MINNEAPOLIS ,  Minn. – In a pulsating battle for the 2009 USA 10 Mile Championship hosted by the Medtronic TC 10 on Sunday morning, defending 2007 champion Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz. finally vanquished gutsy Minnesotan Josh Moen to win his fourth USA title at the distance.

Abdirahman, 32, bettered his own event record of 47:34 with a 46:35 clocking on the challenging Minneapolis to St. Paul course. Moen, a former NCAA Division III star, led the three-time Olympian in the race’s final mile, but finished three seconds adrift at 46:38.

Moen’s USA Team Minnesota teammates Patrick Smyth and Jason Lehmkuhle finished third and fourth, respectively in 47:09 and 47:16. Pre-race co-favorite Anthony Famiglietti finished seventh in 48:09 and was never a factor in the contest.

The race, which opens with steeply downhill opening miles, followed by a fierce climb to the three-mile mark, was on pace for a sub-46-minute finish through five miles thanks to Abdirahman’s aggressive early pacesetting and Moen’s combativeness.

Each of the races first five miles were run in under 4:40. Conditions for the contest were ideal: overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-40s.

Starting on the climb in the third mile, whenever Abdirahman pressed the pace, Moen would respond with his own surge once the pace slackened.

“You respond, you stare right back at him,” Moen explained. “You don’t give and inch at all and sometimes you surge right back on him.”

The duel Moen and Abdirahman waged dropped Smyth and Lehmkuhle, the last of the contenders, shortly after the 4 mile mark. In the middle miles, Abdirahman, now an eight-time USA road titlist with 27:16 10,000 meter bona fides, seemed on the cusp of breaking the 27-year-old Iowa native, but Moen refused to succumb.

At seven miles, unfathomably, Moen opened a 10-meter gap on Abdirahman. But Abdirahman, himself, refused to be broken, taking back the lead in the eighth mile. Moen made a last bid for victory in the final mile, but the Somali-born University of Arizona grad fought back, opened a slim lead heading into the long, downhill Twin Cities finish, and defended his hard-earned margin to the finish line.

Despite the obvious effort, Abdirahman claimed he knew the race was his to win throughout.

“I was just running my own race, trying to stay comfortable,” said the four-time USA 10,000 meter champion who earned $10,000. “That was the race plan for me – not to run too hard. It just turned out Josh ran a great race today.”

Abdirahman, Moen, and Lehmkuhle will meet again in four weeks at the USA Men’s Marathon Championships at the ING New York City Marathon.

11th Medtronic TC 10 Mile: USA Men’s Championship 
Minneapolis, MN, Sunday, October 4, 2009

MEN


1) Abdi Abdirahman (AZ), 46:35, $10,000


2) Joshua Moen (MN), 46:38, $6000


3) Patrick Smyth (MN), 47:09, $4000


4) Jason Lehmkuhle (MN), 47:16, $2000


5) Ian Burrell (AZ), 47:41, $1000


6) Max King (OR), 47:58, $750


7) Anthony Famiglietti (TN), 48:09, $500


Mike Spence (UT), 48:13, $275


9) Craig Curley (AZ), 48:15, $250


10) Joshua Eberly (CO), 48:26, $225

WOMEN


1) Rachel Booth (CA), 57:33


2) Claudia Becque (IL), 58:08


3) Jenna Boren (MN), 58:21

Source:

Olympians, we’ll see you on Copacabana beach in 2016. Let Carnival begin.

On a chilly Danish evening of high drama, the IOC on Friday sent the games of the 31st Olympiad to Brazil‘s bustling, fun-loving but crime-ridden city of beaches and mountains, romance and slums.

The IOC closed its eyes to the risks — the huge projected costs of the Rio Games, the concerns about how athletes will get around and where people will sleep — to focus on the reward of lighting the Olympic cauldron in one of the last corners of the globe yet to be bathed by its light.

“It is Brazil’s time,” said the country’s charismatic president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Chicago was knocked out in the first round — in one of the most shocking defeats ever handed down by the committee of former Olympians, sports administrators, royals and other VIPs.

While blues legend Buddy Guy twanged “Sweet Home Chicago” in a promotional video the city played to the IOC, bad blood between the committee and its U.S. branch — they’ve had flare-ups over revenue sharing and lucrative broadcasting rights — proved to be a note of discord. IOC members said the slap to Chicago was more directed at the U.S. Olympic Committee than to the Windy City itself.

The win was decisive: Rio beat Madrid by 66 votes to 32.

