Archive for April, 2010

Washington Vs Florida Live

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

One respectable month is hardly enough to establish the Washington Nationals as contenders in the NL East.

After finishing with the worst record in the majors the last two years, however, the Nationals’ best April since they moved to the nation’s capital would certainly be progress.

Washington can achieve that feat with a victory Friday night as the club continues its road trip against the struggling Florida Marlins.

The Nationals (12-10) are ensured of finishing with a winning record for the first time in any month since going 15-12 in September 2007. This is their first winning April since they were 13-11 in their first month in Washington in 2005.

The club can better that mark with a third straight win after it took two in a row from Chicago at Wrigley Field. Adam Dunn’s(notes) fourth home run was the difference in a 3-2 victory Wednesday.

“I know we’re capable of playing this way, but it’s so early,” Dunn said. “The positive thing is we still don’t have our A-lineup. If we continue to get the pitching and play defense, we’re going to be fine.”

Washington is playing without All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman(notes), who has not started since April 21 due to a hamstring problem. Pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg(notes), meanwhile, remains with Double-A Harrisburg.

Despite awaiting the right-hander’s major league debut, the Nationals have received strong pitching. Washington, last in the NL with a 5.00 ERA in 2009, has allowed 12 runs in going 4-2 in the last six games.

Craig Stammen(notes) (1-0, 6.75 ERA) contributed a strong outing during that stretch, giving up three runs in seven innings of a 4-3, 13-inning loss to Los Angeles on Saturday.

It was the second straight quality start for Stammen since the right-hander allowed seven runs over 1 1-3 innings of a 14-7 defeat at Philadelphia on April 14.

Stammen had a 10.29 ERA in two starts against Florida as a rookie last year, and he may be especially careful with star Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez(notes), who went 4 for 5 with a double and a home run against him.

After going 3-14 against Florida in 2008 and losing the first nine meetings last year, Washington won six of nine versus the Marlins.

Florida (11-11) has dropped four of five overall and is trying to avoid its first three-game skid of 2010. The Marlins had an early 4-0 lead against San Diego on Wednesday but allowed five runs in the fifth inning and lost 6-4.

“We’re still there at .500,” manager Fredi Gonzalez told the team’s official Web site. “The division, we’re bunched up.”

Gonzalez will be happy to hand the ball to Ricky Nolasco(notes) (2-0, 3.03) as the right-hander looks to win his third straight start.

Nolasco pitched a complete game in a 5-1 win at Philadelphia on April 17 and was almost as good at Colorado on Saturday, allowing one run in eight innings of a 4-1 victory. He struck out a season-high nine.

“He’s throwing lights-out,” teammate Brett Carroll(notes) said. “He throws everything for strikes. He doesn’t have any patterns, and that’s difficult as a hitter.”

Nolasco is 7-1 with a 3.86 ERA against Washington, including 4-0 with a 3.21 ERA in four home starts.

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New York Vs Philadelphia MLB Live

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

It’s much too early to tell if the New York Mets can be legitimate contenders in the NL East. Besides, a potential race with the Philadelphia Phillies might not be decided until the final days of the season.

With a strong Mets run rekindling their rivalry with the Phillies, these teams play for first place Friday night in the opener of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.

While Philadelphia easily won the NL East last season en route to its second consecutive NL pennant, New York was decimated by injuries and finished 23 games behind.

In each of the previous two seasons, the Phillies overtook the Mets late to win the NL East. Philadelphia clinched the division with one game remaining in 2008, it and needed a victory on the final day of the season to secure it in ’07.

Philadelphia (12-9) may have New York (13-9) to contend with again this year.

Recovered from a 4-8 start, the Mets are atop the division, a half-game ahead of the Phillies. New York has won seven straight and is coming off a 9-1 homestand, its best since going 9-1 in September 1988. The Mets haven’t won eight in a row since a 10-game run in July 2008.

“I’m kind of anxious to see when we’re hot, the opposition is hot and kind of see where that falls and see how we manage to play in that type of setting,” manager Jerry Manuel said.

New York had a strong run at the plate in a three-game series with Los Angeles, winning 10-5 on Tuesday night in the finale of a doubleheader and 7-3 the next day.

