Offside News

Photo source esporte.uol.com.br

CHELSEA’S troubles continued in Italy as they took another heavy blow, leaving Andre Villas-Boas with more pressure on his shoulders.

Napoli capitalised on the Blues’ porous defence to score a come-from-behind 3-1 triumph in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie on Tuesday.

Both teams meet again in three weeks time at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea bid to overhaul the deficit. [ More ]

Photo source carbonated.tv

MANCHESTER City’s Carlos Tevez has finally apologised to his outfit and the management – possibly moving him a step closer for him playing again.

The apology specifically centered on his conduct though he did not address his boss Roberto Mancini. It was Tevez’s falling out with the City manager that eventually made him decide to go on that an unauthorised trip to Argentina.

The star striker said in his statement: “I wish to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to everybody I have let down and to whom my actions over the last few months have caused offence.

“My wish is to concentrate on playing football for Manchester City football club.”

Reports indicated that Tevez met with City football administrator Brian Marwood on Monday and he agreed to apologise. Mancini was not present at the meeting but was told about the situation and agreed to accept the Argentine’s apology.

Although the City manager has said that Tevez’s playing days under him are over, he had a change of heart and had told the 28-year-old Argentine that an apology would help him get back in the squad – to which Tevez initially protested.

A City spokesman said: “Carlos has today apologised to all concerned for his recent conduct. He returned to the football club last Tuesday, following a three month absence from duties, without permission.

“Carlos has also withdrawn his appeal against the Club’s finding of gross misconduct which was due to be heard by a Premier League panel in the coming days. He has since begun a training program designed to return him to optimum fitness.”

Tevez’s decision to go AWOL and fly home to Argentina has cost him around £10 million and in the process damaged his reputation within the squad and its supporters. He has also withdrawn his appeal for the £1.2m fine imposed by the team against his actions.

AUTHOR’S OPINION
Finally some good news in this whole controversy. Tevez finally realised that there are things that are bigger than he is. The club, the whole team and the supporters matter more than what he solely thinks. Hopefully he’s fit to join the squad and make a run for that title.

Photo source stanjames.com

BEFORE their 1-3 defeat against Napoli on Tuesday, Chelsea players, especially Ashley Cole, had an earful to say to manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Senior players Cole, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien were all benched for the tie because of their criticism over the Portuguese manager’s tactics.

In a clear-air meeting held last Sunday, Villas-Boas asked his players to comment about their current form and honest opinions about the poor results they’ve been having.

Lampard and Essien were direct with their opinions – but Cole was the one who strongly voiced out his concerns.

“I came here to win medals and trophies, but I’m never going to do that with your tactics,” said the English left-back.

Cole also said that he felt like a robot with AVB wanting him to play in a specific way and stay in a limited area in the pitch rather than giving them the freedom to play to their skills, at their best.

Other Blues players were infuriated by their manager’s actions as he benched the three for airing out their opinions – in a meeting where AVB reportedly encouraged honesty from the team.

Cole was further angered when he saw Villas-Boas comment on live TV that the left-back was not fully fit to start the game.

This went against the 31-year-old defender’s claim that he was 100 per cent healthy and ready to play.  However, he was called just after 12 minutes into the game following an injury to Jose Bosigwa.

Regardless of the defeat to Napoli, Villas-Boas still believes he will still be in charge by the second leg.

“I have full confidence from the owner. Manager for the second leg? Yes, for sure.

“It’s a team selection, I can go on and explain but it makes no difference.

“It was based on what was fair at that moment, the best team.”

Pundits were all in disbelief at the selection the 34-year-old manager made.

Jamie Redknapp said: “It has all the makings of managerial suicide.”

Graeme Souness added: “If Cole is 90 per cent, he’s still better than Bosingwa at 100 per cent.”

AUTHOR’S OPINION
Things are clearly not getting any better for AVB and the rest of the Blues. It is only a matter of time when something clearly has to give. For Abramovich, figuring out whether the players or the manager has to go should be a very difficult decision. Unfortunately, one has to give in.

Photo source guardian.co.uk

PLAYING in subzero temperatures and on an artificial turf, Real Madrid failed to unsettle CSKA Moscow in their Champions League last 16 first leg clash on Tuesday.

