New Zealand fall short in world record bid after Australia draw

By Bryn Palmer BBC Sport
Australia (12) 18

    Pens: Harris 5, Beale

New Zealand (6) 18

    Pens: Carter 6

New Zealand fell inches short in their bid to equal the world record of 17 straight Test wins by a top-tier nation after an 18-18 draw with Australia.

The world champions trailed 15-6 with half-an-hour left but four consecutive Dan Carter penalties put them ahead.

Mike Harris's fifth penalty for the Wallabies levelled it after 75 minutes.

But New Zealand, opting for a scrum on their own 22 in injury time, nearly snatched victory only for Carter to miss a drop-goal with the last kick.

It was an incredible finish and the sense of disappointment and disbelief on All Blacks faces after seeing their run come to an end was evident at the final whistle.

The All Blacks had won 16 successive Tests since their final game before last year's World Cup triumph - a 25-20 loss to Australia, also in Brisbane - and were looking to equal the joint record of their New Zealand predecessors from 1965-1969, and South Africa from 1997-1998.

Lithuania hold the official International Rugby Board record of 18 successive wins from 2006-2010, but none was against a Tier One or Two nation.

For the first 50 minutes at the Suncorp Stadium New Zealand were way below their usual lofty standards, a string of handling errors and indiscipline at the breakdown allowing Harris - with four penalties before the interval - and Kurtley Beale, with a long-range effort in the 51st minute, to give the Wallabies a nine-point advantage.

Even the great Richie McCaw momentarily lost his composure - understandably perhaps - after Wallaby flanker Scott Higginbotham appeared to knee him in the face as he lay on the ground. When the All Blacks captain took exception, Higginbotham then aimed his head in the direction of McCaw's, an act that may interest the citing commissioner.

But the world champions showed their character to turn the match around, aided by the sin-binning of Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper for a late hit on scrum-half Aaron Smith.

Back to a full complement of 15 after the yellow card issued to prop Tony Woodcock in the last minute before half-time, the All Blacks chipped away with four Carter penalties between the 52nd and 71st minutes.

Nerves appeared to afflict the injury-ravaged Wallabies, losing a line-out near their own line before Adam Ashley-Cooper dropped a high kick from replacement Aaron Cruden on his own 22.

When the ball rebounded to Nick Phipps in an offside position, Carter put the All Backs ahead for the first time since the 11th minute.

But Australia responded and after Harris had levelled the scores with five minutes left, it was the hosts who threatened to win the game, camped in the All Blacks half but failing to create a position for a drop-goal attempt.

Instead the All Blacks, awarded a penalty on their own 22 two minutes into injury time, opted for a scrum and thrillingly worked their way up to the Australia 22 with some superb handling.

But when the opportunity knocked to make history at the last, Carter - the record points scorer in Test rugby - pulled his snatched drop-goal attempt narrowly wide.

Saturday's match was the third in this year's Bledisloe Cup series between the trans-Tasman rivals, but New Zealand had already retained the trophy after home and away wins in the recent Rugby Championship.

Australia: Mike Harris, Nick Cummins, Ben Tapuai, Pat McCabe, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Nick Phipps; Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota Nau, James Slipper, Sitaleki Timani, Nathan Sharpe (capt), Scott Higginbotham, Michael Hooper, Wycliff Palu.

Replacements: James Hanson (for Polota Nau, 72), Sekope Kepu (for Slipper, 41), Kane Douglas (for Timani, 21), Dave Dennis (for Palu, 45), Liam Gill (for Douglas, 64), Brett Sheehan (for Phipps, 71), Drew Mitchell (for Cummins, 67).
Sin-bin: Hooper (54-64)

New Zealand: Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Hosea Gear, Daniel Carter, Aaron Smith; Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Charlie Faumuina, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Liam Messam, Richie McCaw (captain), Kieran Read.

Replacements: Andrew Hore (for Mealamu, 57), Owen Franks (for Faumuina, 50), Luke Romano (for Retallick, 68), Victor Vito (for Messam, 71), Piri Weepu (for A Smith, 60), Aaron Cruden (for Nonu, 62), Ben Smith (for C Smith, 52).

Sin-bin: Woodcock (40-50)

Att: 51,888

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Murray vs Djokovic ATP Shanghai 2012 Final

Sunday's Shanghai title match will be another installment of the budding Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray rivalry. Murray is look for his third consecutive triumph at the Masters 1000 event.

MATCH DETAILS

Murray vs Djokovic
Date : 14-10-2012

Game Start - 10:00

ATP Shanghai 2012 Final

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will be squaring off for the 16th time in their careers and for the sixth time this season when they collide in the final of the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Sunday afternoon.

Djokovic has a slight 8-7 edge in the head-to-head series and it is all tied up at six wins apiece on hard courts. Three of this year's meetings have gone Murray's way, including two in a row. The Scot prevailed in the semis of the Olympics then beat Djokovic in a 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 epic to win the U.S. Open and capture his first Grand Slam.

"I don't like the word 'revenge,' I never like revenge," Djokovic explained. "I just play tennis and I try to win every match that I play.... (Murray) goes more for his forehand, which wasn't his strength in the past. Now this year he's improved that stroke and he's more confident on the court, has more self belief. He's got the results. He won a Grand Slam."

Among Murray's other triumphs are two consecutive Shanghai titles. In fact, the world No. 3 has never lost a single match at this tournament. The streak is still alive following victories over Alexandr Dolgopolov, Radek Stepanek (in three sets), and Roger Federer. Murray is an awesome 53-12 for his 2012 campaign.

Djokovic may not be as dominant as he was in 2011, but he has been on fire of late. The second-ranked Serb is through to the final of his fifth consecutive tournament, a stretch that includes titles in Toronto and Beijing in addition to runner-ups in Cincinnati and at the U.S. Open. So far in Shanghai he has taken out Grigor Dimitrov, Feliciano Lopez, Tommy Haas, and Tomas Berdych all in straight sets.

"I've known him for 14, 15 years now," Murray added. "We've obviously had some incredibly tough matches."

