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Nadal, the man to beat in French Open

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:04:05 +0000

Yep, the French Open in all its clay court glory is here again.

Dubbed as the most challenging of all the grand slams, the 2010 French Open tennis tournament is sure to stay true to the rigors and tough competitiveness so typical of the second of the annual tennis majors.

This year’s French Open will be held from May 24^th to June 7^th and this year’s tournament is sure to unleash some of the most riveting grand slam tennis action you’d ever see. Thousands are expected to arrive at Roland Garros during the two weeks of the competition in hopes of catching a glimpse of the best tennis players in the world.

Leading the pack for the men’s favorites is the ‘king of clay,’ Rafael Nadal who seem to come up with his best tennis every time he plays on that clay surface.

He etched his name into French Open history after matching the record of the well-known Bjorn Borg and the 1920’s heroine of the Open, Suzanne Lenglen, with four consecutive French Open titles.

Nadal’s success on clay is so ridiculous, you’d be a fool to bet against this guy in this tournament.

That brings us to Roger Federer. Can he win a title in France and get title number 17? Federer has found the clay courts in Paris to be his nemesis.

He is one of those great players who can’t seem to do shit on clay. He is in good company though as he is accompanied by the likes of Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, Maria Sharapova and Martina Hingis as a few great tennis players who are denied of a title on clay.

Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, is probably the only real threat to Nadal as he is considered by many as a great clay court player. Other guys to watch out for include Nikolay Davydenko, who is one of the hottest players in tennis right now.

Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro should also be...

Argentina still team to beat in World Cup

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:02:39 +0000

Can Lionel Messi power Argentina towards World Cup glory?

You read it, one of the most talented footballers in the world, that being Lionel Messi, will be leading Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

That’s probably why many sports bettors are picking Argentina to win Group B, especially with the talent that they have.

Argentina is only the fourth of five qualifiers from South America, ahead of Uruguay, but behind Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.

Their main man, Lionel Messi, won the 2009 Ballon d’Or and was awarded the European Footballer of the Year.

Messi is the diamond that the whole world recognizes, while Sergio Aguero, another star Argentina can rely on the pitch, is another youngster on the rise. They also have Carlos Tevez, a skillful, hard-working striker.

In midfield, Javier Mascherano gives Argentina steel, while Juan Sebastián Veron is a good distributor of the ball.

Last year, Argentina played 13 matches, won eight of them and lost five. This is not the kind of record a country with Argentina’s proud history finds acceptable, especially when included among those results is a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of 56th ranked Bolivia.

Let’s see how they do come June in...

Women to bet on in the French Open

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:04:54 +0000

Yep, the French Open is here and if you’re a betting man, you should take note about these women you shouldn’t be betting against on May.

In case you didn’t get that, it’s that time of the Grand Slam tennis season when the best tennis players in the world head to Roland Garros for the 2010 French Open tennis tournament.

And as far as the women’s side of things go, Justine Henin is the clear cut favorite to win this tournament. Henin’s presence in the draw is clearly pushing the odds long for even the second favorite and there is good reason for that.

Henin made the finals of the recent Australian Open and, despite her long layoff, she is a force on tour even at the Grand Slam level. Her best Grand Slam has always been the French Open as she won four titles at Roland Garros (2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007) before she ‘retired’ from tennis just prior to the 2008 French Open.

Her past success at the French Open, combined with her stellar play on tour since returning from retirement has clearly won her a lot of backers to win again at Roland Garros this spring.

Trying to outwit Henin is Kim Clijsters. Even though Clijsters’ best results at the French Open were back in 2001 and 2003 when she was the runner up in both tournaments in Paris, Clijsters has remained to be a force to be reckoned with at Roland Garros.

Clijsters has played in two French Open tournaments, the 2005 event and the 2006 event, reaching the semifinals back in ‘06.

Of course, Serena Williams has to be included as one of the favorites to win the French Open. Sure, Williams has not won the French Open since 2002, about the time when she started winning everything, but at least she has won it before. Her most recent result from 2009 was a quarterfinal loss but even that was to the eventual champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Speaking of, French Open defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has...

Can the Greeks win the 2010 World Cup?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:02:58 +0000

Can they finally add some hardware other than that cup they won six years ago in Euro 2004?

Team Greece, who topped Euro 2004, finished second in European Group Two behind Switzerland, but beat Ukraine 1-0 in a two-leg playoff to secure their place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The only score Greece had came in the away game in Donetsk.

That is the thing about this Greek team, they’re not flashy, but they have the mental fortitude to grind out 1-0 wins, no matter where they play.

The team’s appearance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup would only be the second time in their country’s history that they have reached the World Cup finals.

Previously, in the USA in 1994, they exited in the first round after losing all three of their group games.

Their ambition will be much higher this time around.

During 2009, Greece played 10 internationals, winning four of them, losing twice, and drawing four.

