Thursday, June 17, 2010
Swiss upset Spain in World Cup shock; Chile beat Honduras
Unfancied Switzerland inflicted the first big shock of the World Cup by consigning European champions Spain to a surprise 1-0 defeat in Durban.
It is a nightmare start for Spain, which arrived in South Africa ranked as the second best team in the world. It will surely now have to win its next two group games to avoid an embarrassing exit before the knockout stages.
Gelson Fernandes' 52nd minute strike for the Swiss came completely against the run of play, and will hardly be remembered as one of the tournament's finest, but despite pouring forward in the game's dying stages Spain could not salvage a point.
The Swiss now share top spot in the group with Chile, which produced an impressive display to beat Honduras 1-0 in Wednesday's early kickoff.
Jean Beausejour grabbed the only goal of the game, bundling home a cross from Mauricio Isla, but Chile could and should have scored more after squandering a host of chances.
Switzerland 1-0 Spain
A spirited rearguard action earned Switzerland one of its most famous victories at the World Cup as it held on for a 1-0 win over Spain.
Coach Vicente del Bosque will have plenty of soul searching to do after Spain dominated possession but struggled to create any clear cut chances.
In a labored opening half, it was Spain defender Gerard Pique who forced the first save of the match as he twisted free in the penalty area before having his shot smothered by Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.
Barcelona striker David Villa was next to get a sight of goal as he drew Benaglio before curling a chip wide of the post but the Swiss negotiated their way to the break without conceding.
With the second half seven minutes old Switzerland shocked Spain by scoring with its first attack of note. Blaise N'Kufo released Eren Derdiyok who took a tumble over the onrushing Iker Casillas, but as the ball squirmed loose Gelson Fernandes prodded it into an empty net.
Spain responded by introducing Liverpool striker Fernando Torres but it was Villa who had the next chance, racing onto a through ball from Andres Iniesta only to be thwarted by Benaglio.
Then as Villa turned on the edge of the area the ball ran free to Iniesta, who struck the ball narrowly wide of the far post.
Torres then blazed wide from just inside the area before Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso crashed a venomous shot against the bar from 20 yards out.
As the Spanish launched numbers forward they left gaps at the back and Derdiyok nearly put the game beyond their reach as he wriggled past Carles Puyol in the box before prodding a shot against the foot of the post.
Torres blasted a volley over the bar in the closing stages but Switzerland duly held on to claim three points and register its first ever win over Spain.
Spain's defeat means it now has no margin for error in the next two games against Honduras and Chile.
After the game Del Bosque told AFP: "We tried to play. They played very far back and tried to counter-attack. They defended very well. We were playing to win and this victory has escaped us. We may not have shown our true personality as a team.
"It's not a good sign to start off in this way but we have an obligation to cope with that and face the next two games trying to win. That'll be our goal for the next two matches.
"Of course, you can lose in football, but I feel we'll try to get even. We must really give everything. It's pointless standing there with our heads hanging low. The next matches will be good."
Chile 1-0 Honduras
Chile kicked off its first World Cup campaign in 12 years with a comfortable 1-0 victory against unfancied Honduras on Wednesday, but needed a fortuitous first-half goal to triumph in South Africa.
The South Americans, who qualified second from their region behind Brazil, dominated the Group H opener in Nelspruit against a 38th-ranked team who scraped the final place in the CONCACAF zone.
But for all its silky skills and intricate passing, coach Marcelo Bielsa was left frustrated on the sidelines as Chile could not translate its possession into goals as Honduras -- playing at soccer's showpiece event for the first time since 1982 -- defended stubbornly.
The breakthrough came in the 34th minute when Jean Beausejour bundled the ball into the net after a low right-wing cross by Mauricio Isla.
The forward claimed just his second international goal in 28 appearances, though television replays suggested the ball went in illegally off his arm after deflecting off a sliding Honduras defender.
