MANILA, Philippines – The National University Pep Squad added another title to their continuing dynasty by winning the 2016 UAAP Cheerdance Competition on Saturday, November 19, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Executing a near-flawless routine, NU was the lone team to score above 700 points to win the competition. FEU and Adamson placed second and third, respectively.
Check out the happenings of this year’s UAAP CDC in photos:
– Rappler.com
BOCAUE, Philippines – The Philippine national football team held the visiting Singapore to a goalless draw in the opening day of the AFF Suzuki Cup at the Philippine Sports Stadium on Saturday, November 19, 2016.
The fans were treated to a physical game especially during the second half as Singapore had to defend the home team with only ten players on board, due to the issuance of a red card to Hafiz Abu Sujad in the first half.
As a result, several Singaporean players were handed out yellow cards throughout the last few minutes.
Stephen Schrock and Pika Minegeshi provided a couple of good chances in scoring a goal for the Azkals during the latter part of the game, but were denied by Singaporean goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.
The Azkals will next face Indonesia on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 in the same venue.
More details to follow. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines - Junior flyweight contender Jonathan Taconing returned to the ring for the first time since his loss to WBC junior flyweight champion Ganigan Lopez, knocking Salatiel Amit onto the ballroom floor in the tenth and final round for a technical knockout win Saturday, November 19 at the Elorde Sports Complex in Sucat, Paranaque City, Philippines. The time of stoppage was 0:29.
The win earns Taconing (23-3-1, 19 knockouts) the vacant WBC International light flyweight title and boosts his hopes for a third shot at a world title. The 29-year-old native of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte lost a controversial technical decision in his first shot against Kompayak Porpramook for the WBC 108-pound title back in 2012.
Taconing didn't get another shot until this past July, and was outboxed by Lopez in Mexico City to a unanimous decision loss.
There was no such drama in this outing against Amit (9-2-2, 7 KOs) of Naval, Biliran, Philippines, who was outmuscled by Taconing from the opening bell. Taconing's punching power forced Amit to the ropes repeatedly, landing heavy body punches and winging overhand lefts as Salatiel stepped out of range straight up.
The 3 judges each had the fight at 79-73 after 8 rounds, according to WBC's open scoring, and Amit never seemed interested in pursuing the knockout win. Taconing did however, and with two left hands on the chin he sent Amit between the ropes to the floor unconscious. Amit was helped back into the ring and had oxygen administered in the corner. He was eventually able to stand up and congratulate Taconing for the win.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jonathan Taconing gets the job done in Sucat <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/boxing?src=hash">#boxing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rstream?src=hash">#rstream</a> <a href="https://t.co/iA34Wj0Tq1">pic.twitter.com/iA34Wj0Tq1</a></p>— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryansongalia/status/799998891454148608">November 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Taconing's manager Johnny Elorde tells Rappler he will speak to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman at the WBC's annual convention, which takes place December 11-17 in Hollywood, Florida, about getting another title shot. Elorde adds that he expects Taconing to fight another stay-busy bout in January.
Taconing is the number 7 contender in the latest WBC rankings.
Jackson tops Filipino Lopez in Australia
Filipino boxer Silvester Lopez fell short in his challenge of 2012 Olympian Luke Jackson, losing a unanimous decision at Princes Wharf No. 1 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on Saturday night. The 3 judges all saw the fight for Jackson (13-0, 5 KOs) by the scores of 97-93, 98-93 and 96-94.
Lopez (27-12-2, 19 KOs) of Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines had challenged WBC junior bantamweight titleholder Yota Sato in 2012 but has been on the losing end in all of his fights of significance since then. He had won 3 straight leading into the vacant WBO Oriental featherweight title fight. – Rappler.com
LONDON, USA - Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will slug it out for the world number one ranking in a high-stakes final at the ATP Tour Finals after completing their contrasting paths to the dramatic showdown.
Murray and Djokovic's unprecedented clash for pole position will end with one of the old rivals finishing the year on top of the world after the Scot shattered his rival's 122-week reign at number one earlier this month.
Fittingly, they will bring the curtain down on the ATP season with both the prestigious Tour Finals title and the top spot up for grabs in Sunday's final at London's O2 Arena.
After staging a superb fightback to defeat Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (11/9) in Saturday's first semi-final, Murray is just one win away from capping a dream year in perfect fashion.
But Djokovic can say exactly the same after the defending champion thrashed Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-1 in the other semi.
Djokovic, who has a 24-10 lead in his head to head with Murray, said: "This is one of the biggest matches we will ever play against each other. The match everybody anticipated.
"This has never happened in the history of tennis. I'm privileged to be part of history.
"My level had been going in the right direction. Now it's coming up to the last match of the year. I hope we get a great final."
Crucially, Murray might be on his last legs after having to survive a 3-hour 39-minute epic against Raonic that ranked as the longest match in Tour Finals history - eclipsing the record mark set when Murray beat Nishikori in 3 hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday.
While Murray's body has been pushed to its limits this week, Djokovic has enjoyed smooth progress to the final and, unlike his opponent, the world number two will be well rested following his 67-minute demolition of Nishikori.
Murray, bidding to win the Tour Finals for the first time in his maiden final appearance, acknowledged he is feeling the strain of his gruelling run.
"It was obviously unbelievably tough. I played some great points and managed to get the break at the end," Murray said.
"This is one of the hardest matches I've played indoors. I didn't expect to play a long one with someone with a serve like Milos.
"I'm tired. I've played so much tennis over the last few months. I'll give it my best effort, the best of what I have."
Fitting finale
Raonic twice broke Murray when he served for the match in the final set and saved 3 match points in the decisive tie-break.