Chicago got just 18 votes in the first round, with Tokyo squeezing into the second round with 22. Madrid was leading after the first round with 28 votes, while Rio had 26.

In the second round, Tokyo was eliminated with just 20 votes. Madrid got 29, qualifying it for the final round face-off with Rio, which by then already had a strong lead with 46 votes.

The indignity suffered by Chicago — long considered a front-runner — was such that some IOC members squirmed. Obama flew overnight from Washington to sell his adoptive hometown and its plans for Olympic competition on Lake Michigan’s windy shores to the IOC. First lady Michelle Obama, with talk show hostOprah Winfrey and sports stars in tow, jetted in first and spent two days buttering up IOC members, an essential part of the secretive and unpredictable selection process.

IOC members seemed wowed, posing for photos with her and taking souvenir shots of the president with their cell phones. But, in the vote, Chicago was shunned.

Obama called Silva to congratulate him, but the nature of the loss still rang as a stinging anti-American rebuke. Close to half of the IOC’s 106 members are Europeans.

“To have the president of the United States and his wife personally appear, then this should happen in the first round is awful and totally undeserving,” senior Australian IOC member Kevan Gosper said.

French IOC member Guy Drut said “an excess of security” for the Obamas unsettled some of his colleagues. He complained that he’d been barred from crossing the lobby of his hotel for security reasons, and he grumbled that “nothing has been done” to resolve the financial disputes between the IOC and the USOC.

Of Obama’s performance, Drut said: “He didn’t do too much. Michelle Obama was exceptional.”

“This morning the city was closed because of Barack Obama,” he added.

In Chicago, there was bewildered silence when IOC president Jacques Rogge announced: “The city of Chicago, having obtained the least number of votes, will not participate in the next round.”

On Rio’s Copacabana beach, where nearly 50,000 people roared when the winning city was announced, the party headed into the night.

Rio spoke to IOC members’ consciences: the city argued that it was simply unfair that South America has never hosted the games, while Europe, Asia and North America have done so repeatedly.

“It is a time to address this imbalance,” Silva told the IOC before it delivered its verdict. “It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country.”

Madrid’s surprising success in reaching the final round came after former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch made a morbid appeal for the Spanish capital, reminding IOC members as he asked for their vote that, at age 89, “I am very near the end of my time.”

Samaranch ran the IOC for 21 years before Rogge took over in 2001.

Beating three rich, more developed nations that had all previously held the games represented a giant, morale-boosting coup for Brazil. The emerging nation is bounding up the ranks of the world’s biggest economies but still has millions of people living in poverty.

Like a football team before a big final, Rio’s bid leaders and Silva held hands in silent prayer before walking out to deliver a flawless and impassioned presentation. A bid official said Silva’s last words of encouragement were “let’s stay calm, and stick with our plan.”

Brazil’s central bank governor reeled off impressive statistics about an economy predicted to be the world’s fifth-largest by 2016. The state governor pledged that taxes would not be raised for the games and played down safety concerns. Computer-generated bird’s-eye images of how venues will spread across the city, with sailing in the shadow of Sugar Loaf mountain and volleyball on Copacabana, provided the wow factor.

Then Silva delivered the knockout.

“Among the top 10 economies of the world, Brazil is the only country that has not hosted the Olympic andParalympic Games,” he said. “For the Olympic movement, it will be an opportunity to feel the warmth of our people, the exuberance of our culture, the sun of our joy and it will also be a chance to send a powerful message to the whole world: The Olympic Games belong to all peoples, to all continents and to all humanity.”

Silva, a bearded former union leader, disappeared into a huge group hug with the joyous Rio team after Rogge announced that the city had won. Football great Pele had tears in his eyes. Brazil will now hold the world’s two biggest sporting events in the space of just two years: in 2014, it is hosting the World Cup.

“There was absolutely no flaw in the bid,” Rogge said.

Now, Africa and Antarctica are the only continents never to have been awarded an Olympics.

“We have sent out a message that we want to go global,” IOC member Gerhard Heiberg said.

Obama held out the enticing prospect of a Chicago games helping to reconnect the United States with the world after the presidency of George W. Bush. He told the IOC that the “full force of the White House” would be applied so “visitors from all around the world feel welcome and will come away with a sense of the incredible diversity of the American people.”

An uncomfortable moment came during Chicago’s presentation when an IOC member from Pakistan, Syed Shahid Ali, noted that going through U.S. customs can be harrowing for foreigners. Obama responded that he wanted a Chicago games to offer “a reminder that America at its best is open to the world.”

