World 9-ball Championships Final Results

Congratulations to Global FC! United Football League Champions!

Italy Upsets Germany, Meets Spain in the Finals

Italy 2-1 Germany

Germany were favorites to meet the defending champions Spain on Sunday for the finals. They were the only team to come out with a perfect record in the group stage and were largely pegged to be the strongest team in the competition. This would have been a chance at revenge after an older Spanish team had them running around in circles in the World Cup semi-finals in 2010.

The chance would never come, just like Cristiano Ronaldo never having a chance to shoot his penalty kick. An inspired Azzurri outclassed and outplayed the Germans.

In the first half, the Germans hardly had a chance to hold the ball and set up an attack. When they got the rare chance, Gianluigi Buffon was always beyond brilliant and kept the ball out.

On the 20th minute, Italy went ahead with a well-placed header by Mario Balotelli that left Manuel Neuer lunging in the opposite direction as he watched the ball glide in just out of his reach.

This fired up the Azzurri even more and only 18 mins later, they broke through the German defense once again. Balotelli left Lahm to eat his dust as he received a beautiful pass from half-German Montolivo. He wasted no time and shot from distance and hammered it in leaving Neuer completely helpless. Neuer was quick to admit the brilliance of the goal as he applauded the opponent's effort.

Ozil and Khedira dug deep from their tried and tested Real Madrid partnership and challenged Buffon several times in the game but the Italian captain was simply inspired. In stoppage time, a penalty kick was awarded to Germany and Ozil finally found the net but it was merely a consolation that didn't really offer any real hope.

It was a decisive win and one that the tournament needed after the last two fixtures were decided on penalties. Spain will defend their title against Italy on Sunday in Kiev and attempt to be the first team to defend their european title.

Spain Trounce Portugal, Ready for Title Defense

Spain 0-0 Portugal (Spain win 4-2 on penalties)

The current Spanish side is the strongest in the world and the can prove it. The current European and World Champions have nothing left to prove. The next thing on their agenda now is to be the first team ever to defend their European Championship. Right now, they only have the Italians or the Germans in their way.

Italy met Spain in their opening group match which ended in a draw. Germany on the other hand were famously defeated by Spain in the World Cup semi-finals. It was effectively the finals since everyone thought that Germany was the best team in the tournament.  This time, it's going to be an interesting final match either way with most of the Spanish and German side still composed of their World Cup teams. Italy have had several changes but still remain strong. Incidentally, they won the World Cup before Spain back in 2006.

Last night, the Spanish side played their signature style of football which was booed to no end in the stadium in Donetsk. It seems like many fans find the endless passing boring and are looking for a more aggressive strategy. I must say that this style works no matter how boring it might be. That was exactly how Spain forced a much younger and energetic German side to exhaustion in their World Cup semi-final.

However, the lack of finishing hurt them against  Portugal. They dominated possession in the first half but were unable to find the back of the net. In the second half, a more aggressive Portuguese side were able to break the Spanish composure and controlled the tempo.

Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to convert two successive free kicks and a few other opportunities. 

Andres Iniesta managed a strong shot on target in overtime but it unfortunately went straight into the keeper's hands. The Spanish side poured on the pressure and regained their control of the match during overtime but the match ended in a goal-less draw even after over time.

During the penalty shoot-out everyone was anticipating the selection and speculating as to whether or not Sergio Ramos will be lined up. everyone remembers how he sent his ball to the moon in Real Madrid's semi-final defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League just two months ago.
"I wanted to take a penalty, especially after the bad experience in the Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid" said Ramos. He took a shot and beautifully kicked the ball still high but definitely in the net this time. His team mate Jordi alba was quick to defend him "Sergio Ramos got a lot of stick after missing against Bayern but he showed a lot of cool and he shut a few people up."

Cesc Fabregas scored the winning penalty which luckily bounced in after it hit the bar to the keeper's right. This was after Portugal's fourth attempt by Bruno Alves hit the top bar and flew out. this left Cristiano ronaldo completely heartbroken since he was not even able to come to the spot to take his shot. Saving the best for last proved futile for Portugal since Fabregas firmly kicked them out of the competition before Ronaldo can rescue them.

