1 May 2002 - The Clasico Is Not Always A Classic

On 1 May 2002, Real Madrid and Barcelona met in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal match-up. The game ended as a 1-1 draw, which was enough to see Madrid through to claim their ninth European Cup/Champions League trophy.

The fierce rivals had faced off twice before in the competition, with Madrid winning both legs of their semifinal meeting in the spring of 1960 and going on to win the Final. The next fall, it was Barcelona who advanced, winning 4-3 on aggregate in the first round en route to the Final, which they lost to Benfica.

By May of 2002, they had already played each other three times. Madrid won twice, including a 2-0 victory in the semifinal's first leg (the other match was a 1-1 draw in the league). Playing before a crowd of 75,000 at the Bernabéu, Barcelona pressed for the needed goals, but it was Madrid who took the lead with a left-footed shot from Raúl in the 43rd minute.

Barça were finally rewarded in the 48th minute when Madrid defender Iván Helguera deflected a cross into his own net. The visitors continued to press for chances, but wasted them as shots from Javier Saviola, Patrick Kluivert, Luis Enrique, and Geovanni all shot wide.

The match ended 1-1 and Madrid went on to the Final in Glasgow where they beat Bayer Leverkusen, 1-2.

30 April 1949 - Sorry, Larissa Riquelme Wasn't There

On 30 April 1949, Paraguay secured their record victory, beating Bolivia 7-0 in the Copa América.

Dating back to 1910, the national team of Paraguay had finished as runners-up in the tournament three times, but had never won it. By the time they played Bolivia in 1949, they were again in second place, just behind Brazil, after losing to Uruguay ten days earlier.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 at Rio de Janeiro's Estádio São Januário, Paraguay looked determined to maintain their title challenge with a first-half hat-trick from Jorge Benítez. Forward Dionisio Arce added a fourth before the break. They contributed another goal each in the second half, while Pedro Fernández joined them on the scoresheet. It was a crushing defeat for Bolivia, but not their worst of the tourney--they had already lost to Brazil 10-1 earlier that month.

Paraguay went on to beat Brazil 2-1 in the last scheduled match. The win drew the teams level in the table, forcing a playoff. That match ended 7-0, but Paraguay were on the wrong end that time as Brazil claimed their third Copa América title. Paraguay did eventually win the tournament in 1953 and again in 1979.

In 2010, Paraguay matched the 7-0 scoreline with a win over Hong Kong in a post-World Cup friendly.

29 April 1996 - The Return Of The Kaiser (Again)

On 29 April 1996, Franz ("Der Kaiser") Beckenbauer returned to Bayern Munich for a second stint as manager and collected another piece of silverware in his two months in charge.

Beckenbauer, who won four league titles and three European Cups with Bayern from 1964 to 1977, originally returned to the club for the second half of the 1993-94 season. After lifting them to the 1994 Bundesliga title, he stepped aside as manager, handing the reins to Giovanni Trapattoni. Beckenbauer remained with the club as president.

Otto Rehhagel was their manager for the 1995-96 season, but despite some success on the pitch, he had a difficult relationship with the team's players, who considered his tactics and style to be too old-fashioned. Bayern cut ties with him in April 1996, just as the team was preparing to contest the UEFA Cup Final.

Once more, they turned to Beckenbauer, who took over for the last two months of the season. His first match in charge was the UEFA Cup Final, which ended as a 2-0 victory over Bordeaux. Bayern proceeded to win one and draw one of their last four matches to secure a second-place spot in the Bundesliga. Beckenbauer stepped down once again, and once again turned the club over to Trapattoni.

28 April 1923 - Behold A Pale Horse

On 28 April 1953, Bolton Wanderers and West Ham met in the FA Cup Final. It was the first event ever held at the original Wembley Stadium.

The stadium had been built over the course of the previous year at a cost of £750,000 and was ready for business just four days prior to the Final. Approximately 300,000 people turned up for the match, far in excess of the stadium's capacity of 127,000.

Spectators spilled out of the terraces and onto the pitch before the match, requiring mounted police to clear the field for the game. The day's iconic image shows constable George Scorey on a grey horse parting a sea of supporters. His horse, Billie, appeared white on film, giving rise to the match's nickname as the White Horse Final.

