yuanxing2013812501: By Brian Homewood TURIN, Italy, April 10 (Reuters) - Juventus coach Antonio Conte has predicted a long wait before another Italian team wins the Champions League, saying there was a huge gap between Serie A sides and the "European superpowers". In an astonishing outburst following his team's quarter-final elimination by Bayern Munich, Conte added that Italians were only interested in futile controversies and said that former European champions Ajax Amsterdam "do not exist anymore". Conte had emphasised before the tie that there was a big difference between German champions Bayern and his Serie A leaders, but took the discourse to a new level after his side lost 4-0 on aggregate, going down 2-0 in each leg. "Today, I see teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Paris St Germain and Barcelona, clubs who have a lot of money, they can buy all the top players and in Italy the situation is different," he told reporters. "I can't see an Italian team winning the Champions League in the coming years." Conte, a midfielder in the Juventus team which beat Ajax in the 1996 Champions League final, remembered what had happened to the Dutch club. "At the time, Ajax were the team to beat in Europe. But Ajax don't exist anymore, now they are just a club who develop young players," he said. "These European superpowers have budgets of hundreds of millions of euros and they can buy all the top players. "Here in Italy, we have to work with what we have got and we need to have the humility to realise that things are not the same as they were in the past." He went on: "We have to look at where we can improve, how we can increase our budgets. "But we are only interested in stirring up controversies about futile things, about gossip and creating controversies with referees." Juventus's defeat left Serie A without a team in the semi-finals for the third year in a row. AC Milan were thumped 4-2 on aggregate by Barcelona in the last 16 and Udinese fell in the final qualifying round against Portuguese side Braga. Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta also pointed to the financial problems. "It is very simple, Italian sides have almost 70 percent of their revenue from television rights while German clubs split between TV rights, commercial rights and the stadiums. "It's clear that in Italy that there is a lack of stadiums and they have to be owned by the clubs to boost income." Juventus are the only Serie A club to own their own stadium, which they opened last season. (Editing by Mark Meadows
brian.homewood@thomsonreuters.com; +41 79 917 1402; Reuters Messaging: brian.homewood)
AUGUSTA, Ga. �C Whenever Jack Nicklaus is asked about the possibility of Tiger Woods surpassing his record of 18 major championships, it's common for The Golden Bear to shoot the slightest bit of trash talk. It always starts positive:"I still expect him to break my record. I think he's just too talented, too driven and too focused on that ��"And then winds up with a cautionary barb:"�� Still, he's got to do it."Or later when Nicklaus was told it's been nearly five years since Tiger last won a major �C the 2008 U.S. Open:"Really?" Nicklaus said. "A bit further away. I mean it's been awhile. He's going to have to figure it out."Or when Nicklaus notes the importance of seizing every opportunity, such as this very weekend at the Masters:"If he doesn't figure it would here, I think it will be a lot tougher for him."All good and harmless stuff from a 73-year-old who has no other means of defense. None of this was new when Jack broke into routine this week at Augusta National.Jack Nicklaus reacts to a birdie on the 17th hole at Augusta en route to major win No. 18 in 1986. (AP) It's what else Nicklaus said that, while garnering less attention, suggests that Tiger's window for winning majors �C he's been sitting on 14 since that U.S. Open win in '08 �C will remain open longer than once believed. Nicklaus was discussing his last major title. It was his 1986 victory at Augusta. It came at the age of 46 and was his first major since the 1980 PGA Championship. Only Julius Boros (at 48 at the 1968 PGA Championship) won a major at an older age. As such, 46 has been seen as an unofficial end game for Woods, a time when age will inevitably catch up to him. Since Woods is now 37, speculation is that he has precisely 10 years, or 40 majors, to win five more times. Then he'd be too old.However, Nicklaus said one of the reasons he stopped winning in his 40s wasn't a deterioration of his skills, but a lack of drive and interest in preparation. "I don't know whether my skills were all that diminished at 46," Nicklaus said. "I don't think your skills are really diminished. It's more my desire and desire to work hard and prepare. Because I said I'd prepare but I didn't prepare quite as hard as I normally would. So I never thought that, you know, I was deteriorated yet. I don't think I was quite old enough for the wheelchair yet."I mean, I was just playing a dozen tournaments a year. I was just going through the motions."If that's the case, then the long-settled upon window for Woods to catch and surpass Nicklaus may be too small.