Bleacher Report - Articles by Carlos G Giron

Murray and Djokovic Aim to Knock Off Federer at US Open

Carlos G Giron — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:22:41 -0400

Even with ailing Nadal U.S. Open poised to offer gritty, epic tennis as Murray and Djokovic aim to knock Federer

New York, NY (August 10, 2009). Spain's tennis golden boy, Rafael Nadal, is getting back into shape after being out of action for over two months. The ever valiant Nadal says he hopes to overcome tendonitis on both knees and be in good shape for the start of the U.S. Open, America’s Grand Slam tournament, in late August.

Well, that is a tall order. But, if ever there was a player with the willpower, toughness of mind and determination to make it happen, well, that player is Rafael Nadal.

Wimbledon reigning champion Roger Federer is not so eager to see Rafa back in top shape. Nadal is only one of two players in the Tour to have a winning record against the freshly minted 2009 Wimbledon champion. Rafa has a commanding 13-7 record against the 15-time Grand Slam champion with 60 career titles.

Roger would not be a tidbit upset to see Rafa play at half speed.

That is because the rest of the field is relatively easy for the already legendary European champion.

The top Latino players offer little resistance.

Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez has only one win in thirteen matches against Federer. But “Gonzo” is a fighter, very athletic and is always ready to battle. A match against the Chilean would bring all the Chileno fans to their feet given the reckless abandon “Gonzo” is known for.

The 6 foot 6, 20-year old Argentinean phenom Juan Martin Del Potro is certainly worth watching. He has a devastating serve and powerful forehand. But he is much too slow and not agile enough to keep up with Federer’s precise and perfectly timed baseline game. Federer is 6-0 against the young South American giant.

Twenty-five-year-old Spaniard Fernando Verdasco is 0-3 against the Swiss.

That leaves Murray and Djokovic… oh, and maybe Roddick.

What is left for Federer to fear?

Two 22-year-“old” young veterans who are now more experienced and savvy, and ready to give their best. In other words, they are at their prime.

British roaring young lion Andy Murray (6-2 against Roge), and Novak Djokovic (with a 4-7 record against Señor Federer), are the two most credible opposition in Roger’s way. The newly shaved and well groomed Murray is the only other player in the Tour with a winning record against Mr. Roge, but Federer beat Murray at last year’s U.S. Open final.

Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion, has a respectable 4-7 record against Federer, but lost against him in the 2007 U.S. Open final and a 2008 U.S. Open semifinal. However, Djokovic has beaten Federer twice this year in non-Grand Slam tournaments.

So, if Rafa is too busy rubbing his knees, Murray and Djovkovic looked poised and ready to make 28-year old Federer begin to look like an old man on the court.

As for our very own American gentle competitor, Andy Roddick (2-19 against Federer), I just don’t see it. Andy has grown tremendously, showing a newfound controlled temperament and terrific concentration.

His match in the 2009 Wimbledon final against Señor Roge was admirable. But frankly, it was too timid for my taste. Roddick played not to lose. He displayed way too much respect for Federer. He played like a prima dona.

Sorry. But you will never beat Federer playing like that.

Dark horse.

French hard-server Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The man has bravado and a super cool, tough-hombre style. Tsonga would be a tough customer for anyone, and has only played ol’ Roge once, losing, of course.

With or without Rafa, this year’s U.S. Open promises great battles, great drama and the always electric, loud, boisterous and—yes, entertaining—New York City crowds.

Expect fireworks!

Manny Pacquiao to Face Toughest Foe in Epic Career: High Expectations

Carlos G Giron — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:20:10 -0400

Manny Pacquiao has thrived as the perennial underdog everyone loves to cheer and support. Little Manny has jumped into the ring against feared executioners and brave warriors like former superstars Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and has faced current stars like Juan Manuel Marquez.

Against the odds, and bringing to bear the very best in his boxing arsenal, he has succeeded, defeating these extraordinarily talented opponents.