The natch itself was anticlimactic. Bolton went ahead in the second minute with a goal from forward David Jack. Jack's shot hit a spectator who was standing against the net, knocking him unconscious. Bolton forward Jack Smith doubled their lead in the 53rd minute and Wanderers held on for a comfortable 2-0 victory.

27 April 1974 - Law Sentences United To Relegation

On 27 April 1974, Manchester City defeated Manchester United 0-1 at Old Trafford, securing United's relegation to the Second Division. The match's lone goal was scored by former European Footballer of the Year Denis Law, who had spent the previous eleven seasons with United before moving to City on a free transfer in the summer of 1973.

United entered the match in 21st position on 32 points, three points behind Birmingham City, who were sitting above the drop in 19th place. At that time, wins earned two points each and United, with two matches left to play, had a match in hand. Thus, in order for United to avoid relegation, they needed at least a draw against City and a Birmingham loss.

With less than 10 minutes to play, the match was scoreless. Then City pressed forward and the ball found its way into the United box where Law instinctively backheeled it into the net. Law's teammates rushed over to congratulate him, but he refused to celebrate, realizing that he had just sealed the fate of the club he loved. United's supporters invaded the pitch and the match was stopped. The scoreline held, though, 0-1 to City.

As it turned out, Birmingham won their last match, so United would have gone down even if they had beaten City. Nevertheless, the goal is remembered as the one that sent them down to Division Two. In any event, they didn't stay down long, earning promotion back to the top flight at the first opportunity.

26 April 1991 - The Hand Of God Gets Caught In The Cookie Jar

On 26 April 1991, police in Buenos Aires arrested Diego Maradona for possession of cocaine. It was one more twist in the spiraling descent of the Argentina star, who had just started serving a 15-month ban from Italian football.

Although he was already suffering from a cocaine addiction when he joined Napoli in 1984, he reached his greatest potential while at the club, winning two Serie A titles (1987, 1990) and the UEFA Cup (1989). Meanwhile, he shined on the international stage for Argentina, guiding them to the 1986 World Cup trophy while winning the Golden Ball at the tournament's best player.

But in March 1991, the Italian Football Federation suspended Maradona for 15 months after he tested positive for cocaine. He returned to Buenos Aires, but could not escape his troubles. On the morning on 26 April, police roused him from bed at his apartment and arrested him for possession of cocaine.

Maradona's ongoing problems proved too much for Napoli, who transferred him to Sevilla in 1992 at the completion of his suspension. His troubles continued, however, including a dismissal from the 1994 World Cup after a positive test for ephedrine and another arrest for cocaine possession in 1997. The latter effectively ended his playing career.

He returned to the sport in 2008 to manage Argentina's 2010 World Cup campaign, but his contract expired after the tournament and he is currently out of football.

25 April 2004 - The Invincibles Take The Title

On 25 April 2004, Arsenal drew 2-2 with Tottenham at White Hart Lane. The point they earned was enough to clinch the Premier League title with four matches remaining.

The Gunners were near the end of an incredible season, having gone undefeated in the league. They started the day on 81 points, nine clear of second-place Chelsea and with a game in hand. Playing before a crowd of 36,097 at the home of their fierce derby rivals, Arsenal never looked in danger of losing the title.

They went ahead after only three minutes, as Thierry Henry recovered the ball from a failed Spurs corner, sped down the pitch and fed it to Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutchman delivered a precise cross for captain Patrick Vieira, who provided the final touch that put the ball into the net. Bergkamp started the attack for Arsenal's second goal in the 35th minute, beating the Tottenham defenders with a through ball to Vieira, who then gave it to Robert Pires for the finish.

Amid constant pressure from Arsenal, Tottenham fought back, cutting the deficit to one with a goal from Jamie Redknapp in the 63rd minute. Then, in stoppage time, Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann fouled Robbie Keane, who converted the ensuing penalty kick to earn the draw.

The result put Arsenal ten points clear of Chelsea, who had lost that day to Newcastle and had only three games left. Arsenal drew two of their last four, but finished the season undefeated.

24 April 1954 - Liverpool Sinks

On 24 April 1954, Liverpool ended 50 consecutive seasons in the top flight with a 3-0 loss to Blackpool. They would not return for eight years.

