Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid CF

Carlos Tévez's penalty gave Juventus the edge in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid CF after a gripping contest in Turin.

A vibrant start from the home side brought early reward as Álvaro Morata struck against the club he left last summer, but Madrid responded swiftly and levelled before the half-hour with Cristiano Ronaldo's ninth goal in this season's UEFA Champions League and 76th overall. Juve, however, regained the initiative through Tévez's spot kick early in the second half, earning them a slender but valuable lead to take to Spain next week.

Juventus, in their first semi-final since beating Madrid in 2002/03, began at pace and were in front before ten minutes had been played. Stefano Sturaro – making his first UEFA Champions League start – and Morata had already tested Iker Casillas before Claudio Marchisio played a pass into Tévez down the right channel. The Argentinian's low shot was only pushed out by Casillas and Morata could not miss.

Madrid's riposte was swift, Toni Kroos calling Gianluigi Buffon into action for the first time before Isco's pass offered Ronaldo the chance to stretch his legs; the shot was dragged across the face of goal. The next opportunity came Juve's way, as Stephan Lichtsteiner got the better of Marcelo down the right and advanced into the penalty area, but his hurried effort was slashed wide.

Three minutes later, the full impact of that miss was felt as Madrid equalised with a fine goal. With the ball bouncing into the home penalty box, James Rodríguez lifted a volleyed cross in for Ronaldo to nod past Buffon from close range.

The momentum had shifted and it was Madrid who should have scored the third goal of a thrilling first half. A slick passing move worked the ball from right to left, Isco breaking clear and centring for James. From two metres out and with the goal beckoning, the Colombian somehow headed against the crossbar; Marcelo's follow-up landed on the top of the net.

Although the second period began at a more considered pace than the first, it burst into life in the 56th minute as Juve counterattacked at speed. Morata slipped in a pass to Tévez, who burst into the area only to be felled by Dani Carvajal. The Argentinian picked himself up to slot the penalty past Casillas.

Madrid were unable to muster a second equaliser as Juventus preserved their one-goal cushion with some degree of comfort. Indeed, it was the newly-crowned Italian champions who came closest to another goal, first as Raphaël Varane failed to cut out a long ball and substitute Fernando Llorente rounded Casillas; Carvajal was there to pip Roberto Pereyra to his fellow replacement's cross.

Llorente passed up an even better opening in added time having been picked out in space by Andrea Pirlo's free-kick. His weak header was blocked by the goalkeeper, leaving the tie finely balanced.

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The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) National Beach Games is on the drawing board.

Trinidad and Tobago's participation at the inaugural World Beach Games is the goal.

Last year the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committee (ANOC) approved a proposal for the first World Beach Games. 

Beach Volleyball will be one of the marquee sports at the World Beach Games.

This weekend's (8-10 May)  Rio 2016 Olympic Games Caribbean Zone Men's Beach Volleyball Qualifier to be hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation (TTVF) is not only important for the teams contesting for qualification for the Rio Olympics.

But its an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to showcase its ability to host a high profile Beach Volleyball event.

KFC, FLOW, Tourism Development Company(TDC) , Toyota, Sport Company, Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association(CAZOVA), North, Central American and Caribbean (NORCECA) and the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee are partnering with the T&T Volleyball Federation to bring Rio 2016 Men's Caribbean Zone Beach Volleyball Olympic Qualification to Trinidad and Tobago.

This weekend 8th-10th May, Saith Park Chaguanas will be converted into a beach volleyball festival as twenty-eight (28) teams from fourteen (14) Caribbean countries including host T&T, will battle to advance to the next round on the road to Rio 2016. Only six(6) of the 28 teams will advance to the next phase.

On the three days of competition, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the action gets going from 10:00 am. Aside from the high quality and keenly contested on the sand action, fan will have opportunities to win cash prizes as there will be a number of fan engagement activities. Also the national youth and Junior teams will stage a fund raising Bar-Bar Que Saturday 9th May at the venue.

A number of Foreign Official will be in TnT for the Olympic Qualifier. CAZAVO President Mushtaque Mohammed will represent as the NORCECA Delegate and Analdo Sanchez of Dominican Republic tournament Director.

The Participating teams are;

Aruba: Elmerlindo Robles De Medina, Dwayne Angela, Fransua Angela, Michaello Martilia

Barbados: Daran Gill, Sheldon Roach, Winston Gittens, Elwyn Oxley.

Bahamas: Renaldo Knowles, Mullet Petit, Princtanique Wilson, Byron Ferguson

Bonaire: Richison Frans, Farley Marcera, Percy Prudencia, Deebro Trinidad

Cayman Islands: Kirk Shervin Rankin, Richard Campbell, Olney Thompson, Phillippe Des Landes

Curacao: Derwin Colina, Quinten Anthony, Norandy Bonafasia, Kiran Ersilia

Guadeloupe: Arnouts Baptiste, Lavoye Cedric, Guillaume Coudevylle, Loic Couchy

Haiti: Senel Volvick Dupuy, Alexis Marco, Fritz-Emmanuel Mabou, Kempes Vilmot

Jamaica: Mark Lewis, Donovan Larry Richards, Ryck Mc Kenzie-Webb, Christopher Walters

Martinique: Lopes Jefferson, Lowinsky Edouard, Africa Freddy, Lienafa Derek

Suriname: Eurwin Daans, Roberto Joval, Keven Sporkslede, Furgil Ong A Fat

T&T: Fabien Whitfield, Daneil Williams, Tevin Joseph, Josiah Eccles

Turks & Caicos: Edner Cox, Darado Fulford, Jephte Moncher, Tanikko De Angels Clarke

USVI: Edward Peter Jr, Carlos Rosa, Gustavo Cintron, Bradley Riding-Connor

Whether or not it is human error, negligence or simply forgetfulness, something is wrong with the way women are treated.

