Tochigi SC has signed Brazilian-born former Japan midfielder Alessandro Santos, the J. League second-division club said on Friday.The 35-year-old two-time World Cup star was released in December by Nagoya Grampus. He has scored 67 goals in 353 career games in the Japanese top flight with Shimizu S-Pulse, Urawa Reds and Grampus."I want to get back to basics and give it my best shot from square one," Santos said in a statement.Santos played for Japan at the 2002 World Cup Japan hosted with South Korea and also at the 2006 finals in Germany. He has seven goals in 82 internationals.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Chelsea fans refuse to blame owner
LONDON — When Bruce Buck came on the pitch before Wednesday's League Cup semifinal first leg against Swansea to make a presentation to Petr Cech, the Chelsea chairman was booed. Seriously booed.
There were a number of reasons for the supporters' growing frustration, the sacking of the popular Roberto Di Matteo, the appointment of the extremely unpopular Rafa Benitez, Frank Lampard's pending departure, plus the interim manager's apparent blind faith in Fernando Torres, now relegated to No. 2 as the Stamford Bridge boo-boys' targets following the arrival of Benitez.The man responsible for these decisions and every major decision at Chelsea is not Buck, it is Roman Abramovich. All Chelsea fans are aware of this, the anger of those at the Bridge was misdirected and they know it. They refuse to vent their frustration at the real villain, presumably because they think the paymaster and his money might leave, so they take it out on people like Buck and Benitez.Buck and the board are not consulted about who the Russian wants to hire or fire. Abramovich is a one-man band, a billionaire who has obviously done more right than wrong business-wise. And he is never questioned, a perk of being a billionaire.It is impossible to imagine a scenario where any of the Chelsea inner sanctum would stand up and say: "I'm sorry I think you are wrong." They can think it, but not say it.If winning silverware is the yardstick for whether the man at the top is making the right decisions, then Chelsea's continued success means Abramovich's erratic way is also the right way for this club. But there is a toxic atmosphere of growing negativity at the Bridge where the gap between supporters and the club is now a chasm, though not a single "Abramovich out" banner has been spotted.The fans boo just about anyone but the person they know they should jeer, shooting the messenger rather than the author. We want your money, but not necessarily you.The 2-0 defeat by Swansea was the fourth of Benitez's six home games in which Chelsea had failed to score. It didn't matter that Swansea's goals came from two howlers by Branislav Ivanovic, the finger of blame had to be pointed at Benitez. Supporters chanted "Jose Mourinho" and "Roberto Di Matteo," who were both sacked by Abramovich despite winning the title and Champions League, respectively. They can sing what they want, but it will not affect Abramovich in the slightest.The good news for the supporters is that Benitez's chances of becoming Chelsea's permanent manager are decreasing because Abramovich expects the Blues to win every competition, though even a regular supply of silverware has not stopped the Russian from opening the managerial exit door. Under Benitez, Chelsea lost the Club World Cup, it is facing defeat in the League Cup semifinal and bar a miracle will not win the Premier League. It may not be Benitez's fault, but that's the way life is at Chelsea.There were groans, putting it mildly, when Torres' name was read out on Wednesday and the inevitable criticism of Benitez for staying loyal to his fellow countryman. Torres was poor, but he is Chelsea's leading goal scorer with 14 in 32 matches, just under a goal every other game which is hardly the strike rate of a useless (fans' description, not mine) center-forward.Benitez's reason for waiting until the 81st minute to replace Torres with Demba Ba was that Chelsea was not playing badly (64 percent possession) and creating chances (20 to Swansea's four). Another thought is that he is under orders from above to play Torres.Where Benitez is blameless is the decision not to offer Lampard and possibly Ashley Cole a new contract, but if there is any flak flying at the Bridge these days, it finds the Spaniard like a heat-seeking missile.