Sports Notes REAL MADRID STARS ATTRITION Los Galácticos... No Mo - October 2006

James Loving - National Radio Text Service - Friday October 20, 2006

NBA MAX French Readers - Cambodian Football on the road - Thailand's Thavatchai Sajakul Dreams - Who is Khemara's Douglas - MLB's Buck O'Neil full story

REAL MADRID STARS AMONG FIFA's PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

At the beginning of December, FIFA will reveal in alphabetical order the names of the three men and women who have received the most votes for FIFA Player of The Year.

The 16th FIFA World Player Gala will also include prizes for outstanding performances at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.

The tournament’s three best players (Zinedine Zidane, Fabio Cannavaro and Andrea Pirlo) and top scorers (Miroslav Klose, Hernan Crespo and Ronaldo) will be presented with awards in Zurich, as will the two fairest teams (Brazil and Spain) and the outstanding goalkeeper (Gianluigi Buffon).

Former Real Madrid star Luis Figo is also included among the 20 nominees for Player of the Year.

When you think about the Real Madrid side that toured Asia last summer that included Figo before he was let go they had three of the honored players to be involved in this years festivities.

The strong representation of current and former Real Madrid players points out that a team made up with stars doesn't automatically make them the best team as the los galácticos proved last year by not winning their league.

When you think about the Real Madrid side that toured Asia last summer that included Figo before he moved on to Inter Milan they had three of the players to be honored at this years festivities. The strong representation of current and former Real Madrid players points out that a team made up with stars doesn't automatically make them the best team as the los galácticos proved last year by not winning their league.

In July 2000 Florentino Pérez was elected club president with the promise to sign the world's best players to compliment Raul and Roberto Carlos. The signings included then-FC Barcelona star Luis Figo.

Pérez continued to sign star players such as Zinedine Zidane (2001), Ronaldo (2002) and David Beckham (2003). It was then that the media began referring to the team as Los Galácticos.

Loaded with stars Real Madrid won La Liga in 2001 and 2003 and the UEFA Champions League in 2002. They also won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and the Supercopa de España in both 2001 and 2003.

With all of those stars Real Madrid have failed to win a major trophy since 2003.

This season Real signed Fabio Cannavaro who is also one the nominees for Player of The Year and Emerson Ferreira da Rosa, both from Juventus F.C. for a total sum of €23m, Ruud Van Nistelrooy from Manchester United for €15m, and Mahamadou Diarra from Olympique Lyon for €26m.

This season David Beckham has seen limited action and Carlos is slowing down as a result of years and years of competition and the wear and tear on his much used body.

On August 31, the last day of the European transfer window Real Madrid closed the Reyes-Baptista deal with Arsenal. A deal that transferred Júlio Baptista to Arsenal and Jose Antonio Reyes to Real Madrid for a one-year loan. After the loaning period both sides will have the option of buying the player.

This season Fabio Capello returned to lead the side after a previous stint from 1996 - 1997. He follows Vanderlei Luxemburgo who was in charge 2004 - 2005 and Lopez Caro 2005 - 2006.

The question is with the attrition of stars can Real return to form. The side has been European Cup/Champions League champions nine times

1955/56 4-3 vs. Stade de Reims-Champagne

1956/57 2-0 vs. A.C. Fiorentina

1957/58 3-2 vs. AC Milan

1958/59 2-0 vs. Stade de Reims-Champagne

1959/60 7-3 vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

1965/66 2-1 vs. Partizan Belgrade

1997/98 1-0 vs. Juventus

1999/00 3-0 vs. Valencia

2001/02 2-1 vs. Bayer Leverkusen

NBA INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

We thank all of our French language readers as your participation in reading our NBA MAX stories rated # 10 in our latest NR Top 10 polls for September that we will publish soon. The primary focus was on our Dominique Wilkins story who was born in France.

CAMBODIAN FOOTBALL

When you think about Cambodian football what most comes to mind is they are not doing much of anything in the way of winning or much worse not having any friendly games to play to improve their playing skills. That situation may be changing.

