#as i said before: full respect to carlos for a strong season

[f1]

Krack says Bahrain podium wasnt in his dreams as he ponders whats next for Aston Martin

Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack has admitted that recording a podium finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix was not on his radar despite the squad’s eye-catching pre-season and strong start to the race weekend. Having impressed across testing, Alonso and Aston Martin proceeded to top Friday and Saturday practice at the Sakhir venue before securing fifth on the grid in qualifying – behind only the Red Bulls and Ferraris and ahead of both Mercedes machines. READ MORE: Alonso says Bahrain podium ‘a perfect start’ to Aston Martin project as he recounts breathtaking moves on Hamilton and Sainz On race day, after a close call at the start that saw him tagged by new team mate Lance Stroll into Turn 4, Alonso battled his way past Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz – while capitalising on Charles Leclerc’s retirement – to secure a memorable podium. Reflecting on Alonso’s result, and whether it means Aston Martin exceeded their pre-season expectations, Krack promptly countered: “I think we must not lose the ground under our feet and dream about podiums straight away. “We knew that we were not bad, we knew we had strong race pace, but so many things can go wrong. After two laps, I was not dreaming of a podium, to be very honest with you. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences Dream weekend for Fernando Alonso at Bahrain Grand Prix “You have to see how the race unfolds and just focus on your job. We had also the attrition of Charles, that we should not forget. [So] all in all, you can dream about podiums, but you should not believe them.” Nonetheless, Krack was full of praise for both Alonso’s charge to third and Stroll’s battling drive to sixth position while nursing wrist and foot injuries sustained in a recent training accident – their combined points tally putting Aston Martin second in the constructors’ standings. READ MORE: Stroll recounts ‘insane journey’ from hospital bed to P6 in Bahrain with a broken wrist “I think it’s the right description to say ‘wow’,” Krack said of Alonso’s performance, “in every aspect: in terms of speed, in terms of how he is pushing, in terms of how he has everything on the radar up front – it’s really amazing.” As for Stroll’s showing, Krack added: “We must not forget that he had no testing, he had a problem on Friday – technical – then he had huge stress in qualifying [with a weighbridge visit and a deleted lap time in Q1], and he did not drive the hard tyres at all. “He had no reference about managing [the situation], so I think in all the hype we had obviously around the podium, we have also to pull our hat [off] for what Lance did.” Krack has been in the Team Principal role at Aston Martin since early 2022 With Aston Martin second-best to Red Bull in race-trim, Krack was asked what it would take for his team to overhaul the reigning world champions – and whether that is a realistic prospect in 2023 – but he again played down expectations. “I think the gap [to the front] is still substantial. We don’t know how much management Red Bull had to do and did – I think it was quite comfortable for them,” Krack said of their dominant one-two finish. F1 NATION: Red Bull’s clean sweep and Alonso’s amazing Aston debut – it’s our Bahrain GP review “We have now one good result, we have improved our car, but we are fighting here with teams that are used to driving at the front, that are very used to high intensity development, so I think let’s be respectful and humble, and see how it continues.” He added: “We wanted to make a step forward, we did not say we wanted to beat Red Bull. Again, let’s keep the feet on the ground, let’s work hard, because it could be that in Jeddah we are maybe fourth or fifth or sixth in terms of team ranking.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[charlesleclerc1]

can we please quickly dispel this notion that somehow carlos had a superior season? sure, he was strong and did well in his first season with ferrari, but it’s really not even comparable.

only 5.5 pts difference is amazing when you think about all the luck that carlos had this season compared to charles. carlos bins it in qualy in hungary and gets rewarded with a podium. others’ misfortune earns him podiums. while charles gets either taken out, dns, or strategy gambles that don’t pay off. the fact that he’s only 5.5 pts behind when carlos had 3 more podiums than him is all you need to know in terms of who is a stronger and more consistent driver.

2021 was charles’ strongest season. these STUNNING performances barely even get mentioned:

spain, imola before the restart, silverstone, monza, turkey, COTA (completely insane), and even sochi before the rain

absolute MEGA drives. i mean he wasn’t only leading the midfield, he was GAPPING them, sometimes by 20+ secs. COTA was a monstrous performance. even imola, he was a rocket while carlos struggled on the same tyres. across the season, he’s usually opening 15-20 sec gaps on carlos. this is not even mentioning his head to head comparison against carlos in race finish, poles, race pace etc -- charles wins every metric except luck and points (and just barely in points).

charles leclerc’s 2021 season was phenomenal. he deserves so much more recognition and respect.

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of Marvel: Week of April 1st, 2019

Best of this Week: War of the Realms - Strikeforce: The Dark Realm #1 - Bryan Hill, Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan, Matt Hollingsworth and Joe Sabini

If I haven’t made it clear enough, I love stories of War.

I love seeing characters struggle with hard decisions or doing things that normally they wouldn't. I like the idea of burgeoning respect for others for their bravery or absolute assholish-ness in the face of grave opposition and this book is full of it.

While the main War of the Realms series offers a continuing story focused on everyone’s efforts to fight off Malekith’s forces, I like the more self contained and focused stories like this one and War Scrolls. Strikeforce, if that’s the name that they’re going for, is a team made up of darkness, anger and righteous vengeance as that’s what will be needed to venture into Svartalheim and destroy the Black Bifrost.

The book begins with Lady Freyja, Thor’s mother and arguably the wisest woman in all of Asgard, seeking counsel from an unknown individual on who would be best to take the fight to the Dark Elves. She needs those who are uncompromising and full of rage, able to fight fire with fire, so it comes as no surprise when the man that she’s speaking to turns out to be Frank Castle.

She makes it a point to note that while Captain America told her to approach him and while he doesn't like Frank, he respects him enough to know that Frank is the only man that can cross the line between heroism and villainy. She asks him to pick heroes to embody similar natures to his own and he selects Jen Walters “Hulk”, Ghost Rider and Blade because of their individual senses of justice, vengeance and anger.

Walters, taking the position of leader of the team and acting as the seasoned Avengers Vet, asks if she can trust them, calling a vote to join Freyja’s fight. They agree and she puts them through a mental test to show their darkness and see if they can overcome their fears. For Jen, it’s her primal nature now that she’s no longer the She-Hulk that she once was. Robbie has to overcome the Riders need for fear and vengeance. And Blade has to overcome himself, at least a version of himself that embraces the Vampire within and stops protecting humanity.

I will say that Yu's art in this book isn't his best, but it’s still great and absolutely serves its purpose. Everything is mostly dark and gritty. His line work is heavy and is complimented by Alanguilan's dark inks and Hollingsworth’s colors. The action scenes are sparse, but dynamic enough for you to feel the weight of the situation at hand. Frank is naturally grim while Freyja contrasts this with her normally hopefully nature as she's also clad in white, making them both stand out amongst the cast.

The group overcomes their fears and converge on Freyja, defeating her to prove their worth. We don’t learn much of Franks trial other than, he kills the rest of the team but feels bad about it afterwards. He and Freyja then have one of the most chilling conversations I have read, in a little while, away from the rest of the team.

Throughout the book, Lady Freyja comments to Frank that he would be a man welcome as a God in Asgard for his uncompromising nature, laser focus and sheer violent rage. She fears that whatever she does in this war will have a grave cost, maybe even with her becoming the monsters she so fears. We then see a vision of her appearing as the new leader of the Dark Elves in a cook, but unsettling scene. She asks Frank if he knows the feeling… and Frank does of course. He recalls a mission where he was saving a child, murdering through a mansion to save her life and as he looked in a mirror, he saw his blood covered visage and her cowering in fear and just decided that it was better to be the monster.

As long as he was a monster, but lives were still saved and the mission was accomplished, then it didn’t matter what the cost was and... Lady Freyja agreed. “I see why the others fear you, but you have the respect of Asgard.” She says before walking away. Frank has a way of getting into people's heads. He can inspire fear and terror, but I don’t think in all of my years I have seen him turn someone to his side. Hell, last week’s Daredevil saw him try it with Matt, before he was given Heimdall’s sword, and he told Frank to screw off, but seeing Lady Freyja acknowledge Frank’s harsh point of view for the greater good was poetic.

---------------------------------------------------

Death may be a revolving door for the X-Men, but that doesn't mean that things don't hurt when they lose another one of their own.

Runner Up: Uncanny X-Men #17 (Legacy #639) - Matthew Rosenberg, Carlos Gómez, Guru-eFX and Joe Caramagna

I've always had a penchant for the 90s X-Factor team. Multiple Man, Havok, Polaris, Strong Guy and especially Wolfsbane stand out as some of my favorites from that team, but sadly one of them is no more.

Rahne Sinclair has always had a bit of a messed up history; from having religion beat into her, causing her to hate herself and her powers, to losing best friends and lovers like Cypher, to being brainwashed and having one of her best friends murder her child, things haven't gone great for her. Recently, she had found some sort of peace with it all and decided to quit the superhero game altogether.

Scott let her go. Logan let her go. The entire rest of the current X-Men were happy to let her live a normal life and then she was murdered soon after. It came out of left field for everyone, including us readers.

Scott held a funeral service that the rest of the team attended, while Logan and a released Kwannon left to “mourn in their own way.” IE, finding the bastards who killed her and absolutely destroying them.

The contrast between these two ways of mourning is drastic and heartbreaking on both sides. Scott gives a melancholic speech, telling everyone that he's tired of losing friends and names off every “dead” mutant that he can. Logan and Kwannon, however find the guys that killed Rahne and Logan asks Kwannon to show him their memories.

After a lot of pushing, she shows Logan how they catcalled her and kept harassing her until she said no and bared her fangs. Thinking they were “tricked” by a “mutie”, they beat her to death. Suddenly a SWAT team enters the home and corners the pair and Logan goes on the attack.

As always, Logan and Scott are on opposite ends of their respective spectrums with Scott choosing the path of peace and Logan choosing the path of vengeance. It's hard to say which side is more righteous here. Scott promised something of change when he came back and allowed the X-Men to be democratic instead of having him as the leader and that possibly led to Rahne's death. Logan, of course may have cost The X-Men some good in the public eye as it's heavily implied that he and Kwannon murdered everyone in that house. But damn if he didn't get Rahne the justice she deserved.

Loganq returns home later to be yelled at by Scott, who tells him that he should have been at Rahne's funeral. Logan, also in a rage, brings up that Scott knew that Logan would do it and also brings up Blindfolds suicide and their own past schism when Scott tells him to leave the team. They get into a scuffle and Juggernaut stops them, telling them that they should be focused on Scott's list of enemies instead of each other and notes one BIG name missing that no one can seem to remember, I wonder what COLD BITCH that might be?

