Saturday 17 January 2015

Ancelotti: "I don't see a problem with our form or attitude"

Carlo Ancelotti is sticking to his guns about Real Madrid's current form, despite their poor run of results in early 2015. In his opinion, the team are not tired and their form has not dipped. There are just "a few small problems" which will "soon be fixed". The Italian remains positive, focusing on his team's performance in the first half of their game against Atlético at the Bernabéu.

The Italian analysed his team's last sixteen Spanish Cup tie against Atlético: "If I'm being self-critical, we played some good football and controlled the game across both ties, but we paid dearly for our mistakes and that cost us a place in the next round. We're saddened because we wanted to successfully defend our title, but we have to look forward now. I don't think we looked poor during the first half against Atlético. We played the type of good football very few teams can boast. We're still competing on two fronts and we have to learn from our past mistakes. We have to focus on the league and if possible extend our lead at the top".

Ancelotti explained why he thinks they are having a poor start to the year: "I don't think we've played that well in January. We haven't played that badly either, but we've paid dearly for some of our mistakes. However, I don't see a problem with our form or attitude. We've just had a few small problems and we plan to fix those over the next couple of games".

Thursday 15 January 2015

Soccer - Madrid Derby : Bale out for redemption

Gareth Bale has two mammoth tasks on his hands this evening. The first, which he shares with his teammates, is the obligatory comeback. The other, perhaps just as difficult to pull off, is to win back the hearts of the Real Madrid fans, who have begun to boo and whistle him as of late. An example is the last league game against Espanyol. Despite a sublime goal scored from a free kick and a lovely 50-metre pass to Ronaldo in the first half, the Santiago Bernabéu was unforgiving with the Welshman. The player has disappointed too many times. His decision to go it alone instead of assisting Ronaldo was cause for much booing. Ronaldo was visibly infuriated with his teammate, and the crowds clearly shared the same feeling.

Football - Ronaldo, best Portuguese player of all time

Ronaldo has been named the best player in Portuguese football history in the Gala Quinas de Ouro ceremony, part of the commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the Portuguese Football Federation.

The Real Madrid star, who couldn’t be at the ceremony because of the Copa del Rey match against Atlético, managed to beat both Figo and Eusebio in the voting.

Sport - Cristiano Ronaldo turns Bernabéu gold

Cristiano Ronaldo will present his third Ballon d'Or, the second consecutively, to the public of the Santiago Bernabéu, marking the start to a night that the Real Madrid fans hope will end in even more celebrations.

The Portuguese will be applauded by his followers, who for weeks now have been singing "Cristiano Ballon d'Or" and who are hoping for 90 minutes to match the fervour of this pre-match ceremony.

Ronaldo has last year's experience to help him. He presented the Ballon d'Or to his fans before a match against Granada which Real Madrid won 2-0, one of which was the man himself's first goal since being proclaimed the best player in the world.

Beside the Ballon d'Or, the IFFHS has also given Cristiano some good news. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics has named him as the top goal scorer in the world for 2014, coming ahead of 'Azulgranas' Neymar and Messi in the table.

Before Ronaldo, the last winner to have presented his trophy to the public at the Santiago Bernabéu was Fabio Cannavaro, nominated best player in 2006.

There were also celebrations for the presentations of Ronaldo as Ballon d'Or winner in 2002 - at a match in honour of Real Madrid's centenary - and for Figo as the best player in 2000.

Copa Del Rey - Simeone motivates... Real Madrid!

Additional motivation. That is what the Real Madrid dressing room think about Simeone's latest messages aimed at singing his team's praises whilst belittling the opposition.

Confirmation that the Atlético players "aren't even scared of death" was the final straw and will only serve to further motivate Carlo Ancelotti's players. Simeone's relationship with the Real Madrid squad is cordial, and that is about it.

Some of them were angered by what happened in Lisbon and his reaction towards Varane, but they have finally accepted it as just another one of the Argentine's unique personality traits.

However, several Real Madrid players are angered by his tendency to big up his own players whilst demeaning the opposition. At least, that is what several Bernabéu heavyweights think.

