Nike recently launched its T90 Strike Counter boots and in conjunction with the event, Brazilian Pato of AC Milan, Spaniard Fernando Torres of Chelsea, and Dutch international Wesley Sneijder of Inter — all Nike ambassadors — talked about their ambitions and their take on the perfect strike.
In Part 3 of three, we present Torres. Continue reading ‘Torres marks time for first English trophy’
Nike recently launched its T90 Strike Counter boots and in conjunction with the event, Brazilian Pato of AC Milan, Spaniard Fernando Torres of Chelsea, and Dutch international Wesley Sneijder of Inter — all Nike ambassadors — talked about their ambitions and their take on the perfect strike.
In Part 2 of three, we present Sneijder. Continue reading ‘Goals can be memorable goal not beautiful, says Sneijder’
Nike recently launched the T90 Strike Counter — a Facebook app for footballers around the world to record and socialise goals they’ve scored in a new way — and in conjunction with the event their ambassadors, Brazilian Pato of AC Milan, Spaniard Fernando Torres of Chelsea, and Dutch international Wesley Sneijder of Inter, talked about their ambitions and their take on the perfect strike.
The goal strike counter
In Part 1 of 3, we present Pato. Continue reading ‘Pato strikes to ‘hit the vein’’
Tiger Woods meets the press at the Marina Bay Sands, Nov 3. Photo by Don Wong.
On a 48-hour stopover in Singapore, Tiger Woods may have appeared all smiles (and somewhat sleepy), but it was clear the golfing icon was bristling.
The former world No 1 has come under fire after he was picked for the United States team for the President’s Cup in Melbourne from Nov 14-20 by captain Fred Couples, despite having fallen out of the top 50 for the first times in years.
Woods told the media at Marina Bay Sands that his poor recent form is no indication of his capabilities. The American said he will go to Australia and will be motivated by the criticism. “I’ve never played the course before, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Speaking about his stay in Singapore, Woods said: “I’ve only been here on a stopover before, so I’d never actually seen the city, before but it’s actually incredible. It’s just remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like it, I was very surprised by how modern it is.”
He said he had been “chilling out, having fun, looking at the city” on his stay here. Tantalisingly, he added that he would be visiting some golf courses here – which might even lead to some golf course design projects, though he would not elaborate further.
History has never seen five world champions starting on the grid, flexing their muscles, getting into close combat banging wheels and ending the race bunched up at the front.
Not even four. There was a series of trios, and the last time that happened was at the 1970 South African Grand Prix when Jack Brabham led Denny Hulme and Jackie Stewart to complete 80 laps at the Kyalami circuit.
When reigning title holder Sebastian Vettel crossed the finish at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button (2009 world champion), Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso (2005-06), Lewis Hamilton (2008) and Michael Schumacher (1994-95, 2000-04), it was something special. Continue reading ‘C’mon, Schumi, give Singapore something special’
It’s time to move forward and look to the Iraq match at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday.
We can mope about poor officiating and gripe that Lebanese referee Andre El Haddad handed China a 2-1 win but Kunming is already gone for the Lions. Whether Australian match commissioner Phillip Brown’s match report or Hong Kong referee inspector Samuel Chan’s assessment of the refereeing of the match will affect El Haddad’s future in handling matches, it doesn’t matter anymore.
It won’t change the result of the match and that’s a fact. Rodojko Avramovic’s team lie third in Group A of the World Cup qualifiers after Jordan pulled off a 2-0 win in Iraq. We lie third and are ahead of the Iraqis on goal difference. And as much as we like to see China get their just deserts, we need them to beat Jordan convincingly in Amman, just hours after we host Iraq.
If that materialises, the Lions will jump to second in the group should they get the three points at Jalan Besar — a position if maintained until the end of all group matches will see them through to the fourth round of the World cup qualifiers for the first time in their history.
But it is not going to be an easy ride for Singapore. They need to be sharper than they were in Kunming when they face the Iraqis. For all their running, they were reckless with their passing, preferring to pump the ball up against the Chinese instead of passing and moving the ball forward. There was a certain fear and confidence was lacking there. Continue reading ‘Recalibrate for Iraq and hope China win’
The generation that I played in was probably one of the best generations that our football has seen, so it is normal that after such a generation there comes a new period, a new era.
But at the moment there are not so many young talented players out there.
But we always have these moments of ups, and surely our national team will come up
to be of a high standard again.
Sounds familiar? We could easily attribute the quote to any player in the Singapore national squad after the Lions’ exit from the Asean Suzuki Cup in the group stage last year and the team’s subsequent disbandment. Remember the hue and cry over the state of our football? Remember the blood curdling rally to get rid of Rodojko Avramovic as national coach? Remember the view of many that Raddy had taken the team as far as he was capable of and that, perhaps, someone with the expertise to take the Lions further is now needed? Continue reading ‘Singapore’s football health in better shape than Italy’s’
Kunming, blessed with a year-round cool climate, is the City of Eternal Spring.
It is a horticulturist’s paradise and world renowned for its flowers.
Steeped in history and gifted with picturesque landscapes, it serves a neat package for tourists.
But surely, Singapore coach Rodojko Avramovic isn’t thinking of taking his Lions there for a holiday when they meet China in their first Group A match of the third round of the Asian Zone World Cup qualifiers on Sept 2. Continue reading ‘Kunming, China’s backdoor to World Cup finals?’