The visiting Spaniards were forced to a 1-1 draw by the hosts as they conceded their first away goal this season after winning all of their six previous games in the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo shoved the Los Blancos ahead in the 28^th minute at the Luzhniki Stadium and they looked headed for victory despite the freezing weather.

Ronaldo nailed his 36^th goal of this term after CSKA failed to clear a cross from the left by defender Fabio Coentrao. The ball bounced into Ronaldo’s path and he slammed a left-footed shot into the net for the ice breaker.

CSKA has several opportunities after Ronaldo’s brace and their perseverance paid off in the 93^rd minute.

They levelled on the last kick of the fixture when midfielder Pontus Wernbloom scrambled the ball into the back of the net.

Madrid had a chance to put the game way but Sergio Ramos’s header in the 76^th was saved by CSKA goalkeeper Sergei Chepchugov, while Ronaldo had a shot that rolled wide of the post.

The Spaniards try to clinch the tie when the return leg is held at the Santiago Bernabeu on March 14.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admitted they ran into a tough side in CSKA Moscow. “They did very little to score but got their goal. They were very happy to get that.”

Mourinho added he was still satisfied with the result even though they failed to convert the chances they had in the second half.

CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky said it was great to get the injury-time goal and it gave them a chance going into the second leg.

“Wernbloom is the hero with the goal, of course. But he played a good defensive game on the whole,” he added.

AUTHOR’S OPINION
Real Madrid must finish off the pesky Russian side at home. If they get upset, they’d be the laughing stock of the competition, and the rest of the football world.

Photo source thesun.co.uk

MANCHESTER United’s Rio Ferdinand wants the squad’s performance to improve, in order to quiet the taunts of school kids.

According to the defender, he is constantly subjected to children’s teasing every time he visits his kids’ school.  The teasing intensifies, Ferdinand says, whenever the Red Devils fail to win – an example being their recent exit from the Champions League competition.

The 33-year old continued however that although the mocking is bothersome, it also comes as motivation for him to perform at his best.

“When you’re dropping your kids off, you don’t want little ones making fun of you because you’ve been beaten by so-and-so,” said Ferdinand, as quoted on MirrorFootball.co.uk.

“But it happens.  Young kids can be unforgiving.  There’s nothing in their minds that goes, ‘he plays football, leave him alone’.  If anything, they’re worse.”

Ferdinand continued, admitting that regardless of the taunters’ ages, their comments still hit a sore spot.

“There’s still a little kid inside me who has pride and an ego and wants to make sure I can walk up that path and nobody can say anything to me because we’ve won.

“As soon as that feeling goes, it’s time to pack up my boots.”

Currently at second place in the Premier League table, the Red Devils’ quest for silverware this season relies upon their ability to overtake current leaders Manchester City, whom they trail by a mere two points.

And with their exit from the Champions League, Manchester United are fighting for glory in the Europa League – something that Ferdinand describes as an opportunity for them to rebuild a dominant reputation.

“We just go out there and perform to the best of our capabilities,” he said.

“The management feel the same.  As players we demand the highest standards of ourselves and if we don’t meet them, the dressing room isn’t a place to be.”

AUTHOR’S OPINION
Awwww, is wittle Ferdie scawed of a bunch of wittle bwats? He should be, those children can be mean. But more to the point, perhaps he should be concerned about the fact that if he gets a proper teasing because of his team’s performance, what about his kids?

Photo source balls.ie

A NEWLY-opened in Badnung, Indonesia was named after Liverpool striker Steven Gerrard.

The hotel, which is under the ownership of The Maja House Group, has been named “Stevie G”, as a result of the management being avid fans of the Premier League club.

According to reports, the building featured a Liverpool-related interior design theme for the hotel and its individual rooms.

When asked, the general manager Aditya M said that the hotel included a special room made for all Liverpool supporters.

“The Stevie G is unique and one of the rooms’ decors, the ‘This is Anfield’ room, was indulging Liverpudlians.”

He went on to describe the specific room as a space displaying the famous names that have ever played, or still play, in the club.

“In the room there is Anfield stadium wallpaper and a collection of Liverpool players past to present,” Aditya explained, “such as Kenny Dalglish, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and even Luis Suarez can be found on the bedroom walls.”