But the Canadian fourth seed couldn't take the one match point that came his way in a thrilling denouement that eventually went Murray's way to repeat the outcome of their meetings in the Wimbledon and Queen's finals on the other side of London earlier this year.
Murray's 23rd successive victory set a new career-best for the 29-year-old, who has been in sublime form since becoming a father for the first time, but only a 24th would bring a fitting finale to the best year of his life.
Djokovic has been in a prolonged slump since winning the French Open for the first time in June, sparking rumours about his private life and questions about his recent involvement with a "spiritual guru".
But the decline is all relative and the 29-year-old, who beat Murray in the Australian and French Open finals this year, has now won 22 of his last 23 matches at the Tour Finals, keeping him on course to win the tournament for a fifth successive year and record-equalling sixth time in total.
Having played consecutive 3-set matches, Nishikori was running on fumes before the match even began and his concentration wasn't helped when an intruder tried to run onto the court before the start of the second game of the first set.
Djokovic took full advantage by breaking Nishikori in that game and again in the fourth to establish a vice-like grip that he had no intention of relinquishing.
With the first set in the bag, Djokovic went for the kill and hounded Nishikori into dropping serve yet again in the first game of the second set.
That was the knockout blow and the 12-time Grand Slam winner sprinted to the finish line as the out-classed Nishikori folded under Djokovic's relentless barrage. – Rappler.com
This was two points given up. The Philippines was a team that was supposed to have question marks on defense but was bristling with offensive firepower. Instead the back line picked up a clean sheet and it was the attack that failed to produce.
When Hafiz Sujad was rightfully sent off for this foolish challenge on Phil Younghusband, the 3 points looked to be ours for the taking. But the Azkals could not convert, while an experienced and pragmatic Lions squad held on.
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The game was a bit of a cliché. Home team plays enterprising football, road team goes negative, especially when down to 10 men. Home team turns the screws on the embattled shorthanded team but cannot disturb the net.
What went wrong? Two veteran coaches who don't know each other both told me the same thing: that the Azkals' off-the-ball movement was wanting. True, we dominated for most of the game, but from what I recall, Singapore keeper Hassan Sunny only needed to make two tough saves, off Stephan Schrock's free kick and then debutante Hikaru Minegishi shortly after his halftime introduction. Our attack really lacked sting. We needed more ideas.
It really wasn't pretty football from either side. But this is a reality with the international game. The players often don't have much time to gel, so fluidity is sometimes lacking. We could see that quite often on Saturday.
I liked the introduction of Mark Hartmann. A change-of pace player who brings a little more passing sense and size than the man he supplanted, Misagh Bahadoran. He did create one chance with a neat one-touch to Schrock. But he couldn't change the game.
Hikaru Minegishi is our new find. The Filipino-Japanese only recently got his Filipino passport, and we can see why he won the UFL Golden Ball award. The man they call “Pika” brought an infusion of pace and guile into the game in the second half. But alas, he could not get a first international goal, even though he had a free header late.
Minegishi might have done enough to earn a start for Tuesday's match with Indonesia. The Philippines has no shortage of midfield talent and he has only added to the congestion.
The jury is still out for me on the defense. The big surprise was Jeff Christiaens at centerback, a position I don't ever recall seeing him play in the UFL or the Azkals. He did well being Amani Aguionaldo's fourth centerback partner in 5 games after Dennis Villanueva, Luke Woodland, and Daisuke Sato.
Yes, the defenders pitched a shutout but even before Sujad's exit, the Lions were playing very cautiously. After the sending-off, Khairul Amri struck a lonely figure at the apex of a compact Singaporean 4-4-1.
The back line of Kevin Ingreso, Aguinaldo, Christiaens and Kenshiro Daniels faces rougher sailing against Indonesia on Tuesdayand Thailand on Friday. This is where we will really see if this chameleon-like defense of Thomas Dooley can hold on. Indonesia scored two header goals in their 4-2 loss to Thailand, who benefited from a Teerasil Dangda hat trick. Christiaens is on the small side for a center back, so corners could be an issue.
Making frequent changes in the composition of your back four is at times a recipe for disaster. This corps of defenders needs to show that that isn't necessarily so.
I thought that with time winding down we should have gone to a 3-man defense and maybe bump substitute Junior Muñoz upfield. But to my recollection that never happened. A shame, because we really needed the goal.
Glitches made this match less fan-friendly than we would like. Just before the game I got an FB message from a fan who was supposed to ride the shuttle from Trinoma. He said the buses were late and that 200 to 300 fans were waiting in the P2P loading bay for buses. It's not clear to me if all the fans made the game on time.
At the PSS itself we had to make the infamous ticket swap, where the Ticketworld stubs were exchanged for official tickets that actually get you into the stadium. The line snaked for more than a hundred meters. Fortunately the PFF staff was very responsive in doing their best to compensate with extra personnel.
That didn't stop one disgruntled fan from muttering to me, “write about this, this is bulls--t.”
Since my party arrived an hour early we made it in our seats for kickoff. Others were not so lucky, as fans continued entering all throughout the half.
I hope the PFF and the AFF can look into streamlining the ticket process. This is a layer of bureaucracy that many fans, already tired from a long trip, don't need.
Plus, the tickets were still on the pricey side for me. I would love to have seen a ticket pricing scale of 40, 100, 200 and 300 pesos. In this competition you have a choice of P150, 300, 500 and 700 tickets. For a venue that is more than 30 kilometers away from Makati, that is a lot. You have to factor in gas, toll, and parking fees as well, and/or the P55 round trip shuttle.
