Archive for February 2008
Inter Hampiri Kejuaraan Liga
Posted on: February 29, 2008
ROM – Jurulatih Inter Milan, Roberto Mancini kini mampu menarik nafas lega selepas skuad kendaliannya seri 1-1 dengan AS Roma dalam saingan Serie A kelmarin.
Keputusan seri di gelanggang sendiri itu menyaksikan Inter memiliki kelebihan sembilan mata selaku pendahulu, sekali gus berpeluang untuk merangkul gelaran ketiga berturut-turut musim ini.
Francesco Totti meletakkan Roma di hadapan pada separuh masa pertama selepas bijak menyambar hantaran lintang daripada Max Tonetto.
TOTTI (kanan) dicabar pemain Inter, Cristian Chivu pada saingan Serie A di San Siro kelmarin.
Begitupun, kapten Inter, Javier Zanetti kembali menyamakan kedudukan ketika permainan babak kedua hanya berbaki dua minit untuk ditamatkan.
“Saya anggap keputusan seri ini sebagai satu kemenangan,” kata Mancini kepada Sky Sport.
“Totti memperoleh peluang pertama dan dia berjaya menjaringkan gol. Selepas itu, mereka lebih banyak menguasai permainan. Tetapi dalam bola sepak, apa-apa boleh berlaku.”
Sementara itu jurulatih Roma, Luciano Spalletti berang dengan insiden yang menyebabkan tonggak pertahanannya, Philippe Mexes di arah keluar padang selepas mengutip dua kad kuning.
“Saya rasa salah satu daripada kad kuning yang dikutip Mexes tidak sepatutnya diperoleh,” katanya.
“Tidak adil kerana kad kuning kedua itu tidak sepatutnya dilayangkan. Insiden itu telah mengubah rentak permainan dan Inter berjaya memperoleh gol yang penting,” kata Spalletti.
Spalletti menuduh penyerang Inter, Hernan Crespo sebagai berlakon ketika dikasari Mexes sekali gus mempengaruhi keputusan pengadil.
– AFP
Kosmo
Are You Up For This ‘sexothon’?
Posted on: February 29, 2008
If by chance you happen to be in the vicinity of the infamous Orchard Towers, don’t be surprised if you come across the wild boys from hilarious musical act The Cuban Brothers doing an impromptu show at one of the less salubrious clubs there.
That’s exactly what the wildly popular British group got up to during one of their three previous visits to Singapore when they performed at Zouk and ZoukOut.
“I have so many good memories, like going to the ‘Four Floors of Whores’,” said Mike Keat about Orchard Towers. Keat plays Miguel Mantovani, the 50-something flamboyant frontman of the band.
It all started “innocently” enough when the boys started dancing with some of the women there, and then one thing led to another.
“We did a show on the top floor, it was a free show, we weren’t dressed up We were just dancing and we ended up on stage for about half-an-hour or so, that was fun,” Keat told Today over the phone from his London home.
According to Keat, The Cuban Brothers were “born of the loins of 1970s Havana” and is led by Keat’s character, Mantovani, who apparently made his name in the porn industry and has “indulged in dark mobster indiscretions, political and sexual controversy”. Mantovani, that is, not Keat.
Mantovani’s shady past makes for much of the show’s storyline and sets the stage for the act’s other oddball characters like Mantovani’s prot g Archerio Mantovani (played by Archie Easton), and his camp “uncle/brother” Clemente Rodriguez (Russ H) to run amok on stage.
The Cuban Brothers have come a long way with their outrageous song, dance, rap and comedy routine in full costume. These days, the group hosts events like the prestigious NME Awards and present music specials for MTV when not touring around the world or recording in the studio.
But the band’s visit to Orchard Towers looks like a walk in the park when compared to the time they raced across America with the boys from the hit MTV show Jackass during the Gumball Rally in 2003.
The two groups ended up amassing US$18,000 ($25,000) in “driving tickets and offences, and ‘arrestations'”, such as when they made a pit stop in New Orleans after driving for 14 hours and made a bee line to smut legend Larry Flynt’s strip club at 6am.
“Me and Johnny Knoxville (star of Jackass) decided we were going to do a show using the pole … It’s 40-feet tall. It goes up three storeys. So, we got naked and we went up the pole,” said Keat.
