Peluang anak buah Rashid cipta impak

Oleh Norzie Mohd. Khasbi
sukan@utusan.com.my

Jurulatih perseorangan wanita negara, Wong Tat Meng memantau latihan Wong Mew Choo di Bukit Jalil, semalam. Pemain-pemain lelaki skuad negara menjalani latihan pada sebelah pagi. - UTUSAN/Shahril Azman Zain

KUALA LUMPUR - Penarikan diri beberapa pemain termasuk jaguh Indonesia, Sony Dwi Kuncoro membuka peluang kepada tiga pemain pelapis negara, Liew Daren, Chong Wei Feng dan Chan Kwong Beng untuk bertanding pada Kejohanan Badminton Terbuka Malaysia yang bermula di Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil hari ini.

Ini merupakan kesempatan terbaik buat anak-anak buah Rashid Sidek itu untuk mencipta impak dan menonjolkan diri pada kejohanan bernilai AS$$400,000 (RM1.28 juta) itu, namun mereka perlu terlebih dulu melepasi halangan pusingan kelayakan.

Bagaimanapun, harapan seorang lagi pemain pelapis, Tan Chun Seang untuk turut berentap dengan jaguh-jaguh dunia tidak kesampaian apabila terpaksa menarik diri akibat kecederaan.

Ketika kelayakan Sukan Olimpik London 2012 menjadi fokus semua pemain, peluang beraksi dalam kejohanan Siri Super harus dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya oleh pemain pelapis negara jika mahu mengiringi jaguh No. 1 dunia, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, yang hampir pasti mengisi slot perseorangan pertama.

Wei Feng, yang melakar kejutan besar dengan melangkah ke suku akhir ketika membuat penampilan pertama Terbuka Malaysia tahun lalu memulakan kempen dengan menentang pemain muda Indonesia, Tommy Sugiarto, anak kepada legenda badminton negara itu, Icuk Sugiarto.

Daren, yang beraksi menggantikan Chun Seang pula akan membuka saingan dengan menentang pemain Taiwan, Hsueh Hsuan Yi manakala Kwong Beng pula akan bertemu Chou Tien Chen, juga dari Taiwan.

Sandaran utama Malaysia pada kejohanan pembuka tirai kalendar Siri Super 2011 itu bagaimanapun terarah kepada percubaan Chong Wei untuk memburu kejuaraan ketujuhnya, dan potensi jaguh No. 1 dunia itu bakal bertemu musuh tradisi Lin Dan dari China pada separuh akhir.

Malah, 'drama' luar gelanggang juga bakal menarik perhatian sepanjang kejohanan.

Semua mata akan mencari kelibat Datuk Misbun Sidek yang mungkin hadir memberi sokongan kepada Chong Wei pada ketika krisis peletakan jawatannya sebagai jurulatih kebangsaan masih belum selesai.

Turut menjadi tumpuan, pertemuan yang bakal diatur Presiden Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM), Datuk Seri Nadzmi Mohd. Salleh dan Misbun ketika kejohanan sedang berlangsung.

Ia dijangka menamatkan segala konflik yang melanda kedua-dua pihak. Nadzmi yang kini berada di luar negara dijangka kembali ke tanah air esok.

"Bagi saya, tumpuan hanya kepada kejohanan. Dengan cabaran kali ini jauh lebih mencabar ekoran kehadiran skuad terkuat China, saya tidak rasa sesuai untuk memikirkan perkara lain, selain daripada persiapan menghadapi pertandingan.

"Semua orang bercakap tentang pertemuan saya dengan Lin Dan dan saya tidak boleh mengelak daripada turut memikirkan tentangnya, tetapi itu bukan satu-satunya perlawanan yang bakal saya hadapi di sini, saya kena memberikan yang terbaik sejak pusingan awal dan dalam semua perlawanan," kata Chong Wei, yang akan memulakan kempen dengan menentang pemain dari pusingan kelayakan.

Selain Chong Wei, cabaran Malaysia dalam undian utama akan turut dipikul juara All England 2003, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim dan pemain veteran, Wong Choong Hann. Hafiz akan memulakan aksi dengan bertemu jaguh China, Chen Long, manakala Choong Hann menentang Marc Zwiebler dari Jerman.

22 pasukan sah bertanding

Oleh FERZALFIE FAUZI
ferzalfie.fauzi@utusan.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR - Lima hari lagi saingan Le Tour de Langkawi akan bermula, namun keputusan pasukan yang ke-23 masih menjadi tanda tanya dan pihak penganjur mengharapkan jawapan pasukan dari Taiwan itu; Action Cycling Team selewat-lewatnya hari ini.