Commenting on the hotel’s reception, Debbie Winardi, who heads Indonesia’s official Liverpool fan club, stated that Gerrard is indeed famous in Indonesia.  She added that supporters are well aware of the fact that the room, as well as the entire hotel, is referring to him.

“It is known here that the name of the hotel, ‘Stevie G’, is referring to Steven Gerrard and he is very popular over here.”

Windari continued, saying that considering the large support for Gerrard and the club coming from the country, the Liverpool-themed room has become a popular attraction.

“The ‘This is Anfield’ room got LFC supporters in Indonesia very excited,” Windari said.  “A lot of my LFC supporter friends are talking about it on Twitter and they are generally very excited about it.

“From what I’ve read on the hotel’s Facebook page, generally people want to experience the room either by staying in t, or just taking photographs.

“Of course it will be a unique experience for a supporter, staying in a room themed with everything related to LFC.”

The Stevie G hotel finished construction in 2010 and opened to the public late in 2011.

AUTHOR’S OPINION
What a strange but nevertheless flattering honour. Having a hotel located on the other side of the world named after you is not awkward at all. Think Gerrard would fancy popping by, at least just to see it for himself? Considering the fan base, he might barely make it out of the airport.

Photo source radiocrc.com

DESPITE the woes that plagued Chelsea recently, they should remain a fearsome squad.

That is how Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri looked at their Champions League last 16 opponents as he dismissed insinuations that they are the favourites for the Tuesday clash.

The south Italian outfit host the Blues at the San Paolo Stadium for the first leg tie before they travel to Stamford Bridge three weeks later. [ More ]

Photo from pokernews.com

DAVID “Chino’’ Rheem can now heave a sigh of relief. His money woes are over.

Rheem, a Los Angeles, California native, outwitted two of the hottest players around to crown himself the champion [ More ]

Source: pokernews.com

IT’S all systems go for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event championship on November 5-7 at the Rio in La Vegas where fame, fortune and poker greatness awaits the Grand Champion.

From the mammoth field of 6,865 players who vied for spots in the final table, only 9 (nine) survivors were left to fight it out for the ultimate prize.

Martin Staszko of the Czech Republic and Eoghan O’Dea of Ireleand emerged as the top 2 chip leaders but 7 (seven) other qualifiers will challenge them in the finals.

The 35-year-old Staszko is the first player from his country to advance to the main event, while O’Dea, 26, is a veteran of several European tournaments. He is the son of famous Irish poker player and gambler Donnacha O’Dea.

Staszko had 40,175,000 chip counts while O’Dea had 33,925,000. The other finalists with their corresponding chip counts were Matt Gianetti (24,750,000), Phil Collins (23,875,000), and Ben Lamb (20,875,000), all of the United States; Badin Bounahra of Belize (19,700,000), Pius Heinz of Germany (16,425,000), Anton Makievski of Ukraine (13, 825,000) and Samuel Holden of the United Kingdom (12,375,000).

Each of them will get a guaranteed prize money of $782,115.

Chip leaders posted a record of 1-for-2 (wins) in the last 2 (two) years of the prestigious meet. Darvin Moon of the US won the event in 2009, while French-Canadian Jonathan Duhamel prevailed in 2010.

When the smoke of battle clears, the eventual champion will bring home a jaw-dropping bounty of $8,711,956. The winner also stands to wear the custom-designed WSOP gold and diamond bracelet.

Making it to the WSOP finale is every poker player’s dream come true because reigning supreme in this event is synonymous to getting the enviable tag of “world poker champion.”

When play resumes in the November attraction, there will be 34 minutes and 57 seconds left in Level 36, with the button starting in seat 9.

Source: thpoker.com

Marking a new chapter in the tournament’s history, the World Poker Tour’s first ever Slovenia stop has concluded, crowning the first WPT Slovenia champion.

After over four days and a field of 141 players, local man Miha Travnik emerged the winner, taking home £88,520 and a buy-in to the WPT Championship in Las Vegas, priced at £22,057.

Considered a local hero for bagging the first-ever WSOP Slovenia trophy and winning a major live poker event, an apprehensive Travnik was said to have shunned and eluded all interview attempts.