They plan to take the game by the scruff of its neck from kick-off. Despite it not being a priority for many of the Bernabéu faithful, the Spanish Cup has gained huge importance for both the players and their manager.

The Real Madrid dressing room are not convinced by the story being spread by the opposition that they are scared and intimidated by Atlético's character and will to win. They want to put an end to that rumour once and for all, a rumour started, according to 'los Blancos', by Atleti.

Tuesday 13 January 2015

Technology - Survey of Why Organizations are moving to the Cloud and Microsoft Azure

This question received the most standard answer, with most people answering “three to nine months,” even without any sort of scale. There seems to be something magical about that time frame, though I don’t know what it is. What is interesting is that four people went on to mention that most of their concerns were answered rather quickly and that the delay in moving production workloads was simply due to the unknown.

Was Azure your first choice?

Three people said “yes,” five said “no,” and the other two implied that they didn’t really have a first choice. I’ll stress here that all ten customers eventually chose Azure as their primary public cloud. So it’s interesting to note that most of them originally planned on going with another partner.

What made you ultimately choose Azure?

For most people, the decision was made because Azure had better all-around tools for development. A few customers described the ease of the migration, noting that SQL in Azure is nearly identical to SQL locally. Other answers provided were the ability to easily migrate away, which does speak to a fear that’s pervasive these days: nobody trusts a single platform. Every customer we talked with had a secondary cloud provider. Though Azure was their preferred product, hedging bets seems to be the name of the game.

In my opinion, that’s where Azure’s strength truly lies: Microsoft sees the offering not as a replacement for everything, but a way to create a hybrid environment. That’s a bold step to take in a market dominated by claims of superiority across all talking points. Lastly, I want to mention that seven customers noted that the first workload moved to the cloud was test and development through the Microsoft Developer Network or MSDN.

Do you see Azure growing in your environment?

The answer to this was a resounding “yes.” Especially with the impending Windows Server 2003 EOL challenges, Azure is seen as a simple way to migrate away from aging systems. For more information on that topic, see our previous post regarding the Serverpocalypse.Microsoft Azure

Ballon D'or 2014 - Ronaldo: "I wish we could play for the same team"

Cristiano Ronaldo told a packed press conference prior to the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony: "I wish the three of us could play for the same team".

The World Cup: "It was a good World Cup, because it was well organised and there were no serious problems. And the best team won, Germany won and Argentina, who were very strong, also made it to the final. Things weren't so positive for Portugal, but the most important thing is that the World Cup was well organised. It was similar to recent tournaments on a footballing level. The Germans were the best and they won".

Technology in football:"Everything that can reduce the number or errors in games is a positive. I think that other rules could also be applied to improve the game as a spectacle".

National side vs. clubs:"There's a big difference. With our clubs we train every day with the same teammates, but things are different with national sides, because there's less time and the players change more often. With our clubs we know our teammates much better and there's a lot of quality there, but then that's what you'd expect".

Who he would like to have played with:"I would like to have played on the same team as Neuer and Messi, that would be great. From the past, well I'm not sure: I'll pick these two because it would be fantastic to play alongside them".

2015:"I'd like a repeat of 2014: winning a lot of competitions with my club and awards as an individual, scoring a lot of goals, picking up a lot of assists and winning prizes. A new year is starting and I hope that it will be a year full of emotion. The most important thing is enjoying my football, which is something that makes me very happy".

Ballon D'or - Manuel Neuer Hails Ronaldo

"Ronaldo has been impressive"

The German goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer responded to journalists' questions before the awarding of the Ballon d'Or.

World Cup: "We have seen that football has evolved a lot and the smaller teams are getting better and better. Every game is getting tougher."

Technology in football:"It affects me directly and it's very important. I experienced it in 2010 and we've seen that some results in the past would have been different if we'd had this technology."

Club vs. country: "Playing for your club is different to playing for your country. Clubs are more international and the style changes. We have very good players in Europe and there are very good leagues, although there are differences between them."

