Spain Prepares to Defend Euro Title

*uefa.com

One of the most successful campaigns in the Spanish National Team's history continues with a title defense of the European Championships this year in Poland and Ukraine.

The current squad still includes members of the team that won the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Unfortunately, in the weeks leading up to the tournament, blow after blow hit the squad as first Carles Puyol announced his inability to play due to injury followed by David Villa. Both players play for FC Barcelona  who lost the Spanish La Liga title to Real Madrid after a three year run at the top.

Webber Sets F1 Record in Monaco

Mark Webber won the Monaco Grand Prix yesterday and set a Formula One record of being the first season the have six different drivers winning the first six races. As of the last race in Barcelona, five different teams have also won each race.

Webber inherited the pole position after the fastest man on track for qualifying, racing legend Michael Schumacher was docked a five place penalty as a result of his clash with Bruno Senna in the previous race in the Circuit de Catalunya.

From the front, it was a fairly straightforward win for Webber who never pulled away but was fast enough to be able to keep everyone else at bay in the notoriously difficult to overtake Monaco track.

Many drivers were praying for rain including the relegated Schumacher as well as Barcelona's race winner Pastor Maldonado who was docked a ten place penalty after a clash with Bruno Senna during the third practice session this weekend.

However, the rain did not come but instead, a few drops of rain fell on the track which was enough to ruin Kimi Raikkonen's race. The Lotus team kept him out on worn out tires for way too long in the hopes of taking advantage of the pit stop to get the intermediate or wet tires ahead of his opponents. Sadly, this only cost him loads of time and sent the flying Finn back several places which found him finishing 9th. The team made a terrible decision which allowed the front runners to pull away from the Finn who had been a strong championship contender prior to this race.

From pole and demoted to sixth, Schumacher's luck never returned and he was hit by Romain Grosjean's out of control Lotus in the first corner. He was able to continue but eventually had to retire.

Azkals vs. Indonesia Ticket Prices

Philippine Azkals vs. Indonesia

Ticket Prices:

PhP 2,668.00   Lower Grandstand (middle)
PhP 1,067.20   Upper Grandstand (lower sides)
PhP 800.40      Upper Grnadstand (sides)
PhP 320.16      White Bleachers
PhP 160.08      Blue/Green Bleachers

Marlon Stockinger wins his first GP3 race!

*www.marlonstockinger.com

Marlon Stockinger makes his mark in the GP3 series by winning his first race in Monaco today. He started the second race of the Monaco weekend in pole position after finishing eight in the first race. In the GP3's current format, the top eight finishers of the first race will start in reverse in the second race.

He did well to hold on to the top spot and claimed the win in the most prestigious race track in the world. 

Michael Schumacher Back on Top! Fastest in Monaco

*formula1.com

In his best qualifying showing since his return to Formula One, racing legend Michael Schumacher has clinched the pole position in this year's Monaco Grand Prix. 

The race stewards however, will rain on the parade as they dock Schumacher with a five place penalty after his on-track clash in the Barcelona GP with Bruno Senna.  The penalty hands the actual pole spot for tomorrow's race to Redbull's Mark Webber. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise for Schumacher loyalists as well and for any Formula One fan in general.

This season is turning out to be the most exciting and competitive in recent memory with five different drivers winning every race of the season so far. Another comeback kid who is making waves is the flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen who has made it to the podium in the last two races. 

Monaco is still considered to be the most prestigious race in the F1 calendar with every single driver wanting this win more than any other race. Schumacher showed the world that he still has what it takes to get out in front. He has in fact been very competitive this year in terms of lap times but reliability issues have stopped him from finishing races and earning points. 

Meanwhile, Pastor Maldonado who won the Barcelona GP was also docked with a penalty of 10 places after he was found guilty of deliberately nudging Sergio Perez during the practice session. 

Pinoy Marlon Stockinger on Pole!

*photo: www.marlonstockinger.com

Before we talk about the thrilling qualifying session in Monaco for the 2012 Formula One GP which will be happening there tomorrow, some other big news just came in.

Marlon Stockinger, the Filipino driver who drives for Status Grand Prix in the GP3 series will be starting the support race in pole position!

