Monday, July 12, 2010

Iniesta puts Spain on top of world


Champions of Europe and now champions of the world, Spain captured football's Holy Grail for the first time with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands thanks to Andres Iniesta’s 116th-minute strike at Soccer City.

The solitary goal came with penalties looming as substitutes Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas combined to play in Iniesta and the little Barcelona midfielder drove emphatically across Maarten Stekelenburg and into the far corner. With this victory – their fourth successive single-goal win in South Africa – Spain became the eighth name on the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy and also the first European team to have triumphed on a different continent. For the Netherlands, who lost defender John Heitinga to a red card in extra time, there is only the heartache of another tale of what might have been after they completed a hat-trick of Final losses.

This was a match preceded by much talk of two like-minded footballing cultures, of the influence of Dutchmen like Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels on Barcelona, of 'tiki taka' and Total Football. In many ways, as the first 116 minutes showed, it was also a case of the irresistible force versus the immovable object. The Dutch had won 14 straight games to get to the Final, in qualifying and the tournament proper, and Spain 15 out of 16, their only slip the defeat by Switzerland in their first game here in South Africa.

It was the Spanish found their stride first, living up to their pre-game billing as favourites. Vicente del Bosque's side, playing in navy blue, dominated possession and fashioned the early chances. With the Dutch penned inside their half, Maarten Stekelenburg had to make a save after five minutes, diving low to stop a Sergio Ramos header from Xavi's free-kick in from the right. Gerard Pique looked poised to follow up only to be denied by a combination of Joris Mathijsen and Dirk Kuyt.

Ramos came again in the tenth minute, beating Kuyt on the right and driving in a low centre that Heitinga deflected behind. From the corner came another scare for the Netherlands. Xavi played the ball back to Xabi Alonso whose ball went beyond the far post to David Villa but the in-form No7 sliced his volley into the side-netting.

After those near things, however, both defences got on top with none of the flair players on either side able to take a grip on proceedings. Instead the yellow-card count began to rise with Nigel de Jong becoming the fifth player in Howard Webb's notebook by the time the half-hour mark arrived, the Netherlands midfielder, newly returned from suspension along with Gregory van der Wiel, having clattered into the chest of Xabi Alonso.

With the orange sections of the 84,490 Soccer City crowd finding their voice, Bert van Marwijk's men almost gave them something to sing about from a corner in the 37th minute. Robben rolled the ball to Mark van Bommel on the edge of the box and although he failed to make a clean connection he unwittingly diverted the ball on to the unmarked Mathijsen but the defender missed his kick. As half-time approached, Iker Casillas had barely had a save to make but entering stoppage time, Spain's custodian had to be alert to deny Robben at his near post as a spell of Dutch pressure ended with the winger spearing in a low shot from the corner of the box.

Puyol, Spain's semi-final matchwinner, showed his aerial threat once more minutes after the restart when he rose above Heitinga and headed to the far post but Joan Capdevila failed to make contact. The game was gradually opening up and Dutch spurned a golden opportunity in the 62nd minute when Wesley Sneijder sent Robben running clear. Casillas came to Spain's rescue, deflecting the shot behind with his right foot when falling the wrong way.

Spain coach Del Bosque had already sent on Jesus Navas for Pedro on the hour and the winger helped pick a hole in the Dutch defence in the 70th minute. Xavi sent him flying down the right and into the box and when Heitinga failed to deal with Navas's low cross, the ball fell to Villa who looked odds-on to score only to see his effort deflected behind. Ramos was equally profligate after 78 minutes when he headed over a Xavi centre when unmarked, after Villa had forced another corner.

Spain were looking the more likely winners and it took Sneijder of all people to foil Iniesta with a smart tackle after his jinking run into the box. Yet Robben's pace is a persistent threat and the Oranje No11 almost embarrassed Puyol in the 82nd minute, speeding clear of the Spain defender when second-favourite to reach a through-ball. Resisting Pique's attempt to tackle too, he was foiled only by Casillas, the captain saving at Robben's feet as the Dutchman sought to round him.

Extra time began with opportunities for Spain. Xavi failed to connect when well positioned and when the ball ran to Villa, his shot went wide off an orange shirt. Substitute Fabregas then broke clear on to Iniesta's through-ball but was foiled by Stekelenburg. Mathijsen headed wide from a corner but like waves, Spanish attacks kept rolling on to the Netherlands back line and Navas was close with a shot deflected into the side-netting.