This issue really hit hard for me. While it doesn't bring up everything specifically, it does tie up her character arc in a bow made of razor blades. There are acknowledgements to her past, her times with X-Force, X-Factor and the New Mutants. It's shown how much she means to Scott as a sister and to Logan as another kid that he raised and couldn't save. Her best friends, Dani Moonstar and Magik reflected on their relationship with her and how kind of a soul she was and how she didn't deserve this. This end was as tragic as Rahne's life was and while she deserves the rest, I hope she does come back at some point.

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2020/12/airbnbs-stock-price-more-than-doubles-in-market-debut

Airbnb's Stock Price More Than Doubles in Market Debut

Airbnb shares debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York Thursday.

Photo: carlo allegri/Reuters

By

Preetika Rana

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Preetika Rana

,

Maureen Farrell

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Maureen Farrell

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Micah Maidenberg

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Micah Maidenberg

Updated Dec. 10, 2020 4:32 pm ET

Airbnb Inc.’s ABNB 112.81% shares more than doubled in their trading debut on Thursday, reflecting a soaring market for new stock listings and the home-sharing company’s ability to navigate the coronavirus-induced downturn in travel this year.

The stock began trading at $146 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, higher than its initial-public-offering price of $68 a share. It closed slightly lower than its opening price at $144.71.

Airbnb, co-founded in 2008 by now-Chief Executive Brian Chesky, changed the hospitality industry by demonstrating that millions of people were willing to skip hotel stays and book spaces offered by hosts on its platform. The company says it has built a powerful brand, with the majority of guests this year going directly to Airbnb when booking short-term rentals.

The company ended the day worth $100.7 billion, based on a fully diluted share count, greater than the combined market value of Marriott International Inc., Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Hyatt Hotels Corp.

Airbnb’s first-day performance is likely to continue to fuel excitement over the IPO market, where investors have been clamoring for shares of hot newly public companies.

In addition to Airbnb, shares of DoorDash Inc. and C3.ai Inc. also surged on their first day of trading, jumping 86% and 120% respectively on Wednesday. DoorDash’s stock slipped 1.9% Thursday, while C3.ai continued to rise, gaining 40.6%.

By both volume and stock price performance, these companies are trading into one of the hottest IPO markets in history. So far in 2020, more than $155 billion has been raised on U.S. exchanges, far exceeding the previous full-year record set at the height of the dot-com boom in 1999, according to Dealogic data that date to 1995.

Airbnb’s listing caps a difficult year in which the company was whipsawed by a sharp decline in travel caused by the spread of Covid-19. The pandemic upended vacations and work-related trips, forcing Airbnb and other companies—including airlines, hotel chains and cruise operators—to retrench.

“If you can survive a global pandemic that shuts down global travel, you can survive anything,” said Alfred Lin, partner at Sequoia Capital and an Airbnb board member and early investor.

This spring, as consumers sheltered in place, Airbnb borrowed $2 billion to shore up its cash reserves. In May, the company said it would cut 1,900 jobs, or one-quarter of its staff, and pause investments in noncore operations. Airbnb slashed other big expenses, including for marketing.

“I assumed that this crisis was a storm that could be unrelenting for years,” Mr. Chesky said in an interview.

Airbnb was bleeding cash earlier this year, making its plans to go public by the end of 2020 look bleak. But by adapting its business to the pandemic, Airbnb looks to have salvaged its IPO and possibly its future. Photo illustration: Jacob Reynolds/WSJ

But the company was able to latch on to demand from people looking for trips closer to home during the pandemic, fueled by consumers wanting a change of location. In August, for example, more than half of bookings made through Airbnb were for stays within 300 miles of the guest’s location. Revenue is nowhere close to pre-pandemic levels—down 32% year over year in the first nine months of the year—but has still recovered from lows in the spring.

“One of the benefits of the crisis is that it did require us to get really focused.…That enabled us to tell a story about who we are and what we’ll be,” Mr. Chesky said. In the weeks leading up to the debut, Mr. Chesky spoke to prospective investors on video wearing sweatpants.

As of the end of September, the company had more than 4 million hosts and 7 million listings of home rentals and experiences, such as guided activities, in more than 220 places globally, according to a prospectus about the IPO.

The company’s costs jumped fivefold between 2015 and 2019 as it expanded into new areas such as media and transportation, built a new headquarters and aggressively invested in sales and marketing. Mr. Chesky said he ran through hundreds of expense items during the pandemic. Total costs dropped 22% in the first nine months of this year compared with the year-earlier period. The company’s hefty sales and marketing budget was cut by more than half.

The cost cuts, along with the unforeseen pickup in local stays, led the company to post a profit in the third quarter of this year. The June-September quarter is typically strong for the platform because of seasonal factors including summer vacations, and Airbnb has turned a profit in that period since 2018.

But like many Silicon Valley startups that are bleeding red ink when they go public, Airbnb has never posted a full-year profit. Its loss last year was greater than its losses in the previous four years combined. And it lost more than twice as much through the first nine months of this year than it did in the year-earlier period, largely because of shrinking revenue earlier in the health crisis.

“I don’t know what the future brings but that we can adapt to it,” Mr. Chesky said. He pointed to Airbnb redesigning its app and website to focus on local stays during the pandemic.

Some investors said the run-up in prices for Airbnb’s shares made them too expensive and avoided buying the stock during Thursday’s debut.

“I’m a big fan of Airbnb, and I really wanted to buy some today myself. But I wasn’t able to do it because I just don’t feel that the math is reasonable, and the stock should come down in my view,” said Tony Roth, chief investment officer for Wilmington Trust, which manages $124 billion in assets.

The company’s growth in recent years has drawn sharp opposition from many corners. Many homeowners have been pushing to combat Airbnb, raising objections to living near short-term rentals because of noise, parties and worries about property values. In its stock-offering prospectus, the San Francisco company notes that landlords, neighborhood groups and condominium associations have moved to prohibit or restrict home sharing.

Denver, Boston and other cities have tightened rules covering short-term rental operations, as have cities that before the pandemic were major tourist destinations, including Rome and Barcelona. Meanwhile, some mayors have said that investors have purchased homes to rent out through Airbnb, exacerbating housing shortages and affordability. Airbnb said in its prospectus that it will continue “to collaborate with policymakers to implement sensible legislation in cities around the world.”

Organized-labor groups tied to hotels have also fought the company. In New York, for example, a major hotel-employee union had put together a lobbying effort to try to curtail it. Airbnb earlier this year said it would hire union construction workers for new-real estate projects where it is involved.

Write to Preetika Rana at preetika.rana@wsj.com, Maureen Farrell at maureen.farrell@wsj.com and Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

[backroomblogs]

Less Than Two Days From Opening Day, Here Are Some of my Sox Predictions - Matt

Thank God! I know that as a sports fan, when you are waiting for any season to roll around the offseason can feel like it drags at points. That’s pretty much the way it goes when you can’t wait for something. But fuck, the baseball offseason feels unbearably long. Nonetheless, it is finally here, and I am pumped and ready to go.

As the season officially starts on Thursday, I am officially ready to ride this 2018 Red Sox hype train straight to a parade at the beginning of November. And although they are a respected team in the American League, I don’t think there are too many outside Boston that think the Red Sox have enough pieces to get it done. The Astros, who were certainly the most dominant team in the American League last year, and they were essentially able to keep that whole team in tact. Many view them as the favorite to win the whole thing, which is a very fair prognosis, not bold, but fair. Then you have the Indians who are also entering the season with a similar roster minus Carlos Santana, who they virtually swapped out for Yonder Alonso. Of course they will be a very tough matchup come October if everything is to shape up that way.

And then there is New York, the god damn Yankees. After acquiring last years NL MVP in Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees made lineup that was crucial in getting them to game 7 of the ALCS much more dangerous. Not exactly the most ideal team to see 19 times year. With that said, baseball is so much better when the Red Sox and Yankees are good baseball teams. When it looks like they could be battling for the division title all the way through September. I’m very excited see this matchup all season, and without further ado, I hereby pick.. (wait for it) the Boston Red Sox to win the American League East. Not just because I am a Sox fan that buys fully into the if you love the Sox you have to hate the Yankees, but because I really don’t buy into New York separating themselves from Boston outright in any facet of the game, whether it be lineup or bullpen, and I think we have an obvious advantage in terms of rotation. 

But without trying to get too deep into the general stuff, let me delve into some specifics. In terms of both the offense and the pitching staff, who I think will have the most surprising impact, and who’s performance I feel will impact this team the most.

My prediction for most surprising in the pitching slot is Eduardo Rodriguez. He struggled mightily last season after a pretty solid rookie campaign in 2015 and a strong 2016 minus a horrid June with mechanical issues and injuries, and he enters this season on the shelf for a bit of time. However, I think that when he gets healthy and returns to the rotation, 2018 could be the year that he emerges as a solid back end guy. He adopted a new throwing program this season and has apparently sharpened his mechanics from what they were last season, so I’m hopeful that along with helping him not tell opposing batters that he throwing them a fastball, he can be more consistent as the seasons, and his outings progress. Last year, he seemed to tire out in the early stages of games which would cause an acceptable outing to turn into a disaster real fast. This was the trend from pretty much June on last season. Maybe Cora can better control how long he goes, and that can bring him back down to 2015 E Rod. A reliable, high threes ERA guy who will give you quality inning, or even better. I could be wrong, but I am leaning towards better.

Andrew Benintendi, the former bachelor of Boston, is who I think will be the most pleasant surprise to this team. I know. He was solid last year, and it sounds weird to say that an impressive performance coming from a guy that finished second in Rookie of the Year voting last year surprising. But I think that in just his second full season, he could be ready to cement himself as a force at the top of this lineup. Last year he batted .271, had a .776 slugging percentage, and got to 20 home runs. I think that at age 23, he has the ability to amass all of those numbers with relative ease. For a team that was a at the bottom of the league in home runs last season as a unit, I think that Benny will have a huge part in changing that narrative, providing a spark before teams even reach the middle of the lineup. That, on top of his well rounded defense in left, and possibly even center will make him a huge factor in this offense, greater and faster than people expect.

Now, if the Red Sox are going to be legitimate contenders for a World Series title in 2018, David Price is going to have to be an anchor in that rotation. His performance might actually be the most crucial for the entire team in the grand scheme of things, especially later in the season. Price and the Boston media, don’t like each other, and for all intents and purposes, that relationship might always be a mess. Unless, he plays a major role in bringing a title to this town which I think he is very capable of doing. After an injury-plagued first half, he was a monster in the back nine, posting a sub 2.5 ERA from July on. And during our short run in the postseason, he was surefire in his work coming out of the pen, a step in the right direction in terms of lulling his negative postseason buzz if you ask me. Price says that this is currently the best he has felt in his career. That is literally the most common cliche optimistic athlete phrase ever, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love hearing it. A lot is riding on the health and performance of the 231 million dollar man, and rightfully so. Can he bring what is needed for an entire season, including October? I think so, but I have yet to be proven correct. I am certainly ready to find out.

