve have also clinched the signing of Troisi but the Australian will be loaned out to Atalanta in a complex deal involving Manolo Gabbiadini.

The talented winger recently agreed to a four-year contract with the Serie A champions but will spend at least the next season on loan at Atalanta.

As part of an agreement with the Bergamo club, Juve will also pay €3.5million (£2.8m) to take co-ownership of Italy's rising star Gabbiadini, who will then be loaned out to Bologna for one year.

Troisi, who was born to an Italian father, had been expected to join the Old Lady since leaving Turkish outfit Kayserispor in April.

The 24 year-old turned down a lucrative deal to play in Qatar to follow his dream of playing in Italy's top flight.

Read More

Juventus beat nine-man Napoli in Supercoppa

Juventus claimed the Italian Super Cup with a 4-2 win over nine-man Napoli after extra-time at the National Stadium in Beijing.

The match between the holders of Serie A and the Coppa Italia saw Napoli twice lead only for the Italian champions to recover strongly to claim victory in the season curtain-raiser.

Edinson Cavani gave Napoli the lead on 28 minutes at the Bird's Nest stadium - scene of the 2008 Olympic Games - only for Kwadwo Asamoah to drag his side level with a blistering shot from distance nine minutes later.

Goran Pandev lifted the ball over Gianluigi Buffon to hand Napoli a 2-1 lead four minutes before the break, but Juventus equalised courtesy of Arturo Vidal's 73rd minute penalty after Mirko Vucinic had taken a tumble under pressure from Federico Fernandez.

Napoli went down to ten men when Pandev saw red on 85 minutes for appearing to say something to a linesman. That became nine when Juan Camilo Zuniga encountered a second yellow three minutes into stoppage time after mistiming a tackle on Giovinco.

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri was also red carded for dissent before Juventus put the match to bed with Christian Maggio somehow nodding an Andrea Pirlo free-kick into his own net on 97 minutes.

Vucinic put a gloss on the scoreline when he nudged the ball over the line from Claudio Marchisio's long ball on 101 minutes.

Watch the action at 12bet.com

Read More

Vidic returns to Man Utd action

Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic returned to action after eight months out injured as he played an hour of the 0-0 friendly draw with Valerenga.

Vidic, 30, missed most of last season after

he suffered knee ligament damage against Basel

in December.

“I felt well,” the defender told MUTV. “My knee felt well and hopefully the next game will be better.”

Assistant Mike Phelan took charge in Norway as manager Sir Alex Ferguson attended to “other club business”.

Left-back Patrice Evra also missed the game after he travelled back to Manchester to be at the birth of his child.

Both men are expected to return for Wednesday’s friendly against Barcelona in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Check out World Football Challenge

Read More

Juventus GM Marotta admits drawing blanks for Van Persie, Jovetic

Juventus GM Beppe Marotta says they're working hard to find a new striker signing.

Marotta was asked about their interest in signing Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie or Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic.

“The top player we are looking for is not only a name with an important price-tag attached. What we mean by top player is someone who can improve our quality level.

“Van Persie is an excellent player and Arsenal have no intention of losing him. It is not possible to negotiate for a player if the club is not open to talks.

“As for Jovetic, it’s only right that Fiorentina ruled he is off the market. We never even tried to get close to him.”

Read More

Brilliant Brazil hammer Cameroon

Brazil cruised past Cameroon to open their Group E campaign with a victory in the women’s football competition.

Jorge Barcellos’s team raced into a 2-0 lead through a Francielle free-kick and a header from Renata Costa.

Marta scored a second-half penalty after she had been clumsily fouled by Bebey Beyene before Cristiane slotted home from a tight angle.

The losing Olympic finalists in 2004 and 2008 made it 5-0 late on when Marta struck from close range.

The match was the second of a double header at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff after

Great Britain had earlier opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over New Zealand.

And the emphatic nature of Brazil’s victory ensures that they finish the opening day of Olympic action top of their group on goal difference.

It might have been even more emphatic but Ester shot wide in the opening half and impressive substitute Cristiane missed with a spectacular over-head kick close to the final whistle.

Cameroon were second best throughout the contest, and especially overrun in the latter stages, with a completely unmarked Marta given the freedom of the six-yard box to pick her spot for Brazil’s fifth.

However, Cameroon did come close to a goal shortly before half-time when Gabrielle Onguene created an opening with a neat run and turn but she then shot wide.

Read More

Italy's Cassano fined for gay slur at Euro 2012

Antonio Cassano (photo: Александр Осипов)

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- Italian soccer star Antonio Cassano has been fined for his comments about gay players at the European Championship.

European soccer's governing body says Friday it fined him $18,250 for his "discriminatory press statement" at an official media event in Poland last month.




