TOP 100 SPORT SITES
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| The Bell Tolls: In NFL, contract talks a test of patience, strategy Randy Moss typically isn't the one to spill his guts to a room full of reporters. In fact, for the bulk of his career, the New England Patriots ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Daily Playoff Pitch: Giants the big winners; Tampa Bay has an advantage Tampa Bay positioned itself for a big finish. Look who has the best record in baseball (hint: They don't play in the AL East). If it's Friday ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Adlington wins gold in 800m freestyle • Adlington adds Commonwealth title to Olympic gold• British swimmer led from the start in DelhiRebecca Adlington added the 800m freestyle Commonwealth title to her Olympic gold as she dominated from start to finish at the Dr SP Mukherjee Aquatics Complex in Delhi.The 21-year-old was second fastest in the heats, behind Wendy Trott, and had claimed on Twitter to be suffering from "Delhi belly", but she was already more than two seconds ahead after 200m.The Nova Centurion swimmer stretched that lead to seven metres at halfway before Trott started making inroads, trying to chase down the double Olympic gold medallist.However, Adlington was too far ahead and was never seriously threatened, touching in 8min 24.69sec ahead of Trott and Australia's Melissa Gorman."It was just about getting out there. I am so much more comfortable when I am out in front," Adlington said. "At 400 I thought there was no way that Wendy was going to catch me so I thought I would ease back a bit and control the race."Adlington was relieved that she had managed to cope with the pressure of being such a big pre-race favourite. "It is the mental pressure I put on myself because I want it so badly. I have got the pressure because I have experienced the feeling of being on top and worry that I might never experience that feeling again. I've got to enjoy the feeling of wins like these."Rebecca AdlingtonCommonwealth Games 2010Swimmingguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Merriman's run with Chargers ends By 2010-10-13T17:17:58ZSAN DIEGO (AP) -- Shawne Merriman's career with the San Diego Chargers is over.... hosted.ap.org |
Man City 3-1 Lech Poznan Emmanuel Adebayor became the first Manchester City player to score a European hat-trick on a night when David Silva's elusive movement and adhesive touch proved far too good for a spirited Lech Poznan.The Togolese striker's first three goals of a hitherto personally mixed season propelled his team to the top of Europa League qualifying Group A while reminding the home crowd of the talents that have been largely held back during the opening part of the season and the second half of the previous campaign.This amounted to his best performance of 2010 by some distance in terms of troubling opposition defenders and it was achieved with an accomplished sense of timing amid all the noise about Roberto Mancini wanting to spend a potential fortune on Wayne Rooney and with Adebayor's former club, Arsenal, next to visit Eastlands on Sunday."His performance was excellent," Mancini said. "It was very important for him, and very important for us, that he played like that. A striker needs to score goals and we need Manu to be playing well."Silva was equally impressive, also identified for special acclaim from his manager. "David makes it look easy to play football," Mancini said. "Everything for him is easy. He's a fantastic footballer."This, however, will be remembered as the night Adebayor rediscovered his form inside the penalty area, from the moment after 13 minutes when he applied a neat drag-back to Patrick Vieira's pass and opened the scoring with a composed finish.Silva, the £25m signing from Valencia, had been involved in the build-up for that goal and it was his cross, coupled with some wretched marking, that gave Adebayor the space to score his second from a free header.At that point it looked as if Poznan's loud and boisterous supporters might have feared a repeat of their team's sole previous visit to England, when they were thrashed 4-0 at Liverpool in the European Cup 26 years ago. However, the visitors, creditably, were not about to fold.There were some sporadically promising counterattacks while Mancini's defenders needed to maintain their concentration from the odd well-worked Polish set piece. They did not start the evening as group leaders for nothing and the second period had barely begun before a goal was pulled back.For a team that places so much emphasis on parsimonious defending, it was a terrible goal to concede from City's perspective. The entire defence seemed to pause when Slawomir Peszko capitalised on a mistake from Adam Johnson only to be brought down in the box in a challenge from Joleon Lescott. It was as if everyone in a blue shirt expected a penalty to be awarded when, in reality, play had been waved on.Pablo Zabaleta was particularly culpable, dithering on the ball and, when it eventually fell to Joel Tshibamba, the unmarked striker lashed it into Joe Hart's net. Ignoring the Mancunian chill, the away fans celebrated by whipping their shirts off.Suddenly looking his age, Vieira seemed a fading force at this point and Poznan sought to capitalise by finally liberating their key forward and principal midfielder, Artjoms Rudnevs – the scorer of a recent hat-trick against Juventus – and Semir Stilic from their surprising start positions on the bench.Mancini looked increasingly stern as Tshibamba missed a sitter before Silva and Johnson – who later struck the bar with an exquisite effort – set up Adebayor only for the striker to be denied a hat-trick by a heavy first touch and wild finish.It was out of keeping with his evening but he made amends in the 73rd minute when Silva, later given a standing ovation when he was substituted, picked him out with a glorious, subtly curving ball from the left to half-volley his hat-trick.A banner unfurled by City fans before kick-off proclaimed "2011: The Wait Is Over". Whether its intention was to forecast Mancini's side will lift the Europa League trophy, win the Premier League title or sign Rooney was unclear but optimism at Eastlands is currently running as high as they dare to remember.Europa LeagueManchester CityLech PoznanDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |