Instant Action Sports

By Claudia Beckford

The United States Soccer League 2008 season recently began; both conferences’ teams have played a total of 7 games and already we can see some very important point differences amongst the groups; for example: in the Eastern Conference the Chicago Fires lead by 16 points closely followed by Columbus; and in third, fourth and fifth place we find Kansas City, Toronto FC and New England respectively all with 10 points each. On the other hand; in the Western Conference the point gap is evidently smaller as Colorado and Dallas lead by 9 points each and the Galaxy stands in the third position followed by Salt Lake and Chivas USA with five points total.

The current MLS champions the Houston Dynamo has been this season’s major surprise as the team just does not seem to find the answer to get back on track; they have lost two of their six games and only last weekend the team was not able to win over Chivas USA as they draw without any goals. But their next to be rival scoreboard leader Colorado Rapids regained some confidence after the recent win over D.C United placing themselves back at the top. We will see these two teams facing each other next Saturday May 10th at the Robertson Stadium in Texas.

The Los Angeles Galaxy which is one of the most well known teams in the MLS due to the last year’s acquisition of the English former Real Madrid player David Beckham; will give lots to talk about during the present campaign as the team’s stars Beckham and Donovan are becoming the unquestionable duo; together they have achieved 11 of the 13 goals done by the Galaxy. Additionally, they count with the best offensive numbers but the rest of the squad is aware they whole team needs to engage in the same tune in order to be completely successful.

“I feel like we have the ability to [outscore anybody]. Every game is different,” said Mike Randolph. “Sometimes things don’t go your way, or you have a bad game. But I think we really do have the ability to put some high scoring games on the table like the Chivas game. I think we have the ability to do some amazing things.”

The New York Red Bulls will be the next rival the Galaxy will have to overcome; they meet on Saturday May 10 in Los Angeles, California.

Eastern Conference leader the Chicago Fire took great advantage of their match against D.C. United this past Wednesday as the team’s coach Denis Hamlett put to the test the 4-5-1 formation… moving players like Chris Rolfe next to Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the midfield and Barrett leading the top. Doubtless; Blanco has become an important piece of the puzzle as he has to his name three goals so far in the season and continues to seal his presence on the field taking all and every opportunity he is given. The game took place at the RFK Stadium with a 2-0 victory in favour of the Chicago Fire.

About the author:

Claudia Beckford provides current MLS 2008 Season content as well as information in the sports betting industry. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

Technorati Tags: United States Soccer League, Eastern Conference, Chicago Fires, Columbus, Kansas City, Toronto FC, New England, Western Conference, Dallas, Galaxy, Salt Lake, Chivas USA, MLS, Houston Dynamo, Colorado Rapids, Real Madrid, David Beckham, New York Red Bulls, Chris Rolfe, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chicago Fire

By Emeli Dean

The Italian football player Francesco Flachi’s negative verdict of a sixteen month suspension was already pronounced last year but hadn’t been made definite because the Italian Olympic Committee had raised an objection. The reason for the verdict was the failure of a drug test taken from the 31-year-old forward after a home game from his team U.C. Sampdoria against the Italian champion Inter Milan on January 28th 2007. The founded drug was cocaine. Flachi declared back then that the drug had been in a cigarette which an unknown person offered him. After over one year the International Court of Arbitration for Sport has officially confirmed the suspension and increased it even to a two year ban.

In the past years Flachi already hit one or two headlines. After finding out that Flachi and some of his team mates had passed on internal information about possible game moves to gamblers in September 2006 the Italian Football League suspended him for two month. 

Football is today one of the most popular and worldwide most played sport and doping is extremely rare. That’s what we thought but actually not the truth. In the past years there were detected several cases all over the world. Within the Football World Cups there were so far four international players tested positive: 1974 Ernest Jean Joseph from Haiti, 1978 Willie Johnston from Scotland, 1986 Ramon Caldere from Spain and 1994 the back then 33-year-old Football icon Diego Maradona from Argentina failed a drug test as well. In his blood was found a high dose of the substance Ephedrin. Maradona was also having drug problems in his private live. In 2000 he even suffered from a heart attack caused by an overdose of cocaine.

Some cases have appeared in Germany as well. Of course everybody first denied any contact with this topic but several former football players and coaches confessed that they were involved in doping. The former football player and one of the worldwide best keepers in the ‘80s Harald Anton Schumacher, who everybody just called Toni, published 1987 as a form of interim result of his career the book “Kickoff” with the subtitle “Disclosure about the German Bundesliga”.