But the IOC’s last two experiences in the United States were bad: the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were sullied by a bribery scandal and logistical problems and a bombing hit the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

Former IOC member Kai Holm said the brevity of Obama’s appearance — he was in and out in five hours — may have hurt Chicago.

“Too businesslike,” Holm said. “It can be that some IOC members see it as a lack of respect.”

IOC members said Asian voters may have banded together, at Chicago’s expense, in the first round in favor of Tokyo, which offered reassurances of financial security, with $4 billion already banked for the games.

“The whole thing doesn’t make sense other than there has been a stupid bloc vote,” Gosper said.

The last U.S. city to bid for the Summer Games, New York, did scarcely better. It was ousted in the second round in the 2005 vote that gave the 2012 Games to London.

Now, Chicago can only rue what might have been.

And Rio … well, what an excuse for a party.

___

AP Sports Writer Stephen Wilson in London, AP National Writer Nancy Armour and Associated Press writers Jan Olsen and Graham Dunbar in Copenhagen contributed to this report.

Juan Martin Del Potro celebrates after beating Roger Federer during the final on Monday.

The 20-year-old Argentinean took the Swiss world No. 1 to five sets, including two tie-breakers that went Del Potro’s way, winning 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

Del Potro’s win, which took four hours and six minutes, ended Federer’s five-year reign at the U.S. Open. Federer, 28, was seeking his sixth consecutive U.S. Open win, which would have equaled the feat achieved in 1925 by American Bill Tilden, who then went on to claim his seventh U.S. Open title in 1929.

Already this year Federer won the French Open and Wimbledon titles and was Australian Open runner-up.

Federer claimed the opening set after leading 3-0 at the beginning, Press Association Sport reported, and he achieved an early break in the opening game of the second set as well.

However, Del Potro broke back when Federer was serving for the second set at 5-4 up, with the set eventually going to a tie-break.

Federer had never lost a tie-break in a U.S. Open final, winning his four previous ones, but Del Potro ended that sequence by taking the tie-break 7-5 to tie the scores.

The third set included a failed challenge by Del Potro, an angry response by Federer to the chair umpire, and a couple double-faults by Del Potro to give Federer the set, according to Press Association.

Del Potro returned to form in the fourth set that saw Federer near victory but not attain it. The set went to a tie-breaker that Del Potro won.

Del Potro sped to a 5-2 lead in the fifth set, and with Federer serving, the game went to deuce before Federer double-faulted and then overshot a backhand, resulting in Del Potro’s first Grand Slam victory.

Del Potro won more points than Federer, who had 11 double-faults — as well as 13 aces.

Del Potro, a quarterfinalist last year, had reached the finals after beating 16th seed Marin Cilic of Croatia in the quarterfinals and then crushing third-seed Rafael Nadal of Spain in the semifinals. After defeating Nadal, Del Potro had then called the victory “the best moment of my life.”

Source: CNN

Bolt received a commemorative slab of the Berlin Wall as he celebrated his world championship success.

“I didn’t see this coming,” Bolt told CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen. “I guess it’s competition. I keep telling people competition is good for the sport. I had to be at my best, and I was at my best.”

During the championships, Bolt smashed his own 100 meter world record with a time of 9.58 seconds. In the 200 meters, Bolt took gold in a phenomenal 19.19 seconds, shaving just a tenth of a second off the mark he set in winning the competition at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

He also nabbed a third gold in the 4 x 100 meter relay on the penultimate day of the championships on Saturday, running the third leg for Jamaica.

“My secret’s just hard work and dedication,” Bolt told CNN. “I’m really dedicated to being a champion. I want to be a legend, so I have to work really hard.”

Bolt told a cheering crowd at a news conference in the German capital, “I will never forget being here.”

He told CNN he has been training for this ever since 2007, when he suffered defeat at the Osaka world championships.

He and his coach analyzed that performance, and he went back and worked on some aspects of his sprinting, he told CNN.

How much faster can he go? “I don’t know,” Bolt, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Friday, told CNN.
Don’t Miss

* Bolt smashes 200m record to claim gold
* Richards finally secures 400m gold
* Legend Bekele claims fourth gold
* Bolt wins world title in new record

“I have no clue. Right now, I’m just happy I got the gold medals.” He said he is grateful for remaining injury-free, as well.

Among the honors Bolt received was a large piece of the Berlin Wall.

He told reporters he was honored, but wasn’t sure how he was going to transport it home to Jamaica.

