Brazil to host 2014 World Cup ...

Brazil was chosen host of the 2014 World Cup on Tuesday, returning the showcase event to the soccer-mad country that held the tournament in 1950 and has captured the title a record five times.

Brazil was the only candidate and won in a unanimous vote by the executive committee of the sport's governing body.

"Soccer is not only a sport for us," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "It's more than that: Soccer for us is a passion, a national passion."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Brazil now has "not only the right, but the responsibility" to organize the 2014 tournament. Blatter then handed the World Cup trophy to Lula.

Lula, who flew in for the announcement, promised that Brazil "will now with great pride do its homework." And, he added, "if everything works out well, we will win once again a World Cup."

The vote came on the same day the 2011 Women's World Cup was awarded to Germany. Germany, the host of the 2006 men's World Cup, beat out Canada.

After the withdrawal of Colombia in April, Brazil was the sole candidate, the choice of the South American continent enjoying the right to host the event. Brazil had been told by FIFA it wasn't guaranteed the tournament simply because there were no opponents, saying it had to provide a solid bid package.

In Brazil, 50 mountain climbers hung an enormous national team jersey bearing the slogan "The 2014 World Cup is Ours" from majestic Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro. At the famed Maracana Stadium, workers spread flags across the field reading, "Maracana is ours and so is the 2014 World Cup."

Blatter said the lack of competition from other South American nations was one reason behind FIFA's decision Monday to do away with the rotation system that gave each continent a turn at hosting the World Cup. The decision takes effect with the 2018 tournament.

"We are a civilized nation, a nation that is going through an excellent phase, and we have got everything prepared to receive adequately the honor to organize an excellent World Cup," Brazilian Football Confederation president Ricardo Teixeira said.

Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva, national team coach Dunga, veteran striker Romario and renowned author Paulo Coelho were among those making the trip to Zurich.

"Of course, dreams demand hard work and we Brazilians are ready to face this task," Coelho said. "All the countries in the world have two teams — the national squad and the Brazilian squad."

Brazil hosted the World Cup once before, 57 years ago. Since launching its bid for 2014, Brazil has emphasized why the country needs the World Cup, much more than what it has to offer the tournament.

"Over the next few years we will have a consistent influx of investments. The 2014 World Cup will enable Brazil to have a modern infrastructure," Teixeira said. "In social terms will be very beneficial."

"Our objective is to make Brazil become more visible in global arenas," he added. "The World Cup goes far beyond a mere sporting event. It's going to be an interesting tool to promote social transformation."

Tuesday's presentation was smoother than the one in July, which underlined Brazil's status as a developing nation with repeated images of its car factories and dry statistics.

Blatter had recently questioned Brazil's infrastructure and bid plans, but FIFA said last week that a stadium-inspection trip in August showed the country could put on "an exceptional" tournament. Brazil has 10 of the world's largest soccer stadiums.

However, there have been delays in hosting some major events, problems with violence in the streets and the public transportation system in the country is often overloaded.

The Brazilian soccer confederation estimates that the construction and remodeling of stadiums will require an investment of $1.1 billion, though that could vary significantly depending on the cities chosen to host games.

Fabregas didn’t let the gunners down …

After swapping goals and sharing points, Steven Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas instinctively sought each other out at the end of this compelling encounter. Liverpool's personification of total commitment embraced the embodiment of Arsenal's Total Football. Respect ruled.

Gerrard and Fabregas uttered a few words of praise, and parted, returning to team-mates who were experiencing conflicting emotions. Liverpool had surrendered the lead to Fabregas' late equaliser and lost Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres to injury.

Liverpool's 1,000th league draw saw them slide from fourth to sixth over the weekend, with Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers on the rise, but they will take heart from some stirring performances from Jamie Carragher, Mascherano, Gerrard and Peter Crouch's lively second-half contribution. Equally encouragingly was a timely reminder of Rafa Benitez's ability to set up teams intelligently in shape and mood.

Urgency characterised Liverpool's play, Benitez's men snapping into tackles from the first hint of Howard Webb's whistle. Andrei Voronin nailed Fabregas early on and was booked, rightly so by the excellent Webb.

The message from the men in red was clear. Liverpool were determined to turn their season around, silencing the growing dissent towards Benitez over his controversial rotation policy. Of the 2,243 entrants who hazarded a guess at Benitez's line-up on fantasyrafa.com, the website dedicated to the manager's whims, only three cracked the code.

With Alonso and Mascherano anchoring a 4-2-3-1 formation, Gerrard was given the attacking platform he craved. With Dirk Kuyt and Voronin stretching the midfield and Torres the target man, Gerrard enjoyed space, setting the stage for his sixth-minute strike.

A system beloved by sides in Benitez's native Spain accommodates Liverpool's most talented central midfielders (Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard), so Alonso's cruel re-acquaintance with the nightmare of the metatarsal means Benitez may have to place the strategy on hold (unless he gambles with Momo Sissoko). Alonso injured himself landing awkwardly in pursuing a dropping Gerrard free-kick, again raising questions over the strength of the modern boot to withstand high-speed impact.

If mixed feelings over a good point earned at a cost suffused Gerrard and company, Fabregas' team did not know whether to punch the air in joy or beat the ground in frustration. Delighted by their recovery from Gerrard's stunning opener and the late reward for their fine passing and moving, Arsenal still left Anfield believing they should have scored more.

The ambition in the visitors' ranks was voiced by Fabregas. "We always played good football, but we didn't win," said the Spaniard, whose team head the Premier League table on goals scored. "We are disappointed. I scored but I also hit the post. We could have been two points in front with one less game played than Manchester United."

Sir Alex Ferguson had vacated his seat in the directors' box by the time Fabregas struck, but United's manager will have seen enough to know next Saturday's summit meeting at the Emirates will be typically feisty. Whether it will also be a spectacle of flowing football remains to be seen.

What is guaranteed is that neither Ferguson nor Wenger will compromise.Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez will work their moves around Manuel Almunia's box just as Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky, Alexander Hleb and Gael Clichy will raid into Edwin van der Sar's box.