There are a few people who this could go to offensively for the Sox. But I think that the Red Sox really need an outstanding year from Xander to help them standout in an impressive pools of AL teams. With the rapid rise in talent at the shortstop position with guys like Correa, Seager, Lindor, and others along with a  down 2017 for Bogaerts, I think people are starting to forget just how good this guy is. He hit .320 with 81 RBI in 2015 and only hit seven home runs year, proving that even with a lack of long ball power he had the ability to drive in runs. In 2016, his average dipped to a still solid .294, but he drastically added power to his already impressive hitting arsenal, hitting 21 home runs with 89 RBI. X has already proven that going his age 25 season, he has what it takes to be one of the best shortstops this league has to offer. And honestly he needs to be. He is going to start the year in the middle of the lineup, and regardless of whether or not he stays there or moves up, we are much better when he is one of our top run producers. I think Xander is in for a big year of spraying the ball all over the place. He is way to good of hitter to bat anywhere below the .300 mark, or right in that region, he just needs to figure that out, be an awesome hitter again, get to the all star game, get a silver slugger, and be a catalyst in this World Series run the Red Sox are going to make. I think 2018 will be career year for the X man, and hopefully a championship year for the Boston Red Sox.

Finally, it’s here. I just can’t wait for that parade. LET’S RIDE!

[junker-town]

Who’s more valuable for the Utah Jazz, Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert?

Which of the two stars on the Utah Jazz is more valuable?

The Utah Jazz have two great stars. Which one is more valuable?

Since the curtain closed on Karl Malone and John Stockton’s partnership nearly two decades ago, the Utah Jazz have only sent five players to the All-Star game: Andrei Kirilenko (2004), Mehmet Okur (2007), Carlos Boozer (2007, 2008), Deron Williams (2010, 2011), and Gordon Hayward (2017).

This year Utah has Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, two strong candidates with unique qualities none of those aforementioned All-Stars ever had. Both are deserving on a second place, 28-12 steamroller that’s won 10 in a row and has led the NBA in net rating for a month. There’s easily a world where both qualify, but the field is crowded, with solid cases to be made for several non-lock hopefuls such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Ingram, and a couple others.

For the sake of conversation we’ll operate under the assumption that coaches will only vote one Jazz player in. And for reasons that go beyond surface-level frivolousness implied by this sort of thought exercise, I’ve spent way too much time wondering who it will be. The following questions don’t necessarily apply to choosing an All-Star off half-a-season’s worth of action, but allow for more important issues to be explored on the journey towards an answer: Who is more essential to Utah’s identity? Who raises their ceiling? Who stabilizes their floor? Who is better?

Before I sat down to actually do research for this piece my answer to most of these questions was split, with a slight tilt towards Mitchell. Chalk that up to offensive bias, youth, and him occupying a role that’s harder to replace, but after I dug through numbers, watched a bunch of Jazz games, and talked to a few people around the team, parsing out an advantage one way or another quickly became impossible.

Let’s start with a look at Gobert, a 27-year-old on track to win his third-straight Defensive Player of the Year award and a fourth-straight first-place finish in defensive real plus-minus. Unimpeachable dominance on half his team’s possessions isn’t the only reason Gobert stands out among his peers. The guy brings it on the other end, every night, knowing there won’t be more than three or four plays called for him to score. His usage rate has never cleared 17.5 percent. This year it’s 16.6, below Ivika Zubac, Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee, and, of all people, Al Horford.

And when his number does get called it’s usually circa deception, with him cutting off a back screen, hands raised for an easy dunk.

Gobert’s effort is critical because he also happens to be at the crux of everything the Jazz want to do with the ball. They lead the league in possessions finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler because Gobert is the best screen setter in the league, and capable of not only sucking help defenders in from the corners but also occupying his own man’s attention.

This is his third-straight season leading the league in screen assists, while averaging a full two more than he did last year. Whether he’s dancing with Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, or even a newcomer like Jordan Clarkson, when the ball-handler and Gobert read the same sheet of music there’s very little two defenders can do to stop it.

Without him the Jazz would have to change everything about how they play, from the carefully plotted dribble hand-offs to their conservatively taut approach towards getting stops. (Utah’s defense is first in location effective field goal percentage, which basically means they do a better job than anyone at forcing opponents to take shots they don’t want to take.) He seems stronger this year, committed to his role with an admirable discipline that gives the Jazz a threshold they can’t sink below when he’s on the court.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t several small drawbacks that accumulate in an unfortunate way during the playoffs. All those hard rolls that prevent his man from selling out to stop the ball go stagnant against teams that are happy to switch the screen. Gobert doesn’t post up—Aron Baynes averages twice as many per game—because he isn’t graceful doing it. Turnovers are a common occurrence, especially against smaller defenders who step up without fear.

Gobert led the league in field goal percentage last year and he’s currently making 67.6 percent of his 8.6 shots per game—something that’s never been done (non-Wilt Chamberlain division)—but he can’t score efficiently without assistance, and is a liability dribbling the ball with his face towards the basket while 20 feet from the rim. That hurts. Space creation is synonymous with effective offense in a playoff series, and for all Gobert’s activity—how he screens away, cuts at the right time, and hunts every missed shot—he still can’t make defenders who ignore him pay with a reliable jumper. In that way he’s not Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, or Towns.

Defensively, he’s still vulnerable in space, which forces the Jazz to drop him back into the paint against pick-and-rolls, regardless of how lethal the opposing ball-handler’s pull-up three might be. That lessens his flexibility in certain matchups, but it’s not powerful enough to disqualify Utah from title contention or anything like that.

It’s easier to appreciate Gobert’s awesomeness if you watch a lot of Utah Jazz basketball. If not, it’s easy to gloss over his strengths and scrutinize his weaknesses. There’s something antiquated about Gobert’s game, which is in the mold of an entire class of centers who came before him. But right now he is the A+ iteration. If you’re going to have any one big who rim runs, sets screens, protects the basket, grabs 15 rebounds a night, and can’t shoot but doesn’t wish or pretend he could, there’s no better option.

As a counter to Gobert’s subtle, steady impact stands Mitchell, an infinity-pool-tucked-inside-a-wine-cave luxury for a team that already has enough shooting and playmakers to manufacture solid offense for 3.5 quarters. Mitchell envelops the Jazz in his own panache whenever he’s on the floor, but when their system stalls in crunch time he asserts his greatest value (only Zach LaVine and Chris Paul have taken more clutch shots all season) and becomes the shot-creating privilege Utah needs if it wants to win it all.

Mitchell’s 24.2 points per game are attached to a star’s sheen that can’t be discounted and is nearly impossible to replace. He puts constant pressure on the opponent, be it with the 8.8 field goal attempts he gets from driving the ball (third most this season) or pulling up on defenders who have to respect that first step. His 51.5 effective field goal percentage on off-the-dribble shots is near the top of the league.

Every team wants a player who can make broken possessions look like they’re part of the game plan. Mitchell already does.

He’s able to inflict trauma with gymnastic feats that tug at the sleeve of his team’s patient offensive structure. (The Jazz rank dead last in transition frequency, per Cleaning the Glass.) More often than not that creates an advantage, but sometimes it’s a defect. Mitchell’s shot selection can be erratic, set to a rhythm that’s outside the game’s. To actually make his first All-Star team he will have to clear two of Booker, Ingram, and Paul. That’s not impossible, even though he’s the least efficient of the four by a decent margin.

Mitchell can get buckets in a variety of electrifying ways and he throws passes that are incomprehensible when seen live.

But his playmaking is still more sizzle than substance. For every pinpoint frozen rope that he’ll whip to a teammate who’s just barely open, Mitchell will launch three off-the-dribble jump shots that bail out the defense. Impatience is understandable for someone with whom the laws of gravity do not apply, but that’s one area where marked improvement can make him flawless.

“It takes some time to find yourself in new situations, in order to get better at them,” Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said. “So some things you can’t rush, and I think he’s recognizing more of those ... whether it be making a pass that’s more accurate in a situation or all kinds of little nuances that he’s recognizing and working on and taking a lot of pride in.”

As he matures, Mitchell will get a better sense of when it’s acceptable to yank the pin from a grenade and toss it into a possession, and when he just needs to flow inside Utah’s action—integral but not overwhelming.

Until that balance is discovered, it’s OK to wonder the degree to which Mitchell actually makes his teammates better—a question that does not apply to Gobert, whose sheer activity raises everybody else’s floor.

When stacking Gobert’s value beside Mitchell’s, it’s worth noting that Utah’s net rating goes from +11.4 to -3.8 points per 100 possessions when the dynamic combo guard is without his anchor. Flip them around and Utah is still +5.3 points per 100 possessions when Gobert plays without Mitchell.

That disparity is noisy but also not the world’s biggest coincidence. And even though I’d prefer having Mitchell on my team for the next five years—particularly in the playoffs—it’s impossible to deny Gobert’s centripetal impact on his team’s foundational success. He’s less glamorous than every other All-Star candidate, but it’s so hard to picture the Jazz actually getting better on one side of the ball if he missed significant time with an injury, as the Minnesota Timberwolves have since Towns went down over a month ago.