Mets third baseman David Wright(notes) got off to a slow start, but is 6 for 10 with four RBIs in his last three games. Wright, though, hit .176 (6 for 34) with nine strikeouts in nine games at Philadelphia last season.

Jonathon Niese(notes) (0-1, 3.68 ERA) would certainly welcome another productive game from the Mets’ lineup. The left-hander has gotten one or no runs of support in three of his four starts.

Niese overcame wildness in his last outing, walking five but giving up one run and striking out six in 5 1-3 innings of a 3-1 victory over Atlanta.

This is Niese’s first appearance against the Phillies.

Philadelphia will counter with Kyle Kendrick(notes) (0-0, 7.71), who gave up five runs, eight hits and four walks in five innings of an 8-6 loss to Arizona on Sunday.

The right-hander was outstanding in his previous start, tossing eight scoreless innings in a 4-3, 10-inning loss to Atlanta on April 20. With Joe Blanton(notes) (oblique) expected to come off the 15-day disabled list early next month, Kendrick may soon be headed to the bullpen.

Kendrick is 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA in five starts against the Mets.

If he can get the Phillies to the late innings with a lead, closer Brad Lidge(notes) will likely get the nod, as he is schedule to be activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday. Lidge converted all 48 of his save opportunities in 2008, including the playoffs, but he struggled last season with a major league-worst 11 blown saves.

Philadelphia battled back after getting a poor outing from Cole Hamels(notes) in its last game, beating San Francisco 7-6 on Wednesday to avoid getting swept for the first time this season. The Phillies finished a 4-5 trip, avoiding their first four-game skid since September.

“We’ll take the positives away and go home,” right fielder Jayson Werth(notes) said. “We’ve got a lot of baseball left to play so we’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Werth hit .120 (3 for 25) with seven strikeouts at home against the Mets last season, but the Phillies won six of those contests and 12 of the teams’ 18 meetings overall.

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Soccer World Cup sticker mania grips Serbia

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

This is not some transfer market for top Premier League players, but a bustling street trading floor in downtown Belgrade where World Cup stickers are being frantically swapped.

The sticker mania has engulfed Serbia. But unlike in the rest of the world where collecting stickers of football players and teams for an official World Cup book album is mostly a school kids’ hobby, here this is done mainly by the older ones.

“The point is to collect some 640 stickers and complete your album before the World Cup,” said Milos Nenadic, 45, as he shouted “I need Tim Wiese!” — the Germany goalkeeper — to hundreds of other collectors who gather daily in downtown Belgrade at an impromptu sticker market at a fountain in front of Hotel Moskva.

“Believe me, I have been trying in vain to find Wiese for days to complete my album, but without any luck,” said Dragica Jovanovic, 32. “When it comes down to a few missing stickers, it’s really hard to find them.”

She said that collectors from many other European countries, like the Netherlands, Slovenia or Croatia, come to Belgrade in search for the missing stickers.

The “Panini” sticker book albums are highly popular worldwide. They and the individual stickers with the portraits of player of all 32 teams taking part at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa are mostly sold at newsstands.

Once the album is completed, it can be mailed for a lottery where the main prize is a free trip to the World Cup. But, most of the collectors would rather keep their cherished albums than try their luck in the lottery.

“I would never give up my album for the lottery,” said the 10-year-old Vuk Mihajlovic. “The chances of winning the prize are slim, and this album is really hard to collect.”

“Watching my collection will be like being at the World Cup,” said Milan Milovanovic, 25, who like hundreds of others who gather daily at the spot has no plans to travel to South Africa for the tournament to support the Serbian team.

“It’s because of the security at the World Cup … joking, it’s simply too expensive to get there, hotels, plane tickets and the rest,” Milovanovic said.

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South Africa calls up Pienaar, Mokoena and McCarthy

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira named the trio in his 29-man group shortly after returning from a 19-day training camp in Germany.

Parreira was forced to pick mainly local players for South Africa’s pre-tournament preparations in Brazil and Germany, with his European-based stars involved in the crucial final part of their league seasons.