Asked whether he expected such success, Bolt told CNN, “I was hoping. I was definitely hoping, but I wasn’t sure what was going to happen here.”

Joined at a news conference organized by the Jamaica Tourist Board along with other athletes and Jamaican officials, Bolt invited the crowd to come to Jamaica.

He said he plans to return to the island and explore it during his down time. “Come and see the places which I’m going to see … it’s a beautiful country,” he said.

Bolt told reporters his coach won’t let him get complacent. “I know what it takes to stay on top, and that’s the aim. I told you guys, I want to be a legend, and I can’t be complacent if I want to be a legend.”

He said he definitely plans to return for the 2011 global championships in Daegu, South Korea and gave a strong hint he intends to seriously tackle the longer 400m race to add to his triumphs over 100 and 200m.

“I think I’ll be ready for the 400, definitely,” he said.

Bolt said he is “just happy that I got the championship. The world record comes and goes, but for me it’s all about (the) championship.”

Source: CNN

what

job title, keywords

where

city, state, zip

jobs by

Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt claimed yet another world record as he recorded a stunning victory in the 200m final at the World Championships.

Bolt set a time of 19.19 seconds to demolish the previous record of 19.30 he set in winning Olympic gold last summer in Beijing.

The 22-year-old finished well clear of the field, with silver medallist Alonso Edward finishing in 19.81.

Wallace Spearmon of the United States took bronze.

Bolt, who also smashed the 100m record in Berlin on Sunday, is now the first man to hold the 100 and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time.

After a nervy opening which saw Frenchman David Alerte false start, Bolt streaked off the blocks and took the lead within 20m.

TOM FORDYCE BLOG Bolt has redefined the boundaries of what was believed to be humanly possible

He put on the afterburners around the bend to leave the chasing pack trailing in his wake and after storming over the line, Bolt glanced down to the electronic display and pointed at his historic time.

Earlier in the week Bolt had said he did not think a 200m record was on after missing a month of training earlier this year following a car crash in Jamaica.

And after the 200m Bolt told BBC Sport: “I can definitely say I didn’t expect that because I was a little bit tired.

“I said let’s try because people are really looking out for this, I said it won’t hurt to try. So I tried really hard and now I’m really tired.

“Maybe next time I should just run the 200m or the 100m alone. My form was going backwards. I wasn’t running upright. It wasn’t a good race but it was a fast one.”

Bolt, who completed his 200m win a day before his 23rd birthday, set three world records when winning his Olympic golds in Beijing last summer and his breathtaking performances in Berlin have enhanced his reputation as the best sprinter of all time.

‘Tired’ Bolt may no longer double-up

“I definitely showed people that my world records in Beijing were not a joke,” he said.

And Bolt said he is closing in on his aim of becoming a sprinter the world will never forget.

“I keep telling you guys my aim is to become a legend,” he added. “I don’t think about records. I don’t put myself under pressure. I know what to do and I go and execute.

“I did well for myself and I am on my way to becoming a legend so I am just happy.”

America’s Shawn Crawford, who finished fourth, admitted he was left in awe by Bolt’s display.

“Just coming out there, I’m just waiting for the lights to flash ‘game over,’ because I felt like I was in a video game,” said Crawford. “That guy was moving – fast.”

Source: BBC Sports

By Piers Newbery

Serena Williams ended her sister’s recent dominance at Wimbledon with a straight-sets victory over Venus that gave her a third Wimbledon title.

The 27-year-old won 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 to regain the title she won in 2002 and 2003, and end five-time champion Venus’s hopes of a third straight win.

It was the fourth time the sisters had met in a Wimbledon final.

Serena has now won 11 Grand Slam titles and holds the Wimbledon, Australian and US Open crowns.

After a brief rain shower, Saturday’s final began on time and in bright sunshine on Centre Court, ruling out any need for the retractable roof to be used.

I feel like I shouldn’t be holding the trophy, like I’m holding Venus’s trophy Serena Williams

The sisters went into the match with a 10-10 record, but with five titles to Serena’s two and having powered through the draw without dropping a set, Venus began as a marginal favourite.

However, the defending champion was still wearing the heavy strapping on her left leg that she had repeatedly insisted was not an issue throughout the fortnight.

Early matches between the pair were often disappointing as nerves and sibling concern took the edge off two usually fearsome competitors, but recent matches had been better, notably last year’s Wimbledon final.

This latest contest was dominated by serve, and Serena was the first to falter in game eight when a forehand into the net brought up 15-40 and two break points for Venus.