The GP3 series holds their races during the same weekend as the Formula One races just to make it clear to those who might get confused. I know that many people still think that Marlon is driving in F1. Ideally of course, with his great showing and steady improvement in the GP3 series, we might just find a Filipino in F1 in the near future. 

Marlon currently sits in 4th position in the GP3 series but with pole position tomorrow, he is set to improve since Monaco is notoriously one of the most difficult tracks to overtake. 

Orcollo Prevails in Battle of Champions

Las Vegas, NV.  -   May 24, 2012 – The last day of the CSI 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship, held May 14-19 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, was a battle of three world champions, all from the Philippines, and a young gun from the United States. Three matches were scheduled, the quarter, semi and final.

The quarter final was between 25 year old US player, Mike Dechaine, and recent BCA Hall of Fame recipient Francisco Bustamante. In the past two years Dechaine ramped up his game from feared New England player to participant on the pool world stage. In 2011 he was a member of the US Mosconi Cup team and won the Ultimate 10-Ball Championship.

Bustamante is a legend, a multiple world champion and one of a handful of players whom other professional players hope to challenge at least once in their career, win or lose, just to say they did. On this day, Bustamante prevailed against rising star Dechaine 9-4 at the premier CueSports International (CSI) event. Dechaine took home 4th place and $4,800.

Now it was down to three, all former world champions. In the semi-finals Bustamante was pitted against fellow countryman, Alex Pagulayan. After a two year hiatus from pool competition, Pagulayan has been playing as fearless as ever. In this match he started off in the lead as Bustamante struggled, but not for long, as Busty caught a gear and beat Pagulayan 9-7 relegating “The Lion” to a 3rd place finish and $6,500.

Waiting in the hot seat was Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo. In the finals against Bustamante, Orcollo dominated from the first rack. The CSI US Open 10-Ball Championship final race was to 11. The winner was required to win two ahead with a maximum cap of 15 games to win. The final match took less than two hours with Orcollo quickly taking the win 11-5 and $15,000.

At age 33, Orcollo is currently one of the best players in the world. Ranked #6 on the World Pool Billiard Association men’s list, he first burst on to the world pool scene in 2002 as a relative unknown, taking his first world championship. His list of wins in the past 10 years has been highly regarded. In addition to the CSI 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship, it includes the 2011 DCC 9-Ball Division, the 2011 World 8-Ball Championship, the 2010 World Pool Masters, the 2009 Predator International 10-Ball Championship, the 2008 Qatar World Open 9-Ball Tournament, the 2006 US Bar Table Championships 8-Ball Division and the 2006 Reno Open, just to name a few.

The 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship was sponsored by CueSports International (CSI), Simonis Cloth, Aramith, OB Cues, Mueller Recreational Products, and the Magic Ball Rack with live stream coverage by The Action Report (TAR).

In 2013, the 5th US Open 10-Ball Championship will be moved from May to July and held at a new venue, the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas in conjunction with the 37th BCAPL National Championships. To view online all of the brackets from the 36th BCAPL National Championships, the 13th US Open One Pocket Championship and the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship, visit the CueSports Tournament System at www.ctsondemand.com. You may search by player or team name or can view by division or tournament.

For more information about the BCAPL visit www.playbca.com.

United Football League (UFL) Fixtures week 18

The United Football League has announced the upcoming matches this week ahead of the series of International friendlies to be played by the National Team (Azkals)

Admission remains free for all UFL matches.

26 MAY 2012 (SATURDAY) / UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI

2PM 2nd Div Diliman FC vs Team Socceroo FC [TELEVISED]
4PM 1st Div Nomads FC vs Green Archers United FC [TELEVISED]
6PM 2nd Div Pachanga FC vs Manila All-Japan FC

27 MAY 2012 (SUNDAY) / UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI
2PM 2nd Div Union Internacional Manila vs Lions FC
4PM 2nd Div Cebu Queen City United FC vs Laos FC
6PM 2nd Div Agila FC vs Dolphins United FC
8PM 2nd Div Sunken Garden United FC vs Forza FC

30 MAY 2012 (WEDNESDAY) / UNIVERSITY OF MAKATI
7PM 2nd Div Forza FC vs Lions FC

Fernando Alonso Unveils Helmet Design for Monaco GP

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso has unveiled via his official twitter account a sleek metallic new helmet design which was designed for him to wear for this year's Monaco GP

Alonso has been showing a steady improvement in recent races and is currently tied with reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel at the top of the driver's championship standings. 

Didier Drogba Announces Departure from Chelsea

*didierdrogba.com

In a dramatic twist, Chelsea FC's Champions League hero Didier Drogba announces that he won't be staying in the club next season. This announcement came on the night of the team's open top bus parade around London.

It must be noted that Chelsea had a dismal season in the BPL where they did not even qualify for the Champions League next season and will only be eligible for the fact that the won the trophy.

The poor early showing of the team and some time spent on the bench early in the season might have prompted the start from Ivory Coast to look for greener pastures elsewhere. It almost seems like he had sealed the deal before things turned around for Chelsea. I can just imagine what kind of regret he must be feeling now since he is considered to be the match hero in last Saturday's UCL final against Bayern Munich along with keeper Petr Cech. Right now, it would seem like a good time to ask Roman Abramovich for anything.

However decisions have been made long ago and the wheels have been turned. below is Drogba's statement as posted in his official website www.didierdrogba.com



"After eight seasons with Chelsea, I leave the club with a Champions League success and with great sadness, but even better recognition. Even the greatest stories come to an end. My contract is finished and I am now prepared to leave the Blues. It is with great sadness but also with much gratitude that I announce you my departure from Chelsea.

I played my last game for the club in Munich and I am delighted to have finally been able to lift the Champions League trophy after an incredible final. I am sad, even if it is part of the life of a footballer. We have to accept it. Above all, I will remember all the great seasons I have had here, and all the emotions that will remain forever etched in my memory.

Thanks again to all the fans for their tremendous support. I wish the best success to this club where I may come back in the future, but in a different role.
"Blue is the color!""

Didier

Thunder flashes past LA by winning the series 4-1

After a dismal showing by the Los Angeles Lakers and with players throwing accusations at each other (OK, mostly Kobe blaming Pau), Thunder emerged on top in game five winning 106-90. They will now face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

*cbsonline

Bryants' 42 points were not enough to topple the tag team of Kevin Durant (25 points) and Russell Westbrook (28 points) And I'm just waiting to hear what he has to say about his teammates this time.

LA's season comes to a close even with Bryant scoring like a madman and with Gasol stepping up as well with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists. However, Thunder faces the top seeded team in the west next Sunday. The dark horse in the competition at this point, anything can happen. stay tuned for more updates. 

Rafael Nadal Wins a Record 21 Masters Series Titles.

The KING OF CLAY Rafael Nadal, bested Roger Federer by one title to make a new record for Masters Series wins when he defeated Novak Djokovic today in Rome.

*photo: @RafaelNadalFC (via twitter)

Just a couple of weeks after the blue clay fiasco at the Caja Magica in Madrid where we saw Nadal and Djokovic bowing out go out early, The best player in clay stomped his foot down firmly in Rome to beat Novak in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.

This is Nadal's sixth title in Rome and the win hands him back the no. 2 spot in the world rankings behind Novak Djokovic and ahead of Roger Federer. 

Nadal is playing better than ever but injuries have gotten in his way in recent months. He will next compete in Roland Garros for a possible seventh French Open title. World no. 1 Novak Djokovic has been able to beat Nadal in seven straight meetings last year which eventually handed him the no. 1 spot. With Nadal back on track, Novak must be feeling the pressure. HIs last win against the Spaniard was in the Australian Open final but he has now been beaten by Nadal in their last two meetings. 

*photo: @RafaelNadalFC (via twitter)

ORCOLLO WINS US OPEN 10-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP; POCKETS $15,000

FILIPINO Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo added the 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship (formerly Billiards Congress of America) to his growing list of tournament achievements when he won on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Regarded as the top player of Bugsy Promotions, Orcollo defeated compatriots 2004 WPA World 9-Ball Champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, 9-8, in the semi-final round and 2010 WPA World 9-Ball Champion Francisco "Django" Bustamante, 11-5, in the finals to win the top prize of US$15,000. The top player of Puyat Sports Bustamante, on the other hand, received the runner-up prize of US$8,500.


On the road to the semi-finals, the 2011 WPA World 8-Ball Champion Orcollo needed to beat Oscar Dominguez of Mexico,  Kostas Paspatis of Greece, Mike Dechaine and Manny Chau of USA and Rain Chiang of Taiwan, respectively.