Menurut Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif LTdL 2011, Mohamed Salleh, pasukan bertaraf benua itu adalah di antara 10 pasukan yang berada dalam senarai simpanan bagi persediaan jika ada pasukan yang menarik diri atau tidak memberi jawapan kehadiran pada tarikh yang ditetapkan.

"Saya mendapat maklumat bahawa pasukan Pegasus Sports dan Geox TMC tidak akan menyertai perlumbaan kali ini berikutan permohonan mereka untuk dinaik taraf kepada pasukan benua kepada pasukan probenua ditolak Kesatuan Berbasikal Antarabangsa (UCI)" katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas Majlis Penajaan TM dan Penyerahan Jersi Kuning di Menara TM, semalam.

Jelasnya, perkara tersebut menyebabkan kedua-dua pasukan mengambil keputusan tidak menyertai LTdL 2011 dan pasukan Action dipilih untuk menggantikan kedua-dua pasukan tersebut.

"Kami akan cuba dapatkan pasukan terbaik, 10 pasukan yang berada dalam senarai simpanan terdiri daripada pelbagai status tetapi pemilihan Action juga bakal menghadirkan saingan sengit.

"Setakat ini hanya pasukan benua, Aisan Racing Team sahaja yang sudah berada di Malaysia dan sedang menjalani latihan rahsia di Pulau Langkawi, pasukan lain dijangka tiba pada hari Rabu dan kita sudah membuka sekretariat di sana hari ini," katanya.

Mohamed berkata, setakat ini sudah 22 pasukan mengesahkan penyertaan termasuk pasukan pro-benua, Landbouwkrediet, Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni, Colnago Csf Inox Professional Cycling Team, Europcar, Ccc Polsat Polkowice, Farnese Vini-Neri, United Helth Care dan Skil Shimano.

"Setakat ini sudah 22 pasukan mengesahkan penyertaan termasuk dua pasukan benua daripada Malaysia, Le Tua Cycling Team dan Terengganu Pro Asia Cycling Team, ketidakhadiran pasukan ke-23 ini bukan satu isu, sebaliknya kita boleh lihat dari sudut positif dengan penampilan sembilan pasukan pro-benua.

Elliot Saltman playing at the Africa Open on January 8, 2011. — Reuters pic

Saltman, 28, was disqualified from the secondary Challenge Tour event for marking his ball incorrectly. Marcus Higley and Stuart Davies, his playing partners at the Russian Open near Moscow, have also been brought to the United Arab Emirates E capital.

The Tour's Director of Operations David Garland, Chief Referee Andy McFee plus Challenge Tour Director Alain de Soultrait and Tournament Players Committee Chairman Thomas Bjorn will be present.

The sub-committee will draft a recommendation to be placed before the 15-man Tournament Players Committee due to meet later in the day.

The Players Committee can either reprimand Saltman or impose a ban, as was the case in 1992 with Sweden's Johan Tumba who was handed a 10-year ban which was later reduced to three.

"The Tour hasn't had to deal with something like this for some time," European Tour Chief Executive Office George O'Grady told Reuters yesterday.

"It's an unpleasant episode and, once all the facts are brought to notice, it could lead to the committee really concentrating on the issue or the Committee might do nothing given that Elliott had already being disqualified.

"But it's not nice and though there might be some misunderstanding somewhere, I cannot prejudge what is going to happen."

The European Tour had twice sought to arrange for Saltman to attend the Tour offices in Surrey, England, but a family bereavement and then bad weather just prior to Christmas meant the Scot being unable to travel.

"It happened last September and it's taken a long time to get everyone together given playing schedules," said O'Grady.

"It's been unavoidable in one sense that the main hearing just before Christmas had to be postponed and that was because bad weather closed the Scottish airports.

"But something like this has had to be brought before the sub-committee and these things have to be dealt with." — Reuters

SINGAPORE, Jan 18 — A proposal to stage the World Cup finals in Southeast Asia in 2030 is being considered by members of Asean, the Assocation of Southeast Asian nations, the Singapore FA said yesterday.

Zainudin Nordin, the president of the the Singapore FA (FAS), said in a statement that the proposal had been made at an Asean Foreign Ministers meeting.

"It is possible for Asean to jointly host the event in 20 years time and to possibly meet the football standards then due to the aggressive football youth development programmes of Asean member nations," he said.

"A joint bid by Asean will raise the international profile of the region and will also unite citizens of the member nations."

The Asean group comprises 10 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

In 2007 four Asean countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam — hosted the 16-team Asian Cup, the continent's top football tournament.

Indonesia were also briefly involved in the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup finals before withdrawing their candidature in March last year.

Although any decisions for the 2030 finals will not be made by Fifa for more than a decade, the Asean nations are the second party to show an interest, following an announcement last year that Argentina and Uruguay could also consider a joint bid.