Scott O'Donell who was recently reappointed as Cambodia National team coach said the side would be playing friendly games in Vietnam for two weeks. How many games?

"I don't know. I asked Sao for four (games)," O'Donell replied.

Sao is Sao Sokha the elected president of the Cambodian Football Federation that FIFA won't recognize. Surprisingly Sao was sitting next to former president Ravy Khek at the CPL championship game.

FIFA says they will only recognize Khek as president or they will cut off the US$1 million funding over four years that they have been giving to the Federation. Sao is also the top man of the Cambodia National Police.

What is most notable is that O'Donell is getting cooperation from Sao and friendly games are being scheduled and that's a good thing.

The team is preparing for two friendly games in Phnom Penh November 2nd and 4th against the club side Perak from Malaysia coached by part time ESPN sports analyst Steve Darby.

This is another game that O'Donell has set up based on his relationships with ESPN sports and his having been the former coach of Home United in the Singapore League.

The national team is preparing for the ASEAN Cup Qualifiers (formerly Tiger Cup) that will be played in Manila, Philippines. The participants will be the weaker teams (minnows) in the Asean including the Philippines, Brunei, Timor Este and Laos in a round robin affair.

The two top teams will go through to compete against Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma) and Vietnam.

Since O'Donell's original appointment as national coach in July 2005 his presence has benefited the Cambodia team in thousands of dollars worth of free publicity.

For years O'Donell has been a part time sports analyst for the Singapore based ESPN Asia. After his arrival he asked Andy Penders the host of Football Crazy to drop by and see the Cambodian team play in Phnom Penh since Penders was so close by on an assignment in Bangkok. Penders did so and numerous reports on ESPN followed including calls and emails from Cambodian fans that were included on ESPN programming.

Last week at the CPL championship match ESPN Sports Center producer Dez Corkhill attended the game. His enthusiasm speaks volumes if he gets behind the Cambodian program and the catalyst is SCOTT O'DONELL for his attendance.

The question was... What is your impression of Cambodian football?

"Passionate," he responded. "To see ten thousand people turn out is great for Asian football. You don't see ten thousand people turn out for anything in Cambodia, only football can do that."

Corkhill was right regarding a sporting event… but Dez… come here next month for the WATER FESTIVAL and you will see the biggest Cambodian crowd that you have ever seen.

THAI FOOTBALL

Thavatchai Sajakul has been quoted in Bangkok media as saying that he wants to see the Thai national team in the 2010 World Cup championship competition.

Sajakul is given credit for putting together what was considered Thailand's DREAM TEAM years ago. Why it was called a Dream team is not clear.

Sajakul is a good man and very intelligent whom I've known since the 1998 Asian Games. He's always been polite and respectful BUT…. I have to disagree with him on this issue.

Thailand blew their best opportunity with the Peter Withe coached teams that did so well defeating South Korea in the 1998 Asian Games followed by a 4-3 win over Arsenal in a friendly as well as playing Manchester United tough in a friendly before losing 2-1. At that time Thailand was ranked in the mid fifties in the FIFA rankings. Since that time at point they had fallen almost 40 positions after Withe's departure in 2003.

The Withe coached side had the spirit, talent and leadership. Their weakness was big game experience and toughness both mentally and physically. They competed well against Iran and Iraq but were always out toughed by Saudi Arabia.

Thailand will never make it to the world stage until they learn how to respect a foreigners skills and not focus on a foreigners money as they currently do. To win you need people who know how to win because they have been there and done that. You can't play at winning you have to do it. To look at Thailand's history on the world stage of football... what have they won?

KHEMARA's DOUGLAS SANTOS

The biggest question that was answered is who is the Khemara striker DOUGLAS who scored the winning goal in the sides 5-4 CPL title win last week.

We first noticed him at the end of last season in a friendly against a German club side. We asked numerous people who is this guy and nobody had the answer.