Serena powered down a huge second serve to save the first and Venus went long with an attempted pass on the second as the chance disappeared.

With both players winning around 90% of the points on their first serve it was no surprise that the opening set came down to a tie-break, and it was Serena who got the early advantage with a sweeping forehand winner to change around at 4-2.

A thumping Serena cross-court forehand then left Venus sprawled on the grass behind the baseline and she took the set with a beautiful backhand lob, celebrating with a scream and a fist pump that illustrated just how much she wanted to regain the title.

606: DEBATE Can Serena go on to match the five titles of her sister?

It was not until the 19th game that Serena finally earned a first break point as Venus suddenly began to struggle on serve, and the elder sister handed over the initiative with a tame double-fault.

Whether it was the leg injury, fatigue or just nerves, the champion’s serve had completely deserted her and two games later she slipped to 30-40 and match point, but Serena hooked a forehand return into the tramlines.

She then played an unusually tame forehand with the open court gaping on her second championship point, and Venus saved a third with a solid smash.

But at the fourth time of asking Serena finally regained the title after six years when her sister netted a backhand, the new champion falling to her knees in celebration after one hour 27 minutes.

It is the eighth time in 10 years that a Williams sister has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish.

“It feels so amazing, I’m so blessed,” Serena told BBC Sport. “I feel like I shouldn’t be holding the trophy, like I’m holding Venus’s trophy.

“It’s named for Venus and she always wins, so it hasn’t settled in I won yet.”

Venus said: “Today she was too good, she had an answer for everything. She played the best tennis today so congratulations. I don’t think the loss has set in yet because I’m still smiling.

“I’ve had so many great times here and of course I’m looking forward to next year and the doubles final later. I love what I do and most of all I love playing these finals.”

Source: BBC Sports

Manchester United have refused to be drawn on growing speculation they are about to sign striker Michael Owen.

The 29-year-old, who is out of contract, did not return for pre-season training with Newcastle after his deal with the Magpies ran out in June.

One bookmaker slashed its odds on Owen, who has also been linked with Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke and Hull, joining United from 20-1 to 5-2.

“We don’t comment on transfer rumours,” a United spokesman told BBC Sport.

Any deal for Owen would be subject to the striker passing a stringent medical, which could take place as early as Friday, given his frequent injury problems over the last few years.

I just question the injury scenario Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce

The former Liverpool forward scored 10 goals in all competitions last season, although an ankle injury and groin operation severely disrupted his season.

His last league goal was on 10 January against West Ham.

Since losing the Champions League final to Barcelona at the end of May, the Premier League holders have sold forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80m and failed to persuade striker Carlos Tevez to stay at Old Trafford.

The departure of those two players has left United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with a shortage of strikers, with Frazier Campbell also likely to be sold.

However, Ferguson did bring in winger Antonio Valencia from Wigan on Tuesday.

United were also reportedly keen on Lyon striker Karim Benzema, who is set to join Real, while Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery has been linked with a move to the Madrid club rather than the English champions.

If Ferguson does capture Owen it would be reminiscent of his willingness to take a chance on players with either difficult reputations, such as Eric Cantona, or players that have suffered serious injury problems like Henrik Larsson.

Even so, the move for Owen represents something of a gamble for Ferguson, given Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce ruled out a move for the striker given his injury history.

“I just question the injury scenario,” said Allardyce earlier this week.

“I need a striker that’s going to be available for 30 games next season. That’s not happened for Michael over the last four years.”

After Newcastle were relegated to the Championship, Owen expressed his desire to remain in the Premier League.

The Wasserman Media Group (WMG), the management company that represents him, sent out a brochure to a number of clubs reminding them of the talent that resulted in the striker scoring 158 goals in about 300 games for Liverpool and 40 goals in 89 appearances for England.

606: DEBATE If Fergie can get him firing again, (and if anybody can, the best man manager in the Premier League can) then we have got a real gem ogni strada

No-one was available for comment at the WMG.

Owen was widely reported to be earning more than £100,000-a-week at Newcastle after signing a four-year deal when he moved from Real Madrid in August 2005 for a club record fee of £16m, though his wages are unlikely to be a problem for the Old Trafford club.

However, his time on Tyneside was plagued by injury problems, as he suffered a broken metatarsal bone, knee ligament damage sustained at the 2006 World Cup, as well as a double hernia operation and a thigh problem.

The forward has made 79 appearances for the Magpies and scored 30 goals in four seasons.