[Related: Tianlang Guan, 14, will be the youngest player in Master's history]Tiger is, at the very least, the most talented golfer since Nicklaus. And if Nicklaus could maintain his skills at 46 without working hard, then why can't Tiger go even older? Moreover, it is highly unlikely that Tiger will ever, ever lose his desire to win or his commitment to physical and mental preparation. While Nicklaus slept-walked through some chances, Tiger will attack every one of those 40 opportunities.Extending the all-time major championship mark was not a priority for Nicklaus after 1980. He had 17 at the time; six more then Walter Hagen, who was second at the time but passed away in 1969,
fake michael kors bag. Third place was a tie at nine between Gary Player and Ben Hogan. There was no true threat on the horizon �C contemporary Tom Watson would finish with eight. And there was no way to imagine a force of nature such as Woods coming along to challenge the mark.What Jack was suggesting �C perhaps on purpose �C is that if he wanted, he could've remained a high-level player on the tour deep into his 40s. Instead he was bored so he went into a semi-retirement."Well, I [could] always win," Nicklaus said. "But I didn't play very much. I don't know why I was playing. I really sort of finished my career, basically, in 1980, and �� I just happened to like to play golf and I wanted to be part of it and a few other things. "I was doing more golf course design and watching my kids play football, basketball or baseball or golf or whatever it may be. And I was frankly enjoying my life."So maybe Tiger's career clock isn't ticking as loudly as some believe. The "some" includes Nicklaus."Obviously the older he gets and if he doesn't win, it makes my record move out further," Nicklaus said. "From this point he's got to win five majors, which is a pretty good career for most people." [Indeed, only 18 golfers have ever won that many; Phil Mickelson, for all his ability, has won four.]Age is said to be a big factor here. Nicklaus went so far as to say Woods was 38. When he was corrected that Tiger was just 37, Jack smiled. "[He's] in his 38th year."Even Tiger seems to have embraced the idea that the age of 46 is a potential cut-off. "It took Jack a while to get to 18, all the way until he was 46 years old," Woods said. "So there's plenty of opportunities for me."Really, though, there may be not just even more opportunities than Tiger realizes, but a higher yield in the meantime. Nicklaus essentially wrote off years he could've padded his total. While Tiger may decide he wants to cut back and also spend time watching his children grow up, it's far more likely he'll remain every bit as focused as he currently is. He is a testament to preparation, both physical and mental. He remains committed to practice. And with the obvious goal that Nicklaus lacked �C someone to pass on the all-time majors list �C there is reason to continue on and on.Yes the competition continues to improve and injuries always loom, but whether Jack realized it or not when he was telling stories here this week, he showed how the oft-established window of Woods could be improperly calculated.And while a winning a major championship ASAP would be welcome for Tiger, it may not be as imperative as some believe to eventually break that record.Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:? Seahawks CB Richard Sherman says 'half the league' takes Adderall? Angels must regroup after Jered Weaver breaks elbow? Jay-Z looking to become an NBA agent