THE ANSWER His full name is Douglas Santos born in Sao Palo, Brazil. He started playing football when he was 12-years-old and later became a member of the Brazil under 17 national team.

He then played in France for the Olympic Marseilles 2nd team where he played behind the striker in a 4-4-1-1 formation. Khemara sponsor Ranariddh is a friend of the Olympic Marseilles coach and last season asked Santos to join his Khemara side.

Khenmara's coach from North Korea used the 6"4" 23-year-old as a striker in a 4-4-2 formation. Santos appeared in three games at the end of last season including the semifinal and championship CPL games. His winning goal in this years title game he was used in a similar fashion a Liverpool's tall striker Peter Crouch lurking around the goal waiting for a ball in to utilize his height for a possible header. That ball in seldom happens.

With his International experience and playing with and against Cambodian competition that is relearning how to play the game due to the interruption due to the Khmer Rouge conflict Santos offered some opinions.

Concerning the Khemara team Santos said, "The guys work hard. We have some strong players." He noted that the positives of the Cambodia players in general, "Strength, they can run fast."

The Brazilian pointed out that Cambodia players can improve their skills applying a, "professional mentality and practice every day." Santos practices what he preaches. When asked what he does in his spare time he simply replied, "Spend time in the gym."

Contender Notes:

The first season of The Contender reality boxing TV series a US one million dollar prize was given this season only US$500,000. How's that for being a season late and US$500,000 short.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to Celebrate Life Of Legendary Baseball Ambassador Buck O’Neil

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) reported the death of its chairman, John “Buck” O’Neil, one of baseball’s all-time greatest ambassadors, who passed away October 6th. He was 94 years old.

Buck passed away at approximately 9 p.m., Friday at Research Medical Center from complications of congestive heart failure and recently diagnosed bone marrow cancer. Buck and the late Horace Peterson III co-founded the NLBM, and Buck had served as chairman from its inception in 1990.

Buck was a smooth-fielding first baseman who twice won Negro Leagues batting titles and then became a pennant-winning manager of the Kansas City Monarchs. O’Neil joined the Chicago Cubs in 1956 and later signed Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Ernie Banks. He became the first black coach in Major League Baseball history with the Cubs in 1962.

Buck always worked to keep the legacy of the Negro Leagues alive and helped establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in 1990. In July of this year, (the USA) Congress designated the NLBM as America’s official museum of Negro Leagues baseball.

“Nothing was more important to Buck than education. That’s why he helped spearhead plans to expand the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, including the building of the Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center,” said Bob Kendrick, NLBM Marketing Director. “In lieu of flowers, we are asking all of those who love Buck to contribute to the ‘Thanks a Million, Buck’ campaign to help us ensure that Buck’s legacy lives on for generations to come.”

Tax-deductible contributions can be made through the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum website at www.nlbm.com. Checks can be made out to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and mailed to 1616 E. 18th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64108.

In addition, contributions can be made by phone toll-free at 888 221-6526.

The Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center will be part of an expansion of the NLBM to be built at the historic Paseo YMCA, the birthplace of the Negro Leagues.

The NLBM’s goal is to raise $15 million to renovate and expand the Paseo YMCA. The money will fund the construction, renovation, exhibits and an operating endowment. Incorporating the latest in interactive technology and state-of-the-art research equipment, the expanded NLBM and Buck O’Neil Education and Research Center will allow visitors, students, researchers and baseball fans to study every aspect of the Negro Leagues.

“Buck is a one-of-a-kind legend and we will miss him with all of our hearts,” said Mark Bryant, President of the NLBM Board of Directors. “It’s a great comfort to know that his selfless spirit and his tremendous legacy to baseball will live on, and the staff of the museum and the Board are committed to extending and enhancing his legacy. “And, fortunately,” Bryant said, “Buck prepared us well for this day. He said many times that to him this new education and research center was his top priority. It will be a great tribute to him for all of his supporters to help us make Buck’s dream a reality.”

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