Striker Theofanis Gekas is a key for the Greek national team.

His 10-goal return was the highest tally by a player in European qualifying.

Another key is fellow striker Angelos Charisteas, who scored the winning goal at Euro 2004.

He presents a physical challenge to opposing defenders because of his...

Can South Africa win the World Cup?

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 01 May 2010 16:02:30 +0000

South Africa is the first ever African nation to host the FIFA World Cup.

That’s probably why they are one of the sentimental favorites to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

As hosts, they qualified automatically marking their 3^rd appearance overall after making it to France in 1998 and then again in 2002 after being banned from entering qualification from 1966 until 1994.

Despite the automatic qualification, South Africa played World Cup qualifiers mainly because World Cup qualifiers also serve as qualifying for the African Nations Cup.

Unfortunately, South Africa was eliminated from the qualifying. They are, in some way, playing in a World Cup even though they lost in the qualifying stage.

South Africa also played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. They played well, advancing from the group stage before being eliminated by the No.1 ranked team, Spain, in overtime, 3-2.

South Africa plays Mexico, Uruguay, and France. All three will be tough matches. France is ranked in the top 10, while Mexico and Uruguay are in the top 20. South Africa is ranked 88th.

It has been a turbulent few years for South Africa, but a creditable performance at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the prelude to this summer, has set expectations high going into their Group A matches.

Their semi-final loss to Brazil followed by a succeeding single-goal, extra-time defeat by Spain in the third-place match, show that the hosts can compete at the highest level.

And though they have fallen at the group stage in...

Can the USA shock England again?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:04:14 +0000

Oh yes, after 50 years, they meet again.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is almost here and South Africa is ready to take over the world as they play hosts to the biggest football tournament in the world.

As always, countries participating in the 19 ^th FIFA World Cup are all looking forward for a fantastic campaign. England for one, is a country still trying to dominate the sport they introduced into the world. The United States on the other hand, is still trying to stay respectable in this sport since, let’s face it, they are still not known as that good of footballers.

And as stated, England and the United States will meet on June 12. This will be their first meeting since the Americans earned a shocking win over England back in the 1950 tournament in Brazil. And since the Americans did beat England the last time they faced on this stage, you can’t blame them for being confident coming into the tournament.

”American fans are thinking we should advance out of the group, and I like that. I like how they’re thinking,” United States team captain Carlos Bocanegra said. ”We feel confident as well that this is a group we can get out of.”

After advancing to the quarterfinals in 2002, the best finish the Americans had since the initial World Cup in 1930, there were high expectation for the Americans at the 2006 tournament in Germany. But they were eliminated in the first round with losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana.

The U.S. famously upset England 1-0 in the first round of the 1950 tournament in Brazil, still considered by many as the greatest American victory in football. That makes their meeting this June one fixture football fans can’t afford to miss.

After playing England, USA will play Slovenia at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park on June 18 and completes the first round on June 23 against Algeria in Pretoria. The U.S. has never played either nation.

Odds on the U.S. winning were lowered from...

Can Mexico win the 2010 FIFA World Cup?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:02:17 +0000

Can the El Tri continue to ride on the momentum that carried them where they are right now?

Mexico qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by finishing second in CONCACAF qualifying, just one point behind the United States. They were undefeated at home but inconsistent on the road. They won impressively in Costa Rica 3-0 but fell in Honduras 1-3.

In the Gold Cup, Mexico was impressive as they advanced rather easily through the group stage and defeated Haiti 4-0 in the second round. In the semifinal, they drew with a tough Costa Rican team but advanced on penalties. In a memorable final, Mexico crushed the host United States 5-0. Though the United States did not field their best players, it was still an impressive victory.

Coming to the World Cup in South Africa, Mexico is the eight-time and current CONCACAF Gold Cup champions. They also won a FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999. The Mexican team is currently ranked No.17 in the world. They have a long, storied soccer tradition and have the nickname ”El Tri.”

One of the key players team Mexico has is Giovani dos Santos. Dos Santos is an intriguing player that has been hyped for years, and his first World Cup may be the time he finally breaks out as a legitimate star. Reared in Barcelona’s youth division, he played for the senior team at the tender age of 18.

Mexico is coached by Javier Aguirre, who has been a calming presence for the team. Mexico can attack from the wings and from set pieces and can be quite dangerous offensively. The 5-3-2 formation has some tradition in Mexico and Aguirre has been willing to use this formation as it accentuates the wing play.

The first eight seeds in the World Cup consist of the top seven ranked teams and the host nation. Mexico got lucky because they drew the host nation, South Africa. Instead of having to play a top-ranked team, Mexico is playing the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament.

Mexico has gone on to the second round in the past...

Frankie Edgar challenges BJ Penn

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:04:26 +0000

Edgar takes on Penn this Saturday.

