SPORTS

Swiss Humble Germany in Euro Warm-up Game; Spain Second-String Win

Germany’s build-up to Euro 2012 suffered a setback Saturday with a 5-3 defeat to Switzerland in Basel.It was the first time the Swiss, who did not qualify for this summer’s tournament, had beaten Germany in an international since 1956.German coach Joachim Loew fielded an understrength team as he rested eight Bayern Munich players who were involved in the Champions League final defeat to Chelsea last weekend.But the performance of their understudies will do little to inspire confidence, with goalkeeper Ter Stegen having a forgettable error-strewn match as the Germans lost for the second time in a row.Having gone through Euro qualifying unbeaten, they were beaten by France 2-1 in their last friendly in February.Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok, who plays in the Bundesliga, scored a hat-trick and put his team 2-0 ahead with two first half goals in three minutes.Both goals were laid on by strike partner Tranquillo Barnettas before defender Mats Hummels pulled one back for Germany just before halftime with a header from a Mesut Ozil cross.But Derdiyok made it 3-1 after 50 minutes, again from a Barnettas assist.Andre Schuerrle cut the lead to give Germany some hope before Andre Lichtsteiner made it 4-2 in the 67th minute. Marco Reus added the third for the Germans five minutes later but Admir Mehmedi sealed victory for the Swiss and made it 5-3 late on.“We didn’t expect a result like this and we cannot be satisfied by it,” Loew told AFP.Meanwhile, Spain warmed up for a defense of their European title with a 2-0 friendly win over Serbia in a friendly played in Switzerland.Coach Vicente del Bosque was also forced to field a second string line-up with many of his players involved in Friday’s Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao.Atletico Madrid’s Adrian Lopez, a second half substitute, headed the 2010 World Cup winners in front in the 64th minute.He was then pulled down by Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic to earn a 75th minute penalty, converted by Santi Cazorla.Spain announce their 23-man squad for Poland and the Ukraine Sunday.Portugal, captained by Cristiano Ronaldo, were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Macedonia in Leiria.Their group rivals in the Euro finals, Denmark, were beaten 3-1 by a young Brazil side, who are preparing for the London Olympics, in a friendly in Hamburg.Porto striker Hulk scored twice with Denmark’s Niki Zimling turning an Oscar cross into his own net for the other goal.Nicklas Bendtner pulled a goal back for the well-beaten Danes.The Netherlands also went down to a friendly defeat, losing 2-1 at home to Bulgaria.Arsenal’s Robin van Persie gave the Dutch a 45th minute lead but Bulgaria, who did not make Euro 2012, equalized four minutes into the second half with an Ivelin Popov penalty after Rafael van der Vaart had hand balled.Bulgaria striker Ilijan Mizanski grabbed a shock winner in the second minute of injury time as the home side pushed forward and were caught on the break.Share and Enjoy

Messi Scores Four for Guardiola

Lionel Messi scored four goals to take his La Liga tally to 50 this season as Barcelona hammered Espanyol 4-0 on Saturday in an emotional last game at the Nou Camp for outgoing coach Pep Guardiola. Thousands had turned out with flags and banners paying tribute to Guardiola and what he has achieved for the club during his four-year spell in charge. Barcelona may have conceded their 2011 league title to arch-rivals Real Madrid last week, but three-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Messi gave the Nou Camp a boost by pulling ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the league’s top scorer title. Messi netted twice from the penalty spot, once from a free kick and the other was a low finish into the corner following a thrilling breakaway. After scoring his fourth from the spot, a record 72nd goal in all competitions this season, the World Player of the Year ran to the touchline and hugged Guardiola as the rest of the squad gathered to join them in a huddle. Second-placed Barca have 90 points with one match left, seven behind champions Real Madrid who won 2-1 at Granada. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty and Granada’s David Cortes put through his own net at the end to leave Real on course for a record 100 La Liga points. The Portuguese international striker is now on 45 league goals, five behind Messi with one league match remaining. Jonas scored in added time to give Valencia a 1-0 home win over regional rivals Villarreal that secured them third place and the last automatic qualifying berth in the Champions League for the third year in a row. Valencia have 61 points and Malaga are fourth on 55 after falling 2-1 at Europa League finalists Atletico Madrid who closed to within two points in fifth.Share and Enjoy

The Story of ‘CHRISTIANO RONALDO’

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985 in Madeira, Portugal. Manchester United paid £12 million to sign him in 2003—a record fee for a player of his age. In the 2004 FA Cup final, he scored Manchester’s first three goals and helped them capture the championship. In 2008, he set a franchise record for goals scored. In 2009, Real Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services.
Professional soccer player. Born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro on February 5, 1985 in Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country. Ronaldo, the youngest of Maria Dolores dos Santos and Jose Dinis Aveiro’s four children, was named after Ronald Reagan, a favorite actor of his father’s.
Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood, his home a small tin roofed shack that overlooked the ocean. His early life was shaped by hardship; his father, a gardener, often drank too much, and eventually died from kidney problems in 2005. To help keep the children fed, and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo’s mother worked as a cook and cleaning person.
It was through his dad’s work as an equipment manager at a boy’s club that Ronaldowas first introduced to the game of soccer. By the time he was 10, he was already recognized as a phenomenon – a kid who ate, slept, and drank the game. “All he wanted to do as a boy was play football,” his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters. “He loved the game so much he’d miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework.”
By his early teens, Ronaldo’s talent and legend had grown considerably. After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001. That same year, at the tender age of 16, Ronaldo turned heads with a mesmerizing performance against Manchester United, wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to try and sign the young player. It wasn’t long before the club paid Ronaldo’s team more than £12 million for his services – a record fee for a player of his age.
Ronaldo, however, did not disappoint. He showed his promise early on in the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team’s first three goals and helping them capture the championship. In 2008, a year after signing a five-year, £31 million contract, Ronaldo again justified the high tab when he put together one of the club’s finest seasons in history, setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself the FIFA World of the Year honor. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three Premier league titles.

But Ronaldo’s time in England was marred by his mother’s 2007 struggle with breast cancer as well as his father’s death from alcohol-related illness. The latter was especially hard for Ronaldo as the two had been close, and the young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. His father, however, never accepted the offer.
As lauded as Ronaldowas on the field for United, his commitment to the club came under constant question. Speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere. So in 2009, when Real Madrid agreed to pay United a record $131 million for the chance to sign him, nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave the club.
“I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club and I know that I’m going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years,” Ronaldo told reporters. “But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer.”
In addition to his FIFA World Player of the year award, Ronaldo has also won the coveted Ballon d’OR, the Golden Boot, and been named the UEFA Club Forward of the Year, among other honors during the course of his career.

Intro to Soccer

Success with Manchester United

Departure to Real Madrid

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