Expect another tough one on Sunday, with both players in outstanding form. Djokovic may be a slight favorite based on his convincing performances this week, but as long as Murray continues to play aggressive, this has all the makings of another blockbuster.

Andrew Luck perseveres to lead the Colts to the upset over Green Bay

Andrew Luck perseveres to lead the Colts to the upset over Green Bay
By Frank Schwab | Shutdown Corner

The hit Packers linebacker Nick Perry put on Andrew Luck might be the hardest hit an NFL quarterback takes this season.

The most impressive thing happened after the play, when the Colts rookie quarterback bounced right back up, and then went on to have a game that will be instantly added to his already growing legend.

Luck led the Colts to a dramatic win over the Packers in the final minute, making every clutch play he needed to make down the stretch.

Luck had already proved his NFL ability through Indianapolis' first three games, and he proved his toughness with one play in the second quarter on Sunday. Packers rookie Perry, a fellow first-round pick who is 6-3, 265 pounds, came unblocked from Luck's right side. Luck never saw Perry coming, one of the most dangerous situations an NFL quarterback can face.

Perry planted his helmet into Luck's chest, giving Luck a scary whiplash effect before he went down. Perry also drew a penalty on the play. From the impact of the hit, it would have not been surprising if Luck was done for the day. Instead, he got up like nothing happened, impressing and relieving the Colts all at once.

Luck has already showed he is capable of being a star in the NFL, and what he did Sunday should erase any lingering doubts. He took a beating from the Packers, who knocked him down often. The Colts trailed 21-3 at halftime, but Luck dragged the Colts back in the game. His 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter pulled Indianapolis within two points, and he later led the Colts on a field-goal drive to take the lead.

After Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to give the Packers a 27-22 lead, Luck was great on the ensuing, game-winning drive. His best play came on third and 12, when he wrestled free of what seemed like a sure sack to hit Reggie Wayne for a 15-yard catch. On third and 7 later in the drive, he ran for the first down, putting his head down to get the final couple yards to the Green Bay 3-yard line.

Luck got the ball to Wayne again near the goal line and Wayne did the rest, stretching the ball across the plane for a go-ahead score with 35 seconds left. When Mason Crosby badly hooked a field goal attempt with three seconds left, a team that was in danger of going winless last season had defeated a team that almost went undefeated in the regular season last year.

Luck went 31-of-55 for 362 yards and had two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. He's doing a pretty good job living up to all his hype.

Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth Go Crazy In New Music Video

Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth Go Crazy In New Music Video

by Lisa Princ


Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were the center of media attention recently, when Miley posted some Tweets that Liam thought were “immature.” Now, the Punk’d star’s fiancé is proving to be just as immature as he called Miley, as the couple filmed a crazy new music video! What was it all about?

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth appear to be just fine, despite speculation that there was trouble in paradise after a series of Tweets that sparked a media field day. Recently, Cyrus convinced Liam Hemsworth to dress up as a unicorn for her latest music video. Yes, seriously, a unicorn! The edgy new video took place at both the Roosevelt Hotel and Beacher’s Madhouse, and included 45 club kids.

According to The New York Post, Miley Cyrus was shot wearing short leather shorts, and in one scene jumped out of a wedding cake. But rumor has it that she also performed a striptease for the crew in between takes. Hmm, wonder how Liam felt about that one?

In any event, Miley and Liam reportedly had a blast on doing the video, as she told the paper: “That s*** was crazy . . . my fiancé was dressed as a unicorn. We make out in the video, which is very funny. We’re like, ‘This feels like a party!’ so it’s dope.”

While the couple may be having their ups and downs, one thing Miley has made clear is that she is working hard at music career again. The singer recently told Rolling Stone Magazine: “I’m thinking hopefully November for a single. It’s just whenever we feel we’ve got that song we feel really confident in being the first single.” Is it safe to assume this video shoot is “that” song?

What do you think of Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth? We know you have you an opinion, and we want to hear it! Comment below and share your thoughts with us!

Want more? Follow our tweets on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook! Click here for more information about Punk’d. For other great reality TV news, please feel free to check out SirLinksALot: Punk’d.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid Highlights 2-2 Goals

 Played
October 7, 2012 5:50 PM UTC
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee:‬ Carlos Delgado Ferreiro‎
Attendance:‬ 95000‎

Real Madrid CF travels to Barcelona for playing this match. This match will be held at Camp Nou Stadium which is in Barcelona. The match is in between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the LA LIGA Match and it will be playing at 7th Oct, 2012. This match will be begins at 18:45 GMT. This will be a very big and very great match. Both teams are very great and it will be a very interesting match to seeing. We will provide you Real Madrid vs Barcelona live stream link before the match.


In this year, last 5 matches of both teams are which was playing against each other. First match was played on 18th Jan, 2012 in the Copa Del Rey match. This match was won by Barcelona and made 2 goals where real Madrid loses the match. 2nd match was played on 25th Jan, 2012. This match was drawn by 2-2. 3rd match was played on 21st April, 2012 in the LA Liga match and this match was won by Real Madrid and made 2 goals where Barcelona only made 1 goal and lose the match. 4rth match was played on 23rd Aug, 2012 in the Spanish Supercup. This match was won by Barcelona and made 3 goals where real Madrid made 2 goals and lose the match and last 5th match was played on 29th Aug, 2012 in the Spanish Supercup. This match was won by real Madrid and made 2 goals. All over result of both the teams which was playing against each other was that Barcelona won 2 matches. Real Madrid also won 2 matches and 1 match was drawn.

Match Drawn Both teams Scored 2-2 Goals Ronaldo and Messi Goals Videos

Match Results Highlights and Goals Videos
Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid
23' [0 - 1] Cristiano Ronaldo
31' [1 - 1] Lionel Messi
61' [2 - 1] Lionel Messi
66' [2 - 2] Cristiano Ronaldo

After Halftime - Barcelona(1) vs Real Madrid (1)

 Barcelona1 vs 1 Real Madrid

In Progress — Halftime
October 7, 2012 1:50 PM EDT
Camp Nou — Barcelona
Referee:‬ Carlos Delgado Ferreiro‎


HALF-TIME: BARCELONA 1-1 REAL MADRID. It's all square here at Camp Nou, despite Real Madrid dominating. Jose Mourinho's side took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo (of course), when he slammed the ball past Valdes from the left side of the penalty area, before Lionel Messi equalised from close-range following a horrible misjudgement from Pepe inside the Real Madrid box. The away side have been far the better side, but it is 1-1 with everything still to play for.