* * *BRADFORD CITY, eighth in League Two, is potentially 90 minutes from a place in next season's Europa League. No honest, it is.If — and it is a big if — Chelsea overcomes Swansea's 2-0 lead in the League Cup semifinal second leg and meets Bradford, which leads Aston Villa 3-1 from their first leg, in the Wembley final the team from the fourth level of English football will be the most unlikeliest of European qualifiers, as long as the Blues finish in the top four and claim a Champions League place.There have been derogatory comments in some quarters that Capital One, the American-based finance company, did not pay ?30 million to sponsor a Bradford vs. Swansea League Cup final. I am not alone in thinking it would be a far better, more popular and intriguing final than Chelsea vs. Aston Villa, which has a strong element of been there, seen it and done it about it.Under Michael Laudrup, Swansea has played some superb, open, attacking football and the Dane's tactics at Stamford Bridge were spot-on. In Michu, a ?2 million steal from Real Valladolid, the Swans have the bargain of the season with 16 goals in 25 matches. Ashley Williams' displays make him as good a defender as there is in the Premier League this season.In beating Wigan, Arsenal and Villa, Bradford has rightly won national praise, playing its one-touch slick passing style rather than route one pleasantly surprising those who do not watch Phil Parkinson's side regularly. There are some marvelous stories from the club, such as Matt Duke, the goalkeeper who has overcome testicular cancer to produce man of the match displays.Chelsea and Villa may yet ensure a more routine matchup at Wembley next month, but neutrals will hope for some new faces in Capital One's inaugural final.Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.
There were a number of reasons for the supporters' growing frustration, the sacking of the popular Roberto Di Matteo, the appointment of the extremely unpopular Rafa Benitez, Frank Lampard's pending departure, plus the interim manager's apparent blind faith in Fernando Torres, now relegated to No. 2 as the Stamford Bridge boo-boys' targets following the arrival of Benitez.The man responsible for these decisions and every major decision at Chelsea is not Buck, it is Roman Abramovich. All Chelsea fans are aware of this, the anger of those at the Bridge was misdirected and they know it. They refuse to vent their frustration at the real villain, presumably because they think the paymaster and his money might leave, so they take it out on people like Buck and Benitez.Buck and the board are not consulted about who the Russian wants to hire or fire. Abramovich is a one-man band, a billionaire who has obviously done more right than wrong business-wise. And he is never questioned, a perk of being a billionaire.It is impossible to imagine a scenario where any of the Chelsea inner sanctum would stand up and say: "I'm sorry I think you are wrong." They can think it, but not say it.If winning silverware is the yardstick for whether the man at the top is making the right decisions, then Chelsea's continued success means Abramovich's erratic way is also the right way for this club. But there is a toxic atmosphere of growing negativity at the Bridge where the gap between supporters and the club is now a chasm, though not a single "Abramovich out" banner has been spotted.The fans boo just about anyone but the person they know they should jeer, shooting the messenger rather than the author. We want your money, but not necessarily you.The 2-0 defeat by Swansea was the fourth of Benitez's six home games in which Chelsea had failed to score. It didn't matter that Swansea's goals came from two howlers by Branislav Ivanovic, the finger of blame had to be pointed at Benitez. Supporters chanted "Jose Mourinho" and "Roberto Di Matteo," who were both sacked by Abramovich despite winning the title and Champions League, respectively. They can sing what they want, but it will not affect Abramovich in the slightest.The good news for the supporters is that Benitez's chances of becoming Chelsea's permanent manager are decreasing because Abramovich expects the Blues to win every competition, though even a regular supply of silverware has not stopped the Russian from opening the managerial exit door. Under Benitez, Chelsea lost the Club World Cup, it is facing defeat in the League Cup semifinal and bar a miracle will not win the Premier League. It may not be Benitez's fault, but that's the way life is at Chelsea.There were groans, putting it mildly, when Torres' name was read out on Wednesday and the inevitable criticism of Benitez for staying loyal to his fellow countryman. Torres was poor, but he is Chelsea's leading goal scorer with 14 in 32 matches, just under a goal every other game which is hardly the strike rate of a useless (fans' description, not mine) center-forward.Benitez's reason for waiting until the 81st minute to replace Torres with Demba Ba was that Chelsea was not playing badly (64 percent possession) and creating chances (20 to Swansea's four). Another thought is that he is under orders from above to play Torres.Where Benitez is blameless is the decision not to offer Lampard and possibly Ashley Cole a new contract, but if there is any flak flying at the Bridge these days, it finds the Spaniard like a heat-seeking missile.