Man Utd 3 - 0 Tottenham

Manchester United swept Tottenham aside in impressive fashion as the Premier League champions made a powerful statement of intent at Old Trafford.

Spurs were without unsettled Luka Modric as he continues to be linked with a £30m move to Chelsea - and he was sadly missed as United overpowered Harry Redknapp's side after an evenly-contested first half.

Sir Alex Ferguson embarked on an expensive summer rebuilding programme, but it was United's home-grown talent that built the platform for their second successive win as they go in search of a 20th domestic title.With England coach Fabio Capello an interested observer, Danny Welbeck headed in Tom Cleverley's cross just after the hour and the young striker then produced a wonderful instinctive flick to set up a second for Anderson.

Wayne Rooney completed the formalities with a pinpoint late header from Ryan Giggs's centre to extend Spurs' miserable sequence of 22 years without a win at Old Trafford.

United's new goalkeeper David de Gea suffered more uncertain moments of handling but Phil Jones, another summer acquisition from Blackburn, ensured injured Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were not missed with an outstanding performance.

The hosts' new arrivals made an impact early on as Jones and Ashley Young led a sweeping counter attack before Cleverley brought a fine fingertip save from the stretching Brad Friedel on his Spurs debut.

De Gea, watched from the directors' box by his predecessor Edwin van der Sar, was a focus of attention after early blunders following his summer move from Atletico Madrid and he needed to show neat footwork as Rafael Van der Vaart threatened to catch him in possession.

Young's movement was presenting problems for Spurs and he was inches away from giving United the lead with a looping header from Rooney's cross with Friedel stranded as he scrambled back towards goal.

Spurs wasted an opportunity to strike just after the break when Aaron Lennon was desperately wasteful with a cross inside the area, an incident that saw Van der Vaart pull his shirt over his head in fury.

It was the signal for United's most concerted spell of pressure - a decisive phase of the game that eventually led to them taking the lead just after the hour.

Click to play

Redknapp keen to bolster Spurs squad

Friedel excelled once more with a fine double save from Anderson and Rooney, but he was powerless to prevent Welbeck taking advantage of Cleverley's inviting delivery by glancing a fine header into the corner.

United were carrying all the momentum and threat, with Friedel in acrobatic action again to save Rooney's free-kick as it seemed destined for the top corner and Welbeck's ambitious overhead kick.

Welbeck was oozing confidence after his goal and he illuminated Old Trafford with his part in Anderson's second 14 minutes from time. He took Anderson's pass inside the area before delivering an instant backheel which the midfield man took in his stride to score.

Tottenham rallied briefly and Jermain Defoe volleyed against the post following a rare De Gea error, the Spaniard flapping at a cross and allowing the Spurs striker to strike the woodwork from the angle.

But Rooney's third was simply confirmation of United's superiority as they move into second place behind neighbours Manchester City in the table.

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson: "The second-half performance was absolutely fantastic.

"It was a fast game in the first half, it was end-to-end. Tottenham had a lot of possession, but in the second half we just took off."

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp: "I'm sure [Luka] Modric will stay. The chairman has made his mind up."

Carl Froch's Super Six final showdown with Andre Ward will be screened live on Sky Sports.

The Atlantic City blockbuster will see the best two super-middleweights in the world collide, with the WBA and WBC belts and the prestigious Ring Magazine title on the line.

Froch and Ward will go head-to-head on October 29 and the unification clash is the highlight of our autumn line-up of live fights that already includes Vitali Klitschko's next defence, Darren Barker's crack at middleweight king Sergio Martinez, Kell Brook's world-title eliminator and a triple title clash between Jamie McDonnell and Stuart Hall.

Sky Sports' first live dates of the season

Froch though, will take top billing as he attempts to become the number one super-middleweight in the world by winning the latest in a long line of megafights.

His last six fights have seen him tackle Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson and with only Kessler managing to better him, the Nottingham man (28-1) has established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters around.

Ward though, is a former Olympic champion and unbeaten in 24 fights himself and Froch believes Sky Sports viewers are in line for a fitting end to the Super Six series.