The PSS is a lovely modern arena but I might not shed many tears if we never play there again. It is still a pain to get to, and get out of. Waze took me on an impromptu tour of Bulacan's scariest back roads as well going home.
For all its faults, Rizal Memorial is still a better option. I would also love to see more games in Cebu or Bacolod. I fear that my ultimate stadium fantasy, a turf field in a Umak with upgraded lighting and seating, will likely remain just that, a pipe dream.
In general, organizers need to see things more from a fan's perspective. Football is nothing without fans, of which there were only 4,339 of last Saturday.
Tuesday is a must-win. The Indonesians must go down in three days time if we are to feel great about our chances. This is an Indonesian team that had the character to come from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 before allowing two late strikes. A draw or loss would leave us in the uncomfortable position of likely needing a win against Thailand.
But this Azkals team has pleasantly surprised us in the past. It needs to circle the wagons and rebound on Tuesday once again. They need our support.
AFF Suzuki Cup 2016
Philippines vs Indonesia
8 pm Tuesday, November 22
LIVE on Aksyon TV and Fox Sports
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH. – Rappler.com
MADRID, Spain - Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick delivered Real Madrid's first La Liga win over Atletico Madrid in 3 years with a 3-0 win in the last meeting between the sides at Atletico's Vicente Calderon.
Real now lead second-placed Barcelona by 4 points after the Catalans paid a heavy price for the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in a 0-0 draw with 9-man Malaga earlier on Saturday.
A third league defeat in four games leaves Atletico's title ambitions in tatters in their final season at the Calderon. Diego Simeone's men are now nine points adrift of Real down in fifth.
Ronaldo struck the decisive spot-kick as Real edged Atletico on penalties in the Champions League final in May and was the match winner once more, albeit with a slight hint of fortune.
The Portuguese's opener took a wicked deflection on its way past the excellent Jan Oblak.
Ronaldo doubled Real's lead from the penalty spot 19 minutes from time before a brilliant Gareth Bale cross teed him up for the simplest of finishes to complete his hat-trick.
Real were without six key players in captain Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema, but impressively controlled the first 45 minutes.
Only an incredible save by Oblak prevented Ronaldo opening the scoring with a towering header on 12 minutes that the Slovenian somehow clawed away low to his left.
Oblak made another smart save to deny Luka Modric moments later, but he was helpless for the opener as Ronaldo's free-kick was deflected behind him via the Atletico wall.
It took Atletico until the start of the second period to get to grips with the European champions, but came out a different side after the break.
Yannick Carrasco curled inches wide from the edge of the area before Antoine Griezmann blasted a shot across goal with no Atletico player waiting to knock to the ball into an unguarded net.
However, any hopes of an Atletico fightback were punctured when Stefan Savic upended Ronaldo inside the area and the three-time World Player of the Year dispatched the resulting spot-kick.
And with Atletico stretched at the back, a brilliant run and low cross from Bale on the counter-attack teed up Ronaldo to prod home at the far post.
Messi missed
At the Camp Nou, Barca were held scoreless for the first time in La Liga since Malaga's visit in 2014 without the ill Messi and suspended Suarez.
"They are two of our most decisive players. They make the difference in the most important part of the pitch, but that can't serve as an excuse," said Barca's captain for the day Sergio Busquets.
Without his usual two strike partners, the focus was on Neymar to break down the mass ranks of Malaga defence.
The Brazilian fired into the side-netting inside the first 10 minutes, but Barca's bright start quickly fizzled out.
Indeed, Juan Carlos had the best chance of the game for Malaga just before the hour mark when he rounded Barca 'keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen but fired into the side-netting with the goal gaping.
Malaga had to see out of the final 21 minutes with 10 men when Real Madrid loanee Diego Llorente cynically chopped down Neymar and was shown a straight red card.
Yet, even with a man advantage, Barca badly missed the creativity of Messi and injured captain Andres Iniesta as they resorted to launching cross balls into Gerard Pique, who moved forward from central defence to act as an emergency forward.
Substitute Ivan Rakitic headed inches wide, whilst Pique also had a goal ruled out for offside after Andre Gomes had struck the bar.
However, Barca's best chance came deep into stoppage time when Carlos Kameni somehow clawed Neymar's header from point-blank range to safety before Carlos was also dismissed.
Sevilla moved up to third as they produced a stunning fightback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Deportivo la Coruna.
Ryan Babel's first-minute opener and a wonderful individual effort from Florin Andone handed struggling Deportivo a 2-0 lead.
However, Steven N'Zonzi, Vitolo and a 93rd minute winner from Gabriel Mercado kept Sevilla 6 points off the top. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – Despite putting up gaudy numbers and winning the UAAP Season 79 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in his first year as a DLSU Green Archer, Ben Mbala says that his ultimate goal is to deliver a championship back to La Salle.
With 92.43 statistical points, Mbala pulled away from every other player in the collegiate basketball league and will be handed the MVP award prior to game two of this season’s UAAP Finals.
The Cameroonian center averaged 20.6 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 assists a game while leading La Salle to a tournament best 13-1 record in the elimination round.
“Winning the MVP is just like a way of - I won’t say rewarding me - but rewarding the trust my teammates have been giving me,” Mbala said in an exclusive interview with Rappler on Friday, November 18.
“At the end of the day, I [say] it’s more likely [I go and] achieve all these things for the team because I want the team to be on top and I want us back to be champions.”
La Salle and college basketball fans have long awaited the debut season of Mbala, who transferred over from Southwestern University in Cebu and went through 3 years of residency before playing in his first UAAP game.
Mbala has exceeded the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders and has put DLSU in a good spot to win the school’s first men’s basketball title in 3 years.