45′ +2
And there is the referee's whistle to mark the end of the first half here at Camp Nou.

45′ +1
The attack breaks down though, as Alonso's pass to Ronaldo floats over his head and goes out for a Barcelona throw-in.

45′
Barcelona have a free kick in a dangerous position after Ozil charges through the back of Messi 30 yards from goal. The home side waste the set piece opportunity though, and Madrid look to counter attack down the left through Ronaldo.

44′
Alba is losing his head at the moment, first he barged into Arbeloa in an attacking position on the left, and he has since thrown himself into a couple of challenges and not got anywhere near the ball. He needs to be careful!

43′
Yellow Card Xabi Alonso

42′
The home side are being whistled by their own fans as we head towards half-time. They have been disappointing in this first half, and Los Cules are letting them know it.

40′
Pedro goes into the book after a high foot in a collision with Sergio Ramos. The Barca attacker was slightly unfortunate there, I don't think there was much he could do to avoid that.

39′
Yellow Card Pedro

39′
Messi has also now scored 16 goals in Clasico matches, which takes him just two behind the leading all-time Clasico scorer Alfredo Di Stefano, who has 18.

38′
A clear push from Alba on Arbeloa hands Madrid possession in their own half, and draws the attention of the referee, who looks for a second like he might show the Spain international a yellow card, but in the end decides against doing so.

37′
HERE'S A LOVELY STAT!! Lionel Messi has now scored 99 Liga goals for Barcelona at Camp Nou, with five of those coming against this evening's opponents, Real Madrid.

35′
Messi is chasing the ball all over the pitch at the moment, as he looks to drag his side into this game. They are fortunate to be level as we head towards the break, Madrid have been well on top, but Messi's goal a few moments ago keeps them right in it.

34′
Xabi Alonso tries to curl the set piece to the back post, where Ramos and Pepe are lurking, but the cross is poor and fails to beat the first man, allowing Barcelona to clear the ball to safety.

33′
Montoya flies into a challenge on Ronaldo with both feet raised, and although the young full-back wins the ball, the referee awards the visitors a free kick.

32′
There were hints of offside in the build-up to that Messi goal, with Pedro looking to have received the ball on the right in an offside position. I'm sure Jose Mourinho will have something to say about that after the game.

31′
Goal Lionel Messi
GOALLL!! MESSI EQUALISES FOR BARCELONA!! The Argentine blasts the ball home from close-range after Pepe failed to clear the ball as it bounced up in the air following a cross from the right from Pedro. Simple stuff from Messi. It's all square here, despite Madrid dominating.

30′
He curls it towards Busquets on the penalty spot but the cross is met by a firm header from Sergio Ramos. Madrid look solid here at Camp Nou, Barcelona are struggling to break through them and create chances.

29′
Barcelona have a corner on the right. Xavi is set to take the set piece...

28′
Substitution Daniel Alves Montoya

27′
Barcelona with a back four now, as Montoya replaces Alves. So from right to left: Montoya, Mascherano, Adriano, Alba.

26′
Alves looks to be in trouble here, and Martin Montoya is warming up and is set to replace the Brazilian full-back.

25′
That Ronaldo goal is his sixth successive strike in Clasico matches, an unprecedented achievement. Take a bow, Cristiano, you're a record breaker.

24′
DI MARIA COULD MAKE IT 2-0!! The Argentine attacker shoots wide after Benzema had hit the post from inside the box after Ozil had bombed down the right-hand side and pulled a pass back to him.

23′
Assist Karim Benzema

23′
Goal Cristiano Ronaldo
GOALLL!!!! CRISTIANO RONALDO SCORES!!! Karim Benzema slips a pass through to Ronaldo on the left-hand side of the penalty area, and he smashes the ball past Valdes at his near post with his left foot to give Madrid the lead. Advantage to the away side.

21′
Madrid are committing men forward with far greater gusto than they have done in recent Clasicos, Pepe in particular is roaming forward from centre-back whenever he can as the away side look to profit from a slow start from Barcelona.

20′
Fabregas has started the match well for Barcelona, and he fashions another chance for his team, dancing into the box and pulling the ball back to the on-rushing Andres Iniesta, who fails to connect cleanly with the pass and it is dealt with by Casillas.

19′
RAMOS SHOULD SCORE!! Ozil clips the ball into the box and the Spain international wastes a glorious opportunity to open the scoring for the away side.

17′
Keep an eye on Cristiano Ronaldo guys, should he score tonight, he will set a record for scoring in six consecutive Clasico matches.

16′
Barcelona go all the way back to Valdes as the are pressed high up the pitch by Madrid's attackers. Their makeshift defence is standing firm at the moment, but they are not enjoying the intensity of Ronaldo, Benzema and Di Maria.

14′
Pepe has gone down inside his own half under a challenge from Fabregas and the referee has awarded the away side a free kick.

12′
Cesc Fabregas cuts into the Madrid box on the left-hand side and looks to slide a pass through to Messi on the six-yard box but Pepe hoofs the ball away and averts the danger for the time being.

10′
Pepe brings the ball out of defence for Madrid brilliantly before shifting the ball out to Di Maria on the right. The Portugal international continued his run forward and was screaming for the return pass from Di Maria but his pass strayed out of play. Madrid are committing men forward which is nice to see, and promises an exciting game!

9′
Madrid are trying to play Ronaldo in more and more in these opening exchanges, and a fine Ozil pass nearly does just that, only for Mascherano to step in and clear the ball away. Good positioning there from the Barcelona defender.

8′
Ozil crumples to the turf following a challenge from Dani Alves, and looks up imploringly at the referee Carlos Delgado Ferreiro‎ for a free kick but the official dismisses the Germany international's request and tells him to get to his feet.