“This is going to be rather difficult, not because the overseas-based players are coming to this camp, but because we don’t know what condition they will come in — physically and technically,” Parreira said.

“Some of them have played too many games, like Steven Pienaar who has played 27 games since November.”

Tired or not, Parreira said the experience of the Everton midfielder, Portsmouth’s Mokoena and McCarthy of West ham, as well as Fulham’s Kagisho Dikgacoi and Russia-based Macbeth Sibaya was vital to the home team’s hopes at the World Cup.

“We want them to come in good spirits, ready to sacrifice and work for the team,” the Brazilian coach said. “Their experience is vital and I hope it will help improve the team’s technical level.”

South Africa has struggled to arrange practice matches against quality opposition as it prepares for tough tests against Mexico, Uruguay and former world champion France in the World Cup group stage.

Bafana Bafana played just two competitive games in Germany, an uninspiring 0-0 draw with North Korea, and a 2-0 win over Jamaica earlier this week.

South Africa’s final pre-World Cup camp in Johannesburg begins May 5, with the foreign-based players expected to arrive around May 16, according to Parreira.

The South African football federation said it has lined up international friendlies on May 16 and May 24, but did not confirm the opponents. SAFA has previously said it is in talks with Bulgaria, Colombia and Denmark over warmup games.

Parreira will have to cut six players before he announces his 23-man World Cup squad on June 1, 10 days before the tournament begins with South Africa’s game against Mexico.

“I want to express my gratitude to those players who will not make the final list,” he said.

“They were with us in Brazil and Germany and it was two months of dedication, commitment and discipline … my greatest gratitude to the players who will not make it for the attitude and respect they showed.”

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Mueller picks Brazil to win World Cup

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

Mueller, one of the heroes of Germany’s 1974 World Cup triumph at home, says Germany coach Joachim Loew is being stubborn for still not picking Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi for the World Cup.

Mueller says “as long as he (Loew) is stubborn, we won’t have the best (Germany) team. He (Kuranyi) is the man scoring goals right now. … We don’t have a good team.”

Loew has said he will consider Kuranyi’s return after kicking the striker off the team for disciplinary reasons in October 2008.

Asked to name a World Cup favorite, the 64-year-old Mueller says “Brazil.”

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Queiroz losing hair over scoring woes: Portugal coach

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

LISBON, April 30 (Reuters) – While some coaches lose sleep over the form of their teams, Portugal’s Carlos Queiroz said half-jokingly that a lack of goals had contributed to his hair loss.

“If there is one major contribution in my life that caused most of my hair loss it is poor finishing,” Queiroz told reporters on Friday, pointing to his bald patch.

“In terms of attacking potential we’ve had problems since the start.”

Portugal struggled in their first few World Cup qualifiers, goal-scoring problems meaning they needed a late surge to reach the finals in South Africa.

“In the away game against Denmark something almost unheard of occurred, we had 36 shots and scored just once,” said Queiroz.

That goal, which earned a 1-1 draw against the eventual group winners, was scored by Brazilian-born forward Liedson on his debut after he had obtained Portuguese citizenship.

The Sporting striker was a valuable addition to the team, netting twice more as Portugal improved their scoring record later in qualifying with the wingers, midfielders and defenders all chipping in.

TALENTED FORWARDS

Scoring woes returned however in the win over China in a friendly in March, with Portugal’s talented forwards tormenting the defence but converting only two of several chances.

Liedson is likely to be the first-choice striker, ahead of Werder Bremen’s Hugo Almeida, when Portugal start their World Cup challenge against Ivory Coast on June 15 in a group that also includes North Korea and Brazil.

Queiroz said he expected wingers Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, both of whom he coached in a previous spell as Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United, to get on the scoresheet in South Africa.

“Nani has been fantastic in the last few months. His decision-making has improved a lot as has his finishing,” the coach said.

Queiroz also said Ronaldo had silenced the doubters after moving from United to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds ($122.9 million) last year.

“In terms of performances I hope he can improve even more,” said the coach.