“Then the New Orleans police patrolmen arrived and we wouldn’t come down, so they shimmied up the pole after us and one of them started pistol-whipping me, it opened up a cut on my head and he whipped my bare a**.
“Some people might say that’s just crazy but I’d say it’s just damn stupid.”
But he promises no such shenanigans in Singapore.
The brothers left party-heads rocking and laughing so much during their previous gigs here that Zouk decided to bring them down for a fourth time.
This time they will hit town with an arsenal of fresh songs from their upcoming album and new routine. And there will be a 15-piece band in tow.
“This is the same band we took on tour with (soul legend) James Brown just before he died,” said the 30-year-old Keat. “It’s great to get out there and rock it with a full six-piece horn section.”
But Keat, who became a father about a month ago, promises that some things will never change.
“I don’t always take my gear off. I think the girls will be relieved! Maybe there will be a bit of red thong action! We’ve got some interesting outfits This time it will be a full ‘sexothon’,” he said with a laugh.
“The show will always have an element of, should we say, ‘s**t sexiness’!”
We can’t wait. –
Channel News Asia
BERLIN : French midfielder Franck Ribery booked Bayern Munich’s place in the last four of the German Cup with a dramatic penalty in the 122nd minute of their quarter-final win over neighbours 1860 Munich.
Ice-cool Ribery, 24, kept his composure to score the game’s only goal when he converted his spot kick for the second time after his first successful effort – just seconds before – was ordered to be retaken after a team-mate strayed off-side.
It was a tense end to a tense game for 10-man Bayern at the Allianz Arena and the home side squandered a string of clear chances to win the game before Miroslav Klose won the crucial late penalty when he was tripped.
Both sides finished with ten men as Bayern’s Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni was shown a red card on 84 minutes for a second yellow card while 1860’s Markus Thorandt was shown a red deep in extra time for hacking down Ribery.
The semi-finalists are now Borussia Dortmund, VfL Wolfsburg, Carl Zeiss Jena and Bayern with the German giants clear favourites to lift their 14th German Cup title in the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on April 19.
Bayern face title contenders Schalke 04 on Saturday in the Bundesliga, but were given a tough match in the 203rd Munich derby against their second division rivals.
Toni had two goals disallowed either side of half-time, while teenage striker Tony Kroos missed an open goal in the first half.
Dutch hardman Mark van Bommel, sent off for a second yellow card in the 1-1 league draw with Hamburg on Sunday, had a fierce shot saved, but he tapped the rebound to the right of the post on 58 minutes.
Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld introduced stars Ribery and Klose in the second-half, but the 1860 defence held firm until the dying seconds.
The second-division side’s best chance fell to midfielder Danny Schwarz, but his header went wide of the post just after the hour mark.
Earlier in the evening, Wolfsburg also booked their place in the last four with a 2-1 extra-time win over Hamburg thanks to their Brazilians Grafite and Marcelinho.
After Grafite put his side in the lead with a 17th minute penalty, Hamburg hit back when captain Rafael van der Vaart unleashed a superb free-kick in the 70th minute.
It was all-square at full-time, but Marcelinho hit the winner in extra time to put his side in the semi-finals.
On Tuesday, defending Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart suffered the upset of the round when they crashed out after losing to second-division strugglers Carl Zeiss Jena 5-4 on penalties.
There was no such banana skin for Borussia Dortmund as Thomas Doll’s side booked their semi-final berth with a 3-1 win over 1899 Hoffenheim. – AFP/de
Channel News Asia
Johor Resah Tanpa Otelo
Posted on: February 29, 2008
- In: Kosmo | PLUS FC
- Leave a Comment
Oleh NASRI JAMALUDIN mohdnasri.jamaludin@kosmo.com.my
Otelo (tengah) memohon pelepasan untuk tidak beraksi pada perlawanan menentang KL Plus FC malam ini.
JOHOR dibelenggu keresahan menjelang pertemuan menentang pendahulu Liga Perdana, KL Plus FC di Stadium Majlis Perbandaran Selayang malam ini.