2012 World 9-ball Championships Last 32

2012 World 9-ball Championships Last 64 Charts

2012 World 9-ball Group Stage Final Results

Italy and Spain join Portugal and Germany in Euro Semis

Spain 2-0 France
Italy 0-0 England (Italy win 4-2 on penalties)

Semi final Matches:

Spain vs. Portugal (June 27)
Germany vs. Italy (June 28)

Spain's Xabi Alonso celebrated his 100th cap for the national team with 2 goals which put them through to the semi-finals. 

The first goal wa sa header which he thundered in from a Jordi Alba assist that never gave the keeper a chance. The sheer power behind the shot could have bored a hole right through the net. 

Spain kept their calm and held on to the ball in their signature style but could actually have been a bit more aggressive. Sometimes all the passing just ends up in wasted opportunities when no one moves forward fast enough.

France had their fair share of opportunities but luck was not on their side and the relentless Spanish defense didn't allow them any respite.

A penalty kick taken by Alonso again late in the game sealed the deal for the defending champions to face Portugal in the semis where Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing like a man on a mission in the last two games despite a slow start of the tournament for him.

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Italy and England started a fast-paced match which looked like it will be a goal fest. However, at the end of regulation time, it was still a blank sheet for both teams. 

Andrea Pirlo set the pace the entire match and controlled the game's tempo. England however, did not just stand there and watch. both sides attacked until the end but no one was able to finish and find the back of the net.

In the end, it was down to penalties.

Gianluigi Buffon did his part and denied Ashley Cole from the spot and it was Alessandro Diamanti who struck the winning goal for the Azzurri. 

The Italians have a tough mountain to climb in the semis as they face the young and agressive Germans.

2012 World 9-ball Championships Day 3 Results

2012 World 9-ball Championships

Group stage

Double Eliminations

Day 3: Winners round 2

Fernando Alonso Twists Fate, Triumphs in Valencia

Raikkonen, Alonso, Schumacher

In a race weekend that looked to be every bit the disaster judging from the qualifying results, the European GP turned out to be the best that I have seem in recent memory!

World 9-ball Championships Day 2 Results

FIRST ROUND (CONTINUED):

World 9-ball Championship 2012 Draw

Stage 2
Group stage brackets:

http://www.qbsf.net/en/downloads/W9BC_results.pdf

World 9-ball Championship 2012 First Round Results

First Round Results:

Portugal and Germany through to the Euro 2012 Semis

Portugal 1-0 Czech Republic

Admittedly, Portugal were the favorites to advance. However at the beginning of the tournament, hey started out with a loss against Germany and star cpatain Cristiano Ronaldo seemed unable to find the back of the net. In the last game of the groups against the dutch in a do or die match, Ronaldo finally came through and found the net twice to advance. This time it was his single header that puts their team up against either France or Spain in the semi-finals

Germany 4-2 Greece

Meanwhile, Germany, who have been strong with almost exactly the same team that they fielded in the last World Cup topped their group by sweeping all their matches. The quarter final match against Greece was their 15th consecutive victory which is a new world record. The young German squad know they are more than capable of making it through to the end and raising that trophy. In the World Cup, it was Spain that stopped them. Let's see if anyone can do it this time around.

Global vs Stallions Match Highlights

Match highlights and commentary courtesy of Bob Guerrero.
June 19, 2012
Rizal Memorial Football Stadium

Group D Results:

England   7 points
France     4 points
Sweden   3 points
Ukraine   3 points

Despite beating France 2-0 in their final match, Sweden still fail to advance to the quarterfinals with only 3 points. Likewise, it was a bad tournament for the host nations as both Poland and Ukraine bow out after the group stage.

England, despite being riddled by injuries and missing some key players, end up on top of the group with 7 points. Wayne Rooney scored the winner against Ukraine last night in a game where the hosts fought valiantly in an attempt to stay on. Andriy Shevchenko was unable to start due to injury while Rooney in the meantime was returning after suspension. This gave England an edge in the striker department and in the 48th minute, Rooney headed in the goal to stamp his authority. England will play against Italy in the quarters.

Sweden won spectacularly over France but unfortunately still ended up with only 3 points, not enough to advance. Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave everything that he's got and made one spectacular shot but only for the benefit of a well-entertained crowd who will no longer see the team again in this competition. France ended their winning streak and must now face defending champions Spain in the quarter finals.