"This is the two best fighters that entered the tournament meeting in the final for the WBC and WBA titles and the Super Six trophy - it couldn't be any bigger or better," he said.

"This what top sport is all about, the best in the division fighting each other. I think the super-middleweight division is the best division in world boxing, full of top fighters.

"It's a pleasure to be involved in this."

Froch is one of four British world champions along with Amir Khan, Ricky Burns and Nathan Cleverly and has shot to prominence with that incredible sequence of fights.

And his promoter Eddie Hearn believes boxing on Sky Sports will give the 34-year-old the exposure he deserves.

"This fight means everything. The Super Six has eradicated the politics of boxing and let the best super-middleweights in the world go at it - now just two remain.

"We are delighted to bring this blockbuster fight to Sky Sports as we continue to deliver the big fights for UK fans."

Brown-Eyed Girls In The Ring

Miss Ring Girl Thailand 2011 contestants compete for the chance to join the Pro-Am World Muay Thai Championship at a temporary boxing ring outside MBK Centre in Bangkok. Video by Patipat Janthong.

Fiji confirm former soldier in rugby W. Cup squad

Fiji confirmed lock Leone Nakarawa in their Rugby World Cup squad on Saturday a day after he was cleared to enter New Zealand when he resigned his army commission.

The 23-year-old was named in a 30-man squad to be captained by Wales-based Deacon Manu.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced Friday that the ban on Nakarawa entering the country had been lifted after he resigned from the military.
Fijian soldiers have been banned from New Zealand since the military seized control of the Pacific island nation in a 2006 coup.
The 117 kilogram (258 pound) lock was the only Fiji player affected by the ban and was omitted from the side that last month travelled to New Zealand for a Test against the All Blacks because he was then still in the army.
Nakarawa is one of only nine local players in the World Cup squad which is dominated by overseas-based professionals.
The New Zealand-born captain Manu has previously played for the New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Universities and New Zealand Under 21 but is eligible for Fiji through his Fijian mother.
Fiji have qualified for every rugby world cup except 1995 and made the quarter-finals in 1987 and in 2007.
World Cup squad:
Forwards: Campese Ma?afu (Eastern Suburbs), Deacon Manu (captain, Scarlets), Setefano Somoca (Sigatoka Bulls), Waisea Daveta (Gau), Viliame Veikoso (Nadi), Tuapati Talemaitoga (Woodlands), Sunia Koto (Narbonne), Seko Kalou (Kaikorai), Leone Nakarawa (Suva), Wame Lewaravu (Sale Sharks), Rupeni Nasiga (Nadroga), Dominiko Waqaniburotu (Fraser Tech), Sisa Koyamaibole (Sale Sharks), Akapusi Qera (Gloucester), Netani Talei (Edinburgh), Masi Matadigo (Montpellier), Malakai Ravulo (North Harbour).
Backs: Nemia Ranuku (Nadroga), Vitori Buatava (Zhermack Badia), Waisea Luveniyali (London Welsh), Seremaia Bai (Castres), Nicky Little (Bristol), Albert Vulivuli (Racing Metro), Gabirieli Lovobalavu (Toulon), Ravai Fatiaki (Worcester Warriors), Vereniki Goneva (Colomiers), Napolioni Nalaga (Nadroga), Michael Tagicakibau (Saracens), Kini Murimurivalu (Clermont), Iliesa Keresoni (Perigueux).

Excitement builds ahead of Eredivisie kick-off

 New Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman hopes to open the Eredivisie season with a win as his side visit Rotterdam rivals Excelsior for the derby match on Friday evening.

Koeman, brought in at short notice to replace Mario Been, saw his charges lose their pre-season encounter with Spanish side Malaga 2-0 on Sunday but believes he has prepared his players for the season's league opener. Koeman told the club website: "We know we face difficult opponents, but we can win at Excelsior and that would give us lots of confidence."

The coach will be looking for his team to make more use of former Excelsior striker Guyon Fernandez than they did against Malaga. He said: "There was plenty of room for Guyon Fernandez, but we made too little use (of this). This should be better (against Excelsior)."