* * *BRADFORD CITY, eighth in League Two, is potentially 90 minutes from a place in next season's Europa League. No honest, it is.If — and it is a big if — Chelsea overcomes Swansea's 2-0 lead in the League Cup semifinal second leg and meets Bradford, which leads Aston Villa 3-1 from their first leg, in the Wembley final the team from the fourth level of English football will be the most unlikeliest of European qualifiers, as long as the Blues finish in the top four and claim a Champions League place.There have been derogatory comments in some quarters that Capital One, the American-based finance company, did not pay ?30 million to sponsor a Bradford vs. Swansea League Cup final. I am not alone in thinking it would be a far better, more popular and intriguing final than Chelsea vs. Aston Villa, which has a strong element of been there, seen it and done it about it.Under Michael Laudrup, Swansea has played some superb, open, attacking football and the Dane's tactics at Stamford Bridge were spot-on. In Michu, a ?2 million steal from Real Valladolid, the Swans have the bargain of the season with 16 goals in 25 matches. Ashley Williams' displays make him as good a defender as there is in the Premier League this season.In beating Wigan, Arsenal and Villa, Bradford has rightly won national praise, playing its one-touch slick passing style rather than route one pleasantly surprising those who do not watch Phil Parkinson's side regularly. There are some marvelous stories from the club, such as Matt Duke, the goalkeeper who has overcome testicular cancer to produce man of the match displays.Chelsea and Villa may yet ensure a more routine matchup at Wembley next month, but neutrals will hope for some new faces in Capital One's inaugural final.Christopher Davies was a longtime Premier League correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.Rodgers aims to prove point
SAN FRANCISCO — The anxiety-filled green room and draft day seem so long ago now to Aaron Rodgers.Still, on this weekend, any lingering feelings of frustration about how far he dropped will be directed right at the team that passed him up with the No. 1 pick nearly eight years ago.Rodgers brings the high-scoring Green Bay Packers (12-5) to Candlestick Park on Saturday to face No. 2 seed San Francisco (11-4-1) in prime time for a place in the NFC Championship Game. He'll take the field in the very venue where he became a regular fan as a boy rooting for Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Steve Young.Rodgers, who appeared in a preseason game at Candlestick in 2008, will play his first meaningful game at the stadium at last, as an eighth-year pro. He will look to avenge a 30-22 season-opening home loss to the 49ers."It will be fun. I went to a few baseball games there growing up, and saw a game there when I was in college," Rodgers said. "Stadium's got a lot of tradition. Looks like we're kind of fortunate with the weather right now. Still wonder what that's going to be like."But it will be a night game, it will be loud, it will be a great environment and it should be a good show for the fans."Rodgers is putting on quite a show, all right.He returns to Northern California, where he became a college star for California across San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, with a healthy cast of receivers and the swagger of a Super Bowl champion.When Rodgers dropped to No. 24 in the 2005 draft after Alex Smith went No. 1, he was asked about his disappointment. He so matter-of-factly said, "not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn't draft me."Now, everybody in the Bay Area and beyond will be watching his every move again.He already upset some friends he couldn't accommodate with tickets. Family first, with everybody else making the 4-hour trek from his hometown of Chico left to fend for themselves.Most important, of course, is getting Green Bay one step closer to another Super Bowl. Last season's chance at a repeat championship came to a screeching halt at the hands of the Giants in this very round at Lambeau Field.The Giants came to San Francisco the next week and won the NFC title game, 20-17 in overtime.Just as the Niners moved on from that heartbreaking loss and used it as a motivational push each day this season, the same goes for Rodgers after being slighted by his beloved San Francisco on draft day."It's been a long time since the green room," Rodgers said. "I have a lot of good memories growing up watching Steve Young and Joe Montana on TV and the Super Bowl wins and being a 49ers fan. That was a team I enjoyed watching and dreamt about playing for. I'm eight years removed here, and obviously I'm really happy with the situation I'm in."A lot has changed in that time for San Francisco, too.The QB the 49ers picked ahead of Rodgers — Smith — spent the season's second half on the bench as coach Jim Harbaugh promoted second-year pro Colin Kaepernick, who is set to make his playoff debut on Saturday.In an odd twist, Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee and adopted before moving to California at age 4. Yes, he began as a toddler Cheesehead, then changed allegiances "when I got drafted," Kaepernick said.He has never met Rodgers.
