SPORTS NOTES - MAN U MESSI'D UP - BARCELONA CHAMPS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

On the day Messi was the superior performer over FIFA Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo who was displeased by the Ferguson's game plan - IS REAL MADRID FOR REAL? - ORLANDO MAGIC'S DETERMINATORS - FIFA TOP 10

Friday May 29, 2009

FERGIE BLUNDERED?

During the first nine minutes of the Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United it seemed that Man U had the whole world in its hands as they attacked and had Barcelona back on its heals. Cristiano Ronaldo was relentless with several attempts on goal that came close but missed that mark.

Then it was as if the Barcelona Angels sang and the Red Sea parted as Samuel Etoó smashed in a goal from inside the box in the 10th minute and United's world became Un-United. The Spanish club was relentless in their pursuit of the ball. They had an ability to create triangles and control in ball in tight places. They had United chasing after it for the remainder of the game. When United finally did get control they couldn't retain possession enough to score an equalizing goal. It was as if the were too pooped to pop.

In the 70th minute Lionel Messi scored on a header and that was all she wrote for the defending champions. On the day Messi was the superior performer over FIFA Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo who was displeased by Sir Alex Ferguson's game plan by stating that his tactics were not so good.

The 67 year-old Ferguson was gracious in defeat by simply stating that they were beaten by a better team. Barcelona's manager Pep Guardiola at 38 is the youngest manager to manage a winning Champions League team.

Going into the contest it was Guardiola's 61st game as a top flight manager. His successful season also included the Spanish League and Spanish Kings Cup titles. When you consider that Ferguson is approaching having managed 2000 games during his career Guardiola's has had a very good year and start to his managerial career.

IS REAL MADRID FOR REAL?

You can say what you want about a free market place but what is the deal with Real… Madrid that is. As they say talk is cheap but why is all of the raiding talk coming from one club that being Real Madrid. As the Cristiano Ronaldo departure from Man U to Real continues now the most recent yap is they are interested in Arsene Wenger as their manager after his contract expires with Arsenal.

As the NBA's Detroit Pistons were known as the Bad Boys with their championship teams in 1989 & 90 Real Madrid appears to be working on their reputation to be the Bad Boys of international football.

SAY WHAT ORLANDO?

Mickey Mouse must be laughing right now since Orlando is best known for Disney World and Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. The problem is that it seems the Orlando Magic NBA basketball squad wants Orlando to be known for something else such as the home of an NBA championship team.

There's no magic here, it's all hard work as the Orlando Magic have shocked many fans in the world of NBA basketball. They are an angry bunch who is upset that the media including ourselves have favored a LA Lakers verses the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Final. We did choose them as being one of the top four of the 16 teams in the playoffs that could win the title.

You could say that this is a Motley Crew of a team who on paper wouldn't have gotten as far as they have. In the opening round they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4-2 in the best of seven game series. In the second round they knocked of the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 4-3. The Magic currently have a 3-2 series lead on the Cavaliers who finished this campaign with the best regular season record in the league and perhaps the NBA's best ever player in LeBron James.

Orlando does warrant more respect but on paper their lineup consists of two high school to NBA players including NBA first team selection and Defensive Player of The Year Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis. They have two foreigners in Hedo Turkolu from Turkey and Mickael Pietrus from France. Pietrus signed with the club as a free agent in July after five seasons with the Golden State Warriors.

The last piece of the puzzle is Rafer Alston who was a mid-season acquisition from the Houston Rockets. Alston is best known for playing with And One a street basketball team who had a reality series on television.

The Magic do not have any players who have been a member of an NBA championship team or have participated in an NBA Finals series. What they do have is an ability to shoot, make the three, rebound and defend. These young guns are out to prove that they are the new kids on the block who demand more respect. They are hard working and destroying the competition.

Is Orlando determined to terminate the Cavaliers bid for an NBA title? It's quite possible. They are hard workers and determined thus we deem the Orlando Magic THE DETERMINATORS.

FIFA TOP 10 - Scarcely any movement in the top 50

Since the last edition of the world ranking, only 22 matches have been played, 20 qualifying matches for the AFC Challenge Cup 2010 and two friendlies in Africa .

There are no changes in the top 39 places in the latest edition of the FIFA World Ranking. Spain remain unchallenged at the top of the table with a comfortable lead, followed by Germany and the Netherlands .

Inside the top 50, only Poland (40th, up 1), Hungary (43rd, up 1) and Norway (45th, up 1) have slightly improved their standing. It is a similar story outside the top 50, with only a handful of big movers. Particularly worthy of mention are Grenada (103rd, up 5), who have achieved their best-ever position. The other countries to have moved up ten or more places are Pakistan (167th, up 10), Chinese Taipei (168th, up 12) and Sierra Leone (98th, up 12).

Since no team managed to break into the top 50, the make-up of the top 50 in terms of confederation remains unchanged: UEFA (28 teams), CAF (8), CONMEBOL (7), CONCACAF (4) and the AFC (3). New Zealand (78th, up 1) remain the best team in the OFC.

Since the last edition of the world ranking, only 22 matches have been played, 20 qualifying matches for the AFC Challenge Cup 2010 and two friendlies in Africa . There was no international action in any of the other confederations. In addition to these 22 “A“ matches, one match from last year was taken into account ( Solomon Islands v. Vanuatu on 7 July 2008). The total number of matches played in 2008 has therefore risen to 1,063, whereas 266 have been played so far in the current year.

* Leader Spain (1, unchanged)

* Moves into top 10 none

* Moves out of top 10 none

* Matches played in total 22 (up 1 from 2008)

* Most matches played Macau (5)

* Biggest move by points Sierra Leone (up 40 points)

* Biggest move by ranks Sierra Leone, Chinese Taipei (up 12 each)

* Biggest drop by points Lebanon (down 27 points)

* Biggest drop by ranks Lebanon (down 9)

* Newly ranked teams none

* Teams that are no longer ranked none

* Inactive teams, not ranked São Tomé e Principe

FIFA TOP 10 for May, 2009

Rank -- Team -- Points

1. Spain - 1729

2. Germany - 1362

3. Netherlands - 1360

4. Brazil - 1281

5. Italy - 1271

6. Argentina - 1195

7. England - 1173

8. Croatia 1151

9. Russia - 1117

10. France - 1074

The next FIFA World Ranking will be published on June 3, 2009

FIFA

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