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FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

This year the World Cup will be played on African soil and to celebrate the games we’re taking a look at EA’s 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Jeff:
There’s something special about EA’s FIFA World Cup games. For the most part the action is relatively similar to FIFA 10, but perhaps it’s the overall presentation and sense of realism that allow the game to assume its own identity.

Sure, there are a few new features in 2010 FIFA World Cup; you can now play the entire tournament online and there are some new penalties that get called during the action. A few trite coach cutaways aside, FIFA World Cup really does nail the feeling of excitement associated with the world’s greatest sports tournament and is ultimately where the game shines the most.

Those looking for something completely unique from a gameplay standpoint may be disappointed as there aren’t too many improvements found here. You may spot a few new replay angles here and there, but the game doesn’t up the ante as much as we saw in 2006’s Germany World Cup game.

We definitely feel 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is among the most accessible of games simply because of its international appeal and the amount of coverage the actual tournament gets here in the US. Casual soccer fans who may not be in line to buy FIFA each year definitely should give 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa a look as it simplifies the soccer experience unlike the traditional yearly FIFA effort.

David:
EA Sports has learned through its market research that its World Cup-branded FIFA titles tend to appeal to less hard-core video soccer players who are simply inspired by the World Cup to buy the game. Thus, EA tries to make it more accessible to novice players while not offending advanced types. An example of this option is the new two-button control scheme that simplifies the whole passing and shooting situation for those who aren’t ready to deal with a layered control scheme.

The folks at EA told me the gameplay has been tweaked from the standard FIFA 2010 game. While I didn’t notice much difference when I was playing–it remains one of the most realistic looking sports games out there–you’re basically getting a preview of FIFA 2011, which comes out in October. That said, there are some big changes in penalty-kick taking that require some getting used to (I missed more than I made at first). Since penalty kicks are a big part of the World Cup once you get to the knockout rounds, it helps to get this right pretty quickly or you’ll find yourself cursing your penalty takers and throwing your controller on the floor in frustration.

You get your Be a Pro style feature in the Captain Your Country mode, which has you starting out as a B-Team player and working your way up the ranks (you can play with three other friends, who can control different players on the same team). And the other real differences involve the online play–EA’s billing this as the first-ever full and authentic FIFA World Cup online tournament. Also, to add a little corporate sponsorship flare, EA’s teamed up with Coke for some new “exclusive” user-controlled post goal-scoring celebrations (you get codes from Coke products). I find these sort of tie-ins irritating but they seem to be becoming more common.

Just so everybody’s clear, you don’t get access to club teams from around the world. This one’s all about the national teams (I do look forward to the final U.S. roster, which will surely be different from the roster that ships with game but can be updated). I played mostly with the U.S., which more often than not made it out of the first round but encountered trouble in the Round of 16, where it always seemed to be up against Germany. I will probably shift to Brazil pretty soon.

A lot of people are asking whether it’s worth buying this title if you already own FIFA 2010 and I’d say it’s hard to resist. While it’s not a big leap forward by any means, there’s enough here for FIFA addicts to dig into to go out and buy this thing.

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Kentucky Derby: American Lion ready to roar

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)—A few lucky omens have Eoin Harty feeling positive about American Lion’s chances Saturday in the Kentucky Derby.

“I found a four-leaf clover a few days ago and I’ve drawn post number seven,” the Irish-born trainer said. “I was number seven in Dubai.”

Breaking from that lucky number, Well Armed won last year’s Dubai World Cup. Harty hopes the same post produces similar magic in the Derby.

American Lion solidified a spot in this Derby with a strong front-running victory on April 3 in the Illinois Derby, the colt’s first attempt on dirt after five races on synthetic surfaces.

“I thought it was a really good run,” Harty said. “The weather conditions up there were less than ideal. It was constantly blowing like 30 miles an hour down the stretch. I wanted to put him on the lead anyway because it seemed like the race was devoid of speed.”

Harty feels the colt has improved since then.

“His weight is better that it’s been,” Harty said. “His coat is better. His attitude is good. He’s out of a Storm Cat mare and he has a tendency to get a little worked up. I’ve been schooling him every day since I’ve been here and every day he goes over there he’s better and better. All the signs are good.”

Unfortunately, American Lion has the same front-running style as several horses in the field. There could be a lot of jockeying among the speed horses for early position.