Orcollo’s trip to United States was supported by Malungay Life Oil, Bugsy Promotions, BRKHRD Corporation, Hermes Sports, ACCEL, B-League Corp., BMPAP (Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines) and Quezon City government headed by mayor Herbert Bautista, vice-mayor Joy Belmonte and rep. Winston Castelo.

""I want to show through my actions that athletic excellence can be achieved with dedication, hard-work and support." said the reigning Philippine Sportswriter Association (PSA) Co-Athlete of the Year Orcollo, a feared money-game shark anywhere in the world.

"I would like to dedicate my victory to my countrymen and as well as my boss Perry and Verna (Mariano) who have been helping me compete abroad,” added Orcollo, 2011 Southeast Asian Games gold medallist.

According to sportsman/businessman Ceferino “Perry” Mariano, president of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions and long-time benefactor of Orcollo, winning the prestigious 4th US Open 10-Ball Championship is another good news for Philippine Sports.

Mariano, also the founder of the National Collegiate Billiards League (NCBL) or B-League was ecstactic of Orcollo’s feat.

Last May 6, Orcollo dismantled Shane Van Boening of USA, 11-3, in the finals enroute the 3rd Annual Hard Times 10-Ball Open title at the Hard Times Billiards in California, USA.

Other Filipinos who competed in the formerly Billiards Congress of America tournament were Jose "Amang" Parica, Santos "The Saint" Sambajon and Jun Almoite.

Ramon “Maestro Monching” Mistica, who acted the spokesman of the Philippine contingent, said that Filipino pool wizards will resume their quest for honor and glory when the 2012 WPA World 9-Ball Championship gets underway on June 22 to 29 the Al Sadd Sports Club Al Sadd St. Sport Roundabout in Doha, Qatar.

Orcollo will teaming up with Bustamante and Filipino billiards maestro Efren "Bata" Reyes as well former World Women's 10-ball ruler Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit for the 2012 World Teams gets underway on June 30 to July 6 in China.-Marlon Bernardino-

Heartbreak in Munich for Bayern, Fairy Tale for Chelsea

Chelsea lift their first UEFA Champions League Trophy.

*chelseafc.com

What started out as a fairy tale for Bayern Munich ended up as a nightmare when they lost to Chelsea FC last night in a thrilling UEFA Champions League Final in their home stadium.

The journey to the Allianz Arena was long and hard for both teams and Bayern Munich were able to achieve the difficult task of making it to the finals in a year when it will be held in their home arena.

Chelsea didn't have it easy either. They were down 3-1 in the first leg of their clash against Napoli in the round of 16 and clawed their way back to a 5-4 aggregate win after current manager Roberto di Matteo took over.

Bayern poised to win.

Last night however, it looked like Bayern Munich were going to walk all over Chelsea. In the opening minutes of the first half, it was evident that the German team would dominate. Chelsea were reduced to a defensive position as Bayern kept their attack in high gear.

It looked like it was only going to be a mater of minutes before Bayern will find the back of the net. However, Chelsea showed extreme class under pressure and were able to hold on to finish the half at nil-nil.

Bayern take the lead.

The second half saw Chelsea recovering a little bit as they were able to at least bring the ball forward a bit more and were finally able to make attempts at goal which didn't really trouble Manuel Neuer.


Robben and Schweinsteiger were able to make several more attempts between them but a very low percentage of the shots were on target. Despite the fact that Chelsea had to defend rigorously, Petr Cech's goal was not threatened as much as it should have been.

Eventually, Bayern were bound to get through and score considering the amount of possession they were getting. It happened in the 83rd minute when the ball was expertly headed in by Thomas Muller to outsmart Cech.

With less than 10 mins to go, Bayern felt like they had it in the bag and started to shift to a defensive position.

Momentum shift.

With Bayern shifting focus to defense, Chelsea took advantage. They brought in Fernando Torres from the bench and he immediately made an impact. Chelsea needed to score and they chose the perfect opportunity to bring the striker in. He immediately  penetrated the defense and created a corner for Chelsea.

Drogba spoils the fairy tale.

With only two minutes in regulation time left before Bayer were to lift the trophy, Didier Drogba was able to hammer in a superb header off a Torres corner to level the match.