Joining Fernandez in the Feyenoord squad are three other former Excelsior players - Kaj Ramsteijn, Miquel Nelom and Jordy Clasie - who could be in for an early reunion with their old team-mates. Koeman has seen defenders Bruno Martins Indi and Nelom return to training following minor knee injuries, and they should come into contention.

Former Feyenoord forward Jon Dahl Tomasson will also see familiar faces after taking on his new job as assistant coach at Excelsior. Tomasson, a Dutch title and UEFA Cup winner with Feyenoord, has been forced to retire from playing through injury but has fond memories of his time at De Kuip. The Dane said: "They were seven good years, I've become a Dutchman."

We know we face difficult opponents, but we can win at Excelsior and that would give us lots of confidence.

Feyenoord coach Ronald Koeman

Excelsior coach John Lammers will have new signing Joost Broerse available after he joined from Cypriot outfit APOEL Nicosia. The experienced midfielder, a former FC Groningen and FC Utrecht player, signed a one-year deal on Tuesday. Lammers will need his side to improve on last season when they finished in 16th and in the play-off places, but managed to avoid relegation.

Promoted side RKC Waalwijk take on Heerenveen on Saturday, with the day's other games seeing Roda JC play Groningen, Heracles Almelo play host to NEC Nijmegen and VVV Venlo, who escaped relegation through the play-offs at the end of last season, at home to Utrecht.

Ajax begin their title defence on Sunday away to De Graafschap without World Cup finalist Maarten Stekelenburg after the goalkeeper joined Italian side Roma for a fee in excess of €6 million. Ajax are also reeling from the Johan Cruyff Shield defeat to Dutch Cup winners FC Twente.

Coach Frank de Boer was impressed by the way his team dominated but disappointed that they allowed their opponents two chances and they took both. He told the club website: "We didn't dominate like that all year (on the way to winning the title). This is a big positive for us and we'll take that into our next matches. We're disappointed, but we're moving ahead with our chin up."

Twente coach Co Adriaanse will look to his players to improve when they visit NAC Breda after he was disappointed with the performance against Ajax. "I am happy with the prize we have won, but the way could have been better," said Adriaanse on his first game in charge back in Holland following his return from managing in Qatar.

Nicky Hofs makes his return for Vitesse Arnhem in the game at ADO Den Haag. The former Feyenoord midfielder returns for a third spell at the club where he made his debut after last season playing for Cypriot side AEL Limassol. In Sunday's remaining fixture, AZ Alkmaar are at home to PSV Eindhoven.

Thailand Sports

Muay Thai Boxing

Muay Thai kickboxing is probably the most popular spectator sport in Thailand. Almost anything goes both in the ring and the stands. If you want to watch a Muay Thai fight night there are Muay Thai stadiums all over the country. The wild musical accompaniment, the ceremonial

 beginning to each match, along with the devastating martial arts action will make it a night to remember. Horizon Thai Boxing Camp promotes monthly Muay Thai fight nights at our Muay Thai stadium in Ban Tai on Koh Phangan island in southern Thailand. If you want to learn Muay Thai kickboxing you are welcome to join our Muay Thai training camp at Haad Tien bay any time.

Kraabi Krabong

This traditional Thai martial art focuses on hand-held weapons techniques in conjunction with Thai boxing techniques. Displays can be seen at festivals and tourist venues. You can learn Kraabi Krabong during your stay in Thailand. We hold occasional Kraabi Krabong seminars at Horizon Thai Boxing Camp.

Sepak Takraw

Another sport indigenous to Thailand is Sepak Takraw, a variant of volleyball played with the feet and a light rattan ball. There are several versions of the game with different rules. In the south of Thailand the game is played with a net. Only the feet and head are permitted to touch the ball. It is amazing to see players perform aerial pirouhettes, spiking the ball over the net with their feet.

Volley Ball

Volleyball is a sport in which two teams, separated by a high net, hit a ball back and forth over the net using only their hands. Each team has a maximum of three hits to get the ball back over the net to the other team. A point is scored if the ball hits the ground in the opponents' court. A team of Katoey (ladyboys) volleyball players made headlines in Thailand when they started a meteoric rise through the national championships. Two films have been made about their exploits. There are beach volleyball competitions at many tourist spots.