Group C Results Euro 2012

Group C Results

Spain    7 points
Italy      5 points
Croatia 4 points
Ireland  0 points

The defending European and World Champions have made it through to the quarter finals of the 2012 European Championships. La Furia Roja did not seem as comfortable in the match against Croatia last night compared to their previous matches. The game finished 1-0 favoring the Spaniards but they could not be said to have dominated. Croatia had their fair share of chances at goal and were still holding on to the possibility of qualification until the last few minutes of the game. Jesus descended upon them and was indeed the savior when Fernando Torres was substituted late in the game. Jesus Navas came in and was eventually the man who scored the goal in the 88th minute fabricated by fellow substitute Cesc Fabregas and man of the match Andres Iniesta.

Italy looked weak coming into this tournament not having won a single match this year. They could only manage a draw in both of their group stage matches against Spain and Croatia and needed the win badly in order to progress. The Azzurri were able to dig deep last night and sunk the nail much deeper into the coffin where the Irish lay. Finishing with a 2-0 victory, the Italians waited with baited breath for the result of the other match taking place in Gdansk. When they found out that Jesus had saved them, elation erupted through the stadium in Poznan. Italy and Spain advance and will await the qualifiers from group D for the quarterfinals.

Alex Pagulayan wins Canadian 8-ball Championship

FORMER World 9-ball champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan earned yet another title with his win at the Canadian 8-ball Championships over the weekend.
The Cabagan, Isabela native Pagulayan, one of the top players of Puyat Sports toppled local bet John Morra, 11-7, in the finals en route to the coveted crown . The event was held at the Shooter Snooker and Sports Club in Ontario, Canada.

Pagulayan, earlier beat Mario Morra (father of John Morra), 9-5, to set up the finals against the young John Morra. Pagulayan also finished third in the US Open 10-Ball Championships last May 14 to 19 which was held at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo and Francisco "Django" Bustamante wound up first and second placers in that event completing the Filipino domination.

Marlon Bernardino

Former Chelsea brothers shine in the Philippines

Phil and James Younghusband are featured by FIFA's Football Mundial

Group B: Portugal and Germany Hurdle Group of Death

Group B
Germany        9
Portugal         6
Denmark        3
Netherlands   0

Group B may have been labeled the "Group of Death" in the 2012 European Championships, but Germany and Portugal were always the favorites to go through. They did just that last night in a nail-biting final round of group stage matches. 

Contrary to the shocking results of Group A, this was the result that many expected from Group B. The biggest shock provided by this group was Netherlands' first game loss against Denmark and Cristiano Ronaldo's inability to score. 

Last night however, the Portuguese Captain really delivered for his team. The Dutch went ahead early on the 11th minute with a goal from Rafael Van Der Vaart. Ronaldo fought back with a goal of his own on the 28th minute and another on the 74th to seal the victory and to bury the Dutch team at the bottom of the group.

Meanwhile, Germany didn't dominate their game against Denmark as expected. Up until the 8th minute, it looked like there was going to be a draw. Luckily, a goal from Lars Bender 10 minutes from time put them through and sent Denmark crashing out.

The German side have set up a quarter final match against surprise qualifiers Greece in Gdansk on Friday. Portugal will be facing Czech Republic in Warsaw on Thursday. 

Double Gold Medalist Iris Ranola competes in World 9-ball without Government Support

Shenyang, China-Southeast Asian Games double gold medalist Iris Ranola has arrived in Shenyang, China to compete in the most prestigious title in women's billiards. She is joined by former World 10-ball Champion and former SEAG gold medalist Rubilen Amit. Both players have traveled to the competition without any support from the PSC and the POC and are only depending on their long time private sponsor, Philippine pool patron, Aristeo Puyat of Puyat Sports.

The lack of support stems from the total disregard of Billiard Sports Confederation President Arturo Ilagan to the needs of the pool players who bring glory to our country through their various achievements around the world. After a falling out last year due to Ilagan's questionable decisions regarding the selection of the Philippine contingent for the SEA Games, the entire billiard team has been left to fend for themselves.

No budget requests were submitted nor were the players consulted about their needs for their campaign in the world circuit. Previous plans to request funding for the world championship campaigns of the Men's and Women's teams were forgotten and thrown out the window as soon as the players started questioning Ilagan's actions leading up to the SEAG.

PSC President Ritchie Garcia is keen on supporting the pool players including priority athletes such as Ranola and Dennis Orcollo who also won a gold medal in the SEAG held last December in Indonesia.