Striker Ono, Rapinoe join Lyon
LYON, France — French club Lyon on Thursday signed Japan's World Cup striker Shinobu Ono and American midfielder Megan Rapinoe, two of the hottest properties in international women's soccer.Ono, who played in Japan's 2011 women's World Cup winning side, penned a 1?-year deal with an option for another season.A veteran of 101 internationals, with 38 goals, the 29-year-old Ono joins Lyon from INAC Kobe, the reigning Japanese champions.Rapinoe, 27, who was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Women's Player of the Year award, has joined until the end of the season.
Harumafuji awaits do-or-die fight at New Year Basho
If one thing is causing yokozuna Harumafuji to lose sleep, haunted by an eerie requiem, it is knowing that the powers that be would just as soon banish him from the ancient Japanese sport than have him disgrace the prized yokozuna rank.Entering only his second tournament at the top of the sumo's highest perch, Harumafuji is already dangerously close to plunging headlong over that precipice to a fate from whence there will be no deliverance: forced early retirement.With the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament kicking off this Sunday, the Mongolian dynamo must rekindle the same fire that burned so brightly last year when he won two consecutive tournaments with undefeated 15-0 marks to catapult himself to his current hegemony."I want to respond to peoples' expectations of me," said Harumafuji ahead of the Tokyo Basho at Ryogoku Kokugikan, which is held annually over the last fortnight in January. "I want to work hard all year, and have a nice present for myself in the end."After eking out a barely permissible 9-6 record at the Kyushu Basho in November, and becoming the first yokozuna in history to lose his final five bouts, responding to expectations is the least being asked of him; he must also continue to be an able foil to rival yokozuna Hakuho.The Japan Sumo Association's Yokozuna Deliberation Council, the same body that recommended him to become sumo's 70th grand champion, is now demanding that Harumafuji at least win 10 bouts with the tacit understanding that anything less would be grounds for an involuntary farewell from the raised ring."As a yokozuna, you at least have to be able to get double digits wins, or you don't qualify," Takuhiko Tsuruta, who heads the JSA's deliberation council, has said.At his first practice of the year on Jan. 4, deliberation council member Tanosuke Sawamura did not mince his words, saying, "A small wrestler like Harumafuji has to become a yokozuna of technique. We want him to produce results that will allow him to preserve his rank."Harumafuji said he was awakened by a nightmare the night before practice. He sprinkled purification salt over his head and shoulders to ward off evil following his sparring session."I was just hoping the morning would come quickly. I had a bad dream, so I think it means that something good will happen."Harumafuji, who caught a cold near the end of the year and whose training has been scant of late, began to pick up the pace in the final week before the tournament.He went 5-5 against Hakuho, albeit at the perfunctory annual sparring demonstration in front of the deliberation council at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Monday.But he earned brickbats from one of the JSA's stablemasters for shoving Kisenosato in the face ex post facto, having already sent the ozeki out of the ring in a frontal force out in a practice session at Tokyo's Oguruma stable the following day."A yokozuna can't do things like that. This is a contest," said Matsugane, who is a deputy director on the JSA's officiating committee.The 28-year-old Harumafuji, who at 133 kg is the lightest in the elite makuuchi division, can hardly be blamed for his firebrand style though; he is well-known for lightning-bolt strikes getting out of hand, perhaps his only recourse to compensate for his relatively small frame.Although feeling the effects of a series of injuries suffered during the Kyushu Basho, including pain in both ankles and a right-calf muscle strain, there can be no excuses after his now-famous debacle."If he had produced a good record in his first basho as yokozuna, then things would be easier for him in the second one. This is going to be a tough meet for Harumafuji. He'll have to take off from the start," said former yokozuna Kitanofuji, who works as a sumo television analyst on NHK.For Hakuho, meanwhile, another milestone is within his grasp as he aims to win back-to-back tournaments and his 24th career title, a feat that would place him in the same company as former yokozuna and current JSA Chairman Kitanoumi.Baruto, who has been demoted to sumo's third-highest rank of sekiwake after pulling out of two consecutive basho, needs 10 wins to regain his ozeki status but the Estonian goliath has not fully recovered from an injury to his left hamstring.Expectations are high that ozeki Kisenosato will finally hit pay dirt with his first Emperor's Cup trophy, but he needs to rectify his high posture and minimize his inconsistencies.Fellow Japanese ozeki Kotoshogiku is still feeling the remnants of a recent cold and a long way from full strength.Sekiwake Goeido won 11 bouts in Kyushu, setting himself up for a genuine shot at ozeki promotion. He can put himself in the running for consideration with another dominant performance at the Tokyo meet.