Torres replaced Villa midway through the extra period and Spain gained a man advantage four minutes later with Heitinga's dismissal for pulling back Iniesta on the edge of the box, the offence earning him a second yellow. Iniesta would not be denied, however, and his fine late strike put Spain in the history books and shattered the men in orange.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Anak angkat Malaysian Airline


Wah!! Untung budak2 sekarang,walaupun cuma sekolah mereka jadi anak angkat kepada Penerbangan Malaysia(MAS),tapi diorang pun dapat menikmati berbagai keistimewaan.Pada 29 Jun 2010 lepas, pihak MAS menaja penerbangan diorang dari Penang-K.Lumpur(pergi dan balik) untuk program Motivasi Jaya Diri yang berlangsung selama 2 hari di Wisma Belia K.Lumpur. Seramai 30 orang pelajar tahun 6 yang terlibat,iaitu 12 lelaki dan 18 perempuan serta diiringi oleh 2 orang guru .Ini merupakan tahun ke3 pihak MAS menganjurkan acara2 sebegini dan objektifnya untuk memberikan semangat dan dorongan kepada para pelajar agar lebih yakin dan berusaha untuk mencapai kejayaan yang baik dalam bidang akademik.Terima kasih kepada pihak sekolah dan MAS serta semua pihak yang terbabit dengan program ni semoga dapat memberi kesedaran kepada anak2 semua. Nur Saffia Nasir antara yang bertuah kerana dapat mengikuti program sebegini.

Tahun ni adalah kali kedua saya dipilih untuk program anjuran MAS, Seronok....saya jadi lebih bersemangat untuk belajar dan untuk berjaya dalam peperiksaan, terima kasih untuk ibu dan bapa kerana memberi kepercayaan untuk saya...

Germany pip Uruguay to third place


Germany took bronze for the fourth time at the FIFA World Cup™ after beating Uruguay 3-2 in an entertaining play-off for third place. Sami Khedira got the winning goal with eight minutes remaining as Joachim Low's side repeated their success in this same match four years ago.

There was no shortage of goals as the rain came teeming down in Port Elizabeth with both sides eager to conclude impressive campaigns on a winning note. Thomas Muller and Edinson Cavani traded first half efforts before Diego Forlan and Marcell Jansen did likewise within ten minutes of the restart. Yet it was Germany who came out on top and, in the process, South Africa 2010's leading scorers reached the 16-goal mark, surpassing their total at Italy 1990, albeit falling one short of their tally in 1970, when they also pipped Uruguay to the bronze medal.

For two of the scorers, Muller and Forlan, their strikes took them to five for the tournament, level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder at the top of the adidas Golden Boot standings. Forlan will rue the injury-time free-kick against the crossbar that denied him a sixth goal, while Miroslav Klose's absence with a back injury left him rooted on five too.

Both teams featured changed lineups after their semi-final losses. Germany coach Joachim Low went for a wholly new forward line from that which began against Spain with starting roles for the trio of Muller, Cacau and Jansen. Further back Dennis Aogo came in for Philipp Lahm and goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt for Manuel Neuer. As for Uruguay, they welcomed back captain Diego Lugano from injury together with Jorge Fucile and Luis Suarez, both suspended for last Tuesday's defeat by the Netherlands.

Muller made his mark early with his fifth goal in South Africa. The 20-year-old had already had one effort ruled out for offside when he fired Low’s side ahead in the 19th minute. Bastian Schweinsteiger sent in a shot from 30 yards that goalkeeper Diego Muslera, seemingly deceived by the swerve and dip, parried straight to Muller who had an easy task to score. A German breakthrough was hardly a surprise given by that stage they had also seen Arne Friedrich head a Mesut Ozil corner against the crossbar yet Oscar Tabarez's side soon responded.

Uruguay threatened in the 25th minute when Per Mertesacker got a block on Forlan's far-post header. Four minutes later, though, they had their equaliser from a swift counter. Diego Perez dispossessed Schweinsteiger just inside the Celeste half with a powerful challenge and fed Suarez who played in Cavani down the inside left-channel. The Palermo striker took one touch before prodding a low finish into the bottom corner. Suarez should then have put Uruguay ahead three minutes before the break when Forlan picked out his diagonal run but bearing down on Butt's goal from the right, he arrowed his shot wide of the far post.

