14 Thursday 18th December, 2008

LONDON (AP) - From Spain Argentina struggled, Spain everyone who loves football players get over their fear of los- Tottenham. winning its first title in 44 years proved itself the most consistent wants to see ... players who cre- ing and that’s what we needed to Barcelona revived under for- to Diego Maradona taking over team in the game by winning a ate winning combinations, who do,” Maradona said. “We played mer midfielder Pep Guardiola, as coach of Argentina, football hugely enjoyable European attack the penalty area and for the people, the shirt and the who took over as coach from featured a wave of major Championship with a simple yet score goals.” light blue and white of Frank Rijkaard in June. changes throughout 2008. Off attractive way of playing. The Spaniards followed their Argentina.” Brazil coach Dunga, whose the field, the game wrestled “This is a happy day for Euro 2008 triumph with four England, which didn’t even team is second but six points again with problems of vio- Spain,” 69-year-old coach Luis straight World Cup qualifying qualify for Euro 2008, was trans- behind the Paraguayans in highlights lence, racism and corruption Aragones said after the 1-0 victo- victories to put themselves formed by coach Fabio Capello World Cup qualifying, kept his and faced new challenges from ry over Germany in the final in almost halfway toward the 2010 from no-hopers to possible con- job despite the jeers of the home the global financial crisis. Vienna. “We’ve won this tourna- tournament in South Africa. tenders for the 2010 World Cup. fans. The supporters were lifted As Italy, France, Brazil and ment in a brilliant way. I think Meanwhile, Maradona made The former AC Milan, AS by a 6-2 victory over Portugal in of 2008 Roma, Juventus and Real a friendly in November. Madrid coach took over a week Although Argentina, "A look back at some into the year and had England inspired by Lionel Messi, over- five points clear of its rivals in came a club vs. country dispute key cricketing events from World Cup qualifying after win- to win the Olympic gold medal the last year with an eye ning its first four group games for the second time in a row, the for the first time ever. club champions of South on the year to come Spain triumphs “They said this was the America came from Ecuador. impossible job, instead it has Liga de Quito beat Brazil’s by Scyld Berry been a pleasant year,” Capello Fluminense in a penalty said as he looked back on his shootout to become the first club 1. On a brilliant night in first job as a national team from Ecuador to win the Copa Bangalore Brendon McCullum and coach. “It has been very positive. Libertadores in a year when sev- fireworks combined to launch the I am satisfied.” eral unheralded teams in Europe Indian Premier League. After a England’s revival was reflect- also caught the spotlight. nervous start the New Zealander as changes took 20-over batting to new heights ed in the impact and success of Hoffenheim, which has a pop- the Premier League. ulation of fewer than 3,300 and by hitting 158 off 73 balls. But the Manchester United, Chelsea languished in the German third IPL’s leading run-scorers overall and Liverpool made it to the division two seasons ago, led the were lefthanders. semifinals of the Champions Bundesliga standings 15 games 2. Shane Warne consummated League, and United edged the into this season. the first IPL by leading his Blues on penalties in Moscow in Hull City gained promotion Rajasthan Royals – a rabble of sweep through the first final between two to the top flight of English foot- Indian clubbies at the outset, plus English teams. ball for the first time in its 104- Shane Watson and himself – to the Man United fought off year history and climbed to third first title. Superlative captaincy by Chelsea to win the Premier after surprising victories at the best never to have led League title to make it 22 tro- Arsenal and Tottenham. in a Test match. phies in 22 years for veteran Anorthosis Famagusta became 3. New Zealand lost the Test manager Alex Ferguson. the first team from Cyprus to series 2-0, and the , and football Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored qualify for the Champions when 1-0 down in the one-day 42 goals for the club last season, League. series their top-order batting col- is now cleaning up the player of Some of the powerhouse lapsed at Bristol. Then England the year titles. teams, however, changed man- eased off, and Daniel Vettori ral- But United wasn’t the only agers despite comparatively suc- lied his men with his captaincy Manchester team making news. cessful seasons. and spin to win 3-1. Paul Facing corruption charges in Inter Milan won its third Collingwood’s one-day reign was Thailand, Manchester City straight Italian league title but over. owner Thaksin Shinawatra sold still