The 2014 finals are set to be staged in Brazil, followed by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. — Reuters

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,JAKARTA -- Sony Dwi Kuncoro gagal comeback pada Malaysia Super Series 18-23 Januari dan Korea Premier Super Series 25-31 Januari. Tunggal putra Indonesia itu mundur karena harus memulihkan total cedera punggung yang memaksanya absen di Kejuaraan Dunia 2010 pada Agustus lalu.

"Saya tidak jadi berangkat ke Malaysia dan Korea Selatan," kata Sony, di Jakarta, Senin (17/1).

Sebelumnya, Sony yang sudah mulai kembali latihan bulan lalu dijadwalkan berlaga di dua turnamen pembuka tahunan itu. Namun, pebulu tangkis berusia 26 tahun itu mengatakan bahwa dirinya memilih absen agar kondisi cederanya pulih sepenuhnya dan mampu tampil maksimal di turnamen yang diikutinya.

Sony merasakan sakit pada bagian punggung dan pinggangnya. "Cederanya sempat sembuh, tapi kambuh setelah latihan berat beberapa kali," kata Sony.

Absen di Malaysia dan Korea Selatan, Sony yang diharapkan mampu lolos kualifikasi Olimpiade 2012 London itu menargetkan akan kembali tampil di All England yang akan digelar pada Maret mendatang. ''Saya berharap bisa meraih hasil terbaik," kata dia

Tunggal putri, Adriyanti Firdasari, dan ganda putri, Meiliana Jauhari/Gryesia Polii, juga dipastikan absen di Malaysia Super Series. Namun, Meiliana/Greysia yang tampil di Final Super Series dua pekan lalu akan tampil di Korea Selatan Premier Super Series.

ACES HIGH: Spurs' Michael Dawson (left) and Vidic (centre) battle for a header during their match

Spurs are considered as one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the Premier League but created few clear-cut chances.

The Red Devils continued to look comfortable at the back even after rightback Rafael was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 74th minute and Ferguson was delighted with the rearguard effort.

With the absorbing draw, United reclaimed their spot on top of the standings with 45 points.

Second-placed Manchester City also have the same number of points but the Red Devils have two games in hand.

"I think they were particularly good," Ferguson told Sky Sports when asked about his defenders.

"It could be a really thrilling end to the season. And Spurs are not out of it. It's about winning games and keeping your nerve and today, defensively, we kept our nerve."

The best chance of the match was in the 10th minute when Spurs striker Peter Crouch's attempt whizzed the post.

In the 82nd minute, Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart saw his curling shot just over the crossbar to the disappointment of the Spurs fans.

Ferguson refused to be drawn on Rafael's dismissal, with the Brazilian's second yellow card coming after referee Mike Dean ruled he had fouled Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

"I don't need to discuss that, you can see for yourself. I don't need to discuss the referee," he said.

The game was Ryan Giggs' 600th league appearance for United and Ferguson said of the veteran Welshman: "He's an incredible human being and an example to anyone that wants to use him as a role model."

Spurs captain and centreback Michael Dawson insisted the draw was not "a dirty one".

The clash saw seven yellow cards.

"Not at all," he said, when asked if the game had been played in the wrong spirit.

"There were two sets of players that gave everything, I wouldn't say it was a dirty game. When they went down to 10, we thought we could go on and win the game, but it wasn't to be. We got the clean sheet. When you're a defender, you always like to get a clean sheet and credit to them, and to our lads."

Spurs star midfielder Luka Modric was disappointed they could not take all three points.

"The game was very tight and there wasn't much space, but we played a good game. We are disappointed, especially when they went to 10 men, that we didn't score. It's a fair result.

"It's a sign of the times that we're disappointed with a draw against such a big team."

MADRID: A stubborn bottom-placed Almeria held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw at Juegos MediterraAineos this morning.

In fact, Los Blancos were staring at defeat if not for substitute Esteban Granero's equaliser in the 77th minute.

The visitors had missed a host of chances throughout the game until Granero, or El Pirata (The Pirate), saved them the blushes.

Almeria stunned Real by taking the lead in the 59th minute with a goal by Jose Ulloa.

Deep into stoppage time, Real had a series of freekicks just outside the Almeria penalty box, one of which Cristiano Ronaldo struck thunderously against the crossbar, leaving the Portuguese ace mesmerised as to how his side had not won the game.

And rivals Barcelona took advantage of Real's misery by beating Malaga 4-1 to stretch their lead at the top to four points midway through the season.

Real's search for another striker may have distracted them and contributed to the shocking result, says director general Jorge Valdano.

"We are still working on it but we don't want to talk about the same thing every day," he said when asked about the possibility of bringing in another striker in the January transfer window.