But in this case I am referring to Women in Sports, not in other spheres of life, and in particular for the purpose of those who wish to read further, women in football in T&T.

The fact, that since December 2, 2014, our national women’s team has not played a single match to this day, is not only unforgivable, but a possible sign of disengagement by those in authority, who if not for this team would have been as unpopular as their predecessors. Because let me explain for the infinite time to all Sports Administrators in all spheres of this country, that people are interested in the sportsmen and sportswomen and not in them. If they remain silent and do their work efficiently, they will have achieved and one day be recognised.

In the case of the women, the T&T Football Association stated that since the young ladies lost that game in December to Ecuador 0-1, there are no countries interested in playing our national team anymore.

However, the women footballers are flatly denying that is true and instead believe that not enough effort was made by the TTFA to ensure that this could have occurred. It is difficult to believe that after such a successful run, that no team would be interested in playing this country ahead of the World Cup in Canada.

And if the TTFA were smart and given the apparent business success of the game in December, they would have found a way through connections to play a game in front of a still adoring crowd when the momentum was there for all to witness, instead to most, it appears as if they have turned their backs once again on women’s football.

We all know the problems the team experienced in 2014 and when you listen to the captain Maylee Attin-Johnson talk from the heart again about the fact, that officials basically at one time told her, that the emphasis has to be on men’s football, because that is the flag bearer, you can imagine the passion and drive in our women when they heard this male dominated TTFA state these words.

However the situation at the moment that again has the TTFA and women’s football at loggerheads involves the Pan American Championships in Canada, where a men’s team was named some 10 days ago and names rightfully submitted to the T&T Olympic Committee. However no team was announced or published or released to the media on a women’s team for the same event with the same deadlines.

On i95.5fm, I sports on Thursday, we spoke with Maylee Attin-Johnson, who says she knows that a team is going, but no team has been announced to her or any of the players and it was just in line with that knowledge that Attin Johnson and Akhela  Mollon decided to call some players to practices.

There is not even a coach as yet for the women’s team for these Championships, with apparently the TTFA in negotiations with Randy Waldrum. There is just too much uncertainly, and this breathes doubt and despair and can lead to more questions.

Why is there so much secrecy over the naming of a team , over the situation with a coach, it is this apparent unwillingness to be open and transparent that has affected the Football Association in the past and unless they fix this problem, quickly , they are heading down the same road.

As a follow up to all of this on Saturday on Isports, the President of the TTOC, Brian Lewis confirmed, that a team of ladies for the Pan American Championships had been received from the TTFA. So then, one is forced to question, why the need for all of this secrecy and this non-disclosure by the TTFA. Is it that Shaun Fuentes forgot to issue this information? Or was he told not to do so?

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After retaining his coveted sprint title along the Arima Velodrome track on night-two of the 2015 National Cycling Championships, Rigtech Sonics hitman Njisane Phillip doubled-up with another golden showing in the Elite Men Keirin event which sped off on Sunday night.

Lining up in the 1-6 final, Phillip faced off against long-time sprint rival Quincy Alexander (Team DPS) and his club-mates Jude Codrington and Justin Roberts, Kwesi Browne (Arima Wheelers) and Rigtech’s Keron Bramble.

Having ousted Alexander in the final of the Men’s Sprint one night prior, Phillip affirmed authority once more when he blasted to victory ahead of the bunch to capture the Keirin crown. Alexander was again forced to settle for the silver medal while youngster Browne held on to the bronze.

Rounding off the top six finishers were Codrington, Roberts and Bramble respectively. And in the 7-10 final, Nevin Malco (Bike Smith) was first and seventh overall while Jonathan Harding (PSL) was relegated.

The two remaining finalists, Azikiwe Kellar (PSL) and Thireef Smart (Petrotrin), did not start.

Meanwhile, Varun Maharajh (Rigtech Sonics) proved to be the most promising endurance rider for the twin-island republic as he pedalled to gold in the Elite Men Omnium, winning four of the six stages contested.

In the final event — Points Race — Maharajh lapped the field a mesmerising six times while Campbell trailed closely behind, lapping the bunch on five occasions.

Finishing in a highly credible runner-up position was senior National debutant Akil Campbell.

The 2014 Caribbean Junior Road and Time Trial champion placed second in four of the six events, with victories coming ahead of Maharajh in the Flying 250m and 1km Time Trial.

Placing third overall was Gavyn Nero (Team DPS) while Sheldon Ramjit (Hummingbird) was fourth.

Team DPS finished among the medals as Codrington saved his energy for the Elite Men Standing 250m, where he produced a new National record of 18.672 at a speed of 48.201km/h.

Holding on to runner-up position this time around was Harding and third placed Kellar.

In the women’s equivalent, in-form rider and Pan Am Junior double gold medallist Kollyn St George (Breakaway) bagged her second gold of the Championships in 21.210.

She beat to the line Arima Wheelers’ Aziza Browne and fellow Pan American Team Sprint gold medallist Keiana Lester, who were second and third respectively.

Lester would however take top honours in the Junior Women Keirin, ousting Teneil Campbell (Rigtech Sonics) and Dominique Lovell (Arima Wheelers) respectively.

Sei Daniel also copped his second title of the tourney when he rode to victory in the Junior Men Keirin.

On his journey to the top, Daniel successfully fended off runner-up David Orr (Bike Smith) and bronze receiver Akim Constantine.

The Elite Women edition of this event also saw Jodi Goodridge (Arima Wheelers) top the field ahead of eventual runner-up Aziza Browne and Cheyenne Awai, also of Arima, respectively.

The final leg of the 2015 National Cycling Championships rode off from 7pm last night with the Time Trial and Individual Pursuit events.

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