Founded in 1892, Liverpool joined the Football League in 1893 and had been in the First Division since the 1905-06 season. In 1947, they won their fifth league title, but they had finished no higher than eighth in the intervening years and dropped all the way to 17th in 1953.

The 1953-54 season started poorly, with five losses in their first eight matches. They hit bottom on 19 December after a 5-1 loss to Manchester United and remained there for the remaining 19 weeks. At one point, they set a current club record by going 14 matches without a win.

They rallied in early April, rattling off four wins in six matches, but it was not enough to lift them up from last place. A loss at home to Cardiff City on 17 April guaranteed their relegation. A win against Blackpool in their last match would have put them above Middlesbrough on goal average, but Blackpool won 3-0, firmly sticking Liverpool on the bottom.

They remained in Division 2 until 1962 when Bill Shankly, in only his second full season in charge, guided them back to the top flight, where they have remained ever since.

23 April 1923 - The Young Turks

On 23 April 1923, the Turkish Football Federation formed, creating a national team that would become a force in Europe and eventually reach third place in the World Cup.

Shortly after formation, Turkey joined FIFA, but did not qualify for a World Cup until 1950. They withdrew from that tournament, however, claiming they could not afford to send their team to Brazil for the competition. They did show up in 1954, but were eliminated in a first-round playoff by eventual champions West Germany.

Turkey did not participate in another World Cup until 2002, when they stunned observers by taking third place. Their run in the tournament included wins over China (3-0 in the group stage), co-hosts Japan (0-1 in the Round of 16), and Senegal (0-1 in the quarterfinals) before a second 1-0 loss to Brazil (who had beaten them by the same score in the group stage) sent them to the third-place match. There, they downed the other co-hosts, South Korea, 2-3, in a dominant performance that belies the close margin of victory.

Since 1962, Turkey has been a member of UEFA and has qualified for the European Championship in 1996, 2000, and 2008. In the latter, they advanced to the semifinals with electrifying wins over the Czech Republic and Croation before losing to Germany.

22 April 2000 - Gueugnon Gets The Goods

On 22 April 2000, FC Gueugnon became the first--and to date only--team outside the top flight to win the Coupe de la Ligue, beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-0.

Founded in 1940, Gueugnon spent their first forty years as an amateur club. They eventually turned professional in 1980, earning promotion to Division 1 in 1995, but were relegated after one season. In Division 2 for the 1999-2000 season, they faced only one Division 1 team on their way to the Coupe de la Ligue Final, beating Strasbourg 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

In the final, they faced two-time winner PSG (who would finish the year in Division 1's second place). Playing in Paris at the Stade de France, PSG were a heavy favorite, but were unable to crack Gueugnon's defense. The underdogs seemed to gain enthusiasm with every minute as they stifled PSG's attack and, in the 65th minute, a 25-yard blast from Gueugnon midfielder Nicolas Esceth-N'Zi fell at the feet of teammate Marcelo Trapasso, who tapped it in for the go-ahead goal.

Gueugnon doubled their lead in the 90th minute when Sylvain Flauto (pictured), who had come on as N'Zi's replacement, turned a cross into the net. The whistle blew shortly afterward.

The win proved to be costly to Gueugnon, as they lost several key players to bigger clubs, including defender Sylvain Distin, who left for Arsenal. Gueugnon currently sit at the bottom of France's third division, the Championnat National.

21 April 1986 - Goalkeeping By Committee Doesn't Work

On 21 April 1986, West Ham center back Alvin Martin scored a rare hat-trick against Newcastle--with each goal coming against a different goalkeeper.

Playing before a crowd of almost 25,000 at Upton Park, Newcastle began the day with Martin Thomas, their regular goalkeeper. Thomas had missed their previous match, a 1-1 draw at Chelsea, due to a shoulder injury and was still not completely fit. But Newcastle's back-up keeper had himself gotten injured at Stamford Bridge and did not make the trip to West Ham, so Thomas had to start.

After only four minutes, Martin beat Thomas for his first goal of the day. By halftime, with Thomas having conceded two more West Ham goals and a Newcastle own-goal, he was unable to continue, replaced by midfielder Chris Hedworth for the second half. Hedworth lasted less than 30 minutes in goal after damaging his collarbone on an awkward fall, but not before Martin scored again.