7′
Mesut Ozil and Marcelo combine well on the left, with the latter lifting an enticing ball over the Barcelona defence towards Ronaldo, but the Madrid man cannot get there ahead of Valdes, the goalkeeper rushing off his line to grab the ball.

6′
Angel Di Maria sends a hopeful effort at goal for Madrid from long-range on the right-hand side but his shot is a long way from troubling Victor Valdes in the Barcelona goal, and flies out for a goal-kick.

5′
Adriano's inclusion tonight means Barcelona have had a different centre-back pairing for each of their seven Liga matches so far this season. For a team that loves stats, that is not a good one...

4′
Dani Alves catches Ronaldo, and Madrid have an early free kick in the centre circle. The atmosphere is electric at Camp Nou, with the crowd making one hell of a noise out there.

4′
We weren't sure before kick-off about where Adriano would be playing for Barcelona tonight, but it looks like he is playing at centre-back alongside Mascherano tonight. That's a short centre-back pairing! It will be interesting to see how they deal with the intimidating figures of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

3′
Some sharp interplay from Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi right on the edge of the Madrid box nearly results in a goalscoring chance for the Catalan side but Pepe stands firm and nicks the ball off Xavi as he tries to ghost into the box.

2′
Xabi Alonso looks to play Angel Di Maria in on the right-hand side with an early through-ball, but Javier Mascherano reads the danger and picks up the ball for the home side.

1′
The first passage of play is ended by Cristiano Ronaldo, as he heads the ball behind for a Barcelona goal-kick under pressure from Dani Alves.

1′
Strap yourselves in ladies and gentleman, we are off and running here at Camp Nou...


I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting goosebumps... That's what El Clasico does to me. It's hard not to love it.


Out come the teams ahead of kick-off, Los Cules giving their team a rousing reception as they make their way out on to the pitch at Camp Nou.


Don't forget guys, as always you can get in touch with your views on the match as it unfolds by sending your thoughts to either @charliefscott or @goal_intl. We would love to hear from you!


According to the people that matter, Goal.com's valued readers, Real Madrid are favourites tonight, with 5,071 votes (51.6 per cent) being cast in favour of Los Blancos in our poll that has been running this week, with 4,193 votes predicting a Barcelona win. We shall see if those 51.6 per cent of you that backed Madrid are right!


Patrick Kluivert is the latest figure to come out and claim that even if Barcelona win tonight, the Liga race will not be over. I'm not so sure to be honest. Should Barcelona secure all three points they would move 11 points clear of Madrid, with just seven matches played. A win for Mourinho's side cuts the deficit to five, while a draw would sustain the current eight-point gap. Those are big, big numbers at such an early stage in the season!


REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: The debate surrounding who would start out of Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric and Kaka in attacking midfield has been resolved, with Los Blancos' Portuguese trainer opting to play Ozil alongside Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo in an attacking three supporting lone striker Karim Benzema. Marcelo continues at left-back for the away side, while Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira start in defensive midfield in Mourinho's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.


BARCA TEAM NEWS: The big surprise for the home side is that Adriano starts in defence ahead of Alex Song, after Gerard Pique failed to prove his fitness to boss Tito Vilanova ahead of the game. Elsewhere the Catalan giants line up as expected, with Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets and Xavi completing a midfield three and Andres Iniesta and Pedro operating either side of Lionel Messi up front.


Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Ozil, Cristiano, Di Maria; Benzema


Barcelona (4-3-3): Valdes; Alves, Adriano, Mascherano, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Fabregas; Iniesta, Messi, Pedro


Without further ado, let's get stuck into some team news! I've got both side's starting XIs coming right up...


All eyes are on the Camp Nou tonight with media representatives from 139 media outlets from 28 different countries attending the match, AND there being an expected global audience of around 400 million watching the game live on television.


The two teams have already met twice this campaign, in the Supercopa, with Mourinho's men emerging victorious courtesy of away goals despite both sides winning their separate home matches.


My name is Charlie Scott, and I will be bringing you LIVE updates on the match at Camp Nou, as Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Liga Clasico of the season.


It's the big one tonight, El Clasico, Barcelona against Real Madrid, Tito Vilanova versus Jose Mourinho, the eye-gouged against the eye-gouger. It doesn't get much better than this ladies and gentlemen, and I'm honoured to be sharing this match with you.


"When Madrid plays Barcelona, the world stops," the Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said earlier this month. Well, I'm delighted to inform you that Goal.com doesn't stop, oh no, not even for Mr. Mourinho.

Results Rugby Championship 6th October 2012 : New Zealand beat South Africa

New Zealand finished off their victorious inaugural Rugby Championship campaign in style as their backs inspired a 32-16 win in South Africa.

Winger Bryan Habana got the hosts off to the perfect start, but visiting lock Sam Whitelock finished a sweeping move.

A converted Aaron Smith try saw his side take the lead, which Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith added to after the break.

 The victory means the All Blacks have now extended their winning streak since last year's World Cup to 16 matches.

South Africa had no answer to the incision provided by winger Hosea Gear and full-back Israel Dagg as their defensive line was repeatedly breached on the counter-attack.

Not even a late yellow card for Dagg could help the Springboks back into the match at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg as the All Blacks - who claimed the Rugby Championship title last weekend against Argentina - moved to within two games of the world record for continuous Test victories set by Lithuania in 2010.

SA springboks vs NZ All blacks Rugby Championship 2012

MATCH DETAILS

New Zealand vs South Africa
Date : 06-10-2012

Game start - 17:00 local, 15:00 GMT
Rugby Championship / Bledisloe Cup

Johannesburg, South Africa

 

1st Semi Final-Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Cricket T20 World Cup 2012

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

 Date : 04-10-2012
Game Start - 19:00 local time (13:30 GMT)
1st Semi-Final: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo
ICC T20 Cricket 2012

After a turbulent couple of days when at different points, 3 teams hoped for a Semi-final spot, and another went out after two super overs, we have the deserving four in the semifinals. While South Africa was knocking out India, a legion of Sri Lankan fans roared in support – perhaps aware of the mental edge India have had over their most familiar opponents off late. Come tomorrow however, Pakistan can expect far less generosity from the home fans.