"Maybe we have been very distracted with this issue.

"The papers were talking only about that today on their front pages and not about the match and that probably contributed to the distraction. It would be better to focus on what is going on the pitch because what this team lack is goals."

Real are looking for another central striker because of Gonzalo Higuain's back injury which will sideline him for most of the rest of the season.

Manager Mourinho said on Saturday he would be pleased if former Real striker Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to the club from Bundesliga side Hamburg SV.

However, Hamburg appear unwilling to sanction the move and sporting director Bastian Reinhardt was quoted as saying in German media that van Nistelrooy had to see out his contract, which runs until the end of this season.

Meanwhile, Mourinho accused referee Perez Laza of being unfair to his team this morning.

Real felt aggrieved to not have been awarded at least one penalty after Karim Benzema and Ronaldo were brought down in the area, and Modeste M'Bami was judged to have handled the ball in the box.

He was also quick to play down the significance of the draw — insisting that there is still much time left in the season to catch up to Barca.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP): Roger Federer started his Australian Open title defence with a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Lukas Lacko on Monday, showing some of the sublime shot-making skills that make him the most obvious hurdle to Rafael Nadal's pursuit of a "Rafa Slam."

Trying to become only the second man to win five Australian titles, Federer was in such a rush to get through to the second round that he barely waited for the ballboys to get back into place between points.

Since Federer won at Melbourne Park last year for his record 16th major title, Nadal has won the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and is aiming to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four major titles. If the rankings hold true, Federer and Nadal will meet in the final.

The second-ranked Federer is clearly intent on regaining the top spot. "One and two are both very good. One is better than two, but they still put me on Rod Laver Arena, so I'm not complaining at all," Federer said. "And, look, I'm really enjoying myself playing really well at the moment. Very happy how things are going."

Federer worked his Slovak rival around the court with angled forehands and relentless accuracy. The 23-year-old Lacko had no answers, except when he challenged some line calls.

Lacko twice challenged calls on the baseline in one game on Federer forehands that looked like winners - he had both turned over to earn a break against Federer's serve in the second set and make it 3-1. It only seemed to spur Federer on as he raced through the first round in 84 minutes.

No. 8 Andy Roddick rushed through as well, firing 17 aces as he beat Jan Hajek 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Caroline Wozniacki started her first major as the No. 1-ranked woman with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina's Gisela Dulko.

It was 20-year-old Wozniacki's first victory of the year, following a straight-sets loss to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova last week in the Sydney International and exhibition losses to No. 2 Vera Zvonareva and Kim Clijsters in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Dulko, the top-ranked doubles player, tested Wozniacki in the second set and pulled level at 4-4 with a service break, but the Danish player broke back immediately and served it out on her second match point after a double-fault on her first.

Wozniacki won six tournaments in 2010, including four of her last six, and can retain the top spot by reaching the semi-finals. "Definitely. I'm feeling good. I'm feeling like I'm in a good shape," Wozniacki said. "Gisela is a tough opponent, especially in the first round."

Maria Sharapova won for the first time at Melbourne Park since taking the 2008 title, beating Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1, 6-3 in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena.

Sharapova, who missed the 2009 tournament because of a shoulder injury and was ousted in the first round last year by fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko, struggled with her serve and was inconsistent in the second set. After losing the opening service game at love, Sharapova won seven straight games to take a 6-1, 1-0 lead.

The 33-year-old Tamarine rallied and had a game point on serve for a 4-1 lead, but 14th-seeded Sharapova broke back and regained momentum, winning the last five games.

Even when she was winning, though, Sharapova had trouble finding range with her serve. She had 10 double-faults and five aces.

"I was definitely a little bit nervous in the beginning. Last year, I played first match on center and, you know, I lost," Sharapova said. "So kind of was like, 'I don't want this to happen again this year.'

"The first game definitely wasn't great, and didn't serve good at all during the match. I started playing better as the match went on and, yeah, I can only improve."

French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had a couple of stutters, missing a chance to serve for the match before breaking Arantxa Parra Santonja to win 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4.

In other women's matches, No. 20 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and No. 29 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia advanced 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-4 over Germany's Angelique Kerber.

No. 18 Sam Querrey was the first of the men's seeded players eliminated, losing 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6 to Poland's Lukasz Kubot, while No. 12 Gael Monfils and No. 16 Mardy Fish rallied from two sets down.

Former world junior champion Thiemo De Bakker served for the match at 5-3 in the third against Monfils but got tight and made a series of unforced errors on key points, eventually losing 6-7 (5), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1.

"I know Thiemo a bit. I know sometime he snap in the head," Monfils said. "It's a weakness for him. So you play with that."