Who would you like to have played with?:"I like playing for successful teams... I have lots of idols from the past, but it's difficult to pick just one player, because there are so many good ones in the history of football."

2015: "I hope to win a title with Bayern, although the objective is to win all three. Given that the Champions League is in Berlin, we'd really love to win it."

Cristiano Ronaldo:"He's been impressive and Real Madrid's success is down to him to a large degree. He's a top-class player."

Fifa Women Best Player And Coaches Goes To Germany

BEST PLAYER AND BEST MANAGER RESPECTIVELY

Wolfsburg reign in woman's football with Kessler and Kellerman

The German team, Wolfsburg, were the big winners in women's football at the FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony. Nadine Kessler was elected the best player of 2014 and Ralf Kellerman the best manager.

The German footballer beat Marta da Silva and Abby Wambach in voting, two players who already know what it is to win the FIFA World Player award.

Sport - Ballon D'or 2014: Cr7 Eyeing His Fourth One

STAR ALREADY THINKING ABOUT A FOURTH BALLON D'OR

Ronaldo: "I want to catch Messi"

Cristiano Ronaldohas won his third Ballon d'Or.When he stepped up to receive his award, the first thing he did was mention his son, his mother and his family.

CR7 then made it very clearhe has no intention of stopping there.He already has his sights set on Messi.

Acknowledgements:"Thanks to everyone who voted for me, to my teammates, my coach, the president and everyone associated with Real Madrid. This is a dream come true for me. I'd also like to thank everyone who has helped make me a better player, my national team and everyone in Portugal".

Winning another Ballon d'Or:"I never thought I'd win such an important trophy, it's such a unique experience. It brings up so many different emotions and I'll use this award as motivation to continue working hard to win more individual and team honours".

Messi, on the horizon:"This is an unforgettable moment. I'm not going to stop here. I want to catch Messi (he has won the Ballon d'Or four times)".

Sport - Ancellotti On Ballon D'or

CARLO ANCELOTTI UNDERLINES THE KEY TO HIS SUCCESS

"Ronaldo has had a fantastic year"

Carlo Ancelotti has spoken with the press about his successful year with Real Madrid.

How to build a team:"The first thing that a team needs in order to function well is the ability to work and make sure the individual talents of each player serve the purposes of the team. It's a gruelling task, and it requires patience. The players need to understand that the team and the club always come first".

What he would change in football:"Technology to decide when a goal stands seems key to me. And I would also change the last-man rule: a penalty and a red card seems excessive to me".

How he treats star players:"I've worked together with some fantastic players during my career and I find it easy to have good relationships with them. Big stars also have good relations with the rest of the players. They are normally very influential for the rest of the team. But personally, as a manager, I treat all players the same: those that stand out and those that might not be so good".

Football's future:"Football is changing a lot. I used to have a week to prepare for games, but the manager's job is now to try and prepare for a game every three days. Our job has changed a lot. There are too many games these days".

Cristiano Ronaldo:"He's had a fantastic year, and he's really helped us. In the Champions League, and just in general, he's had an incredible year".

FifPro World XI Reveiled - Five Players From Laliga

Five from La Liga in Team of the Year

Almost half FIFA's Team of the Year was made up of players from La Liga. Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos and Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, then Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi from Barcelona were the representatives of the Spanish league, in the team completed by Neuer, Lahm, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Di María and Robben.

La Liga was the dominating force in the team, with the Bundesliga contributing three footballers, all from Bayern, France's Ligue 1 with two - David Luis and Thiago Silva, and the Premier League had one thanks to the presence of Ángel Di María.

In terms of countries, Germany enjoys the largest representation with three players (Neuer, Lahm and Kroos), followed by Argentina, Brasil and Spain with two, and Portugal and the Netherlands with one.