The final day began with Travnik, 20, trailing behind first-placer Johannes Korsar from Sweden, battling eight other competitors; unofficially, the table hosted nine players, until 90 minutes after when Austrian Manuel Blaschke was left in ninth place after playing his jacks against Travnik’s queens.

Next to exit were Johan Patrik Hirvonen and Hugh Cohen, who settle for the eighth and seventh spots respectively. Travnik’s pair of 10’s ejected Hirvonen who held As-Js; Cohen went all in with A-10, called by Italian Vincenzo Natale who held K-10.

The competition reached a point of only 6 players, and after seven gruelling hours of play, Travnik who held 1,204,000 in chips went head-to-head against Natale who held 3,150,000. The matchup stretched to the final hand with Natale, who had by the time lost three major pots in a row, going all-in pre-flop with K-8, and Travnik holding A-J.

With the board reading J-7-5-2-10 in Travnik’s favour, Natale settled for second place, coming away with £61,571.

The WPT Slovenia was held in the coastal resort of Portoroz, currently with a population of 2,849.

Aside from the WPT, Slovenia bears witness to the Poker Grand Prix, held at the Casino Perla in Nova Gorica, a town and municipality located in the country’s western area. The competition began July 21st and ended July 24.

It pays to be in the final 8 of the National Finals.

The qualifiers from the United Kingdom’s longest-running poker tournament – Poker in the Pub – found out after they were hauled off to glitzy Las Vegas to vie for the title.

Venue was ESPN’s featured TV table in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
York’s Craig Thomson wound up wearing Poker in the Pub Season V winner’s engraved silver bracelet after coming back from a 3-1 heads up deficit against Plymouth’s Frazer Bolt.

Thomson was not only ecstatic by the victory. He was awe-struck by Las Vegas, too, describing the gambling haven as an “incredible, massive and one of the most impressive places’’ he had been to.

The 24-year-old also called the Las Vegas trip as a “trip of a lifetime,’’ comparing his journey to an amateur tennis player seeing action at Wimbledon or a rookie football player playing at Wembley.

From the unexpected limousine ride, walk on the red carpet all the way to the poker room where they played on the championship table, Thomson cherished them all. “Unbelievable’’ was how he recalled the experience.

Having tasted the Sin City adventure, Thomson said this will give encouragement to Poker in the Pub competitors in the coming season. The Yorkshireman started began playing in his local pub – the Puss `n’ Boots – which is just 2 minutes away from where he lives – and moved on to reach the Regional Finals where he excelled to make it to the National Finals.

In praising Poker in the Pub, Thomson said that in the last two years, it is the best league he had played in. He also lauded the tournament’s bigger prizes and the players’ higher chances of winning.

Thomson, who is eyeing a career as an accountant, said he has proven that one does not necessarily have to be the best player in the world to play in the best arenas.

Source: pokerista.net

A competitor from the Czech Republic currently holds the largest chip lead among the final nine Main Event finalists at the 2011 World Series of Poker tournament.

35-year old Martin Staszko, a professional poker player, will head to the November Nine, the competition’s final stage, holding a chip total of 40,175,000.

This number puts him at 7 million ahead of his nearest competitor, Eoghan O’Dea (Ireland), who currently holds almost 34 million in chips.

Following O’Dea is Matt Giannetti from the United States with 24,750,000; Phil Collins, also from the US, holds fourth place at 23,875,000.

Staszko’s participation in the final leg makes him the first ever player from the Czech Republic to reach the Main Event final of the WSOP.

The Czech’s trail of poker victories involves a recent 11th place win in the Deauville Event of the European Poker Tour. He currently holds an “expert” rating in the game, just one notch below master level.

The November Nine remain among a total of 6,865 players all vying for a shot at the WSOP gold bracelet, as well as the US$8.7 million first prize, to be determined in Las Vegas on November 5.

Also in the finals at 5th place and 20, 875,000 is Ben Lamb (US), who took first, second, and eighth place in earlier events in this year’s competition.

The group also features the first representative from the Ukraine, 21-year old Anton Makiievskyi. He currently sits at 8th place, with 13,825,000 chips.

Overall, a total of seven different countries are represented in the November Nine, with the US leading the number with 3 representatives; aside from the Czech Republic and the Ukraine, the remaining countries are Belize, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

The finalists were decided after a total of 2 weeks and about 500,000 hands.