Futher changes went begging moments after the restart when Butt saved at Cavani's feet and then got a hand to Suarez’s shot on the follow-up. Butt was left helpless when Forlan made it 2-1 after 51 minutes, however. The Atletico Madrid striker connected acrobatically with Egidio Arevalo's cross on the edge of the box, sending the ball into the rain-sodden turf and back up past Butt. Yet the lead lasted only five minutes before Muslera missed Jerome Boateng's deep cross and Jansen headed home.

The game was now wide open as both teams chased a third goal. Butt kept out a flying strike from Suarez and came out to save at the feet of Forlan. At the other end Muslera beat away a shot from Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling, who missed two other inviting chances. The winning goal, when it came, followed an Ozil corner. The ball bounced off Friedrich and then Lugano before rising fortuitously to Khedira who headed home.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

What I did to become a model



I was born in a small town in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

I started out as a cocky, unfocused, young girl with dreams of becoming a model. Tired of the 9-5 life!

The first model search I went to hosted 30 of the top modeling agencies from around the world (with 3000 other hopeful models in attendance).

At the time I was under the illusion that to become a model, I just had to be very pretty.

"Every modeling agency will be begging me to sign with them", I thought.

And boy was I wrong! It was more like ZERO modeling agencies wanted me to sign with them! I went there cocky and left broken!


Although I was embarrassed, I refused to give up! I realized that maybe there was a thing or two I didn't know about becoming a model and could learn regards to "How to become a model".

I decided that if others have become models, then I can learn how to become one too!

Next, I contacted any model agents and scouts that would listen to me. I asked them what it takes to become a model and what they look for when signing a model.

"How do I become a model?" "What are the modeling secrets?" "Can you teach me how to become a model", I asked?

I asked professional models how they made it and asked them for any modeling tips and secrets they could give me.

I quickly learned that it was personality I was lacking. Sure, I could be the class clown in school and with my friends, when I didn't care. It was when I decided to care to much, that I became consumed with fear.

So, I read every self-help book, nutrition book and exercise book I could get my hands on and learned every modeling secret and tip there is!

I increased my confidence and irresistibility... dropped huge amounts of fear out of my life... set realistic goals for myself and then practiced everything thing else I was told to improve on, in order to become a model.

I studied and improved on what I was told and more. I applied it all until I knew that I was ready to try this whole modeling dream again!

I felt completely unstoppable! And I was!

So, one year later, I decided to go back to the same model search, which I had been rejected at before. This time I was prepared... I was finally ready to become a model!

The funny thing was that I looked exactly the same as the previous year, but was treated totally different.

On the day of "Meet the modeling agents" I was focused, confident, fearless and energetic.

When I met each agent I brought a totally different attitude.

This time they loved me!

I received plenty of callbacks and was greeted so excitedly by some of the best modeling agencies in the world! All my hard work was finally about to pay off!

Every day for the next two weeks my phone rang constantly. Different modeling agencies trying to convince me to sign with them! "Model with us", "No model with us".

It was CRAZY!

Since then, I have been blessed with the opportunity of traveling to multiple countries... doing fashion shows and being in magazines.

It's hard work, but it is hardly considered work to me. I now live my dreams and enjoy my job...

You can too!

Now, stop and remember where I started...

I had been rejected by every modeling agency. I thought modeling was all about looks. And if that were true, I would have become a model the previous year!

I looked the same as I had the first time they saw me, but was a different person the second time. And it worked!

So what changed? It was my way of thinking that changed! Nothing more.

You must change the way you think if you really want to become a model.

Is this all beginning to make sense now?

The way you think determines what you get out of life. If you do not believe in yourself, no one else will.

"People will only have as much confidence in you... as you have in yourself."

Thursday, July 08, 2010

Shah Rukh Khan to take Salina to FIFA World Cup




Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be sharing his passion for soccer with his friend as he plans to take her to South Africa for the FIFA World Cup.


The 44-year-old superstar will be taking Salina to the matches which start this Friday.

"Taking her for the matches (World Cup) in South Africa," Shah Rukh wrote on his Twitter account.

The actor added that he is nostalgic about the soccer world cup which he used to watch with his mother.

"I am emotional about FIFA. My mom and me used to stay up and watch all night...because we had got ourselves a TV and only soccer post Doordarshan. (We) Used to keep up all night watching Rudi Voller (Germany), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany), Socrates (Brazil) and Diego Maradona (Argentina). Mom and me soccer and TV fans. Never miss matches and always miss mom," he wrote.