Ia gara-gara tonggak utamanya yang juga penyerang import berbisa dari Paraguay, Otelo Ocampos Espinola tidak dapat beraksi.
Masalah tersebut bukan berpunca daripada kecederaan tetapi Otelo memohon pelepasan daripada jurulatih Johor, Azuan Zain kerana bapanya meninggal dunia pagi semalam.
Otelo juga tidak mengikuti sesi latihan semalam, malah dia juga tidak turut serta dalam rombongan skuad Lebah ke Kuala Lumpur pada sebelah petangnya.
Azuan berkata, ketiadaan Otelo yang kini telah menjaringkan 16 gol sedikit menjejaskan persediaan pasukannya.
“Otelo telefon saya pagi tadi (semalam) minta pelepasan kerana bapanya yang berada di Paraguay meninggal dunia disebabkan sakit jantung,” kata Azuan kepada KOSMO! semalam.
Ketiadaan penyerang berbisa itu bakal menyaksikan Azuan membuat sedikit rombakan dengan menurunkan Mohd. Fauzi Mohd. Kassim.
Mengulas lanjut pertemuan dengan KL Plus FC, Azuan berkata, pertemuan malam ini pasti sengit, namun beliau berharap anak buahnya dapat mengutip tiga mata penuh seterusnya merampas takhta liga.
Melihat kepada prestasi terkini skuad Lebah, Azuan bagaimanapun tetap merendah diri dengan meramalkan kedua-dua pasukan mempunyai peluang untuk mencatat kemenangan.
“KL Plus juga mempunyai dua penyerang import yang bagus iaitu Alex Agbo dan Andrian Dario Tranidad, malah gandingan pemain di bahagian tengah juga mantap,” ujarnya.
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ROME : Inter Milan’s Argentine captain Javier Zanetti saved the champions and league leaders’ unbeaten start to the season as he rifled home a stunning late volley to earn a 1-1 draw against AS Roma on Wednesday.
Roma captain and talisman Francesco Totti had given the visitors a deserved first-half lead at the San Siro but Zanetti’s strike two minutes from time maintained Inter’s nine-point lead at the top.
Second-placed Roma needed to win to breathe new life into the title race but they were dealt a cruel blow as French centre-back Philippe Mexes was harshly sent-off late on for two bookings in quick succession.
Inter capitalised and they have now lost only once in their last 65 league matches.
Inter had the first clear-cut chance of the match and were within a lick of paint of taking the lead. Argentine forward Hernan Crespo met a cross from France captain Patrick Vieira with an acrobatic volley but saw his effort cannon back off the post.
The champions were made to pay for that miss on 38 minutes as the visitors orchestrated a sublime goal.
Neat footwork from Macedonia international Mirko Vucinic released Max Tonetto down the left and his pin-point cross was flicked home at the near post by Totti from seven yards out as he stole in front of Romania centre-back Cristian Chivu.
Inter centre-back Nicolas Burdisso should have restored parity in first-half stoppage time but his header from Luis Figo’s corner flew over the bar.
Figo himself had a great chance on 54 minutes but after having time to set himself up for an attempted volley, he skewed his effort so badly that it didn’t even go out of play.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini made three early second-half substitutions introducing David Suazo, Vitor Pele and 17-year-old Ghanaian-born striker Mario Balotelli but the move soon backfired.
Brazilian left-back Maxwell was stretchered off moments later, leaving Inter to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Roma’s Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Taddei was next to try his luck but his over-elaborate attempted chip sailed wide.
Roma were often guilty of over-playing the ball but substitute Alberto Aquilani took the direct route midway through the second half only to see his scuffed shot saved by Julio Cesar’s legs in the Inter goal.
Five minutes later Aquilani also had a shot deflected wide as Roma increasingly applied pressure on their shell-shocked hosts.
The referee evened the numbers up in the last 10 minutes, though, when he gave Mexes two yellow cards in quick succession, the second being more than just harsh.
Inter laid siege to Roma’s goal and Brazilian Doni had to be alert to tip over Crespo’s header three minutes from time but he could do nothing about Zanetti’s volley a minute later.
AC Milan slipped to fifth place as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania. Brazilian teenager Pato gave them the lead early in the second half with a skimming long-range shot but substitute Gionathan Spinesi’s header earned the Sicilians a point.