Pakistan

Strengths: Their biggest strength is lack of stage-fright. In the knockout stages, Pakistan is always a side you don’t want to face. Having scraped through the initial bouts, the chilling efficacy with which they dismantled the hitherto dominant Australia (Shane Watson and all) clearly foretells the ‘cornered tigers’ are ready to bite. Their spin-heavy attack has the variety and skills for these pitches: Ajmal, Hafeez and Afridi each bring a new dimension to the attack and young Raza Hasan has been their trump card. Umar Gul found his death-overs touch in the last match as well.

Weakness: The openers are yet to fire comprehensively. In a format where a good start often gives momentum and dictates the way middle-order will approach, too often Hafeez’s nerviness and Imran Nazir’s over-attacking has left the middle order under pressure. Akmal brothers and Shoaib Malik hasn’t quite stayed till the end, and it makes Nasir Jamshed’s role very important. It’s also about time that Pakistan fans accepted that Afridi’s batting will always be a bonus, more miss than hit – his value is in his bowling, and fielding. Against the best fielding side of Asia, they also need to check their sloppiness on the field and atleast be tidy.

Possible Swap: For a side struggling to put up imposing totals, it’s baffling to see Yasir Arafat making the cut while Abdul Razzak sits out. Not only is Razzak a much cleaner hitter with the bat, his use of seam, cut and slower balls is much better suited for the dusty Premadasa pitch.

Watch out for:

Shahid Afridi – he hasn’t yet had the sort of impact he usually does, but the knockout match might just get him to lift his game

Sri Lanka

Strengths: After nearly botching a chase against New Zealand – a match they could’ve easily lost had NZ decided to run that extra run off the shot which hit Akila Dananjaya on the face – the Lions provided a solid thrashing to WI and defending champions England. Funnily enough, this is their first match in Colombo, a slow-low pitch which will suit all their spinners. Ajantha Mendis has roared back to international cricket, and Dananjaya, Dilshan, Jeevan etc. provide able support. Their top order is formidable: Jayawardene does it with a scalpel, Dilshan with an axe, and Sangakkara pretty much choses per his wish. In Lasith Malinga, they also have one of the best death over bowlers in the format and his triple-wicket over was the perfect form leading up to the semifinals.

Weakness: Take out the top order and the batting has a soft underbelly – Angelo Matthews, Jeevan Mendis, Thirimanne and Perera are all capable of slashing big hits but equally prone to dying by the sword, especially if the runs start drying up. None of them have the game to adapt seamlessly as Jayawardene. Pakistan was also the first team to decode Mendis – should he be negated – it’ll be interesting to see how the bowling takes the heat.

Watch out for: Thisira Perera has won more MoM in his short career than most players win in their entire ones. His zippy bowling adds value – but it’s his dangerous lusty hitting which might see him promoted if Dilshan goes early

Contests

Dilshan and Jayawardene vs Raza Hasan – Dilshan famously sparkled in the 2009 edition of the games, but ran into a red-hot Mohammad Aamer in the finals. That paved the way for Pakistan’s victory. Raza Hasan has been doing it for Pakistan this time, will he trump the Simon and Garfunkel pair?

Malinga vs Razzak/Afridi – Pakistan’s lower middle order has some serious hitters – both Razzak and Afridi can hit it out of the park on most grounds. Can they get under Malinga’s laser guided yorkers?



Source :  http://www.sportpulse.net/content/icc-world-twenty20-2012-preview-semifinal-pakistan-vs-sri-lanka-4931

Soccer - Argentina vs Brazil Friendly Match 2012

Argentina vs Brazil
Date : 03-10-2012

Competition:Friendly

Venue:Estadio Centenario del Club Atlético Sarmiento 

 

Man City vs Dortmund UEFA Champions League Football Game 2012.

MATCH DETAILS

Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund
Date : 03-10-2012
Game Start - 19:45

  02:45pm (US/Eastern)
Competition: UEFA Champions League 2012/2013

Manchester City does not have fond memories of German opposition from last season’s competition. How will they fare this season?
Dortmund 1-0 Ajax
Dortmund 1-0 Ajax
City was placed in the ‘group of death’ last season alongside Bayern, Napoli and Villarreal. On Match-day Two, they traveled to Munich and were punished. The 2-0 score-line did not do Bayern justice. By the hour mark, Roberto Mancini had reverted to damage limitation. On the final match-day of the group stages, they did beat the Bavarians. However, Bayern had already topped the group by then and fielded a ‘Reserve XI’.

Dortmund did not fare well against English opposition either last season. They opened their campaign in Germany against Arsenal and ended up with a 1-1 draw despite dominating the match. In London, two early injuries shook them up badly and they were consigned to a 2-1 defeat. However, Dortmund will be coming into this match with much more confidence.

Firstly, Dortmund won against Ajax on Match-day One, 1-0. The margin of victory should have been at-least two goals as Mats Hummels missed a penalty. Robert Lewandowski’s finish however was brilliant. He was left on the bench on Saturday when Dortmund played Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Gladbach was torn apart by the ‘other Borussia’. It was a Gladbach old boy that did most of the damage; Marco Reus tore through the Gladbach defence at will. The score-line, 5-0, was an understatement considering how dominating Dortmund was. This victory was much needed for the Ruhr side after they conceded six goals in two matches (3-2 against HSV and 3-3 against Frankfurt).

This huge victory will definitely serve as a ‘warning sign’ to City. It seems that Roberto Mancini is yet to grasp the European style of play. He didn’t play to win on Match-day One. His team was leading twice against Real Madrid and gave the lead away. Real Madrid deserved to win because of the control they had. The fact that Madrid attacked away shows that the European ‘big boys’ don’t have much respect for City yet.

In the league, City has won most of their games but has not been convincing. They beat Fulham thanks to a last gasp goal from a player who made his name in the Bundesliga, Edin Dzeko. They struggled against Arsenal last week and came away with a 1-1 draw only because Arsenal could not convert possession into goals.