Cassano said at the time he hoped there were no homosexual players on the Italian national team. He then used a derogatory word to describe gays.

When a reporter suggested there were gays on the team, Cassano appeared at a loss for words before saying, "That's their problem, but I hope not."

Cassano can appeal the decision by UEFA.

Read More

Boxing ring to Olympic rings

Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco, pictured in the Regina Boxing Club before he left for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, is part of the Boxing Canada delegation.

Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post , Leader-Post

Leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, the Leader-Post is doing a series of profiles on participants with ties to Regina.

The series begins today with two stories - on Regina mayor Pat Fiacco (boxing) and Regina-born soccer player Kelly Parker.

In the days ahead, we will profile track and field coach Carla Nicholls (Tuesday's paper), United States sailing meteorologist Doug Charko (Wednesday), rower Rachelle Viinberg (Thursday) and diver Reuben Ross (Friday).
. . . .
In 1974, Pat Fiacco first climbed the stairs at the Regina Boxing Club - never imagining the ascent that awaited him.
Fiacco eventually became a national boxing champion. When he threw his hat into a ring of a different sort, he was elected as the mayor of Regina for the first of four terms. And now, boxing is his ticket to the Olympics for the second time.

"As soon as I walked up those stairs at the Regina Boxing Club at the Laird Gym, I fell in love with the place, and everything changed,'' reflects Fiacco, who is in London for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

"When I walked into the gym in March of 1974, I had no idea that this is where this sport would take me and that this would be the life path as a result of it. There's no doubt that if it wasn't for this sport, there's no way I'd be who I am today. That is a guarantee.''

Fiacco was introduced to boxing by a schoolmate, Glen Pelletier, who casually said: "I'm going to the boxing club. Want to come with me?'' Fiacco promptly sought and received permission from his parents. The boxing club soon became a second home.

As an amateur boxer, Fiacco was among Canada's best in the 54-kilogram division. He was on the precipice of making the Olympic team - the major impediment being Dale Walters. In the 54kg class, Walters nosed out Fiacco for a spot on the 1980 Olympic team, only to have Canada join the boycott of the Moscow-based Games.

Four years later, when the Olympics were held in Los Angeles, Walters finally wore Canada's colours in the ring at the world's premier sporting event. Walters also won a bronze medal, becoming the first Canadian to reach the podium in Olympic boxing in 52 years. Fiacco had retired as an amateur athlete the previous year, opting instead to get married while remaining involved in his favourite sport as a referee.

It was in that capacity that Fiacco finally made the Olympics. He was a referee and judge at the 2004 Games in Athens and has now returned to the five-ring circus in an administrative capacity.

In April, the International Boxing Association appointed Fiacco as the deputy technical delegate for the London Games.

He is assisting the technical delegate, Franco Falcinelli of Italy, in overseeing every aspect of the boxing competition.

Fiacco, who is the president of the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association, is the first Canadian to serve as the deputy technical delegate at an Olympic Games.

"It was incredible going there as a referee and judge back in 2004, but to go in there as one of the two guys who are in charge of the whole thing is big,'' says Fiacco, 50. "We have to pay attention to everything that's happening in the field of play. We have to make sure that there's no outside interference. It's pretty incredible.''

Fiacco has also been appointed the technical delegate for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. He already has experience at events such as the Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games and world championships, not to mention the Olympics, in officiating or administrative roles.

"I've been very fortunate,'' Fiacco says. "It wasn't meant for me to be the centre of attention in a boxing ring. That wasn't what the plan was for me. There was another role for me. You need to know when to understand that, and when to recognize it.

"We all have different skill sets. It's no different than hockey. The best hockey player on the ice doesn't exactly make the best coach. We all have different roles. We have a passion for the sport and we understand it, but there's different positions for us.

"My calling in the sport of boxing was obviously to start off as a competitor. I had the fortune of winning a national championship, but there was another role for me, and that was as an administrator, as an official, and now in this role as a technical delegate, ensuring that we have everything ready for this Olympic Games.''

By the time the Games conclude, Fiacco will have been in London for a month. Upon returning to Regina, he will complete his final term as the mayor - he is not running for re-election on Oct. 24 - and marvel at a landmark summer.

Fiacco was front and centre when it was announced that a $278-million football stadium is to be constructed at Evraz Place. Three days after the July 14 announcement, Fiacco flew to London. The Olympics' opening ceremonies are to be held Friday.

"It is pretty remarkable,'' Fiacco says when asked about an eventful few weeks in his life. "There's no question that July of 2012 will be remembered for a long time.''
So will March of 1974.

Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/Boxing+ring+Olympic+rings/6973520/story.html#ixzz21QQ6DUH2

Read More

POLAND VS. RUSSIA | UEFA 2012

PROBABLE LINEUPS

POLAND Tyton Piszczek, Wasilewski, Perquis, Boenisch Murawski, Polanski Blaszczykowski, Obraniak, Rybus Lewandowski

RUSSIA Malafeev Anyukov, Igna'vich, A.Berezutskiy, Zhirkov Shirokov, Denisov, Zyryanov Dzagoev, Kerzhakov, Arshavin

After their 1-1 draw against Greece in the opening game of Euro 2012 on Friday, Poland will be without first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who received his marching orders after bringing down Dimitris Salpingidis in the box. Przemyslaw Tyton will be named as his replacement versus Dick Advocaat's side after impressing with his penalty stop from Giorgos Karagounis' spot-kick to earn his team a point.

• Poland are still awaiting their first ever victory at the finals of a European Championship. Their record currently reads two draws, two defeats. 

• Following his strike against Greece, Robert Lewandowski now has 15 goals in 43 international appearances. 

• When the sides last met in August 2007, late strikes from Jacek Krzynowek and Jakub Blaszczykowski earned the Poles a 2-2 friendly draw in Moscow.

• The goal conceded by Poland when Greek substitute Dimitris Salpingidis netted a second-half equaliser in the opening match was the first the Poles have conceded in their last five matches.

• Russia's impressive 4-1 win over Czech Republic means they are now 15 games unbeaten, leaking in only five times along the way.

• Following his double in Friday's win, Alan Dzagoev (pictured right) has now netted five goals in his last three competitive international appearances.

• Russia's win over the Czechs was an exact role reversal to how they started Euro 2008 when they lost their opening encounter 4-1 to Spain before then going on to win their next three fixtures. Spain then knocked them out of the competition with a 3-0 win in the semi-finals.

• If Advocaat's side win against Poland, they will be through to the quarter-finals regardless of the result between Greeze and Czech Republic.

Source: goal.com/en/match/71165/poland-vs-russia/preview

Read More

EURO 2012 MATCH 1 | POLAND VS. GREECE

In the build-up to the first activity of this season's European Championships, the betting for the Greece vs. Poland has thrown on a variety of events. When the draw was declared and the accessories were set for each team, Greece were the possibilities on favorites to choose up a win in this fascinating first experience of the tournament. 


According to some predictions of sports magazines, the statistics for Poland and Greece are this,

If  you will be noticing the statistics, Poland has a 50% chance in winning the game, and just 16% for Greece,and the draw is 16%.

• Poland is co-hosting this summer's Euros along with Ukraine - the first time either nation has hosted a major soccer tournament.

• Poland has faced Greece on 15 occasions and has dominated its European rival, winning 10, drawing two and losing just three times.

• Greece qualified for Euro 2012 by topping Group F, finishing on 24 points and remaining undefeated ahead of Croatia and Israel.

• Greece has yet to avoid defeat in Poland, and in eight visits it has suffered eight losses, scoring four goals and conceding 22.

Read More

Updated Score for UEFA Champions League

With domestic issues finished for both sides, Chelsea and Bayern Munich will go head-to-head in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Suspensions and injuries mean that neither side are likely to have anything close to their best XI on show.

The FA Cup winners finished 6th in the Premier League and will need to win to ensure Champions League football again next season.

Bayern Munchen-vs-Chelsea Score Board

1-0	2-0	2-1	3-0	3-1	3-2	4-0	4-1	4-2	4-3	5-0UP
0-1	0-2	1-2	0-3	1-3	2-3	0-4	1-4	2-4	3-4	0-5UP

This was the result score from 12bet.com

Bayern  Munchen vs. Chelsea, I guess since this two teams has the ability and are strong teams, we can’t picture out who will take the championship.

I guess by just simply looking back from their previous fight we can tell who can win.

If Chelsea are to win the Champions League then bookies favour them to do it within the 90 minute mark.

Watch this video.

Read More

Uefa president has expressed his joy with the Bianconeri's Serie A success

Uefa president Michel Platini has has expressed his joy with the Bianconeri's Serie A success and feels the Old Lady thoroughly deserve their success.

Nevertheless, the former France international was unsure as to whether Juventus have the quality to fight for Champions League glory in the 2012-13 campaign.

"I am obviously neutral as Uefa president, but my heart still beats for Juve and I'm very happy for them. Their success is well deserved and I congratulate them with it," Platini stated in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.


More about Italy  Serie A  at www.12bet.com.

Read More

Torino Vs. Padova Match Preview

Italian Serie B may prepare for a clash this Tuesday when Torino take on Padova at 8:00 am GMT+8. Right here on this web site, http://www.12bet.com it is possible to get quality live stream links for the Italian Serie B clash.
Watch it and bet for your best team.

Read More