If Owen does move to Old Trafford it would revive the former Liverpool striker’s hopes of resurrecting his international hopes and taking part in the 2010 World Cup.

Owen has been marginalised by England manager Fabio Capello and has won just one cap under the Italian, as a substitute in the 1-0 friendly defeat by France in Paris on 26 March, 2008.

Source: BBC Sports

Brazil denied the USA another shock victory by coming back from two goals down to win the Confederations Cup.

A Clint Dempsey flick and a Landon Donovan strike on the counter put the USA into a surprise 2-0 half-time lead.

Luis Fabiano pulled one back for Brazil before Kaka was denied an equaliser when his header was wrongly judged not to have crossed the line.

Luis Fabiano’s headed second levelled matters before, five minutes from time, Lucio nodded in a corner to win it.

After upsetting the odds so spectacularly with their 2-0 semi-final victory over Spain, the USA almost tore up the script again, against opponents who had beaten them 3-0 in the group stage of the competition.

Predictably, favourites Brazil had the lion’s share of possession, but the incisive football was played by the American underdogs throughout the first half.

Indeed, with their first attack the USA scored.

Jonathan Spector launched a cross from deep at Dempsey, whose swinging volley made the faintest of touches to direct the ball past Julio Cesar.

Even at such an early stage, it was clear that Brazil were waiting for one of their leading lights to create something from nothing as opposed to taking collective responsibility.

606: DEBATE A great effort by the USA but they were completely outplayed in 2nd half norwayhornet

Three times their star-turn Kaka created chances for others, firstly Robinho, then Felipe Melo and finally Maicon, but each time American goalkeeper Tim Howard was equal to the final shot.

After 25 minutes, Brazil were made to pay for their profligacy as the USA launched a superb counter-attack which resulted in a superb second goal.

Donovan found Charlie Davies on the left wing, whose incisive return pass found Donovan in space and bearing down on goal but still with plenty to do.

The striker’s touch took him away from the covering Ramires and his next touch was a perfectly placed side-foot shot past Cesar.

With seconds remaining in the half Brazil almost clawed back what would have been a barely merited goal when Maicon got round the back of the American defence, but his cross was deflected away from the lurking Fabiano by Carlos Bocanegra.

Barely a minute into the second half, the dynamic of the game changed as Felipe Melo fed Luis Fabiano, who swivelled sharply and shot past Howard.

With the momentum now in their favour, Brazil attacked with regularity and were mistakenly denied parity on the hour as Kaka’s far post header from an Andre Santos cross was pushed clear by Howard, but replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.

Luis Fabiano had a chance to equalise when he was played in on goal by substitute Elano – and played onside by Oguchi Onyewu – but Howard was quick off his line to smother the ball before the striker could shoot.

With 15 minutes to go Luis Fabiano did pull his side level.

Kaka drove in from the left and crossed for Robinho whose shot hit the underside of the bar but bounced nicely for Luis Fabiano who made no mistake in nodding the ball past the diving Howard.

With Brazil now in the ascendancy, the USA were unable to hold out, and five minutes from time the turnaround was complete.

Elano’s outswinging corner was met by the unmarked Lucio and his powerful header struck the inside of Howard’s right-hand post on its way in to break American hearts.

“That defeat really hurt.

“I’m extremely proud of my players, but it still feels pretty lousy to let this one get away.

“I hope though that people around the world see we have good team and great players and it is a big step forward.”

Booked: Bocanegra.

Goals: Dempsey 10, Donovan 27.

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Luisao, Andre Santos (Dani Alves 66), Ramires (Elano 67), Felipe Melo, Silva, Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Robinho.
Subs Not Used: Victor, Juan, Kleber, Miranda, Josue, Julio Baptista, Kleberson, Alexandre Pato, Nilmar, Gomes.

Booked: Felipe Melo, Andre Santos, Lucio.

Goals: Luis Fabiano 46, 74, Lucio 84.

Att: 62,000

Ref: Martin Hansson (Sweden).

Svetlana Kuznetsova’s win at the French Open earlier this month not only secured a second Grand Slam title for the Russian, but also ended any hopes the Williams sisters had of a ‘Family Slam’.

With Serena having won the previous two major titles in Australia and the US, after Venus had beaten her sister to claim a fifth Wimbledon title last July, the French Open was the only Grand Slam trophy missing from the Williams sideboard.

It was always going to be the toughest challenge for the American siblings, with Serena’s 2002 win over Venus the only time either has lifted the trophy at Roland Garros.