In his last fight, the “Mexi-cutioner” faced the ultimate matinee idol, “The Golden Boy” Oscar de la Hoya. Once again, little Manny beat the bigger—both literally and figuratively—De la Hoya, to once and for all fully establish himself as the best “pound-for-pound” fighter in the world.

But now, the tables have turned. Today, “The People's Champion” is everyone’s favorite. He is the king of the ring, the real deal, the one to beat. So now the question becomes: Is Manny Pacquiao ready and able to fight the toughest opponent of his career?

The pressure of high expectations. The heat of the spotlight. The challenge of knowing you are the best and that everyone expects you to be brilliant and dominating every time you step into the ring.

On the flip side, the confidence gained with success could lull "Pacman" into taking this fight for granted.

Will Manny exude excessive confidence and take it easy against Ricky Hatton?

Will Pacquiao fight aggressively and with a sense of urgency, as he has against better opponents?

Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) returns to the ring Saturday night to face a “tough-as-nails” and scrappy fighter from Manchester, England in Hatton.

Hatton’s 45-1-32 KOs record is not as impressive as the numbers would indicate. The scrappy, little brawler bleeds easily and simply has not faced the same rugged and high quality opposition that Pacquiao has successfully conquered.

Hatton has conveniently skipped the best Mexican fighters in his division and has beaten bad, mediocre, and “shot” fighters, like Jose Luis Castillo, on his way to amassing his deceptively strong record.

Hatton’s best quality is that he loves to brawl and, most importantly to boxing promoters, his is a guaranteed box office hit. His marketing star power will undoubtedly draw the support of millions of British and European fans ready, eager and able to spend whatever it takes to support their hero.

The cash registers will surely ring throughout the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Pay-Per-View numbers will be impressive; and the arena will be filled and will emanate great excitement and buzz.

Hatton’s loud and boisterous supporters will chant and scream giving the venue the look and feel of a high-profile soccer match such as the classic game between Manchester United and Arsenal of the English Premier League.

The fight will be interesting and fun. Hatton will give a great show, exchanging blows freely with the usually equally aggressive Pacquiao. There will be fireworks and there will be a knockout.

After all the thrilling exchanges, if Pacquiao is able to beat his real rival, “The Curse of High Expectations,” the referee will raise the hand of Pacquiao, known in the Philippines as “Pambansang Kamao” (The National Fist), to officially declare him the winner by KO.

The fight will provide great entertainment and is certainly worth watching.

Pacquiao will happily take home $12 million while Hatton will earn $8 million. The explosive rumble will be televised on HBO pay-per-view.

If Manny comes prepared and can stay focused, hungry and eager, this is a fight he should win relatively easily. If not, the scrappy Hatton will make him pay.

Pacquiao by KO on the 10th round.

World Baseball Classic: Not the World Cup, but It Sure Feels Like It

Carlos G Giron — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:30:47 -0400

My favorite sporting event is the FIFA World Cup.

Like the Olympics, the World Cup is truly a global event, bringing together nations that perhaps would never connect in a meaningful way but for the fact that they both love the sport of soccer and happened to play against each other in this grand event (recent examples include South Korea playing against Togo, or Mexico playing Iran in the 2006 World Cup).

Events like the World Cup offer a wonderful opportunity to discover new players, new teams, observe different playing styles, learn about distinct game philosophies, varied and often novel approaches and methodologies to the same fascinating game. Beyond the sport itself, it’s an opportunity learn about the countries being represented.

For example, the Ivory Coast’s participation in the 2006 World Cup encouraged me to learn about that country. I learned that the nation is a former French colony located in West Africa and that the government prefers to use its official French name at all times, Côte d’Ivoire.

I knew absolutely nothing about this nation before and would probably have never learned anything about it had it not qualified to play in the World Cup.

This brings me to the second edition of the World Baseball Classic, the new Major League Baseball competition.

Despite its shortcomings, the WBC serves as a terrific window for American fans to learn about the sport beyond our borders. Watching the World Baseball Classic makes Americans realize that we are not the only nation that loves the sport of baseball and can play it at the highest level. The WBC demonstrated once more that—surprisingly and disappointingly—we may no longer have the best baseball in the world.