Football

Professional football in Thailand is in its infancy, although the English Premiership has a surprisingly large following. Most viallges young men will kick a ball around before sunsets. Organised competitions on Koh Phangan.

Youth Quarterback Camps Find a Profitable Seam

By Paul Wachter
This Week

August 1, 2011
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 Happy Campers Clarkson: Mason Levinson/Bloomberg; Leinart: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images; Brees: Steve Clarkson—NFL washout and youth football eminence—was standing among 100 or so prepubescent boys as they ran between cones, avoided fake blitzes, and threw post and curl routes. Watching on the sidelines was a horde of eager parents, many of whom had plunked down $600 for Clarkson’s four-day Air 7 program. “It’s a big commitment,” says Jay Tuttle, who drove his 11-year-old two hours to the Los Angeles high school field. “But Steve really pushes my son’s skill set.”

For others, it’s a bargain. In the past two decades, Clarkson has become the country’s premier youth quarterback guru. His list of former pupils includes Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger. Joe Montana hired him to tutor his sons. Last year, University of Southern California head coach Lane Kiffin offered a scholarship to David Sills, a Clarkson pupil who has yet to start high school. Youth quarterback coaching also happens to be an avocation Clarkson more or less created and then transformed into a miniature fiefdom. In addition to his Sunday Air 7 camps, he charges up to $10,000 per month for private lessons. “What you’re seeing at the quarterback position, at earlier ages, is specialization,” says Josh Heupel, the co-offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma. And there are plenty of takers. “This has been good for Miller,” says Eric Moss, watching his 9-year-old from the sidelines, “whether he plays football in the future—or invades China.”

Clarkson has given rise to one of football’s most profitable gimmicks, and one of its few economic gushers during the National Football League’s lockout that ended on July 25. There are now hundreds of camps run by an array of entrepreneurs ranging from NFL royalty to lesser quarterbacking profiteers. The Mannings—Peyton, Eli, and paterfamilias Archie—host the Manning Passing Academy every summer in Louisiana. The less famous Johnsons—Rob (who played for the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bret (a brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons), and their dad, Bob—operate Camp Quarterback in California. And then there’s former high school offensive coordinator Terry Copacia. His brainchild, Terry Copacia’s All-State Quarterback School, holds two-day clinics throughout the country for $189 per student, grades seven and up. Darin Slack, who played for the Division-II University of Central Florida, charges $545 for his three-day Quarterback Academy, more than the four-day Manning affair.

The prices are justified, aspiring youth football moguls insist, by the fact that the position can be taught in a way a 7-foot frame or 95-mile-per-hour fastball cannot. And even if the NFL is out of reach for most kids, private coaches can help them earn a college scholarship—or at least make their high school’s first string. Quarterbacks also happen to be a good commodity to trade in since, private coaches note, they’re more likely to come from comfortable backgrounds. “It’s not a race thing,” says Clarkson, an African American. “It’s the demands of position. You have to be a stable person, and you’ll find most quarterbacks come from stable, two-parent homes.” Coincidentally, two-parent homes are more likely to be able to afford expensive quarterback coaches.

Clarkson discovered these truths with his first client, Perry Klein. After a season backing up John Elway in Denver—followed by two more seasons in Canada—Clarkson believed his career was over by 1986. That year, however, his great-aunt forwarded him an advertisement from a father looking for someone to help his 15-year-old son switch to football from gymnastics. “We threw the ball around on the lawn, and I remember thinking, the kid is O.K. but a little slender,” recalls Clarkson. “Then walking to the car, I turned around, and Perry was doing back flips. You could tell he was a great athlete. A light bulb went off in my head: If I could teach this kid to be a quarterback, he might be something special.” Clarkson took the job and devised a program targeting footwork, an efficient throwing motion, and reading defenses. Klein eventually won a Los Angeles high school title and spent two seasons with the Falcons. Soon other parents came calling, including Montana. “Just because you’re a Hall of Famer doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great coach,” Clarkson says.