Fiorentina are up to fourth after they defeated Livorno 1-0 at home thanks to a goal from Senegal forward Ndiaye Papa Waigo. – AFP/de
Results:
Atalanta 4 Sampdoria 1
Catania 1 AC Milan 1
Fiorentina 1 Livorno 0
Genoa 2 Napoli 0
Inter Milan 1 AS Roma 1
Lazio 1 Reggina 0
Palermo 2 Empoli 0
Parma 2 Udinese 0
Siena 1 Cagliari 0
Channel News Asia
Inter Hampiri Kejuaraan Liga
Posted on: February 29, 2008
ROM – Jurulatih Inter Milan, Roberto Mancini kini mampu menarik nafas lega selepas skuad kendaliannya seri 1-1 dengan AS Roma dalam saingan Serie A kelmarin.
Keputusan seri di gelanggang sendiri itu menyaksikan Inter memiliki kelebihan sembilan mata selaku pendahulu, sekali gus berpeluang untuk merangkul gelaran ketiga berturut-turut musim ini.
Francesco Totti meletakkan Roma di hadapan pada separuh masa pertama selepas bijak menyambar hantaran lintang daripada Max Tonetto.
TOTTI (kanan) dicabar pemain Inter, Cristian Chivu pada
saingan Serie A di San Siro kelmarin.
Begitupun, kapten Inter, Javier Zanetti kembali menyamakan kedudukan ketika permainan babak kedua hanya berbaki dua minit untuk ditamatkan.
“Saya anggap keputusan seri ini sebagai satu kemenangan,” kata Mancini kepada Sky Sport.
“Totti memperoleh peluang pertama dan dia berjaya menjaringkan gol. Selepas itu, mereka lebih banyak menguasai permainan. Tetapi dalam bola sepak, apa-apa boleh berlaku.”
Sementara itu jurulatih Roma, Luciano Spalletti berang dengan insiden yang menyebabkan tonggak pertahanannya, Philippe Mexes di arah keluar padang selepas mengutip dua kad kuning.
“Saya rasa salah satu daripada kad kuning yang dikutip Mexes tidak sepatutnya diperoleh,” katanya.
“Tidak adil kerana kad kuning kedua itu tidak sepatutnya dilayangkan. Insiden itu telah mengubah rentak permainan dan Inter berjaya memperoleh gol yang penting,” kata Spalletti.
Spalletti menuduh penyerang Inter, Hernan Crespo sebagai berlakon ketika dikasari Mexes sekali gus mempengaruhi keputusan pengadil.
– AFP
Kosmo
Liu Tiada Sasaran Di Valencia
Posted on: February 29, 2008
LIU akan beraksi dalam acara 60m lari berpagar pada Kejohanan Olahraga Dalam Dewan Dunia di Valencia bulan depan.
BEIJING – Juara dunia acara 110 meter lari berpagar, Liu Xiang tidak meletakkan sebarang sasaran pada Kejohanan Olahraga Dalam Dewan Dunia di Sepanyol bulan depan.
Sebaliknya, jaguh dari China itu yang juga juara Sukan Olimpik dan pemegang rekod dunia lebih berminat menumpukan kepada usahanya untuk mempertahankan pingat emas pada Sukan Olimpik di Beijing Ogos ini.
“Kami hanya berharap agar Liu memperbaiki masa peribadinya pada kejohanan itu nanti,” jelas jurulatih Liu, Sun Haiping mengenai peluang anak didiknya itu yang akan beraksi dalam acara 60m lari berpagar.
“Pada sesi latihan sebelum ini, 60 peratus tumpuan kami adalah kepada persiapan menghadapi kejohanan luar dewan terutamanya Sukan Olimpik. Sementara 40 peratus lagi adalah untuk kejohanan dalam dewan.”
Liu yang mempunyai masa peribadi terbaik, 7.42 saat akan menyertai kejohanan dalam dewan di Valencia bulan depan bermula dari 7 hingga 9 Mac.
“Secara peribadi, saya cukup yakin dengan prestasinya musim ini,” tambah Sun.
“Dia juga lebih baik berbanding tahun lalu.”
