Justin Rose Does It!

From the very beginning of the game, Rose showed extreme class and precision to leave behind runners up Rickie Fowler by a number of points. Unlike his previous rounds, where the young Briton had made some deficits, Rose paid utmost attention to his shot selection and guided the balls to the holes with accuracy. In spite of the erratic breeze at the Muirfield Village golf course, the shots were well directed  with correct speed and momentum. The splendid display of skills along with a cool head led to the success of Rose.

Let us see how it all went. Rose had to overcome a four shot deficit in the final round but he did not look nervous at all. He succeeded the great feat of 1-putt greens on 8 holes and closed the day with a result of  6-under-par 66 to become the winner. He had missed just 1 fairway in the round but it did not create much effect. Once the par was tapped at the 18th hole, spectators saw a rejoicing Rose who raised his fist in air and ran on to hug and lift his little son Leo.

This win helped Justin Rose to finish 18 under 270 and fetched him a huge sum of $1.08 million. More than money, it will really boost his confidence and help him face rivals with ease in the forthcoming tournaments. In fact, this golfer has had his share of recognition when he secured the fourth position in the 1998 British Open at a young age of just 17. Since then his game and style of playing have improved to a great extent and made him proud winners of 6 major tournaments.

The Winners Smile

After winning, Rose acknowledged and thanked the support of the crowd and said that he had a long way to go to reach the top spot. He also expressed hope about faring well in the 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier, the next day itself.

Justine Rose’s win is indeed a great news for all golf fans. It now needs to be seen how this Brit prepares himself for the Ryder Cup and faces the stalwarts of the game.

In regards to the FIFA World Cup with 14 participation, Mexico are hoping to shed their defeatist attitude and rise up again as a top team in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Mexico football team which has some promising youngsters of international caliber is all set to create a big impression by playing some superb football. With five wins under their belt prior to the big event, they will surely give some champion teams a hard run for their money.

How They Got There?

Would The Smile Broaden in South Africa?

Mexico’s journey in the qualifying stages began after they beat minnows Belize in the second round to move to the next phase. Here they faced some tough teams like Canada, Honduras and Jamaica. Things were not so smooth for the Mexicans and after much contest, they managed to move to the final round ahead of Jamaica due to goal difference. Here too, they suffered in the initial stages with defeats versus USA and Honduras. This cost the coach his job and some key members of the team were also scrapped. The next part of the final round was perhaps like a dream for Mexico. Fortune soared and the team won 5 matches in a row to qualify for the World Cup. With a draw in the last match against Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico finished second in the final qualifying group.

The Coach

Javier Aguirre, the present coach of Mexico, is perhaps the miracle man who transformed the team’s fortune and gifted them the ticket to the World Cup. Lovingly known as El Vasco, he has always been the mentor of the team in turbulent times and the qualifying rounds were also no difference. This former Mexican midfielder is best known for his innovative tactical skills. He usually prefers the 4-3-3  team format and even has successfully experimented with the 3-5-2 format. Aguirre is also regarded as one of the most acclaimed coaches in international club football and has successfully coached premier teams like Osasuna and Atletico Madrid.

The Team

Would The Gala Dazzle Others

The Mexican team is a mixture of young blood and experience. The strong striking force comprising of veterans like Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Guillermo Franco will be backed by skilled mid-fielders such as Andres Guardado, Gerardo Torrado and Israel Castro. The defense line is made up of youngsters like Jorge Torres Nilo, Hector Moreno, Efrain Juarez and others while the net will be defended by ace goalkeeper Oscar Perez, along with the reserves Luis Ernesto Michel and Guillermo Ochoa. This may be the last world cup  of Blanco and he will be raring to bring that smile to his fans.

Smooth Passing and Hard Play

The countdown has already started and Mexicans are hoping their favorite team to rise up from the ashes and walk the path towards success.

Others in Group A

1. South Africa
2. Uruguay
3. France

Lets see how the small nation scripted the folk tale!

Come June in the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, all eyes will be on a team that is expected to make a major impact in the finals. Ivory Coast football team is by far the most talented African side in this World Cup and in their second Soccer World Cup finals appearance; they have a point or two to prove. The Elephants were unlucky in their debut 1996 Germany World Cup. Having been placed in an extremely difficult group, they lost to Argentina and Netherlands but won against Serbia and Montenegro in the pool matches. However, South Africa is expected to hear the trumpets of captain Didier Drogba and his team. And they have enough mettle to be feared by the opponents!

How They Got There?

Ready For The South African Stampede

True to their reputation, The Elephants remained undefeated throughout the World Cup Qualifiers. They easily topped the penultimate round surpassing Mozambique, Madagascar and Botswana. In the final round, their moments of truth came when in the away match against Burkina Faso; Ivory Coast needed a winner from a 2-2 position to consolidate their lead in the group. Expectedly captain Didier Drogba obliged by netting the crucial goal. In the away match against Malawi, Ivory Coast just needed a draw to book their ticket to South Africa. But down with one goal, the team needed an equalizer and it was Drogba again who scored, coming off the bench.

The Coach

Just four months before the World Cup, following The Elephant’s defeat in the quarter finals of African Cup, the world famous Swedish football coach Sven-Goran Eriksson took over the reins from Vahid Halilhodzic.  Former England national coach Eriksson led the team to two World Cup quarter finals in 2002 and 2006 and also to the Euro 2004 quarter final. Following an insipid playing career, Eriksson’s coaching career from 1978 to 2001 saw him successfully coaching many top football clubs in Sweden, Portugal and Italy. Between 1978 and 2001 Eriksson won several national leagues, domestic cups and two UEFA competitions, some of them notably with Lazio.

The Team

The Elephants of African Football

Chelsea’s star striker and 2009/10 EPL’s Golden Boot Winner Didier Drogba is the captain of the national team and is also The Elephant’s all time top scorer. He will be supported by another Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou and the highly talented former Marseille forward Bakari Kone. The midfield mainly comprises of the duo Sevilla’s Didier Zokora and Barcelona’s Yaya Toure. The Elephants defense is rock solid with Arsenal’s right back Emmanuel Eboue, Manchester City captain and center back Kolo Toure and Stuttgart’s left back Arthur Boka. Veteran goalkeeper Boubacar Barry is likely to be the first choice for Ivory Coast world cup squad.

Will The Elephants benefit from the guidance of a top class coach like Sven-Goran Eriksson with impressive track records and mammoth experience? Will the talented Ivory Coast team led by a wizard called Didier Drogba create history? Whatever be the results, undoubtedly the mention of Ivory Coast will be scary enough even for the biggies in FIFA World Cup 2010!

Others in Group G

1.Brazil
2.Korea DPR
3.Portugal