If Wenger can teach Emmanuel Adebayor how to avoid the offside trap over the next five days, Arsenal will be an even greater threat on Saturday. The bonfire party weekend promises so many fireworks, that anything less than 90 minutes of sparklers in North London will feel like a damp squib.

Unless Rooney lets fly, the match may not see a goal as thunderous as Gerrard's here, the ball touching 70mph as it sped into Almunia's net. Gerrard played the catalyst and the executioner. A thumping challenge on Mathieu Flamini brought the ball into Liverpool's sway. An initial shot caused chaos and, in the ensuing mess, Fabregas tripped Alonso and Gerrard had his set-piece chance from 20 yards.

Arsenal's wall was poor, the human barrier dissolving into a loose confederation of bodies, and Gerrard took full advantage. Running onto John Arne Riise's tapped pass, Gerrard targeted a gap and the ball disappeared past Almunia.

Euphoria and relief swept around Anfield. Yet as the fans celebrated, wiser heads knew Liverpool really needed the insurance of a second. Even a goal down away from home, Arsenal did not panic. They just sought to pass Liverpool to death, producing the type of one-touch movement that must have revived memories on the Kop of past Liverpool sides.

Pepe Reina saved from Adebayor, following a superb pass from Fabregas. Arsenal's pressure was relentless, forcing Gerrard into some magnificent tackles on Hleb and Kolo Toure. Carragher made some vital clearances.

Even though Liverpool had good chances through Gerrard, Crouch and Riise, Arsenal got their deserved equaliser following a wonderful dribble by Hleb. He picked out the run of Fabregas, who calmly placed the ball past Reina. Fabregas and Gerrard both had great chances to settle it, but the honours were rightly shared.

Manchester United back on top …

Manchester United are back on top of the Premier League after Carlos Tevez bagged a brace in their 4-1 win over Middlesbrough.

Nani's third-minute opener for Sir Alex Ferguson's men was cancelled out by Jeremie Aliadiere's first goal since joining Boro and his first in the top flight since August 2002.

But the Red Devils regained their lead through Rooney's eighth goal in seven matches for both club and country before Carlos Tevez put the result beyond any doubt with two second-half goals as United managed four goals for the fourth game in a row.

Chelsea will have sent a message to their prospective title challengers as they romped to a 6-0 win over Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba scored twice while Michael Essien, Joe Cole, Saloman Kalou and Andriy Shevchenko ensured the Blues' biggest win under Jose Mourinho's successor Avram Grant and that they extended their winning run to five matches.

Reading, meanwhile, consigned Newcastle United to a 2-1 defeat at the Madejski Stadium - Shane Long's 84th-minute strike settled the game after a Michael Duberry own goal cancelled out Dave Kitson's opener for Steve Coppell's Royals.

And Olivier Kapo's second goal of the game handed Birmingham City a 3-2 win over Wigan Athletic at St Andrews while Kenwyne Jones's fourth goal for Sunderland earned Roy Keane's Black Cats a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham.

India Red thump Greens by 88 runs

India Red kept its chances alive in the Challenger series as they beat India Greens comprehensively by 88 runs at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. After losing to India Blues by 12 runs on Thursday, the Reds fought back on Friday to register a comprehensive win. Chasing 304 to win, the Greens were hardly in the hunt, as they could not recover from early setbacks.

Manoj Tiwary played a lone hand for India Green as they were bowled out for 215 runs in 47 overs. Tiwary was the only batsman for the Greens who looked at ease in the middle as the rest of the batting lineup struggled to find their feet chasing the stiff target. The Bengal batsman made 65 runs off 71 balls, hitting eight free-flowing boundaries.

Pravin Kumar, who grabbed five wickets in his nine overs giving away 45 runs did the early damage for the Reds by going through the gates of Yusuf Pathan to clean up the Vadodara all-rounder’s middle stump in the first over of the innings and then scalping Cheteshwar Pujara soon. Captain Parthiv Patel, coming to bat at number three struggled on his home ground as the wicket-keeper-batsman failed to get going in his 35-ball 19 before Gujarat pacer Siddharth Trivedi brought an end to his stay.

With the Greens stuttering to the pacers, young turks Manoj Tiwary and Rohit Sharma strung a partnership of sorts, putting together 31 runs for the fourth wicket. But India’s Twenty20 world championship’s hero Sharma soon mistimed a Trivedi-delivery, which led to his undoing.

After Orissa batsman Niranjan Behera was dismissed, India Greens had lost half their side with just 101 runs on the board. Tiwary was the sixth batsman to fall and with him went the Green’s hope for a miracle.

The lower order batsmen, however put on some resistance for India Greens as Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar (29) and leg spinner Piyush Chawla (26) put up a brave front with a fighting partnership of 41 runs but it was a little late in the day as the India Red bowlers tightened their stranglehold over the game and soon getting rid of the tail in clinical fashion.

Earlier, half centuries from Gautam Gambhir and S Badrinath propelled India Red to post a mammoth 303. Cameos from Karan Goel and Virat Kohli also helped India Red’s cause to set the greens the daunting task batting under the lights.

S. Badrinath made his knocks on the national side’s doors louder as the Tamil Nadu batsman smashed an unbeaten 82 in only 79 balls. Badrinath maintained the momentum of the Red’s innings after Gambhir’s dismissal and later on accelerated in fine style hitting seven fours and a six.

After choosing to bat first all-rounder Pravin Kumar gave India Red a rollicking start but Green’s opening bowler Pankaj Singh pegged the Reds onto the backfoot as the Rajasthan pacer removed Kumar and Mohammad Kaif early on. The India Red skipper, Kaif looked out of touch and played a scratchy innings of 8 runs taking up as many as 21 deliveries.

But Punjab batsman Karan Goel along with Gautam Gambhir held the fort for the Reds as the duo put together 69 runs for the third wicket. Fresh from his match-winning knock in the one-off Twenty20 match against Australia, Gambhir led India Red’s charge scoring 73 runs off 74 deliveries. The Delhi opener, who was run out without bothering the scorers against India Blue on Thursday, looked in impeccable touch, playing shots to all corners of the ground with seven hits to the fence.