Fish seriously cut down his unforced errors in the third set and continued that through, getting the decisive break in the seventh game of the fifth set and then converting his fourth match point for a 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Romania's Victor Hanescu.

Maybank M'sian Open golf championship in April will have a field of top players, including Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel

HONOLULU: Mark Wilson made it through a marathon Sunday at the Sony Open without a bogey and held on for a two-shot victory to earn his first trip to the Masters.

Wilson shot a 5-under 65 in the morning to take a one-shot lead into the afternoon round. He built a four-shot lead at the turn, then had to hang on when Tim Clark and Steve Marino made late runs on different sides of Waialae.

Clark, who started the final round five shots behind, birdied three of his last four holes. He narrowly missed an eagle putt on the ninth hole and settled for a 64. Then came Marino with two late birdies and one incredible shot that at least gave him hope.

Two shots behind on the par-5 18th, with his feet in the bunker and his ball about chest-high on the side of a hill, Marino blasted a fairway metal from 234 yards away that landed on the front of the green and rolled 40 feet away. His eagle putt narrowly missed, giving him a 68.

Wilson made one last birdie he didn't need, giving him a 67 for his third career victory.

"It was nice to go right to the tee and not have to think about it," Wilson said of having only a few minutes before the third and fourth rounds. "I'm thankful it's over now."

Wilson, who finished at 16-under 264, played his final 40 holes without a bogey. That proved significant at a couple of points in the final round. He got into trouble on the eighth hole and was 150 yards out in the fairway playing his third shot, sure to lose some of his two-shot lead. But he stuffed it to 7 feet for par, then birdied the ninth to expand his lead to four.

Even bigger was his par on the 17th, even though Wilson didn't realise it.

Clark had already finished at 14-under 266. Marino was starting to charge with back-to-back birdies to get to 14 under, while playing in the same group with Wilson.

Wilson hit into a bunker and blasted out some 12 feet past the hole. But his par putt caught enough of the lip to fall, and he clutched his fist. Only later did Wilson reveal that he didn't look at a leaderboard, not wanting to think about anything but making birdies.

He asked his caddie as they walked toward the 18th green where they stood, and the caddied told him, "Just get it up-and-down." Wilson obeyed, pitching to 4 feet. The putt became easier when Marino missed his eagle.

The victory, worth US$990,000, was important to Wilson for a couple of reasons. He is in the last year of his exemption from winning in Mexico in 2009, and he is coming off a poor season in which he had only two top 10s. And then there's the Masters.

Augusta National did not invite winners of most PGA Tour events until 2007, a month after Wilson won the Honda Classic. His win in Mexico didn't count because it was an opposite-field tournament, the same week as the Match Play Championship.

Jimmy Walker closed with a 68 to finish alone in fourth, while Matt Kuchar and Matt Bettencourt were another shot back. Stuart Appleby and Shigeki Maruyama, who started Sunday tied for the 36-hole lead, never got going.

Maruyama had rounds of 70-69 to tie for seventh, his first top 10 on the PGA Tour in two years. Appleby didn't make a birdie until the final hole of the last round and shot 72.

From top to bottom, 56 players were separated by only seven shots going into the final 36 holes, a recipe for anyone winning from anywhere. But on a quiet day near the shores of Waikiki, there was little movement.

Wilson chipped in from behind the third green for birdie and kept bogeys off his card a 65, the best score of the third round. It gave him a one-shot lead over Marino, who had a 66, but certainly not much room for error.

Kuchar pulled within one shot early in the fourth round, then dropped out with two straight bogeys. Marino stayed in the picture until a bogey on the eighth, failing to birdie the easy par-5 ninth, and hitting two poor wedges for a bogey on the short 10th.

The big move came from Clark, and he was on the other side of the course.

Because of the 36-hole final - forced by a washout in the first round Thursday - players did not change groups for the afternoon. Clark started the day six shots out of the lead, shot 66 in the morning and made his move on the front nine - his last nine holes. His birdie on No. 6 took him to 12 under, then he nearly made an ace on the par-3 seventh for a tap-in birdie and gave him two good looks at the end.

A 10-foot birdie putt on No. 8 caught the left lip, and his 15-foot eagle on the ninth never had a chance.

"I kind of figured if you could get it going around here, I might still have a chance, even though we were on different nines," Clark said. "This back nine, I kind of got it going there with some iron shots. A few putts would have helped, but very pleased."

With the runner-up finish, Clark should move to No. 20 in the world. With Charl Schwartzel winning the Joburg Open earlier Sunday, that means South Africans will occupy the first five spots in the Presidents Cup standings. - AP

TURIN – Luciano Moggi mempertanyakan kredibilitas Serie A usai terkuaknya Calciopoli. Menjadi tersangka utama, mantan direktur olahraga Juventus justru tidak yakin skandal itu benar-benar ada.