Once again, BJ Penn is putting his UFC lightweight title up for grabs as he defends his belt again this time against Frankie Edgar in UFC 112. However, there are rumors that claim Penn is gearing up for another run at the welterweight title, leading most to believe that the reigning lightweight champ is not taking his challenger seriously.

However, while BJ Penn hasn’t denied the rumors of him moving up to welterweight, he says he’s not looking past Frankie Edgar. He knows how good of a fighter Edgar is and he can’t afford to take a guy of Edgar’s caliber lightly.

”Yeah, I think there is a possibility of that,” BJ Penn said in an interview, referring to a possible move to the welterweight division.

”I don’t in no way want to look past Frankie Edgar, he’s a good fighter. You never know what could happen. But if I go back to welterweight, maybe I’ll try to give it a run, maybe fight a couple of fights there, we’ll see how it goes.”

Oh yeah, and just when he said in his interview that he’s in no way looking past Frankie Edgar, he immediately went on about his chances against the large 170-pound fighters in the welterweight division like Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch.

”I think I could do good against some of the top welterweights,” Penn said. ”Yeah, pretty big guys, but you gotta live some times, you gotta step up sometime, huh?”

Penn also talked about a possible rematch with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, depending of course on the outcome of Hughes’ match with Renzo Gracie, also scheduled for UFC 112 this Saturday.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out...

Silva – Maia in UFC 112

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:02:11 +0000

The Spider will be in action again.

For the first time in history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, MMA athletes will slug it out in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, on April 10 as UFC 112: Invincible features middleweight title holder Anderson ”The Spider” Silva facing off against Demian Maia.

Middleweight champion Anderson Silva is 25-4 with 19 wins by TKO. He is a striker and has a dangerous jiu jitsu game. He is arguably the best fighter on the planet and has the resume to prove it. Silva is a perfect 10-0 in the UFC, including a successful title defense over Thales Leites last April before again moving up to 205 pounds to beat Forrest Griffin in August.

His opponent, Demian Maia, replaced an injured Vitor Belfort to get a shot at Silva. Maia (12-1) returned to action back in UFC 109, rebounding from his first career loss, a 21-second knockout to Nate Marquardt in August, with a unanimous decision over Dan Miller, which improved his UFC record to 6-1, including a previous victory over top 185-pound contender Chael Sonnen.

A left eyelid cut prompted the Nevada State Athletic Commission to medically suspended Maia until August, but he was not suspended from training and will apparently be healed and cleared to fight Silva this Saturday.

”It’s always tough when a top fighter like Vitor Belfort has to pull out of a big title fight, but we have found a high quality replacement,” said UFC President Dana White in a press release.

Top contender Chael Sonnen was not available due to injuries sustained in his fight with Nate Marquardt, so Demian Maia stepped in to fight for the title. Maia is an Abu Dhabi grappling champion and a five-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion. He is 12-1 in MMA and is coming off a win over Dan Miller in UFC 109.

The Anderson Silva – Demian Maia fight will be...

Bet on these 2010 FIFA World Cup Games

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:04:14 +0000

We only have a couple of months left before the biggest tournament of the year gets going.

That’s right, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament in the world, will run between June 11 to July 11 in South Africa. It will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August of 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams.

As expected, there are some intriguing matchups to see in the 19 ^th FIFA World Cup and one fixture that football fans shouldn’t miss is this one between Italy and Paraguay. Italy and Spain are the top two teams in continental Europe. Italy faces Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand. If they lose one of those games it will cause a national crisis, and quite possibly yet another governmental collapse. Luckily, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue for them.

Playing Paraguay is arguably one of the biggest challenges to Italy, it’s also one of the most exciting fixtures in the tournament. Both teams focus on defense first, and neither scores a lot of goals. But Paraguay isn’t as strong as they seem in my eyes.

Another matchup to watch out for is Portugal vs. Brazil. Fans are so looking forward for this matchup that tickets for the match were already sold out four and a half months before it takes place.

The game between Portugal and Brazil has proven to be one of the most in-demand matches of the whole tournament. The matchup between the cross-Atlantic rivals is generating so much interest for a variety of reasons. The two countries have strong historical and cultural ties, as well as sharing a common language.

Portugal beat Brazil in their only World Cup meeting so far, in 1966, contributing to an early exit for the South Americans. In recent years there has been the added spice of Portugal’s naturalized Brazilian players donning the shirt of the Seleccao. Injury permitting; Pepe, Deco and Liedson are all likely to line up against the country of their birth in Durban.

Another matchup to look forward to is the match between Chile and Spain on June 25. Spain will face Chile as the European champions. Spain was held to be the favorite in the lead up to the World Cup finals qualifications, at least until a hiccup against the USA in the semis of the Confederation Cup saw them finish third runner-up.

La Roja, the No.1 ranked outfit in the FIFA world ranking...