The Gambhir-Goel partnership looked threatening for the Greens but the pendulum swung after the halfway stage as skipper Parthiv Patel’s ploy of applying spin from both ends worked. Goel, was scalped by part-time bowler Rohit Sharma for a well made 32 and leg spinner Piyush Chawla saw the back of Gambhir seven balls later.

With India Red in a spot of bother again, Badrinath and Kohli led the recovery adding 85 runs before Kohli perished for 40 in the 43rd over.

Paresh Patel and Mahesh Rawat, coming to bat at the death played quick-fire knocks to take Reds beyond the 300-run mark.

North Londoners reveal Dutchman did not fall, but was pushed

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that the club took the decision to sack manager Martin Jol and his assistant Chris Hughton.

After a confusing night at White Hart Lane in which a 2-1 UEFA Cup defeat to Getafe was largely overshadowed by rumour and counter-rumour concerning Jol, the North Londoners have moved to clear up the circumstances surrounding the Dutchman's departure from White Hart Lane.

It was initially mooted that Jol had tendered his resignation, but chairman Daniel Levy has now revealed that it was the club's decision to remove their manager before the game with Getafe.

A statement on the club's official website read: "We can confirm that the board has this evening asked Martin Jol, Club Manager and Chris Hughton, First Team Coach to stand down from their positions with immediate effect.

"We have not taken these decisions lightly or without recognition of the contribution both Martin and Chris have made to the club."

Levy himself went on to add: "For me, Martin and Chris' departure is regrettable. Our greatest wish was to see results turn in our favour and for there to be no need for change.

"We feel honoured that Martin has been manager at our club, having seen us qualify twice for Europe.

"Chris has been with us since 1977, bar a three year period, both as player and coach and he has been an excellent ambassador for the club.

"They have been professional, popular and respected members of the coaching staff and there will always be a warm welcome for them both at the Lane."

Jol also commented in the statement and insisted he bore the club no grudge over his dismissal which has been the subject of constant media speculation in recent weeks and months.

"I can understand the position of the Club in light of the results," Jol stated. "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.

"Tottenham Hotspur is a special club and I want to thank the terrific staff and players. For me the fans were always amazing with their support so I would also like to say thank you - I shall never forget them."

Spurs also confirmed in the statement that development coach Clive Allen and and youth team manager Alex Inglethorpe would take temporary charge of first-team affairs until a successor to Jol was found.

It is widely expected that Sevilla coach Juande Ramos will be the man to replace the Dutchman with Spurs officials reportedly having met with the Spaniard earlier in the season.

Robinho double sends Madrid top

Robinho scored two second-half goals as Real Madrid CF came from behind to beat ten-man Olympiacos CFP 4-2 in a Santiago Bernabéu thriller and assume control of Group C.

Home captain Raúl González set the tone by breaking the deadlock after two minutes, and with eleven more played the visitors had both equalised through Luciano Galletti and had Vassilis Torosidis dismissed. Still, Júlio César fired Olympiacos into a shock lead just after the break before Robinho's double either side of a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty miss. The drama continued until the death, with Iker Casillas producing a wonderful added-time save seconds before Javier Ángel Balboa's clincher for Madrid.

On a high following their first-ever away win in the UEFA Champions League at Werder Bremen, Olympiacos conjured the game's first chance after a minute when a long-range Ieroklis Stoltidis shot fizzed over Casillas's crossbar. Moments later, though, the Greek champions were caught out when Paraskevas Antzas stumbled in possession and allowed Robinho to run free. The Brazilian released Van Nistelrooy and although the Dutchman was denied by goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis, Raúl was on hand to steer the loose ball into an empty net.

The match continued at a frenetic pace and it was the noisy pack of Olympiacos fans who roared their approval of the equalising goal on seven minutes. Predrag Djordjević outwitted then outpaced Míchel Salgado down the left before cutting a crisp pass back from the goalline for the unmarked Galletti. As a former Club Atlético de Madrid player, he would have taken enormous satisfaction from the way he composed himself on the ball before swerving a shot beyond the diving Casillas and into the corner.

By the 13th minute, however, Olympiacos had been reduced to ten men. Van Nistelrooy was again involved as Torosidis impeded the attacker as he neared the edge of the area and the referee immediately flashed the red card in the Greek's direction. Yet the sending-off did not deter Panagiotis Lemonis's men: Lomana LuaLua thumped a drive into the side-netting before Djordjević headed a Cristián Raúl Ledesma set-piece wide.

The Olympiacos support began to dream of witnessing a first victory on Spanish soil when, with the second half two minutes old, their team went ahead. Djordjević was again the source as his flighted free-kick from the left looped over the Madrid defence and was volleyed in by Júlio César. Madrid probed the red ranks for the equaliser and Sergio Ramos failed to convert a header before teeing up Robinho on 68 minutes, the No10 beating Nikopolidis at his near post with another header.

Ten minutes later the Spanish title-holders had an opportunity to pull ahead from the spot as Robinho's trickery won a penalty which Van Nistelrooy blazed over. The striker made amends by setting up Robinho, who finished neatly, in the 83rd minute and there was more drama to come. Casillas somehow denied Michał Żewłakow, paving the way for Balboa to provide the knockout blow with almost the final touch of the match. The sides meet again in Greece in a fortnight.

Ronaldo and United shine in Kiev..

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Manchester United FC cruised to a comfortable victory at FC Dynamo Kyiv to make it three wins from three in UEFA Champions League Group F and move to the brink of qualification.

The visitors led after ten minutes when Rio Ferdinand headed in a free-kick from Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney quickly added a second on the counterattack. Dynamo were briefly given hope when Diogo Rincón nodded in Carlos Corrêa's corner, but Ronaldo restored the two-goal cushion just before half-time. The influential Portuguese added the fourth from the penalty spot before home forward Ismaël Bangoura completed the scoring with 12 minutes remaining.

The visitors had suffered a setback before kick-off when Patrice Evra picked up an injury and was replaced by Darren Fletcher, with John O'Shea falling back to cover and the Scotsman linking up with Anderson in central midfield. The hosts had the first chance through Bangoura, back from a rib injury, testing Edwin van der Sar with a shot from the edge of the area in the opening seconds.