But while a succession of players have battled over the number one ranking since Justine Henin retired last May, the Williams sisters have reasserted their dominance where the major prizes are concerned.

And nowhere are the sisters more comfortable than at Wimbledon, where at least one of them has appeared in eight of the last nine finals and three times the pair have faced each other.

I think Venus is probably the favourite to win, she really loves to play on grass courts – she’s maybe the best ever on grass Elena Dementieva

Kuznetsova derailed Serena’s hopes at the French Open with a dramatic quarter-final win but travels to Wimbledon more in hope than expectation.

“It’s a completely different surface but I think Venus has won the last two Wimbledons so she’s strong there, and it’s going to be very tough to play against either of them,” says the Russian.

“I believe in myself and I can do well but it’s definitely going to be harder than the French Open. I’ll give it my best shot and see how far I can get. I’m going there just to enjoy it, I’m not setting any goals.”

Kuznetsova’s win over Serena was only her second in seven attempts, and while she holds a 4-3 record against Venus their only meeting on grass was a straightforward win for the American in the 2007 Wimbledon quarter-finals.

The Russian has yet to make it past the last eight at Wimbledon and asked about the chances of a French Open hangover, admits: “I’m a little bit afraid of that.”

Of the other possible contenders, Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic are struggling for form, Maria Sharapova is only just coming back from a nine-month injury lay-off, rising stars Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki are short of experience, and world number one Dinara Safina must be suffering a lack of confidence after two hellish Grand Slam final experiences already this year.

“There are others,” says a rather unconvincing Kuznetsova, “like Maria, who’s getting in shape – she’s tough at Wimbledon and will be very dangerous, she’s a great player – and there’s Azarenka… these girls are tough to compete against.”

One player who is increasingly overlooked as a possible Grand Slam champion is Elena Dementieva, despite her world ranking of four.

The 27-year-old Russian became a byword for tennis nerves as her serve collapsed in her two Grand Slam finals to date at the 2004 French Open and US Open.

But Dementieva remains a match for anyone from the baseline and made some headway last year with semi-final appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open, and an emotional gold medal at the Olympic Games.

The Williams sisters loom large though, with Venus ending her run at Wimbledon and Serena doing the same in Australia this year when the Russian appeared to be the form player in the draw.

606: DEBATE Who will win at Wimbledon?

And Dementieva admits that it is hard to look past last year’s finalists at Wimbledon as so few players are comfortable on grass.

“I think Venus is probably the favourite to win, she really loves to play on grass courts – she’s maybe the best ever on grass – but it’s so unpredictable, you never know what’s going to happen with the women’s game,” says Dementieva.

“The big difference with Venus is the way she moves on a grass court. I think most of the women are in trouble moving side to side when it comes to the grass and she seems very comfortable in her movement. She’s a great athlete and she has a big advantage with her serve, it’s very powerful. I think just the whole game really suits this surface.

“Experience is an advantage. I remember playing in my first Grand Slam final, I was really nervous, I couldn’t really show anything on the court and I think it comes with experience.

“We know that when it comes to the Grand Slams the Williams sisters can be very powerful, really improve their game match after match and show unbelievable game at the end of tournaments. I think that’s what we need when it comes to Grand Slams, which are two-week events.”

As for the world number one, Safina has plenty left to prove after falling short in her third Grand Slam final in Paris.

There have been plenty of people willing to question her status as the best in the world while she lacks a major title, not least Serena who proclaimed herself “the real number one” only last month, but Dementieva has faith in her fellow Muscovite.

“It’s a tricky question and I’m sure she’s going to be in trouble answering this all the time, but I think she really deserves to be on the top right now with the way she was playing last season and the beginning of this season. I’m sure she’s capable of winning a Grand Slam very soon.”

Maybe not in the next few weeks though as Safina appears to enjoy grass courts about as much as her brother, Marat, and has never been past the third round at the All England Club.

Source: BBC Sports

Manchester United have accepted a potential world record £80m bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo.

“United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player,” read a statement from the Old Trafford club.

It added the decision came at the 24-year-old winger’s request after he “again expressed his desire to leave”.

United said the offer was unconditional and want the matter to be concluded by 30 June, while Madrid hope to agree personal terms “in the next few days”.

“Real Madrid confirm they have made an offer to Manchester United for the acquisition of the rights of the player Cristiano Ronaldo,” said the Spanish club in a statement.

But the BBC’s Steve Kingstone in Madrid stated that Real had yet to confirm the agreed price of £80m stated by United.

