Ryder Cup: USA seeks revenge, but Europe have the edge |
- Ryder Cup: USA seeks revenge, but Europe have the edge
- Guatemalan police arrests 5 over deadly indigenous clash
- New ‘True Detective’ series to star Farrell, Vaughn
- Barcelona disapoints with goalless draw against Malaga
- Serie A: Juventus climbs to the top, Napoli held at Palermo 3-3
- Cat Stevens blames scalpers for cancelling NY show
| Ryder Cup: USA seeks revenge, but Europe have the edge Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:57 PM PDT
The Europeans have won seven out of the last nine editions and five out of the last six and there has not been an American win on foreign soil since 1993. Current form shows that four Europeans are in the world top six, including top-ranked Rory McIlroy, while the Americans are without the injured Tiger Woods. The competition is taking place in Scotland on a course set up to replicate European Tour courses and Europe needs just 14 points to retain the cup. The Amercians need 14 ½ to retain it. And if that were not enough, Europe have legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in their corner as a motivational speaker. Success breeds success in golf, McGinley believes. "I see the template that's in place," he said. "There's reasons we've been winning these Ryder Cups. We've come from underdog positions and won The Ryder Cups. So it's not always that we have the best players. "There's a template and I see my role as enhancing that template, trying to make it better and roll it out again. The fact that I've ridden shotgun on that twice as a vice captain (2010, 2012) has been huge." McIlroy apart, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose are all in the world top six and there is a wealth of past Ryder Cup experience in Lee Westwood, Thomas Bjorn, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer. Even two of the three European rookies - Stephen Gallacher and Jamie Donaldson—are hardly unknown quantities at 39 and 38 respectively. Lefty is the leader On the American side Phil Mickelson will be the leader in the locker room as he makes a record 10th straight Ryder Cup appearance for the United States. With Tom Watson the oldest ever Ryder Cup captain at 65 and returning to the competition for the first time in 21 years, Mickelson's role with the players is likely to be doubly important. The five-time major winner believes that the Americans have a winning formula provided they all pull together. "Certainly we're here without Tiger Woods. We're without Dustin Johnson. We're without Jason Dufner. And we're playing a team that has players like McIlroy and Stenson who have played just incredible golf over the years," he said. "I'm sure they're going to play every match, and they're going to be extremely tough to beat, whoever gets paired against them. "Certainly, we are the underdog. But rather than focus on what we don't have, what we do have is a great group of 12 guys that really enjoy each other's company, have a lot of fun together, and are hopefully bringing our best games to Scotland, because we are going to need it to make it a tight race and a close one for Sunday." The Americans, who last won the Ryder Cup at Valhalla, Kentucky in 2008, will also look to Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan for their past experience of the competition. But much will also depend on the performance of their three rookies, Jimmy Walker, Patrick Reed and above all Jordan Spieth, the most exiting emerging star on the US Tour and at 21 by far the youngest player at Gleneagles. Unlike in the past two times the Ryder Cup has been played on European soil - at the K-Club outside Dublin in 2006 and at Celtic Manor in South Wales in 2010 - the weather is forecast set fair through the weekend with just an isolated shower or two expected. The Jack Nicklaus designed PGA Centenary Course is expected to play host to 45,000 fans daily as golf's greatest competition is held in Scotland for just the second time, 41 years after Muirfield. — AFP  |
| Guatemalan police arrests 5 over deadly indigenous clash Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:52 PM PDT
The fighting broke out at the weekend when gunmen opened fire on residents opposed to plans to build a road and cement plant in the village of San Juan Sacatepequez. The project has divided the community, where some have been forced to leave their homes to make way for construction while others work for the cement company or have sold land for the road. The victims included six members of a single family. Houses and vehicles were also burned during the violence. The arrested men were three brothers aged between 25 and 31 and their 51-year-old cousin, police said. Details on the fifth person were not released. The charges against them include murder, attempted murder and aggravated arson, said police spokesman Pablo Castillo. Authorities have sent 1,200 extra police and 1,000 soldiers to restore order in the village, which is located about 30km west of the capital Guatemala City. Local officials have banned protests and the carrying of firearms for 15 days. The cement project was launched last year by Guatemalan firm Cementos Progreso with a US$720 million (RM2.3 billion) investment. It is scheduled for completion in 2017. — AFP |