The English champions responded with Ronaldo particularly active but it took Sir Alex Ferguson's charges ten minutes to produce their first shot – and their first goal. Ronaldo won a free-kick near the corner flag on the left which Giggs crossed for Ferdinand to place a powerful header over Olexandr Shovkovskiy. As József Szabó's men poured forward, leaving vast spaces at the back exposed, United were clinical as they executed their opportunities on the break. One such free-flowing move down the right brought the second goal, as Rooney applied a simple finish after a pass by Wes Brown.

Rooney had a further chance to add to United's advantage several minutes later, but Shovkovskiy parried his powerful drive while Goran Gavrančić took a blow when blocking an ensuing effort from Carlos Tévez. It was all United at that point with Dynamo looking out of ideas, but just as it seemed there was no hope for them, they found their way back into the game following a set-piece.

On 34 minutes, Corrêa whipped in a corner which the unmarked Rincón nodded in. Ronaldo called Shovkovskiy back into action with a shot from acute angle yet the keeper was powerless to prevent the third United goal four minutes before the break when Ronaldo neatly headed in Giggs's cross from the left to restore the Red Devils' two-goal lead. Dynamo introduced Valentin Belkevich and Artem Milevskiy at half-time but United continued to dominate with Anderson hitting the post.

Rincón delivered another fine header from an Oleh Gusev cross which flew just wide of the post, while Anderson drew another save from Shovkovskiy. The match was effectively over on 68 minutes when Gavrančić conceded a penalty for handball which Ronaldo casually stroked in to make it 4-1. Bangoura put some respectability on the scoreline with a fierce strike from 25 metres, yet the defeat leaves the Ukrainian club without a point and facing elimination at Old Trafford in two weeks' time.

Szabó urges 'no fear' against United !!!

They may have lost their opening two matches in UEFA Champions League Group F and may be facing opponents who have won nine of their last ten games, but FC Dynamo Kyiv coach József Szabó has told his players they "cannot be scared" when Manchester United FC come calling on Tuesday.

Appointed as Anatoliy Demyanenko's successor in September, Szabó knows the difference between success and failure in European football can be gossamer thin. "We can't simply talk about going out and beating United, that would be stupid," he said. "They consistently prove they're among the best teams in the world, and are coached by one of the best and longest-serving managers in the world. If my players stick to the game plan we can be successful against United; if not, they could punish every little error."

Dynamo have won three out of four Ukrainian Premier League outings under their new boss, including Saturday's 1-0 home victory against FC Zakarpattya Uzhgorod which moved them to within seven points of the summit. They are also off the pace in Europe following losses to AS Roma – with Demyanenko in charge – and Sporting Clube de Portugal. "Players cannot be scared when they're on the pitch," Szabó said. "Being nervous is one thing and quite normal at the start of a big game, but we shouldn't be so scared of United that our knees knock together. We're at home and can show our full potential, even against them."

Szabó is able to welcome back two key figures – centre-back Pape Diakhate and striker Ismaël Bangoura – although the one player in his squad with experience of English football, forward Serhiy Rebrov, remains sidelined. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Saturday's 4-1 triumph at Aston Villa FC as "probably our best performance of the season" and received another boost on Monday when Serbia centre-half Nemanja Vidić was cleared to play following concussion. Gerard Piqué is likely to make way.

The champions are playing second fiddle to Arsenal FC in the Premier League, but blazing a trail at the top of Group F with maximum points and seeking an early passage into the knockout rounds. "The best thing to do is to try and approach the game trying to win it because the rewards are great for us," Sir Alex said. "They will be wanting to win the match and I expect them to have a go. We see it as an opportunity because Roma and Sporting have a double-header. From our point of view we hope they take points off each other."

The Wayne Rooney-Carlos Tévez partnership drew praise from both coaches. "I can't say how we're going to handle them as that's a secret," Szabó said. "What I can say is the days of the old Soviet style of football have gone and there'll be no man-marking." Sir Alex added: "They're exceptionally good footballers, are strong and a real threat to defenders. They have to be in consideration simply because their form is so good. We may go with three players in the middle, as we did in Lisbon. That is certainly a possibility."

Kimi Raikkonen snatches the ultimate title ..

It has been a real roller coaster of a season and the finale in Brazil was a fitting climax to a year that has enthralled fans both on and off the circuit. Kimi Raikkonen has achieved what seemed all but impossible and he overcame a seven point deficit by winning the this afternoon at Interlagos while Lewis Hamilton suffered his own problems.

The start of the 71 lap Grand Prix saw pole-sitter Felipe Massa sprint in the lead with Kimi Raikkonen making a good getaway and slotting into second. One man not making a good start was Lewis Hamilton who dropped from second to fourth and then compounded his problems by running off track and losing another four positions.

At that point Hamilton will have been frustrated but he was still in the race and the championship race was very much still on. Lap seven however saw the McLaren Mercedes slow dramatically with a gearshift issue. Hamilton dropped from sixth position to 18th and while he was able to reset the electronic systems and get back under power, his title hope were in tatters.

Out front Raikkonen shadowed Massa and seemed content to bide his time behind his Ferrari team-mate. The turning points for Raikkonen came in his second round of stops as he was able to stay out a few more laps and once he had made his final pit stop, emerged in the lead of the race. Fernando Alonso at this point ran in a lonely third and was not able to mount a serious challenge

Raikkonen took the chequered flag by just over a second from 2006 race winner Massa and with 110 championship points on the board, takes the title by one point from Hamilton who battled back to seventh position on track and Alonso who finished third.

"I always believed we could recover from our poor results and do a better job than our rivals," Raikkonen said. "So I never gave up and it was a great result for me and the team.

"I wasn't really 100 per cent sure of what was happening at the end as we were still waiting for still to finish - I had to wait a long time to hear that I had finally won it. I waited and waited. It was amazing for me that after all the last races we have had such a good finish to the season and I am very happy now."

Nico Rosberg put in a great drive in his Williams Toyota and finished in fourth position after a rather hectic battle with the BMW Sauber’s of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld who finished fifth and sixth. With Hamilton seventh, the final point went to Jarno Trulli who put in a strong performance for Toyota to claim a much needed championship point.