“If he makes it around the first turn unscathed, he’s got a legitimate shot,” Harty said.

American Lion is 30-1 with David Flores set to ride.

PADDY PREPS: Paddy O’Prado has quietly shined as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby.

The colt trained by Dale Romans hasn’t generated much buzz beyond Churchill Downs. It’s a different story among rival trainers who point to him as a horse thriving in the days leading up to Saturday’s race. Hall of Famer Nick Zito mentioned Paddy O’Prado as catching his eye.

“Don’t put any more pressure on us than we already have, please,” Romans said.

Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia certainly didn’t, listing Paddy O’Prado at 20-1 on the morning line from post No. 10. Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, a three-time Derby winner, will be aboard.

Paddy O’Prado turned in a snappy workout in the slop last week, zipping five furlongs in 58.40 seconds. He has followed that with a series of strong gallops.

The fact he has taken to the dirt is a promising development, considering his limited experience. He debuted at Churchill Downs last July, finishing seventh in the slop.

His next four races were on the turf, including a win in the Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Most recently, Paddy O’Prado ran second to Stately Victor in the Blue Grass Stakes over the synthetic track at Keeneland.

“He proved that he belongs that day,” Romans said.

Can Paddy O’Prado handle the dirt in the Derby?

“You can tell if a horse won’t run on a particular surface a lot of times before you put them on it,” Romans said. “It’s much harder to tell if they will run well on one, until you see it on race day.”

TUNING UP: Make Music for Me, the last horse to gain a slot in the 20-horse Derby field, paid a visit to the starting gate for schooling Thursday morning before a 1 1/2 -mile gallop.

Making the Derby for the first time fulfills a lifelong dream for trainer Alexis Barba.

“I think you just go through the motions of working every day and when one pops up, you go, ‘Oh, wow, this is pretty neat,”’ she said.

The late defections of Endorsement and Interactif on Wednesday opened the door for Make Music for Me to join the field only minutes before the entry deadline.

Barba had hedged her bets in case a Derby spot never materialized. Make Music for Me was also entered in the American Turf on Friday at Churchill Downs, but will scratch that race to tackle the Derby as a 50-1 outsider.

Even at those odds, the Derby is a priceless experience.

“It’s a hard feeling to express,” Barba said. “Of course, you want to win it, but do you get to do it? You’ve got to be the lucky one to get there, because it’s all about luck after this.”

Make Music for Me will need a lot of luck as he sports one of the thinnest resumes in the field. He is only 1 for 8, the lone win coming in a minor grass stakes at Santa Anita in March.

Barba, who trains a modest nine-horse stable in Southern California, would become the first woman to saddle a Kentucky Derby winner. Although she has never had a horse in the race, Barba has a cherished Derby connection. She was an exercise rider and assistant trainer for the late Eddie Gregson when Gato Del Sol won in 1982.

“I wasn’t here with Gato but I had occasions to ride him,” Barba said. “It was very exciting when he won. It was a dream come true. I would have been satisfied with that one in a lifetime. To be in this position is a journey, an unexpected journey.”

LOOKING BACK: It’s been 16 years since Hall of Famer Nick Zito won the Derby for a second time with Go for Gin. He will try to end the drought this year with the duo of Florida Derby winner Ice Box at 10-1 odds and Jackson Bend listed at 15-1.

Over the years, Zito has come to appreciate how many obstacles there are in the race.

“It’s very, very tough because everything has to go just perfect, every single thing,” he said. “You’ve got to have great weeks, you can’t have nothing wrong. The workout has got to be perfect, the horse has got to be perfect and the trip has got to be perfect.”

Most importantly, you have to have something under the saddle.

“You’ve got to have the horse,” Zito said. “And he has to have done something.”

Of the two, Ice Box holds a decisive edge on that score. He rallied from 19 1/2 lengths off the pace in the Florida Derby, his third win in seven starts.

Jackson Bend, by contrast, is winless this year, finishing second in three races.