Nonetheless, one cannot forget the calibre of each and every player City possesses. The squad is one of the best in the world of football even if they do not play the most eye-catching football. Dortmund however cannot be underestimated. They only know how to play one way- press the opponents into errors and come at them ferociously.

Considering the current form of both sides, this game could go either way.
Prediction: City 2-2 Dortmund 

Boxing rankings: Andre Ward moves into No. 2

Boxing rankings: Andre Ward moves into No. 2

Andre Ward had been regarded for several years by many boxing insiders as the sport's most underrated fighter.

He's underrated no more, however. Ward's 10th-round stoppage of Chad Dawson, which followed a comprehensive performance, vaulted him past Manny Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez in the Yahoo! Sports rankings and into second place, behind only Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Martinez also had a brilliant performance in a significant win, scoring a near-whitewash of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. before more than 19,000 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Perhaps it was because he was nearly stopped in the final round, but Martinez dropped from No. 3 in the ratings to No. 4 in polling done after the bout.

It's hard to argue, though, with Ward's ascension. Ward beat a better quality opponent more convincingly than Martinez. He also showed finishing power that he hadn't previously displayed.

And Ward's move up the rankings might not be done. Mayweather is also unbeaten, but he's near the end of his career, while Ward is just reaching the peak of his powers. Some believe Ward has already passed Mayweather, but it now seems likely that at the very least, Ward will be the successor to that throne as the world's top boxer.

[Related: Pacman compromise puts pressure on Mayweather to fight]

Had Martinez done to Chavez in the 12th round what he did in the first 11, he might have been able to hold off Ward. But given that Chavez came within seconds of stopping Martinez, voters opted to go with Ward.

Ward finished higher than Martinez on 25 of the 35 ballots cast.

Before unveiling the updated Top 10, please note that September is the final month of eligibility for Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gamboa, who came in 12th, has not fought since Sept. 10, 2011. Fighters who have not competed in a year are ineligible. Thus, Gamboa will not be eligible in the October poll and until he once again fights.

With that, here is the latest Yahoo! Sports boxing top 10 rankings:

Mayweather

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Points: 337 (25 of 35 first-place votes)
Record: 43-0 (26 KOs)
Title: WBA super welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Miguel Cotto on May 5
Previous ranking: 1
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Still has yet to indicate plans for resumption of career

Ward

2. Andre Ward
Points: 282 (4 of 35 first-place votes)
Record: 26-0 (14 KOs)
Title: WBA, WBC super middleweight champion
Last outing: TKO 10 Chad Dawson on Sept. 8
Previous ranking: 4
Up next: TBA
Analysis: Showed never before seen power against Dawson

Pacquiao3. Manny Pacquiao
Points: 279 (6 of 35 first-place votes)
Record: 54-4-2 (38 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: L12 to No. 8 Timothy Bradley
Previous ranking: 2
Up next: Dec. 8 vs. No. 5 Juan Manuel Marquez
Analysis: Vows he will knock out Marquez, which he desperately needs

Martinez4. Sergio Martinez
Points: 256
Record: 50-2-2 (28 KOs)
Title: WBC middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Sept. 15
Previous ranking: 3
Up next: TBA
Analysis: Will be off while knee, hand injuries heal

Marquez5. Juan Manuel Marquez
Points: 177
Record: 54-6-1 (39 KOs)
Title: Interim WBO super lightweight champion
Last outing: W12 Sergey Fedchenko on April 14
Previous ranking: 5
Up next: Dec. 8 vs. No. 3 Manny Pacquiao
Analysis: A convincing win over Pacquiao is his aim

Donaire

6. Nonito Donaire Jr.
Points: 166
Record: 29-1 (18 KOs)
Title: IBF, WBO super bantamweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Jeffrey Mathebula on July 7
Previous ranking: 6
Up next: Oct. 13 vs. Toshiaki Nishioka
Analysis: Among the sport's most complete fighters

W. Klitschko

7. Wladimir Klitschko
Points: 123
Record: 58-3 (51 KOs)
Title:IBF, WBA, WBO heavyweight champion
Last outing: TKO6 over Tony Thompson on July 7
Previous ranking: 7
Up next: Nov. 10 vs. Mariusz Wach
Analysis: No one on the horizon is remotely close to him

Bradley

8. Timothy Bradley
Points: 102
Record: 29-0 (12 KOs)
Title: WBO welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over No. 3 Manny Pacquiao on June 9
Previous ranking: 8
Up next: TBA
Analysis: Talking about December fight with Lamont Peterson

V. Klitschko

9. Vitali Klitschko
Points: 76
Record: 45-2 (41 KOs)
Title: WBC heavyweight champion
Last outing: TKO 4 over Manuel Charr on Sept. 8
Previous ranking: 9
Up next: TBA
Analysis: Still dominant at age 41

Froch

10. Carl Froch
Points: 37
Record: 29-2 (21 Kos)
Title: IBF super middleweight champion
Last outing: TKO5 Lucian Bute on May 26
Previous ranking: 10
Up next: Title defense vs. Yusef Mack on Nov. 17
Analysis: Continues to fight, and beat, highly ranked opponents

Others receiving votes: Miguel Cotto, 30; Yuriorkis Gamboa, 16; Canelo Alvarez, 10; Chris John, 8; Anselmo Moreno, 6; Chad Dawson, 4; Roman Gonzalez, 4; Guillermo Rigondeaux, 4; Adrian Broner, 3; Gennady Golovkin, 1.