It’s Netherlands vs Spain in the World Cup Final



Soooooo Sad.....

So now we know our World Cup finalists. It’s going to be Netherlands vs Spain, which means a couple of historic things will happen. First of all, neither of these teams has ever won a World Cup before. So the current list of seven World Cup winners will become eight. Fire up the gold star making machine, because we’re going to have a new World Cup winning nation.

Second of all, this will be the first time a European nation has won the World Cup outside of Europe. Every non-European hosted World Cup so far has produced a South American winner (Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay). All that is about to change.

The World Cup final between Netherlands and Spain will take place at Soccer City stadium, Johannesburg on Sunday, July 11th. Kickoff is 8:30pm local time, 2:30pm Malaysia time monday morning

Now I'm with Mr Dutch....hehehehh

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Predictions For The Semi-Finals


So, we're down to the last four: Holland, Spain, Germany and Uruguay.

Frankly, I was expecting at least one other South American side to be here: most likely Brazil, but what do I know.

The thing is, though, that only one of these teams has shown any real consistency so far in the tournament and that is: Germany.

While, admittedly, they did lose their second match, Joachim Loew's side have shown what can be achieved when you build a team, rather than throwing the biggest eleven names in German football together and hoping they can bond.

The fact that Loew has kept faith with Klose and Podolski despite poor seasons is just one indication of this. The introduction of Ozil and Khedira from the Under 21 squad is another.

This, for me, makes them favourite to win the entire competition. Spain and Holland have struggled through. Both the Dutch and Spanish have been better than the teams they've come up against, but - Brazil aside - neither have really been challenged.

Even without Luis Suarez, I think Uruguay have the craft and determination to get past Holland, while Germany should win through against the stuttering Spanish.

Uruguay v Germany in the 2010 World Cup Final.

Top 10 Things to Do in Siem Reap, Cambodia, See you in December

Salina's travel page


1. Angkor Archaelogical Park Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples are the reason why people came to Siem Reap. Road to Angkor is a great discovery: the dawn, the Angkor Wat temple, the ruins, the ancient trees and sprawling roots at Ta Prohm, the Buddhist monks, and the lovely Cambodian people.

2. Psar Chaa - Old Market The Old Market in Siem Reap is bustling with energy and activities with sourvenir stores, wet market, pubs, bars, and westernized-looking restaurants catering to backpackers and tourists alike. Go there early in the morning and check out the wet produce market to get a true sense of local lives. There are fresh vegetables, meats, and various foods on display. If you are gutsy enough, try out one of those black dried roaches. Other than that, you can find precious stones, buddha heads, and local Cambodian arts and crafts for sale at the sourvenir stores. Expect to haggle for the best price.
<3. The French Quarter Walking Tour Take a stroll along the river near the French Quarter and soak in the lush green surroundings and tree-lined boulevards. Sit on one of the benches along the river and observe the hustle and bustle on the bridge crossing the river. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of happy locals fishing in the river. Best spot to start your walking tour is right across the FCC Angkor Hotel.

4. The FCC Angkor Bar After a day's walking and sightseeing at Angkor Archaeological Park, unwind at The FCC Angkor Bar. Happy Hour is from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Start out with one of their refreshing fruit smoothies and take in their free roasted peanuts and cashew nuts that are hot off the wok! While you are at FCC Angkor, check out the hotel and also the adjoining McDermott Gallery.
5. Dinner at Shinta Mani The restaurant at Shinta Mani has been featured in Gourmet Magazines article "World's Best Hotel Dining Rooms" in May 2004 and offers elegant indoor dining and casual yet upscale terrace dining. The restaurant offers both Khmer and Fusion style cuisine prepared by local students selected selected by the Institute of Hospitality. Junction of Oum Khum and 14th Street; for reservation, call (855) 63 761 998.
6. Apsara Dance Performance A traditional apsara dance show is an absolute must for the visitor to Cambodia. Apsara Theatre (Angkor Village) has two performances nightly: 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
7. Lounging at The Arts Lounge at Hotel de la Paix The newest boutique hotel at Siem Reap is the happening place at the moment. With its modern decor, this is the place to lounge about at night. Frequented by expatriates living in Siem Reap, the lounge by "celebrity bartenders" from all over the world. Open 24 hours per day! Hotel de la Paix, Sivutha Boulevard.
8. Aki Ra's Landmine Museum Tucked deep inside a village in Siem Reap, the Aki Ra's Landmine Museum is hard to get to, but you shouldn't miss it. Aalso the home of the Akira Mine Action Gallery, the musuem houses an amazing collection of defused landmines and unexploded ordnance that Aki Ra has amassed over the years. Through the displays and artifact, you a real sense of what Cambodia and its people had been through.
9. The floating village of Chong Kneas Chong Kneas is one of the many floating villages dotting the shore of the great Tonle Sap Lake. Despite increasing tourist traffic, this village is still a good place to visit if you don't want to venture too far away from Siem Reap. Though the majority of the people here are Vietnamese, a quick boat trip around the villages gives you an idea how these floating villagers live their lives.
10. Get Pampered at the Amansara Spa Last but not least, travel to Siem Reap is incomplete without uber pampering at The Amansara Spa. Complete with private treatment and relaxation rooms and a 25m-lap pool, this new Spa offers baths, showers, a sound system, and treatments making use of natural products and traditional Cambodian techniques. The three single treatment rooms each come with a private relaxation room backed by glass walls overlooking the reflection pond. For couples, ask for the double treatment rooms with private relaxation room.