The Central Americans had another slice of poor luck in the first minute after halftime when Gary Medel was brought down by Edgard Alvarez on the edge of the penalty area -- but the referee ruled it was not a foul despite the Hondurans' appeals for a spot-kick.
Chile playmaker Alexis Sanchez should have made it 2-0 just after an hour, but screwed his shot wide after a superb burst through the defense had put him clear on goal.
Waldo Ponce then inexplicably stooped to head the ball straight at Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladreas from close range when it seemed easier to score, having been set up by a well-worked free-kick.
Chile had the ball in the net again with 15 minutes to play, but Jorge Valdivia was ruled offside after teammate Sanchez clearly used his hand to set him up -- for which he should have been booked by referee Eddy Maillet of the Seychelles.
On Tuesday, Honduras became the first nation to select three brothers in a World Cup squad, with striker Jerry Palacios called up to replace the injured Julio Cesar de Leon.
Watch Video
He was an unused substitute against Chile along with the younger of the trio, Johnny, while midfielder Wilson started the game and was booked shortly before the only goal.
It is a nightmare start for Spain, which arrived in South Africa ranked as the second best team in the world. It will surely now have to win its next two group games to avoid an embarrassing exit before the knockout stages.
Gelson Fernandes' 52nd minute strike for the Swiss came completely against the run of play, and will hardly be remembered as one of the tournament's finest, but despite pouring forward in the game's dying stages Spain could not salvage a point.
The Swiss now share top spot in the group with Chile, which produced an impressive display to beat Honduras 1-0 in Wednesday's early kickoff.
Jean Beausejour grabbed the only goal of the game, bundling home a cross from Mauricio Isla, but Chile could and should have scored more after squandering a host of chances.
Switzerland 1-0 Spain
A spirited rearguard action earned Switzerland one of its most famous victories at the World Cup as it held on for a 1-0 win over Spain.
Coach Vicente del Bosque will have plenty of soul searching to do after Spain dominated possession but struggled to create any clear cut chances.
In a labored opening half, it was Spain defender Gerard Pique who forced the first save of the match as he twisted free in the penalty area before having his shot smothered by Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.
Barcelona striker David Villa was next to get a sight of goal as he drew Benaglio before curling a chip wide of the post but the Swiss negotiated their way to the break without conceding.
With the second half seven minutes old Switzerland shocked Spain by scoring with its first attack of note. Blaise N'Kufo released Eren Derdiyok who took a tumble over the onrushing Iker Casillas, but as the ball squirmed loose Gelson Fernandes prodded it into an empty net.
Spain responded by introducing Liverpool striker Fernando Torres but it was Villa who had the next chance, racing onto a through ball from Andres Iniesta only to be thwarted by Benaglio.
Then as Villa turned on the edge of the area the ball ran free to Iniesta, who struck the ball narrowly wide of the far post.
Torres then blazed wide from just inside the area before Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso crashed a venomous shot against the bar from 20 yards out.
As the Spanish launched numbers forward they left gaps at the back and Derdiyok nearly put the game beyond their reach as he wriggled past Carles Puyol in the box before prodding a shot against the foot of the post.
Torres blasted a volley over the bar in the closing stages but Switzerland duly held on to claim three points and register its first ever win over Spain.
Spain's defeat means it now has no margin for error in the next two games against Honduras and Chile.
After the game Del Bosque told AFP: "We tried to play. They played very far back and tried to counter-attack. They defended very well. We were playing to win and this victory has escaped us. We may not have shown our true personality as a team.
"It's not a good sign to start off in this way but we have an obligation to cope with that and face the next two games trying to win. That'll be our goal for the next two matches.
"Of course, you can lose in football, but I feel we'll try to get even. We must really give everything. It's pointless standing there with our heads hanging low. The next matches will be good."
Chile 1-0 Honduras
Chile kicked off its first World Cup campaign in 12 years with a comfortable 1-0 victory against unfancied Honduras on Wednesday, but needed a fortuitous first-half goal to triumph in South Africa.