“The MVP is not the ultimate goal. I’ve been out for 3 years, so the thing I want first is to be a champion. That’s it. Personal is good, but collective is better,” he said.
The first step to that goal for La Salle is to defeat the fourth-seeded Adamson University Soaring Falcons in the Final Four round. Coached by former Green Archers champion coach Franz Pumaren, Adamson will have to defeat DLSU two straight times to advance to the finals. During the elimination round, the Green Archers swept the Soaring Falcons.
Assuming La Salle takes care of Adamson, awaiting them in the finals is either a matchup with the Ateneo Blue Eagles or FEU Tamaraws - two familiar rivals.
“We will start with zero for me and it will be all about who wants it more, so we have to forget about what we achieved during the elimination round and we have to be able to give like twice or maybe 4 times what we’ve been doing in the regular season,” said Mbala. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) - In a matchup between two undefeated champions, Andre Ward fought all the way back from an early deficit to defeat Russia's Sergey Kovalev by unanimous decision Saturday, November 19 (Sunday Manila time) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
All 3 scorecards had it 114-113 for the American fighter, who now wins the WBA, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles.
Ward, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist and former super middleweight champion, was hurt in the first round by a jab and knocked down for the second time in his pro career in round two, the product of a short counter right hand with 30 seconds left in the round. Ward began to make his comeback in the middle rounds, using his defensive abilities and jab to keep Kovalev honest.
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Down goes Ward, Down goes Ward! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KovalevWard?src=hash">#KovalevWard</a> <a href="https://t.co/TZtilCYGXJ">pic.twitter.com/TZtilCYGXJ</a></p>— Fancy Combat (@FancyCombat) <a href="https://twitter.com/FancyCombat/status/800199685197676544">November 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Ward (31-0, 15 knockouts) began to break Kovalev (30-1-1, 26 KOs) down with body punches, slowing his momentum and setting up left hook counters upstairs. Kovalev appeared to finish the fight stronger, though all 3 judges gave Ward the twelfth round. HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman saw the fight 8-4 for Kovalev, 116-11, which didn't jibe with the way the official scorers saw it.
"I knew it was going to be a tough fight, you never anticipate getting dropped. That was the first time in my career getting dropped but I'm please with myself by the way I responded," said Ward before overlooking the time he was knocked down on this date in 2005 by a Darnell Boone uppercut.
"Nothing," said Kovalev when asked what he thought of the decision. "It's a wrong decision. Witnesses are here, everybody saw what happened.
"I'm a guest here in USA, he's a local and all judges was from USA."
The Compubox punchstats favored Kovalev, who landed 126 of 474 punches for a 27% connect rate, while Ward was credited with landing 116 of 338 for 34%.
Both seemed to agree in their own way that a rematch would be the best way to settle the dispute
"Of course, I'm not going to negotiate a fight right now Max, I've been in the game a long time. I'm gonna go home, relax, enjoy this victory and we'll see what's next."
"Of course I want a rematch. And I will kick his ass," said Kovalev. – Rappler.com
LOS ANGELES, USA - Sergey Kovalev accused American judges of favoring Andre Ward after the Russian suffered a controversial defeat by decision in their world light-heavyweight title battle on Saturday, November 19 (Sunday Manila time).
Many neutrals at ringside believed Kovalev - who scored the fight's only knockdown when he sent Ward to the canvas in the second round - had done enough to retain his WBA, WBO and IBF crowns.
But the three US judges scoring an attritional bout at Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena all gave more weight to Ward's disciplined display over the closing stages, when he landed scoring blows as the previously unbeaten Kovalev tired.
All three judges scored it 114-113 in Ward's favor, improving the 2004 Olympic champion's record to 31-0 with 15 knockouts.
Kovalev however was distraught at the loss, which he suggested was influenced by his nationality.
"It's the wrong decision. But I don't want to give my opinion. Everybody is here, witnesses are here, everybody saw what happened," he said.
"He got maybe a few rounds. But not the whole fight. I kept control. I lost maybe 3 rounds. Look at his face and look at my face.
"I'm a guest here in the USA and he's a local, and all the judges are from the USA. I agree they support their boxer but honestly, this is sport. Don't make it like politics."
The statistics from a gripping 12-rounder reflected the closeness of the battle.
Kovalev landed more punches, 126-116, and more power punches, 78 to 61.
Ward however, who stepped up a division to take on Kovalev landed more jabs, 55-48.
'We got the belts'
Ward was unfazed by Kovalev's grievances.
"I can't do anything about controversy. I thought I won the fight," Ward said.
"It was a close fight. You never know how judges are going to see it. But take nothing away from Kovalev.
"In a tight fight, he's going to feel like he got robbed, I'd have been been disappointed. But we got the belts tonight."
Ward, meanwhile, was satisfied at the way he came back after his second-round knockdown.
"I knew it was going to be a tough fight but you never anticipate getting dropped," he said.
"That was the first time in my career I got dropped. I'm pleased with the way I responded."
The tight nature of the contest makes a rematch almost inevitable.
Asked if he would face Ward again, Kovalev replied: "Sure - and I'll kick his ass."
Earlier, Kovalev had quickly made his superior punching power tell, rocking the challenger with two stiff jabs that appeared to startle Ward towards the end of the first round.
Ward was soon in trouble in the second round, with Kovalev piercing his gloves at will with stinging jabs. With 40 seconds left in the round, Kovalev dumped ward on the floor, softening him up with a left jab before a short chopping right landed flush on his chin.
Ward scrambled to recover his senses and was clinging on for the bell.
Kovalev had the better of the exchanges in the third round, but Ward did well to steady the ship without troubling the Russian.