Bayern were visibly devastated. However, from hero to zero, Drogba made a silly challenge that awarded Bayern with a penalty kick. Lucky for him, Petr Cech played the match of his life and save the penalty attempt by Arjen Robben to force extra time.

Chelsea breathe new life.


With Torres fresh off the bench and everyone elated from their goal, Chelsea were  raring to get on with extra time while Bayern looked drained after having the win snatched from then in the closing minutes.

Extra time shifted to Chelsea's favor but Bayern had their opportunities as well. They were unable to shoot straight at the target though despite being able to penetrate the Chelsea defense several times.

Penalty shoot-out. 


Bayern has a much better record at penalties compared to Chelsea and after taking out Real Madrid through penalties in the semis, they were the favorites to take the trophy.

Unfortunately for them, it was not meant to be. Even as they took the early lead when Neuer saved the first Chelsea attempt and even scored a penalty of his own, Petr Cech answered back and stopped to level the points and force a sudden death final kick.

Schweinsteiger took it for Bayern and Cech delivered again when he was able to touch it just enough to force it into the post. Everything was left up to Didier Drogba to take it for Chelsea and he did exactly that. The absolute hero of the match along with Cech, Drogba defeated Neuer to score the winning penalty.

A completely devastated Bayern team were forced to languish in the pitch in front of their home fans as Chelsea celebrated their first ever UEFA CHampion League trophy.

Loyola Meralco Sparks Excel in Singapore!

The Loyola Meralco Sparks opened the RHB Singapoe Cup with a hard fought 2-1 win over home team Geylang United.

*photo: www.facebook.com/azkalspilipinasfutbol 

The match nearly started in disaster as Geylang almost scored after a free kick was deflected by the wall but hit the corner of the post. Just a few inches and it would have hammered in and destroyed Loyola's morale early in the game.

However, the post saved them and Loyola was able to make several attempts on goal with Mark Hartman and even Phil Younghusband showing that he has the ability to penetrate the defensive line.

After an amateurish defensive mistake by the Loyola Meralco Sparks,  Geylang United finally scores in the 42nd minute when the ball was left gift-wrapped and just waiting to be kicked in after a blocked attempt by Geylang. Michael King just needed to help the ball in while the Loyola players looked on.

At the half, The favored Singaporeans were up by one goal.

The second half was a different story however, as Mark Hartman was able to score after the Sparks here able to control the pace of the game from the beginning of the half. The Geylang Offense was unable to match their first half prowess and the cross of substitute David Cortina allowed Hartman to finish perfectly from close range in the 64th minute.

The heat in Singapore proved to be a major factor as the Sparks seem to be going out of the Loyola team late into the game and more and more players looked exhausted. Loyola players were dropping like flies due to cramps. Both teams started messing up their passes and the tempo started to fall.

Despite several more attempts at goal, no one was able to score again to end regulation time at a 1-1 draw. The teams soldier on for a 30 min. overtime with everyone looking drained and positively exhausted.

Both teams were not playing well but the Loyola Sparks were able to force an attack. Luck for Mark Hartman, a long distance shot was deflected off a Geylang defender which left their keeper wrong footed giving Loyola the lead in the 5th minute of overtime. Geylang answered quickly with their own attempt just a minute later and Loyola keeper Cuaresma needed to get his A-game up to maintain the lead.

In the second period of overtime, the Geylang Eagles dominated the game putting a lot of pressure on Cuaresma and the entire Loyola defense. With the Singaporean team taking it up a notch, Loyola suddenly showed the beginnings of a collapse with dismal passing and a lackluster over-all performance. The players looked tired and distracted.

The Loyola goal was peppered by shots and they needed all the energy, luck and skills they had left to keep the ball out. Cuaresma was beaten in a golden opportunity but it was knocked into the side netting.

A good result for Loyola considering how Geylang was the favorite to win this match. A good achievement as well for the UFL and Philippine football in general as this proves that our teams can be competitive at least in the Asian level.

Check back here for updates on the upcoming Singapore Cup games.The UFL resumes after the series of international games, exhibition matches and international friendlies scheduled bu the Philippine Azkals and the various Clubs.

Filipino Driver Marlon Stockinger gets on the Podium in Barca.