[bigyack-com]

I-League: As new season begins, old realities remain - football

The nineteenth century French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once famously wrote, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”The adage perhaps aptly sums up the current situation of the I-League as it begins life in the 2019/20 season under new circumstances. Rebranded in 2007 from the old National Football League, the I-League finds itself, for the first time in its history, relegated from its top-flight status in India’s football structure, after the Indian Super League’s (ISL) coup d’état earlier this year.But how significantly does it change things for the I-League? Having already played second fiddle to the ISL since the latter came into being in 2014, the I-League losing its top-tier status is simply putting an official stamp to old reality.“As far as we’re concerned, it’s the same league as last year. So, for us, nothing has changed,” said Real Kashmir FC coach David Robertson at the club’s jersey launch earlier this month. His thoughts were echoed by most of the players present at I-League’s season launch in New Delhi last week. “It makes no difference to us or our fans. All we want is the I-League title. The club is the same as last season, our fans are the same as last season,” said East Bengal captain Lalrindika Ralte.Like Ralte, players at some of the other I-League clubs exuded confidence about a possible title charge this season. That confidence has been bolstered by long pre-season campaigns, which was further prolonged by I-League’s delayed start—the league was supposed to start in late-October but uncertainty over its status saw it being pushed back by a month. “We began our preparations four months back. This should be the longest pre-season in history,” joked Robertson.However, there have been a few positive changes for the clubs, most notably, a change in the broadcaster. D Sport will take over TV duties from Star India, who are stakeholders in Football Sports Development Limited, which runs the ISL. This has led to more TV friendly kickoff timings—many games are scheduled to start at 5 pm and 7 pm—compared to last season, when the I-League took a backseat to ISL’s broadcast plans.GOKULAM FAVOURITESKozhikode-based Gokulam Kerala have emerged as early favourites for the title. The club brought back Santiago Varela as head coach in the summer, with the Spaniard having left Gokulam just before the start of the previous campaign.With the formidable duo of Henry Kisekka of Uganda an Trinidad & Tobago’s Marcus Joseph leading the team’s attack, they shouldn’t have a problem converting chances.When asked if Gokulam are among the title contenders, experienced defender Dharmaraj Ravanan made no secret of what the club is aiming for this season. “Yes of course, why not. We have a good understanding in the team. We have won the (2019) Durand Cup, so we are well prepared,” he said.“(But) the last three seasons have shown that anything can happen (in the I-League). All the teams are strong and many are good enough to compete for the title.”Defending champions Chennai City lost one of the key members of their victorious 2018-19 campaign, Nestor Gordillo, to Hyderabad FC and have brought in an experienced I-League player in Japanese midfielder Katsumi Yusa. How they cope with Gordillo’s loss will be seen over the course of the season but Chennai remain one of the main title contenders.Pedro Manzi, last season’s joint top-scorer in the league, said defending the title will be easier said than done. “I think we should all forget about the last season and only think about this new one. We will try to win the title but first we need to forget that we are champions,” Manzi said.“We continue playing the same way we did last season, even though we have new players. But I think more teams will be competing for the title this time. Winning I-League will be more difficult than last season.”Robertson’s Real Kashmir too have featured in the pre-season title talk after their impressive third-place finish in what was their debut season in 2018-19. The Snow Leopards’ robust backline leaked the least number of goals last season. Despite the communication lockdown in Kashmir and early snowfall that temporarily impeded the team’s training, they have played games across the country in preparation for the I-League.KOLKATA EXPECTS MOREAmong the two Kolkata clubs—East Bengal and Mohun Bagan— expectations will be somewhat toned down after last three seasons’ failed title bids. The same may not hold true for their fans.“Every year we lose the championship towards the end,” Ralte said. “Last season we had the title till the 75th minute of the last matchday and lost it from there. This time we are celebrating our club’s 100th anniversary, so it would be great if we can win it for our fans,” he said.Bagan’s Spanish midfielder Joseba Beitia, one of the new recruits under head coach Kibu Vicuna, said the fans will expect nothing less than the title, something he and his teammates will try to deliver.Neither of the Kolkata giants managed to even win the Calcutta Football League (CFL) this season, so they will need to step up a few gears in order to bring the I-League title to Kolkata.Aizawl FC and Punjab FC – the latter rebranded from Minerva Punjab ahead of this season – had won the title in 2017 and 2018, respectively. They, however, finished in the bottom half of the table last season. With many young players being promoted from their academy teams, they are not expected to be title contenders but could serve up a few surprises during the season.Imphal-based Neroca and TRAU, the latter making their I-League debut, will bring added spice to the league with their local derby. Gift Raikhan is back as head coach at Neroca, whom he had led to a second-place finish in 2018. Their city rivals too will hope to impress under new coach Dimitris Dimitriou.The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) developmental team, Indian Arrows, will be under a new coach this season – former India international S Venkatesh. He will look improve upon the impressive eighth place finish the team achieved under predecessor Floyd Pinto last season.Former champions Churchill Brothers have been forced into a late coaching change over regulatory restrictions on Edward Ansah’s African coaching licence. New appointee Bernardo Tavares has previously worked with famous Portuguese coaches like Jose Mourinho, Carlos Queiroz, among others. The club has a few notable names in the squad, including last season’s joint-top scorer Willis Plaza, and will look to better last campaign’s fourth-place finish. Source link Read the full article

[tarahighschool]

Stratford

           On Thursday morning, the students were free to sleep in or to explore the town, and in the early afternoon we walked from our respective B&Bs to the theatre. Last year, there was no Shakespeare playing while we were in Stratford; this visit more than made up for it! This year’s theme for the Royal Shakespeare Company is the decadence, politics, power play and corruption of Rome, and the season includes Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus and Titus Andronicus in repertory in a shared space with one set designer for all.

           Two intense tragedies are a lot for one day, and the students are to be commended for their attention and diligence. We were all captivated by Julius Caesar, a powerful production directed by Angus Jackson. The ensemble was strong, and actor Alex Waldman delivered a particularly stunning performance as Brutus. After a good meal at an Italian restaurant, we went back for round two, Antony and Cleopatra. Betsy and Laurel thought that the actor playing Cleopatra, Josette Simon, portrayed the mature, seductive and manipulative queen of Egypt with a degree of perfection that they had not seen before. The students did not relate to her in the same way, and overall they did not enjoy the performance nearly as much as the adaptation that they had seen at The Public Theater in New York in ninth grade. We were impressed to hear how much they remembered of that performance and how objectively and intelligently they were able to compare and contrast the two experiences.

           While in Stratford, we went on tours of the Shakespeare houses and had free time to explore the town, feed the multitude of swans on the Avon, chase pigeons (Sam nearly fell in the river trying to catch one), journal and sleep. We ate full English breakfasts (that made lunch unnecessary for some) and delicious English, Indian, Italian and Thai food for dinners. The trip to Anne Hathaway’s cottage left some of the students wishing that they could live in such a house, and our time at Mary Arden’s house was idyllic – a warm sunny day to enjoy the farm, the animals, some of the Renaissance children’s outdoor games and, of course, the falconer. This year avian influenza had caused some of the birds to be secluded inside, and when Talia, the huge owl that many of our students have been photographed with in the past, actually got her freedom to fly in a show, she went to the top of the roof and would not come down. So there was a smaller and less experienced owl for the display, and the falcon was not flying, but the falconer and his wife are entertaining and interesting to watch no matter the circumstances; some students stayed to watch the show twice. They also enjoyed the archery that was open for guest participation.

           Our final performance in Stratford was The Hypocrite, which portrayed a prominent family of the city of Hull and their contributions to the English Civil War. One might not think that that would be a funny subject, but in the hands of playwright Richard Bean it truly met the definition of farce, a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations. And this was farce at its best – completely hilarious. Betsy was not sure whether to watch the play or the Tara students watching the play! Heidi laughed continuously from beginning to end. Here is Teaghan’s review of this outlandish and fascinating piece of theatre: “Everyone who knows me knows that I love a good laugh, and, well, gravity was unkind to me in that play three or four times. Rhys and I hit each other on the leg more times than there were seats in the theatre. At intermission we had to stay in our seats and let the tears stop flowing before we could go out. It was brilliant, riddled with scandalous British insults, and the timing of every joke absolutely perfect. It was a dangerous thing to allow a class with a sense of humor like ours to see The Hypocrite. We are still talking about it a week later!”

           As we drove away, Carlos remarked how much he loved Stratford. He said that it was the perfect size, a small town with so much to do, and that he felt a strong sense of community there, a natural mix of residents, tourists, actors and all those connected with the theatre. He loved every aspect of it, and he wants to return and do everything he did over again – and more. While looking forward to the next place we were going, he was sad to leave. That was the sentiment generally held by all the students. All in all, we had a great three days in Stratford.

[torentialtribute]

Manchester United vs Chelsea Preview: Premier League opening weekend top six battle

When the Premier League contest list was revealed, it wasn't long before the first epic showdown of the season was found.

The opening weekend ends with a cracker as Manchester United host Chelsea on Sunday. With only two Champions League seats realistic for the taking, it is reasonable to say that this can have major implications, even though it is week 1.

Manchester United has shown many promises in the preseason, but after not all the problems in their team they enter their first full season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they feel somewhat impressed.

Meanwhile, Chelsea has club legend Frank Lampard in the warm seat and look forward to failing to warm up for Maurizio Sarri. The club's transfer ban meant that it was a quiet summer on Stamford Bridge, but the late arrival of Christian Pulisic has added a new dimension to their attack after the exit from Eden Hazard.

Paul Pogba failed to to leave Manchester United for the new season

MANCHESTER UNITED: not resolving squadron issues in the transfer window left a bitter taste

Since the last few hours of the transfer window Wednesday evening tapped, it's fair to say that United fans were not happy. Following a collapse in form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer towards the end of last season, major changes were promised, but there was very little to appease fans.

It was said that there would be a revision of the team. In April, Solskjaer spoke about the need for & # 39; difficult decisions & # 39; and a & # 39; survival of the fittest & # 39; regime, but they have largely a similar team to which they ended in May.

The only major first team exits have been Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia and Romelu Lukaku. A quick glance through the United team shows that there are many weak areas, especially in central midfield and wide areas.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had planned a major overhaul, but those plans could not be implemented

To the honor of Solskjaer, he has hopefully found the solution to his central defense problems after splashing £ 80 million on Harry Maguire, while the signing sessions of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James have somewhat injecting youthful energy into the team.

Holding onto Paul Pogba is also a boost and the club hopes he is desperate to perform well to ensure that Real Madrid and Juventus are still excited when the transfer window opens again.

If United wants to regain his place in the top four, his record against the other big boys must improve. They only won seven points in 10 games against the & # 39; big six & # 39; last season. in the Premier League; the joint least of the & # 39; big six & # 39; clubs next to Tottenham.

Harry Maguire was the signing of the club and will hopefully solve their defensive problems

They also found it difficult against Sunday's opponents. United has won only two of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Chelsea, but is unbeaten in six home games against them in the top flight.

There will be enormous pressure on Marcus Rashford's shoulders this season to deliver goals. He has been desperate to have the spotlight on himself and the exit from Lukaku means that he will have much more time on the field as a center defender.

CHELSEA: Lampard started with a difficult opener after the summer transfer ban and Hazard goodbye

As a player, Lampard was the embodiment of Chelsea. His goals and achievements from midfield were the driving force in their journey to the top of the national competition.

After a few years he is back in his hour of need. Back in Stamford Bridge as managers, fans are hopeful and can bring them back to the edge of their seats after quickly getting frustrated with & # 39; Sarri-ball & # 39 ;.

The appointment of the Italian was interesting after he turned Napoli into an exciting, offensive team that posed a serious threat to Juventus' dominance. However, his Chelsea team played a slow and lifeless brand of football that knocked fans away and gave other teams an easy ride.

Club icon Frank Lampard starts life with a difficult opening day program

Despite winning the Europa League, he was shown the door and now Lampard, with only the management season under his belt, will lead them to the new campaign. He probably would have preferred to avoid an opening weekend match at United, but vice versa, which would make a three-point statement at Old Trafford.

The former English international had his hand for most of his back-bound summer. To prevent him from doing any work on the transfer market, Lampard had to deal with what he inherited from Pulisic, who finally arrived in London after his move from Borussia Dortmund in January.