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NHL Online: Montreal Vs Pittsburgh

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

In the NHL playoffs, celebrations sometimes don’t last much longer than a rookie forward’s shift on the ice. The Montreal Canadiens realized that minutes after upsetting Washington 2-1 in Game 7 of their first-round series Wednesday night, when they learned they’d be playing the Penguins less than 48 hours later.

What a reward for upsetting the team that was supposed to win the Stanley Cup: a quick turnaround before playing the team that won the Stanley Cup last season.

The Eastern Conference semifinals must begin Friday night because Point Park University’s graduation was previously scheduled for Saturday at Mellon Arena. There’s also a short break before Game 2 on Sunday afternoon in a series that will be played every other day.

The Canadiens’ reaction? We weren’t supposed to win the opening round, we won’t be favored to win this round. So drop the puck already.

“No one gave us a chance (against Presidents’ Trophy-winning) Washington,” goaltender Jaroslav Halak(notes) said shortly after the Canadiens pulled off the hockey equivalent of a No. 16 seed beating a No. 1 in the NCAA basketball tournament. “We proved them wrong.”

Here’s the still-to-be-answered question: Did the worst team to make the playoffs show enough to suggest it can beat the Penguins?

The latest Washington playoff failure looked all too familiar. The Capitals often spent too much time trying to create offense around the perimeter. Alexander Semin(notes) disappeared. Ovechkin grew increasingly frustrated as Halak stopped 131 of 134 shots over the final three games.

The Penguins—a confident team that’s won eight playoff series to Washington’s one over the last three seasons—told themselves they can’t do the same thing.

“It’s nothing we have to sit down in this room and try to figure out, something magical or different,” Crosby said Thursday. “Goalies are going to make saves. It’s going to happen. But it doesn’t mean the same things that make you successful aren’t going to be successful. You’ve got to get traffic, you’ve got to get rebounds and we’ve got to be up for the challenge. But we don’t have to change anything.”

While the Penguins were 1-2 while taking as many as six days off before a Game 1 the last two seasons, they don’t expect Montreal’s momentum to be a factor. Fatigue could be, with the Canadiens playing a third high-pressure game in five days. The Penguins last played Saturday.

“Give Montreal credit, they were in a desperation mode for three games. That’s something we have to make sure we’re aware of,” Crosby said. “They believe in their team. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready for that kind of desperation right from Game 1.”

Especially from defensemen Hal Gill(notes) and Josh Gorges(notes), who were so effective in blocking shots and controlling Ovechkin. Last season, the 6-foot-7 Gill teamed with Rob Scuderi(notes), now of the Kings, to be Pittsburgh’s shutdown combination, and the Penguins still haven’t developed a comparable duo.

“He’s a big guy, he’s strong, (he’s) got a big reach. We’re pretty familiar with each other,” Crosby said of Gill. “The challenge is there, but that’s what happens in the playoffs.”

Opposing Crosby every day in practice for several years should help in this series, Gill said. What won’t help, Gorges said, is it’s not only the Crosby line that must be contained, but the Evgeni Malkin(notes) and Jordan Staal(notes) lines, too.

“He (Crosby) practices 100 percent, to a fault. He’s crazy that way,” Gill said. “It made me a better player and hopefully I can use that against them. But he’s got a lot of moves and you’ve got to be ready for all of them.”

Something else that happens in the playoffs: The hot goaltender of today can be the benched goaltender of tomorrow. As well as Halak played in the opening round, Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis(notes) wouldn’t be surprised to see Montreal return to Carey Price(notes) at some point.

“He’s had some ups and downs, he’s obviously got losses,” Dupuis said of Halak, who is 1-1 with seven goals allowed in two games against Pittsburgh. “Let’s see if we get to him what kind of goalie rotation they’ll get to.”

There’s also this for the Penguins to consider. In the only other playoff matchup between the two franchises, seventh-seeded Montreal upset second-seeded Pittsburgh 4-2 in 1998.

Crosby, a Hart Trophy finalist, scored four times as the Penguins outscored the Canadiens 15-9 while winning three of four during the season, but the teams haven’t met since Feb. 6.

Crosby has 11 goals and 14 assists points in 18 career games against Montreal, which drafted his goaltender father, Troy, in 1984. That same year, the Penguins drafted Mario Lemieux.