Hamilton delighted with Massa taking the pole ..

Lewis Hamilton did all that could be reasonably expected when he qualified on the front row for today's Brazilian Grand Prix. Felipe Massa, probably running less fuel and enjoying a small weight advantage, claimed pole position for his home grand prix. The Brazilian is likely to play a significant part in the settling of the championship in this final round, particularly as Hamilton finds himself in the middle of a Ferrari sandwich, Kimi Raikkonen having qualified third. The third contender, Fernando Alonso, qualified fourth for the second race in succession

Hamilton was immediately thrown into another dispute when he was accused, during a press conference, of having blocked Raikkonen after emerging from the pits just as the Finn was starting his last lap. Hamilton stayed off the racing line but Raikkonen had been distracted enough to run wide slightly at the exit of the next corner. Hamilton said he had been told by radio of Raikkonen's approach.

'I couldn't tell just how close he was,' said Hamilton. 'I stayed where I was, backed off and he went past me. I don't feel that I hindered his lap. I apologised afterwards in case I had caused a problem. I just need to do a completely clean job this weekend. If anything, Kimi could win this race and that would be good for me in terms of the championship because my first priority is to beat Fernando.'

Raikkonen was his usual phlegmatic self when discussing the incident. 'I don't know how much time I lost,' said Raikkonen. 'For sure he could have found a slightly easier way to let me past but what's happened has happened.'

Hamilton, realising that Massa could be a wild card, said he was happy to be on the front row.

'It was really close,' said Hamilton. 'I really enjoyed the session. The car was nice to drive; it was a really good lap. It was quite straight forward. I lost a bit of time in the last corner, not because of a mistake but because I didn't want to spoil the lap right at the end. I'm just buzzing, feeling really excited. The car feels great and I love the circuit. I feel very relaxed and it was good to see quite few British flags out there. I appreciate the support.'

Massa said he made a small mistake on his last lap and was surprised to win pole position at this race for the second year in succession.

'It's a fantastic feeling,' said Massa. 'I made a mistake and I was afraid Lewis could beat me. It was very close and I was expecting to hear I was second, but I had done enough. The reaction of the crowd was fantastic. I'm in front and I'm sure the team is happy with me. We'll see what happens in the race.'

One of the few positive points from Hamilton's retirement in China two weeks ago was the knowledge that the championship would be settled at one of the oldest and most charismatic venues on the F1 calendar. Perched on an escarpment, Interlagos is 750 metres above sea level. At the time of track's inauguration in 1940, the view of Sao Paulo in the distance clearly showed Congonhas, but the local airport is now lost within the urban sprawl that has engulfed Interlagos, thus adding further ambiance to a track that may be frayed round the edges but which has always been loved for its challenge and character.

When Interlagos staged a round of the championship for the first time in 1973, the track measured 4.9 miles as it twisted and turned spectacularly within itself. Unable to pay the price of incorporating the necessary safety standards, the owners cut the circuit length in half during a 10-year absence from the F1 calendar. When the Brazilian Grand Prix returned from a period at Rio de Janeiro, the drivers were delighted and relieved to find that the essential flavour of Interlagos remained. Named after a Brazilian F1 hero killed in a plane crash in 1977, the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace stands out as a proper place to go motor racing in a series increasingly populated by immaculate but bland facilities.

The pits may be ancient and cramped but the view from the back of the paddock, on the highest part of the track, sums up the appeal. Interlagos comprises a twisting infield section on the valley floor and a long, fast climb to the main straight before plunging left and downhill at the first corner. Setting up an F1 car to meet the disparate requirements of this track is as tricky as actually tackling it. While a driver may want aerodynamic downforce to provide grip and traction in the tight corners, the wings necessary to achieve that are a major hindrance in the quest to reach 185mph at the end of 17 seconds of flat-out driving on the top straight. A shortfall in performance here would leave a driver vulnerable to an overtaking move when approaching the braking area for the first corner.

The track has been recently resurfaced and while that may have removed some of the notoriously difficult bumps, the fresh asphalt has created unforeseen problems with tyre wear. With the track temperature yesterday reaching 57 degrees, the highest this season, drivers were struggling to avoid excessive wear on the softer of the two types of tyre, both of which must be used during today's 71-lap race.

T20 match not about revenge: Gilchrist

The Australians find them in an unfamiliar situation. They will be starting the game against a world champion when they take the field for the Twenty20 match against India on Saturday.

"No, it is not revenge. We don't talk in terms of revenge and coming in and having to win games because we have lost something in the past. The Indian team has said that the Twenty20 is past and doesn't stand for anything. They are the world champions and all credit to them. We too know that game's gone and we have got another chance to take them on. It is not often that the Australian team has had the opportunity in any form of cricket to beat the world champions. Normally we have been holding the titles. That’s exciting and as I said Indian deserved that title. They won it fair and square. Now the challenge is up to us and as I say be the hunter and not the hunted," Adam Gilchrist said.

We very much looking forward to the match. It is nice way to finish off an intense series of One-Day. The chance to take on the best team in that form of the game and we have got a big buzz trying to win that game. I am sure that it will prove to be an intense and exciting game and hopefully at the end of the game spectators, administrators and players can sit together and congratulate each other on some great entertaining cricket in the last three weeks.

Indian batting is their strength. They have a strong batting line-up. We need to see how many of their Twenty20 champions play in that game or if they will continue with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly who have scored runs in the One-day series. So we will wait and see. If Yuvraj Singh finds the form that he was in during the Twenty20 tournament; it is going to be a tough assignment for us. The Indian bowling did a great job too. I think Yuvraj's 70 but also the bowlers - Sreesanth and co - towards the end of that game played a huge part. So did the captaincy of MS Dhoni. So it is going to be tough challenge for us but one we are really excited.

Its World Cup showdown in Rubgy !!!

South Africa captain John Smit believes England have defeated teams by luring them into the trap of "not playing rugby".

Smit said the Springboks had been doing as much analysis of England's matches as possible and a trend had emerged.

"I think to hit the nail on the head that they (England's opposition) fell a little bit into their trap of not playing rugby and I think tomorrow it really is up to us to make sure that we are clinical and use the pill (ball) as effectively as we have done in the last couple of weeks."

