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LOS ANGELES -- The Coliseum stands emptied in waves that flowed onto the field after Stanfords final fumble. [url=http://www.che

in Quasselecke 31.08.2018 10:29
von jokergreen0220 • 1.730 Beiträge

LOS ANGELES -- The Coliseum stands emptied in waves that flowed onto the field after Stanfords final fumble. LaMarcus Aldridge Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. USCs surge for Ed Orgeron had just swallowed up No. 5 Stanfords national title hopes. Andre Heidari kicked a 47-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play, and a stalwart defence repeatedly came up big in USCs 20-17 upset of the Cardinal on Saturday night. Cody Kessler passed for 288 yards as the revitalized Trojans (8-3, 5-2 Pac-12) earned their fifth win in six games under the irrepressible Orgeron, who replaced the fired Lane Kiffin in late September. Orgeron immediately returned fun to a dour program -- and wins have followed, none bigger than this streak-snapping win over powerful Stanford. "In our tight-knit family, there was a belief that we were going to find a way to win the game," Orgeron said. "Im proud of our young men. This is something that theyve wanted for a long time now." USCs remarkable defensive performance included two fourth-quarter interceptions and a season-low 17 points from the Cardinal (8-2, 6-2), who followed up last weeks win over Oregon by getting knocked out of the BCS title chase and maybe the Rose Bowl race as well. Heidari nearly lost his job twice this season, and he missed an extra point in the first quarter. But the junior coolly nailed the tiebreaking field goal -- and then got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for running the length of the field to celebrate it. "They all said, We know you got this. You do it every day in practice," Heidari said of his teammates. "They believed in me." Moments later, thousands of USC fans flooded the field. Stanford had won in its last three trips to the Coliseum, including a triple-overtime thriller two years ago, and its last four meetings with USC overall. Soma Vainuku caught an early TD pass and Javorius Allen rushed for a score for USC, which played 38 straight scoreless minutes until Heidaris kick. Nelson Agholor had eight catches for 104 yards, while Marqise Lee had six catches for 83 yards -- and both receivers made big plays on USCs final drive. "I dont know if I pulled them together," Orgeron said. "I think they just came together. The leadership of this program is really coming to the forefront." Tyler Gaffney rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns for Stanford, which had won three straight while closing in on the chance to host the Pac-12 title game for the second straight year. Kevin Hogan went 14 of 25 for 127 yards, but the Cardinal couldnt regain the lead after trailing 17-10 at half, despite repeatedly getting close. "I think this is the first time anyone on this team has lost to them," Gaffney said. "Its a tough thing to swallow." Stanford tied it with Gaffneys 18-yard TD run on the first drive of the third quarter, but couldnt score on six drives in the final 23 minutes, managing just 88 yards -- 75 on a single drive ending in Dion Baileys interception. USCs offence also struggled throughout the second half, but the Trojans sanctions-depleted defence kept it close despite using just two substitutes for most of the night. "Theyre a good team, and they got healthy at the wrong time for us," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "In the second half, we did a heck of a job defensively. We just didnt make enough plays on offensively. Thats not going to win on the road in this conference." Bailey intercepted Hogans third-down pass at the USC 6 with about 10 1/2 minutes to play, killing what seemed certain to be Stanfords go-ahead drive. Sua Cravens then intercepted a tipped pass at the USC 44 with 3 minutes to play, giving another chance to the Trojans offence. After Lee caught a 13-yard slant pass over midfield on fourth-and-2, the Trojans reached the Stanford 21 before two straight yardage-losing plays pushed them back to the 30 -- and Heidari still nailed his kick. "This is definitely the most electrifying game Ive been a part of in the four years Ive been here," Bailey said. USC hadnt beaten a ranked opponent since 2011, but the Trojans have played with ever-increasing fire and confidence for Orgeron, the longtime defensive line coach whose raw enthusiasm has worn off on the program. Orgeron wasnt thought to be a serious candidate for the Trojans full-time job when he took over for Kiffin, but his players are pushing his name deeper into the discussion with each victory. "Obviously theres going to be some decisions made here after we play UCLA (on Nov. 30)," Orgeron said. "Thats out of my hands." Stanford betrayed a few nerves early. The Cardinal burned two timeouts and committed an illegal-snap penalty on the games first drive, and Ty Montgomery dropped two passes in the opening minutes. USCs opening drive was smooth, with Lee making a tiptoe sideline catch before Vainuku came out of the backfield for a play-action 1-yard TD catch just 6:13 in. Gaffney scored on a 35-yard run moments later when he popped out the back of a scrimmage pile and sprinted past the slumbering USC defence, but the Trojans answered with another long drive capped by Allens 1-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion catch by Lee. Kessler was outstanding in the pocket and on the run, completing 10 straight early passes before Heidaris first field goal put the Trojans up by 10 points early in the second quarter. Stanford added a field goal with 17 seconds left in the first half. After Gaffney capped a 92-yard drive after halftime with his TD run up the middle, Stanford forced a fumble by Kessler at the USC 19 -- but the Cardinals field goal attempt was blocked. Former Stanford lineman Jonathan Martin watched the game from the sideline. Pau Gasol Jersey .Jeff Green, playing in his second preseason game after missing the first four because of a calf strain, had 18 points. The Celtics (3-3) shot 47.2 per cent from the floor and made 15 of 37 3-point attempts. Marco Belinelli Jersey .A. Happ? Happs seven wins are second on the staff to Mark Buehrles 10. Win-loss record is an antiquated stat, sure, but win total is generally an