The most obvious abscence is Atlético de Madrid, the Champions League runners-up and La Liga winners, who were unable to get any of their candidates amongst the eleven. Players like Godín and Miranda were added to other notable absences such as Modric or Zlatan

Fifa Coach Of The Year Award 2014 - Joachim Low Wins The Award

WINNING FIFA AWARD FOR BEST STRATEGIST

Löw pips Ancelotti and Simeone to award

The German took 36.23% of the votes. Ancelotti received 22.06%, whilst Simeone came in third place with 19.02%. Löw won the award after leading Germany to the 2014 World Cup title.

The 54-year-old manager took over Die Mannschaft in 2006. He was Germany's assistant coach from 2004 before taking over the reins at a side that always remained true to its philosophy of the game.

He led his team to the final of the 2008 European Championships in Austria and Switzerland only to lose against Luis Aragonés's Spain. Joachim Löw continued to improve his players and they again offered a good account of themselves at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, where they crashed out in the semi-finals, again to Spain. They came third at the 2012 European Championships, but his biggest success came in 2014.

When he picked up his award, the German national coach said, "it was an honour after such a successful year. I don't consider this an individual award. I accept it on behalf of many people. In Germany we have created a formula for footballing success.

"The World Cup was the result of many years of hard work and good decision-making. Every German coach has been named Coach of the Year, not just me".

The Germany boss also made it very clear that he's "nobody without my great players".

He also had some words for Ancelotti and Simeone: "They also deserved this award. I have the utmost respect for every coach in the world".

Fifa Fuska's Award 2014 - James Rodriguez Wins The Fuskas Award

THE WORLD'S BEST IN 2014

James Rodríguez wins Puskas award for goal of the year

The nominees were Stephanie Roche, James Rodríguez and Robin Van Persie, and FIFA has eventually decided to award the Puskas prize for the best goal of the year to Real Madrid's Colombian player, who also won the golden boot at the World Cup in 2014.

Sport - Cr7 Wins His Third Ballon D'or

MESSI AND NEUER WERE ALSO NOMINATED

Cristiano Ronaldo wins his third Ballon d'Or

James: wins Puskas award for goal of the year/FIFA's Team of the Year

Cristiano Ronaldowon on Monday night his third Ballon d'Or award.

The Portuguese strikerwon four trophies (Champions League, Club World Cup, European Super Cup and Copa del Rey) withReal Madridin 2014.

In winning his third trophy, Cristiano is now only one away from Leo Messi and among a select group of players with three

CR7was the highest scorer in La Liga (31), Champions League (17) and winner of the Golden Boot. In 2014 he scored 61 times from 60 games (while playing for both Real Madrid and Portugal).

Real Madrid player wins vote ahead ofLeo MessiandManuel Neuer,regaining the trophy he won a year ago.

The Portuguese star has been awarded his third Ballon d'Or, the second in succession,with 37.66% of votes. Messi was second with 15.76% of the votes and the German, Manuel Neuer, third, attracting 15.72%. 2014 has been a magical year for Cristiano, in which the forward and his Real Madrid team conquered the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

In winning his third trophy, Cristiano is now only one away from Leo Messi (winner of the award four years running) and among a select group of players with three; Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco Van Basten.

His spectacular figures and being collectively part of Real Madrid's outstanding results tipped the voting in favour of the Portuguese, who is confirmed as the current best player in the world and one of the greats in the history of football.

Monday 12 January 2015

Fifa Ballon D'or - The Record For All The Three Ballon D'or Finalist

Ronaldo’s 54 goals, Messi’s 21 assists, Neuer’s 28 clean sheets – The Ballon d’Or trio's remarkable records

Goal

ANALYSIS: With this year's winner set to be announced in Zurich on Monday, Goal takes an in-depth look at the three contenders and their amazing statistics during the voting period

When it comes to the Ballon d'Or, everyone in football has an opinion - and an agenda. Consequently, when it comes to such a subjective issue, it is often best to turn to numbers in the search for truth.Pepe believes it would be "a scandal" if Cristiano Ronaldo does not win the Ballon d'Or. Xavi says the Portuguese should not even be in the top three. Dino Zoff claims Manuel Neuer deserves the accolade but has no chance of winning. Jose Mourinho simply does not care about the trophy, saying it's "bad for football".
Therefore, Goal has decided to lay out all of the facts and figures relating to our three nominees for the duration of the Ballon d'Or voting period (November 30, 2013 to November 21, 2014) in the hope of trying to establish the most worthy recipient of the most prestigious individual honour in the game.
As already noted, the closing date does Messi no favours whatsoever, as he became the leading goalscorer in both the Champions League and La Liga after the voting ceased. However, as the statistics underline, Messi still had a remarkable year with both Barcelona and Argentina.