Cara yang dipakai Moggi untuk menyampaikan pendapat sekaligus pembelaannya terbilang elegan. Dia cukup memanggapi komentar miring presiden Palermo, Maurizio Zamparini terkait kekalahan atas Cagliari.

Pria yang akrab disapa Zampa menyebut wasit telah belaku tidak adil selama pertandingan. Contoh nyatanya adalah keputusan pengadil lapangan hijau mengesahkan gol Alessandro Matri, padahal sang bomber berada dalam posisi off-side.

"Sekali lagi, wasit telah merugikan Palermo. Sudah cukup, saya akan mengadukan hal ini kepada otoritas bersangkutan," ketus Zamaprini ketika itu.

Mendengar kejadian serta ucapan Zamaparini, Moggi tergelitik untuk ikut angkat bicara.

"Palermo gagal dalam tes kedewasan. Mereka pantas kalah dari Cagliari, meskipun gol itu tidak disahkan. Zamparini bicara tentang ketidakadilan, namun bukankah Serie A sudah bersih usai terbongkarnya Calciopoli?" cetus Moggi sembari meledek Zamaprini, seperti disitat Goal, Selasa (18/1/2011). (msy)

CAGLIARI - Jalan Andrea Lazzari bergabung dengan AC Milan kini terbentang luas. Klubnya, Cagliari sudah memberikan restu.

Sebelumnya sempat tersiar kabar bahwa Rossoneri tengah mengincar Lazzari. Gelandang 26 tahun rencananya bakal dijadikan pengganti buat Mathieu Flamini yang mengalami cedera cukup serius.

Adalah allenatore Il Diavolo, Massimiliano Allegri yang langsung merekomendasi Lazzari. Keduanya diketahui punya hubungan dekat karena pernah berkerjasasama di Isolani.

Cagliari sendiri ternyata cukup terbuka dengan wacana transfer tersebut. Presiden klub, Massimo Cellino bahkan menyatakan siap diajak melakukan negosiasi seandainya Milan serius ingin memboyong Lazzari.

"Kami bersedia melakukan negosiasi. Rasanya tidak akan ada hambatan dalam hal ini, mengingat hubungan baik dengan Adriano Galliani (wakil presiden Milan)," ujar Cellino.

"Jika Milan dan Lazzari menginginkannya (transfer), maka silahkan saja. Namun pastinya kami meminta kompensasi yang sesuai," tegasnya seperti dikutip Goal, Selasa (18/1/2011). (msy)

Sementara itu Yordania juga berhasil mengikuti jejak Jepang ke delapan besar setelah memenangi pertandingan penting melawan Suriah 2-1.

Tiga gol yang dijebloskan striker Jepang, Shinji Okazaki, ke gawang Arab Saudi memberi Jepang kemenangan mudah dan membuat Arab Saudi, raksasa sepak bola Asia itu harus menanggung kekalahan paling hina dan memalukan sepanjang sejarah keikutsertaan mereka dalam turnamen ini.

Sementara itu buruknya pertahanan tim Suriah dapat dimanfaatkan oleh tim Yordania untuk mengejar ketertinggalan satu gol mereka dan memenangi pertandingan dengan skor 2-1 untuk merebut tiket ke babak delapan besar bertemu dengan juara Grup A Uzbekistan.

Kemenangan telak atas Arab Saudi membuat Jepang menjadi juara Grup B dengan keunggulan selisih gol dengan Yordania.

Juara tiga kali Piala Asia, Jepang dalam 20 menit pertama sudah berhasil menjebol gawang Arab Saudi 3-0 di Stadion Al Rayyan, Doha.

Okazaki, pemain yang kabarnya sedang diincar klub Stuttgart, memecahkan kebuntuan pada menit ke delapan, sebelum menggandakan keunggulan Jepang lima menit kemudian.

Ryoichi Maeda berhasil membuat kedudukan menjadi 3-0 saat menyambut umpan silang Yuto Nagamoto pada menit ke-19.

Maeda kemudian menambah pundi-pundi gol Jepang pada awal babak kedua sebelum akhirnya Okazaki mencetak gol ketiganya pada menit ke-80.

Yordania yang hanya membutuhkan hasil seri saat melawan Suriah agar bisa lolos ke babak perempat final harus ketinggalan terlebih dahulu pada menit ke-15 karena gol dari Mohamed Al Zino.

Gol bunuh diri pemain bertahan Suriah, Ali Dyab yang bermaksud membuang bola dari tembakan silang Amer Deeb menjadi awal titik balik kekalahan Suriah.