He said the teams had different styles but South Africa had become more clinical in the past two months.

"We've certainly been more accurate in terms of our attack with the backs, with line-outs, with scrums.

"Possibly we weren't as abrasive as we were in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Eddie Jones (technical adviser) has joined us and tweaked one or two things here and there and gave our backs a lot of confidence as well."

England coach Brian Ashton, though, rejected criticism of his side's style of play.

"I'm really not interested in it. I don't care what anybody says about England, it has nothing to do with me."

And Ashton indicated he had some surprises up his sleeve.

"It's been a question of fine-tuning a few things, talking to the players about how they want to approach South Africa. It's the same as the last four weeks, it's a joint effort to work out what we want to do. I've got one or two changes which I'll keep to myself for now, but you'll hopefully see it tomorrow (Saturday) night."

Formula One set for three-way thriller in Brazil !!!

Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen fight for the Formula One title in Brazil on Sunday in what promises to be one of the sport's great showdowns.

The final grand prix of an astonishing and controversial season, in a city as crazy about motor racing as Italians are about Ferrari, has all the elements of a three-way thriller.



McLaren's Hamilton, the 22-year-old Briton who has been the revelation of the year whatever happens at Interlagos, can become the first rookie champion in 58 years and also the youngest.

Formula One's first black driver has 107 points, four more than his estranged Spanish team mate and double world champion Alonso.

Alonso can join a select band of triple champions as well as becoming the first driver since the late Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957 to win back-to-back titles with different teams.

Three points behind Alonso is Ferrari's Raikkonen, who has won more races than the other two but has also paid the price for his team's comparative unreliability.

If the unflappable Finn were to add the drivers' title to Ferrari's constructors' crown, it would be a remarkable fightback for a man who was 17 points adrift of Hamilton with two races remaining.

Formula One has seen nothing like it since the Australian Grand Prix of 1986, the last time that three drivers entered the final race of the season vying for the title.

“Motor racing and Formula One has never been more popular than it is just now,” said Britain's triple champion Jackie Stewart, a big fan of Hamilton's. “We've had a better season than we've ever had.”

Raikkonen and Alonso will be going all out to win while Hamilton can afford a more strategic approach, knowing that third or even fourth place could be all he requires at an unfamiliar and tricky anti-clockwise circuit.

The youngster has learnt his lesson from the last race in China, where he might have wrapped up the title had he not skidded into a gravel trap at the pit lane entry.

“China was another valuable lesson for me this season, and an incident I will take from and try to develop as a driver,”

Hamilton said in a team preview.: “I moved on from the disappointment pretty quickly and since leaving Shanghai, my sole focus has been on Brazil,” added the Briton, whose boyhood idol Ayrton Senna was born and buried in Sao Paulo.




“Whilst I might be ahead by four points, this Championship is still very open. I will do what I can to score the points I need, and the rest is out of our hands,” he added.

While Hamilton must be considered the favourite, and will revive local fans' memories of Senna with his similar yellow helmet, Alonso won both of his titles in Brazil and has experience on his side.

The Spaniard will also have a special scrutineer appointed by the governing body to make sure, despite McLaren's oft-repeated policy of driver equality, that Hamilton receives no special treatment from the British team.

“We can categorically state that they will be given the exact same opportunity to win the race and the Championship,” said McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh

Aussies to finish the series on high note with Symonds in good form

Amid all the excitement over Brett Lee and the wickets of Mitchell Johnson, one of the key differences between the two teams has gone almost unnoticed throughout the series, which Australia lead 4-1 with a game to play in Mumbai on Wednesday. Brad Hogg has played an invaluable role in the middle overs for Australia in the series so far.

Statistically, he is the best bowler, with the most wickets, 11, at the best average, 19.00, but that does not even go halfway towards telling the tale. Comfortable bowling both over and around the stump, to left and right-handers, Hogg has proved to be a real problem for the Indian batsmen.

When asked if Hogg had out-bowled India's spinners, Ricky Ponting was careful in answering. "I'm not sure if it means that our spinners have bowled better or if it means that our batsmen have played the spinners better," he said. And there is some truth in this, for it's not as though Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik have bowled badly. Both have put in good spells, unafraid to toss the ball up when the situation allowed, and capable of exerting control with flatter, quicker bowling when the situation demanded it.

But it's an undeniable fact that Hogg has had more of a say in influencing the outcome of matches. With his high left-arm action, he has made it very difficult for batsmen to get into any kind of run-scoring rhythm. Set batsmen have had their concentration disrupted, and newcomers to the crease, especially left-hand batsmen like Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan, have struggled.

From the outside it looks as though India's batsmen are having trouble picking Hogg out of the hand. When asked if the Australians could pick him in the nets, Ponting did not quite say yes or no, smiling impishly: "We've played a lot against him and practised a lot against him. He bowls a very good wrong'un, there's no doubt about that. Those sort of bowlers - legspinners who bowl with a high arm action from over the top - are always the hardest to read. Even in the World Cup he undid a lot of batsmen with his wrong'un. I think he's tending to bowl the wrong'un a lot more and a lot better in recent times. It just shows he's still learning and still improving though he's 36."

Troy Cooley, Australia's bowling coach, has worked wonders with fast bowlers around the world, but this does not mean he has no role to play with the spinners. "What works to his advantage is that he has a lot of variations," Cooley said of Hogg. "This helps him do well in any type of conditions."

If India's batsmen are not picking him, it's strange in one way, because they've not been consistently troubled by people like Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed or Shane Warne, all of whom possess excellent variations. Looking at the situation another way, though, there is a bit of an explanation, as it's impossible to come up with one chinaman bowler who played for India. The breed hasn't ever turned up. Even in domestic cricket, it's hard to name one.

But Wednesday's game is not about Hogg alone. There's certainly no thought of resting him, or anyone else, for the Australians, and Ponting emphatically said as much at the pre-match press conference. There could be one change, and that's if the "85 to 90%" fit Matthew Hayden is well enough to play. Then he'll come into the side, in place of either of the Brads, Haddin or Hodge. That will mean that Ben Hilfenhaus, who went through the World Twenty20 without playing a game, will have done the same in this seven-match series.