PHOENIX (AP) -- Since his days at Notre Dame ended and he turned pro, A.J. Pollock had rarely hit a home run and never two in a game.He was a slugger on Wednesday, though, knocking two over the left-field wall off Jonathan Sanchez to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 10-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.Pollock began the day in an 0-for-14 rut. He also made a diving catch in center field to rob Andrew McCutchen in the first inning as the Diamondbacks salvaged the third game of the series after dropping the first two.Wade Miley (2-0) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings.Sanchez (0-2) was charged with nine runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings. The last two of those runs came after Sanchez left and reliever Chris Leroux walked two batters, on four pitches each, with the bases loaded in the Diamondbacks' four-run fourth.Pollock, a long shot to make the opening day roster before spring training injuries to Adam Eaton and Cody Ross, hit a three-run homer in the second and a leadoff shot in the fourth. He had two home runs in 81 big league at-bats last season and only 14 in three seasons in the minors.But, manager Kirk Gibson said, Pollock has some power, especially against left-handers.''You get the ball up like that on him and he has the ability to hit it out of the ballpark,'' Gibson said.Pollock said he has more pop in his bat than people think.'' For me, hitting home runs is not about power,'' he said. ''It's about hitting the ball correctly and your approach at the plate. It's 340 feet down the line. It's not like you need to hit it 600 feet to hit it out. It's more about getting the right pitch and taking the right swing in the right count.''Pollock was moved up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order. He was 3 for 17 (.176) entering the game and hadn't gotten a hit since opening day.''Just a hunch I had,'' Gibson said.It made the manager look like a genius. Pollock doubled down the left-field line with one out in the first, then took off trying to steal third while Sanchez still had the ball. Instead of what should have been an easy out, Sanchez threw wildly to third and Pollock scored.It set the stage for what was to follow.''You make a baseball play in the first inning, I don't know how (the game) turns out,'' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. ''It has a chance to be different, though. We make a throw to third, we get the out there, who knows?''Sanchez was nowhere near as effective as he was in his first start, when he allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.''We have 30 starts out of the year,'' he said. ''We're going to have bad outings and we're going to have good outings. You've just got to focus on the next one.''Martin Prado followed Sanchez's error with a walk, advanced to third on Paul Goldschmidt's single and scored when Miguel Montero grounded out. Alfredo Marte brought home the inning's third run with a two-out double.In the second, there was more trouble for Sanchez. Josh Wilson reached on a walk and Gerardo Parra singled before Pollock homered into the left-field seats to make it 6-0.Miley, runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, had his second strong outing in as many tries.''I was getting ahead of guys early,'' he said. ''I went to the slider a couple of times. Mainly it's about getting ahead and controlling at-bats. They were putting the ball in play, and the defense was making plays.''Miley retired 10 in a row after Starling Marte opened the game with a double. The string ended when McCutchen walked with one out in the fourth. Gaby Sanchez singled and Josh Harrison had an RBI single.Pollock's second homer made it 7-1. Sanchez walked Goldschmidt and gave up a one-out single to Montero before getting pulled by Hurdle.Leroux came on and promptly walked three straight. Another run scored on Miley's groundout and Arizona led 10-1 through four innings.NOTES: Arizona 2B Aaron Hill got a day off after being hit in the left hand by a pitch Tuesday night. X-rays were negative and he hopes to return Friday night. ... The Pirates, 2-4 on their road trip, return home to open a weekend series against Cincinnati on Friday. Arizona has Thursday off, then begins a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. ... Starling Marte had a hit to lead off all three games against Arizona.Next Opponent LA Dodgers vs. Arizona Fri, Apr 12, 2013 9:40 PM EDT Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh Fri, Apr 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT Team ComparisonTeamRecordDivision/PlaceAway/HomeStreakL10Arizona6-31st NL West3-3 HomeW 16-3Pittsburgh3-64th NL Central2-4 AwayL 13-6
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Because the umpiring crew got stuck in traffic, the start of the Chicago White Sox game at the Washington Nationals was delayed 16 minutes Wednesday night.The Nationals said the umpires' preparation for the game was delayed by their late arrival at the ballpark.