| New ‘True Detective’ series to star Farrell, Vaughn Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:46 PM PDT
Farrell will play a detective under the thumb of a mobster and Vaughn a career criminal in the award-winning show, US cable network Home Box Office (HBO) said, giving the first official details of the new series. The first series of "True Detective," co-starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson on the hunt of a serial killer in Louisiana, was a critical and popular hit, winning five Primetime Emmy awards. The new season will tell the story of "three police officers and a career criminal (who) must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder," HBO said in a statement. Farrell will play Ray Velcoro, "a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him." Vaughn meanwhile will play Frank Semyon, "a career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner." Filming on the eight hour-long episodes of the new series, expected to air next year, will begin in the next few months in California. Farrell won a Golden Globe for 2008's "In Bruges" and was more recently seen in 2012's "Total Recall" and "Saving Mr Banks" last year. Vaughn was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for 2007's "Into the Wild" and won a People's Choice award for 2006's "The Break-Up." — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Barcelona disapoints with goalless draw against Malaga Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:40 PM PDT
Sevilla moved level with the Catalans on 13 points at the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad thanks to on-loan Barca winger Gerard Deulofeu's winner, whilst Atletico Madrid are now just two points behind the leaders as they too won 1-0 away at Almeria. Barca stretched their run without conceding a goal to six games, but lacked the spark they have shown so far this season as Lionel Messi was kept in check by the Malaga defence. Indeed it was the hosts who came closest to scoring as Luis Alberto's fine free-kick was turned onto the post by Claudio Bravo. "We weren't precise in the last few metres of the pitch, but at no point did we suffer," said Barca boss Luis Enrique. "It was the most difficult game for us so far, but that was down to what our opponents did right. "We didn't play as well as we can and we just have to continue improving and correcting things." In a first-half of few chances Nordin Amrabat had the only shot on target as his low effort was easily held by Bravo. Barca were struggling to create clear-cut openings but twice Messi came close from Jordi Alba crosses as he chested the ball inches wide before just failing to stretch for a tap in a minute before the break. The visitors were similarly short of ideas in the second period provoking coach Luis Enrique to replace Pedro and Neymar with youngsters Sandro and Munir El Haddadi in search of a breakthrough. However, it was Malaga who enjoyed their best spell shortly after those changes as Roberto Rosales fired wide when well-placed at the edge of the box before Bravo produced a stunning save to turn Liverpool loanee Alberto's free-kick onto the post. Malaga 'keeper Carlos Kameni the nearly gifted Barca the opener moments later as he spilled Gerard Pique's header towards goal, but the Cameroonian smothered the ball before it crossed the line. The hosts got a lucky break seven minutes from time when captain Weligton somehow escaped a red card for pushing Messi in the face, but they held on to claim a well-earned point. Sevilla picked up their fourth consecutive win as Deulofeu volleyed home at the back post after just 18 minutes at the Sanchez Pizjuan. And Unai Emery's men were only denied a more convincing victory by a series of fine saves by Enaut Zubikarai in the second-half. Atletico will host Sevilla on Saturday in a top of the table clash as they moved up to third thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Almeria. The champions had to rely on their threat from set-pieces once more as Miranda rose highest to thump home Koke's corner. Miranda's goal was the sixth out of seven Atletico have scored in the league so far that came from a set-piece, but boss Diego Simeone insisted he isn't worried at his side's inability to score from open play. "To get a corner you have to attack. The team is working well to generate this possibility," said the Argentine, who will return to the touchline on Saturday after completing a five-match ban. "It doesn't worry me to win by scoring from set-pieces because it is part of the game." Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao's disastrous start to the campaign on the domestic front continued as they lost 2-1 at struggling Rayo Vallecano, thanks to two goals from on-loan Atletico striker Leo Baptistao. — AFP |
| Serie A: Juventus climbs to the top, Napoli held at Palermo 3-3 Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:35 PM PDT