However, with Ilagan at the helm and blatantly ignoring the plight of the athletes, there is nothing that the PSC can do at the moment. The players have lodged various complaints against Ilagan and the other members of the Billiard Sports Confederation are in the process of finding a solution.  Ilagan is acting of his own accord and behind the backs of other members of the board. He is keeping information from the other members and is trying to run his own show.

The Philippines is also fielding a group of players to the World Team Championships to be held in Beijing China at the end of June and only the help of Puyat and Billiard patron Perry Mariano of Bugsy Promotions is making it possible for the players to compete.

Apart from this event, The men will also compete in  the World 9-ball Championship in Doha, Qatar in two weeks' time and again, all the players needed to find their own private sponsors to fund their trip.

Meanwhile, the snooker team, who are in Ilagan's good graces have been able to fly to several 'training' trips abroad in the past year.

Hosts Poland and Russia bow out of Euro 2012

Group A
Czech Republic 6
Greece 4
Russia 4
Poland 2

After leading the group coming into the last round of group stage matches, Russia is out of the competition. They gave an impressive performance defeating Czech Republic 4-1 in their opening game. Their match against Poland ended in a draw but that kept them on top of the group. Ironically, Greece who were at the bottom of the group with only one point from their draw against Poland defeated them in the last group game and kicked them out. Russia was one of the favorites to make it far in the competition after strong performances leading up to the games.

Poland on the other hand are also devastated to be out of the competition which they are co-hosting with Ukraine. After a narrow escape against Greece in their opening match, which many thought they should have lost, the hosts managed  draw. Their next match against Russia also ended in a draw. Things were up in the air in group A with so many draws, no one was the clear winner. Last night, the Czech Republic only needed a 1-0 scoreline courtesy of Petr Jiráček to hammer in the final nail in the coffin which sent the hosts out.

Czech Republic ended up on top of the group with Greece coming in second and are the first  teams to occupy the quarter final berths.

EURO 2012 Second Round Results

After the second round of group stage matches, things are still up in the air for most teams. as the last round of group matches begin tonight, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland find themselves out of the competition after failing to score a point from their first two matches.

A handful of teams look comfortable at the top of their groups but could still suffer heartbreak should there be more upsets in the tournament.

GROUP A:

Poland 1- 1 Russia
Greece 1-2 Czech Republic

Points:
Russia 4
Czech Republic 3
Poland 2
Greece 1

Next Games:
Greece vs Russia, Poland vs Czech Republic

Greece despite having only one point has a chance of still making it if they win against group leaders Russia. Russia looks comfortable on top and will likely qualify unless the universe completely works against them and they lose to Greece. If that happens, they need the other match to draw or risk elimination. The Czech Republic however, can't afford to lose to hosts Poland which could see them booted out of the competition.

EFREN "BATA" REYES BACK IN ACTION, FRANCISCO "DJANGO" BUSTAMANTE IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TITLE IN WPA WORLD 9-BALL

FILIPINO pool maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes is ready to weave his old black magic while his buddy, Francisco “Django” Bustamante is seeking another title at the  World 9-Ball Championship on June 22 to 29 in Doha, Qatar.

The two grizzled veterans of Philippine pool playing under the banner of Puyat Sports will take centerstage anew and carry the country’s colors in one of the biggest billiards tournament of the year.

Euro 2012: First Round Results

Looking at the groups, one could almost immediately pick out the favorites to go through. The division was clear as day between the top two teams in the groups that I almost put in a lot of money on betting for the group qualifiers. Thank God for some traffic however, which prevented me from doing that because I would have lost a lot of money from the first day alone. After that, I decided to ditch the gambling.

Group A:

Poland 1-1 Greece
Russia 4-1 Czech Republic

The hoe team were lucky to escape with a draw in this one. The scoreline doesn't reflect how Greece dominated the game and how the bad calls helped Poland along.
Russia is still in good form giving Czech Republic a god spanking even with Chelsea's Petr Cech manning the goal.

The Philippine Azkals defeat Guam 3-0 in Panaad

In the last of a series of International friendlies scheduled by the PFF during the window allowed by FIFA, the Philippine AZKALS were finally able to pull out big win.

The first match was a draw against Malaysia, then another draw against Indonesia at the Rizal memorial and the last one was a 3-0 victory against Guam at the Panaad stadium in Bacolod City.

Several key players were absent for this match. One big name is Stephan Shrock who was initially expected to play in all three matches but had to rush home to attend to a family emergency.