Voting panel: Raul Alzaga, Primera Hoya; Al Bernstein, Showtime; Ron Borges, Boston Herald; Damian Calhoun, Orange County Register; Brian Campbell, ESPN.com; Scott Christ, Bad Left Hook.com; Steve Cofield, ESPN Radio 1100; Mike Coppinger, RingTV.com; Jake Donovan, BoxingScene.com; Andrew Eisele, About.com; Steve Farhood, Showtime; Thomas Gerbasi, BoxingScene.com; Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin; Randy Gordon, Sirius/XM; Lee Groves, Ring Magazine; Rafael Hernandez Brito, Univision; Keith Idec, The Record; Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports; Max Kellerman, HBO; Scott Mallon, Boxing Digest; Rich Marotta, Fox Sports; David Mayo, MLive.com; Franklin McNeil, ESPN.com; Gunnar Meinhardt, Die Welt; Marty Mulcahey, MaxBoxing.com; Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters; Santos Perez, Miami Herald; Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports; Cliff Rold, BoxingScene.com; Lem Satterfield, RingTV.com; Tim Starks, The Queensbury Rules; Don Steinberg, Philadelphia Inquirer/Wall Street Journal; T.K. Stewart, RingTV.com; Bob Velin, USA Today; Dave Weinberg, Press of Atlantic City.

Timothy Bradley to defend title in Miami

Timothy Bradley to defend title in Miami


Timothy Bradley didn't get the opportunity for a lucrative rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but the WBO welterweight champion got a nice consolation prize on Friday.

Timothy Bradley didn't get a big-money rematch with Manny Pacquiao. (AP)Top Rank's Bob Arum said Bradley will defend his title "against a top-ranked, well-known welterweight" on Dec. 15 at Marlins Park in Miami, Fla., as the main event of an HBO card.

Arum would not divulge Bradley's opponent because he said the opponent has agreed to terms but has yet to sign his contract. Sources told Yahoo! Sports that HBO has checked into former champion Andre Berto's availability and is pushing for the fight.

However, it is no slam dunk Berto will be the opponent. Berto is advised by Al Haymon, and Haymon and Arum rarely work together.

The show will be the first boxing event held at the $515 million baseball stadium. In 1982, Arum promoted Alexis Arguello-Aaron Pryor I, one of the greatest fights in boxing history, in the Orange Bowl. Marlins Park sits on the site of the old Orange Bowl.

Arum said the stadium will be configured to seat between 20,000 and 25,000 fans.

"Miami has been a great boxing town for a long time, and this is an opportunity for us to bring big-time boxing back there," Arum said.


Arum said he will fill the card with fighters who will appeal to the Miami audience. He said WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, a two-time gold medalist for Cuba, would headline the undercard.

Arum said another Cuban boxing star, Yuriorkis Gamboa, would likely fight on the Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez undercard on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.

"I don't have space for both of them [Rigondeaux and Gamboa] on Dec. 15, so I'll put one on Dec. 8 and the other on Dec. 15," Arum said.

Bradley defeated Pacquiao on June 9 in Las Vegas via a highly controversial split decision that prompted Arum to call for the Nevada attorney general to investigate.

There was a rematch clause, but it was at Pacquiao's option, and Pacquiao declined it to accept a fourth bout with Marquez. Pacquiao told Yahoo! Sports his reason for doing so was that a fight with Marquez would be more lucrative financially and would be more entertaining stylistically.

That left Bradley without a big fight, but headlining a show in a baseball stadium will be significant.

Top Rank put on a show in 2010 between Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium that drew more than 20,000. The ring for that show was in right center field, because the fight came in June and the Yankees were still playing.

[Kevin Iole: It's time for Showtime, Strikeforce to cut losses, move on]

Arum said the ring for the card at Marlins Park will be in the infield and will allow for better sight lines.

"The Marlins will help us and will [market the event to] their season ticket holders," Arum said. "We'll keep the prices reasonable. There will be a lot of hoopla around it being the first fight in the new stadium, and we'll have a lot of the Cubans on the card and all the razzamatazz we do, and I'm sure we'll put more than 20,000 in there."

Arum said he'll be able to promote it jointly with the Pacquiao-Marquez fight. Tickets for that show went on sale on Friday and he said the pre-sale already netted 10,000 tickets.

He said the brisk sales for that show will enable him to push the Bradley fight the following week while he has the bully pulpit a Pacquiao fight brings.

Adam Greenberg strikes out in his one at-bat

Adam Greenberg strikes out in his one at-bat
By Kevin Kaduk

Adam Greenberg finally received his one at-bat at Marlins Park  on Tuesday night and it ended like we thought it might.



The 31-year-old Marlin for a day was tabbed for a pinch hit opportunity to lead off Miami's half of the sixth inning and he struck out on three pitches against New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. All three pitches were knuckleballs with Greenberg taking the first and swinging at the last two. Greenberg's career line now reads: 2 PA, 1 AB, 1K, 1 HBP for a slash line of .000/.500/.000 that was  four pitches and seven years in the making.

Still, it was the moment that Greenberg had strived for ever since July 9, 2005, when he stepped to the plate as a newly-minted member of the Chicago Cubs. That plate appearance ended after just one pitch when a Florida Marlins pitcher drilled him in the helmet. A host of concussion-related problems followed and Greenberg never returned to the major leagues despite tours through the farm systems of several organizations.

Well, at least not until Tuesday night after a grass-roots movement led by filmmaker Matt Liston improbably led to the Marlins giving Greenberg one more chance with the team that had effectively ended his dream.

(AP)Considering that Dickey is a Cy Young contender and that his knuckler was arguably the majors' best pitch, it was far from a huge embarrassment. Dickey has issued 44 other three-pitch strikeouts this season, all against batters whose last big league experience occurred a lot more recently than seven years ago. A guy by the name of Bryce Harper was the victim of a three-pitch Dickey knockout on three different occasions this season.

Greenberg walked to the at-bat with Aerosmith's "Dream On" blaring over the loudspeakers and he soon walked back to the dugout with a big smile on his face. He received loud cheers from the poster-waving fans and exchanged fist bumps from Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and catcher Rob Brantly before manager Ozzie Guillen pulled him aside for a few words of his own.

His long journey had finally come to an end.

Wanna get away? Red Sox fan helps Yankees out on Russell Martin homer

Wanna get away? Red Sox fan helps Yankees out on Russell Martin homer.
By Kevin Kaduk

Oh man, you have to love the look on the face of this Boston Red Sox fan. It's the look of a Red Sox fan who just realized he helped the New York Yankees during a win that put them in sole possession of the AL East lead with two games to play. The look of the woman next to him? Yeah, she's having pretty much the same realization, though with a lot more amusement.