Yordania memastikan kemenangan saat pertandingan hampir berlangsung satu jam yang dimulai dari tendangan gawang kiper Yordania Amer Shafi yang mencapai tepi kotak penalti Suriah dan dimanfaatkan oleh Odai Al Shaify dengan sebuah sentuhan yang melewati penjaga gawang Balhous dan membuat para pendukung Yordania bersorak gembira. (OKS/I015/K004)

1. (1) Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 8035 poin

2. (2) Vera Zvonareva (Rusia) 6785

3. (3) Kim Clijsters (Belgia) 6675

4. (4) Serena Williams (AS) 5035

5. (5) Venus Williams (AS) 4985

6. (6) Samantha Stosur (Australia) 4982

7. (7) Francesca Schiavone (Italia) 4835

8. (8) Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 4445

9. (10) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 4155

10. (9) Elena Dementieva (Rusia) 3985

11. (11) Li Na (China) 3950

12. (12) Shahar Peer (Israel) 3225

13. (13) Justine Henin (Belgia) 3215

14. (14) Agnieszka Radwanska (Polandia) 3000

15. (15) Nadia Petrova (Rusia) 2702

16. (16) Maria Sharapova (Rusia) 2661

17. (17) Marion Bartoli (Prancis) 2655

18. (18) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rusia) 2585

19. (20) Maria Kirilenko (Rusia) 2540

20. (21) Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 2500 (I015/Z002/K004)

Selasa, 18/01/2011 02:03 WIB

Navas Bersama Sevilla Hingga 2015
Okdwitya Karina Sari - detiksport

Dengan demikian Navas akan terikat bersama Los Rojiblancos sampai 2015. Kontrak pemuda berusia 25 tahun itu sejatinya baru akan habis pada tiga tahun lagi.

Akan tetapi karena sudah kadung setia, Navas pun tak segan untuk memperpanjang masa baktinya.

"Niatku adalah bertahan disini, di tim yang telah memberiku segalanya," sahut Navas yang dikutip Reuters. "Ini adalah pilihan pertamaku dan aku sangat bahagia."

Selama karir profesionalnya, Navas cuma baru membela Sevilla. Ia menjalani debutnya pada tahun 2003 dan telah tampil sebanyak 283 kali dengan sumbangan 27 gol.

( rin / rin )

Dapatkan info Bola harian dari HP-mu. ketik REG DB kirim ke 3845. cuma Rp.2000/minggu (khusus pelanggan Telkomsel)

Tetap update informasi di manapun dengan http://m.detik.com dari browser ponsel anda!

Diskusikan pendapat Anda dengan pembaca lain melalui milis detiksport@yahoogroups.com
Kirim e-mail kosong ke detiksport-subscribe@yahoogroups.com untukberpartisipasi.

Informasi Pemasangan Iklan:
hubungi Yuyi di yuyi@detik.com,
telepon 021-7941177 (ext.522).

Selasa, 18/01/2011 01:33 WIB
Oscar del Calcio
Menentukan yang Terbaik di Seri A
Kris Fathoni W - detiksport

Penghargaan Oscar del Calcio, yang pemenangnya ditentukan lewat hasil voting dari Asosiasi Pemain Italia (AIC), akan kembali dihelat pada tanggal 24 Januari mendatang seperti dilansir Football Italia.

Antonio Cassano, Antonio Di Natale dan Andrea Pirlo akan bertarung menjadi Pemain Lokal Terbaik. Sementara kategori Pemain Asing Terbaik diisi trio Inter: Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito dan Wesley Sneijder.

Pemenang dari kategori Pemain Lokal Terbaik dan Pemain Asing Terbaik nantinya akan dihadapkan untuk mendapatkan predikat Pemain Terbaik Tahun ini.

Keberhasilan Inter meraih treble musim lalu juga membuat Jose Mourinho, yang kini sudah hijrah ke Real Madrid, dijagokan meraih penghargaan Pelatih Terbaik. Ia mendapat persaingan dari Massimiliano Allegri (Cagliari dan kemudian AC Milan), dan Luigi Del Neri (Sampdoria dan kemudian Juventus).

Berikut daftar nominasi Oscar del Calcio 2010:

Pemain Lokal Terbaik: Antonio Cassano, Antonio Di Natale, Andrea Pirlo
Pemain Asing Terbaik: Samuel Eto'o, Diego Milito, Wesley Sneijder
Pemain Muda Terbaik: Mario Balotelli, Alexandre Pato, Javier Pastore
Kiper Terbaik: Morgan De Sanctis, Julio Cesar, Salvatore Sirigu
Bek Terbaik: Giorgio Chiellini, Walter Samuel, Thiago Silva
Pelatih Terbaik: Massimiliano Allegri, Luigi Del Neri, Jose Mourinho
Wasit Terbaik: Emidio Morganti, Nicola Rizzoli, Paolo Tagliavento
Pemain Terbaik Tahun Ini: Pemenang Pemain Terbaik Italia vs Pemenang Pemain Asing Terbaik

( krs / rin )

Dapatkan info Bola harian dari HP-mu. ketik REG DB kirim ke 3845. cuma Rp.2000/minggu (khusus pelanggan Telkomsel)

Tetap update informasi di manapun dengan http://m.detik.com dari browser ponsel anda!