Manny Ott and Co-captain Chieffy Caligdong had to sit it out due to red cards awarded during the Indonesia game after a fight broke out. Aly Borromeo and Juani Guirado are both still nursing injuries which opened up a few spots at the back.

Rafael Nadal Overtakes Borg with 7 French Titles

Rafael Nadal made history once again in Roland Garros by defeating Novak Djaokovic in four sets in a rain-drenched final.

4-6,3-6,6-2,5-7

The final match was delayed then subsequently suspended due to the rain on Sunday night and was resumed on Monday afternoon in the hopes of avoiding further weather interruptions.

The match started out with Nadal completely dominating the current world number 1. Novak Djokovic which was reflective of both guys' tournament so far. Novak barely scraped through to the final by suffering scares in nearly all the rounds except for his semi-final against former world number one and tennis legend, Roger Federer.

Nadal on the other hand, made short work of all his opponents and thundering on to the final looking every bit like the guy who deserves to win.

Golden Break International (Malaysia) Event Details

Lewis Hamilton Becomes Seventh Driver to Win in as Many Races in Current F1 Season

The 2012 Formula One Season couldn't be any more unpredictable this season with seven different drivers winning in as many Grands Prix. 

Sebastian Vettel clinched pole position on Saturday and for a short while, it looked like we are going to see a repeat of the past two seasons with him on pole and taking it all the way to the end without any challenges. 

However, that was anything but the case. The start was straightforward enough with the entire grid moving along as if still in formation for the first few corners. Soon enough it was obvious that Sebastian Vettel wasn't going to pull away like he did in recent seasons. The McLaren of Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso were able to keep up with him easily. 

Manny Pacquiao Defeated by Timothy Bradley in Controversial Split Decison, Celebs Outraged

Controversial is an understatement to describe the split decision on last night's bout between the Philippine's Manny 'Pac-man' Paquiao and Timothy Bradley of the United States.

The match started out quite well and it looked to be a good fight when it was clear that both fighters will be going all out and no one will be on defensive mode like some of the more recent Paquiao matches.

Warren Kiamco Wins the 2012 Japan Open Title

Filipino cue stars almost swept the top three positions of the 2012 Japan Open 9-ball Championship when Carlo Biado, Ramil Gallego and Warren Kiamco found themselves in the top four with Satoshi Kawabata. Just a few weeks before, Dennis Orcollo, Francisco Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan clinched the top three positions in the U.S. Open 10-ball Championship.

However, it wasn't to be in Japan as Kawabata defeated Gallego in the semis to set up a date with Kiamco. In the end, the Filipino emerged victorious but the top three were now swept. A former player of the now defunct Negros Billiard Stable, Kiamco needed this win to revitalize is career. The Philippines is determined to reclaim its reputation as the kings of billiards and this year, it has been a successful campaign. Coming up next mnth is the World 9-ball Championship in Doha Qatar, arguable the most prestigious title in the world of pool. This is the event to win and this is another chance to see if  the Filipinos will continue to show dominance.

Catch the UEFA Euro 2012 on the A-Game

Today marks the opening day of the Uefa European Championships 2012 and The A-Game won't be far behind giving you all the updates that you need. Catch the UEFA EURO 2012 RSS feed direct from this site as well as other interesting previews, results and match highlights.

The Tournament Opens with hosts Poland Going against Greece in Warsaw and Czech Republic vs. Russia in Wroclaw.

Here's a link to the comprehensive tournament map:

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2012/tournament-calendar/index.html

Azkals draw against Indonesia in the Long-awaited Home Game

                     

And so it was another draw. We drew against Indonesia, the team that has beaten us 19/19 times in the past. That was a good result. Yeah, yeah. I'm actually quite sick of the "It was good considering we were playing the better team" attitude.

                             

Azkals vs. Indonesia Match Preview

June 5, 2012
Rizal Memorial Football Stadium
Kickoff: 7:00 pm

The Philippine Azkals just came off a nil-nil draw against reigning Suzuki Cup Champions Malaysia. Prior to that, Loyola FC defeated Singapore's Geylang United in a friendly match in Singapore.

The team has come a long way since the first time that the general public and the media have taken notice about two years ago. Several roster changes have also taken place and we now find ourselves with a deeper bench than ever before. Our veterans are now backed-up by Fil-Foreign stars who come home now and again to play for the team.