Beyond the impact of the event in the United States, the WBC is certainly succeeding in growing the sport of baseball throughout the planet. MLB reports that the inaugural 2006 tournament was broadcast by 48 media outlets in 10 languages to 205 countries and territories around the world. News media members representing 25 different nations attended the 39 games. I would not be surprised to learn that this year's edition will surpass those already impressive numbers.

Sixteen nations passionately lived the event, play by play and pitch by pitch. The event also succeeded in sending the message that baseball is a global sport, and certainly no longer just an American and Japanese sport.

South Korea, Venezuela, and the Netherlands proved that they are emerging baseball powers demonstrating their abilities alongside established baseball nations like the highly respected Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican teams. Other countries, like Australia, Italy and Canada, are now surely more motivated to make strides forward to improve their game.

The critics will point out some flaws, like the fact many of the best American players chose not to play for Team USA, or that the event should have been scheduled in November right after the World Series. These same cynics also make the accusation that the event is simply a marketing ploy. They fail to see the big picture and are unable to appreciate MLB’s strategic imperative to grow its brand and the sport on a global scale.

Commissioner Bud Selig “hit the ball out of the ballpark” with the creation of the WBC. Selig's global perspective and assertive leadership led to the creation of this event. This "Grand Slam" event has sureley cemented Selig's legacy and will boost the sport for years and decades to come.

With time and continued dedication, the WBC has a terrific potential to grow and begin the process of gaining comparable stature and prestige alongside mammoth global events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. This is a good thing for baseball fans.

It’s new, it’s a work in progress, and it's definitely not perfect. But the WBC is an international sporting competition worth following and enjoying as it builds a tradition and an ever larger global following.

Boricuas Play Great Soccer Too Not Just Baseball!

Carlos G Giron — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:14:32 -0400

The Puerto Rico Islanders are making a name for Puerto Rican soccer. Already, the Boricua team has made history advancing to the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League becoming the first team from the baseball-loving island to make it this far.

But the feisty, hard-working and athletic team does not want to stop there. They want to make it to the finals. In order to do that, they must first defeat Mexican powerhouse, Cruz Azul.

Luckily for the Boricuas, "Los Cementeros" (the cement makers) of Cruz Azul are going through a tough stretch suffering a humiliating defeat against America, a fellow Mexican club, 3-1, in ther most recent outing.

"Los Cementeros" are currently literally playing like cement makers, not soccer makers.

As a result, the Boricuas, playing at home (this Tuesday, March 17th) at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, have the intangibles pointing in their favor. The second match of the two-game series is scheduled for April 7 at Estadio Azul in Mexico City.

How do we explain the impressive success of this little USL team that could?

A big part of the answer has to do with the work of head coach Colin Clarke, a former Ireland National Team international and former coach of FC Dallas of MLS and several other USL teams. (More about Clarke at a later article). With the savvy Clarke at the helm, the otherwise naive Puerto Rican club would have been easy pray for sophisticated CONCACAF clubs.

One more important item to note is that The Puerto Rico Islanders are the ONLY non-Mexican club still standing in the Semifinals stage of the most important club competition in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. All the Major League Soccer clubs have bit the dust, including reigning champions Houston Dynamo and former champions, D.C. United.

This makes the Boricuas' accomplishment that much more impressive.

Players to watch:

Kendall Jagdeosingh, the Trinidad and Tobago born striker is terribly erratic. But, when he is on, he is on in a big, big way! Tremendous speed, ability to find the open shot, and a cannon on both legs.

Nicholas Addlery. The Jamaican forward exudes technical prowess, strength, dribbling ability and that coolness that cannot be learned but comes naturally to great strikers to finish plays and put the ball behind the net.

Addlery played for DC United of MLS in 2007 and still calls The Bronx, New York, home.

To catch the action tune in to either Galavision or Telefutura.

###

(Photo: Peter Villegas, formerly of the NY-NJ MetroStars, now plays for Puerto Rico's best club, Puerto Rico Islanders).