The South Americans, who qualified second from their region behind Brazil, dominated the Group H opener in Nelspruit against a 38th-ranked team who scraped the final place in the CONCACAF zone.
But for all its silky skills and intricate passing, coach Marcelo Bielsa was left frustrated on the sidelines as Chile could not translate its possession into goals as Honduras -- playing at soccer's showpiece event for the first time since 1982 -- defended stubbornly.
The breakthrough came in the 34th minute when Jean Beausejour bundled the ball into the net after a low right-wing cross by Mauricio Isla.
The forward claimed just his second international goal in 28 appearances, though television replays suggested the ball went in illegally off his arm after deflecting off a sliding Honduras defender.
The Central Americans had another slice of poor luck in the first minute after halftime when Gary Medel was brought down by Edgard Alvarez on the edge of the penalty area -- but the referee ruled it was not a foul despite the Hondurans' appeals for a spot-kick.
Chile playmaker Alexis Sanchez should have made it 2-0 just after an hour, but screwed his shot wide after a superb burst through the defense had put him clear on goal.
Waldo Ponce then inexplicably stooped to head the ball straight at Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladreas from close range when it seemed easier to score, having been set up by a well-worked free-kick.
Chile had the ball in the net again with 15 minutes to play, but Jorge Valdivia was ruled offside after teammate Sanchez clearly used his hand to set him up -- for which he should have been booked by referee Eddy Maillet of the Seychelles.
On Tuesday, Honduras became the first nation to select three brothers in a World Cup squad, with striker Jerry Palacios called up to replace the injured Julio Cesar de Leon.
Watch Video
He was an unused substitute against Chile along with the younger of the trio, Johnny, while midfielder Wilson started the game and was booked shortly before the only goal.
Angelina Jolie: World Refugee Day Reminder!
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie is imploring the public to not forget refugees by observing World Refugee Day 2010 this Sunday (June 20).
“Having a home, a place we belong, a place we feel safe, is something most of us take for granted,” she says in a new PSA, which you can watch below. “Please remember the millions of people around the world forced from their homes. Because the only hope of return is to not be forgotten.”
Watch below! Angie created the same type of video for last year’s World Refugee Day.
Monday, June 14, 2010
There will be 'Blood' (and werewolves)
In the desert that is summer television, there’s at least one vein filled with fresh entertainment, and that’s HBO’s “True Blood.”
We left off at the end of the second season with a dead maenad, a brokenhearted Tara, an engagement and the disappearance of Bill Compton, all of which have left fans dying to sink their teeth into the third season. As the promos for the HBO show coyly state, "waiting sucks."
But the wait is finally over tonight at 9 p.m., and while the orgies and Fellowship of the Sun storylines from last season may seem hard to top, as one TV critic put it, that “soapy mix of sex and horror” is still there in abundance for season three.
Jeanne Jakle at the Houston Chronicle promises that if “True Blood” “sucked you in before, just wait until season 3.” Nelsan Ellis – whose character Lafayette finds a love interest this season– told Jakle that there's still plenty of sex, just less weird than before. "It happens between people with strong connections and chemistry," he said.
There’s also “way more action," Ellis added: “We meet some werewolves, really mean and vicious ones. And the wolves fight the vampires.”
Yet there’s an undercurrent of fear that “True Blood” is on the verge of going off the rails. As the Washington Post warns, “’True Blood’ seems dangerously close to peaking, as it introduces nearly a dozen new characters into a saga that is already too engorged…This season's new characters make me wish that ‘True Blood's’ writers would pink-slip most of the original ensemble, including just about everyone who works at Merlotte's. The show grinds to a halt whenever it turns its attention back to Sookie's brother (Ryan Kwanten), best friend (Rutina Wesley) and boss (Sam Trammell), who've each been sucked dry, character-wise. “
Said USA Today television critic Robert Blanco, “The first three hours are 'True Blood' at its goriest, sexiest and strangest as an old fondness for naked torsos and severed limbs shares airspace with a newfound interest in Nazi werewolves and misbehaving monarchs.” And while all of that is part of the fun of "True Blood" is watching it go "barreling along at full speed,” he added that “it also can leave you with a queasy feeling that the show is only barely under control — and may at any second jump the tracks.”