changed coaches, with Jose 4. On a quiet day at Grace Road, the club to a wealthy United Mourinho replacing Roberto for Worcestershire against Arab Emirates business group. Mancini. Chelsea, despite com- Leicestershire, Simon Jones bent While the issue of foreign ing so close in both the Premier his back and made the ball fly as owners taking over clubs League and Champions League, he did in the Ashes series of 2005. became thorny, especially in hired 2002 World Cup winning Come on, Simon, keep going on the English football, UEFA for the coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who cross-trainer, and give us a couple first time threatened to penalize has restored attractive football more Tests next summer. clubs if they continue to allow to Stamford Bridge. 5. The duel of the summer: huge debts to build up, warning Another successful Italian Andrew Flintoff bowling to that their Champions League coach, Giovanni Trapattoni, on the Friday after- places may be taken away. took charge of Ireland and noon of the Edgbaston Test. A tri- While the worldwide finan- Marcello Lippi, who stepped umph of character as well as fast cial downturn presented new down after guiding Italy to its bowling. The ball which took out problems to debt-ridden clubs, fourth World Cup triumph two Kallis’s offstump was an away- including the danger of big years ago, returned after reverse-swinging 90 mph yorker. sponsors pulling out, riots, Roberto Donadoni’s flop at Euro Unplayable. deaths and bribery scandals 2008. Mexico fired playing great 6. Graeme Smith, in the same continued to mar the game in Hugo Sanchez and appointed Edgbaston Test, terminated 2008. Sven-Goran Eriksson but is still Michael Vaughan’s captaincy by Rangers fans attacked police laboring to reach the next World chasing down South Africa’s target in Manchester in May at the Cup. of 281. Was his 154* the finest of UEFA Cup final, which was won One of the game’s biggest all captain’s innings? It surely has by Zenit St. Petersburg. Racist names, David Beckham, is to be the finest in a fourth innings trouble at Atletico Madrid’s returning to Europe - but only on Test run-chase. Champions League match loan. 7. New-ball swing bowling at its against Marseille in September After the Los Angeles Galaxy best in the Oval Test when James prompted UEFA to force the flopped again in Major League Anderson bowled four balls across Spanish team to play a game Soccer and saw Columbus Crew Graeme Smith then swung the behind closed doors. take the title, Beckham needed fifth back in. Smith almost In Italy, a Lazio fan was acci- competitive football to keep in ‘walked’, giving himself out LBW, dentally shot by a police officer contention for the England and Pietersen’s first Test win fol- during rioting in Tuscany, and a squad. He has joined AC Milan lowed. Parma fan was run down and on loan until just before MLS 8. The Pietersen-inspired 4-0 killed by a bus carrying starts up in March. win against South Africa. His Juventus followers. Ronaldinho found himself enthusiasm turned England’s While football awaited the unwanted by Barcelona and fallout from the economic melt- Brazil but, after joining Milan in square pegs temporarily round as down toward the end of the year, July and playing at the he persuaded Harmison out of bribery scandals continued to Olympics, started scoring regu- one-day retirement and promoted erupt - especially in Romania, larly for his new club. Flintoff to number five. If only on where Steaua Bucharest was Defending champion Egypt home pitches, England’s one-day headlines docked seven points by the beat Cameroon 1-0 in the final to team finally fired. again - this national league for trying to fix win its sixth African Cup of 9. Murray Goodwin, in the play- time, not for a match. Nations title in Ghana. The off for the Pro 40 title, steered drug abuse, Before the height of the cred- other big story in the region was Sussex home with a master-class obesity or ail- it crunch, Manchester City’s South Africa’s race to get ven- in run-chasing that culminated in ing health. Abu Dhabi United Group bought ues, transport and infrastruc- hitting the last possible ball for six Like five- Brazilian star Robinho, who was ture in place for the 2010 World off Nottinghamshire’s Charlie time World Cup expecting to go to Chelsea, for a Cup. FIFA insisted there was no Shreck. If only county cricket had winner Brazil, British record transfer fee of “Plan B.” some English ‘finishers’ as well as Argentina could not 32.5 million pounds ($50 million; Poland and Ukraine were Zimbabweans. keep up with run- euro36.4 million). warned they could lose the co- 10. Durham won their first away leader Paraguay Robinho left Real Madrid, hosting rights to the Euro 2012 when Steve in qualifying and that which won the Spanish league championship unless they speed Harmison knocked