indication of a pitchers ability to work deep into games, enough to be personally affected by the result. http://www.cheapspursjerseys.com/ .com) - It appears both the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls will reach the playoffs, but the two squads are coming off losing efforts.Worthy Champions On the final Saturday of the season, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini signed autographs and posed with fans for pictures. Less than 24 hours later, the Chilean was being thrown into the air by his jubilant players underneath him, the unlikeliest Premier League champion. A year ago to the day many of those players walked off the famous Wembley pitch as losers, to lowly Wigan in the FA Cup final. Many said then that manager Roberto Mancini should be given another year but no one in Manchester cares about the Italians whereabouts today. Citys title victory signaled their second in three years; the start, perhaps, of a dynasty in the Premier League but, in truth, their second one was very different to their first. This is a different kind of City. The noisy neighbors, as once dubbed by a rude, naïve Sir Alex Ferguson, beat United two years ago in the most narrow of circumstances, goal difference. That year City were abysmal for over three months on the field while allowing the petulant Carlos Tevez to stay in Argentina, the immature Mario Balotelli to continue to disobey team rules and the mouthpiece Mancini to comment far too aggressively on far too many topics. City were champions but didnt stand for what they felt they should stand for. Enter Chief Executive Ferran Soriano and Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain. For a year, much like they did at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard before getting Pep Guardiola, they watched and took it all in. Last season City never looked like winning the title, falling behind by 12pts by the end of February and by 15pts at the end of March. They lacked width, had no real identity and creative players like Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri looked lost. Enter Pellegrini. City needed a manager who would never be bigger than the club, whose calmness and belief in his players would help the team on the pitch. His first test regularly came away from home. In September he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head in disbelief when his team lost at Aston Villa. Theyd played three away games and won none of them. By the fifth away game, at Chelsea, Citys latest setback was called a crisis by the media. The team was, supposedly, not a good side away from home but Pellegrini knew just how incorrect that statement was. Results are crucial, of course, but losses at Cardiff and Aston Villa should have been victories and City were outstanding in the second half at Stamford Bridge before Joe Hart lost his mind for a second and allowed Fernando Torres to score a late winner. Pellegrini kept his head and believed in his team. Quietly results started to match performances, yet it would be months before City would be top again. On the morning of April 21st, City woke up nine points back of Liverpool. In 21 days the season would be over and they had five leagues games remaining to Liverpools three. A win against West Brom that night started a run of five straight victories that culminated in a much-deserved title. It is easy to say City bought another trophy but this Premier League powerhouse is not at a level, yet, where they are easily unlikeable. Their style of play has to be admired, dictated by genuine world-class stars like David Silva, Yaya Toure and, when healthy, Sergio Aguero. Right now City is responsible for bringing such wonderful talents to the English game. It is clear their place at the top table of English football is here to stay but, so far, their inconsistencies have meant they havent always laid claim to the giant throne. Until now. Smart, shrewd leadership has made its way from the boardroom to the dugout and on to the pitch. Noisy neighbors? More like ruthless, quiet assassins led by a real gentleman in Pellegrini. Champions League Qualifiers Liverpools season had a cruel, unfortunate final act dubbed ‘the collapse by some but it is all too simple to say that without Steven Gerrards slip against Chelsea and the ‘Cyrstanbul 3-3 the Reds would have won the league. It was a year that Liverpool locked up talisman Luis Suarez and then spent the rest of the campaign showing him just why he should stay. Just quite what the striker decides to do next is anyones guess, after all he did turn his back on the club last summer after they had gone out of their way to support him in his darkest hours. Thankfully, for the club, Suarez, and the sport, once he returned from his suspension in September, dark days disappeared and the Uruguayan shone brighter than any other player in the league, on his way to matching Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer on 31 league goals. Chelseas year was, naturally, all about Jose Mourinho. He started the season proclaiming ‘this is a team of kids, it is not a team to win tomorrow and he spent the season proving himself right. He also remolded the side, making them much more difficult to break down, while selling on Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne, Tomorrow came and went for the Blues and next season, with presumably one very good new striker, they will be much stronger, not least in central midfield where the likes of Nemanja Matic, Ramires, Marco Van Ginkel, and possibly, Paulinho can take over games at a level that Eden Hazard and Willian did this year. Arsenal spent more days than any team at the top of the table but were out of the title hunt with two months to go. Again. The Gunners blew away many teams in the bottom half of the league, helping them race to 22pts through the first nine games. Arsene Wenger still kept his job despite three humiliating performances away from home at the teams above Arsenal and after allowing the club to go through the entire campaign with one legitimate striker. Of the 20 teams in the league this season, only Everton and Newcastle have spent (net) less than Arsenal in the past five years. Some feel the club continues to overachieve based on this but for a team that is supposed to be big, surely it is time for the club to find a man who puts pressure on