Mike Cammalleri, who had five goals and five assists against Washington, has one goal in seven games against Pittsburgh. Scott Gomez(notes) has 11 goals and 40 assists in 59 games against the Penguins, and Andrei Markov(notes) has six goals and 16 assists in 26 games.

“They’re the team to beat,” Gill said of the Penguins, 8-2 in playoff series since 2007. “It’s going to be a challenge to beat them. You can play well, and it would still be difficult.”

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We cannot take Afghanistan lightly: Dhoni

Posted by admin on April 30th, 2010

St Lucia: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday warned his team-mates against taking unheralded Afghanistan lightly in their ICC World Twenty20 opening match on Saturday, saying any slip-up against them can put his side out of contention for super eights.

“If you ask me, I would not consider our opening match against Afghanistan as a practice game. I don’t take my opponents lightly. At the end of the day you have to win whichever team you play,” said Dhoni, ruling out complacency in the Indian camp.

“I don’t know much about them. It is good in a way because if we know too much about a side then you are thinking too much about them. However, our preparation will remain the same as if you are playing the best opponent in world cricket,” he said.

“We can’t really relax against whichever team you are playing. At the end of the day you are representing India and you have to be at your best when you turn up on the field,” Dhoni added. Afghanistan have risen from the depths of the fifth division league to rub shoulders with the best in the cricket world.

Their attitude, confidence and determination are aspects that India and South Africa, who have been drawn in Group C along with them, should be wary about. On the criticism for not playing any warm-up game before the start of the tournament, Dhoni said his side does not need such matches as they have shaped up well.

“We don’t actually need to play a warm-up game as the way we have shaped up after the long journey, there wouldn’t have been any good coming out of it. It is good that we can rest and have a rigorous practice session and get back into the groove and prepare for the match against them,” said Dhoni.

India’s most successful captain was not worried much about the injuries to some of his key players. “It is part and parcel of cricket that people get injured. But at the end of the day we have replaced them (Sehwag) with the best possible players available. We are just hoping that we won’t miss them on the field. We are hopeful that people who have come as replacements would step up to the occasion and perform,” he said.

Delving on Yuvraj Singh’s injury-riddled form, Dhoni said, “He bats at number four and the individual he is, he can easily play the big shots. There aren’t enough grounds in the world that are big enough for him not to clear.”

“These big hitters have a big impact on the game. Somebody like Kieron Pollard or (Andrew) Symonds are the kind of players who can take the game away from the opponents in three or four overs. It is a big stage for him (Yuvraj) and, as we have seen of him, he loves challenges.”

“His utility as a bowler also comes into play. He did well against some of the best teams in the IPL. So it is good that you have more part timers in the bowling department as it gives us more options than just playing five bowlers,” he added.

The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman said he likes to be in the present than look at the past and into the future. “Rather than thinking too much of the past and into the future, it is very important to be in the present. We have a couple of days before we play the first game. It is important to get the most out of it. We have to adapt to the conditions here and be prepared for the matches ahead,” Dhoni said.

The Indian skipper said they know the conditions here pretty well and are not bothered if wickets behave differently at the Caribbean. “Right now we are keen to play the games here (St Lucia). We are not looking too far. It is the not first time that we are touring West Indies. So we know what the conditions would be like and are mentally prepared for it,” he said.

Asked if the IPL had left his players fatigued, Dhoni said, “The last couple of hours we spent on the bus were much worse than the cricket we played in the IPL. If you look at our schedule, it is not something that has changed drastically over the last ten years.

“We have played almost the same amount of matches. Of course, with IPL being part of the schedule it gets a little tough. The players look good. They are quite fresh. Some of them sustained injuries during the IPL and have used time well. It looks good and we are hoping that we will perform to our potential,” he said.

Dhoni said there was little or no room for errors in the Twenty20 format of the game.

“In this format you have to be at your best throughout. Every step you take or every six deliveries that you bowl have a great impact on the game. In the same way every run and catch that you save or miss will impact the performance. It is going to be a tough tournament. But then it is a sport, so let’s go out and enjoy our cricket,” he said.

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