The today 54-year-old had made several reproaches to players, coaches and functionaries. He wrote for example that Eike Immel is a compulsive gambler, Olaf Thon is a lazy player and Paul Breitner is a smoker and drinker. He wrote as well about the topic doping in the Bundesliga. He admitted that he was trying out drugs in the practice. His statement was that he wanted it to stop. After that the drug test was introduced. But not everyone wanted to just accept his statements so he had has to bear the consequences.

After a board-meeting of the German Football Association the former president declared that Schumacher will not draft in the national team anymore due to the existing situation. After his 15-year career with the German Club 1.FC Köln he also had to leave his team and switched abroad.

In the past month more and more former players began to speak and start to remember that players in their vicinity were taking incited substances.

About the Author
Emeli Dean is a high-ranking writer on sports for the
football betting industry. You can also find more of his work at http: www.instantactionsports.com

Feel free to reprint this article in its whole on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

Technorati Tags: Francesco Flachi, Olympic Committee, drug, U.C. Sampdoria, Inter Milan, cocaine, International Court of Arbitration, Italian Football League, Diego Maradona, Ephedrin, heart attack, Schumacher, German Bundesliga, gambler, FC Köln

By: Cindy Ferguson
  

Chris Lofton was very fortunate unlike many others who don’t have the opportunity to beat the odds and he now feels more than overwhelmed with his unstoppable success.
In the beginning of his career things did not look very promising; but Tennessee took him in and he was the man that helped the Vols get back in play and hand by hand; both he and his team headed towards success, while no one knew what he was going thru.
  

The 22-year-old and 200 pound guard guided his team to a 31 game school record this past season and were placed at the top spot of the polls for the first time in history making their second straight Sweet 16 appearance.
  

Although, the 6 foot 2 youngster had much success while wearing his number 5 jersey, his biggest and greatest defeat was off the courts. Lofton was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of 2006; he had a cancerous tumor removed during a secret surgery from one of his testicles on March 28, 2007.
  

The cancer was unbelievably discovered after he was chosen randomly after the first round win over Long Beach State to submit an NCAA mandatory drug test that doesn’t even test for anything like that; reason why people now refer to it as the miracle test because if he had not been chosen he might not have lived to tell the tale.
  

Unfortunately; the test came back positive after having blood work and an ultra sound done but the Tennessee officials were not notified until the day after the Ohio State game. 
  

Lofton was very good at preventing other teams from reaching their goals with his patented step back 3 pointers; but he was now about to face the fight of his life and the question was if he was going to be able to stop the cancer.
  

Like many men, he is not one to get tear eyed in front of people but admitted that he cried more this past year than he has in his entire life. For many people it was a shock when they found out that he went thru this painful and scary situation with hardly anyone knowing. 
  

The diagnosis, surgery, radiation, treatments, recovery and emotional distress was all kept undercover to comply his wishes. Lofton is known as a very reserved person and he didn’t want excuses from or about anyone.
  

It is an immense suffering to handle and his passion for the sport and love for the team was what made him not want his news to be exposed. He felt it would distract the team and make things change and he did not want that to happen. Even many of his family members had no clue of what he was going on.
  

His motivation came from his mother and father and his faithfulness towards the team. Even though some days he felt that he could not move his body he just kept going. Lofton has finished with his treatment and is now cancer-free although he will have to be monitored for the rest of his life.
  

Besides the fact of having defeating such a critical condition, the most amazing thing is how he dealt with it and how he managed to continue to play and not let his personal problems get in the way of his dreams. Lofton is now more determined than ever to pursue a professional basketball career and if cancer didn’t stop him I’m sure nothing will. 
  

About the Author
Cindy Ferguson is a high-ranking sports writer for NCAA Basketball games and the sports betting industry.  Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

Technorati Tags: Chris Lofton, Tennessee, Vols, Sweet 16, cancerous tumor, testicles, Long Beach State, NCAA, Ohio State, cancer, basketball

By Emeli Dean

The nine-year-old son of the former Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher participated last April 13th 2008 for his first time in an official go-kart race for young talented drivers between seven and eleven years old in Spain close to the Catalonian city Gerona.

The race was part of the Spanish Kart Series ‘Open RACC[tag]’ which is organized by the same-named Spanish Automobile Association. RACC is comparable with the [tag]German ADAC or the British RAC. The Kart Series offers ten different races in five meetings which take place once a month between March and August this year. The race on the Sils Circuit was already the second meeting of the Series. The Series is supposed to open a chance for young talents to enter in the Formula 1 one day. The registration fees for all five meetings aggregate to 290 Euros. These fees do not only justify for the participation but also include the costs for the provision of go-karts, required equipment and technical support. The winner of the Series will receive a scholarship for the next season.