(Adds quotes) By Iain Rogers BARCELONA, April 10 (Reuters) - A clearly ailing Lionel Messi came off the bench to galvanise Barcelona and help salvage a 1-1 draw with Paris St Germain on Wednesday which put the favourites through to the Champions League semi-finals for a sixth straight season. The Argentine World Player of the Year, top scorer in Europe's elite club competition the past four seasons, had only been given the all-clear shortly before kickoff after damaging a hamstring in the quarter-final first leg 2-2 draw last week. Coach Tito Vilanova decided to keep him in reserve but his hand was forced when Javier Pastore raced clear to give the Ligue 1 side a shock lead five minutes after halftime. Messi replaced an ineffectual Cesc Fabregas in the 62nd minute and the buzz was palpable among almost 100,000 Barca fans packed into the giant arena on a balmy night in the Catalan capital. Although struggling for fitness and lacking his customary zip, Messi's entrance immediately settled his team mates' nerves and restored their sense of urgency. With Barca laying siege to the PSG goal and roared on by the home faithful, he fed David Villa who clipped a short pass to Pedro for his Spain team mate to lash a shot past Salvatore Sirigu from the edge of the area,
replica michael kors. The visitors mounted several desperate attacks in a tense finale but Barca held on reasonably comfortably to advance on away goals and keep their bid for a third European crown in five years firmly on track. "Messi made a big effort to be with us," Pedro said in an interview with Spanish television Canal Plus. "He worked very hard this week and was able to help out the team when he came on," added the 25-year-old. "We want to thank him, and say congratulations for everything he did to get himself ready for the game and to help the team. He's the number one. "We felt his presence when he came on the pitch, he lifted us and we got the result." Barca sporting Andoni Zubizarreta also paid tribute to Messi, who has been top scorer in the Champions League the past four seasons. "We all know what Messi brings to the game, in football terms, in his ability to intimidate opponents, and for his ability to link up with others," the former Barca and Spain goalkeeper told Canal Plus. "He wasn't at his best but he showed he could link up with others, like David (Villa), and helped get the equaliser." QATARI FLAVOUR In a match with a distinctly Qatari flavour - PSG are owned by the oil-and gas-rich Arab nation and Qatar Foundation is Barca's main sponsor - the visitors made a lively start. Ezequiel Lavezzi latched onto a Sergio Busquets error and raced through the middle in the fourth minute but his control let him down and Valdes was able to clear. The Spain keeper was called on again in the 24th minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent Lavezzi clear and he saved well with an outstretched leg before palming a powerful Lucas header over the bar as PSG pressed for a goal. Despite boasting nine Spain internationals in their starting lineup, Barca were looking unusually ragged with the normally impeccable Busquets misplacing several passes and fullback Daniel Alves fluffing a couple of crosses. Xavi flashed an early free kick wide and Pedro fired into the side netting in the 21st minute but otherwise the La Liga leaders were ineffective going forward. Barca were in danger of suffering their first Champions League defeat at the Nou Camp since losing 2-1 to Russian side Rubin Kazan in October 2009. However, Pedro, who also received the all-clear to play shortly before the match after a muscle injury, made sure Barca's name would be included in Friday's draw for the last four. Arch rivals Real Madrid, last year's finalists Bayern Munich and the side they displaced as German champions at the weekend, Borussia Dortmund, are also through. "We showed we could attack Barcelona but unfortunately they got the goal that saved them," Pastore told Canal Plus. "When they got their goal you saw a different Barcelona," added the Argentine, a team mate of Messi's in the national team. "They kept the ball and were much more relaxed. You could see it in their faces. It's the way they like to play." (Additional reporting by Mark Elkington in Madrid, editing by John Mehaffey)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- A starting quarterback race won't hinder the development of Penn State's offense this spring, especially not with the experience returning elsewhere on the field.Like the Big Ten's leading receiver, Allen Robinson. Or the cadre of tall, athletic tight ends led by Kyle Carter. Or 1,000-yard rusher Zach Zwinak.Indeed, the successor to 2012 record-setting signal-caller Matt McGloin - whether it's Steven Bench, Tyler Ferguson or incoming freshman Christian Hackenberg - may be the guy who can best keep up with the rest of the offense come fall.Coach Bill O'Brien said he's expanded the playbook during spring practice - despite the quarterback competition - because the offense otherwise is comprised primarily of players with a year in the system.''We've added more to our language,'' O'Brien said. ''I think the quarterbacks have adapted well. I think it's all about how hard you work at leaning at it, and how good of a job you do at teaching it.''And that's what the spring is for. There also is the never-ending coaching chess match now that Big Ten opponents have a year of film on the revamped Penn State attack.''Last year was the foundation for the offense. We have to add more because our opponents have seen it for a year,'' O'Brien said Wednesday. ''We're a different team. Whoever the quarterback is will be a different guy ... We've added and we've adapted (the playbook) to the type of team we have.''The final 10 days of spring drills will be used to brush up on defensive schemes, too, leading up to the April 20 Blue-White game. Plus, O'Brien hopes players will step up to fill roles on special teams.O'Brien called the quarterback derby even between Bench and Ferguson. Bench was McGloin's backup last season as a freshman; Ferguson is a junior college transfer who just joined the team in January.''They both have good huddle demeanors. Bench is probably a little more comfortable. That's just because he's been here longer,'' Robinson said. Ferguson ''definitely has a lot of progress this spring. They're both looking good.''O'Brien was even more diplomatic. Neither candidate has created any separation, he said. Both are teenagers who settled on Penn State from other regions of the country - Bench is from Georgia, Ferguson California.Hackenberg will arrive in Happy Valley this summer. O'Brien has said the heralded recruit from Virginia will get a look in preseason camp, and that a decision on a starter won't come until August.For now, it's just Bench and Ferguson in the race.''One minute to go. We need a touchdown to win,'' O'Brien exclaimed before a practice period open to media inside cavernous Holuba Hall after a rainstorm sent the team indoors for drills.As the sound of thunder rumbled through the practice facility, Bench took a turn guiding the offense in a two-minute drill, followed by Ferguson.They were mirror images during position drills, taking snaps at the same time, throwing the same routes except to opposite sides of the field. Bench looked slightly more accurate than Ferguson during this practice period open to reporters.''Really, I can't say that one guy has really stood out above the other guy,'' O'Brien said. ''These guys have had to catch up to the veteran guys, and I think they've done a good job. Both guys have had tough moments. Both guys have had good moments.''It does help to have Robinson. He led the league in receptions (77), receiving yards (1,013) and receiving touchdowns (11) last season.But he figures to draw more attention from opposing defenses this season. To help prepare, a bulked-up Robinson added about 13 pounds in the offseason while dropping body fat. He weighed in at 217 last week.''I think it will be a little different than last year,'' Robinson said. ''Sometimes, I'll get covered a little differently. I just have to do what I have to do on routes and catch balls.''---Follow Genaro Armas at
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The Oakland Raiders have settled on Seneca Wallace as their third quarterback, per Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.The Raiders apparently chose Wallace over Tyler Thigpen as they were looking for another quarterback to go with Matt Flynn and Terrelle Pryor.Wallace, who has played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns, was out of the league last year.Follow me on Twitter @terrymc13Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news This story originally appeared on Nationalfootballpost.com
PHOENIX (AP) -- Since his days at Notre Dame ended and he turned pro, A.J. Pollock had rarely hit a home run and never two in a game.He was a slugger on Wednesday, though, knocking two over the left-field wall off Jonathan Sanchez to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 10-2 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.Pollock began the day in an 0-for-14 rut. He also made a diving catch in center field to rob Andrew McCutchen in the first inning as the Diamondbacks salvaged the third game of the series after dropping the first two.Wade Miley (2-0) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings.Sanchez (0-2) was charged with nine runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings. The last two of those runs came after Sanchez left and reliever Chris Leroux walked two batters, on four pitches each, with the bases loaded in the Diamondbacks' four-run fourth.Pollock, a long shot to make the opening day roster before spring training injuries to Adam Eaton and Cody Ross, hit a three-run homer in the second and a leadoff shot in the fourth. He had two home runs in 81 big league at-bats last season and only 14 in three seasons in the minors.But, manager