As Hedworth returned to the midfield, forward Peter Beardsley stepped between the pipes and conceded three more goals, the last of which was delivered by Martin in the 84th minute.

The Hammers ended the season in third place, their best-ever finish. Martin remained at Upton Park until 1996, when he moved to Leyton Orient.

20 April 2010 - The Third Time's The Charm For Inter

On 20 April 2010, Inter Milan scored against Barcelona for the first time in three matches that season, winning 3-1 in the opening leg of their semi-final match-up en route to winning the trophy.

The two teams met twice in the group stage, with the first match ending as a scoreless draw in Milan and the second as a 2-0 Barcelona victory at Camp Nou. Barcelona won the group, then advanced to the semi-finals over Stuttgart and Arsenal. Inter's path, meanwhile, went over manager José Mourinho's former club Chelsea and CSKA Moscow.

Playing before a crowd of 83,000 at the San Siro, Barcelona jumped to a first-half lead with a 19th-minute goal from Pedro, but Real Madrid cast-off Wesley Sneijder equalized in the 30th minute. Then, while playing a tenacious defensive game that stymied Barça playmaker Lionel Messi, Inter pushed ahead in the 48th minute--taking the ball from Messi and sending it up the pitch to Diego Milito, who then fed it to right back Maicon (pictured) to slot home.

Milito provided the day's final goal, knocking home Sneijder's misplaced header in the 61st minute. Barcelona poured forward, but Inter keeper Julio Cesar repeatedly denied their attempts on goal to secure the 3-1 victory.

Barça won the second leg 1-0, but Inter advanced by the aggregate score of 3-2 and went on to win their first European Cup/Champions League title since 1965.

19 April 1957 - Chelsea Hits New Heights

On 19 April 1957, Chelsea set an English record by becoming the first team to travel by plane for a domestic away match.

The decision was one of necessity, not extravagance. The Blues played that day against Newcastle, whose St. James Park is just over 280 miles away from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won that match, then needed to return home to host Everton the very next day.

While Chelsea would ordinarily return by bus, the club decided that time was more important than money and chartered a flight back to London. The plan worked, as they defeated Everton 5-1.

18 April 2001 - United's 12th Man

On 18 April 2001, Manchester United took a team photo of their starting XI--with a surprise twelfth person.

United were at Munich's Olympic Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich, having lost the first leg 0-1 at Old Trafford. As the starters gathered on the pitch for their pre-match photo, they were unknowingly joined by out-of-work laborer Karl Power (pictured at far left).

Power had snuck into the stadium disguised as a member of a television crew, then changed into the Manchester United away kit and walked out unchallenged onto the pitch for the photo. Some of the players noticed him (such as Roy Keane, standing at far right and looking at Power), but he managed to stay for the photo, then retreated into the stands to watch the match.

He claimed that he had spent two years planning the stunt and later pulled similar pranks, such as walking out with the English cricket team for a match, performing the haka before an English rugby match, and sneaking onto Wimbledon's Centre Court. In 2003, he received a lifetime ban from Old Trafford after invading the pitch to re-enact a famous Diego Forlán goal.

17 April 2004 - So Sweet For Sochaux

On 17 April 2004, Sochaux won their first trophy in 40 years, beating Nantes on penalties in the Coupe de la Ligue Final.

It was the second straight final for Sochaux, who had lost to Monaco the previous season, and the first one for Nantes. The teams exchanged a pair of early goals, with forward Grégory Pujol striking first for Nantes in the 13th minute, then defender Sylvain Monsoreau heading Sochaux level five minutes later. Nantes looked likely to regain the lead several times, but were repeatedly denied by Sochaux goalkeeper Teddy Richert (pictured), including one point-blank save against Nantes midfielder Frédéric de Rocha late in the match.

Locked at 1-1 after extra time, the game went to a penalty shootout. Still level after six kicks, Sochaux defender Maxence Flachez sent his attempt over the crossbar. The miss opened the door for Nantes' next kicker, goalkeeper and captain Mickaël Landreau, to seal the win. But he tried a simple chip that Richert saved with ease. After Sochaux captain Benoît Pedretti beat Landreau on the next attempt, Richert once again made a crucial stop, diving to his right to save Nantes' last shot and end the match as a Sochaux victory.