A team that finished third last season was strengthened by a few repeat borrower players and there is definitely the depth to be competitive again. Losing a player of Hazard & # 39; s quality will certainly have an impact, but it remains to be seen how strong his absence will be felt.

Lampard could not draw anyone this summer, his current plow

They still have to identify a first choice No. 9. Tammy Abraham flourished on loan at Aston Villa last season and it should finally be time for him to get a chance. However, he has competition from Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi, but is one of the trios capable of achieving 20 goals?

If Chelsea fans want to hold a sign, then there is one for you. They have never lost playing their first Premier League game of the season on a Sunday, winning eight and drawing three of their 11 such games.

Predicted line-ups

[1945902] Manchester United: Van Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Pogba, Matic, McTominay, James, Martial, Rashford.

Chelsea: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Christensen, Emerson, Kante, Jorginho, Pedro, Barkley, Pulisic, Giroud.

What do the bookmakers say?

]

The bookmakers have scary United as favorites to come forward with three points. The home team costs 5/4 to start the new season with a bang. However, Chelsea are still of good value at 5/2 and it would be foolish to write them off. A draw is also a good bet where neither party is willing to give ground during the opening weekend. That is available until 4/9

What was said?

Manchester United midfielder: & # 39; I'm happy for Frank. He has done great last season with Derby. Chelsea is clearly his home, I think he deserves it, and I am happy that he leads a large club. I'm sure he's ready. He is a good friend and I wish him all the best, but not in the opening match. & # 39;

Chelsea Defend Andreas Christensen: & # 39; We are entering the Premier League with a good feeling. We're going to be ready. It will be very difficult on Sunday. We still need a little more, but we have a week to prepare. I'm going to be very tough, especially away, but I'm sure we're ready. & # 39;

IMPORTANT FACTS

This will be the first meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea on the opening weekend of a competition week since 2004-05, when Jose Mourinho took charge of his first Premier League match ever and Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Eidur Gudjohnsen. Chelsea won the league title that season.

Manchester United has lost more Premier League matches (18) and more Premier League goals (71) awarded against Chelsea than against any other team.

The last time Manchester United played Chelsea at home at the opening match of a league time was in 1958-59. United won 5-2 while Bobby Charlton scored a hat trick

Manchester United (18) and Chelsea (17) have won more opening weekend games than any other side in the Premier League.

When starting a top campaign at home, Manchester United lost only one of their last 26 games (W19 D6) and lost against Swansea in the 2014-15 campaign.

Chelsea & # 39; s six Premier League wins at Old Trafford come under six different managers – Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit, Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benítez. Five of those six were in their first league visit to the stadium with the Blues, with Ranieri as an exception.

This will be the first ever competitive meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea where both managers previously played for their respective clubs.

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[frontproofmedia]

Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman Final Press Conference Quotes and Photos

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Published: July 18, 2019

LAS VEGAS - Eight-division champion Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao and unbeaten welterweight world champion Keith "One Time" Thurman went face-to-face Wednesday at the final press conference before their blockbuster showdown that headlines the Premier Boxing Champions on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View this Saturday night from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Also in attendance at the press conference and going face-to-face Wednesday were welterweightsOmar "El Panterita" Figueroa and Yordenis Ugás, who meet in a 12-round WBC title eliminator, former champion Sergey Lipinets and John "The Gladiator" Molina Jr, who go toe-to-toe in a 10-round welterweight match, plus former bantamweight champions Luis "Pantera" Nery and Juan Carlos Payano, who meet in a 12-round bout. The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Prior to the press conference, the pay-per-view undercard fighters participated in media workouts along with fighters competing on FOX PBC Fight Night preceding the pay-per-view. That show is headlined by undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Caleb "Sweethands" Plantand unbeaten Mike Lee, plus unbeaten heavyweights Efe Ajagba and Ali Eren Demirezen. Tickets for the event, which is promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office. Plant vs. Lee is presented by Sweethands Promotions and TGB Promotions. Here's what the fighters had to say on Wednesday. MANNY PACQUIAO "For me nothing is personal. I have to do my job and there is nothing personal with him. Our job is to fight and he has to prove something, and I have to prove something. That's why I'm so motivated for this fight and this training camp. It's also my first time fighting on FOX Sports Pay-Per-View, so I'm excited to fight on Saturday. "I'm just always smiling no matter what Keith says. It's easy to say things, but it's not easy to do it in the ring. I've been in this sport longer than Keith Thurman, so my experience will be the difference. "This is going to be an exciting fight and a once-in-a-lifetime fight. Like he has said, there is going to be a lot of action in the ring. I respect my opponent because we both believe we can give a good fight to the fans. That's our first concern. The fans and the enjoyment of the fans. "That's Thurman's style to talk a lot. Like I said, it gives me more motivation to focus, and it has helped me a lot leading up to this fight. "I'm not predicting a knockout for this fight, but we did our best in this training camp. I'm focused and motivated, so we'll see. I'll do my best to make the fans happy. "My feeling right now is happiness and excitement to prove that at the age of 40, I can still show my best. "Boxing is my passion. I love to play basketball, but you are a team, you don't know which people are shooting, you or your teammates. Boxing is you alone. When people are cheering for you, it is for you. "We did our best in training and I believe we are physically ready, as well as spiritually ready. I expect a good fight so tune-in Saturday. The way Thurman spoke today, I hope he will live up to it on Saturday." KEITH THURMAN "I'm looking forward to the fight. I'm looking forward to the final moment when my hand is raised. It's been a build-up and a progression my whole career toward this moment on Saturday night. "Manny isn't going to do anything. With the little 'T-Rex' arms. He's about to get beat up. I get to punch a Senator in the face and he's going to feel it. If he's upset about it, he can do something about it Saturday night. It's called swing, swing, swing baby. "I'm a winner in life, and to bet on myself to win in the opening rounds, it makes me do what I said earlier, which is swing, swing, swing. You've got to swing to hit a home run. You can't just sit there and pump fake all day. "It's an honor to be here at MGM Grand. I'm truly looking forward to this fight. We've had a terrific, terrific training camp. "I say I'm going to put him to sleep because I've got power. I want to remind the world of something. Something very simple: I'm Keith 'One Time' Thurman. I have the name for a reason. Not a short season. "I feel like I've made boxing history. When I beat Danny Garcia, we were two undefeated welterweight champions. In boxing history, there haven't been many times when WBA and the WBC was unified with two undefeated welterweights. But, I don't think it's enough to really solidify a legacy. So, I do need the victory to further my own personal legacy come Saturday night. "Do you understand people fight in the street for no money? I'm living a dream to be on this stage, to be on this platform, to have this camera, this camera, that camera, all in front of me. "This really is the outcome of an individual living out their dream. It all comes together on Saturday night. "I've been saying it over and over again, don't be surprised if Manny Pacquiao goes night-night." OMAR FIGUEROA "I have never prepared better than I have for this fight and I am ready to prove that Saturday night. "It means the world to me to be in this position, especially because of all of the injuries I've had and the setbacks. It's my third fight in almost four years. I am just grateful for this opportunity. "Everything is going well for me including in my last fight. There's often something that happens, but thankfully this camp I have been completely healthy. We were very smart in camp. We were very careful. We sparred the rounds that felt like we needed to spar. I closed camp with 12 hard rounds and I haven't been able to do that in a while because of injuries. It just feels good mentally and all around. I don't think I have ever been in a better place. "Fighting gets my juices flowing. I feel like I was born to fight. I have been doing this for 24 years now. This is what I live for. "This camp I've felt great. I was healthy and I did exactly what I needed to do inside the ring as far as sparring and everything. I took care of my hands and my body. Mentally I'm at the best place I've ever been. "My close people know that I'm taking this extremely serious. They see how I am in camp. I've been doing this for 24 years and it takes a toll on the body. For this fight, I'm healthy and everything is looking good. I'm probably on weight right now, and if not I still have more than enough time. "If I stay healthy during the fight, it's not going the distance." YORDENIS UGAS "I'm really happy to get a second opportunity to earn a world title shot. What happened against Shawn Porter is in the past and I'm only looking into the future, which is Saturday night. "Omar Figueroa is a very strong fighter who throws a lot of punches. I believe his fighting style in combination with mine will make a very exciting fight. "A win will put me back in contention for a world title shot, which is what I want. I see the fight as 50/50 but I am only focused on my fight, nothing beyond it. "I predict that I will win. I'm going to give it all I've got. No matter If it goes the full 12 rounds, I am going to fight hard for every send. "There are many other good Cuban fighters such as Erislandy Lara, Luis Ortiz and so on, but I feel as though I am the best. It's up to me to prove it. "I am focused on my fight right now but either Shawn Porter or Errol Spence Jr. has a good shot of winning and I would absolutely be ready to face either one." SERGEY LIPINETS "I'm very happy and I'm excited that I have this opportunity to fight on a show like this. I'm one hundred percent prepared for this fight, and I believe John is ready to fight as well. So I know it's going to end up being a great fight. "If someone were to tell me two years ago to imagine myself on this stage, I would never believe it. But, I'm here now and I'm here to make a statement. Everyone is going to be happy to see this fight. "We changed corners as you know. Joe is in my corner right now and I'm very excited. It motivates me and he gives me a new boxing game and teaches me things that I've never even thought about. When it comes to John Molina Jr., whatever he brings into the ring, we have an answer to. There's not going to be any question marks. "Well ironically, we started here in the U.S. first at Joe's gym. Finally, we came full circle and I chose to go back to Joe. "Joe Goossen made me a different fighter. My defense got way better. I'm punching in a way where I'm hurting people more and that's just what Joe Goossen does. "Making weight is all about discipline, what you eat, how you maintain your weight outside of the ring and that's what we do. If you are a professional athlete that's what you do. I'm still maintaining my life style. "I have Joe Goossen right now as my lead trainer, so I feel very confident. Prior to the Lamont Petersons fight, he got me in the gym and gave me a new way of fighting and I believe you saw that in the fight with Lamont Peterson. I'm trying to carry on that momentum into the fight with Molina. It's going to be a great fight and no one is going to be disappointed." JOHN MOLINA JR. "It's very special to be a part of this platform. I love what I do. I love putting on for all of the fans and Saturday night is going to be a great night of fights. "This is my job. I have been here before a million times and now it's time for me to do my job on Saturday. Lipinets has a style that excites me because of what I can do as well to make this a great fight. The fans are in for a treat. "He's a tough guy and he's going to come forward. I'm not going to have to go find him. I'm very excited about the fight. He's going to be a good opponent and it's going to be a good fight. "My strong points are my power and my will to win. I look to do my job and I'm always in a position to do it. I'm always in a position to showcase to the world why I'm here. "Lipinets is a tough guy and he he fared well against Mikey Garcia who's one of the best, so he's definitely a good fighter. I need to be sharp and use my experience to take advantage of him. "I've been in there with the best. I've been in there with everybody. There's nothing that man can do Saturday night that's going to surprise me. So it's up to me to capitalize on that and take advantage of it. "I love the fact that the fans respect my craft and what I do. Because I put my everything into this fight game. Everything that I've ever earned and that I've grinded for it. This is why I give my all every time. "I am going to use my experience to my advantage and I am going to come out on top." LUIS NERY "I am very honored to be here especially with all of my Mexican fans and all of my fans from around the world. I am very pleased and thankful to be on such a great card with Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman. "My strength and power comes from my heart. It will all be on display Saturday night. "We are going to go straight at Payano. We are going to put the pressure on. We are going to go for the knockout, if it doesn't come, we had a great camp in Puerto Rico and we are ready for whatever he brings to the table." "Being on this card means a lot. First I was on the Errol Spence vs. Mikey Garcia card, now its Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman. I look forward to going after (WBC 118-pound champ) Nordine Oubaali, who has the title I used to hold. "I don't think Nordine Oubaali fought well at all. He's a good fighter but I don't see him doing well in the ring with me. That's my title and I'm going to win it back, 100 percent. He's the champion but that's my title and I'm ready for the opportunity and he's going to have to step his game up when he gets in the ring with me." JUAN CARLOS PAYANO "I am very honored to be on this card. It is a very exciting card with both Pacquiao and Thurman, which will be a great fight. I am honored to be able to be fight for the chance to become world champion again. "My goal is to become champion once again. I am very prepared and have worked extremely hard over the years for this chance. "This is going to be a great fight for the fans and that's what I'm all about. I have the skills and the determination to beat any fighter in the division. I have to show my improvement on Saturday. "It is no secret that Nery is a power puncher, but it is not the first power puncher I have fought and it certainly won't be the last. On Saturday night two warriors are going to get up there but only one is going to walk out victorious. I look forward to being the victorious one."