Kirk Gibson said, Pollock has some power, especially against left-handers.''You get the ball up like that on him and he has the ability to hit it out of the ballpark,'' Gibson said.Pollock said he has more pop in his bat than people think.'' For me, hitting home runs is not about power,'' he said. ''It's about hitting the ball correctly and your approach at the plate. It's 340 feet down the line. It's not like you need to hit it 600 feet to hit it out. It's more about getting the right pitch and taking the right swing in the right count.''Pollock was moved up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order. He was 3 for 17 (.176) entering the game and hadn't gotten a hit since opening day.''Just a hunch I had,'' Gibson said.It made the manager look like a genius. Pollock doubled down the left-field line with one out in the first, then took off trying to steal third while Sanchez still had the ball. Instead of what should have been an easy out, Sanchez threw wildly to third and Pollock scored.It set the stage for what was to follow.''You make a baseball play in the first inning, I don't know how (the game) turns out,'' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. ''It has a chance to be different, though. We make a throw to third, we get the out there, who knows?''Sanchez was nowhere near as effective as he was in his first start, when he allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.''We have 30 starts out of the year,'' he said. ''We're going to have bad outings and we're going to have good outings. You've just got to focus on the next one.''Martin Prado followed Sanchez's error with a walk, advanced to third on Paul Goldschmidt's single and scored when Miguel Montero grounded out,
fake michael kors. Alfredo Marte brought home the inning's third run with a two-out double.In the second, there was more trouble for Sanchez. Josh Wilson reached on a walk and Gerardo Parra singled before Pollock homered into the left-field seats to make it 6-0.Miley, runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, had his second strong outing in as many tries.''I was getting ahead of guys early,'' he said. ''I went to the slider a couple of times. Mainly it's about getting ahead and controlling at-bats. They were putting the ball in play, and the defense was making plays.''Miley retired 10 in a row after Starling Marte opened the game with a double. The string ended when McCutchen walked with one out in the fourth. Gaby Sanchez singled and Josh Harrison had an RBI single.Pollock's second homer made it 7-1. Sanchez walked Goldschmidt and gave up a one-out single to Montero before getting pulled by Hurdle.Leroux came on and promptly walked three straight. Another run scored on Miley's groundout and Arizona led 10-1 through four innings.NOTES: Arizona 2B Aaron Hill got a day off after being hit in the left hand by a pitch Tuesday night. X-rays were negative and he hopes to return Friday night. ... The Pirates, 2-4 on their road trip, return home to open a weekend series against Cincinnati on Friday. Arizona has Thursday off, then begins a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. ... Starling Marte had a hit to lead off all three games against Arizona.Next Opponent LA Dodgers vs. Arizona Fri, Apr 12, 2013 9:40 PM EDT Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh Fri, Apr 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT Team ComparisonTeamRecordDivision/PlaceAway/HomeStreakL10Arizona6-31st NL West3-3 HomeW 16-3Pittsburgh3-64th NL Central2-4 AwayL 13-6
Cruz Azul goalkeeper Jesus Corona believes that lifting the Copa MX tonight against Atlante could herald the start of a successful period for the club.��In no way are we minimizing what we are playing for; it��s a title and we��ve gone 15 years without one,�� the Mexican international said. ��We have the opportunity to start a new era with this game.��Cruz Azul last lifted silverware back in 1997, when it won both the Invierno championship and the Copa Mexico.Since then the Mexico City club has finished league runner-up on four occasions, making the Cruz Azul the subject of jokes from other fans about it being an ��eternal runner-up.��The club dominated the 1970s, wining five titles in the decade, but has struggled to win trophies since, despite regularly finishing the regular season high in the table.But Corona and the rest of the Cruz Azul squad are trying to push the negative history to the back of their minds ahead of the clash in Cancun and are focused on breaking the so-called ��curse.����What happened in the past, stays there, we just have to learn from what we have lived through and this Wednesday we can change all those bad moments,�� explained Corona.Cruz Azul goes into the game as heavy favorite, with Atlante struggling in last place in the Liga MX and without key players Esteban Paredes, Daniel Guerrero and Cristian Maidana.Follow TOM MARSHALL on?Twitter?or shoot him an?email
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