In the Indian camp, there's plenty of rumour over resting Rahul Dravid to make way for Rohit Sharma or Subramaniam Badrinath, but there's no hard news on the subject. Dravid certainly isn't overly bogged down over his lack of runs, or distressed, as there's plenty of cricket to come this season, in one-dayers and Tests. And it would be wise to look forward, for win or loss in the final game, this series is already well and truly finished

Harbhajan hungry for success in Australia !!

Off spinner Harbhajan Singh is keen to emulate his domestic success against Australia when India embark on their Test tour starting in December. Harbhajan, 27, proved a handful for the Australians on their last two trips to India, but has played just one Test in Australia.

He bowled 35 overs and took one wicket in the drawn first Test in Brisbane on India's last tour in 2003-04 before a finger injury forced him out of the remainder of the tour. The Sikh has an impressive haul of 53 wickets against Australia in his last six Tests at home over two series, but said outwitting them in Australia was his biggest goal.

"That's the tour that people want to go on and do well," Harbhajan said. "They (Australia) play tough cricket and it gives you a lot of satisfaction when you do well against that sort of a side, especially in their conditions." India are scheduled to play four Tests in Australia from December 26 before a tri-nation One-day series also involving Sri Lanka.

Although India next host Pakistan for a One-day and Test series, there is already fevered anticipation of the Australia tour following verbal exchanges between the players during the current seven-match One-day series in India. Australia have secured the series 4-1 with a game to spare after the opening fixture was washed out. The final game will be played in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Harbhajan was dropped following the shock first round exit from this year's 50-over World Cup in March, but featured prominently in last month's Twenty20 win after a useful stint with English county Surrey to stage a One-day comeback. Although the most economical Indian bowler in the ongoing series, he has taken just three wickets in five games.

He rejected criticism he was keen to restrict runs. "I always look for wickets, but in One-day cricket a lot depends on the situation you are bowling in. (Captain Mahendra) Dhoni wanted a few overs of me during power play, in the middle-overs and at the end in most matches," added Harbhajan, who has taken 238 Test wickets and 177 One-day wickets in a 10-year career.

Harbhajan, who captured 32 wickets in three Tests to spark India's comeback home series triumph over Australia in 2001, was hopeful the team would draw inspiration from previous Australia tours when they travel there. "The last time, I remember Anil (Kumble) had a great series there," he said of the leg-spinner who took 24 wickets in three Tests to help India draw the four-match series 1-1.

"Sure there will be some tough cricket on the field (this time), but they can expect the same from us." Harbhajan also took 21 wickets and Kumble 27 scalps on Australia's 2004 tour, but the tourists won 2-1 to clinch their first Test series on Indian soil for 35 years. "I did well in 2001 and 2004, and there will be a lot of expectations," he said. "I hope I can repeat it in their conditions."

Beckenbauer thinks Germany ready to take European title

Germany isn't just the first team to qualify for the 2008 European Championship. It's the best team on the continent and should win its fourth title next year, according to German great Franz Beckenbauer.

"The German team is at the moment the best and the steadiest team in Europe," Beckenbauer said in an interview posted Monday on the Web site of the German soccer federation DFB.

Beckenbauer, a DFB vice president and president of Bayern Munich, praised coach Joachim Loew, who has won 12 of 15 games since he took over after the World Cup and lost only one. Germany finished third at last year's World Cup.

"Under him, the team has made a great step forward, it's become more stable and is ready to win a title," Beckenbauer said.

Germany, a three-time European champion, secured its place in next year's tournament in Austria and Switzerland with a 0-0 draw at Ireland on Saturday in Group D.

The Czech Republic could also qualify if it doesn't lose against Germany on Wednesday in Munich, because it has a better head-to-head record against Ireland.

Germany has 23 points, the Czech Republic 20, both from nine games, while Ireland has 15 from 10. The Czechs only need a point from their remaining three games to qualify.

With Germany already qualified, the match in Munich may have lost some of its intensity, although Loew promised that his team would not take it easy.

"They will be very motivated because they still haven't clinched their qualification and they will want to avenge their defeat at home (2-1)," Loew said. "I expect an open game and we want to win and defend our first place in the group."

Loew will reshuffle the team, however, with striker Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski to start before his home fans.

Podolski came on as substitute in Ireland and Loew said he was pleased with his performance. Podolski is not getting much playing time in Bayern this season after coming back from a long-term knee injury.

Loew is still without several starters, including captain Michael Ballack of Chelsea and Podolski's Bayern Munich striker colleague Miroslav Klose. Klose is nursing a knee injury and Ballack is still recovering from ankle surgery.

Also on the injured list are defenders Philipp Lahm of Bayern Munich and Christian Pander of Schalke, both with knee problems.

Four other midfielders are also injured - Tim Borowski of Werder Bremen (back), Bernd Schneider (knee) Roberto Hilbert of Stuttgart (ankle) and Thomas Hitzlsperger of Stuttgart (toe).

In addition, starting goalkeeper Jens Lehmann of Arsenal got a second yellow card against Ireland and will be replaced by Timo Hildebrand of Valencia.

Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who suffered a cut on his temple in the game against Ireland, is expected to be able to play Wednesday, although Loew left it open whether the Bayern player would start.

Since the split-up of Czechoslovakia, Germany has won four of five games against the Czechs, winning its last title in the 1996 final of the European Championship in England with a 2-1 victory on a "golden goal" by the team's current general manager, Oliver Bierhoff.

Czechoslovakia beat West Germany on penalties to win the 1976 European Championship in Yugoslavia.

Stop Sreesanth from becoming Akhtar: Chappell

Describing S Sreesanth as an "accident waiting to happen", former Australian captain Ian Chappell has urged the BCCI to discipline the Kerala pacer before he becomes another Shoaib Akhtar.

"If the BCCI needs any prompting on why they should discipline Sreesanth before he has a major crash, they only have to look at Pakistan's mishandling of Shoaib Akhtar in his early days," Chappell was quoted as saying in the 'Cricinfo'.

"The PCB has finally done what it should have a long time ago: brought the malcontent into line with a suspension and serious fine.