Filipino-Swiss GP3 driver Marlon Stockinger made waves last weekend when he landed second in the GP3 race in the Circuit de Catalunya. Never before has a Filipino driver been this successful so close to Formula One. Step Aside Matteo Guidicelli, Stockinger is the real deal!

*marlonstockinger.com

After qualifying fifth, Stockinger ended up on second place 2.6 seconds behind the race winner. Driving for Status Grand Prix, Marlon feels that he is in a competitive team and has a chance at winning races. This could be our chance to finally get the Philippine flag in Formula One!

Pastor Maldonado Becomes First Venezuelan to Win in F1

Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain-It all started in qualifying when Maldonado unexpectedly bested the big teams and took his Williams up to the second spot in the grid. However in a bizarre mistake made by the McLaren team, pols sitter Lewis Hamilton ran out of petrol  on the way back to the pits after his flying lap.

*photo by planetf1.com

Race stewards docked Hamilton with a penalty which sent him to the back of the grid giving Maldonado a surprise promotion to pole. Now on second, Alonso took advantage of the start and got ahead but was outsmarted by the Williams team during the pit stops.

With Maldonado in the lead, he made Alonso eat his dust the rest of the way in front of a very partisan Spanish crowd. Meanwhile, Flying Finn Kimi Raikkonen fought hard to make it back to the podium for the second race in a row, not bad for a returning driver. By the last lap he was right on the tail of Fernando Alonso. The Lotus team clearly made a good investment right there.

To the delight of the Williams team, their championship hopes have been revived after a dismal string of seasons. with different drivers and teams winning each race so far this season, this is proving to be one of the most competitive seasons in decades!

Overseas-based AZKALS return

The following AZKALS who are currently based overseas have confirmed their participation in the upcoming International friendlies:


Paul Mulders
Manny Ott
Dennis Wolf
Rob Gier
Juani Guirado
Neil Etheridge
Stephan Schrock
Jerry Lucena
Dennis Cagara
Roland Muller (GK for June 1)


This team is going to be strong!!! We Believe!

AZKALS Schedule for Upcoming International Friendlies

In the off-season of the UFL, The PFF has scheduled several matches for the Philippine Team


June 2012 Schedule for the Philippine AZKALS


Opponent      Location           Date




Malaysia       Kuala Lumpur   June 1 
Indonesia      Rizal Memorial  June 5
Guam           Panaad             June 12

Manchester City wins the BPL in Thrilling Fashion

The Barclays Premier League has been decided on goal difference and Manchester City has come out on top for the first time since 1968.

In a thrilling simultaneus match-up between the leaders, City went against QPR, a team in danger of relegation with the title almost certainly in the bag. However, United scored an early goal against Sunderland with a header from Wayne Rooney. City only needed to get as many points as United to win the title and just before halftime, Mancini's side scored a goal against QPR to level with United.

It looked like it was going to be a thrashing as City held posession for over 80% of the match but the school bus defense and absolute heroics of QPR keeper Patrick Kenny denied another goal for the title contenders. In a bizaare twist, Cisse managed to score a goal for QPR despite having next to zero posession. With United winning, City went on a desperate dash for a goal. Unfortunately for them, the focus on attack left them wide open on the defensive angle and QPR miraculously pounded another goal in at the 68th minute to lead 2-1. Even a draw would not be good enough for City and at the end of regulation time, it seemed like all was lost as Kenny and the rock solid defense of QPR held on to their lead. They were after all, also fighting to stay in the top tier.

Five minutes of stoppage time was given which might be the only questionable call that I can recall in the match. It was an otherwise clean match apart from the red card given to Joey Barton after hitting Tevez in the face. No other delays occured in the second half to warrant a five minute extension but it turns out, it was a death warrant both for United's hopes and for QPR's win.

After only 75 seconds of stoppage time, City finally found the back of the net courtesy of Edin Dzeko. This got the team's hopes up but it was a tremendous feat. Having been unable to score for the entire second half, they needed two goals in five minutes and they got just that. With less than two minutes remaining, Diego Maradona's son in law Aguero showed the old man that he could play ball too when he fired one past Kenny to the delight of the home crow who were already in tears in the face of defeat.

The trophy and medals wete already at the Etihad Stadium and it makes me wonder if they would have airlifted everything if United came out on top? It was Mancini's night and this time, he may be the league's noisiest manager but he certainly has something to shout about.