rich owners to spend more money and take such a fantastic club to a position it deserves. Europa League Qualifiers Everton finished fifth under the magnificent Roberto Martinez after another entertaining season on the pitch and a tremendously smart campaign in the transfer market. Lonnie Walker Jersey. The same could not be said for Tottenham who threw away the season the moment Andre Vilas Boas was sacked. This wonderful club, that has had so many flamboyant, skillful artists play for them lost its way this year and end the season without a real manager or identity. Hull City, under a calm Steve Bruce, were welcome arrivals to the league and never looked in danger of dropping down to the Championship. Their successful season was rewarded with a spot in the FA Cup final and although their league campaign took a turn for the worse late in the season they should be applauded for targeting Premier League caliber players who helped them stay up. The good, the bad and the ugly of mid-table Manchester United finally had the season all the detractors dreamed of. Their worst campaign for 25 years hit rock bottom in April when David Moyes was sacked. It was time, after far too many woeful performances, but at least he showed just how poor many of United players are. No matter which Scotsman was in charge at United, it was clear changes were needed and now it will be interesting to see what the Glazers do after being backed into a corner, one where piles of paper are stashed in a box labeled ‘bad contracts. Southampton finished a wonderful eighth place and brought a fresh, vibrant attacking style to the league. Many of those behind it were, surprisingly, English and the national team manager Roy Hodgson could do worse than send Mauricio Pocchetino a bottle of his favourite red wine for helping some of his players improve dramatically over the cause of a season. Stoke City moved on without Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes rescued his career as they finished a record high ninth, just ahead of Newcastle United who, unlike Stoke, had a tumultuous campaign. It is hard to take club chairman Mike Ashley seriously anymore. Many of his decisions form a moronic pattern. He didnt change the name of the stadium this season but the hiring of Joe Kinnear was a disgrace, as was the latters interview, soon after, on national radio where he mispronounced many of the players at his team. It was like a scene from a comedy show. The episode continued for the Magpies as they spent no money on players, sold their best player in the final week of the window, didnt replace him, let go of Kinnear, watched their manager head-butt an opposing player and then saw the team fall to pieces, claiming just 16pts from their last 19. As the season ended, this proud, historic club, supported by brilliant football fans, who deserve far more, was in the gutter. For Ashley, of course, it was a successful season as they made lots of money and finished mid-table. Many clubs would have swapped with Newcastle but, in truth, all ten teams in the bottom half of the league were below average.Crystal Palace were the best of the rest, a remarkable climb from the mess Ian Holloway had left them in. when they had just three points at the end of October. “We didnt keep the same spirit, with some of the new lads coming in, some of their attitudes I am finding very annoying. Someone else can come in and make that right,” said Holloway as he resigned. Pulis came in and did exactly that. The Relegation Battle The race to mediocrity and the prize of safety that came with it was long, exhausting and very frustrating for many other teams who battled with their own identities. Swansea let go of Michael Laudrup and appointed Garry Monk to get back to the way Huw Jenkins demanded, Sam Allardyce bored his own fans towards safety with a brand of football they disliked. While outsiders told them to be thankful for survival, the intelligent fans, paying good money to watch their beloved Hammers, hit back with hours upon hours of evidence in their favor. Sunderland performed a miracle, winning four in a row in late April and early May after losing five in a row in late March and early April. Aston Villa, one of just three teams in the bottom ten who didnt change their manager, actually went backwards after a dreadful season that was even worse than last year. This once big club has paid a heavy price for previous managers spending money freely and is fortunate to still be in the top flight after three woeful campaigns in a row. Spare a thought for their home fans, whove now watched just 15 wins from their last 57 home games during that stretch. West Brom fans knew too well just how bad ‘the Villa were but had an even worse season, finishing just one spot off the bottom three after finishing eighth just one year ago. The sacking of Steve Clarke in December seemed premature and his just over one point per game ratio wasnt bettered by his successor, Pepe Mel, who took over a team in 16th and finished 17th. Down into the Championship went Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff. All had very different stories of woe. Cardiff, forced to play in the wrong colour all season, were in shambles under owner Vincent Tan, Fulham copied the QPR model for signing too many players and having no identity while Norwich, quite simply, couldnt score goals. No one wants to see their team relegated but, quietly, some Norwich fans will surely be excited at the prospect of playing at a level next season that they will be able to cope with, where they can express themselves and remove the brake that seemed to stunt their progress during their three-year existence in the Premier League. The sport is, after all, in the entertainment business. No matter which side you supported the 2013/14 Premier League certainly did bring entertainment. In the end it came down to a battle between two clubs who scored over 100 goals! In a sport that can be often over regulated, shackled by tactical systems and ‘parked buses, two North West teams exploded with wonderful precision making the hardest thing in the game look easy, time and time again. Kevin Keegans Newcastle was once the reference point for an attacking team in the historical world of the Premier League. They wouldnt have come close to handling these two. 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