46 FRIDAY 16 JANUARY 2009 ÓÐÏÑ Ï Êüóìïò regular season include Caitlin Munoz RONALDO FIFA 2008 Whilst on the Berries, the club’s (4 goals) and Ellie Brush (3 goals).As PLAYER OF THE YEAR Annual General Meeting is also on far as the goalkeppers are concerned, this weekend- Sunday 10am at the an equal record exists between Bankstown Sports Club. Portugal and Manchester United Sports Queensland Roar goalkeeper Casey winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been Dumont, and Canberra United goal- named FIFA World Player of 2008. FA CUTS PRICES keeper Lydia Williams. Both have With his clever step-overs, fast foot- TO FILL WEMBLEY World kept five clean sheets throughout the With LAKIS KONISTIS work with both feet and good heading season so far. In their past four ability, Ronaldo has scored 102 goals In news from abroad, the English W-LEAGUE GRAND FINAL games, each goalkeeper has let in on- for Manchester United in 264 matches Football Association is slashing ticket ly three goals. THIS WEEKEND for the club. prices by as much as 25% rather than AND ON ABC TV! The winger enjoyed a highly success- risking empty seats for the World MATILDAS PREPARE ful 2007-08 season, scoring 42 goals in Cup qualifiers and exhibition games The inaugural Westfield W-League FOR ITALIANS all competitions as United won a Pre- at Wembley. Grand Final has arrived and the mier League and Champions League “We want to make watching the na- women of the league are preparing to Whilst on wome’s soccer this week, I double. His exploits led to him becom- tional team as affordable as possible, make history! can advise that the Australian ing only the second player to win Eng- particularly for families, during this Leader of the Westfield W-League women’s football team, the Westfield land’s Footballer of the Year in suc- difficult economic period,” FA chief final standings after Round 10, Matildas, will meet Italy for two inter- cessive seasons and just the third Por- operating officer Alex Horne said in a Queensland Roar, will go head-to- national friendly matches in Australia tuguese player to win the Ballon d’Or statement. head with Canberra United this Satur- kicking-off at the end of the month. award after Eusebio in 1965 and Luis England has upcoming home day.Did you know Canberra United is The matches have been arranged as Figo in 2000.Born on Feb. 5th 1985 in matches against Slovakia (March the only team to take any points off part of Football Federation Aus- Funchal, Madeira Ronaldo’s late fa- 28th), Ukraine (April 1st), and An- Queensland United in the regular sea- tralia’s (FFA) cooperation agreement ther Jose Dinis Aveiro gave him the dorra (June 10th). son? Canberra won the Round 2 with the Federazione Italiana Giuoco second given name Ronaldo in hon- Although 89,107 turned up for a 5-1 match (0-1) in Brisbane, while the Calcio (FIGC or Italian Football Fed- our of former U.S. president Ronald qualifying win over Kazakhstan in teams drew in the Round 10 (1-1) eration) signed in May 2008. Reagan. October, just 69,738 attended an Au- match in Canberra . That’s football The Westfield Matildas, who are gust exhibition match against the with style. Queensland Roar and Can- currently ranked 14th in the world, Czech Republic.Tickets for the Slova- berra United go into the Grand Final defeated 12th ranked Italy 3-0 in their kia exhibition game are priced at 40 with an identical form run in the past most recent meeting in June last year and 30 pounds ($60 and $45), and five games– 3 wins, 2 draws. as part of the Peace Queen Cup in tickets for the Ukraine qualifier run Queensland Roar’s top scorers in Korea. from 29-59.50 pounds ($43-89). the regular season include Courtney In 2008, the Westfield Matildas Beutel (6 goals), Lana Harch (5 were Australia’s busiest football team BETEZY BET-OF-THE-WEEK goals), Lauren Colthorpe (4 goals). having played 22 international match- Canberra United’s top scorers in the es. He’s done it again! Fresh from a The matches will take place follow- great family holiday with all his win- ing the inaugural season of the West- nings, “The Scotsman” has started field W-League which has seen Aus- 2009 with a bang- or should I say, ‘a tralia’s top women players participate winner’.Sure he had to share the in a national league of their own over spoils after his Sydney tip “Rain the past three months. BERRIES vs ROOSTERS FC Game” dead-heated last Saturday, The first match will take place on ON SUNDAY but nonetheless, a winner is a winner! Saturday 31st January at Parramatta So what’s he got for you “Sports- Stadium, Sydney, and the second And finally, the West Sydney world” readers this weekend? match on Saturday 7th February at Berries begin their 2009 campaign “Last week at the Gold Coast we Canberra Stadium. Both games with a trial game set down on SUN- were on the right leg as predicted all will again be broadcast live and exclu- DAY (not Saturday), at Lidcombe O- winners came sailing down the middle sive on ABC Television at 4.00pm val against Roosters FC to the outside off the track. Unfortu- AEDT. Rukavytsya to trial in Holland (5:30pm/7:30pm). It will be the club’s nately we couldn’t find the winner of Perth Glory has granted permission first game under the direction of the Magic Millions even though we for young striker Nikita Rukavytsya to coaches John Calleja and Matthew didnt like the hot favourite Paprika. attend a trial with Dutch first division Ribarovski as they prepare their We were extremely unluckly with side FC Twente next week. Rukavyt- charges for another year in the NSW Rain Game last week dead heating sya played his last game for Perth last Premier League competition.The when I was counting my money as weekend against Melbourne. Berries will be hoping to make the T- they crossed the line. No point crying The 21 year old has attracted plenty eleChoice Premier League finals series over spilt milk. We will get the wages of attention both locally and abroad in 2009 after finishing eighth in 2008. this week and my best at Rosehill is in WESTFIELD W-LEAGUE following another successful season in The Berries kick off their 2009 cam- the FRANK UNDERWOOD CUP. 2009 GRAND FINAL front of goal and has been invited to paign when they entertain staunch ri- The horse is Penrickson which is well spend the week under the watchful vals Sydney Olympic at Belmore S- weighted and should be right there in Queensland Roar eye of former England manager Steve ports Ground on Sunday 1st March. the finish. v Canberra United McLaren who has lifted FC Twente to West Sydney Berries 2009 Squad: In Melbourne there is a horse rac- Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane third in the Eredivisie. Hamish McLean, Marjan Novotni, O- ing which I have a bit of an opinon of It is Rukavytsya’s second European mar Saadi, Adam Wither, Michael and I think it will pay to follow this Saturday 17 January 2009 trial following a week with German Cunico, Jack Sobczyk, Johnny Fo- horse- Melbourne race 7 horse num- Kick-off 2:55pm local Bundesliga side Hannover 96 in April tiadis, Cameron Jones, John Tsironis, ber 5- Commanding Hope e/way and (3:55pm AEDT) last year. Aheleas Kotsopoulos, James Kovas, watch him over some better races Rukavytsya is Perth ’s U/23 mar- Liam Austin, Ryan Jones, Kosta when fully fit. He will be winning a Match Broadcast exclusively quee player and earlier this season re- Lagoudakis, Chris Gaitatzis, Lorenzo good race in the up coming weeks. on ABC TV signed with the club until the end of Machuca, Dimitri Zakilas, Eli Squil- the 2009/10 season. lacioti, Daniel Wagus, Trinity Allen. Good punting, The Scotsman”.