Diskusikan pendapat Anda dengan pembaca lain melalui milis detiksport@yahoogroups.com
Kirim e-mail kosong ke detiksport-subscribe@yahoogroups.com untukberpartisipasi.

Informasi Pemasangan Iklan:
hubungi Yuyi di yuyi@detik.com,
telepon 021-7941177 (ext.522).

LIVERPOOL, KOMPAS.com - Federasi Sepak Bola Inggris (FA) memberikan hukuman denda 10 ribu poundsterling (sekitar Rp 149,96) kepada striker Liverpool, Ryan Babel. Babel posting berupa gambar wasit Howard Webb mengenakan kostum Manchester United (MU) di situs jejaring sosial twitter.

Posting itu berkaitan dengan pertandingan putaran ketiga Piala FA antara Liverpool dan MU, yang dipimpin Webb. Liverpool kalah 0-1 akibat gol Ryan Giggs dari titik penalti, menyusul pelanggaran Daniel Agger kepada Dimitar Berbatov pada menit kedua. Selain itu, Liverpool juga kehilangan kapten Steven Gerrard, yang diganjar kartu merah setelah melanggar Michael Carrick pada menit ke-31.

Babel menilai, Webb cenderung berpihak kepada MU pada pertandingan itu pada pertandingan itu dan muncul-lah gambar Webb mengenakan kostum MU dan tulisan "Dan Anda menyebutnya sebagai salah satu wasit terbaik? Itu lelucon. SMH (shaking my head)."

"Situs jejaring sosial harus dianggap sebagai domain publik. Semua pihak harus berhati-hati. Sama seperti ketika memberikan statement di media yang kemudian disebarluaskan ke selusuh khalayak. Sudah menjadi tugas mereka untuk memastikan bahwa komentar yang keluar hanyalah komentar yang penting," kata Ketua Komisi Regulasi FA, Roger Burden.

Sebelum Burden dan hukuman Babel diumumkan, Chief Executife PFA (persatuan pesepakbola Inggris, red), Gordon Taylor sudah memberikan pandangannya mengenai kasus ini.

"Pemain harus sadar bahwa hal itu (membuat status di twitter) sama halnya dengan memberikan sebuah wawancara di televisi nasional atau untuk sebuah artikel di surat kabar nasional. Mereka harus sadar apa yang mereka katakan dan pastikan itu masih berada dalam aturan main. Makanya perlu ada peringatan agar kejadian ini tidak terulang," tegas Taylor. (SPL)

MANCHESTER, KOMPAS.com — Penyerang Manchester City, Carlos Tevez, mengatakan, timnya hanya membutuhkan sedikit pertandingan lagi untuk melihat potensi mereka menjuarai potensi Premier League musim ini. Terlepas dari hasil akhir, ia menilai City sudah menjadi jauh lebih kuat dibanding beberapa musim lalu.

Setidaknya selama periode 2004-2009, City hanyalah tim medioker yang berkutat di papan tengah dan hanya memasang target bertahan di Premier League. Namun, musim lalu mereka menunjukkan diri mampu keluar dari tradisi itu dengan finis di posisi kelima klasemen dan masuk Liga Europa.

Musim ini, mereka bahkan diperhitungkan oleh banyak orang mampu menjuarai Premier League musim ini. Mereka sudah melakoni 23 pertandingan dan duduk di posisi kedua klasemen dengan 45 poin, hanya kalah selisih gol dari penguasa sementara, Manchester United (MU), yang baru melakoni 21 pertandingan.

Mengingat musim masih panjang dan City masih akan melawan Chelsea dan MU, Tevez menilai terlalu cepat menilai timnya sebagai penantang juara.

"Kami ada di jalur yang tepat dan kami berkembang setiap hari. Ini bukan tim yang sama dibanding dua atau tiga musim lalu. Tim yang sekarang ini jauh lebih kuat," ujar Tevez.

"Jika kami terus bermain dan menang sebagai tim, semua hasil akan sesuai harapan. Semakin banyak kami menang, semakin kami percaya kami bisa menjuarai liga,"

"Apa yang aku pikirkan dan impikan adalah membuat sejarah untuk klub ini. Sudah lama klub ini tak meraih gelar dan mimpiku adalah mengubah itu. Ini adalah hal yang kami semua coba capai," tuturnya. (SKY)