| Two teams in sides put up in history |
| Pittsburgh and Arizona clash for the Super Bowl |
Agencies
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| The duel that will be disputed in Tampa will have a team whose kudos history is almost that nonexistent (Arizona) against other that will think about how to establish a record with his sixth crown (Pittsburgh). |
Arizona and Pittsburgh will lead a Super Bowl that of historical he could not have left the epithet better.
The duel that will be disputed in Tampa will have a team whose kudos history is almost that nonexistent (Arizona) against other that will think about how to establish a record with his sixth crown (Pittsburgh).
And the Steelers immediately are the favorites.
Such a condition imports his little to the Cardinal ones, the eternal laughing stock of the NFL who gained his three playoff parties with the bets in against, including the resounding victory 32-25 on the Eagles of Philadelphia for the scepter of the National Conference.
The Cardinal ones do not know what is to gain a title since they devoted themselves in 1947. Scarcely they disputed 10 postemporada parties since they changed of Chicago San Luis and then 21 years ago ended in the desert of Arizona.
To despise them is something daring, especially for the presence of Kurt Warner, his veteran quaterback of 37 years. Warner is provided with two trophies like better player of the league and also a laurel as the most valuable of the Super Bowl gained by the Rams in 2000.
“ I want to express Arizona and Super Bowl in the same prayer”, said jubilant Warner after the victory before Philadelphia.
It is not also necessary to forget Larry Fitzgerald, who in only three parties has been erected like the best passes recipient in postemporada. With 419 yards, Fitzgerald eclipsed the mark of legendary Jerry Czech Republic and he still has left the party for the championship.
“ He has lived through this experience”, said Fitzgerald, alluding to Warner. “It has raised this trophy and we have rested during the whole postemporada”.
Many of the figures from Pittsburgh also have gone on for the experience of the Super Bowl. Such is the case of Neighings Ward, the most valuable of the victory on Seattle in 2006.
The defense of the Steelers was the key to conquer Baltimore for 23-14 in the party for the scepter of the American Conference. Such has been the constant. The new version of the mythical “Curtain of Iron” led the statistics of the NFL and it was the most consistent.
Headed by James Harrison, the best defensive player of the year, and the safety Troy Polamalu, the Steelers never stop putting pressure to the quarterback. And it is there where Warner is vulnerable in certain moments.
The injuries and to release very much the ovoid one there were two factors that cost him the entitlement in San Luis in 2002 and 2003 before it was transferred to the Giants of New York and then to Arizona.
The Steelers gained the Super Bowl four times throughout six years during the 70s, and his fifth one three years ago.
No other club has gained six.
In a curious aspect, the trainer of Arizona Ken Whisenhunt has a past with the Steelers, since he acted as the offensive coordinator of the team between 2004-06, including the team that gained the Super Bowl.
It was outlined like the new technician in Pittsburgh when Bill Cowher decided to resign two weeks ago. Also there was sounding another assistant of the Steelers, Russ Grimm, now the right Whisenhunt hand in Arizona.
On the other hand, the position was for Mike Tomlin, who returns to Tampa, the city where it initiated his trajectory as trainer.
| To happen from the last place to the first one, makes sure the boricua Will Nieves |
The Nationals want to continue
way of Tampa Bay |
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| It has faith. Will Nieves believes that the Nationals will be able to do the same exploit as Tampa, go of the last place to the first one of his conference in one year. |
For Omar Marrero / AP
If Rays de Tampa Bay managed to climb from the tail to the top in only one year, the Nationals of Washington also can do it.
This task is not impossible, according to the Puerto Rican recipient Wilbert Nieves.
What joins both teams is to have ended in the last place of his division.
The Nationals ended in the last place in the west of the National League with mark of 59-102. In 2007, Tampa Bay had come last in the west from the American with mark of 66-96. The difference is that in 2008 the Rays gained his division with record of 97-65 and then the championship of the American League.
Nieves imputed to the injuries the poor performance of his team in 2008, but it proved to be hopeful to itself that in 2009 the injuries are not an important factor in the performance of his ninth one.
“ Last year we had injured persons to Nick Johnson, Dmitri Young, Willy Mo Rock, Shawn Hill. There were many injuries that affected us. If this year they are healthy we will be able to have a better performance”, it expressed Snow.
“ Later that I saw what this year spent with Tampa Bay, any thing can happen and if a team as that one — that has tremendous peloteros — could do it, that gives hopes and desires to do it also we”, he affirmed.
In his first year with the Nationals, the substitute cátcher received the biggest game opportunity in his short career in the Big Leagues.