Pada kejohanan di Valencia bulan depan, China menghantar 11 atlet terbaik dengan diketuai oleh Liu. – Reuters
Kosmo
Emosi Sambut Hero Thailand
Posted on: February 29, 2008
PARA penyokong Thaksin Shinawatra bersorak gembira berikutan kepulangannya ke Bangkok semalam.
SELEPAS 17 bulan hidup dalam buangan pemilik kelab bola sepak Manchester City di Britain, Thaksin Shinawatra akhirnya kembali semula ke Thailand dengan penuh emosi.
Bekas Perdana Menteri Thailand itu tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Suvarnabhumi pada pukul 9.48 pagi waktu tempatan semalam selepas menaiki pesawat dari Hong Kong.
Sambil mengalirkan air mata, Thaksin mengucup lantai sejurus menjejak kaki ke luar lapangan terbang sebelum menyerah diri kepada pihak polis.
Kepulangan bekas pemimpin itu juga disambut dengan sorakan oleh beribu-ribu penyokongnya yang membawa bunga ros merah dan mengibarkan bendera biru.
Sebahagian daripada pengikutnya mula berkumpul di luar lapangan terbang berkenaan sejak subuh lagi bagi melihat dengan lebih dekat pemimpin kesayangan mereka itu.
Keadaan di luar lapangan terbang itu juga umpama pesta apabila para penyokong menyanyikan lagu memuji Thaksin dan menggantung beberapa sepanduk yang bermaksud “Kami Sayang Anda, Kami Rindu Anda”.
“Thailand dan rakyat negara ini memerlukan Thaksin. Tiada sesiapa boleh menghalau beliau dari negara ini,” kata seorang ahli perniagaan, Malee, 53.
Beliau digulingkan oleh tentera pada September 2006 dan sejak itu Thaksin banyak menghabiskan masa menetap di Britain di mana beliau membeli kelab bola sepak Manchester City.
Bekas pemimpin itu juga membawa dua pemain bola sepak Manchester City, Kelvin Etuhu dan Kasper Schmeichel untuk tujuan promosi.
Thaksin, 58, pulang semula ke Thailand selepas Parti Kuasa Rakyat (PPP) yang dipimpin oleh beberapa sekutu beliau memenangi pilihan raya umum pada 23 Disember lalu.
Sepanjang hidup dalam buangan, Thaksin dan isterinya, Pojaman, 52, menghadapi beberapa tuduhan menyalah guna kuasa dan rasuah yang difailkan di mahkamah oleh junta tentera.
Sambil diiringi pihak polis, Thaksin dan isterinya dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Tinggi Bangkok dan pejabat Peguam Negara bagi mendengar pendakwaan tersebut.
Dalam perbicaraan berasingan mereka dibebaskan dengan ikat jamin berjumlah AS$281,000 (RM899,894) dan beliau juga dilarang keluar negara tanpa kebenaran mahkamah.
BEKAS Perdana Menteri Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra tunduk dan mencium lantai sebaik keluar dari Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Suvarnabhumi di Bangkok semalam.
Thaksin berkata, kepulangannya ke Thailand bukannya untuk membalas dendam tetapi beliau mahu menghabiskan masa bersama keluarga.
Beliau juga berikrar untuk mempertahankan dirinya daripada beberapa tuduhan rasuah yang dilemparkan kepadanya ketika hidup dalam buangan.
“Saya mahu membuktikan dan memulihkan semula reputasi saya yang diburukkan dengan cara yang tidak adil serta tidak bermoral.
“Saya meninggalkan Thailand sebagai Perdana Menteri tetapi apabila pulang semula saya dilayan seperti suspek penjenayah.
“Saya seolah-olah telah melakukan jenayah yang berat apabila cap jari saya diambil. Saya sangat kesal kerana perkara itu berlaku,” katanya.
“Saya tidak berhasrat untuk membalas dendam terhadap sesiapa. Kita seharusnya berkompromi dan bersatu demi negara dan raja kita yang disayangi,” ujarnya.
Thaksin juga dijangka melawat istana bagi memberi penghormatan kepada kakak Raja Bhumibol Adulyadej yang meninggal tidak lama dahulu.