Irina Shayk Nude Picture For Marc Jacob Charity Campaign

After her nude shoot at Marc Jacob's new T-shirt product for charity campaign called "Protect The Skin You're In" appeared, Cristiano's colleague at RM couldn't stand not to tease him,most of the time.

"Irina Shayk posed nude for a magazine and some of the players made ​​several copies of her picture and started to put them in many places in the locker room," said a source at the Daily Mirror.

And it didn't stop there.

"Of course, there are some graffiti and (naughty) notes added to the several 'areas' in the picture,"added the source.

Since 2008, Marc Jacobs succeeded in convincing a number of celebrities to take off their clothes after a series of their charity campaign,under the cooperation with NYU Cancer Institute. Dita Von Teese, Victoria Beckham and Marisa Miller was previous star who agreed on taking the nude picture.

Hmm....What will Dolly say about this ??

Cristiano Ronaldo Wears New Nike Superflyl Boots in El Clasico

Just as Nike promised, Cristiano wore a new Superfly boots at El Clasico match. Cool boots, but I prefer the colorfull one.
This boots has helped him to shoots more accurate on his free-kick, although the second one was a bit too high.

Cris penalty was easy, but he made it a little too much to the right, almost out from the goalpost.

Cristiano Ronaldo Pictures in El Clasico (16 April 2011)Review

What a match !! Iker the Octopus prediction was right, the match ended in a draw.He must be the next successor for Paul then....

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both wrote their name on the score board, with penalties.

Although I'm 100% a Real Madrid fan, but I have to admit that Madrid was consider lucky to made it a draw. From the start to the end, Barcelona was lead on the ball possesion.

Moreover,Albiol did an unnecessary thing early on the second half untill he gets a red card, leave Real Madrid with 10 men only. And on second half, Mou replaced ALonso with Adebayor, which became a waste of thing. During his little time on the pitch, he made too many mistakes, not to mention his lazyness on catching up the ball...,

OK, now with the ref. It has been said that during the match, the ref was taking side on Real Madrid. It wasn't entirely true. But there are the most fatal thing on the match that the ref missed in judging :

He should gave Villa a penalty after Casillas stop him on a penalty box. Instead stopping the ball, Casillas catch Villa's feet, till he fell. It was a clear penalty.

For Real Madrid, at 80 minute, the ref should give Alves a red card, due to his foul on Marcelo at the penalty area. Marcelo gets a penalty though, but still, the last 10 minutes, they should be playing 10 on 10.

But in the end, we were so relief when it ended with 1-1 draw.
Another new point on the match, Cris finally ends his goaless curse in El Clasico. Maybe that's why he was taking the ball after he scored.

Check out for more pictures on the gallery...

Cristiano Ronaldo in 'Real Cristiano' Interview

With El Clasico ahead us, Cristiano interview in Real Madrid TV seems to be forgotten. So here I'm going to post some of his interview at 'Real Cristiano', but just the interesting part. The interview was 45 minutes in length, and most of it we already heard. You know, same stuff about his family, club, childhood, friends.....

OK, here are the facts that you should know....

What is  the music to Cristiano Ronaldo?

Singing is not what I do best, but sing a little bit.The music drags all of us, we hear it before workouts, parties, part of Real Madrid's family. Music is part of my life. I've grew up in music, I like it because it relaxes me before the match.


What is your favorite music?

I like all music, depends on the mood,...it depends on many factors.

Marcelo's always smiling. How do you see him?

A positive person. Marcelo is a special person , every day we laugh, joking. He is a very happy guy, and gives a good influence. I consider myself a lucky guy because I'm easy to get close with a person who jokes a lot.I love the team, it's phenomenal. It's easy to grow and learn in such environment.

What thing that you can't tollerate?

A lie. It's the worst thing for me. I can accept a positive lie, but it's a thing that gets me angry.

At age 16 you realized that your life would be for football?

Yes, I started to feel it. Training with Sporting's first team meant that the studies had to change, times were very complicated. I had to study at night and there came a time when football could not reconcile with the studies. I chose football and I think it was the best decision.

