Life is a Game…

BIGGEST UPSET IN THE RECENT PAST!!! The World No.1 Spain are knocked out of the Confederations Cup by an unheralded USA. Having scraped through to the quarters aided by an incredible luck, USA managed to upset all the odds and bring Spain’s breathtaking 15 match unbeaten streak to a screeching halt.

The match began in an ominous note for Spain as USA continued to bombard forward time and again. Casillas was forced to come off his line to clear the ball twice in 90 seconds. But Spain calmed their nerves and began to dominate the game as time went by. But it was USA who took the lead against the run of play when Altidore scored through a counter. Casillas was caught wrong footed and the ball agonizingly went off the post trickling into the net. USA sniffed a great upset and began to push Spain to its absolute limits. It was 0-1 at HT.

The second half was all about Spain. Excellent interplay between Fabregas and Riera saw Spain havin a numerous shots on goal. But USA’s defenders Onweyu and their goalie Howard kept Villa and Torres at aby for the most part. When it seemed Spain would equalize soon, a defensive lapse saw Sergio Ramos giving the ball away to Demsey just 10 cm from goal and he made no mistake. 0-2 and Spain were down and out. USA indulged in some cheap time-wasting tactics but nevertheless held on to the lead till the FT despite having a man sent off. And many players in the Spain squad faced their first defeat in their Nation colors.

This defeat will serve as a blessing in disguise to Spain as they will go into the world cup in a right frame of mind rather than in an overconfident manner. As for USA, they are enjoying their best run in their chequered history!

It’s Spain vs USA in the first semifinals of the Confederations Cup. Both the teams entered the semis in a contrasting style.

Spain played some breathless football even with their B team and topped their group with a perfect 9. And incredibly, they haven’t conceded even a single goal in this tournament and have scored 8 goals and are on a 15 match winning streak.

USA on the other hand are extremely lucky to be in the semis and they could hardly believe their luck when Brazil thrashed Italy 3-0. Going in to the final group match against Egypt, they were written off as they lost to both Italy and Brazil earlier. But as luck would have it, they scored three while Italy conceded three in the other match and USA are through on “Goals For” (Even the Goal Difference was equal).

But no prize for guessing who’d go to the finals- Spain are sure shot favourites with USA attracting incredible odds of 1/40 if they win. At best, USA would be hoping that they are not humiliated by the World No.1. Spain are further boosted by the return of David Silva from injury and would like to continue their breathtaking run.

Let us hope that we get a good match and the best team makes it to the finals.

Roger Federer is tied with Pete Sampras for the most number of Grandslam wins. The Wimbledon Championships are about to begin and Federer’s nemesis, Nadal is out of the tournament with an injury. Does this present Federer a great chance to etch his name in history by winning an unprecedented 15^th slam?

May be yes, may be no. With Nadal out, Federer will not be concerned about his opponents. The likes of Del Potro, Monfils and Davydenko might have tested him on clay but on Grass he’s still the king. He has just won the French open and he is getting his rhythm back. In yesterday’s press conference, he regretted that Nadal has pulled out, but deep inside his heart he knows that this is his biggest chance.

But then this is a potential banana skin situation. Without Nadal, he may not have the motivation to give his best. He may have to face Djokovic and Murray at some stages of the tournament. Murray has been in sublime form and that showed when he lifted the Queen’s cup last week. Djokovic is more of a form player and if he’s on song, it’s difficult to beat him.

Whatever may be the case; this is the best opportunity for Federer to win his 6^th Wimbledon title and the 15^th Grand Slam, which will undoubtedly make him an all time best!

The dust has settled and it was Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in the finals of T20 World Cup. Both teams have many issues in common. Terrorism and civil war has hampered the progress of both the nations. Both the teams were at the receiving end of terrorist attacks in Lahore and it is plain fortune that some of the Sri Lankans are still alive.

Pakistan are in the midst of a political turmoil and the administration has no control over the events happening out there. They will not see their team playing cricket on their home soil for atleast three years. The Lahore attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team have all but ended the sympathy of the world. But this world cup has brought some reason for the people to cheer about.

Sri Lanka are enduring terrorist attacks both inside and outside their country. The civil war strained their economy and they toured Pakistan without heeding to the advice of security experts just for the want of money. But unfortunately they paid the price for it, as the terrorists struck them in a point blank range. And a world cup would have been a fitting consolation for the distressed team.

Sri Lanka may have lost the finals but at the end of the day, it is cricket that won and not the terrorists!

It’s official. Defending champion and the World no.1 Rafael Nadal has pulled out of Wimbledon with a Knee injury. He wasn’t at his best in the French open and that clearly showed when he lost to Soderling. He picked up that injury in the semifinals of Madrid masters.

It’d have taken a lot of pondering to take this decision. Missing the chance to defend your title will always hurt you. But in the long run, this injury might be a blessing in disguise for Nadal coz he need a break. He has been playing non-stop tennis for two years and his playing style is such that every muscle of his would be stretched to its strenuous limits. He makes his opponents run for money and in the process he failed to take care of his body. Now, his body says Enough is Enough.

Nadal is only 23 and he has already six slams to his name. Federer hadn’t won a single slam at 23. So this rest is a much needed one for Nadal. This break will not only help his rehabilitation but also’d give him ample time to reassess his strategies. He is mentally drained and a short stint in his hometown Mallorca will serve him well.

And finally, as they say only a defeat will help you relish what you have won and Nadal will certainly be back as an improved player. If you don’t think so, write Rafa off at your own peril.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, or MSD as he likes to be called, who just a few months ago could do nothing wrong, and in the process elevated to a cricketing immortal, is now a worried man. The fickle minded fans are now calling for his head – something that was outta imagination exactly 60 days ago. But Cricket is a cruel game and Dhoni is one of its illustrious victims.

Rewind……  It was March 29, 2007. Indian cricket was in a mess. Ousted by Bangladesh in the group stages, Dravid had given up the captaincy. Come September and the inaugural T20 world cup was slated. A very young Indian side was fielded under the new sensation Dhoni. With no real burden of expectations, the Indians led by an admirable Dhoni won the World cup. A MESSIAH HAD ARRIVED! It was all about Dhoni for the next two years and the Team India just could not stop winning.

Face the reality – Now the defending champions India are out of the t20 world cup and MSD has seen his status taking a huge thrashing. Big strokes are now a history. Attacks of brute force have been replaced by shots emanating from a dead timber. His intriguing captaincy added insult to injury, though every captain has his share of bad days.

But to call for his removal is completely unjust. Agreed, Dhoni’s honeymoon is certainly over but the marriage still remains intact!