(Featured Photo: Stephanie Trapp/TGB Promotions)

[365footballorg-blog]

Armchair Analyst: LAFC on the march, Impact's new D & more from Week 18

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July 1, 20189:20PM EDT

Happy Canada Day, and Happy 4th of July, and Happy Let’s Take a Break from Arguing About Messi vs. Ronaldo Weekend.

Let’s take a look at MLS Week 18:

Bring the Noise

LAFC ran over, past and through Philly, winning 4-1 on Saturday night in downtown LA. Adama Diomande had a hat trick, and now has seven goals in 297 MLS minutes.

They have now won three straight, and are tied for second in the West in PPG, and are outright second in the West in goal differential, and are third in the West on total points, and it’s still at least a little bit tough to pin down what, exactly, makes them so good beside “boy they sure do put a lot of skill players out there.”

But I gave it a shot:

My colleague Bobby Warshw was also generous enough to provide his own take:

Keep the ball moving simple – be brave to give and get the ball in tough spots – because in doing so, at some point a player will get the ball in a good pocket or area. When we get that moment with a player in space, we need to take advantage; we can’t settle. The runs off the ball have to change from checking as a passing option to moving to become a threat, either directly on goal or to a more dangerous zone.

So it’s really a principle rather than a system, and what’s been telling so far is how applicable the principle has been with given personnel. To that point: When LAFC play with a true center forward (either Marco Ureña or Diomande), they’re 8-2-0 with a +10 goal differential. When they play without one of those two guys, and thus by default with a false 9, they’re 1-2-3 with an even goal differential.

Does that mean what they’re doing can’t work without a center forward? No, not really. But build-up play is always more complicated without a true center forward, and the margins in MLS are always paper thin given the parity in the league.

As for what the center forwards do that makes build-up play easier, to me it’s as simple as occupying defenders instead of occupying space. Guys like Ureña bring the defense with them, which means said defense can’t get busy ballhawking in lanes or hunting the pockets to slow down the likes of Carlos Vela, Benny Feilhaber, Diego Rossi, Lee Nguyen et al. With either of those No. 9s on the field, nobody’s been able to figure out how to stop LAFC, and more to the point the series of principles turned both guys into juggernauts.

Ureña was a Giovinco- or Almiron-level chance creator before he got hurt. As said above, Diomande is averaging better than two goals per 90 minutes. And as said above, the team keeps winning.

Of course, there’s only room for one of them out there, which presents Bob Bradley with a dilemma. We talked about that a bit:

All due respect to Ureña, but Diomande’s scored 32 goals in 32 games under Bradley. When you produce like that the decision makes itself.

Shut ‘Em Down

The Impact have posted shutouts in four of their last five games, and have won four of their last five games, and are just two points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s the thing: the first of their four wins was against the Dynamo’s reserves. The second and third were against an Orlando City team that’s very clearly cratering in an even more spectacular fashion than last season (and yeah, I’m pretty surprised by that – they have more, better and more balanced talent than last year). And so when it came to really assessing the Impact, my stance was “well, let’s wait til you beat somebody for real.”

On Saturday they beat somebody for real, taking down Sporting KC 2-0 at Stade Saputo. The eye-test strong defensive performance matches the underlying numbers, which have seen Montreal perform better on the defensive end over the past seven weeks. Since May 21 they’ve allowed 1.03 expected goals per game, and just five goals. In the 10 games before that they shipped 27 goals on an xG against of 2.47.

Here’s what this weekend’s win looked like:

#MTLvSKC xG. Impact defense didn’t give up much. pic.twitter.com/R8CMblzuxx

— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) July 1, 2018

If you stop allowing goals you start winning games. Or at least you give yourself a chance to win games, and the Ignacio Piatti-led attack is starting to oblige themselves.

So how have they stopped their opponents, exactly? On Saturday it was a compact, relatively low-block 4-3-3 that never allowed any penetration through the middle – they’ve gotten very good at preventing third-line passes. In part that’s because their central midfield no longer takes any risks pushing forward. Piatti & Co. are largely tasked with creating everything themselves.

The other change is simply personnel. Rod Fanni and Rudy Camacho are healthy now, and so the Impact are better in central defense than they were. This is especially manifest on restarts, as Montreal aren’t getting dunked on every single week anymore.

Is it enough for me to start believing this team’s destined for the playoffs? Nah, not really. There’s just not enough depth pretty much anywhere, and not much dynamism aside from Piatti.

They’re capable of getting some results, though, and they’re definitely out there to ruin somebody’s day. Nobody’s gonna be afraid of the Impact or anything, but at this point nobody should look at them and think “well, those are three points on the schedule.”

A few more things to ponder…

9. Atlanta took Orlando out behind the woodshed, a 4-0 win in front of 70,000 – the first real blowout in this rivalry that’s not yet a rivalry, really, because the Purple Lions haven’t held up their end of the bargain. Got to win at least once against a team before you’re their rivals.

New head coach James O’Connor’s got a great track record in USL (similar to Gio Savarese’s in NASL), and I still believe there’s plenty of talent on this roster to do the job. And it’s important to understand: This is not a team bereft of young talent. Chris Mueller is 21. Cam Lindley is 20. Josue Colman is 19. And of the veteran guys, none is so long in the tooth that they’re at the very end of their days.

I’m not sure O’Connor can or will do it this year. But I expect this team, in the coming weeks and months, to start performing much better than they have been.

8. RSL’s bizarre. They avoided the mistake of playing Kyle Beckerman & Damir Kreilach together in central midfield, but Mike Petke… started Kreilach as a false 9? Even Jorge Sampaoli is confused by that one. They lost to Crew SC, 2-1, and were much (much much much) better once an actual forward got out onto the field.

Eduardo Sosa, the 22-year-old Venezuelan No. 10, looked very good in place of Federico Higuain even aside from the goal. The question I’ve got is “Can he play on the wing?” Because a guy who can finish like that would help this team, which has been bereft of goals from that spot.

7. Our Pass of the Week comes from Nicolas Lodeiro in Seattle’s 3-2 loss to Portland, their first MLS regular season home loss to their southern neighbors. You should watch this whole video, or just scroll to 1:56 if you want to hurt my feelings instead:

Seattle’s pretty close to fully cooked. Portland, meanwhile, picked up their sixth one-goal win of the year (out of seven total), and could perhaps make a run at Colorado’s record of 14, set two seasons ago.

The Timbers are unbeaten in 10, and 12 across all competitions. They’re feeling quite a bit like a rich man’s version of that Rapids team that made a serious Supporters’ Shield run.

6. New England got a much-needed 3-2 win over visiting D.C. on Saturday night, a result that keeps them comfortably in 5th place in the East. But here’s a trend to be worried about: Over the last nine games (5 at home), the Revs have conceded 18 goals. Over their previous eight games, they conceded nine.

Teams have figured out how to play through the press and create a few chances, and Matt Turner hasn’t been able to be Superman every single week. It’s a concern.

As for D.C… can Wayne Rooney play defense? Because that’s where they need the help.

5. I think I’m gonna buy Chicago stock. They’re 3-1-3 in the last seven, and unbeaten (2-0-3) in their last five since switching back to the 4-3-3 full-time. Obviously getting Dax McCarty healthy has helped and he gave fans a throw-back moment with his seeing-eye throughball to spring Nemanja Nikolic for the game’s first goal in a 3-2 win over NYCFC (McCarty was, once upon a time, a No. 10).

The big question now: What do they do with Aleksandar Katai? The Serbian winger has been awesome over the past few weeks, and destroyed the NYCFC left side all night (pour one out for the memory of Ben Sweat). The Fire now have to decide whether or not to extend his loan/buy him outright, and while it seems an easy decision… there’s a reason Katai’s bounced from team to team all decade, and why a guy of his considerable skills has never found a permanent home.

They have to be sure that the Katai who’s just been rewarded with a big contract will play the same way as the Katai who’s hungry for a big contract.

4. The midsummer California Clasico at Stanford Stadium pretty much always delivers. Chris Wondolowski and Zlatan Ibrahimovic both got themselves a brace, Romain Alessandrini scored a banger, Vako got on the board, and nobody could defend worth even half a damn in a 3-3 draw.

TFW you’ve got to go back for seconds:

I didn’t know Wondo had this in his soul but I blame Twitter for it. pic.twitter.com/eaKUAMdeIE

— Bobby Warshaw (@bwarshaw14) July 1, 2018

That’s obviously our Face of the Week even though we can’t really see his face.

San Jose still haven’t beaten anybody but Minnesota United this year. LA will be disappointed they kept letting the lead slip away, but they’ve lost just once in their last six.

3. Alex Bono gave up a soft goal. Luis Robles stood on his head. Sebastian Giovinco missed a penalty – why is he still taking penalties, by the way?