Remember how much you got paid in your first paycheck in football?

50 euros. And I paid for books and notebooks for school.

In 2003 he crosses paths with Manchester United in a friendly and a couple players tell Ferguson: "Take this guy, which is very good."
People have the idea that the agreement was after the game, but it was before. He was 18 and came to an agreement with Manchester.

You faced Manchester United in a friendly back in 2003 and a couple of their players told Ferguson to sign you.

People think we reached a deal after the game, but it actually happened before. I was 18 years old. Apparently it was Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ferdinand who talked to Ferguson. They were the best players on the team back then, and it makes me very happy.

You ever thought that you would become as what you've achieved now ?

No. I thought I was going to be a player who can make a good page in the club history, but I never thought I could win the Champions League, a Golden Ball, a FIFA World Player ... At least when I arrived at Manchester at 17.

What is the best advice you have in football?

Lots of good advice. It wouldn't be fair to say only one. My coaches, former players, are important people ... I always listen to people who have a good idea of ​​football.

How is Cristiano as a dad ?

I'm good dad. I'm still learning. It's a feeling you can not put into words. It's impressive to wake up and see a person, your own flesh and blood. I'm living a very special moment in my life.

Tell me the feelings and the sensations you get
  
I’ve been a dad for nine months and something new surprises every day: a smile, a gesture, a look… It is spectacular. Having children and enjoy our time with them is the most beautiful thing we can do. I think he’s going to be very smart, at least smarter than me. I will let him be whatever he wants. I won’t make him become a footballer. I’m not going to lie to you; I would like him to be my successor, but he will be whatever God wants him to be.

When you have a famous girlfriend, it must be hard to have a normal life.

If I had a normal girl with a simple job, it would still be the same. If you're famous you have something to sell.We must learn to live with those situations. Sometimes you can not do simple things because people will see or try to take pictures to sell, but we have to adapt to that and live with it.

What's the strangest thing you have done to go unnoticed?

Once in New York asked the driver to drop me off at a site near the hotel because there were many journalists waiting at the door. I pretended to be drunk with a friend, and entered the hotel with our head down. 


 
Then they were discussing about the league, clasico and other match.

There are plenty pictures, but I haven't had enough time to post it. Hopefully, tomorrow I'm able to fix my spare time for the pics,also uploading the video on Youtube.

And if you want to read the FULL INTERVIEW, just go HERE>>

16 April 1977 - Young Freddie Ljungberg

On 16 April 1977, Swedish national team captain, Arsenal star midfielder, and Calvin Klein model Freddie Ljungberg was born in Vittsjö.

He started his professional footballing career with Swedish side Halmstad in 1994 after spending 12 years in their youth team. In five seasons there, he won both the Swedish Cup (1995) and the league (1997). His performances drew the attention of Arsenal, who set a Swedish transfer record when they signed him in 1998 for £3 million. Reportedly, manager Arsène Wenger signed him based solely on his performance in a televised match against England and had not seen him in person.

At Arsenal, Ljungberg quickly established himself as a fan favorite due to his frenetic style of play that helped the club to two league titles (2002, 2004) and three FA Cups (2002, 2003, 2005). While there, he signed as an underwear model with Calvin Klein, serving as the face of one of their most successful ad campaigns.

A series of injuries led to his departure from Arsenal in 2007. After a brief spell with West Ham and a short time away from football, Ljungberg moved to the US to play for the Seattle Sounders in 2008. Free from injury, his performances led to his being named to the 2009 MLS All-Star team and, after a short spell with the Chicago Fire, his return to the UK to play for Celtic, his current club.

Internationally, he made 75 appearances for Sweden between 1998 and 2008, playing in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He captained the team for their Euro 2008 campaign and drew praise as their best player on the tournament despite their early exit.

Cristiano Ronaldo Pictures - Last Training For El Clasico (15 April 2011)

Last training session before El Clasico.

José Mourinho has called up 19 players for Clasico game tomorrow, including Benzema and Khedira.

Squad List :
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Adan and Dudek.
Defenders: Garay, Albiol, Ramos, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo and Arbeloa.
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Özil, Di Maria, Khedira and Kaka.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Adebayor, Benzema and Higuain.
 