Ward managed to frustrate Kovalev in the fourth, fighting in clinches and attempting to keep his rival off balance.
But the statistics told the story after four rounds, with Kovalev landing 22 power shots to Ward's seven.
Ward, however, refused to buckle and enjoyed his best period of the fight through the fifth and sixth, sticking and moving to score consistently.
Another good round in the seventh, with Ward connecting with 3 stiff jabs, drew loud cheers, but Kovalev was still landing shots.
As the fight moved into the later rounds, Ward appeared to be increasingly comfortable, keeping his distance and uncorking several energy-sapping body-shots to the Russian. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Basketball Association ushered in its 42nd season with a simple opening ceremony right before the first game of the Philippine Cup on Sunday, November 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Commissioner Chito Narvasa's welcome remarks was mostly directed at highlighting the league's new direction toward digital – such as the launch of its PBA App– and thanking fans for their support.
Check out the photos from the opening ceremony below!
– Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – It was still strange seeing the Star Hotshots take to the court on Sunday, November 20 without James Yap.
The former franchise player felt the same way.
"Nakakapanibago dahil wala na ako diyan sa team na 'yan pero kailangan mag-move on (I'm still not used to not being on that team but I have to move on)," he said in a brief conversation as he left after the opening period.
"Excited na makapaglaro sa bago kong team (I'm excited to play with my new team)."
Yap, 34, watched his old team kick off the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup in a game against the San Miguel Beermen at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
He sat courtside beside new Rain or Shine teammates Jericho Cruz and rookie Mike Tolomia, adjacent to the Hotshots' bench.
The 13-time PBA All-Star who has been with the Star franchise since his rookie year in 2004 discussed the game with his teammates throughout the quarter, visibly settling into his new reality after he was unexpectedly traded to the Painters for Paul Lee in the offseason.
The 2014 Grand Slam team is attempting to rebuild after a subpar 2016 season under new coach Chito Victolero.
"May pagka-weird pero kailangan tanggapin. Pero panibagong team and kailangan excited ka." (It's a bit weird but I have to accept it. This is a new team and I have to be excited.)
Yap, however, doesn't expect to play until the third game on December 4, when Rain or Shine takes on Barangay Ginebra as he is still recovering from an arthroscopy procedure done on his right knee.
He will begin running again in practice on Monday, November 21.
Rain or Shine, which also has a new coach in Caloy Garcia, debuts in the Philippine Cup on Wednesday versus TNT.– Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Star Hotshots had 30 turnovers and they turned the victory over to the San Miguel Beermen, 96-88, to open the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday, November 20 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
June Mar Fajardo paced the defending champions with 25 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks while Alex Cabagnot came up with 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting with 8 assists, two rebounds, and two steals in the opening day triumph.
The Beermen capitalized on the Hotshots' miscues, scoring 29 points off of it as they completed a fourth quarter comeback from 9 points down.
Down 77-86 after a PJ Simon triple, San Miguel went on a searing 15-0 run powered by Fajardo, Cabagnot, and Marcio Lassiter to build a 92-86 advantage with 3:23 to go and steal the win.
Arwind Santos contributed 17 points with 5 rebounds as Lassiter had 9 markers and 8 boards.
"I'm so happy with this result," said head coach Leo Austria. "They know how to play in that situation (down in the fourth)."
Paul Lee, who was traded in the offseason in exchange for James Yap, debuted for the Hotshots with 12 points and 10 rebounds on 4-of-13 field goals.
He also led Star's turnover spree with 9, as the team nearly doubled San Miguel's 17 miscues.
Mark Barroca topped Star with 13 points and 4 assists while rookie Jio Jalalon had 11 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Allein Maliksi added 10 markers while Simon had 9 as the Hotshot had just 13 total assists.
Scores:
San Miguel (96): Fajardo 25, Cabagnot 22, Santos 17, Lassiter 11, Ross 7, Tubid 6, Espinas 5, Reyes 3, Garcia 1, Agovida 0.
Star (88): Barroca 13, Lee 12, Jalalon 11, Maliksi 10, Simon 9, Sangalang 8, Pingris 7, Ramos 6, Melton 6, Reavis 2, Pascual 2, Brondial 2.
Quarter scores: 26-24, 51-43, 75-79, 96-88.
– Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – The FEU Tamaraws’ title defense hangs in the balance as they face the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Final Four round of the UAAP Season 79 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday, November 26.
As the third seed, the Tamaraws need to defeat the second-seed Blue Eagles twice to make the tournament finals a third straight season, while Ateneo will only have to win once to make the championship round for the first time since 2012.
With the school’s biggest game of the season less than a week away, FEU athletic director Mark Molina is hoping there will be more consistency from the UAAP referees as the stakes increase.
Molina, who has 1,527 followers on Twitter, posted an image last week of DLSU veteran Jeron Teng hitting FEU guard Ron Dennison on the arm on a jump shot attempt with the caption “One minute to go. Game tied. #calltheobvious #UAAPSeason79.”
{source} <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">One minute to go. Game tied. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/calltheobvious?src=hash">#calltheobvious</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UAAPSeason79?src=hash">#UAAPSeason79</a> <a href="https://t.co/RQ0bONpotU">pic.twitter.com/RQ0bONpotU</a></p>— Mark Molina (@marqmolina) <a href="https://twitter.com/marqmolina/status/798872788865982464">November 16, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> {/source}
FEU lost that game to DLSU despite leading for the majority of the contest. Had the Tamaraws won that match, they’d be tied with Ateneo in the loss column with 4 defeats each, and instead of facing a twice-to-beat disadvantage, would play the Blue Eagles in a virtual best-of-3 for a ticket to the finals.