over Kent’s last led to the end for Alfio for the second year in a row, and up work on stadiums and infra- man and was engulfed by happy Basile. thrilled English football fans structure. teammates – young Durham Struggling to get the best with his dribbles and goals. UEFA announced a new-look bowlers and overseas batsmen out of its talented lineup, But Madrid went into a and even bigger UEFA Cup to be blended by Dale Benkenstein. In this June 29, 2008 file photo, Spain’s captain Iker Casillas reacts as he Argentina sent for its greatest slump in the second half of the called the Europa League, decid- They made just enough runs and raises the trophy after the Euro 2008 final between Germany and Spain in ever player. Maradona took over year, costing coach Bernd ed to increase the European had the best pace bowling, taking a the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria, the last day of the European as coach and won his first game, Schuster his job in early championship from 16 to 24 every seven overs. 1-0, over Scotland in Glasgow. December. The German was teams and experimented with Soccer Championships in Austria and Switzerland. © The telegraph Group, “What made things happen is replaced by Juande Ramos, who four linesmen instead of two. London, 2008 (AP Photo/Frank Augstein/FILE) that I succeeded in making the was a major flop in England with ! F1 title repeat will be tough - Hamilton by Paul Logothetis batch of changes for 2009 will help Hamilton missed out on becom- was not easy but we got there, and larger teams cut costs by about ing the first rookie champion by 1 I have been accepted very well MADRID, Spain (AP) - Lewis one-third over 2008. point last year, but rebounded to into the sport.” Hamilton believes cost-cutting “We have less testing obviously become the youngest F1 champion Balancing increased commit- changes will make it “very tough” but I think we as a team are in a at 23 in November - by a single ments from sponsors, the media for him to repeat as Formula One position to pull together and make point. and fans was turning into the champion next year. a difference in some other way,” Hamilton overtook Toyota’s toughest part of the job. Governing body FIA and the F1 Hamilton said. “But everyone’s in Timo Glock on the final bend at “There are always going to be teams agreed to a series of meas- the same boat.” the season-ending Brazilian pressures there and it’s how you ures for 2009 last Friday, which Changes to be introduced after Grand Prix to finish fifth and deal with them, it’s how you rise include longer-lasting engines, next season will be even more rad- secure the title after Ferrari’s above it,” the Briton said. limits on expensive testing and ical with races maybe shortened to Felipe Massa had won his home Hamilton was in the U.S. to cheaper, off-the-shelf engines for save money and refueling banned - race as he needed to. celebrate his F1 championship smaller teams. which could dramatically alter the Hamilton expects more of the with McLaren Mercedes partner “I don’t think it will make it spectacle for fans. same close racing next season Mobil 1, and remained hopeful easier,” Hamilton said in a confer- Hamilton’s McLaren team boss despite the dramatic changes. that North America would be ence call from the United States on Ron Dennis called it a “challeng- “We don’t know who’s going to back on the calendar in the near Tuesday. “With the new regula- ing period.” be quick, surely we’re going to be future. tions it’s going to make it very “It’s amazing how many differ- at the front, with Ferrari maybe, “(They’re) great memories for tough to win the championship ent things happen in a year but all BMW, but you never know,” he myself,” said Hamilton, who won again.” we’re thinking about is how we said. “Maybe there’s going to be a his very first GP at Indianapolis The sweeping changes come as can continue in the sport and con- fourth team up there with us.” last year. “It’s always an amazing In this photograph provided by ExxonMobil, Lewis Hamilton, 2008 FIA Formula One automakers reel from the global tinue to put on a good show,” Hamilton added that becom- show when I go there. It’s just a World Drivers’ Champion, poses after he added the number 1 to a model of his financial crisis. Honda pulled out Hamilton said. “How we can move ing F1’s first black champion buzz, really. I hope we can get it Formula One race car during a visit Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008, to the Fairfax, Va., of F1 this month after Super Aguri forward and continue to win as a “was hard” because of having “to back at some stage, I would love ExxonMobil office, where he thanked employees for their support during his champi- quit in April. FIA said the first team.” break down the barrier and it to race there again.” onship season. (AP Photo/ExxonMobil, John Harrington)