Iker and Iniesta - The 2 Octopus Predicted El Clasico

Iniesta and Iker are 2 octopus in Benalmadena Sea Life Aquarium, that chosen to be the next "Paul". Their first task was to predict the Clasico match, between Madrid and Barcelona.

Iniesta, the smaller one, has ate the food in Real Madrid's tube, while Iker, a giant six feet Octopus didn't want any of the food, so it predicted as a draw.

So tomorrow will be the moment to prove not only the toughest team in Spanish, but also on who will be taking Paul's crown as the oracle.

15 April 1944 - Kamamoto Rises

On 15 April 1944, 6-time Japanese league golden boot winner Kunishige Kamamoto was born in Kyoto. He was also the top scorer at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where Japan took the bronze medal.

Kamamoto joined the Japanese national team in 1964 while still a student at Waseda University. A striker, he started every match for them during the 1964 Summer Olympics, including a 3-2 win over Argentina in which Japan came back from a 1-2 deficit by scoring in the 81st and 82nd minutes. Kamamoto did not score any of Japan's goals in that tournament, but made up for it in 1968.

There, he opened Japan's campaign with a hat-trick in a 3-1 over Nigeria. After draws against Brazil and Spain, he then scored two more against France in the quarterfinals as Japan again won by a margin of 3-1. They were eliminated by eventual champions Hungary, 5-0, but proceeded to win the third-place match against hosts Mexico, 2-0, with Kamamoto providing both goals to finish with a tournament-high total of seven. He retired from international football in 1977 and remains Japan's top scorer with 75 goals in 76 appearances.

He spent his entire club career with Yanmar Diesel. Playing from 1967 to 1984, he scored 202 goals in 251 league appearances, winning four league titles (1971, 1974, 1975, 1980) and six golden boots (1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978) .

Pictures and Video - Cristiano Ronaldo vs Tottenham Hotspur (13 April 2011)Champions League

Not much to tell, except that I'm so happy that Real Madrid made it to the semi-finals. They showed an awesome fight, and clearly, Hotspur is no match for them.

Anyway, on the match, Ronaldo made the only goal for Real Madrid (Yes!)And here are the pictures, (you can see more pics inside the gallery) and also the goal video...

GOAL VIDEO

14 April 1998 - So, About That "Captain For Life" Thing ...

On 14 April 1998, manager Steve Sampson dropped captain John Harkes from the US World Cup squad in a decision that would not be fully explained for almost 12 years.

Harkes first joined the national team in 1987 while still a student at the University of Virginia. He quickly secured a regular starting position in the midfield and helped the US qualify for the 1990 World Cup--their first since 1950--and played every minute for the US in the tournament. He returned to the World Cup in 1994 as the US advanced out of the group stages, but missed the Round of 16 match-up against Brazil because of an accumulation of yellow cards. Brazil won 1-0.

Steve Sampson took charge of the national team in 1995 and, shortly afterward, named Harkes his "Captain for Life." But on 14 April 1998, after the US had qualified for that year's World Cup, Sampson dropped Harkes from the team, citing a variety of reasons such as reluctance to play defense, missing team flights, and ignoring curfew. Harkes denied the allegations, but claimed that, even if they were true, they did not justify his exclusion from the squad. In any event, the US finished the 1998 World Cup without a single point.

In February 2010, Sampson finally revealed the real reason for his decision, claiming that Harkes had had an affair with the wife of teammate Eric Wynalda. The revelation came in the wake of a scandal that saw England captain John Terry lose the armband over an affair with the girlfriend of teammate Wayne Bridge, with Sampson stating that "maybe people will have a little better of an understanding of what happened in the final months leading up to the World Cup."

To date, Harkes has refused to comment on the accusations.

Pictures : Cristiano Ronaldo Last Training Before Tottenham Hotspur Match (12 April 2011)

Last training before off to White Hart Lane.
Cristiano, Ozil and Marcelo wearing the same Nike boots.....

Moto GP Jorge Lorenze - "Let Real Madrid Win Clasico La liga"

MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo might be a fan of Barcelona, but on the launching of his new book "Jorge Lorenze" in Barcelona today, he stated that Barca should let Real Madrid win the El Clasico next Saturday.