Lawatan beliau itu dianggap penting selepas beliau sebelum ini dituduh oleh junta tentera sebagai rakyat yang tidak menghormati raja negara itu.
Selepas diikat jamin Thaksin dan rombongan beliau kemudiannya menginap di bilik mewah di Hotel Peninsula di mana beliau dijangka menginap selama satu bulan.
Media di Thailand melaporkan bahawa Thaksin memilih hotel itu kerana ia mempunyai kawalan keselamatan yang ketat dan bumbung bangunan itu juga dilengkapi dengan pad pendaratan helikopter.
Bilik yang ditempah oleh Thaksin untuk tetamu beliau itu juga merupakan bilik yang paling mahal iaitu berharga AS$3,300 (RM10,568) semalam.
Thaksin yang menempah keseluruhan bilik di tiga tingkat hotel itu dilaporkan membelanjakan sebanyak AS$31,000 (RM99,265) untuk satu malam. – Agensi
Kosmo
SINGAPORE : Dalian Shide were clearly intent on putting some points on the board at the third time of asking, but they faced a resolute Woodlands Wellington side who made sure the Chinese club remained firmly anchored to the foot of the NTUC Income-Yeo’s S.League 2008 table on Thursday night.
The home side broke the deadlock in the 58th minute after a neat lay-off by Laakkad Abdelhadi set up Park Tae Won to score.
Dalian’s disciplinary woes continued when Li Zhichao picked up a red card in the 78th minute, the club’s third in as many games.
The tension in the stadium was ratcheted up in the 86th minute when Lucian Dronca was sent off for kicking a Dalian player in the box, but keeper Yazid Yasin rescued the Rams when he saved the resultant penalty. –
Channel News Asia
- In: Bayern Munich | Schalke | Wolfsburg
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BERLIN : French midfielder Franck Ribery booked Bayern Munich’s place in the last four of the German Cup with a dramatic penalty in the 122nd minute of their quarter-final win over neighbours 1860 Munich.
Ice-cool Ribery, 24, kept his composure to score the game’s only goal when he converted his spot kick for the second time after his first successful effort – just seconds before – was ordered to be retaken after a team-mate strayed off-side.
It was a tense end to a tense game for 10-man Bayern at the Allianz Arena and the home side squandered a string of clear chances to win the game before Miroslav Klose won the crucial late penalty when he was tripped.
Both sides finished with ten men as Bayern’s Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni was shown a red card on 84 minutes for a second yellow card while 1860’s Markus Thorandt was shown a red deep in extra time for hacking down Ribery.
The semi-finalists are now Borussia Dortmund, VfL Wolfsburg, Carl Zeiss Jena and Bayern with the German giants clear favourites to lift their 14th German Cup title in the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on April 19.
Bayern face title contenders Schalke 04 on Saturday in the Bundesliga, but were given a tough match in the 203rd Munich derby against their second division rivals.
Toni had two goals disallowed either side of half-time, while teenage striker Tony Kroos missed an open goal in the first half.
Dutch hardman Mark van Bommel, sent off for a second yellow card in the 1-1 league draw with Hamburg on Sunday, had a fierce shot saved, but he tapped the rebound to the right of the post on 58 minutes.
Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld introduced stars Ribery and Klose in the second-half, but the 1860 defence held firm until the dying seconds.
The second-division side’s best chance fell to midfielder Danny Schwarz, but his header went wide of the post just after the hour mark.
Earlier in the evening, Wolfsburg also booked their place in the last four with a 2-1 extra-time win over Hamburg thanks to their Brazilians Grafite and Marcelinho.
After Grafite put his side in the lead with a 17th minute penalty, Hamburg hit back when captain Rafael van der Vaart unleashed a superb free-kick in the 70th minute.
It was all-square at full-time, but Marcelinho hit the winner in extra time to put his side in the semi-finals.
On Tuesday, defending Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart suffered the upset of the round when they crashed out after losing to second-division strugglers Carl Zeiss Jena 5-4 on penalties.
There was no such banana skin for Borussia Dortmund as Thomas Doll’s side booked their semi-final berth with a 3-1 win over 1899 Hoffenheim. – AFP/de
Channel News Asia
My Soccer World 