“Before I tweeted, I sent it to (UAAP) Commissioner Rebo [Saguisag]. Tied game, one minute to go, that affected the game. If they called the foul, we would have been up two, a minute left,” Molina told Rappler in an exclusive interview.
“I’m not saying there’s something fishy, but the consistency of the officiating is what we’re after.”
Using the hashtag “#calltheobvious” is in reference to the statement made by DLSU big man Ben Mbala after the win versus FEU, when he told Rappler he hopes the UAAP officials will “at least call the obvious fouls” after looking visibly frustrated with the officiating throughout the match.
Molina also tweeted a link to the article above with the caption “I completely agree with Ben Mbala as DLSU was called for only 14 fouls yesterday.”
“I thought last year was better in terms of being consistent every game, and one of the things Rebo mentioned, the referees who officiated last year also officiated in the NCAA. So they had more runs. There was more practice,” said Molina.
Another questionable event concerning the referees took place during halftime of the latest FEU-DLSU game, when the officials apparently gave the impression that they would call the contest differently in the second half than they did during the first two quarters.
“One of the referees said, ‘Coach, pag hindin na namin kinaya, tatawagin na namin,’” DLSU head coach Aldin Ayo said after that game about what one of the refs was trying to say, something which clearly frustrated him. The first year La Salle coach also hinted at unfair officiating when it comes to Mbala.
(Coach, if we can't take it anymore, we're going to call it.)
Even FEU head coach Nash Racela was unhappy with the UAAP officials during the game, saying that he wanted the league to do something about their inconsistency.
“One of the things that I found strange in the last game against La Salle was the referees calling the coaches at halftime and telling them, ‘We will call these in the second half.’ I was not there, but you cannot change something in the middle of the game,” Molina told Rappler.
“I knew Coach Ayo was upset also about that. We were upset about it as well. We all want consistency. You’re teaching the players to play one way. If it changes suddenly from the next game, it’s tough to adjust.”
FEU enters the Final Four having lost 3 of its last 4 games, including a lopsided defeat to the Blue Eagles. Ateneo also defeated the Tamaraws in their first round matchup.
When asked if consistency is all Molina hopes from the UAAP referees in the upcoming matchup, he responded:
“That’s it.” – Rappler.com
LONDON, England - Andy Murray hailed his ATP Tour Finals triumph against Novak Djokovic as the perfect finish to a dream season as the Scot wrapped up the year-end world number one ranking.
Murray produced a superb display to defeat Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the final at London's O2 Arena and guarantee he would remain above the Serb in the last rankings of 2016.
The 29-year-old is the first British man to finish in pole position since the inception of the ATP rankings in 1973 and the first player other than Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to end the year top since Andy Roddick in 2003.
It caps an incredible 11 months for Murray, who won Wimbledon for the second time, claimed a second Olympic gold medal and became a father for the first time.
"Right now to finish the year like this, this is the best possible way, obviously," he said.
"It was just a huge match to try and finish number one. This is a major event and one I've not done well in in the past, so it's been a great week.
"It was a big, big match against someone that would be my main rival really throughout my career.
"We played in all of the Slam finals, Olympics, and now a match to finish the year number one. It was obviously a big match, a very important win for me."
Just 24 hours after he played the longest match in tournament history to beat Milos Raonic in 3 hours and 39 minutes, Murray looked surprisingly fresh and he admitted it was crucial he got ahead quickly to avoid being dragged into another draining encounter.
"I felt tired. I didn't feel great this morning, just a bit sluggish, a bit heavy-legged," he said.
"Thankfully the first 7 games, there was no long rallies really at all, which for us is strange.
"It wasn't really until the middle of the second set when the rallies started to get extended and longer that my legs were starting to feel it.
"That's why it became harder to close the match out because I knew the longer the match went, the worse I was going to feel, and probably the better he was going to play, too. "
Massive respect
Having lost 13 of his last 15 matches against Djokovic, including the Australian and French Open finals this year, Murray said it was extra special to achieve his double success against his old rival.
"I have massive respect for everything that he's done, for him as a player," Murray said.
"It's a match-up that over the last couple of years I lost a lot of the big matches against him. This one was a big match and I managed to get over the line.
"I was lucky I got it finished in two sets. I don't think that was one of Novak's best matches. I was solid enough when I needed to be. I didn't make those mistakes."
Djokovic had no complaints and admitted he had been well below his best in a lethargic performance that included 30 unforced errors.
"I just played very poorly and made a lot of unforced errors from the backhand side. It just wasn't my day," Djokovic said.
"Credit to Andy for being mentally tough and playing the right shots, making me play extra shots in every rally. He definitely deserved to win.
"Even though he has had very long matches, especially the one yesterday, people were thinking maybe he's going to be slightly tired, but he didn't seem so." – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines - Spear, another spear, Jackhammer, 3 count.
No, this isn't a live-tweeting of a Bill Goldberg match from 1998, when he inflated his unbeaten streak on the pinned shoulders of Disco Inferno and Buff Bagwell. This was Goldberg's match at SummerSlam, and his opponent was Brock Lesnar.
Yes, the same Lesnar who broke the Undertaker's WrestleMania streak, who squashed John Cena and was a former UFC heavyweight champ.
Instead of a classic brawl for the rematch of their disappointing WWE curtain calls at WrestleMania 20 12 years ago, WWE creative went for the shock and awe finish, with Goldberg getting the pin in under two minutes. The event happened Saturday, November 20 (Sunday Manila time) at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada, the country which Lesnar now calls home.