The play in question came in the second inning of New York's 10-2 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. With the Yankees already leading by three runs, catcher Russell Martin lifted a deep drive to center field. The Red Sox fan reached over the wall in an attempt to catch the baseball in his hat, only it bounced off his wrist, then off his chest and then somehow back into his hat even though it looked like it was heading to the warning track below. That's a great souvenir with an even better story attached to it, presuming that our guy's family ever forgives him for his double-agent duty.


A review by the umpires upheld the home run call on the field, giving Martin one of the four homers that the Yankees hit in the nine-run inning. That was probably the right call as the visual evidence wasn't overwhelming enough for the umps to overturn it. But our Red Sox fan appeared as if he made contact with the ball in the field of play and he later could be seen apologizing to Boston center fielder Che-Hsuan Lin as Yankees fans celebrated around him.

Manny Pacquiao's willingness to 55-45 financial split puts onus squarely on Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Manny Pacquiao has done his part to try and make a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. happen. (Getty)
The burden, finally, is fully and entirely on Floyd Mayweather Jr. to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao agreed Thursday during appearances on two separate television shows on ESPN to give Mayweather a 55-45 advantage on a financial split should they fight, as the public has been demanding since late 2009. A match between them is expected to be the most lucrative bout in boxing history.

Pacquiao, who meets Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas, had been demanding a 50-50 split. Without such a split, he’d said repeatedly over the last 18 months that he would not agree to a fight with Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has generally avoided media attention since being released from jail on Aug. 3. (Getty)

The other major hurdle blocking the fight between the two men regarded by many as the two best in the world was Mayweather's demand for Olympic-style drug testing. Initially, Pacquiao balked at the testing. He has since changed his stance and has said repeatedly over the last year he would fully comply with the tests, just as Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz and Miguel Cotto have done in Mayweather's last three fights.

In a telephone interview with Yahoo! Sports on Monday, Pacquiao made no mention of a purse split, but he was as optimistic about the possibility of a fight with Mayweather as he had ever been.

"I think Mayweather will be next," Pacquiao said, declining to specify why.

But by agreeing to give Mayweather the lion's share of the purse, Pacquiao has shifted the onus to Mayweather.

[Related: Manny Pacquiao scores (legal) win over Floyd Mayweather Jr.]

If Mayweather raises new objections, then it becomes obvious he's not serious and is playing some sort of game.

But at this stage, with the demand for the bout seemingly waning a bit because of all the inaction and drama that has surrounded the talks, it would be a miscalculation for Mayweather to add more conditions.

Mayweather is very much aware of his place in history and wants the fight badly because he doesn't feel as if he's received enough credit for his achievements. He’s 43-0 with 26 knockouts. He won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, though his loss in the semifinals was an outrageously bad call. As a pro, he's won world titles at 130, 135, 140, 147 and 154 pounds.

He has spoken of being rated the greatest fighter ever, and to do that, he'd have to beat the best opponent of his era. Without question, for Mayweather, that is Pacquiao.

To make the fight, though, Mayweather must also stay out of further legal trouble. He was paroled in August after serving just under two months of a six-month sentence for misdemeanor domestic violence. Part of the sentence was suspended, but he could be required by Las Vegas judge Melissa Saragosa to serve that time if he has another incident with the law.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Tuesday that police responded to a 911 call on Sept. 9 made by Melissa Brim, who said she had a verbal altercation with the fighter. According to the Review-Journal, police found no signs of physical violence.

Though Mayweather went to jail after pleading guilty to a charge of domestic violence upon Josie Harris, he has had several incidents with Brim in the past. Harris is the mother of three of his children and Brim is the mother of the other.

According to Sports Illustrated columnist Michael McCann, a legal analyst, Mayweather could have his parole revoked as a result of the alleged Sept. 9 incident.

[Related: Gate numbers, TV ratings for Canelo-Lopez confirm Alvarez's star status]

Avoiding such incidents is part of Mayweather's responsibility, both as a man and as an athlete who wants to complete a complex, high-profile negotiation.

Since he was paroled on Aug. 3, Mayweather has kept a low-profile and rarely spoken to the media.

His manager, Leonard Ellerbe, told Yahoo! Sports that he has not spoken "one word about boxing with him," and that he wasn't sure if or when he would.

A Manny Pacquiao loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth fight would likely kill a superfight. (AP)

Pacquiao, though, has to get past Marquez on Dec. 8 to do his part to be available for the fight. They've fought three times in the past, with Pacquiao winning the last two after they fought to a draw the first time.

Many observers feel Marquez deserved to win at least one of those fights, if not all three. Yahoo! Sports scored all three fights in Marquez's favor.

Pacquiao said he is going to go for a knockout to end any controversy that exists. But speaking to Yahoo! Sports Thursday by telephone from Bristol, Conn., Marquez said the issue in his mind was the makeup of the judging panel.

In their first fight, in 2004, Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round, but Marquez came back to control the majority of the fight. It was ruled a split draw, with all three judges scoring it differently. John Stewart had it 115-110 for Pacquiao. Guy Jutras had it 115-110 for Marquez. Burt Clements had it 113-113.

Clements was the only one of those judges from Nevada. In their second fight, on March 15, 2008, in Las Vegas, two of the three judges were from Las Vegas. For the last bout, on Nov. 12, 2011, all three judges (Dave Moretti, Robert Hoyle and Glenn Trowbridge) were all from Las Vegas.

Marquez would prefer no Nevada judges for the Dec. 8 match.

"The only other time I had this kind of problem, where the judges didn't do their job, was when I fought [Chris John] in Indonesia [in 2006]," Marquez said. "They didn't do their jobs. The only other time that happened was in Nevada. For me, the best way to have it is to have one judge from Mexico, one Filipino and one from anywhere else but Nevada. I don't care where."

If Pacquiao does his job and defeats Marquez on Dec. 8, then the fate of a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will rest solely on Mayweather's shoulders.

It may be the defining moment of his life.