Youth Quarterback Camps Find a Profitable Seam

By Paul Wachter
This Week

August 1, 2011
Why the Debt Crisis Is Even Worse Than You Think
Previous
Next
Related Items
NFL's Silent Stakeholders
BA-Iberia Tap U.S. Pickup to Outdo Air France-KLM, Lufthansa
Electronic Arts Must Face Ex-Athletes’ Antitrust Claims
The Rapture Profiteers
Air France, Lufthansa Drop on Results; Singapore Also Misses

 Happy Campers Clarkson: Mason Levinson/Bloomberg; Leinart: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images; Brees: Steve Clarkson—NFL washout and youth football eminence—was standing among 100 or so prepubescent boys as they ran between cones, avoided fake blitzes, and threw post and curl routes. Watching on the sidelines was a horde of eager parents, many of whom had plunked down $600 for Clarkson’s four-day Air 7 program. “It’s a big commitment,” says Jay Tuttle, who drove his 11-year-old two hours to the Los Angeles high school field. “But Steve really pushes my son’s skill set.”

For others, it’s a bargain. In the past two decades, Clarkson has become the country’s premier youth quarterback guru. His list of former pupils includes Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger. Joe Montana hired him to tutor his sons. Last year, University of Southern California head coach Lane Kiffin offered a scholarship to David Sills, a Clarkson pupil who has yet to start high school. Youth quarterback coaching also happens to be an avocation Clarkson more or less created and then transformed into a miniature fiefdom. In addition to his Sunday Air 7 camps, he charges up to $10,000 per month for private lessons. “What you’re seeing at the quarterback position, at earlier ages, is specialization,” says Josh Heupel, the co-offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma. And there are plenty of takers. “This has been good for Miller,” says Eric Moss, watching his 9-year-old from the sidelines, “whether he plays football in the future—or invades China.”

Clarkson has given rise to one of football’s most profitable gimmicks, and one of its few economic gushers during the National Football League’s lockout that ended on July 25. There are now hundreds of camps run by an array of entrepreneurs ranging from NFL royalty to lesser quarterbacking profiteers. The Mannings—Peyton, Eli, and paterfamilias Archie—host the Manning Passing Academy every summer in Louisiana. The less famous Johnsons—Rob (who played for the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bret (a brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons), and their dad, Bob—operate Camp Quarterback in California. And then there’s former high school offensive coordinator Terry Copacia. His brainchild, Terry Copacia’s All-State Quarterback School, holds two-day clinics throughout the country for $189 per student, grades seven and up. Darin Slack, who played for the Division-II University of Central Florida, charges $545 for his three-day Quarterback Academy, more than the four-day Manning affair.

The prices are justified, aspiring youth football moguls insist, by the fact that the position can be taught in a way a 7-foot frame or 95-mile-per-hour fastball cannot. And even if the NFL is out of reach for most kids, private coaches can help them earn a college scholarship—or at least make their high school’s first string. Quarterbacks also happen to be a good commodity to trade in since, private coaches note, they’re more likely to come from comfortable backgrounds. “It’s not a race thing,” says Clarkson, an African American. “It’s the demands of position. You have to be a stable person, and you’ll find most quarterbacks come from stable, two-parent homes.” Coincidentally, two-parent homes are more likely to be able to afford expensive quarterback coaches.

Clarkson discovered these truths with his first client, Perry Klein. After a season backing up John Elway in Denver—followed by two more seasons in Canada—Clarkson believed his career was over by 1986. That year, however, his great-aunt forwarded him an advertisement from a father looking for someone to help his 15-year-old son switch to football from gymnastics. “We threw the ball around on the lawn, and I remember thinking, the kid is O.K. but a little slender,” recalls Clarkson. “Then walking to the car, I turned around, and Perry was doing back flips. You could tell he was a great athlete. A light bulb went off in my head: If I could teach this kid to be a quarterback, he might be something special.” Clarkson took the job and devised a program targeting footwork, an efficient throwing motion, and reading defenses. Klein eventually won a Los Angeles high school title and spent two seasons with the Falcons. Soon other parents came calling, including Montana. “Just because you’re a Hall of Famer doesn’t mean you’re going to be a great coach,” Clarkson says.