"If this had happened when Shoaib's erratic behaviour first started to undermine the Pakistan side then he may well have become what he should have been - a match-winning fast bowler - instead of what he has been, a serious disruption to team harmony."

Chappell said if Sreesanth continued with his aggressive ways one day he would be in serious trouble and the BCCI needed to control the bowler. "Back when I was playing, whenever a fiery red sports car would go whizzing past our team's more sedate mode of transport, the former Australian wrist-spinner Johnny Martin would say, "there goes an accident waiting to happen".

"Currently, Sreesanth appears to be driving a bright red V12 with mag wheels, twin carburettors and the latest E gearshift. He's already had a couple of minor scrapes but hasn't backed off the throttle, and if he continues down this bumpy road he's headed for a major catastrophe.

"The BCCI should do him a favour and take away his keys; in other words, suspend him for a meaningful period. Then he'll have time to think about his erratic behaviour and will hopefully realize he is wasting his undoubted talent by expending energy on things that won't help his team win," Chappell said. Chappell also advocated disciplinary action for the players who had initiated the process of countering the Aussies with aggressive body language. "If the BCCI does shift into disciplinary gear, they should also severely reprimand the person or persons who dreamt up the flawed tactic of India taking the Australians on at their own game.

"The first-class game in Australia is highly competitive and players regularly indulge in one-upmanship and the better ones thrive in this atmosphere. If the Australians wanted to do a Brer rabbit on India, they would have said: "Please don't intimidate us verbally."

For those who hate Sachin Tendulkar!!!

When many people say how many of Sachin's hundreds have come for a
winning cause, Here is analysis of each of those centuries he scored
when INDIA lost and reason why it went in vain.
Out of the 41 hundreds, 11 hundreds have gone in vain.

1. 137 off 137 (Strike rate 100) balls Vs SriLanka at Delhi in 1996 World Cup.
India scored 271/3 in 50 overs. The only other 50 score was from
Azhar. SL made 272 in 48.4 overs. Manoj Prabhakar had 4-0-47-0. He
also opened in the innings and scored 7 of 36 balls.

2. 100 of 111 Balls Vs Pak in Singapore- Apr 96.
India 226 all out in 47.1 overs, When Sachin was out score was 186/4
(We cant blame because next 3 are match fixtures) . Pak had a reduced
target of 187 from 33 overs.

3. 110 of 138 Balls (Slower but...) vs Sri Lanka In Colombo - Aug 96.
Again India 226 for 5 in 50 overs, Only other 50 score from Azhar (58
of 99 balls !!!) .Sachin has also bowled 6-0-29-1 , the second most
economical bowler and the only wicket taker (SL were 230/1 in 44.2 )
of the match next to Srinath. 7 bowlers were used by Azhar.

4. 143 of 131 Balls (!!!) Vs Aus at Sharjah, Apr 1998.
This was chasing under lights. The qualifying match before the final.
The whole world knows about this match. Still one interesting point,
when Sachin was out India were 242 at 5 at 43 overs. Target was 276 in
46. Still India finished at 250/5 scoring just 8 of the next 3 overs.
Great performance by Laxman and Kanitkar indeed.

5. 101 of 140 Balls against SL at Sharjah in Oct 2000.
Indian score was 224/8 in 50 overs. (No other 50 score). SL got 225/5
in 43.5, Sachin also bowled 5-0-22-0, better economy rate than
everyone except Srinath.

6. 146 of 153 Balls against Zimbabwe at Jodhpur - December 2000 (Game
of Douglas Marilier)
India made 283 / 8 in 50 overs. Sachin was the last man to be
dismissed, score was 235/8 at 46.3 overs when he was out. Agarkar and
Zaheer Khan propelled India to 283 in the last 3.3 overs. When Sachin
has scored 146 of 235 in 46.3 overs, you can guess what the other 8
great batsmen were doing against the World class Zimbabwe attack.
Second Highest scorer was Zaheer Khan with 32.
Zim got 284/9 in 49.5 overs. Kumble bowled the last over. Sachin also
got 6-0-35-1

7. 101 of 129 Balls Vs SA at Johannesburg - Oct 2001
India got 279/5 in 50, Ganguly made 127 of 126 balls. When Ganguly got
out, the score was 193-1 in 35.2 overs. Sachin was the last man to get
out at 263. SA got 280 in 48.4 overs. Sachin bowled 9-0-51-0, second
best in economy rate next only to Agarkar (10-0-45-1)

8. 141 of 135 balls Vs Pak at Rawalpindi, March 2004 .
India were chasing 329 and were 317 all out in 48.4 overs, 8 balls to
spare. No other batsman made even a 50 (when chasing 300 ) and when
Sachin was out, India were 245-4 in 38.4 overs. They needed 85 from 68
balls with 6 wickets in hand.

9. 123 of 130 Balls vs Pak at Ahmedabad, April 2005.
India made 315/6 in 48 overs (48 over match), again no other 50 score.
Second highest was Dhoni 47 of 64 balls, (third highest was extras -
39). Pak made 319 in 48 overs. The three quicks (Balaji, Nehra and
Khan went for 188 runs from 26 overs between them taking only 2
wickets). Sachin bowled 6-0-36-1. No Harbhajan and no Kumble.

10. 100 of 113 Balls Vs Pak at Peshawar, Feb-2006.
India were 328 all out in 49.4 overs. Pathan and Dhoni got 60 each.
When Sachin was out when India were 305-5 in 45 overs. Managed only 23
in the last 5 overs.Pak scored 311/7 in 47 overs and won by D/L
method. Could have been anybody's game. Sachin did not bowl.

11. 141* of 148 balls vs WI at Malaysia.
India made 309 /5 in 50 overs. Sachin was not out. Pathan was the only
other 50 scorer. WI made 141/2 in 20 overs and won by D/L method.
Again could have been anybody's game.

In the other 31 instances India has won 30 times and once there was no result .
Now, please think again when you say sachin's 100s were in the losing
cause and that he is not a team player. It is a fact that for the
entire 90's India played International cricket with 1 PLAYER and 10
JOKERS.

===> article from my friend Ketul Pitroda .