Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sports World |
- Kosmina left raging over ref
- Martin Brodeur Racks up Fourth Stoppage
- Akram – India need a fully fit Zaheer
| Posted: 25 Sep 2012 08:43 AM PDT Adelaide United boss John Kosmina was left furious by the performance of the officials as his side surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Bunyodkor in the first-leg of their AFC champions league quarter-final. Punters betting on soccer has backed the A-League side to come away with the win and that looked likely after they stormed into a two-goal lead. The game changed when referee Abdullah Mohamed Al Hilali deemed Nigel Boogaard's tackle on Murzoev Kamoliddin worthy of a straight red card, with the visitors scoring from the resulting free-kick to further rub salt in the Adelaide wounds. There was no denying that the Bunyodkor striker made the most of the situation, and further fuelled the host's anger by escaping a possible sending off himself for a nasty foul on Reds captain Eugene Galekovic in the second half. The Adelaide bench were unanimous in their belief that Boogaard had been harshly dealt with, lamenting the decision as being pivotal in changing the flow of a game the Aussies had dominated until that point, playing some sensational football to take a 2-0 lead before the sending off. "I said (directly) after the match it (the red card) was 50-50 without the benefit of the replay. There was a bit of contact but it was minimal and their striker Murzoev Kamoliddin he made the most of it the situation which is what I guess what people do in those situations," said an angry Kosmina. "He was also coincidently the same guy that should have been sent off for what was a really nasty challenge on Eugene Galekovic." While the 10 men battled manfully through the second half, they were left exposed time and time again as the Uzbek team managed to grab an important equaliser to level the tie going into the return leg.  |
| Martin Brodeur Racks up Fourth Stoppage Posted: 25 Sep 2012 04:14 AM PDT There is probably no player better placed to comment on the recent NHL labour struggles than Martin Brodeur, as he has been involved in the last three; that is not counting his involvement in the NHL strike in 1992. Brodeur has now been part of, or involved in, four work stoppages, so it is hard to believe how many games he has actually managed to play in his career. In the NHL standings, he actually holds the all-time win total by a netminder (656), despite all of those interruptions that have affected various seasons. By our calculations, it looks like the Devils goalie has missed over 100 appearances due to NHL work stoppages. Now that the league has cancelled the first couple of weeks of the preseason, we await other games to be called off. If there's still no agreement with regards to when the real games in October are scheduled to start, the 40-year-old Brodeur says that he will ponder his playing options. Eight years ago, when the NHL season was cancelled, Brodeur didn't jump to Europe to play in a league. This time around, playing in a European league might be on the cards and he has already advised agent, Pat Brisson, to be on the lookout, as have many other players who look like they may be making a jump to the European leagues until the situation is sorted out. Despite having been through this situation before, the third lockout of his career is proving no less frustrating and aggravating. He did, however, see this lockout coming, like most people, and that explains why he fought so hard for a two-year deal from the Devils, enough that he even hit the open market for a few days before general manager, Lou Lamoriello, relented. A one-year deal would have risked seeing his career conclude with the end of a yearlong lockout. He did not want to chance that, and neither did fans watching the live NHL streaming on Bet365.  |
| Akram – India need a fully fit Zaheer Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:59 AM PDT Pakistan legend Wasim Akram has insisted India's chances at this World Twenty20 tournament depend on Zaheer Khan improving his fitness and form. The Indian bowler has come under the spotlight following a disappointing performance in his team's opening game of the tournament against Afghanistan. The 33-year old has been made something of a scapegoat for India's sluggish victory, perhaps unfairly, but it'll be interesting to see whether or not Zaheer will keep his place in the team. Despite going for over 10 an over, the pace bowler is likely to hang onto his spot in the bowling attack, but there will be big pressure on the veteran to prove he is still deserving of his position. Conditions in Sri Lanka are never fast bowler-friendly, but Zaheer did himself no favours against the aggressive Afghan batting line-up with a lacklustre performance. Teams won't win the tournament with spin alone, and having consistent and reliable pace bowler will be essential to success in Sri Lanka. It may have been a case that the bowler failed to get himself fired up for the opening match of the tournament because it wasn't against one of the bigger teams, but Wasim Akram has insisted India will need their experienced players to vastly improve from their first game performance if they are going to have any chance of winning their second World Twenty20 title. "Zaheer's fitness looked suspect. He did not look sharp enough and probably his energy levels were not up to the mark. I know Sri Lankan conditions are extremely demanding, but if Zaheer has to lead India's attack, he has to be at the peak of his fitness," said Akram. "MS Dhoni's selection worries, I would imagine, will be around his senior players like Zaheer, Harbhajan and Irfan Pathan," Don't forget to check out the latest Betfair T20 cricket betting markets with freshly updated odds, news, opinion and expert cricket betting tips.  |
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