Monday, July 05, 2010

FIFA World Cup 2010 – Reasons why Germany might triumph over the Spaniards in the semi-finals


As the FIFA World Cup 2010 is coming to its end, the fans are beginning to realize the fact that “anything can happen!” So far, many upsets have occurred and the fans have literally seen things that were not expected. Three “player of the year” have already been eliminated from the world cup. Kaka, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, all three of them have failed to take their team into the semi finals, Kaka and Messi did not even manage to find the net.

Amongst the amazing matches that have taken place, the Germans have been a part of it. Germany, this year round, brought in a new and young team as they came in this World Cup. They suffered a sad loss of their captain Michael Ballack, as he suffered an injury right before the World Cup, followed by their Goal Keeper committing suicide. Loew had to bring in his efforts to make his team perfect for this World Cup and he did what he had to, to make his team undefeatable.

The first reason why the Germans can take over the European Champions is because the Germans have scored more goals than the Spaniards. Germans have scored 14 goals, while the Spaniards have only scored 7; however, they both have had the same number of points as they suffered a loss in the group stages. Germans suffered a loss from Serbia, while Spain was taken over by the Swiss. The Germans, however, have entered a match and brutally defeated their opponents by scoring four goals. Their first match against Australia was a 4-0 victory along with Argentina, who they defeated in the quarter finals. England, however suffered a 4-1 loss from the Germans, as Gerrard’s cross was headed into the net by Upson. The Germans are just amazing at attacking, while the Spaniards take the whole match to secure their win.

There is always a person in every team on which the team counts on, that he is going to score some goals. For the Germans, the case is a little different. Klose and Thomas Mueller, both, have scored four goals apiece. Mueller, however, is not going to be a part of the Semi Final clash against Spain, as he was yellow carded and is going to miss the match. On the other hand, David Villa is the only one who has been scoring for the Spaniards, and one man is too less to rely on, which was quite evident in Argentina Messi and Portugal’s Ronaldo case. Where teams heavily relied on one person to score goals, the pressure took its toll on the players and it backfired.

Goal keepers play an important role for a team. If there is a strong defence and the keeper is weak, the team suffers with goals from a long range. The goalies for both the teams are excellent at the moment. Spain’s goal keeper is Iker Casillas, who recently stopped a penalty against Paraguay. He has had ten saves besides that save and has been able to block many attackers, time and again. Only the game against Germany can tell whether he can block their attackers, but he is good on the field and won the award of the best goal keeper of 2010.

Germany, on the other hand, has a young goal keeper, Manuel Neuer. He has already made 18 saves and has been able to shut out Gerrard, Lampart, Lionel Messi, Higuain and even Carlos Tevez. Comparing the two goal keepers at the moment, only shows that the Germans have a better goal keeper. This can benefit the Germans in such a way that if they are unable to score against Iker Casillas, then their keeper can make saves too; and the match might carry on to penalties, in which the Germans are specialists and have never lost any match that was carried on to that stage.

The German side, for now, is totally anti-Spain. Spain likes to keep possession, pass the ball slowly to each other and give through balls. While the Germans are quick in passing, run with the ball and keep on attacking till they find a goal. If the Germans are able to keep that pace throughout the match, they can easily take a win over the Spanish side in the semi final to qualify for the greatest stage of this FIFA World Cup 2010, the Final.