Insane Ball Control

You really, really have to check this out.

Insane skills… tho’ I do doubt the veracity of some of the moves shown… still, a good watch!

Tough Times Loom for Australia

No, not political commentary…

Qualifying draws for the Football (soccer) World Cup have been drawn up, and Australia looks to have a pretty tough group. Japanese media has been declaring it a nasty group for Japan – declaring that there are ‘rising forces’ in their pool, but I don’t see it. And South Korea & Iran have absolutely sweet draws.

Here are the groupings (FIFA rankings in parentheses):

1. Australia (48); Iraq (70); China (85); Qatar (86)
2. Japan (33); Oman (76); Bahrain (101); Thailand (113)
3. South Korea (42); North Korea (117); Jordan (122); Turkmenistan (127)
4. Saudi Arabia (57); Uzekistan (64); Singapore (130); Lebanon (137)
5. Iran (40); UAE (99); Syria (109); Kuwait (121)

Don’t know what to make of it really, but it seems more than a little unbalanced. Australia has to face 3 teams that are all ranked 86 or higher. South Korea’s closest rival is North Korea, who would be the lowest ranked team in either Group 1 or 2. China and Qatar have to be feeling shafted, as their rankings would place them second in either Groups 3 or 5, and at worst a clear 3rd in any of the pools.

Still, at the end of the day, Australia is the top-ranked team in Group 1, and has control of it’s destiny. Win, or go home.
Now appoint a bloody coach.

Top Sports Stories in Japan… (Sept 20)

Bit of a hot spell here at the moment…

BRING ON AUTUMN!!!

Sigh…

Today’s top sports stories in Japan:

• Japan coach has know-how to beat Wales (RWC)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Good news for Japan’s rugby team (RWC)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Yomiuri Giants get past Tigers (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Rhodes done for season (NPB)… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Japan vs Aussies in baseball – November… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Asian Champion’s League Soccer – Urawa doing well… [Japan Times]
• Darvish has the goods (NPB)… [Japan Times]
• A laughing stock no more (RWC)… [Japan Times]

Top Sports Stories in Japan… (Sept 17)

Day off today – National Holiday!

Yay.

Anyway, in today’s sports headlines in Japan:

• Aminishiki wins again (sumo)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Wallabies win over Wales (RWC)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Giants back on top in CL (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• 10 games to go – it’s crunch time! (J-League soccer)… [Asahi News]

Top Sports Stories in Japan… (Sept 15)

Saturday… and more World Cup Rugby tonight!

Life’s good…

Anyway – today’s top sports headlines in Japan are:

• Aminishiki takes over as sole leader (sumo)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Federer to defend AIG Open title… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Swallows down Baystars (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Toulouse loves Japan!(RWC)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Takahara in Frankfurt (soccer)… [Japan Times]
• NFL throws book at Pats… [Japan Times]
• Soccer: Japan beat Argentina (Women’s World Cup)… [Japan Times]

Top Sports Stories in Japan… (Sept 13)

A bit muggy here today…

Today’s top sports stories in Japan:

• Hakuho wins third on the trot (sumo)… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• China’s Lin Dan wins (badminton)… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Japan douses Swedish fire (soccer)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Tigers well in this race (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Carp down Tiges (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Japan ready for Beijing (Olympic Soccer)… [Daily Yomiuri]

Top Sports Stories in Japan… (September 3)

Weather’s still going to be a lil’ hot this week…

Today’s top sports stories in Japan:

• WAC ends in Japan, hosts hold one medal… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Final night of competition, US continues domination… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Iwamura & A-Rod’s bats confiscated during game… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Fighters down Hawks (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Omiya shocks Reds (J-League)… [Japan Times]

Top Sports Stories in Japan… (August 23)

Nice… raining today, and much, much cooler. About time.

Anyway, today’s top sports headlines in Japan!

• Saga Kita wins Koshien title (High School baseball)… [Japan Times]
• Giants beat Dragons (NPB)… [Japan Times]
• Japan beats Cameroon in friendly (soccer)… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Australia dominates in Japanese swim meet… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Japan wins second Little League game… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Asa out of apartment – first time (sumo)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Japan Olympic soccer team squeezes past Vietnam (u-22 Soccer)… [Daily Yomiuri]

Blogsifting – Hoppin’ around the Blogzone

So, like a good lil’ bunny, I’ve been hopping ALL over the world-of-blogs to find stuff that’s just oh-so-good… but this is all I could find! I kid, I kid… anyway, here’s what I liked over the weekend (or thereabouts)…

1. Now I just have to find out who is the Chunichi Dragons’ lead celebu-fan… Sooze from Babes Love Baseball wrote a good piece on Celebrity Fans over at Epic. Check it out.
2. I’m a ‘Phins fan. Not too proud to admit it. Hey, we had our time in the sun. But I hate Nick Saban. Alabama fans should too. He’s gonna crap on you. Sometime… Anyway, Smitty at Sons of Sam Malone has a letter up, apparently it’s a letter from Alabama fans to Nick Saban. You decide. 😉
3. Nothing like a brawl in baseball. But Jose Offerman’s charging the mound was a bewdy. From the excellent One More Dying Quail.
4. Aaaah… Late summer. When a hot August night can be appeased by a nice, cool beer. Oh, and when Cubs fans start to panic. Five Tool Tool.
5. It’s a YouTube-fest over at The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes… they explore which baseball fans are the biggest drunks.
6. Really enjoyed this lil’ piece – Game on: And Then There’s Softball… at The Everyday Athlete.
7. So I despise the Italian team because of what happened during the last Soccer World Cup. I have to – I’m Australian. They won because of a dive. Hate that about soccer… still The Ladies are hosting at Deadspin this weekend, and they reveal what Materazzi said. I just wish Zidane had used a baseball bat.

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Top Sports Stories in Japan… (August 7)

Well, mid-way through my summer vacation. Life’s good.

Today’s news in sports in Japan…

• Kaneko the glue (NPB)… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Miki Saiki hits a 6-under-par 67 at the Women’s British Open… [Daily Yomiuri]
• Asa bordering on depression (sumo)… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Amidst the furor surrounding 500 & 755, Matsui hits his #100… [Mainichi Shimbun]
• Glavine gets #300 (wins)… [Japan Times]
• Celtics held in opener (Scottish Soccer League)… [Japan Times]
• Lorena Ochoa wins British Open… [Japan Times]

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