He confidence that Barcelona will finally reach victory, but it's more important to concentrate more on winning the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League.

He also stated that if Barcelona lose next Saturday, they still have the advantage to win La liga. So letting the rival win one game shouldn't be a problem.

"They might win one game, but I hope it's La liga. Let them win,"he said.

SIC Will Launch Cristiano Ronaldo and Mourinho Documentary World Wide

Portuguese TV SIC is on their next step in negotiating the market of Cristiano Ronaldo "The Return Of Wonder" and Jose Mourinho "The World Best Coach" documentary to nearly 20 countries world wide.
From China, Russia, Spain, London, South America, to Middle East, the fans could enjoy watching in a closer look of the two important football icons in Portuguese.

13 April 1978 - Carles, The King Of Spain

On 13 April 1978, Barcelona captain and World Cup winner Carles Puyol was born in La Pobla de Segur.

After starting his career with his hometown team, Puyol joined the Barcelona youth team in 1995 and has remained with the club ever since, earning promotion to the first team in 1997 under manager Louis van Gaal. When Puyol was 19, van Gaal encouraged him to get a haircut, but Puyol declined and his long curly hair has become a trademark.

Primarily used as a center back, Puyol currently has over 500 appearances for Barça and has captained the team since 2004. Under his leadership, they have won four league titles, two Champions League trophies, and one FIFA World Club Cup.

In 2000, he made his first appearance for Spain and was a key member of their victories campaigns in Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. In the latter, he scored a rare goal to give Spain a 1-0 victory over Germany in the semi-finals, then helped hold the Netherlands scoreless as Spain won 0-1 in extra time.

12 April 1992 - A League Cup Of Their Own

On 12 April 1992, Manchester United defeated Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final. It was the first League Cup for the club and the first piece of silverware for Ryan Giggs, who later became the most decorated British player in history.

It was United's second consecutive appearance in the Final after losing to Sheffield Wednesday the year before. Forest, meanwhile, had won it in 1990, the last of four League Cups won by the club under manager Brian Clough.

Played before a crowd of almost 77,000 at Wembley Stadium, it was closely-fought affair, with Giggs (pictured) providing the assist for the day's only goal, scored in the 14th minute by United forward Brian McClair. It was only the third domestic trophy for manager Alex Ferguson, after the 1990 FA Cup and the 1990 FA Charity Shield (the latter shared with Liverpool), but he had also won the Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 1991. He and Giggs would go on to win a multitude of additional silverware with United, including 11 league titles, 4 more FA Cups, 3 more League Cups, and 2 Champions League trophies. Two of Forest's starting XI that day, Roy Keane and Teddy Sheringham, would themselves later win trophies with United as well.

It was the last cup final for Clough, who had already won 2 league titles and 2 European Cups. He retired in 1993.

Abby Clancy and Crouch Take Daughter Sophia On a Sunny Walk

Abby Clancy and fiancee Peter Crouch were enjoying their time as a new parents. They took baby Sophia on stroller near their apartment at Surrey last weekend.
Although they look like a happy couple, but I couldn't help but notice the long skinny leg of Pete's 6"7 tall. Come on...where can you find that super long with extra small jeans like that ?

Anyway, the latest rumor is that they going to get married in June, at Stapleford Park hotel, Leics.

Caroline Celico and Son Luca

Look at that face.......Luca -the mini Kaka- is soo...adorable. Caroline was carrying Luca, even when she was about 8 months pregnant.
Since they expecting a baby girl, they already have a plan for the baby name....Isabella.

Hope that the baby will be beautiful like her mommy.

Wayne Rooney's Reality Show With Sky 1 Got Axed

Maybe Wayne Rooney already learned that swearing infront of TV camera, and to the fans, was a very bad idea, no matter how angry he was.

And now, he had to accept the consequences. Aside that he got banned from 2 premier league match, he also lost a £600,000 annual deal with Coca Cola. And now his football reality show with Sky 1, called Street Striker, has been axed, after 2 series.

Apparently, the producer partnership of the show was Coke Zero.

Following his lost to Coca cola deal, he was seen watching Manchester United match against Fulham, which ended with victory 2-0 to the Red Devils, zipping  a can of Vimto, Coca Cola's rival.