MLB announces HGH testing
PARADISE VALLEY, Arizona — Major League Baseball will test for human growth hormone throughout the regular season and increase efforts to detect abnormal levels of testosterone, a decision the NFL used to pressure its players.Baseball players were subject to blood testing for HGH during spring training last year, and Thursday's agreement between management and the Major League Baseball Players Association expands that throughout the season. Those are in addition to urine tests for other performance-enhancing drugs.Under the changes to baseball's drug agreement, the World Anti-Doping Agency laboratory in Laval, Quebec, will keep records of each player, including his baseline ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, and will conduct Carbon Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) tests of any urine specimens that "vary materially.""This is a proud and a great day for baseball," commissioner Bud Selig said following two days of owners' meetings. "We'll continue to be a leader in this field and do what we have to do."The announcement came one day after steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa failed to gain election to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Radwanska continues roll, makes Sydney final
SYDNEY — Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska has advanced to the Sydney International final, running her 2013 winning streak to eight matches with a 6-3, 6-4 win on Thursday over former French Open champion Li Na.Radwanska, who lost in last year's Wimbledon final to Serena Williams, won the Auckland WTA tournament last week and goes into next week's Australian Open as the fourth-seeded player.The Pole wasn't feeling pressure to extend her winning streak."Actually when I was going on court, of course if I win, great; if not, I mean, not that big deal because I really had a lot of matches here and in Auckland," she said. "I'm really ready for the Australian Open. It's always hard to say, but I think of course winning two tournaments in a row is a good thing."Radwanska will play Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in Friday's final. Cibulkova beat second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.In men's action, young Australian Bernard Tomic took a major step toward winning his first career ATP Tour title by downing defending champion Jarkko Nieminen.The 20-year-old, ranked 64th, clawed back from dropping the opening set to oust the Finn, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2 in a night quarter-final.Tomic will take on either Italian third seed Andreas Seppi or Spanish eighth seed Marcel Granollers in Friday's semi.Tomic's only previous tour semifinal ended in defeat against Andy Murray last January in Brisbane."I'm ready to go for tomorrow's semifinal," Tomic said. "I'm really confident now and I got a shot to get into the final for the first time in my career.""So the next match is a big match and I'm going to do everything I can to win tomorrow."To get the chance to play (my) first Tour event final and to do it in Australia is going to be unbelievable, but I've got to play two quality players to do so."The towering Kevin Anderson earlier Thursday became the first South African to reach the Sydney semifinals in nine years with victory over Denis Istomin.The 36th-ranked Anderson accounted for the Uzbek 6-4, 6-3 in 84 minutes and will face last year's finalist Julien Benneteau of France in Friday's last four.The last South African to reach the final four was Wayne Ferreira.Benneteau, who lost to Nieminen in last year's final, was too strong for American qualifier Ryan Harrison, winning 6-4, 6-2.
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