In 68 parties, it had average of batting of.261, with 20 pushed careers and written down 15.
“ It was a little easier. With the Yankee ones it was difficult with (Jorge) Posada there. This year was easier because when I rose Paul LoDuca and Johnny Estrada they got injured and gave me more game. In the last month, Jesus Flores had a move in home in that the ankle hurt itself and that gave me more opportunity”, remembered the boricua.
“ Also, also bateé well because if not batting, I extract myself myself of the alignment. This year was crucial for me because he did not believe that I could batear being substitute. I was saying that it was impossible, but I changed opinion and said to myself that if I want to settle in Big Leagues I have to learn to batear every five days and this way I did it. I began believing in me and thinking positive”, it showed.
Nieves made debut with San Diego in 2002 and then it played with the Yankee ones of New York until 2007. He signed with Washington like free agent last year.
| Front meringue speaks on Madrid |
| Higuaín: "The League is not impossible” |
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| It has faith. Higuaín believes that the Barca will stumble in some moment. |
Writing
Washington Hispanic
The forward of Real Madrid Gonzalo Higuaín thinks that the League “is difficult, but not impossible” and she keeps on trusting that the Barcelona will have “some hole”, for what it neither throws the towel does not even want to think only in Champions League.
“ It is difficult, but not impossible, it has been demonstrated often that it is possible to mend and, while beech options, we are going to go for it. We must keep on winning not to lose the pulse. In some moment they will have a hole and we must be there to cut points away”, he stood out.
Also, he makes sure that “seeing is not distressing” that those of Pep Guardiola not only do not fail, but they wind his rivals. “It is one more target not to fail we. If they continue at this level and do not fail it will be very difficult, but I believe that they will have this hole and we must be concentrated not to lose points because we are the champion and must continue”, it stressed.
The Argentinian, also, valued the soundness of the team, which into the last four parties has fitted three goals. “Defensively we are well, but in attack also. We are solid. Another day the difficult things put themselves us, but we must be calm and to continue in the victories footpath”.
On the other hand, he thinks that “what it should spend in the board there are their things”, therefore he hopes that to the staff I did not affect him, although he knows that it is an excellent topic. “We have to concentrate in keeping on winning, the institutional thing is over everything, but the players we must be still concentrated and understood each other in doing the things well”, it expressed.
| Along with Honduras |
Costa Rica and El Salvador
favorites for Cup UNCAF |
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| Cuscateclos and Costa Rican. Quintanilla fights the ball against Leonardo González of Costa Rica. |
Agencies
Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador start like favorites in the Cup UNCAF and they will make use of the tournament to sharpen his weapon facing the final phase of the qualifying rounds to the world cup.
Costa Rica is the defending tricampeón of the regional championship, which started on Thursday, the 22nd in Honduras and it is disputed until the 1st of February. Also there compete Panama, Guatemala, Belize and Nicaragua. The best five qualify to the golden Cup of this year.
“ The priority this year is to qualify to the world cup”, said the Costa Rican trainer Rodrigo Kenton, whose team advanced with perfect record to the hexagonal end of the qualifying rounds of the Concacaf that will be started in February.
Three favorites will be provided principally with soccer players of his local leagues, since the tournament is not an official date FIFA, therefore players will be useful to observe with a view to the qualifying rounds, where there will join the figures of leagues of the foreigner.
“ We are going to make use of a competition as the UNCAF to evaluate (players) and at the same time we have to gain it to keep on increasing the confidence and the morality of the Costa Rican players”, added Kenton.
Costa Rica will not be provided with Bryan Ruiz and Walter Centeno.
Honduras, which his group headed in the semifinals of the qualifying rounds mundialistas over Mexico, bets on return from the gunner Carlos Pavón, the maximum scorer in the history of the selection.
“ Costa Rica and El Salvador are strong and competitive... and this way it will play Honduras”, affirmed the Colombian technician of Honduras, Reinaldo Rueda.
Two of the figures of El Salvador, directed by the Mexican Carlos de los Cobos, they are the forward Arturo Alvarez (San Jose Earthquakes) and rear Edwin Miranda, of the Islanders of Puerto Rico.
Honduras took charge of the tournament later that Panama had to transfer the head office last year.
“ Everything is ready for the competition”, said the president of the Football Federation of Honduras, Rafael Leonardo Callejas.
14 parties will be played in the National Tegucigalpa stadium.
Honduras is a seed in the Group A, which El Salvador, Belize and Nicaragua complete, while Costa Rica heads the B in which also Panama and Guatemala are.
The two first ones of every group will go on to the semifinals and the best third two will dispute the fifth position.
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