Toronto FC played well, but they lost again, this time 1-0 to the visiting Red Bulls. They have 18 games left, and my guess is they need to take somewhere from 30-34 points from those in order to make the playoffs.

The Red Bulls weren’t great, but Robles was. Sometimes that’s enough. 

2. Break up the Rapids! They bunkered into a 5-4-1 – center back Danny Wilson was, no joke, a central midfielder – got themselves an own goal, and then rode a magnificent Tim Howard performance to a 1-0 win at Vancouver. It’s their second straight win, and they’re now three unbeaten.

The new Rapids way seems very much like the old Rapids way, but at least it gives me a chance to use this Howard gif one last time:

Tim Howard’s had his best 45 mins of the year, which is fitting as it’s come on the 4-year anniversary of this… pic.twitter.com/Df2EQM5zdU

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) July 1, 2018

He finished the day with 10 saves.

The ‘Caps are still above the playoff line on total points (23, 6th place) but are below it on PPG (1.28, 8th place). And since a 3-1-1 start to the year they’re 3-6-4.

1. Friday was a special end to Pride Month, as Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin came out to the world as a gay man. It was a shame we didn’t get to see him play – he’d started three of the previous six Loons games, and played in six of the past eight.

And look, MNUFC fans could’ve used something to celebrate on the night. Their 1-0 loss to visiting FC Dallas was their third straight, and they’ve won just once in their last seven, and are actually behind last year’s pace with 16 points through 16 games (they had 17 at this point last year). I don’t think anybody expected them to compete for the playoffs this year, but nobody should’ve expected them to be worse. 

Series: 

Topics: 

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Armchair Analyst: LAFC on the march, Impact's new D & more from Week 18 was originally published on 365 Football

[rafablogs]

Website Blog Posts (August 2004-August 2008) - Part 1

The following blog posts have been copied from https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com forum. I have no way of confirming whether they are genuine or not since Rafa’s old website is long gone and I have been unable to retrieve any captures of the website from that time on internet archives.

AUGUST 9TH 2004 - INTERNATIONAL SERIES, SOPOT (POLAND), CLAY

I won my first ATP tournament! An International Series in the Polish city of Sopot. In the final I beat the Argentine Jose Acasuso 6-3 6-4 and although that year I would achieve other successes that would leave this one as an anecdote, I will always remember it with the warmth it deserves.> DECEMBER 5TH 2004 - DAVIS CUP, SEVILLA, CLAY

I have never hidden my admiration for Moya, a brother to me and a marvel with the racquet. Masterful on clay, his service rivals that of the best specialists and he managed to reach the final in Australia. It is hardly surprising that he has been a true number one.

The G3 captains confided in me in the clash against Roddick. I came to the team as a substitute and jumbped to the Cartuja Olympic Stadium as the second on board to be matched up against the most powerful service on the circuit in a final. Charly wished me luck, which he said I would not need to beat him, though frankly outside the team nobody believed I could beat the world number two.

But I managed to do it. I notched up the 2-0 which placed the final in our favour. The fans were not only witnesses but also accomplices: they took me in the air and I could feel the public's breath surrounding me on court... and that shook me until then I had been a practically an anonymous player.

In the fourth clash, Roddick lost to Carlos 3-1. The Salad Bowl stayed at home and the Cartuja led to delirium.

Acapulco and Costa do Squipe belong to the the Latin American clay tour, and are excellent tournaments for preparing the season on clay. I won both titles, and above all my feelings on court were entirely favourable: I was not only reaching the main courses hungry, but also at a sweet moment.> FEBRUARY 21st 2005 - INTERNATIONAL SERIES, ACAPULCO (MEXICO), CLAY

Acapulco and Costa do Squipe belong to the the Latin American clay tour, and are excellent tournaments for preparing the season on clay. I won both titles, and above all my feelings on court were entirely favourable: I was not only reaching the main courses hungry, but also at a sweet moment.> APRIL 17TH 2005 - TMS MONTECARLO, CLAY

I got my first vicotry in a Master Series against Guilllermo Coria, my first significant triumph and the first of my three consecutive conquests of this tournament. It was also the first trophy I bit, and since then this has been my sign of identity. You will understand that I remember it as a first step.> APRIL 24TH 2005 - INTERNATIONAL SERIES GOLD, OPEN SEAT GODO (BARCELONA), CLAY

This was the final that the crowd demanded, a Spanish duel between two good friends. I was matched against Ferrero, one of the greatest racquet talents of the recent years, former world number one, who was hungry for titles after a complicated season and seemed to recover his best form in Barcelona.

And he confirmed this in the final.

Juanca's right hand is privileged, and his passing shots down the lines are unique on the circuit. He played at a very high level and showed his enormous class; "el mosquito" is a master on clay.

You will wonder how I managed to beat him. Well, everything went right for me that day, or maybe I should say everything went in...

After this match, the Spanish press labelled me as favourite for Paris, an awkward praise, as it was my first participation.> MAY 2ND 2005 - TMS ROME, CLAY

In 2004 I was going full sail with the wind in my favour. Hardly a fortnight had passed since Monte Carlo and I was getting my teeth into my second Master Series, after an exciting final against Coria. I felt I was in a state of grace, with complete confidence with my sight set on Roland Garros> MAY 31ST 2005 - ROLAND GARROS, CLAY - SEMI-FINAL

I am honestly making an effort to explain what I felt. Euphoria? Satisfaction? Ecstasy? No, it was something more than this. Sometimes words do not do justice, they are not enough, and this is one of those times.

In the semi-finals, I faced Federer, and it is true that I felt plethoric on clay... as true as the match seemed intimidating, I felt respect. I am not saying fear. Never.

My start was explosive. I knew that Rogerio (as I friendly call him) was not used to hitting so high and would take a few games to get used to my lifting. I had to exploit this. I won the first set comfortably, aware that Roger had now got my measure.

The next set was different. The Swiss started his showtime and made it clear that he could play a sublime tennis on a gravel court. However, I also noted a couple of things, I had to get him off the court. Roger would not waste any short ball, I had to make sure that it would impact in conditions that would not allow him to put this speed to the ball only his wrist is able of. 'Let's see what you can do hitting above your shoulders', I thought.

The third set fell to me. Roger took out the set square and the triangle, sending the ball into unreachable angles, and then I reached it. I ran as never before, trying to unsettle him, counter-attacking on each of his winning rights. I knew the premise: keep him away from the net.

Fourth set, I was exhausted, as if that was important. I was caressing my first Grand Slam final and was prepared to run to it. Literally. 'Who said weariness?', I repeated. In the last set I managed to beat him and get a ticket for the final.> JUNE 5TH 2005 - ROLAND GARROS, CLAY - FINAL

I found it hard to believe that it was actually happening, getting into a final after beating a certain Federer on my first participation in the tournament.

There, Mariano Puerta was waiting for me, a player coming back to the circuit after a two-year suspension for doping, and he gave positive once more after the test in Roland Garros, although the result would not be known until months later.

The Argentine was also a left hander, and as a specialist in opening up the court. In my favour my physique and a deep conviction of victory. These were not enought to submit him in the first set, which he won after a tight tie break. Puerta felt worn out and I imposed myself in the following games without giving him any options. First match ball, he was at service. I was ready.

His first service failed. I wasn't counting on this, I could almost touch the cup and the tension was suffocating me, the instant Puerta was preparing his second service seemed to go on and on. Dry mouth, mental block, stiffness numbness... and then the ball crossed the net.

I did not return as I should have, I gave back a tame ball, easy for a volley. I was nailed to the court, calling for a miracle, I couldn't stand playing another game: I felt the trophy, my dream, within reach of my hands and I feared it would slip away between my fingers. When Puerta hit, my head was frenetically repeating one word...

'Out'. He failed it. I was the champion of Roland Garros. Suddenly everything stopped, the world seemed to hold its breath while I fell backwards, covering myself in the red dirt.

Maybe there is a word to describe it: 'indescribable'.> JULY 4TH 2005 - INTERNATIONAL SERIES, BASTAD (SWEDEN), CLAY

After the Roland Garros hangover, it was time to get back to the grind. The clay season had not finished and I had to get the most out of the good moment I was enjoying. In Bastad, I fulfilled my role as favourite by imposing myself over Berdych in the final; maybe it is not a highly renowed tournament, although a handful of points will always be welcome.> JULY 18TH 2005 - INTERNATIONAL SERIES GOLD, STUTTGART (GERMANY), CLAY

In the final I came up against the one and only: Gaston Gaudio, a tennis player, who awakens as much praise as criticism: a potencial top 5 going downfall by a harshly censured mental fragility, and the winner of Roland Garros in 2004. 'The Cat' came to Germany way off form and I beat him comfortably in three sets. In any case, it is always gratifying to compete with a rival of his quality.> AUGUST 8TH 2005 - TMS MONTREAL, HARD COURT

I have always had self-confidence, believing myself capable of anything I proposed, and even my dreams fell short of a season like this. Nevertheless, Toni insisted that I should rid myself of the role of a clay court tennis player, and he was right. How many tennis players control clay, but never achieved important victories on fast surfaces? I did not want to be one of them, I could not afford it.

In the Master Series in Montreal I won my first title on hard courts against a legend the like of Agassi. It would not be the last.> SEPTEMBER 12TH 2005 - INTERNATIONAL SERIES, PEKING (CHINA), HARD COURT

Guillermo Coria is given the name of The Wizard. Nothing more to say. He played in the final of Roland Garros last year, he was the former world number three and has been the standard-bearer of Argentine tennis for years.

He won the first set after a tie break, and then I reacted and overwhelmed him pitilessly in the following two. One month after Montreal, I was holding my second cup on hard court, inconceivable months earlier. This made Toni as proud as Rolland Garros did.

[torentialtribute]

Senna’s most maverick moments: One of F1’s greatest personalities

When he was at the top of the Formula 1 world, Ayrton Senna was as well known for his quirky personality as for his extraordinary talent – but the seeds were sewn long before he won one of his three world titles.

Senna started his F1 career with Toleman in 1984, and Pat Symonds, his racing engineer with the team, remembers an extraordinary story from the US Grand Prix in Dallas in that year, which summarizes Senna's personality on and off the track.