But does the four-time winner deserve to reclaim the Ballon d'Or from Ronaldo, who, after a staggeringly prolific start to the season, now boasts a Liga-record average of 1.13 goals per game?
And what of Neuer and his heroics during Germany's triumphant World Cup campaign? Should he not be recognised for the greatest demonstration to date of the way in which this 'sweeper-keeper' has revolutionised the role?
Why not let the numbers help you decide?

Then again, it's worth remembering the words of Fatih Terim, who once said, "Statistics are like mini-skirts: they don't reveal everything."

71 - Messi equalled Raul's all-time Champions League goal record with a double at Ajax on November 5. The Barca ace took outright possession of the record with a hat-trick against APOEL in his next outing before taking his tally to 75 with a goal against PSG on matchday 6.

54 - Ronaldo netted 54 times in just 60 appearances, including international friendlies, for club and country between November 30, 2013 and November 21, 2014.

34 - After his eight strikes in the knockout stage of the 2013-14 Champions League, Ronaldo has now scored more goals in the tournament's elimination rounds than any other player.

22 - Ronaldo equalled the record for Liga hat-tricks held by Telmo Zarra and Alfredo Di Stefano with his treble against Athletic Bilbao on October 5. The Portuguese subsequently broke the record by bagging all of his club's goals in a 3-0 win over Celta on December 6.

21 - On March 23, Messi netted a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-3 win at Real Madrid to become the all-time leading goalscorer in El Clasico, with his treble taking his tally to 24, three more than another Argentine legend, Di Stefano.

20 - Messi racked up a grand total of 21 assists for club and country across the Ballon d'Or voting period - three more than Ronaldo.

17 - Ronaldo smashed Messi's record for goals in a single Champions League season (14) by striking 17 times during Madrid's triumphant 2013-14 campaign.

17 - Ronaldo also struck 17 times during the opening 10 rounds of the current Liga season - a new record. Even more impressively, the 29-year-old sat out one of those games. Ronaldo reached 20 goals just two matchdays later, which was also a Primera Division record.

15 - With his goal in Madrid's win at Copenhagen on December 10, 2013, Ronaldo broke the record for most goals scored by any player in the Champions League over a calendar year.

14 - Messi's aforementioned hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu in March also saw him draw level with Di Stefano on Clasico goals scored exclusively in Liga encounters.

12 - Messi became the leading assist-maker in Clasico history in March by setting up Andres Iniesta for the opening goal.

10 - Ten of Ronaldo's 54 goals came from penalties, which works out at 19 per cent. Some 15% of Messi's tally were spot-kicks.

9 - Neuer kept nine clean sheets in the Bundesliga before the closing date for Ballon d'Or votes. The 28-year-old racked up another four before the winter break to set a new record for the first half of a Bundesliga campaign. The German was beaten just four times in total, which was also a new milestone mark for the German top flight.

9 - Ronaldo's strike in Copenhagen in December of last year also saw him claim the goals record for a solitary Champions League group-stage campaign. However, his tally was this season matched by Luiz Adriano of Shakhtar Donetsk.

9 - With his goal against Eibar on November 22, 2014, Ronaldo became the first player to score against every single side he has faced in La Liga.

8 - Messi has made the Ballon d'Or top three for an eighth time. What's even more remarkable about this world-record feat is that he has pulled it off in consecutive seasons, with the Argentine having made the shortlist every year since 2007.

7 - Ronaldo and Messi have both featured in the FIFPro World XI a record seven times in a row, dating back to 2007.