Salon.com's television critic Heather Havrilesky is unperturbed by thoughts that the bloody HBO soap is going to lose itself in its over-the-top vampiness.
"The first three episodes of Season 3 look promising indeed, serving up one juicy twist after another, plus a steady flow of great dialogue, intense conversations, brutality, blackmail, mystery, suspense and, best of all, some wickedly funny moments that are beyond compare," Havrilesky wrote. "Despite all of the campy, overly obvious commentary on prejudice, bigotry and marginalized subcultures that were always gumming up the works in the first season, 'True Blood' had an addictive second season and now the show is reaching a new high."
Christina Aguilera New Video 'Bionic'
Christina Aguilera goes 'Bionic'
Christina Aguilera likes to reinvent herself with each album. But for her fourth CD, "Bionic," she seems to be morphing into Lady Gaga. Interestingly, the 29-year-old singer name-checks a few artists who inspired her new turn as a dance diva, but the word "Gaga" never passes her lips.
"Becoming a mother has inspired me in a futuristic direction," she explains. "So I started heavily getting into a lot of electronica music. Goldfrapp, Ladytron, Zero 7."
The highly sexual black-and-white video for the lead single, "Not Myself Tonight," features the former Mouseketeer in bondage gear, gettin' down with guys, with girls, and with guys AND girls. It's clearly a homage to Madonna's "Justify My Love" clip that was banned from MTV 20 years ago.
Aguilera insists it's also an ode to her own 2002 video for "Dirrty," best remembered for its gritty "Fight Club" theme and assless chaps. She calls the new video "Dirrty, Version 2.0" -- "but in a more sophisticated way."
Not surprisingly, there are fans who like her best when she's fully clothed and belting out pretty ballads like "Beautiful" and "I Turn to You."
"It would be creatively stifling for me to sit on a stool and sing ballad after ballad," she says.."It truly would."
Aguilera's powerful, four-octave range has landed her at No. 53 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time." Yet there are always critics lurking among the high notes.
"Even though I'm a singer, and I can do certain things acrobatically with my voice, there are those that are like, "'Ugh, can she just sing a song without having to go there?' So they're going to love or hate you. Damned if you do, damned if you don't."
In November, Aguilera will co-star in her first feature film, "Burlesque," opposite another singer-turned-actress, Cher. "A lot of scripts have come my way, but I wasn't interested in playing the expected, or anything to do with a singer, per se. The role I did agree to do is about a singer, but it was within a movie that I felt was very intriguing, to be -- the idea of burlesque.
"Cher is the head of the burlesque lounge, and working with her was unbelievable. I learned so much doing this movie. I can call myself an actress now," she laughs.
Her busy schedule was cited as the reason she's pulled out of a 20-date North American tour that was to have kicked off in July.
"Christina Aguilera's summer tour has been moved to 2011 due to prior commitments that the singer made to her film, 'Burlesque,' and to the promotion of her new album, 'Bionic,'" promoter Live Nation said in a statement. "The singer felt she needed more time to rehearse the show, and with less than a month between the album release and tour dates this wasn't possible."
Immediately the blogosphere lit up with speculation that ticket sales had been slow, bolstered by the fact that her single, "Not Myself Tonight," has failed to take off. And in recent days, the Gaga comparisons have grown louder, nevermind that Aguilera was first on the scene. She released her debut album in 1999 at age 18. At that time, she fended off comparisons to Britney Spears.
Her advice to young artists starting out in the entertainment biz? "You've got to keep negative people out of the picture. You only want to keep those that are in support of you, and those who aren't phony baloneys. I can't stand phony baloneys.
I've gotten better over the years at sniffing those people out -- hopefully."
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