F1 great Ayrton Senna was as well known for his strong personality as his driving style was as well known for his strong personality as for his driving style "

F1 great Ayrton Senna was as well known for his strong personality as for his driving style

Senna had a full career of controversy and rivalry, both on and off outside the circuit

Senna had a career full of controversy and rivalry, both on and off the circuit rivalry, both on and off the circuit

<img id = "i-8456a68a1f846757" src = "https://dailym.ai/2V7emUH" height = "571" width = "634" alt = "<img id =" i-8456a68a1f846757 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2GQShQt 936694.jpg "height =" 571 "width =" 634 "alt =" Senna was also known for his competitive spirit, his desire and for honest racing and philanthropy "

<img id =" i-8456a68a1f846757 " src = "https://dailym.ai/2V7emUH" height = "571" width = "634" alt = " Senna was also known for his competitive spirit, desire for fair racing and philanthropy "class =" blkBorder img-share "

Senna was also known for his competitive spirit, longing for fair racing and philanthropy

Symonds told grandprix.com in 2014: We were looking for a nice good finish but then Ayrton hit the wall, damaged the rear wheel and the drive axle and pulled himself back, which was a shame.

& # 39; The real meaning of this was when I came back to the wells that he told me what was happening and said: & # 39; I am sure the wall was moving! & # 39; and although I have heard every excuse that every driver has ever made, I certainly have never heard of it!

& Ayrton, being Ayrton, with his incredible belief in himself, the absolute conviction, he then told me to go with him, after the race, to look at the place where he had crashed – and he was

& # 39; Dallas becomes a street circuit & # 39; was surrounded by concrete blocks and what had happened – we could tell by the tire tracks – was that someone had hit the far end of the concrete block and that made it turn slightly so that the front edge of the block protrudes a few millimeters . He rode with such precision that those few millimeters were the difference between hitting the wall and not hitting the wall.

Senna blamed a crash on the 1984 US G

That belief in himself, the belief that he had a God-given talent to race and win – Senna was a devout Catholic who would Whether it is what he is or what he is, he is the only one who has his life in the world.

Initially, Senna was married to his childhood love, but after a year in 1982 they were divorced for his commitment to racing.

Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza, his former wife, later said: & I was his second passion. His first passion was racing.

Senna has dated several models and TV stars, including Elle Macpherson, but has never been remarried.

<img id = "i-bf39eee778fb6d20" src = "https://dailym.ai/2GTldqK -6971445-image-m-73_1556620860541.jpg "height =" 777 "width =" 634 "alt =" Off the track, Senna had the string of glamorous girlfriend, including Adriana Galisteu the string of glamorous girlfriend, including Adriana Galisteu "

Off the track, Senna had the string of glamorous girlfriend, including Adriana Galisteu [SennadiespoorlyayearwasmarriedtoElleMacphersonamongothers"class="blkBorderimg-share"/>

who only 1945 was married, also dated from Elle Macpherson, ao "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Senna, who had been married for only one year, also dates from Elle Macpherson, among others

He was in a relationship with the Brazilian model Adriane Galisteu when he died in 1994, 34 years old, in the seventh round of the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola

One of the most tragic moments in F1's 1,001 racing history, May 1 marks 25 years ago that Senna lost his life due to his greatest love

After I had not completed the opening two races, I stated that his season would begin there, and his new team, Williams, had made changes to his car that I demanded.

During his career, Senna & # 39; s complex personality manifested itself both in a series of combative and complex rivalries – but also in numerous examples of great sportiness.

As soon as he entered Formula 1, Senna created rivalries in his determination to be No. 1. He pealed Elio de Angelis from Lotus in 1985 after their relationship had deteriorated, after which he vetoed Derek Warwick

His own pit team was also not exempt – in 1988, now at McLaren, I crashed at the Monaco GP. Instead of returning to the pits, I walked back to his apartment in Monte Carlo and only contacted his team later that evening.

<img id = "i-ae490f206df9ede9" src = "https://dailym.ai/2VcOHdu /0659E6E60000044D-6971445-image-a-36_1556616967323.jpg "height =" 417 "width =" 634 "alt =" Senna had a full career of rivalries, and no more fierce than with former teammate Alain Prost had a full career of rivalries, and no more fiercely than with ex-teammate Alain Prost "

Senna had a full career rivalry, and no more Fiery than with ex-teammate Alain Prost

<img id = "i-478fea3c59405bcb" src = "https://dailym.ai/2GQSi6Z" height = "424" width = "634" alt = "The most notorious race between the two was the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix" class = "blkBorder img-share" /

The most notorious match between the two was the Japanese Grand Prix of 1989 the 1989 Grand Prix of 1945

Senna was also hardly milder with age. In 1992, he developed a rivalry with Michael Schumacher, a series of disagreements that resulted in a physical bust-up in German general practice, where Senna Schumacher grabbed the collar after accusing the German of blocking him on the right track

It was his relationship with Alain Prost, however, the one that defines Senna & # 39; s personality through the prism of F1. The pair was just two seasons of teammates – 1988 and 1989 at McLaren – but it caused a rivalry of hatred and love that broke the seasons

The first foundations were laid during the 1988 Portuguese GP when Senna & # 39 ; s

Tension grew between the couple in the following months, culminating in the 1989 Japanese GP, which Senna had to win to deny Prost the title. What turned out is still one of the most controversial races in F1 history.

I tried to catch up with the Frenchman in the 46th round, I cut the chicane and they bumped into each other. Prost retired, but Senna convinced marshals to give him a push start so that he could reach the pits and then win the race – only to be disqualified because the push was considered illegal by the FIA

However, there was also mutual respect between two of the sport's greatest drivers. between two of the greatest riders of the sport "

However, there was also mutual respect between two of the greatest sport riders

Senna also had other rivalries, including bad blood between him and Michael Schumacher "

bad blood between him and Michael Schumacher"

This caused a bitter feud between Senna and FIA- President Jean-Marie Balestre, who accused Senna of favoring his fellow countryman.

Tensions began to re-emerge in 1993 when Prost forbade Senna to join him with his new team, Williams. a & # 39; coward & # 39; in a press conference.

But by the end of the 1993 season – which ended with champion Prost retired from F1 – they had reconciled. This was demonstrated when Senna Prost n after winning the Australian GP. Prost would later carry the funeral of Senna.

This was an illustration of Senna & # 39; s best personality traits – he had a preference for competitive racing, fierce spirit of fair play and his rivalry on the right track, a huge concern for the safety and well-being of others.

Outside the circuit this happened in a large number of charity events and donations to help the poor in Brazil. There were more public shows of humanity and empathy on the circuit.

In 1992, during the qualification for the Belgian GP, ​​Ligier driver Erik Comas suffered a serious crash. Senna was the first to arrive on the spot, got out of his car and ran across the track to help the Frenchman out of the wreck, disregarding his own safety in an attempt to help a co-driver.

<img id = "i-86974e1a378b8eee" src = "https: //i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/30/10/12899694-6971445-image-a-38_1556617049497.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Senna died 25 years ago – May 1, 1994 – in a high speed crash at the San Marino GP in Imola <img id = "i-86974e1a378b8eee" src = "https://dailym.ai/2V4C5ox /12899694-6971445-image-a-38_1556617049497.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-86974e1a378b8eee" src = "https://dailym.ai/2uS4u1n 1s / 2019/04/30/10 / 12899694-6971445-image-a-38_1556617049497.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-86974e1a378b8eee" src = "https: / /i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/30/10/12899694-6971445-image-a-38_1556617049497.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Senna died 25 years ago – May 1, 1994 – in a speed accident at the San Marino GP in Imola

Perhaps he t most moving, however, are his actions before and during the 1994 San Marino GP, a race that was forever overshadowed by his own death.

During qualifying, Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger died in a collision. Senna went to the scene of the accident, led an official car, and tried to scale up the gate to see Ratzenberger in the medical center.

Senna spent his last morning in conversations with Prost, his great rival and now an average expert, about setting up a driver's association to ensure more safety. Unfortunately, Senna has never seen his brainchild flee.

After 38 of his 41 victories at Grand Prix, Senna unlocked a Brazilian flag from his car while driving in his victory round.

his fatal crash at Imola, an Austrian flag was found in his car, which he wanted to fly to Ratzenberger in tribute. Thinking of both victory and his fellow racer; Senna sums up the racer and the man – because they were one and the same.

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Kyle Edmund and coach Fredrik Rosengren part ways

& # 39; I want to thank him for everything he has done & # 39 ;: Kyle Edmund and Freddie Rosengren divorce when Swede wants to spend time with family curious joy change of coaching

The British No. 1 split with veteran Swede Freddie Rosengren on Wednesday

partnership delivered the semifinal in Melbourne in 2018 and first ATP Tour title

by

Mike Dickson for MailOnline

Published: 11:30 GMT, 20 February 2019 | Updated: 12:47 GMT, February 20, 2019

Kyle Edmund became part of the ever-curious change in coaching of the tennis court by saying goodbye to the man who helped him to guide him to the breakthrough last year at the Australian Open. split with veteran Swede Freddie Rosengren, despite their collaboration that delivered the semi-finals in Melbourne in the 2018 season and his first ATP Tour title in Antwerp in October.

Edmund's progress has since stalled, with him suffering a gnawing knee injury and managing only four games after that heart-catching triumph in Melbourne.

Edmund was jointly coached by Rosengren and Mark Hilton in Great Britain, and the latter will take full responsibility, at least for the time being.

The official reason for the split was that the Swede wants to get off of coaching and spend more time at home.

& # 39; Fidde (as is generally known) wants to spend more time at home with his family and there I have the utmost respect for & # 39 ;, said Edmund. I want to thank him for everything he has done for me and I wish him all the best in the future. & # 39;

Old school, extroverted and demanding, Rosengren was a remarkable passionate presence in Edmund's coaching box, an impressive track record and a certain energy for the most reserved and vast British player. Edmund reached No. 15 in the world, but has now slipped to 28.

The challenge for Hilton, or whoever can take the lead in the long run, will be to try and achieve greater mental and physical robustness in the 24. year-old Yorkshireman, who sometimes happens a little too beautiful for his own good.

More all-round sustainability seems to be the key to realizing the full potential of a game that is equipped with an important weapon in the forehand and a much better backhand.

Edmund is good enough to allow the threatening turmoil that will follow Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and – in the mid-term – Novak Djokovic disappears. Edmund defeated the last last May in Madrid during his 18 months with Rosengren

Federer announced Wednesday morning that he will play the same Open Madrid this spring, making it the first clay tournament I have dedicated to two years.

The Swiss has speculated that he could play two events on the brown sand before returning to Roland Garros, and he could add one more to his arrangement.

Azevedo worked with former world number 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, and will be assisted on a more part-time basis by Colin Fleming, Leon Smith and Spaniard Esteban Carril

] Although there are many reasons to doubt that the latest incarnation of the LTA of an elite academy system, the selection of brand new, promising young players, will not work – another one can also be opened in Loughborough – there seems to be

Meanwhile, Dan Evans continued his strong year with scoring the best victory since his comeback when he defeated the quarterfinals and Australian Open of Australian Open summing up champion France Tiafoe 3-6 7-6 7-5 in the first round of the Delray Beach Open in Florida

On Wednesday evening he will face South African Lloyd Harris for a place in the last eight.

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