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A SPEAR BY <a href="https://twitter.com/Goldberg">@GOLDBERG</a> has the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeastIncarnate?src=hash">#BeastIncarnate</a> reeling!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurvivorSeries?src=hash">#SurvivorSeries</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE2K17?src=hash">#WWE2K17</a> <a href="https://t.co/AYkU1DHg9d">pic.twitter.com/AYkU1DHg9d</a></p>— WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/800540829139861508">November 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
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They were hoping for a water cooler moment; initial social media reactions suggest they got a WTF moment instead.
If this is indeed the 49-year-old Goldberg's final match, as he has suggested, you have to wonder now what comes of Lesnar's character. Also, you have to wonder how that meeting went to discuss the finish.
Could it be WWE's way of punishing Lesnar for failing a drug test at UFC 200 while boosting WWE2K17 video game sales by putting over the guy on the cover in dominant fashion? Who knows, but RAW is certainly going to be fun tomorrow. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – “Ayan na!” (Here it comes!), shouted an understandably eager spectator in the PhilSports Arena as Jaja Santiago rose up to take a powerful spike. Needless to say, it was an easy point for the returning star and the rest of the Tornadoes.
Nothing came easy last Saturday, November 19, however, as Foton scrambled to snatch a thrilling 5-setter against a determined RC Cola Army.
The two teams split sets before Foton eventually landed with the victory in the tiebreaker – much to the delight of the shades of blue in the arena. Apart from the essential win, Foton’s supporters were likewise ecstatic to see a full roster playing before them as the semifinals stage nears.
The Tornadoes missed Jaja Santiago, EJ Laure, and Cherry Rondina in their first loss of the tournament against F2 Logistics. Now that they are back to hit the court in full force, the team is optimistic of their chances to land the top spot.
“[Ang] mindset siguro [is] we’ll just play our game,” said hitter Laure. “Kasi mas intact kami ‘pag mas buo kami, syempre mas maganda performance namin kapag buo kami.”
(Our mindset is that we’ll just play our game.) (Because we are more intact, and of course we would have a better performance when we’re complete.)
Laure and the rest of the Tornadoes have only two games left as the preliminary round draws to a close, and they are more than ready to make the most out of them.
“Siguro lalaruin lang namin every point. Paghihirapan namin ‘yung every point, tsaka syempre, every game.” (We’ll just play every point. We’ll fight for every point, and of course fight for every game.)
The defending champions will go up against the Cignal HD Spikers on Tuesday, November 22. Their last preliminary match will be the all-important clash with Petron – a game that may hold the decision of which team bags the top overall spot. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines - Shane McMahon has made a legacy of taking risks with his body, but his devil-may-care attitude may have backfired during this year's Survivor Series.
McMahon, the 46-year-old son of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CEO Vince McMahon and on-screen Commissioner of the SmackDown Live brand, brought the high spots to the traditional 5-on-5 series, which was one of the main attractions of the event on Sunday, November 20 (Monday Manila time) at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. (READ: So, umm, Goldberg's WWE return lasts less than two minutes)
After an entertaining run in the match highlighted by landing a flying elbow drop from the top turnbuckle onto Braun Strowman through a commentary table, he was set to be eliminated by Roman Reigns, who countered his trademark coast-to-coast dropkick from the top turnbuckle into a mid-air spear.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You can call this...VINTAGE <a href="https://twitter.com/shanemcmahon">@ShaneMcMahon</a>! Did he just take out <a href="https://twitter.com/BraunStrowman">@BraunStrowman</a>?! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurvivorSeries?src=hash">#SurvivorSeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/zfBWtcx7Fm">pic.twitter.com/zfBWtcx7Fm</a></p>— WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/800527933215371264">November 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Everything looked routine until the landing, when the back of Shane's head bounced off the mat with a thud.
Reigns went for the pin but McMahon's right shoulder lifted off the mat before the 3-count - perhaps involuntarily - and neither the referee or the commentators knew what to make of the matter. The referee immediately eliminated McMahon and called for medics to assist McMahon out of the ring and to the backstage area.
Afterwards, Randy Orton, who was one of his teammates during the match, responded to a tweet from a fan who observed him comforting McMahon's children at ringside after the incident. "I'm a father. I know what it's like to have your kids ringside when shit goes sideways," Orton tweeted.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I'm a father. I know what it's like to have your kids ringside when shit goes sideways... <a href="https://t.co/9rtaCp48sJ">https://t.co/9rtaCp48sJ</a></p>— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandyOrton/status/800569680989712385">November 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Props to Randy for going over to Shane's son. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurvivorSeries?src=hash">#SurvivorSeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/7hXJ9maR9i">pic.twitter.com/7hXJ9maR9i</a></p>— Deno (@DeadByElbow) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeadByElbow/status/800535115881295872">November 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The match continued, with Orton and his Wyatt Family teammate Bray Wyatt being the lone surviving members for Team SmackDown after Reigns was pinned by Wyatt. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines - The PhilBike Expo, the only international-standard trade and consumer cycling show in the Philippines, returns for its third annual convention beginning Friday, November 25 and running through Sunday, allowing cycling enthusiasts’ access to the most diverse range of local and international products and demonstrations.
The event, organized by Phil-Bike Convention Inc., has seen over 17,000 enthusiasts pack convention centers for two years.
To mark its third year anniversary, this year’s expo shall be headlined by a few of the best in the sport today, including “The Magician” Kenny Belaey, a 24-year veteran of the sport. Since his debut in 1992, Belaey has brought the sport to the mainstream as a constant innovator and professional. He is the record holder of the most medals won at the World Cup and World Championships. His latest video project, “Balance,” saw him crossing a slackline on the top of the French Alps, a feat that had yet to be accomplished by any other biker before him.