Roma, along with Juve the only other team with a perfect record in Italy's top flight, thanked Miralem Pjanic's free kick two minutes from time for all three points in a 2-1 win away to Parma. Inter Milan moved up to third thanks to a 2-0 home win over Atalanta while Sampdoria's solid start was given a boost by a 2-1 home win over Chievo which left Sinisa Mihajlovic's men fourth. Champions Juventus sit top on 12 points from four games with Roma second due to inferior goal difference and Inter in third, four points off the pace but one ahead of city rivals Milan, who could only manage a 2-2 draw away to promoted Empoli on Tuesday. "The team was solid tonight, despite us changing a few players," Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri told Sky Sport. Allegri, who recently replaced current Italy coach Antonio Conte, added: "I've inherited a well organised team, but our squad can and must improve further." Vidal gave Juve an 18th minute lead from the penalty spot after Roberto Pereyra's shot came off the arm of midfielder Emmanuel Cascione. With Giovinco stepping in for Carlos Tevez, it was a case of little and large for Juve up front with the diminutive striker partnering towering Spaniard Fernando Llorente. Just after the half hour Llorente spun on Patrice Evra's low drive only to send his effort just wide, although it was Giovinco who came closest to adding Juve's second on three separate occasions. Juve finally settled their nerves in the 64th minute when Vidal had time to control on the edge of the area before beating Leali with a precision strike—another reason why the Chilean is reported to be a target for English giants Manchester United. Lichtsteiner put the icing on the Juve cake with a fine angled strike after Simone Padoin sent the Swiss wingback through with a defence-splitting pass five minutes from time. At Parma, Adem Ljajic gave Rudi Garcia's visitors a 27th-minute lead when he ran on to Francesco Totti's sublime chip to fire a half-volley through the legs of 'keeper Antonio Mirante from 10 yards. Paolo De Sceglie levelled with a header from a corner on 56 minutes and although a superb tackle from defender Felipe stopped Alessandro Florenzi in his tracks in the 80th minute the Brazilian's foul on Mattia Destro gave away the free kick which allowed Bosnian forward Pjanic to step up and beat Mirante with a well-placed curler. "Parma are not an easy team to beat and they were playing very defensively, but we had a great first half and used our possession well," said Garcia. "The players need to be congratulated, not me. They were great." 'Not at risk' Napoli's title hopes have been compromised by a shaky start to the season and the future of Benitez now looks uncertain after Palermo managed to claim their first draw against the Partenopei in four years. However Benitez played down speculation on his position as coach: "Am I at risk? No, I don't feel at risk." Kalidou Koulibaly headed his maiden Napoli goal after just two minutes and soon after Duvan Zapata fired into the top corner from Marek Hajmsik's lay-off after a midfield interception. However goals from Andrea Belotti and then Franco Vazquez had levelled the score by 24 minutes and despite Jose Callejon hitting a third for Napoli on the stroke of half-time Belotti hit his second just after the hour to stun the hosts. "The positive side is we scored thee goals, the flip side is we also conceded three. I think we're missing a little serenity," added Benitez. Pablo Dani Osvaldo, who replaced injured striker Mauro Icardi after 25 minutes, scored arguably the goal of the night with a superb volley to beat Marco Sportiello in the Atalanta goal on 40 minutes, although Hernanes' rocket free kick three minutes from time was a close second. — AFP |
| Cat Stevens blames scalpers for cancelling NY show Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:28 PM PDT
The British folk-pop singer, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam when he became a Muslim in 1977, said that fans told him of "extortionate" prices for tickets to his scheduled New York show. Yusuf said that New York state law required paper tickets, "enabling them to be bought and sold at inflated prices." "I have been a longtime supporter of paperless tickets to my shows worldwide and avoiding scalpers," he wrote on his website. "Looks like the Peace Train is going to arrive at New York a little bit later than expected," he said in reference to his 1971 hit song, voicing hope to play in America's largest city sometime in the future. Yusuf will instead play on December 4 in Philadelphia. He will also perform in Toronto, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is his first tour of North America since 1976, after which he stopped performing in line with his religious conversion. Yusuf played a small show in New York in 2006 and in Los Angeles in 2009. But plans for a wider tour in 2009 were canceled over what were described as problems with his US work visa. Yusuf was refused entry to the United States in 2004 after his name appeared on a no-fly list. The singer blamed mistaken identification and won libel suits against two British newspapers that had claimed he supported terrorism. Yusuf, 66, is promoting an upcoming album, "Tell 'Em I'm Gone," which is inspired by the blues and features both original songs and covers of classics. — AFP |
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