Michael started his kart career very early as well as his father gave him a converted kettcar with motor when he was just four years old. It was tested immediately at the go-kart track located in the neighborhood which was built in 1964. With just five years he won his first title as back then youngest go-kart driver from Germany.

The kart race was after all not Michael’s idea. Actually he hoped that his son would rather play golf or tennis one day. Besides he did not want to expose his son to the stress it may cause him: “I can’t imagine my son to follow in my footsteps. If you think on what the journalists could think, do and ask and under how much pressure he would be until he gets out of my shadow. It would be a heavy burden.”  But after Mick already trained hard on the own go-kart track in Kerpen he could not refuse his son’s wish.

Since there has been one or two headlines about Michael’s participation in different motorsports events in the past month, the family wanted to keep the go-kart race as secret as possible. For this reason Mick started under his mother’s maiden name and was called Mick Betsch. At his first official race he was accompanied by his grandfather who is the current ambassador of the German Republic in Argentina. To preserve the secrecy his parents stayed home.

Despite his talent Schumacher Jr. received only rank eight and ten in the two runs. In total he received 52 points after all from a maximum achievable amount of 70 points by winning both runs.

Since Mick was accompanied by several security forces he drew the attention of the Spanish journalist from the sports magazine ‘AS’ and was exposed. It is not certain if Mick will also participate in the last three meetings. The next race will be on May 25th at the Osana Circuit in the Spanish Catalonia as well.

About the Author
Emeli Dean is a high-ranking writer on sports for the
football betting industry. You can also find more of his work at http: www.instantactionsports.com
 
Feel free to reprint this article in its whole on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

Technorati Tags: Formula 1, World Champion, Michael Schumacher, go-kart, Gerona, Open RACC[tag]’ which is organized by the same-named Spanish Automobile Association. RACC is comparable with the [tag]German ADAC, British RAC, Kerpen, motorsports, Mick Betsch, Schumacher Jr., Osana Circuit

By Claudia Beckford

The Kentucky Derby is one of the major thoroughbred horse racing events in the United States. This 1¼ miles dirt race was created in 1780 and now it takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

The race is also known as “the Run of the Roses” and it pays a $2.0 million dollar purse. The last two races ran at the track have delivered two exceptional winners; Barbaro in 2006 and Street Sense in 2007. Colt Barbaro from Lael Stables will always be remembered as one of the best horses to win this prestigious race; especially after his unpleasant incident at the Preakness the same year which ended the horse racing career.

The 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense owned by James B. Tafel railed through his racing career as an amazing horse earning more than $4 million dollars previous to its retirement last October 2007.

The 134th edition of the Kentucky Derby will be next May 3rd 2008 and the race is expected to be an unpredictable surprise for the horse racing world.  Amongst some of the most popular names that will be part of this year event are: Pyro and  Z Fortune both trained by the well-known Steve Asmussen whose training career dates back from 1986 and whose background include victories at Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Remington Park, Keeneland and Lone Star.

Without a question Pyro leads the pack with more than $1.0 million dollars in earnings and a racing record of 7-3-2-1, the horse will be raided by jockey Shaun Bridgmohan. Despite, his stumble at the Blue Grass where he finished in the eleven position he is a heavy favourite. Other strong contestants are; Tale of Ekati whose breeder and owner is Charles Fipke, followed by Colonel John that has achieved three quarters of a million dollars in career earnings and Gayego and Big Brown.

The 3-year-old Big Brown has made some recent news after his five-length romp in the Florida Derby and has awaked the possibility to become the horse to beat at the race.

Let’s not forget the Santa Anta Derby winner Colonel John but there are some aspects such as the surface which will be ran that leave a big question mark in front of our eyes; the horse’s previous races were on Polytrack not dirt besides adding the extra pressure of the event itself.

“For some of those horses that have never run on dirt, obviously people are going to be watching their dirt works with interest at Churchill,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who will run at least two horses (Cowboy Cal and Monba) in the Derby. “It looks to me like the form of the West Coast has held up very well. I thought Gayego winning the Arkansas Derby was a pretty good hint that the California group is very good and that they can transfer their form from a synthetic surface out there to a dirt surface.   
 
Nevertheless; there are just few days before the race we will follow most closely and enjoy to the best; these will certainly be “the best two minutes in sport”.