A spokesman for United’s owners, the Glazer family, insisted that the decision to sell Ronaldo was taken solely by manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The spokesman told the BBC: “It was purely a football decision and had nothing to do with the financial structure of the club.”

606: DEBATE As sad as I am to see Ronaldo go, we all know no player is bigger than the club jakarth

It is understood that the transfer fee would be made available for Ferguson to invest in the transfer market.

United have been linked with the likes of Lyon forward Karim Benzema, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Wigan’s Antonio Valencia.

Madrid signed Brazilian Kaka for a reported £56m earlier in the week, surpassing the previous world record fee in pounds sterling of £45.6m, which Real paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

That deal was sealed by the ambition of returning Real president Florentino Perez, who previously led the Spanish club from 2000 to 2006 – during the famous galacticos era.

And Perez had previously made it clear he would do “everything possible” to sign Ronaldo.

Madrid have also been linked with Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso, Valencia’s David Villa and Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery since Perez’s unopposed election signalled the return of their vast spending.

There had been reports that Madrid would have to pay a £26m penalty clause to Ronaldo as a consequence of an alleged “pre-contract” arrangement that had been agreed with the player’s representative Jorge Mendes, if the Spanish club did not sign him this summer.

FOOTBALL BLOG Ferguson talked Ronaldo down from a move to Spain 12 months ago, but United’s manager could not afford to spend huge swathes of every close season persuading a player – no matter how vital – to stay at Old Trafford BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty

“This was one that was never ever going to go away,” said BBC Radio 5 Live chief football correspondent Mike Ingham.

“After the Champions League final he criticised Sir Alex Ferguson’s tactics, he threw his toys out of the pram in the derby with Manchester City after he was substituted. He’s been very high maintenance. And £80m is hard to resist.

“Personally, I’m very sorry to see him leave but it’s absolutely inevitable. If it hadn’t been this summer it would have been next summer.

“This could mean they might be able to keep Carlos Tevez, maybe Wayne Rooney can be liberated.”

Tevez’s loan agreement with United has expired and the Argentine will cost United in the region of £25m, while Rooney may have more opportunities to play in his favoured central position if Ronaldo leaves.

Ronaldo, who is currently believed to be on holiday in Los Angeles, joined United in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon for £12.2m, was strongly linked with a move to the Spanish capital in the summer of 2008.

United lodged a complaint with world governing body Fifa last June over what they believed was a deliberate attempt by Real to unsettle the winger.

After a long, drawn-out saga that ran through the summer months, the Portugal international insisted he was happy at Old Trafford and remained at United for the 2008-2009 season.

CRISTIANO RONALDO FACTFILE 1985: Born 5 February 2002: Makes Sporting Lisbon debut 2003: Signs for Man Utd in £12m deal 2004: Wins first trophy, the FA Cup, with United 2006: Expresses desire to join Real Madrid 2007: Wins first Premier League title 2008: Wins Champions League 2009: Voted World and European player of the year 2009: Man Utd accept £80m bid from Real

“Now I understand I made the best decision,” Ronaldo told Spanish sports paper Marca after he had made that choice. “I am with Manchester in body and soul.”

But the speculation soured relations between the clubs and last December United manager Ferguson said he would not “sell that mob a virus”.

And despite Ronaldo’s claim that he wanted to remain at Old Trafford, he was the subject of constant speculation during the 2008-2009 season and often gave mixed messages about his future.

If Ronaldo does sign for Madrid, his last appearance for United will have been in the Champions League final in Rome – in which the Premier League champions were beaten 2-0 by Barcelona.

“History will remember him very well in terms of his contribution as a footballer, he’ll also be seen as petulant, egotistical and stubborn but he’s been a wonderful player,” said United We Stand fanzine editor Andy Mitten.

MIHIR BOSE BLOG The Glazers will have driven a hard bargain with Madrid but what will be interesting to know is how the Madrid payment of £80m is structured BBC sports editor Mihir Bose

It took time for Ronaldo to find his best form after arriving in England but he became a pivotal player for United, who have won the last three Premier League titles.

In the 2007-08 season he scored 42 goals, which topped the previous club record for a midfielder held by George Best, and was on the scoresheet as United defeated Chelsea in the Champions League final.

His form through 2008 saw him named Fifa World Player of the Year in January, just a month after he won the Ballon d’Or as the European Player of the Year.

Ronaldo was the top scorer for his club last season, with 26 goals, taking his total for United to 118 in 292 appearances.

Source: BBC Sports