5 - Ronaldo and Messi became the first men to score 25 goals or more in five consecutive Liga seasons during the 2013-14 campaign.

4 - Neuer shipped just four goals during the second half of the 2013-14 Bundesliga season, which was a new record for the German top flight.

3 - Ronaldo was awarded the LFP trophies for best goal, best forward and best player at the end of the 2013-14 season - a feat never before achieved by any player.

3 - Neuer claimed three winners' medals in 2014, winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in May with Bayern Munich before lifting the biggest prize in football, the World Cup, with Germany in July.

3 - Ronaldo also collected three trophies during the Ballon d'Or 'year', claiming the Copa del Rey with Real Madrid in April (though he did not play in the final), the Champions League just over a month later and the Uefa Super Cup in August.

3 - Ronaldo equalled Messi's record of three European Golden Shoe wins by sharing this year's award with Barca striker Luis Suarez. Both the Portuguese and the former Liverpool striker hit 31 goals during the 2013-14 season.

3 - Ronaldo's 52nd-minute strike in Madrid's Champions League last 16 second-leg win at Schalke in February saw him become the first player to reach double figures in the competition in three successive campaigns.

2 - With his last-gasp penalty in Madrid's 4-1 victory over city rivals Atletico in the 2014 Champions League final, Ronaldo became the first player to net in the tournament decider for two European Cup-winning teams, having previously scored in Manchester United's triumph over Chelsea in 2008.

2 - Neuer conceded only twice in 2014-15 Bundesliga fixtures at the Allianz Arena before the winter break - a record low for the first half of a season.

2 - Messi's previously mentioned treble against Madrid in March saw the Argentine become the first player to score two Clasico hat-tricks. Interestingly, the No.10 also became the first man to score three times in one game against a side coached by Carlo Ancelotti.

1 - Neuer was awarded the Golden Glove after being voted the best goalkeeper at the 2014 World Cup.

1 - The Gelsenkirchen native is the first goalkeeper to feature in the Ballon d'Or top three since Gianluigi Buffon finished as runner-up to Italy team-mate Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

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Ballon D'or - Rummenigge: "I fear Cristiano Ronaldo will win the Ballon d'Or"

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has grudgingly admitted to having an inkling that Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is going to beat Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to the Ballon d'Or.

"Going on what the experts have been saying over the last few days, the consensus seems to be that Cristiano Ronaldo is going to win it. And, if I'm honest with myself, I fear that may be the case", the Bayern Munich CEO told German press agency dpa.

Neuer, who won the World Cup with Germany in Brazil last summer, is one of the three finalists for the Ballon d'Or, alongside Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Rummenigge firmly believes that the shotstopper ought to pick up the prize, which will be handed out at a gala ceremony in Zurich on Monday evening, because of his performances on the world stage. Echoing the thoughts of UEFA president Michel Platini, the former striker claimed that "the World Cup should be a decisive factor. It's the most important event in the game".

Germany boss Joachim Löw is also hoping to be recognised for his role in his country's triumph in Brazil. The 54-year-old is in the running for the FIFA World Coach of the Year award.

Fifa Fuska's Award - PUSKÁS AWARD Who Deserved It?

Sport - Who Deserved The Best Coache Award?

COACH OF THE YEAR

CARLO ANCELOTTI

Gave Real their long-awaited 'Décima' in his first year at the helm of 'Los Blancos'. He also picked up another three titles while doing so: The Club World Cup, the European Supercup and the Copa del Rey. He also had a balsamic effect on the dressing room after Mourinho's stormy time there and improved the team's performance considerably.
JOACHIM LÖW

Took Germany to the World Cup final and won it. His team was undoubtedly the best of the tournament and was recognized as the model to be followed. Their game reached its zenith in the 7-1 drubbing they gave Brazil in Maracaná - a match that will go down in history.
DIEGO PABLO SIMEONE

The Argentine has worked miracles at Atlético, league champions despite Real and Barça's best efforts. Cholo's men were also just two minutes away from proclaiming themselves European champions in Lisbon. This season, he has managed to keep the team at a consistently high level despite having lost many important players.

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