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The Superkids are Japanese prodigies made up of Yu Shoji (14) and Takumi Isogai (15). This dynamic duo has been making a name in the Flatland scene with their cutting edge and flair for pushing innovation to its limits. Shoji is the first place winner of the 2015 Voodoo Jam and the second runner-up for the 2014 FlatArk Novice. Isogai was the first place winner of the 2014 FlatArk Expert and came in at eighth place for the 2016 FlatDev Pro.
Accompanying the Superkids is their mentor, Viki Gómez, who is returning to PhilBike for the second year in a row. Hailed as one of the best in the world, the 35-year-old Spaniard is known for his constant creation of new tricks that combine flow and rhythm and surpassing the limits of imagination. The Red Bull athlete is a three-time Champion of the Flatland World Circuit Series, as well as a three-time Red Bull Circle of Balance Champion. He is also a two-time winner of the European X-Games.
Rounding out this incredible line-up is a special, one-day only performance from Canadian, Geoff Gulevich. With a career that started at the age of 12, the Rocky Mountain Bicycle ambassador is among the best in his field, combining passion with a strong sense of perseverance that sets him apart from his peers. He is the fourth runner-up for Jumpship 2011, and came in fifth for both the Red Bull Rampage 2010 and the Crankworx Joyride 2011.
The event will bring together over 100 brands from the world of cycling and fitness, giving enthusiasts and first-timers alike, the chance to check out the very best and latest that the industry has to offer. To complement these brands, the PhilBike Expo offers unique, indoor interactive features that will get the adrenaline flowing.
The event will include a selection of fun games, contests, and raffles that will give attendees the chance to bring home brand new mountain bikes as well as a collection of other exciting prizes.
To purchase tickets, visit http://philbike.pounchnation.com/. Tickets are PHP120 for one day, and PHP200 for two days until November 21, 12:01 pm only. Regular prices of PHP150 per day shall apply on site at the SMX Convention Center. Children ages 12 and below are entitled to a 50% discount while toddlers 3 feet and below enter for free. – Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – Paul Lee didn't have the explosive debut he had hoped for his new team Star Hotshots on Sunday, November 20.
The 27-year-old lethal guard, who was traded in the offseason from Rain or Shine in exchange for James Yap, had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in his first game for Star in the 2017 PBA Philippine Cup.
He nearly made it to a triple-double, too, albeit not in a good way, with his team-high 9 turnovers, as Star piled up 30 turnovers and fell to a 96-88 defeat against the San Miguel Beermen. He was also 4-of-13 on field goals.
"That's the first time that happened to me. That's the most turnovers I had since I was in college," Lee said in Filipino. "I was rushing it, I think I was too excited. I'll bounce back next game. We have to limit our turnovers."
The Hotshots, the 2014 Grand Slam team, are rebuilding after a subpar 2016 season that saw them struggle sans longtime coach Tim Cone. Now, they are headed by Chito Victolero and without former franchise player Yap.
"Okay lang naman, madali lang naman. Pero iba kasi yung practice sa game e," Marc Pingris said of the adjustment with Lee.
"Sabi nga ni Paul baka hindi siya makatulog. 'Hindi, ganoon lang talaga yun, Paul', sabi ni coach. 'Kailangan talaga malabas mo yan and maka-adjust next game.'"
(It's okay, it's easy. But then practice is different from the actual game. Paul said he might not be able to sleep. But coach said it's just the way it is, and he needs to get it out of his system to adjust by the next game.)
Lee made his first basket as a Star Hotshot late in the first quarter.
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch Paul Lee's first basket for the <a href="https://twitter.com/HotShotsFPage">@HotShotsFPage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PBA2017?src=hash">#PBA2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/7MKgu7OO5w">pic.twitter.com/7MKgu7OO5w</a></p>— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapplerSports/status/800289630201356288">November 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Lee said there's not much difference going from Yeng Guiao's system to Victolero. But he admitted he was a little too excited for his first game and vowed to settle down when Star takes on Globalport on Friday, December 2.
"I was excited, it felt like I was a rookie again," he said. "But I got my rhythm so next time I'll be able to adjust. It won't happen in just one game. My patience is there, plus the patience of the entire team and coach Chito, so that's what's important for me." – Rappler.com
PARIS, France – Cristiano Ronaldo says he feels confident of winning a fourth Ballon d'Or title after a stellar year in which Portugal wiped the smiles off French faces at Euro 2016.
The 31-year-old Real Madrid striker said in an interview published in Tuesday's, November 22 edition of France Football that 'Les Bleus' "thought they were going to easily win" and "smiled a lot" before the final in Stade de France last July.
But the ultimate prize went to Portugal who won its first international trophy following a game which was also the scene of "the greatest sadness" of 3-time world player of the year Ronaldo's career.
Ronaldo left the pitch in tears, forced off with a knee injury in the first half.
"I couldn't bend my leg... It wasn't going to be the final that I dreamed of, I could no longer play," he recalled with sadness.
The Portuguese football federation on Friday published a video in which the international captain, barechested in the changing room, thanked coach Fernando Santos, his teammates and staff, for "the happiest moment of (his) life."
The France Football interview is headlined "Griezmann told me: 'I hate you'" without the weekly magazine revealing further details before it hits the news stands.
Concerning his bid for a fourth world footballer of the year title, Ronaldo said he felt "rather confident and relaxed" after what he called the best season of his career, in which he also won the Champions League with Real Madrid.
Ronaldo – Ballon d'Or winner in 2008, 2013 and 2014 – is overwhelming favorite to reclaim the award in January after finishing top scorer in the Champions League with 16 goals, as well as his Euro 2016 title. – Rappler.com